Sleep medicine content in dental hygiene education.

PubMed

Minichbauer, Brittany C; Sheats, Rose D; Wilder, Rebecca S; Phillips, Ceib L; Essick, Gregory K

2015-05-01

According to the National Research Council, 70 million Americans chronically suffer from approximately 60 medically recognized sleep disorders. With most clinicians unaware of these disorders, many individuals remain undiagnosed. To effectively address this issue, health care professionals must work collaboratively to educate, identify, and treat patients with sleep disorders. However, medical and dental clinicians do not receive adequate education in sleep medicine. On the frontline regarding prevention and counseling, dental hygienists play an important role in patient education, screening, and management of sleep disorders. The aim of this study was to assess the amount of sleep medicine content in U.S. dental hygiene programs. An electronic survey was emailed to all 334 accredited U.S. dental hygiene programs. The 18-question survey assessed the sleep medicine content presented during the 2012-13 academic year. A total of 35.3% (n=118) of the programs responded. The mean number of hours devoted to sleep medicine in their curricula was 1.55 hours (SD=1.37). Although 69% (n=79) of the responding programs reported spending time on sleep bruxism (mean=1.38 hours, SD=0.85), only 28% (n=32) reported spending time on other topics such as snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (mean=1.39 hours, SD=0.72). These results suggest that sleep medicine is included in the majority of U.S. dental hygiene programs, but the content is limited and focused on sleep bruxism. This level of training is inadequate to prepare dental hygienists for their potential role in patient education, screening, and management of sleep-related breathing disorders.

The role of sleep hygiene in promoting public health: A review of empirical evidence.

PubMed

Irish, Leah A; Kline, Christopher E; Gunn, Heather E; Buysse, Daniel J; Hall, Martica H

2015-08-01

The ineffectiveness of sleep hygiene as a treatment in clinical sleep medicine has raised some interesting questions. If it is known that, individually, each specific component of sleep hygiene is related to sleep, why wouldn't addressing multiple individual components (i.e., sleep hygiene education) improve sleep? Is there still a use for sleep hygiene? Global public health concern over sleep has increased demand for sleep promotion strategies accessible to the population. However, the extent to which sleep hygiene strategies apply outside clinical settings is not well known. The present review sought to evaluate the empirical evidence for sleep hygiene recommendations regarding exercise, stress management, noise, sleep timing, and avoidance of caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, and daytime napping, with a particular emphasis on their public health utility. Thus, our review is not intended to be exhaustive regarding the clinical application of these techniques, but rather to focus on broader applications. Overall, though epidemiologic and experimental research generally supported an association between individual sleep hygiene recommendations and nocturnal sleep, the direct effects of individual recommendations on sleep remains largely untested in the general population. Suggestions for clarification of sleep hygiene recommendations and considerations for the use of sleep hygiene in nonclinical populations are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Role of Sleep Hygiene in Promoting Public Health: A Review of Empirical Evidence

PubMed Central

Irish, Leah A.; Kline, Christopher E.; Gunn, Heather E.; Buysse, Daniel J.; Hall, Martica H.

2014-01-01

Summary The ineffectiveness of sleep hygiene as a treatment in clinical sleep medicine has raised some interesting questions. If it is known that, individually, each specific component of sleep hygiene is related to sleep, why wouldn't addressing multiple individual components (i.e., sleep hygiene education) result in improved sleep? Is there still a use for sleep hygiene? Global public health concern over poor sleep has increased the demand for effective sleep promotion strategies that are easily accessible to the general population. However, the extent to which sleep hygiene principles and strategies apply outside of clinical settings is not well known. The present review sought to evaluate the empirical evidence for several common sleep hygiene recommendations, including regular exercise, stress management, noise reduction, sleep timing regularity, and avoidance of caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, and daytime napping, with a particular emphasis on their public health utility. Thus, our review is not intended to be exhaustive regarding the clinical application of these techniques, but rather to focus on broader applications. Overall, though epidemiologic and experimental research generally supported an association between individual sleep hygiene recommendations and nocturnal sleep, the direct effects of individual recommendations on sleep remains largely untested in the general population. Suggestions for further clarification of sleep hygiene recommendations and considerations for the use of sleep hygiene in nonclinical populations are discussed. PMID:25454674

Sleep problems in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: associations with parenting style and sleep hygiene.

PubMed

Sciberras, Emma; Song, Jie Cheng; Mulraney, Melissa; Schuster, Tibor; Hiscock, Harriet

2017-09-01

We aimed to examine the association between sleep problems and parenting and sleep hygiene in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Participants included 5-13-year-old children with DSM 5 defined ADHD and a parent-reported moderate-to-severe sleep problem (N = 361). Sleep was assessed using the parent-reported Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire. Parents also completed checklists assessing sleep hygiene, parenting consistency, and parenting warmth. Linear regression established prediction models controlling for confounding variables including child age and sex, ADHD symptom severity, comorbidities, medication use, and socio-demographic factors. More consistent parenting was associated with decreased bedtime resistance (β = -0.16) and decreased sleep anxiety (β = -0.14), while greater parental warmth was associated with increased parasomnias (β = +0.18) and sleep anxiety (β = +0.13). Poorer sleep hygiene was associated with increased bedtime resistance (β = +0.20), increased daytime sleepiness (β = +0.12), and increased sleep duration problems (β = +0.13). In conclusion, sleep hygiene and parenting are important modifiable factors independently associated with sleep problems in children with ADHD. These factors should be considered in the management of sleep problems in children with ADHD.

Are better sleepers more engaged workers? A self-regulatory approach to sleep hygiene and work engagement.

PubMed

Barber, Larissa; Grawitch, Matthew J; Munz, David C

2013-10-01

Previous research has emphasized facets of both the organizational environment and individual differences as predictors of work engagement. This study explored sleep hygiene as another important behavioural factor that may be related to work engagement. With a sample of 328 adult workers, we tested a multiple mediator model in which sleep hygiene predicts work engagement through one's appraisals of resource depletion stemming from demands (psychological strain) and general self-regulatory capacity (self-control). Results indicated that individuals who frequently engaged in poor sleep hygiene behaviours had lower self-regulatory capacity, experienced higher subjective depletion and were less engaged at work. Additionally, the path from poor sleep hygiene to decreased work engagement was attributed to perceptions of personal resources that are needed to exert self-regulatory energy at work. This is consistent with current self-regulatory theories suggesting that individuals have a limited amount of resources to allocate to demands and that the depletion of these resources can lead to stress and lower self-regulatory functioning in response to other demands. Specifically, poor sleep hygiene results in the loss of self-regulatory resources needed to be engaged in work tasks by impairing the after-work recovery process. Practical and research implications regarding sleep hygiene interventions for well-being and productivity improvement are discussed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effect of brief sleep hygiene education for workers of an information technology company.

PubMed

Kakinuma, Mitsuru; Takahashi, Masaya; Kato, Noritada; Aratake, Yutaka; Watanabe, Mayumi; Ishikawa, Yumi; Kojima, Reiko; Shibaoka, Michi; Tanaka, Katsutoshi

2010-01-01

To investigate the effects of sleep hygiene education for workers of an information technology (IT) company, we conducted a controlled clinical trial providing 581 workers one-hour sleep hygiene education. The contents of the sleep hygiene education program were a review of sleep habits, provide sleep hygiene education, and the establishment of sleep habit goals. A self-report questionnaire was used to measure outcomes including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS), Checklist Individual Strength (CIS), Center for Epidemiologic Studies for Depression (CES-D), and mean sleep duration on weekdays before and 4 wk after the intervention. A total of 391 participants were included in the analysis, with 214 participants in the sleep hygiene education group and 177 in the waiting list group. KSS score at 2 P.M. decreased by 0.42 points in the sleep hygiene education group, but increased by 0.08 points in the waiting list group, showing a significant effect size of 0.50 (95%CI, -0.97 to -0.04, p<0.05). PSQI score also improved, but the inter-group difference was not statically significant. The present study provides preliminary evidence that brief sleep hygiene education may improve afternoon sleepiness at work, but not sleep at night for IT workers.

Sleep Hygiene Behaviors Among Midlife Women with Insomnia or Sleep-Disordered Breathing: The SWAN Sleep Study

PubMed Central

Kline, Christopher E.; Irish, Leah A.; Buysse, Daniel J.; Kravitz, Howard M.; Okun, Michele L.; Owens, Jane F.

2014-01-01

Abstract Background: Insomnia and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) are the most common sleep disorders among midlife women. Although promoting sleep hygiene behaviors may be a useful behavioral approach for the management of insomnia or SDB, the frequency with which women engage in these behaviors is unclear. Methods: Participants were from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) Sleep Study (N=321; age range=48–58 years). Out of the full sample, 10.3% (n=33) met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders—Fourth Edition diagnostic criteria for insomnia, 15.3% (n=49) had clinically significant SDB (apnea–hypopnea index ≥15), and 4.7% (n=15) met criteria for both insomnia and SDB, resulting in an overall prevalence of 15.0% (n=48) for insomnia and 19.9% (n=64) for SDB. Participants provided diary-based assessments of sleep hygiene behaviors for 14–35 days. Two positive behaviors (sufficient exercise, regular morning out-of-bed time) and four negative behaviors (taking long daytime naps, caffeine consumption near bedtime, alcohol consumption near bedtime, smoking) were examined. These behaviors were compared between women with and without insomnia or SDB following adjustment for sociodemographic factors and mental and physical health indices. Results: Women with insomnia engaged in significantly fewer negative sleep hygiene behaviors than women without insomnia (1.61±0.15 vs. 2.09±0.09 behaviors; p<0.01); specifically, women with insomnia were less likely to take long naps (odds ratio [OR]=0.30, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.12–0.74) or consume caffeine near bedtime (OR=0.44, 95% CI: 0.20–0.98). In contrast, women with SDB were less likely to be physically active than women without SDB (OR=0.52, 95% CI: 0.27–0.98), but no other differences in sleep hygiene behaviors were observed. Conclusions: These data suggest that insomnia in midlife women is not associated with poor sleep hygiene. Increasing physical activity may be a

Extreme Violation of Sleep Hygiene: Sleeping Against the Biological Clock During a Multiday Relay Event.

PubMed

van Maanen, Annette; Roest, Bas; Moen, Maarten; Oort, Frans; Vergouwen, Peter; Paul, Ingrid; Groenenboom, Petra; Smits, Marcel

2015-12-01

Sleep hygiene is important for sleep quality and optimal performance during the day. However, it is not always possible to follow sleep hygiene requirements. In multiday relay events, athletes have to sleep immediately after physical exertion and sometimes against their biological clock. In this pilot study we investigated the effect of having to sleep at an abnormal circadian time on sleep duration. Eight runners and two cyclists performing a 500 km relay race were followed. They were divided into two groups that took turns in running and resting. Each group ran four times for approximately five hours while the other group slept. As a result, sleep times varied between normal and abnormal times. All athletes wore actigraphs to record the duration and onset of sleep. Linear mixed model analyses showed that athletes slept on average 43 minutes longer when they slept during usual (night) times than during abnormal (day) times. In general, sleep duration decreased during the race with on average 18 minutes per period. This pilot study shows that, even under extreme violation of sleep hygiene rules, there still is an apparent effect of circadian rhythm on sleep duration in relay race athletes.

Extreme Violation of Sleep Hygiene: Sleeping Against the Biological Clock During a Multiday Relay Event

PubMed Central

van Maanen, Annette; Roest, Bas; Moen, Maarten; Oort, Frans; Vergouwen, Peter; Paul, Ingrid; Groenenboom, Petra; Smits, Marcel

2015-01-01

Background: Sleep hygiene is important for sleep quality and optimal performance during the day. However, it is not always possible to follow sleep hygiene requirements. In multiday relay events, athletes have to sleep immediately after physical exertion and sometimes against their biological clock. Objectives: In this pilot study we investigated the effect of having to sleep at an abnormal circadian time on sleep duration. Patients and Methods: Eight runners and two cyclists performing a 500 km relay race were followed. They were divided into two groups that took turns in running and resting. Each group ran four times for approximately five hours while the other group slept. As a result, sleep times varied between normal and abnormal times. All athletes wore actigraphs to record the duration and onset of sleep. Results: Linear mixed model analyses showed that athletes slept on average 43 minutes longer when they slept during usual (night) times than during abnormal (day) times. In general, sleep duration decreased during the race with on average 18 minutes per period. Conclusions: This pilot study shows that, even under extreme violation of sleep hygiene rules, there still is an apparent effect of circadian rhythm on sleep duration in relay race athletes. PMID:26715971

Should the definition of "sleep hygiene" be antedated of a century? A historical note based on an old book by Paolo Mantegazza, rediscovered. To place in a new historical context the development of the concept of sleep hygiene.

PubMed

Gigli, Gian Luigi; Valente, Mariarosaria

2013-05-01

The article contains a historical note on the concept of sleep hygiene, developed in 1977 by Peter Hauri, who developed a set of sleep-promoting rules, considered the fundament for sleep-hygiene techniques. Somnologists, unanimously ascribed to Hauri the fatherhood of the lucky term, while numerous books included at least a section on sleep hygiene. "Inadequate sleep hygiene" was included as a nosological entity in the International Classification of Sleep Disorders. This article intends to demonstrate that the concept of sleep hygiene was developed many years before, thanks to the pioneering work of Paolo Mantegazza, a scientist and a professor in the Medical School of the University of Pavia, Italy. After presenting briefly the history of the University of Pavia and illustrating the profile of Paolo Mantegazza, the article presents the original book published by Mantegazza in 1864 (second edition in 1865). The authors report extensive citations of Mantegazza's original book dealing with sleep hygiene. Mantegazza's indications, compared with Hauri's rules show important similarities. The authors support the view that the fatherhood of sleep hygiene should be acknowledged to Mantegazza and antedated to 1864. Hauri keeps the merit of giving more solid scientific roots to the concept of sleep hygiene and of inserting it in the frame of modern sleep medicine.

A self-help book is better than sleep hygiene advice for insomnia: a randomized controlled comparative study.

PubMed

Bjorvatn, Bjørn; Fiske, Eldbjørg; Pallesen, Ståle

2011-12-01

The objective was to compare the effects of two types of written material for insomnia in a randomized trial with follow-up after three months. Insomniacs were recruited through newspaper advertisements to a web-based survey with validated questionnaires about sleep, anxiety, depression, and use of sleep medications. A self-help book focusing on cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia was compared to standard sleep hygiene advice; 77 and 78 participants were randomized to self-help book or sleep hygiene advice, respectively. The response rate was 81.9%. The self-help book gave significantly better scores on the sleep questionnaires compared to sleep hygiene advice. The proportion using sleep medications was reduced in the self-help book group, whereas it was increased in the sleep hygiene group. Compared to pre-treatment, the self-help book improved scores on the sleep (effect sizes 0.61-0.62) and depression (effect size 0.18) scales, whereas the sleep hygiene advice improved scores on some sleep scales (effect sizes 0.24-0.28), but worsened another (effect size -0.36). In addition, sleep hygiene advice increased the number of days per week where they took sleep medications (effect size -0.50). To conclude, in this randomized controlled trial, the self-help book improved sleep and reduced the proportion using sleep medications compared to sleep hygiene advice. The self-help book is an efficient low-threshold intervention, which is cheap and easily available for patients suffering from insomnia. Sleep hygiene advice also improved sleep at follow-up, but increased sleep medication use. Thus, caution is warranted when sleep hygiene advice are given as a single treatment. © 2011 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology © 2011 The Scandinavian Psychological Associations.

The Children's Report of Sleep Patterns: Validity and Reliability of the Sleep Hygiene Index and Sleep Disturbances Scale in Adolescents

PubMed Central

Meltzer, Lisa J.; Brimeyer, Chasity; Russell, Kathryn; Avis, Kristin T.; Biggs, Sarah; Reynolds, Amy C.; Crabtree, Valerie McLaughlin

2014-01-01

Objective Sleep is critical for adolescent health and well-being. However, there are a limited number of validated self-report measures of sleep for adolescents, and no well-validated measures of sleep that can be used across middle childhood and adolescence. The Children's Report of Sleep Patterns (CRSP) has already been validated in children ages 8-12 years. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the CRSP as a multidimensional, self-report sleep measure for adolescents. Methods Participants included 570 adolescents aged 13 – 18 years, 60% female, recruited from pediatricians’ offices, sleep clinics, children's hospitals, schools, and the general population. A multi-method, multi-reporter approach was used to validate the CRSP. Along with the CRSP, a subset of the sample completed the Adolescent Sleep Hygiene Scale (ASHS), with a different subset of adolescents undergoing polysomnography. Results The CRSP demonstrated good reliability and validity. Group differences on the CRSP were found for adolescents presenting to a sleep or medical clinic (vs. community sample), for older adolescents (vs. younger adolescents), those who regularly napped (vs. infrequently napped), and those with poor sleep quality (vs. good sleep quality). Self-reported sleep quality in adolescents was also associated with higher apnea-hypopnea index scores from polysomnography. Finally, the CRSP Sleep Hygiene Indices were significantly correlated with indices of the ASHS. Conclusions The CRSP is a valid and reliable measure of adolescent sleep hygiene and sleep disturbances. With a parallel version for middle childhood (8-12 years), the CRSP likely provides clinicians and researchers the ability to measure self-reported sleep across development. PMID:25441749

Personal Hygiene Practices among Urban Homeless Persons in Boston, MA.

PubMed

Leibler, Jessica H; Nguyen, Daniel D; León, Casey; Gaeta, Jessie M; Perez, Debora

2017-08-18

Persons experiencing homelessness in the United States experience significant barriers to self-care and personal hygiene, including limited access to clean showers, laundry and hand washing facilities. While the obstacles to personal hygiene associated with homelessness may increase risk of infectious disease, hygiene-related behaviors among people experiencing homelessness has received limited attention. We conducted a cross-sectional study of individuals experiencing homelessness in Boston, MA ( n = 194) to identify hygiene-related self-care practices and risk factors for reduced hygiene in this population. Most participants (72%) reported taking a daily shower. More than 60% reported hand washing with soap five or more times each day, and use of hand sanitizer was widespread (89% reported using sanitizer in the last week). A majority (86%) used a laundromat or laundry machine to wash clothing, while 14% reported washing clothing in the sink. Heavy drinking, injection drug use, and sleeping outdoors were identified as significant risk factors for reduced hygiene practices. People experiencing homelessness who also engage in these activities may be among the most difficult to reach for intervention, yet targeted efforts may decrease illness risk associated with reduced hygiene. Housed friends and family play a critical role in assisting homeless individuals maintain hygiene by providing showers and laundry facilities.

Personal Hygiene Practices among Urban Homeless Persons in Boston, MA

PubMed Central

Leibler, Jessica H.; León, Casey; Gaeta, Jessie M.; Perez, Debora

2017-01-01

Persons experiencing homelessness in the United States experience significant barriers to self-care and personal hygiene, including limited access to clean showers, laundry and hand washing facilities. While the obstacles to personal hygiene associated with homelessness may increase risk of infectious disease, hygiene-related behaviors among people experiencing homelessness has received limited attention. We conducted a cross-sectional study of individuals experiencing homelessness in Boston, MA (n = 194) to identify hygiene-related self-care practices and risk factors for reduced hygiene in this population. Most participants (72%) reported taking a daily shower. More than 60% reported hand washing with soap five or more times each day, and use of hand sanitizer was widespread (89% reported using sanitizer in the last week). A majority (86%) used a laundromat or laundry machine to wash clothing, while 14% reported washing clothing in the sink. Heavy drinking, injection drug use, and sleeping outdoors were identified as significant risk factors for reduced hygiene practices. People experiencing homelessness who also engage in these activities may be among the most difficult to reach for intervention, yet targeted efforts may decrease illness risk associated with reduced hygiene. Housed friends and family play a critical role in assisting homeless individuals maintain hygiene by providing showers and laundry facilities. PMID:28820454

Can a school-based sleep education programme improve sleep knowledge, hygiene and behaviours using a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Rigney, Gabrielle; Blunden, Sarah; Maher, Carol; Dollman, James; Parvazian, Somayeh; Matricciani, Lisa; Olds, Timothy

2015-06-01

The present study investigated the effectiveness of a school-based sleep education programme in improving key sleep behaviours, sleep knowledge, and sleep hygiene. A cross-sectional cluster-randomised controlled trial with two groups (Intervention and Control) and three assessment time points [baseline, immediately post intervention (6 weeks post baseline) and follow-up (18 weeks post baseline)] was employed. A total of 296 students (mean age = 12.2 ± 0.6 years; 59% female) from 12 schools in Adelaide, South Australia, were recruited, with 149 participants in the Intervention group and 147 in the Control group. The intervention consisted of four classroom lessons delivered at weekly intervals, followed by a group project on sleep topics, which students presented at a parental information evening. Sleep patterns were assessed objectively (actigraphy, n = 175) and subjectively (time-use recall, n = 251) at three time points. Sleep knowledge and sleep hygiene (n = 296) were also measured. Generalised estimating equations were used to compare changes in the Intervention and Control groups. The programme increased time in bed by 10 min (p = 0.03) for the Intervention group relative to the Control group, due to a 10-min delay in wake time (p = 0.00). These changes were not sustained at follow-up. There was no impact on sleep knowledge or sleep hygiene. Investment in the sleep health of youth through sleep education is important but changes to sleep patterns are difficult to achieve. More intensive programmes, programmes with a different focus or programmes targeting different age groups may be more effective. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Association between sleep behavior and sleep-related factors among university students in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Suen, Lorna K P; Hon, K L Ellis; Tam, Wilson W S

2008-09-01

Sleep problems among university students are common; however, the association between many sleep-related factors and sleep behaviors is still unclear. The purpose of this study is to examine different sleep behaviors and sleep-related factors influencing such behaviors in university students. A descriptive survey was conducted on 400 university students in Hong Kong. The instruments for data collection consisted of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a sleep hygiene practice questionnaire, demographic data, and other sleep-related factors. The results reveal that 57.5% of the 400 university students are poor sleepers. Sex, year of study, sleep hygiene practice, and perceived adequate sleep in the past month all demonstrate significant associations with poor sleepers. A high prevalence of sleep-related problems among college students is confirmed and associated factors are identified. Students should be encouraged to follow sleep hygiene practice, adequate time management for academic and social activities, and suitable stress-relieving measures.

Mentor's hand hygiene practices influence student's hand hygiene rates.

PubMed

Snow, Michelle; White, George L; Alder, Stephen C; Stanford, Joseph B

2006-02-01

There were 3 objectives for this prospective quasiexperimental study. The first was to determine the effect of mentor's hand hygiene practices on student's hand hygiene rates during clinical rotations. The second was to assess the difference in hand hygiene rates for students with and without prior medical experience. The third was to assess the student's opinion and beliefs regarding hand hygiene. Sixty students enrolled in a certified nursing program were selected to participate in the study. Each study group was observed twice during the 30-day span. The first observational period was conducted on day 1 of clinical rotation. The second observational period was conducted on day 30 of clinical rotation. Students were observed for hand hygiene. Also assessed were medical experience, sex, gloving, age, and mentor's hand hygiene practices. After observational period 2, a brief questionnaire was given to students to determine their opinion and beliefs regarding hand hygiene. The questionnaire was divided into 5 sections: student's commitment to hand hygiene, their perception of hand hygiene inconvenience, the necessity of hand hygiene, the student's ability to perform hand hygiene, and their opinion on the frequency of medical staff's hand hygiene. The mentor's practice of hand hygiene was the strongest predictor of the student's rate of hand hygiene for both observational periods (P < .01). Furthermore, students without prior medical experience had a significant increase in hand hygiene rates when comparing observational period 1 to observational period 2 (P < .01). Glove usage was associated with increased hand hygiene rates by 50% during observational period 1 (P = .01) and 44% during observational period 2 (P < .01). Male students during observational period 1 practiced hand hygiene 30% less often than female students (P < .01); however, during observational period 2, there was no significant difference between hand hygiene rates for males and females (P = .82

Sleep Hygiene and Melatonin Treatment for Children and Adolescents with ADHD and Initial Insomnia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weiss, Margaret D.; Wasdell, Michael B.; Bomben, Melissa M.; Rea, Kathleen J.; Freeman, Roger D.

2006-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of sleep hygiene and melatonin treatment for initial insomnia in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Method: Twenty-seven stimulant-treated children (6-14 years of age) with ADHD and initial insomnia (greater than 60 minutes) received sleep hygiene intervention. Nonresponders were…

Sleep Pattern and Sleep Hygiene Practices among Nigerian Schooling Adolescents

PubMed Central

Peter, Igoche David; Adamu, Halima; Asani, Mustafa O.; Aliyu, Ibrahim; Sabo, Umar A.; Umar, Umar I.

2017-01-01

Background: Sleep problems, especially in the adolescent stage of development, may be associated with excessive daytime sleepiness, impaired neurocognitive function, and a host of others leading to suboptimal performance. Objectives: To determine the pattern of sleep problems in school-going adolescents based on the bedtime problems; excessive daytime sleepiness; awakenings during the night and problems falling back asleep; regularity and duration of sleep; sleep-disordered breathing (BEARS) sleep screening algorithm. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study involving 353 secondary school-going adolescents in Kano metropolis. Subjects were selected for the study using multistage sampling technique. The study lasted from March 2015 to July 2015. Sleep problems were screened for using the BEARS sleep screening algorithm. Tables were used to present the qualitative data. The various BEARS sleep patterns were assessed, and comparison between stages of adolescence was done using Chi-square test (and Fisher's exact test where necessary). A significant association was considered at P < 0.05. Results: Of the 353 adolescents studied, 61.8% were males while 38.2% were females with male, female ratio of 1.6:1. Early, middle, and late adolescents constituted 13.9%, 39.9%, 46.2% respectively. BEARS sleep screening revealed awakenings during the night (34.6%) as the most common sleep-related problem reported, and this was followed by excessive daytime sleepiness (21.0%). Age-group dependent sleep duration was 7.19 ± 1.26, 7.13 ± 1.13, 7.16 ± 1.28, with P > 0.05. Although 62.9% of all the adolescents watched TV/play video games until 1 h before going to bed and this was highest in late adolescence, it was not statistically significantly associated with any of the sleep problems. Conclusion: Both the quality and quantity of sleep in Nigerian adolescents in Kano is suboptimal. Adolescent and sleep medicine should receive more attention in our

Simplified sleep restriction for insomnia in general practice: a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Falloon, Karen; Elley, C Raina; Fernando, Antonio; Lee, Arier C; Arroll, Bruce

2015-08-01

Insomnia is common in primary care. Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is effective but requires more time than is available in the general practice consultation. Sleep restriction is one behavioural component of CBT-I. To assess whether simplified sleep restriction (SSR) can be effective in improving sleep in primary insomnia. Randomised controlled trial of patients in urban general practice settings in Auckland, New Zealand. Adults with persistent primary insomnia and no mental health or significant comorbidity were eligible. Intervention patients received SSR instructions and sleep hygiene advice. Control patients received sleep hygiene advice alone. Primary outcomes included change in sleep quality at 6 months measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and sleep efficiency (SE%). The proportion of participants reaching a predefined 'insomnia remission' treatment response was calculated. Ninety-seven patients were randomised and 94 (97%) completed the study. At 6-month follow-up, SSR participants had improved PSQI scores (6.2 versus 8.4, P<0.001), ISI scores (8.6 versus 11.1, P = 0.001), actigraphy-assessed SE% (difference 2.2%, P = 0.006), and reduced fatigue (difference -2.3 units, P = 0.04), compared with controls. SSR produced higher rates of treatment response (67% [28 out of 42] versus 41% [20 out of 49]); number needed to treat = 4 (95% CI = 2.0 to 19.0). Controlling for age, sex, and severity of insomnia, the adjusted odds ratio for insomnia remission was 2.7 (95% CI = 1.1 to 6.5). There were no significant differences in other outcomes or adverse effects. SSR is an effective brief intervention in adults with primary insomnia and no comorbidities, suitable for use in general practice. © British Journal of General Practice 2015.

Spot-checks to measure general hygiene practice.

PubMed

Sonego, Ina L; Mosler, Hans-Joachim

2016-01-01

A variety of hygiene behaviors are fundamental to the prevention of diarrhea. We used spot-checks in a survey of 761 households in Burundi to examine whether something we could call general hygiene practice is responsible for more specific hygiene behaviors, ranging from handwashing to sweeping the floor. Using structural equation modeling, we showed that clusters of hygiene behavior, such as primary caregivers' cleanliness and household cleanliness, explained the spot-check findings well. Within our model, general hygiene practice as overall concept explained the more specific clusters of hygiene behavior well. Furthermore, the higher general hygiene practice, the more likely children were to be categorized healthy (r = 0.46). General hygiene practice was correlated with commitment to hygiene (r = 0.52), indicating a strong association to psychosocial determinants. The results show that different hygiene behaviors co-occur regularly. Using spot-checks, the general hygiene practice of a household can be rated quickly and easily.

Sleep hygiene and its association with daytime sleepiness, depressive symptoms, and quality of life in patients with mild obstructive sleep apnea.

PubMed

Lee, Sang-Ahm; Paek, Joon-Hyun; Han, Su-Hyun

2015-12-15

To investigate the direct and indirect associations of sleep hygiene with daytime sleepiness, depressive symptoms, and quality of life (QoL), in newly diagnosed, untreated patients with mild obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Data were collected from adults with mild OSA. The Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI), Sleep Problems Index-1 (SPI-1) of the Medical Outcomes Study-Sleep Scale, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form Health survey (SF-36) were used to evaluate patients. To determine the indirect and direct associations between SHI and disease outcomes, the Sobel test and multiple linear regression analyses were used, respectively. When we evaluated the direct associations, we excluded 3 items of the original SHI which were more reflective of general health rather than sleep-specific habits and environments. In total, 260 patients with mild OSA participated in this study. The average age, AHI, and SHI scores were 49.1 years (SD 12.5), 9.3/h (SD 2.9), and 24.7 (SD 6.0), respectively. Here, ≥ 10% of participants indicated poor sleep hygiene behaviors on 7 of 13 items. Young age and men were associated with higher SHI scores (both p<0.01). The 13-item SHI scores were indirectly related to ESS, BDI, and SF-36 scores via SPI-1 (all p<0.05). The 10-item SHI scores were related to ESS (p=0.049) and SF-36 (p=0.001), but not to BDI, independently of SPI-1 or other confounding factors in mild OSA patients. Age, sex, AHI, and body mass index were not related to ESS, BDI, or total SF-36 scores. Sleep hygiene is indirectly related to daytime sleepiness, depressive symptoms, QoL via sleep quality and also related to daytime sleepiness and QoL independent of sleep quality in mild OSA patients. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Self-Monitoring vs. Implementation Intentions: a Comparison of Behaviour Change Techniques to Improve Sleep Hygiene and Sleep Outcomes in Students.

PubMed

Mairs, Lucinda; Mullan, Barbara

2015-10-01

This study seeks to investigate and compare the efficacy of self-monitoring and implementation intentions-two post-intentional behaviour change techniques-for improving sleep hygiene behaviours and sleep outcomes in university students. Seventy-two undergraduate students completed baseline measures of four sleep hygiene behaviours (making the sleep environment restful, avoiding going to bed hungry/thirsty, avoiding stress/anxiety-provoking activities near bed time and avoiding caffeine in the evening), as well as the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and the insomnia severity index (ISI). Participants were randomly assigned to an active-control diary-keeping, self-monitoring condition or completed implementation intentions for each behaviour. Post-intervention measurement was completed 2 weeks after baseline. Repeated measures analyses of variance found significant main effects of time for improvements in making the sleep environment restful and avoiding going to bed hungry or thirsty, as well as PSQI and ISI scores. Non-significant interactions suggested no group differences on any variable, except for increasing avoidance of stress and anxiety-provoking activities before bed time, for which only implementation intentions were found to be effective. Attrition was higher amongst self-monitoring participants. Both self-monitoring and implementation intentions appear to be promising behaviour change techniques for improving sleep hygiene and sleep. Future research should examine the acceptability of the two behaviour change techniques and the relationship with differential attrition, as well as effect size variations according to behaviour and technique. Researchers should investigate potential additive or interactive effects of the techniques, as they could be utilised in a complementary manner to target different processes in effecting behaviour change.

Overview of the Development of the Temporary Sleep Station Hygiene Liner Aboard the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reid, Ethan A.

2010-01-01

Since the beginning of manned operations aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the crew had performed hygiene activities within the aisle way (the habitable volume, not including the sleep areas) of the ISS. The Crew used wet towels, re-hydrated body soap, and "no-rinse" shampoo to cleanse themselves amongst the stowage and systems hardware, referred to as "racks", even without a designated area to dry the wet items. Performing hygiene in this manner became an accepted method; no isolated location was available to the Crew. After several years of hygiene operations, some of the fabric-covered racks began to grow biological material (generically described as mold) and soon became a Crew health concern. Hygiene has one of the strongest impacts on Crew morale, and mandating changes to the Crew routine would have been met with strong resistance. The answer to the conundrum was to develop a liner to be placed within the Temporary Sleep Station (TeSS), one of the Crew s sleeping racks. This liner provided the Crew a means to perform hygiene activities within a private, enclosed area that also significantly decreased the potential to grow mold. This paper will describe the development of the TeSS Hygiene Liner, its impacts on the ISS and Crew, as well as its contribution to hygiene activities used in space today.

Development of the athlete sleep behavior questionnaire: A tool for identifying maladaptive sleep practices in elite athletes

PubMed Central

Driller, Matthew W; Mah, Cheri D; Halson, Shona L

2018-01-01

Introduction Existing sleep questionnaires to assess sleep behaviors may not be sensitive in determining the unique sleep challenges faced by elite athletes. The purpose of the current study was to develop and validate the Athlete Sleep Behavior Questionnaire (ASBQ) to be used as a practical tool for support staff working with elite athletes. Methods 564 participants (242 athletes, 322 non-athletes) completed the 18-item ASBQ and three previously validated questionnaires; the Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). A cohort of the studied population performed the ASBQ twice in one week to assess test-retest reliability, and also performed sleep monitoring via wrist-actigraphy. Results Comparison of the ASBQ with existing sleep questionnaires resulted in moderate to large correlations (r=0.32 - 0.69). There was a significant difference between athletes and non-athletes for the ASBQ global score (44±6 vs. 41±6, respectively, p<0.01) and for the PSQI, but not for the SHI or the ESS. The reliability of the ASBQ was acceptable (ICC=0.87) when re-tested within 7 days. There was a moderate relationship between ASBQ and total sleep time (r=-0.42). Conclusion The ASBQ is a valid and reliable tool that can differentiate the sleep practices between athletes and non-athletes, and offers a practical instrument for practitioners and/or researchers wanting to evaluate the sleep behaviors of elite athletes. The ASBQ may provide information on areas where improvements to individual athletes’ sleep habits could be made. PMID:29796200

Sleep disturbances in patients with major depressive disorder: incongruence between sleep log and actigraphy.

PubMed

Kung, Pei-Ying; Chou, Kuei-Ru; Lin, Kuan-Chia; Hsu, Hsin-Wei; Chung, Min-Huey

2015-02-01

Depression has become a severe global health problem, and sleeping difficulties are typically associated with depression. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among subjective sleep quality, objective sleep quality, and the sleep hygiene practices of hospitalized patients with major depressive disorder. Daily sleep logs and actigraphy were used to obtain subjective and objective sleep data. Thirty patients were recruited from a regional teaching hospital in Taipei and completed the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and the Sleep Hygiene Practice Scale. Significant differences were found between subjective and objective sleep data in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). For patients with more severe depression, subjective measurements obtained using sleep logs, such as total sleep time and sleep efficiency, were significantly lower than those obtained using actigraphy by controlling for demographics. The results regarding the differences between subjective and objective sleep data can be a reference for care providers when comforting depression patients who complain of sleep disturbance. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparative Effectiveness of Three Occupational Therapy Sleep Interventions: A Randomized Controlled Study.

PubMed

Gutman, Sharon A; Gregory, Kristin A; Sadlier-Brown, Megan M; Schlissel, Marcy A; Schubert, Allison M; Westover, Lee Ann; Miller, Richard C

2017-01-01

Although sleep intervention is within the domain of occupational therapy, few studies exist supporting practice. Effectiveness of three sleep interventions was compared: Dreampad Pillow®, iRest® meditation, and sleep hygiene. Twenty-nine participants were randomly assigned to the Dreampad Pillow® ( n = 10), iRest® meditation ( n = 9), and sleep hygiene ( n = 10) groups. In Phase 1, all participants used a 7-day sleep hygiene regimen to reduce poor sleep habits. In Phase 2 (14 days), 10 participants used the Dreampad Pillow® and sleep hygiene, nine used the iRest meditation and sleep hygiene, and 10 continued sleep hygiene only. At intervention-end, the iRest meditation group experienced statistically greater time asleep than both the Dreampad Pillow® ( p < .006, d = 1.87) and sleep hygiene groups ( p < .03, d = 1.80). The Dreampad Pillow® group experienced statistically fewer nighttime awakenings than the iRest® meditation ( p < .04, d = -1.53) and sleep hygiene ( p < .004, d = -1.43) groups. No differences were found between groups in perceived sleep quality, length of time needed to fall asleep, and fatigue level next day. This study provides support for sleep interventions within occupational therapy's domain.

Start Later, Sleep Later: School Start Times and Adolescent Sleep in Homeschool Versus Public/Private School Students.

PubMed

Meltzer, Lisa J; Shaheed, Keisha; Ambler, Devon

2016-01-01

Homeschooled students provide a naturalistic comparison group for later/flexible school start times. This study compared sleep patterns and sleep hygiene for homeschooled students and public/private school students (grades 6-12). Public/private school students (n = 245) and homeschooled students (n = 162) completed a survey about sleep patterns and sleep hygiene. Significant school group differences were found for weekday bedtime, wake time, and total sleep time, with homeschooled students waking later and obtaining more sleep. Homeschooled students had later school start times, waking at the same time that public/private school students were starting school. Public/private school students had poorer sleep hygiene practices, reporting more homework and use of technology in the hour before bed. Regardless of school type, technology in the bedroom was associated with shorter sleep duration. Later school start times may be a potential countermeasure for insufficient sleep in adolescents. Future studies should further examine the relationship between school start times and daytime outcomes, including academic performance, mood, and health.

Start Later, Sleep Later: School Start Times and Adolescent Sleep in Homeschool vs. Public/Private School Students

PubMed Central

Meltzer, Lisa J.; Shaheed, Keisha; Ambler, Devon

2014-01-01

Homeschool students provide a naturalistic comparison group for later/flexible school start times. This study compared sleep patterns and sleep hygiene for homeschool students and public/private school students (grades 6-12). Public/private school students (n=245) and homeschool students (n=162) completed a survey about sleep patterns and sleep hygiene. Significant school group differences were found for weekday bedtime, wake time, and total sleep time, with homeschool students waking later and obtaining more sleep. Homeschool students had later school start times, waking at the same time that public/private school students were starting school. Public/private school students had poorer sleep hygiene practices, reporting more homework and use of technology in the hour before bed. Regardless of school type, technology in the bedroom was associated with shorter sleep duration. Later school start times may be a potential countermeasure for insufficient sleep in adolescents. Future studies should further examine the relationship between school start times and daytime outcomes, including academic performance, mood, and health. PMID:25315902

[Hygiene practices for patients with HIV/AIDS].

PubMed

da Cunha, Gilmara Holanda; de Araujo, Thelma Leite; Lima, Francisca Elisângela Teixeira; Cavalcante, Tahissa Frota; Galvão, Marli Teresinha Gimeniz

2014-09-01

The objective of this study was to analyze the scientific production on health interventions related to hygiene for adults with HIV/AIDS. An integrative literature review was performed using six databases in June 2013. The descriptors AIDS and Hygiene were used, in Portuguese, English or Spanish. A total of 682 articles were found and 16 were selected. Personal hygiene practices were identified, such as hand washing, showers, tooth brushing and quitting smoking. Food hygiene practices involved washing food and kitchen utensils, using treated water, conserving and cooking food. Environmental hygiene took into account raising domestic animals, control of disease vectors, household cleanliness, waste disposal and basic sanitation. In conclusion, these specific hygiene interventions can be applied to the general population and, especially, to people with HIV/AIDS, due to immunosuppression.

Modifying the Sleep Treatment Education Program for Students to include technology use (STEPS-TECH): Intervention effects on objective and subjective sleep outcomes.

PubMed

Barber, Larissa K; Cucalon, Maria S

2017-12-01

University students often have sleep issues that arise from poor sleep hygiene practices and technology use patterns. Yet, technology-related behaviors are often neglected in sleep hygiene education. This study examined whether the Sleep Treatment Education Program for Students-modified to include information regarding managing technology use (STEPS-TECH)-helps improve both subjective and objective sleep outcomes among university students. Results of an experimental study among 78 university students showed improvements in objective indicators of sleep quantity (total sleep time) and sleep quality (less awakenings) during the subsequent week for students in the STEPS-TECH intervention group compared to a control group. Exploratory analyses indicated that effects were driven by improvements in weekend days immediately following the intervention. There were also no intervention effects on subjective sleep quality or quantity outcomes. In terms of self-reported behavioral responses to educational content in the intervention, there were no group differences in sleep hygiene practices or technology use before bedtime. However, the intervention group reported less technology use during sleep periods than the control group. These preliminary findings suggest that STEPS-TECH may be a useful educational tool to help improve objective sleep and reduce technology use during sleep periods among university students. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[Hygiene in Sleep: Problems of Sleeping Habits in Shift Workers].

PubMed

Takada, Masumi

2018-01-01

Since World War II, Japan has achieved remarkable economic development and has become an advanced country. Particularly in the industrial field, a production system has been developed to reduce the loss of machining time by adopting a shiftwork in factories operating 24 hours a day, which contributes to the improvement of productivity. Nowadays, this shiftwork practice has spread from the industrial field to other businesses such as 24-hour entertainment facilities and convenience stores, which lead to sleep deprivation in Japanese society. Even at home, certain conditions adversely affect sleeping habits. We are concerned about the risks of physical and mental health, impairments posed by the use of tablets, PCs, smartphones, and other devices so popular in today's Japan, as they delay sleep. It is urgent to improve poor sleeping habits because their outcomes such as sleep disorders and deprivation may also lead to traffic and industrial accidents.

Sleep practices among medical students in Pediatrics Department of University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku/Ozalla, Enugu, Nigeria.

PubMed

Chinawa, J M; Chukwu, B F; Obu, H A

2014-01-01

Medical students are a population who are at great risk of having bad sleep practice and hygiene due to demanding clinical and academic activities. Poor sleep practices are a disturbing and destabilizing phenomenon. It affects many people and can affect the quality of work, performance and education of medical students. Determining the sleep practices and behaviors could be useful to establish a systematic mental health curriculum in medical schools. The objectives of this study is to describe sleep practices among undergraduate medical students in a Nigerian University. Sleep practices were investigated using a convenience sample of medical students from the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Ituku Ozalla, Enugu from October 2012 to February 2013. A total number of participants enrolled were 241 consisting of 150 male and 90 female medical students. However, 222 (response rate: 92.1%) completed and returned the questionnaire. The median number of hours of night sleep on a weekday and weekend were 6 and 7 h respectively. There was a significant correlation between the number of hours of sleep and use of caffeine (Spearman r = -0.148, P < 0.0321). Ninety two (45.3%) had a sleep latency of 10-30 min while 157 (70.7%) woke up 1-2 times/night. Twenty five (11.3%) experience unusual sleep practices such as sleep walking, talking or night terrors. Medical students in our institution have varying degrees of sleeping practice and behavior and this may affect academic performance.

Randomized controlled trial on the effects of a combined sleep hygiene education and behavioral approach program on sleep quality in workers with insomnia.

PubMed

Kaku, Akiko; Nishinoue, Nao; Takano, Tomoki; Eto, Risa; Kato, Noritada; Ono, Yutaka; Tanaka, Katsutoshi

2012-01-01

To evaluate the effects of a combined sleep hygiene education and behavioral approach program on sleep quality in workers with insomnia, we conducted a randomized controlled trial at a design engineering unit in Japan. Employees evaluated for insomnia by the Athens Insomnia Scale (≥6 points) were divided into an intervention and control group. The intervention group received a short-term intervention (30 min) program that included sleep hygiene education and behavioral approaches (relaxation training, stimulus control, and sleep restriction) performed by occupational health professionals. We calculated differences in change in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores between the two groups from baseline to three months after the start of intervention after adjusting for gender, age, job title, job category, average number of hours of overtime during the study period, marital status, smoking habit, average number of days of alcohol consumption per week, exercise habits, K6 score, and baseline PSQI score. Results showed that the average PSQI score decreased by 1.0 in the intervention group but increased by 0.9 in the control group. Additionally, the difference in variation between the two groups was 1.9 (95% confidence interval: 0.6 to 3.4), which was significant. Taken together, these results indicate that the intervention program significantly improved the sleep quality of workers with insomnia.

10 CFR 850.27 - Hygiene facilities and practices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Hygiene facilities and practices. 850.27 Section 850.27 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY CHRONIC BERYLLIUM DISEASE PREVENTION PROGRAM Specific Program Requirements § 850.27 Hygiene facilities and practices. (a) General. The responsible employer must assure that in...

College residential sleep environment.

PubMed

Sexton-Radek, Kathy; Hartley, Andrew

2013-12-01

College students regularly report increased sleep disturbances as well as concomitant reductions in performance (e.g., academic grades) upon entering college. Sleep hygiene refers to healthy sleep practices that are commonly used as first interventions in sleep disturbances. One widely used practice of this sort involves arranging the sleep environment to minimize disturbances from excessive noise and light at bedtime. Communal sleep situations such as those in college residence halls do not easily support this intervention. Following several focus groups, a questionnaire was designed to gather self-reported information on sleep disturbances in a college population. The present study used The Young Adult Sleep Environment Inventory (YASEI) and sleep logs to investigate the sleep environment of college students living in residential halls. A summary of responses indicated that noise and light are significant sleep disturbances in these environments. Recommendations are presented related to these findings.

Implementing AORN recommended practices for hand hygiene.

PubMed

Patrick, Marcia; Van Wicklin, Sharon A

2012-04-01

This article focuses on implementing the revised AORN "Recommended practices for hand hygiene in the perioperative setting." The content of the document has been expanded and reorganized from the previous iteration and now includes specific activity statements about water temperature, water and soap dispensing controls, the type of dispensers to use, paper towel dispenser requirements, placement of soap and rub dispensers, and regulatory requirements for products and recommendations for hand hygiene practices. A successful hand hygiene program allows end users to have input into the selection and evaluation of products and should include educating personnel about proper hand hygiene, product composition and safety, and how and when to use specific products. Measures for competency evaluation and compliance monitoring include observations, quizzes, skills labs, electronic monitoring systems, handheld device applications, and data collection forms. Copyright © 2012 AORN, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Role of female intimate hygiene in vulvovaginal health: Global hygiene practices and product usage.

PubMed

Chen, Ying; Bruning, Elizabeth; Rubino, Joseph; Eder, Scott E

2017-12-01

Women use various feminine hygiene products, often as part of their daily cleansing routine; however, there is a paucity of published medical literature related to the external vulva and how personal hygiene practices can affect it. This review article provides background information on the physiological changes that occur during women's lives and reviews the relevance of transient and resident microbiota as they relate to common vaginal and vulvar disorders. It also discusses the need for female intimate hygiene, common practices of feminine hygiene from a global perspective, and the potential benefits of using suitable external, topical feminine vulvar washes to minimize the risk of vulvovaginal disorders and to improve overall intimate health in women around the world. Supported by international guidelines, daily gentle cleansing of the vulva is an important aspect of feminine hygiene and overall intimate health. Women should be encouraged to choose a carefully formulated and clinically tested external wash that provides targeted antimicrobial and other health benefits without negatively impacting on the natural vulvovaginal microbiota.

Influence of Institutional Guidelines on Oral Hygiene Practices in Intensive Care Units.

PubMed

Kiyoshi-Teo, Hiroko; Blegen, Mary

2015-07-01

Maintaining oral hygiene is a key component of preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia; however, practices are inconsistent. To explore how characteristics of institutional guidelines for oral hygiene influence nurses' oral hygiene practices and perceptions of that practice. Oral hygiene section of a larger survey study on prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia. Critical care nurses at 8 hospitals in Northern California that had more than 1000 ventilator days in 2009 were recruited to participate in the survey. Twenty-one questions addressed oral hygiene practices and practice perceptions. Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and Spearman correlations were used for analyses. A total of 576 critical care nurses (45% response rate) responded to the survey. Three types of institutional oral hygiene guidelines existed: nursing policy, order set, and information bulletin. Nursing policy provided the most detail about the oral hygiene care; however, adherence, awareness, and priority level were higher with order sets (P < .05). The content and method of disseminating these guidelines varied, and nursing practices were affected by these differences. Nurses assessed the oral cavity and used oral swabs more often when those practices were included in institutional guidelines. The content and dissemination method of institutional guidelines on oral hygiene do influence the oral hygiene practices of critical care nurses. Future studies examining how institutional guidelines could best be incorporated into routine workflow are needed. ©2015 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice on Menstrual Hygiene Management among School Adolescents.

PubMed

Yadav, Ram Naresh; Joshi, Shrijana; Poudel, Rajesh; Pandeya, Pawan

2018-01-01

Menstrual hygiene management remains a taboo in many communities in Nepal. Cultural beliefs about menstruation such as food taboos and untouchability have negative impact on dignity, health and education of adolescent girls. The objective of the study was to assess the current knowledge, attitude and practice of school adolescents on menstrual hygiene management in Doti District in Far-Western Nepal. This cross-sectional study was carried out from October to December 2016 at seven village development committees in Doti district, Nepal. This study was done among 276 students from grade seven and eight of 11 schools. Self-administered structured questionnaire was used to obtain information from school students. Descriptive analysis was done to analyse the knowledge, attitude and practice of school adolescents on menstrual hygiene management. 67.4% respondents had fair knowledge and 26.4% respondents had good knowledge on menstrual hygiene management. However, out of 141 female adolescent respondents, only 56 (40%) were engaged in good menstrual hygiene practices. Around half of the respondents had positive attitude towards menstrual hygiene management related issues. Although knowledge on menstrual hygiene management among school adolescents is fair, still attitude and practice need to improve. Findings indicate the need of behavior change communication campaigns along with frequent reinforcement of school health education programs.

Factors influencing knowledge and practice of hygiene in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme areas of Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee.

PubMed

Akter, Tahera; Ali, Armm Mehrab

2014-01-01

Improved hygiene is one of the most effective means of reducing disease occurrence. However, a complete understanding of the factors that contribute to such improvement are not clear. This study explored factors that facilitate and/or impede hygiene behavior in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) intervention areas using qualitative research techniques. The Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) has been providing WASH intervention to 150 rural upazilas (sub-districts) since 2006. For qualitative data collection, in-depth interviews were conducted with 144 purposively selected women from six upazilas across Bangladesh. A woman in the household was considered as a case and interviewed regarding various aspects of sanitation and hygiene, using a checklist. Some practices, such as cleanliness of latrines, and availability of soap, water, slippers in their designated place were physically verified. The respondents' hygiene behavior was mainly facilitated by improved knowledge and awareness of health and environment-related issues. Latrine ownership increased through financial assistance, resulting in improved privacy, social prestige, and a heightened sense of responsibility towards maintaining a healthy life. However, lack of interest in attending cluster meetings, traditional knowledge, poverty, and lack of will were some of the factors impeding knowledge and hygiene practice. In addition, attitude played a definitive role, with some respondents not practicing hygiene in spite of having the financial ability to do so. They expected full financial support for creating sanitation and hygiene facilities in their household despite BRAC's policy of providing such support only to the 'ultra-poor'. The identified impeding factors often act as barriers to transformation of hygiene-related knowledge into practice and practice into habit. More motivational cluster meetings with large-scale participation and periodic home visits by the programme organizers are

Hand Hygiene Practices Among Indian Medical Undergraduates: A Questionnaire-Based Survey

PubMed Central

Modi, Pranav D; Solanki, Rajavi; Modi, Janhavi; Chandramani, Srinath; Gill, Niharika

2017-01-01

Background and objectives To prevent the spread of infections in all healthcare settings, hand hygiene must be routinely practiced. Appropriate hand hygiene techniques can go a long way in reducing nosocomial infections, cross-transmission of microorganisms and the risk of occupational exposure to infectious diseases. World Health Organisation (WHO) has taken an incredible approach called “My Five Moments for Hand Hygiene" which defines the key moments when health-care workers should perform hand hygiene. We thus carried out a survey to assess knowledge of hand hygiene practices among undergraduate medical students.  Materials and methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 523 Indian medical undergraduates. The questionnaire used was adapted from the WHO hand hygiene knowledge questionnaire for health-care workers and was distributed both, in print and online formats. The response to each question was examined using percentages. Results Nearly 57% (n=298) of medical students who participated in this study did not receive any formal training in hand hygiene. Only 27% (n=141) students knew that the most frequent source of germs responsible for health-care associated infections were the germs already present on or within the patient. Nearly 68.6% (n= 359) students were unaware of the sequence of hand washing and hand rubbing. Although 71.9% (n=376 ) students claimed that they use an alcohol-based hand rub routinely, only 36.1% (n=189 ) students knew the time required for a hand rub to kill the germs on the hands. Overall hand hygiene knowledge was low in 6.9% (n=36), moderate in 80.9% (n=423) and good in 12.2% (n=23) of respondents.  Conclusions The awareness about hand hygiene practices among medical students is low. Nearly 57% (n=298) of the respondents never received any formal training in hand hygiene throughout their course of medical undergraduate study. To prevent the spread of infections in healthcare settings, medical students should be given

Menstrual Hygiene Practices and Sources of Menstrual Hygiene Information among Adolescent Secondary School Girls in Abakaliki Education Zone of Ebonyi State

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ilo, Cajetan I.; Nwimo, Ignatius O.; Onwunaka, Chinagorom

2016-01-01

Menstruation is clouded by socio-cultural restrictions resulting in adolescent girls remaining ignorant of hygienic practices. The study was designed to ascertain the menstrual hygiene practices and sources of menstrual hygiene information among 1200 adolescent secondary school girls, who completed the questionnaire designed for the study. Out of…

Sleep from an Islamic perspective

PubMed Central

BaHammam, Ahmed S.

2011-01-01

Sleep medicine is a relatively new scientific specialty. Sleep is an important topic in Islamic literature, and the Quran and Hadith discuss types of sleep, the importance of sleep, and good sleep practices. Islam considers sleep as one of the signs of the greatness of Allνh (God) and encourages followers to explore this important sign. The Quran describes different types of sleep, and these correspond with sleep stages identified by modern science. The Quran discusses the beneficial effects of sleep and emphasizes the importance of maintaining a pattern of light and darkness. A mid-day nap is an important practice for Muslims, and the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him (pbuh) promoted naps as beneficial. In accordance with the practice and instructions of Muhammad (pbuh), Muslims have certain sleep habits and these sleep habits correspond to some of the sleep hygiene rules identified by modern science. Details during sleep include sleep position, like encouraging sleep on the right side and discouraging sleep in the prone position. Dream interpretation is an established science in the Islamic literature and Islamic scholars have made significant contributions to theories of dream interpretation. We suggest that sleep scientists examine religious literature in general and Islamic literature in particular, to understand the views, behaviors, and practices of ancient people about the sleep and sleep disorders. Such studies may help to answer some unresolved questions in sleep science or lead to new areas of inquiry. PMID:21977062

Sleep from an Islamic perspective.

PubMed

Bahammam, Ahmed S

2011-10-01

Sleep medicine is a relatively new scientific specialty. Sleep is an important topic in Islamic literature, and the Quran and Hadith discuss types of sleep, the importance of sleep, and good sleep practices. Islam considers sleep as one of the signs of the greatness of Allνh (God) and encourages followers to explore this important sign. The Quran describes different types of sleep, and these correspond with sleep stages identified by modern science. The Quran discusses the beneficial effects of sleep and emphasizes the importance of maintaining a pattern of light and darkness. A mid-day nap is an important practice for Muslims, and the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him (pbuh) promoted naps as beneficial. In accordance with the practice and instructions of Muhammad (pbuh), Muslims have certain sleep habits and these sleep habits correspond to some of the sleep hygiene rules identified by modern science. Details during sleep include sleep position, like encouraging sleep on the right side and discouraging sleep in the prone position. Dream interpretation is an established science in the Islamic literature and Islamic scholars have made significant contributions to theories of dream interpretation. We suggest that sleep scientists examine religious literature in general and Islamic literature in particular, to understand the views, behaviors, and practices of ancient people about the sleep and sleep disorders. Such studies may help to answer some unresolved questions in sleep science or lead to new areas of inquiry.

Variation in feminine hygiene practices as a function of age.

PubMed

Czerwinski, B S

2000-01-01

To examine variation in feminine hygiene practices as a function of increasing age. A nonexperimental, descriptive research design with study sample stratified by age. Women over 18 years of age. Of 713 women who completed and returned the feminine hygiene practices questionnaire, 180 were younger than 41 years, 171 were 41-48 years, 184 were 49-57 years, and 178 were 58 years or older. All participants were members of a California professional home economics organization. A 40-item feminine hygiene practices questionnaire dealing with body cleansing practices, feminine products usage, and both general and specific menses collection and protection practices. Significant age-related differences were found in several areas of body cleansing and feminine products usage, including sponge bathing and use of feminine and deodorant spray, wet wipes, and panty liners. In all age groups, 20-30% of women reported douching, even in the face of continued reports of the dangers in this practice. In addition, reduced numbers of women (n = 245) in all age groups reported washing hands before using tampons or pads, although more (n = 314) reported washing their hands afterward. Continuing education about proper feminine hygiene practices, especially regarding douching and handwashing before and after genitourinary contact, will be important across all age groups.

Factors associated with hand hygiene practices in two neonatal intensive care units.

PubMed

Cohen, Bevin; Saiman, Lisa; Cimiotti, Jeannie; Larson, Elaine

2003-06-01

To determine whether hand hygiene practices differ between levels of contact with neonates; to characterize the hand hygiene practices of different types of personnel; and to compare hand hygiene practices in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) using different products. Research assistants observed staff hand hygiene practices during 38 sessions in two NICUs. Patient touches were categorized as touching within the neonates' environment but only outside the Isolette (Level 1), touching within the Isolette but not the neonate directly (Level 2) or directly touching the neonate (Level 3). Hand hygiene practices for each touch were categorized into five groups: cleaned hands and new gloves; uncleaned hands and new gloves; used gloves; clean hands and no gloves; uncleaned hands and no gloves. Research assistants observed 1472 touches. On average each neonate or his or her immediate environment was touched 78 times per shift. Nurses (P = 0.001), attending physicians (P = 0.02) and physicians-in-training (P = 0.03) were more likely to use appropriate practices during Level 3 touches, but only 22.8% of all touches were with cleaned and/or newly gloved hands. The mean number of direct touches by staff members with cleaned hands was greater in the NICU using an alcohol-based hand rub than in the NICU using antimicrobial soap (P < 0.01). Hand hygiene was suboptimal in this high risk setting; administrative action and improved products may be needed to assure acceptable practice. In this study use of an alcohol-based product was associated with significantly improved hand hygiene and should be encouraged, as recommended in the new CDC hand hygiene guideline.

Sleep health education in pediatric community settings: rationale and practical suggestions for incorporating healthy sleep education into pediatric practice.

PubMed

Gruber, Reut; Cassoff, Jamie; Knäuper, Bärbel

2011-06-01

This article offers practical ways to incorporate healthy sleep education into pediatric practice and discusses key questions, barriers, and strategies associated with such efforts. The rationale for incorporating healthy sleep education in pediatric practice settings is presented, and desirable features of sleep education programs that may be implemented in pediatric practice are identified. Potential barriers are reviewed and strategies offered to overcome these barriers, such as developing resources applicable to healthy sleep education and practical information for pediatricians. Key factors regarding effectiveness of such interventional programs and key points relevant to successful healthy sleep education in pediatric practice are highlighted. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Feminine hygiene practices among female patients and nurses in Lebanon.

PubMed

Attieh, Elie; Maalouf, Samer; Roumieh, Dina; Abdayem, Pamela; AbiTayeh, Georges; Kesrouani, Assaad

2016-05-23

Inappropriate feminine hygiene practices are related to vulvovaginitis. We investigated the prevalence of personal hygiene habits among Lebanese women as well as their awareness of adequate practices. Consists of a cross-sectional observational study. Female patients and nurses at Hotel-Dieu de France University Hospital in Beirut- Lebanon filled a questionnaire about their intimate hygiene habits and knowledge of proper practices. The study included 249 women. 21.3 % of the 136 nurses and 38.9 % of the 113 patients reported a history of vulvovaginitis. The majority of women took an intimate bath at least twice daily. 14 % of nurses and 17 % of patients douched.20. Seven percent of the nurses and 43.4 % of the patients used wet wipes. 1.5 % of nurses and 4.4 % of patients used feminine deodorant sprays. There was a significant lack of awareness mainly among patients about suitable hygiene practices as well for their adverse effects. Education provided by nurses, and other healthcare providers is essential to promote reproductive health among Lebanese women.

Hand hygiene knowledge and practices of nursing students in Singapore.

PubMed

Nasirudeen, A M A; Koh, Josephine W N; Lau, Adeline Lee Chin; Li, Wenjie; Lim, Lay Seng; Ow, Cynthia Yi Xuan

2012-10-01

Hand hygiene is an important means of preventing nosocomial infections. Studies have shown a <50% compliance rate for hand hygiene among health care workers. A hand hygiene survey was administered to nursing students in a tertiary institution in Singapore. The results of this survey strongly indicate that nursing students understand the importance of hand hygiene compliance and perceive clinical internship programs and practical laboratory sessions to be effective methods of hand hygiene education. Copyright © 2012 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Dental hygiene students' part-time jobs in dental practices in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Poorterman, J H G; Dikkes, B T; Brand, H S

2010-05-01

Many students have paid employment while studying. In the Netherlands, the Individual Health Care Professions Act (IHCP Act) allows dental hygiene students to work under certain conditions in a dental practice. The aim of the study was to determine how many dental hygiene students have part-time job employment in dental practice and which professional tasks they carry out. We also asked the dental hygiene students their opinion of the IHCP Act. All the enrolled dental hygiene students (n = 341) at a School of Health in the Netherlands received a questionnaire by email. The response was 52% (176 students). Of the responding students, 75% had paid employment in addition to their study. A proportion of the students (35%) worked in a dental practice. The median number of hours worked per week was eight. Study year, age and prior education were positively related to working part-time in dental practice. Activities frequently performed were giving oral hygiene instruction, fluoride applications, scaling and root planning, providing chair side assistance and giving local anaesthesia. Although the self-reported knowledge about the IHCP Act was high, almost half of the students expressed the need for more detailed legal information. Many dental hygiene students work in a dental practice, taking over a number of tasks usually performed by the dentist. More information in the dental hygiene curriculum about the requirements of the IHCP Act seems desirable.

Early to Bed, Early to Rise?: An Exploration of Adolescent Sleep Hygiene Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malone, Susan Kohl

2011-01-01

Cognition, memory, safety, mental health, and weight are all affected by inadequate sleep. Biological studies indicate significant changes in sleep architecture during adolescence, such as changes in melatonin secretion, and a need for greater total sleep time. Yet, social contexts and cultural values impinge on these changing biological sleep…

A profitable hygiene system: not an undervalued practice resource, part 2.

PubMed

Doherty, Hugh; Davis, Karen; Miller, Kimberly

2009-02-01

In this 2-part article, we have addressed the correct methods to use in selecting the right hygienist and the importance of creating a purposeful vision for your dental hygiene department. We have touched on the role of having the doctor discuss practice expectations, and the qualities and traits a dental hygienist should possess. Finally we have briefly reviewed some ideas regarding hygienist compensation as well as the integration of the new technologies to help you build a successful, productive, and profitable dental hygiene department. Many of today's practice owners have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in updated facilities and state-of-the-art technology. They have invested in management and leadership courses, developed their business acumen, and have worked to insure that their clinical assistants' skills stay sharp. However, when it comes to dental hygiene, too many practices still operate a 1980s-style "prophylaxis mindset palace." The time has come for more dentists to embrace up-to-date dental hygiene practice standards.

Hand hygiene compliance: is there a theory-practice-ethics gap?

PubMed

Mortell, Manfred

Practice is usually based on tradition, rituals and outdated information; there is often an additional gap between theoretical knowledge and its application in practice. This theory-practice gap has long existed (Allmark, 1995; Hewison et al, 1996). It often arises when theory is ignored because it is seen as idealistic and impractical, even if it is practical and beneficial. Most research relating to the lack of integration between theory and practice has concluded that environmental factors are responsible and will affect learning and practice outcomes. The author believes an additional dimension of ethics is required to bridge the gap between theory and practice. This would be a moral obligation to ensure theory and practice are integrated. To implement new practices effectively, healthcare practitioners must deem these practices worthwhile and relevant to their role. This introduces a new concept that the author calls the theory-practice-ethics gap. This theory-practice-ethics gap must be considered when examining some of the unacceptable outcomes in healthcare practice (Mortell, 2009). The literature suggests that there is a crisis of ethics where theory and practice integrate, and practitioners are failing to fulfil their duty as providers of healthcare and as patient advocates. This article examines the theory-practice-ethics gap when applied to hand hygiene. Non-compliance exists in hand hygiene among practitioners, which may increase patient mortality and morbidity rates, and raise healthcare costs. Infection prevention and control programmes to improve hand hygiene among staff include: ongoing education and training; easy access to facilities such as wash basins; antiseptic/alcohol handgels that are convenient, effective, and skin- and user-friendly; and organisational recognition and support for clinicians in hand washing and handgel practices. Yet these all appear to have failed to achieve the required and desired compliance in hand hygiene.

Access to Safe Water and Personal Hygiene Practices in the Kulandia Refugee Camp (Jerusalem).

PubMed

Issa, Mohamad; McHenry, Michael; Issa, Abdul Aziz; Blackwood, R Alexander

2015-12-22

Diarrheal illness, frequently associated with fecal-oral transmission, is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. It is commonly preventable through the implementation of safe water practices. This experiment concerns how to best implement safe water practices in a quasi-permanent refugee camp setting with limited ability for structural changes. Specifically, we explore how health promotion activities that help identify target groups for hygiene interventions can play a role in disease prevention. An anonymous survey was conducted at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency Health Clinic in the Kulandia refugee camp to assess the safe water and personal hygiene practices. Demographic and social characteristics, accessible water and personal hygiene characteristics, and gastrointestinal (GI) burden for individuals and their households were assessed. A total of 96 individuals were enrolled; 62 females and 34 males. Approximately 58% of the sample had soap available and washed hands before and after eating and when preparing food. Piped water was the main source of drinking water (62%), while 31% of our sample utilized tanker-trucks. 93% of participants had access to toilet facilities, with 86% of these facilities being private households. 55% practice extra water hygiene measures on their household drinking water source. 51.3% considered vendor cleanliness when they were buying food. 51% had received formal health education. 68.8% had been taught by their parents, but only 55.2% were teaching their children and 15.6% had consistent access to a health professional for hygiene inquiries. Individual variables and hygiene practices associated with lower rates of diarrheal illnesses included having water piped into the home, proper hand washing, adequate soap availability, proper consideration of vendor cleanliness, higher income, levels of education, health hygiene education, and having access to healthcare professions to discuss hygiene related matters. This is

[Hygiene practices in a street market in the city of Salvador, Bahia State].

PubMed

Minnaert, Ana Cláudia de Sá Teles; Freitas, Maria do Carmo Soares

2010-06-01

The main objective of this research is to understand the meaning of the practices concerning food hygiene in a street market in Salvador, the capital of Bahia State in Brazil. The ethnographic study presents two main categories for symbolic production related to hygiene practices: cleanliness as order and dirtiness as disorder. These cultural codes make correspondence with the studies of Mary Douglas and Nobert Elias. The codes present particularities to decode everyday life, in which concept and hygiene practices are aspects normalized, in daily activity, for persons who share the space of street market: vendors, consumers, street cleaners and official inspectors. The techno-scientific knowledge and sanitary legislation are strange to the symbolic system of street market vendors. The laws are ineffective and their influence is of little importance in the creation of hygiene practices. Official inspectors' attitudes are coercive and punitive and do not take into account any cultural values when enforcing new hygiene practices.

Child care hygiene practices of women migrating from rural to urban areas of bangladesh.

PubMed

Begum, Housne Ara; Moneesha, Shanta Shyamolee; Sayem, Amir Mohammad

2013-07-01

Children's hygiene is very important for better health but there is a paucity of studies in this area. This questionnaire study examined the child care hygiene practices of mothers of young children. A total of 354 women from slum areas of Dhaka city, Bangladesh, who migrated from rural to urban areas were selected for this study. The mean score on hygiene practice was 6.21 of 10 items (SD = 2.113). Low (score = 3) and high hygiene practice (score = 7-10) were practiced by 12.4% and 45.8% of participants, respectively. Multivariate regression analysis indicated that independent variables explained 39.9% of variance in hygiene practices. Eight variables have significant effect: participant's education (0.108; P < .05), time spent since marriage to first birth (0.030; P < .05), number of children (-0.105; P < .05), number of antenatal visits (0.319; P < .001), microcredit status (0.214; P < .001), breastfeeding (0.224; P < .001), husband's monthly income (0.146; P < .001), and household economic status (-0.0114; P < .05). The overall hygiene practice indicates the necessity of awareness building initiatives.

Incorporating digital imaging into dental hygiene practice.

PubMed

Saxe, M J; West, D J

1997-01-01

The objective of this paper is to describe digital imaging technology: available modalities, scientific imaging process, advantages and limitations, and applications to dental hygiene practice. Advances in technology have created innovative imaging modalities for intraoral radiography that eliminate film as the traditional image receptor. Digital imaging generates instantaneous radiographic images on a display monitor following exposure. Advantages include lower patient exposure per image and elimination of film processing. Digital imaging enhances diagnostic capabilities and, therefore, treatment decisions by the oral healthcare provider. Utilization of digital imaging technology for intraoral radiography will advance the practice of dental hygiene. Although spatial resolution is inferior to conventional film, digital imaging provides adequate resolution to diagnose oral diseases. Dental hygienists must evaluate new technologies in radiography to continue providing quality care while reducing patient exposure to ionizing radiation.

ABCs of SLEEPING: A review of the evidence behind pediatric sleep practice recommendations.

PubMed

Allen, Stephanie L; Howlett, Melissa D; Coulombe, J Aimée; Corkum, Penny V

2016-10-01

The ABCs of SLEEPING mnemonic was developed to serve as an organizing framework for common pediatric sleep recommendations. The mnemonic stands for 1) age appropriate bedtimes and wake-times with consistency, 2) schedules and routines, 3) location, 4) exercise and diet, 5) no electronics in the bedroom or before bed, 6) positivity 7) independence when falling asleep and 8) needs of child met during the day, 9) equal great sleep. This review examines the empirical evidence behind the practices and recommendations captured by the ABCs of SLEEPING mnemonic for children aged 1 to 12. A search was conducted of key electronic databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, & EMBASE) to identify English articles that included the concepts of sleep, insomnia, and/or bedtime. 77 articles were eligible for inclusion and were coded to extract key details and findings regarding the relations between sleep practices identified in the ABCs of SLEEPING mnemonic and sleep outcomes. Findings provided preliminary support for many of the recommendations that are commonly made to families regarding healthy sleep practices. However, more robust investigations are needed to better understand the causal contributions of healthy sleep practices to the onset and maintenance of children's sleep problems. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Efficacy of Earplugs as a Sleep Hygiene Strategy for Reducing Delirium in the ICU: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Litton, Edward; Carnegie, Vanessa; Elliott, Rosalind; Webb, Steve A R

2016-05-01

A systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of earplugs as an ICU strategy for reducing delirium. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of controlled trials were searched using the terms "intensive care," "critical care," "earplugs," "sleep," "sleep disorders," and "delirium." Intervention studies (randomized or nonrandomized) assessing the efficacy of earplugs as a sleep hygiene strategy in patients admitted to a critical care environment were included. Studies were excluded if they included only healthy volunteers, did not report any outcomes of interest, did not contain an intervention group of interest, were crossover studies, or were only published in abstract form. Nine studies published between 2009 and 2015, including 1,455 participants, fulfilled the eligibility criteria and were included in the systematic review. Studies included earplugs as an isolated intervention (n = 3), or as part of a bundle with eye shades (n = 2), or earplugs, eye shades, and additional sleep noise abatement strategies (n = 4). The risk of bias was high for all studies. Five studies comprising 832 participants reported incident delirium. Earplug placement was associated with a relative risk of delirium of 0.59 (95% CI, 0.44-0.78) and no significant heterogeneity between the studies (I, 39%; p = 0.16). Hospital mortality was reported in four studies (n = 481) and was associated with a relative risk of 0.77 (95% CI, 0.54-1.11; I, 0%; p < 0.001). Compliance with the placement of earplugs was reported in six studies (n = 681). The mean per-patient noncompliance was 13.1% (95% CI, 7.8-25.4) of those assigned to receive earplugs. Placement of earplugs in patients admitted to the ICU, either in isolation or as part of a bundle of sleep hygiene improvement, is associated with a significant reduction in risk of delirium. The potential effect of cointerventions and the optimal strategy for improving sleep hygiene and associated effect on patient

Sanitation and hygiene practices among primary school learners in Ngamiland district, Botswana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thakadu, Olekae T.; Ngwenya, Barbara N.; Phaladze, Nthabiseng A.; Bolaane, Benjamin

2018-06-01

Improved sanitation and personal hygienic practices are considered important towards reducing the risks of spreading communicable diseases and improving public health. Diarrheal related deaths amongst adolescents are reported to be amongst the top ten for the age groups 10-19 year olds and second among the age group 10-14 year olds globally. Primary school learners in developing countries are among the most vulnerable sub-population. These mortalities and illnesses can be reduced by addressing personal hygiene among school children and simultaneously promoting better school attendance and improved learning. In order to facilitate improved health and educational outcomes, it is necessary therefore to effectively address water, sanitation and hygiene matters within the school environment. This study explored hygiene education, personal hygiene practices among learners, environmental sanitation and hygiene within three primary schools in the Ngamiland district, Botswana. From the three schools, a total sample of 285 pupils was selected using proportionate stratified random sampling technique, and 15 teachers purposively selected as key informants. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires with key informants and social survey instrument for learners. Results show that very few learners linked poor hygiene to the following diseases; diarrhea/upset stomach (31.7%); malaria (23%); bilharzia (16.4%), and cholera (14.8%), demonstrating low hygiene knowledge. Hygiene education in schools is infused in the curriculum, and teacher training on hygiene education is only through in-service training workshops. Regarding personal hygiene practices, over 70% of the learners indicated that they 'always' wash their hands before and after eating, with slightly over one-fifth indicating 'sometimes'. Overwhelming majority of learners dispose solid waste in dustbins (99.3%, n = 284), use refuse bags (80.8%, n = 231), open skips (64%, n = 183) and very few throw trash

Changing your sleep habits

MedlinePlus

Insomnia - sleep habits; Sleep disorder - sleep habits; Problems falling asleep; Sleep hygiene ... People who have insomnia are often worried about getting enough sleep. The more they try to sleep, the more frustrated and upset they ...

Collaborative Dental Hygiene Practice in New Mexico and Minnesota.

PubMed

Hodges, Kathleen O; Rogo, Ellen J; Cahoon, Allison C; Neill, Karen

2016-06-01

This descriptive, comparative study was conducted to examine characteristics, services, models and opinions among collaborative dental hygiene practitioners in New Mexico and Minnesota. A self-designed online questionnaire, distributed via SurveyMonkey®, was utilized to collect data from 73 subjects who met the inclusion criteria. A multi-phase administration process was followed. Content validity and reliability was established. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis of 6 research questions. The Mann-Whitney U, Pearson Chi-Square and Fisher's Exact tests were employed to analyze 4 null hypotheses (p=0.05). Most participants (n=36) were experienced clinicians who chose to work in an alternative setting after 28 years or more in the field and reported increased access to care as the reason for practicing collaboratively. A variety of services were offered and private insurance and Medicaid were accepted, although many practitioners did not receive direct reimbursement. The majority of New Mexico participants worked in private dental hygiene practices, earned advanced degrees and serviced Health Provider Shortage Areas. The majority of Minnesota respondents worked in various facilities, earned associate's degrees and were uncertain if Health Provider Shortage Areas were served. There were no significant differences in the variables between practitioners in both states. New Mexico and Minnesota collaborative dental hygiene practitioners are similar in characteristics, services, and opinions although models of practice vary. Collaborative dental hygiene practice is a viable answer to increasing access to care and is an option for patients who might otherwise go without care, including the unserved, underserved, uninsured and underinsured. Copyright © 2016 The American Dental Hygienists’ Association.

Sleep hygiene behaviours: an application of the theory of planned behaviour and the investigation of perceived autonomy support, past behaviour and response inhibition.

PubMed

Kor, Kenny; Mullan, Barbara Ann

2011-09-01

This study investigated the sleep hygiene behaviour of university students within the framework of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB [Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50, 179-211.]), and examined the predictive validity of additional variables including perceived autonomy support, past behaviour and response inhibition. A total of 257 undergraduate students from an Australian university were administered two online questionnaires at two time points. At time 1, participants completed the TPB questionnaire and the Go/NoGo task as a measure of response inhibition. A week later at time 2, participants completed a questionnaire measuring the performance of sleep hygiene behaviours. Multiple and hierarchical regression analyses showed that the TPB model significantly predicted intention and behaviour. Although intention and perceived behavioural control were statistically significant in predicting behaviour, past behaviour and response inhibition accounted for more variance when added to the TPB model. Subjective norm was found to be the strongest predictor of intention implying the importance of normative influences in sleep hygiene behaviours. Response inhibition was the strongest predictor of behaviour, reinforcing the argument that the performance of health protective behaviours requires self-regulatory ability. Therefore, interventions should be targeted at enhancing self-regulatory capacity.

Systemic mistakes in hand hygiene practice in Ukraine: detection, consequences and ways of elimination

PubMed Central

Klymenko, Iryna; Kampf, Günter

2015-01-01

Aim: Every year, millions of people around the world suffer from different infectious diseases, considerable part of which are hospital-acquired infections. WHO considers hand hygiene as a priority measure aimed to reduce the level of infection. We evaluated various aspects related to the situational behavior and prioritization regarding hand hygiene measures among the healthcare workers of Ukraine. Method: Identification of system mistakes in hand hygiene was carried out first of all by direct and indirect observation of the activities of medical and pharmaceutical personnel in their everyday practice as well as during their participation in trainings on routine hand hygiene. Questionnaires also were used to estimate the level of hand hygiene compliance of participants of the study. During this period 112 training courses, 315 master-classes and presentations on proper hand hygiene were realized. The target audience included health care workers of medical centers, clinics, maternity hospitals, health care organizations and staff of pharmacies and pharmaceutical manufacturing enterprises in all regions of Ukraine. 638 respondents took part in anonymous survey on hand hygiene practice. Results: The most common mistakes were to regard hand washing and hand disinfection equally, to wash hands before doing a hand disinfection, to neglect the five moments for hand hygiene and to ignore hand hygiene before and after wearing protective gloves. Practitioners, medical attendants, pharmacy and pharmaceutical industry workers highlighted the need for practical and understandable instructions of various hand hygiene procedures, including the clarification of the possible technical mistakes. This became a ground for us to create individual master classes on hand hygiene for each cluster of healthcare workers. Conclusions: Changing hand hygiene behavior and attitude is possible by beginning to observe clinical practice and by involving healthcare workers in teaching and training

Knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of hygiene among school children in Angolela, Ethiopia.

PubMed

Vivas, A P; Gelaye, B; Aboset, N; Kumie, A; Berhane, Y; Williams, M A

2010-06-01

Poor hygiene practices and inadequate sanitary conditions play major roles in the increased burden of communicable diseases within developing countries. This study evaluated the KAP of hygiene among rural school children in Ethiopia and assessed the extent to which proper knowledge of hygiene was associated with personal hygiene characteristics. This cross-sectional study was comprised of 669 students who were interviewed by trained staff Participants were in grades 1-6 at Angolela Primary School, located in rural Ethiopia. Data consisted of hygiene and hand washing practices, knowledge about sanitation, personal hygiene characteristics, and presence of gastrointestinal parasitic infection. Results. Approximately 52% of students were classified as having adequate knowledge of proper hygiene. Most students reported hand washing before meals (99.0%), but only 36.2% reported using soap. Although 76.7% of students reported that washing hands after defecation was important, only 14.8% reported actually following this practice. Students with adequate knowledge of proper hygiene were more likely to have clean clothes (AOR 1.62, CI 1.14-2.29) and to have a lower risk of parasitic infection (AOR 0.78, CI 0.56-1.09) although statistical significance was not achieved for the latter Study findings underscore the need for more hand washing and hygiene education in schools; and provide objective evidence that may guide the development of comprehensive health and hygiene intervention programs in rural Ethiopian schools. Successful implementation of these programs is likely to substantially attenuate the transmissible disease burden borne by school children in rural settings.

The impact of an oral hygiene education module on patient practices and nursing documentation.

PubMed

Coke, Lola; Otten, Karine; Staffileno, Beth; Minarich, Laura; Nowiszewski, Candice

2015-02-01

Oral hygiene is inconsistent among patients with cancer and is a national patient care issue. To promote comfort and nutritional status, oral hygiene for patients with cancer is important. The purpose of this study was to develop an evidence-based oral hygiene educational module (EM) for nursing and patient care technician (PCT) staff to promote consistent oral hygiene patient education; evaluate patient understanding of oral hygiene practices post-EM; and determine staff documentation frequency of oral hygiene care. Pre- and post-EM data were collected using a developed oral hygiene assessment tool; nursing documentation data were collected by chart review. Post-EM data were collected eight weeks post-EM. Data were analyzed using frequencies and the Mann-Whitney U test. Twenty-two patient documentation pairs were collected. Compared to pre-EM, admission teaching, patient education, and patient oral hygiene practices improved post-EM. Post-EM oral hygiene documentation and PCT teaching increased.

Efficacy of an extended theory of planned behaviour model for predicting caterers' hand hygiene practices.

PubMed

Clayton, Deborah A; Griffith, Christopher J

2008-04-01

The main aim of this study was to determine the factors which influence caterers' hand hygiene practices using social cognitive theory. One hundred and fifteen food handlers from 29 catering businesses were observed carrying out 31,050 food preparation actions in their workplace. Caterers subsequently completed the Hand Hygiene Instrument (HHI), which ascertained attitudes towards hand hygiene using constructs from the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and the Health Belief Model. The TPB provided a useful framework for understanding caterers' implementation of hand hygiene practices, explaining 34% of the variance in hand hygiene malpractices (p < 0.05). Five components were identified as significant predictors of hand hygiene malpractices: attitudes, subjective norms, descriptive norms, perceived behavioural control and intention (p < 0.05). Thus, suggesting that hand hygiene practices cannot be improved solely through the provision of information to individuals. Effective interventions may need to focus on changing the organisational food safety culture.

Infection control in South African oral hygiene practice.

PubMed

de Kock, K; van Wyk, C W

2001-12-01

The aim was to gain information about the practice of infection control in oral hygiene practice. A questionnaire based on OSHA and CDC guidelines was submitted to oral hygienists who attended a refresher course followed by a second posted questionnaire seeking information about hand hygiene practice. The questions were directed to observance of personal protection by oral hygienists and the application of procedures required for infection control in the surgery. 87.5% wore face masks but the proper use of facial protection, overcoats and disposable overcoats was reported by fewer than 50%. A total of 97% wore gloves and 88% changed gloves between patients. Skin reactions to gloves were reported by 26%. Only 7% had not been vaccinated against hepatitis B. The correct procedures for sterilising equipment and instruments were carried out by fewer than 50%, and 57% of participants wanted an improvement of infection control arrangements in their workplace. It is concluded that a need exists for proper practice of infection control by oral hygienists which can be remedied by interceptive and preventive education and peer pressure.

Assessing the viability of the independent practice of dental hygiene--a brief communication.

PubMed

Beach, M Miles; Shulman, Jay D; Johns, Glenna; Paas, Jeffrey C

2007-01-01

This paper deals with the economics of the independent dental hygiene practice. Using historical data from dental practices in Cincinnati, Ohio, we developed a business model for an independent hygiene practice. We tested the sensitivity of the model to variations in key assumptions (initial capitalization, interest, employee salary, and owner's draw). We described the profitability on the basis of the breakeven point. Under the most permissive regulatory and financial environment, the practice would breakeven after 26 months. However, the owner would not equal the earnings of a salaried hygienist until the initial loan is paid off after 7 years. The model was not sensitive to 20 percent changes in the key assumptions. Under ideal circumstances, an independent hygiene practice could be profitable.

Effects of rotigotine on clinical symptoms, quality of life and sleep hygiene adequacy in haemodialysis-associated restless legs syndrome.

PubMed

Esteve, Vicent; Carneiro, Jose; Salazar, Gabriel; Pou, Mónica; Tapia, Irati; Fulquet, Miquel; Duarte, Verónica; Saurina, Anna; Moreno, Fátima; Ramírez de Arellano, Manel

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder characterised by bothersome symptoms associated with impaired quality of life and sleep hygiene. Rotigotine is a novel therapeutic alternative, although few studies have been published in patients on haemodialysis (HD) with RLS treated with rotigotine. 1.- To establish the prevalence of RLS in our HD unit. 2.- To evaluate the efficacy and safety profile of rotigotine and its effect on symptoms, quality of life and sleep hygiene in our HD population with RLS. A single-centre, 12-week prospective study. Two stages (6 weeks): stage 1 (no treatment) and stage 2 (rotigotine). We analysed: 1.- Demographic data, biochemistry data, HD suitability parameters and RLS medical treatment data. 2.- Lower extremity symptoms questionnaire (QS). 3.- RLS severity symptoms scale (SRLSS). 4.- RLS Quality of life: John Hopkins RLS-QoL (JH-QoL). 5.- Sleep hygiene: SCOPA Scale. We included 66 HD patients, 14 with RLS; 44.4% male, 70.2±9.9 years and 111.1±160.8 months on HD. And 22.9% RLS. Exclusively in stage 2, a significant improvement for QS (10±2.4 vs. 5.7±1.0), SRLSS (21±4 vs. 5.7±4.6), JH-QoL (22.1±4.4 vs. 4.3±4.0) and SCOPA (16±5.3 vs. 6.7±1.9) were observed. A 77.7 and 11.1%, showed partial (> 20%) and complete (> 80%) remission, respectively, while 55.5% achieved «zero» symptoms. Only one patient had gastrointestinal intolerance and none experienced augmentation effect. No changes in biochemical data, suitability for dialysis or medical treatment were found. The inter-group analysis showed a significant improvement in relation to QS, SRLSS, JH-QoL and SCOPA in stage 2. RLS showed a considerable prevalence in our HD unit. Rotigotine improved clinical symptoms, quality of life and sleep hygiene in RLS patients on HD and was found to be a safe drug with minimal side effects and total therapeutic compliance. Nevertheless, future studies should be performed to confirm the benefits of rotigotine in RLS patients on

The Children's Report of Sleep Patterns (CRSP): A Self-Report Measure of Sleep for School-Aged Children

PubMed Central

Meltzer, Lisa J.; Avis, Kristin T.; Biggs, Sarah; Reynolds, Amy C.; Crabtree, Valerie McLaughlin; Bevans, Katherine B.

2013-01-01

Study Objectives: (1) Present preliminary psychometrics for the Children's Report of Sleep Patterns (CRSP), a three-module measure of Sleep Patterns, Sleep Hygiene, and Sleep Disturbance; and (2) explore whether the CRSP provides information about a child's sleep above and beyond parental report. Methods: A multi-method, multi-reporter approach was used to validate the CRSP with 456 children aged 8-12 years (inclusive). Participants were recruited from pediatricians' offices, sleep clinics/laboratories, children's hospitals, schools, and the general population. Participants completed measures of sleep habits, sleep hygiene, anxiety, and sleepiness, with actigraphy and polysomnography used to provide objective measures of child sleep. Results: The CRSP demonstrated good reliability and validity. Differences in sleep hygiene and sleep disturbances were found for children presenting to a sleep clinic/laboratory (vs. community population); for younger children (vs. older children); and for children who slept less than 8 hours or had a sleep onset later than 22:00 on actigraphy. Further, significant associations were found between the CRSP and child-reported anxiety or sleepiness. Notably, approximately 40% of parents were not aware of child reported difficulties with sleep onset latency, night wakings, or poor sleep quality. Conclusions: The three modules of the CRSP can be used together or independently, providing a reliable and valid self-report measure of sleep patterns, sleep hygiene, and sleep disturbances for children ages 8-12 years. Children not only provide valid information about their sleep, but may provide information that would not be otherwise captured in both clinical and research settings if relying solely on parental report. Citation: Meltzer LJ; Avis KT; Biggs S; Reynolds AC; Crab-tree VM; Bevans KB. The Children's Report of Sleep Patterns (CRSP): a self-report measure of sleep for school-aged children. J Clin Sleep Med 2013;9(3):235-245. PMID

Factors associated with different hygiene practices in the homes of 15 month old infants

PubMed Central

Sherriff, A; Golding, J; The, A

2002-01-01

Background: Improved hygiene in Westernised regions of the world may be partly responsible for the increased prevalence of diseases of the immune system, such as asthma and atopy. There is a paucity of data on cleanliness norms in young children in the UK and there has been no attempt to identify factors that influence the adoption of particular hygiene practices in the home. Aims: To examine levels of hygiene in a contemporary cohort of children and identify social and lifestyle factors influencing hygiene practices in the home. Methods: The sample under study are participants in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Parental self completion questionnaires provided data on hygiene levels in children at 15 months of age, and a hygiene score was derived from these responses. Multivariable logistic regression models investigated associations between high hygiene scores (top quintile) and a number of perinatal, maternal, social, and environmental factors. Results: Maternal smoking during pregnancy, low maternal educational achievement, and living in local authority housing were factors independently associated with high hygiene scores, as was increased use of chemical household products. High hygiene scores were inversely related to living in damp housing and attendance at day care. There were no gender or ethnic differences in hygiene score. Conclusion: Important data on cleanliness norms for infants have been presented. The adoption of hygiene practices is influenced to some degree by social, lifestyle, and environmental factors—with higher hygiene scores occurring in more socially disadvantaged groups. Increased use of chemical household products in the more socially disadvantaged groups within ALSPAC has emerged as an important confounder in any study of hygiene and ill health. PMID:12089118

Pilot study of six Colorado dental hygiene independent practices.

PubMed

Astroth, D B; Cross-Poline, G N

1998-01-01

The purpose of this pilot study was to gather demographic data about six Colorado dental hygienists who were practicing independently and their practices as well as assess productivity and service mix, evaluate structure and process, and compare the findings in these practices to those of a study of California Health Manpower Pilot Project #139. A convenience sample of six dental hygiene independent practices was studied. A 21-item survey was distributed by mail to obtain demographic and practice information. Weekly surveys tracking patient visits and services provided were completed for three months. A general office audit to evaluate structure and a record audit of 22 patient records to evaluate process were conducted during visits at each practice site. The overall responses for each phase of this study were tabulated and frequencies were calculated using the SPSS/PC+ statistical package. The dental hygienists had practiced for an average of 13 years prior to establishing their practices. Four of the six practices were office-based, one was institution-based, and one was office- and institution-based. Health history, extraoral/intraoral examination, periodontal probing, adult prophylaxis, and oral hygiene instruction were provided during a majority of patient visits. The general office audit revealed compliance with infection control, office protocols for emergency situations, and practice management protocols. The patient record audit indicated a high standard for process of care for the practice sites. The six practices revealed a variety of backgrounds among the dental hygienists and diverse practice characteristics regarding both the populations served and practice settings. The services provided were consistent with allowable services for unsupervised practice. Compliance with specific guidelines was verified during the general office and patient record audits. Consistent with the findings of California Health Manpower Pilot Project #139, the care provided

Children's Sleep and School Psychology Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buckhalt, Joseph A.; Wolfson, Amy R.; El-Sheikh, Mona

2009-01-01

Much contemporary research has demonstrated the multiple ways that sleep is important for child and adolescent development. This article reviews that research with an emphasis on how sleep parameters are related to school adjustment and achievement. Five areas of sleep research are reviewed to discern implications for practice with children using…

A Multispecies Approach to Co-Sleeping : Integrating Human-Animal Co-Sleeping Practices into Our Understanding of Human Sleep.

PubMed

Smith, Bradley P; Hazelton, Peta C; Thompson, Kirrilly R; Trigg, Joshua L; Etherton, Hayley C; Blunden, Sarah L

2017-09-01

Human sleeping arrangements have evolved over time and differ across cultures. The majority of adults share their bed at one time or another with a partner or child, and many also sleep with pets. In fact, around half of dog and cat owners report sharing a bed or bedroom with their pet(s). However, interspecies co-sleeping has been trivialized in the literature relative to interpersonal or human-human co-sleeping, receiving little attention from an interdisciplinary psychological perspective. In this paper, we provide a historical outline of the "civilizing process" that has led to current sociocultural conceptions of sleep as an individual, private function crucial for the functioning of society and the health of individuals. We identify similar historical processes at work in the formation of contemporary constructions of socially normative sleeping arrangements for humans and animals. Importantly, since previous examinations of co-sleeping practices have anthropocentrically framed this topic, the result is an incomplete understanding of co-sleeping practices. By using dogs as an exemplar of human-animal co-sleeping, and comparing human-canine sleeping with adult-child co-sleeping, we determine that both forms of co-sleeping share common factors for establishment and maintenance, and often result in similar benefits and drawbacks. We propose that human-animal and adult-child co-sleeping should be approached as legitimate and socially relevant forms of co-sleeping, and we recommend that co-sleeping be approached broadly as a social practice involving relations with humans and other animals. Because our proposition is speculative and derived from canine-centric data, we recommend ongoing theoretical refinement grounded in empirical research addressing co-sleeping between humans and multiple animal species.

Unhealthy sleep practices, conduct problems, and daytime functioning during adolescence.

PubMed

Lin, Wen-Hsu; Yi, Chin-Chun

2015-02-01

Although sleep has been linked to activities in various domains of life, one under-studied link is the relationship between unhealthy sleep practices and conduct problems among adolescents. The present study investigates the influence of adolescents' unhealthy sleep practices-short sleep (e.g., less than 6 h a day), inconsistent sleep schedule (e.g., social jetlag), and sleep problems-on conduct problems (e.g., substance use, fighting, and skipping class). In addition, this study examines unhealthy sleep practices in relationship to adolescent emotional well-being, defiant attitudes, and academic performance, as well as these three domains as possible mediators of the longitudinal association between sleep practices and conduct problems. Three waves of the Taiwan Youth Project (n = 2,472) were used in this study. At the first time-point examined in this study, youth (51% male) were aged 13-17 (M = 13.3). The results indicated that all three measures of unhealthy sleep practices were related to conduct problems, such that short sleep, greater social jetlag, and more serious sleep problems were concurrently associated with greater conduct problems. In addition, short sleep and sleep problems predicted conduct problems one year later. Furthermore, these three unhealthy sleep practices were differently related to poor academic performance, low levels of emotional well-being, and defiant attitudes, and some significant indirect effects on later conduct problems through these three attributes were found. Cultural differences and suggestions for prevention are discussed.

Mandatory Clinical Practice for Dental and Dental Hygiene Faculty.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cameron, Cheryl A.; And Others

1982-01-01

Dental and dental hygiene faculty should maintain their clinical skills through regular practice, to improve their ability to relate to students through instruction, provide an additional source of income, and improve their image in the community. Institutional policies fostering and regulating faculty practice plans are suggested. (Author/MSE)

Physician 'defiance' towards hand hygiene compliance: Is there a theory-practice-ethics gap?

PubMed

Mortell, Manfred; Balkhy, Hanan H; Tannous, Elias B; Jong, Mei Thiee

2013-07-01

The theory-practice gap has always existed [1,2]. This gap is often cited as a culmination of theory being idealistic and impractical, even if practical and beneficial, is often ignored. Most of the evidence relating to the non-integration of theory and practice assumes that environmental factors are responsible and will affect learning and practice outcomes, hence the gap. Therefore, the author believes that to 'bridge the gap' between theory and practice, an additional dimension is required: ethics. A moral duty and obligation ensuring theory and practice integrate. In order to effectively implement new practices, one must deem these practices as worthy and relevant to their role as healthcare providers (HCP). Hence, this introduces a new concept which the author refers to as the theory-practice-ethics gap. This theory-practice-ethics gap must be considered when reviewing some of the unacceptable outcomes in healthcare practice [3]. The literature suggests that there is a crisis of ethics where theory and practice integrate, and healthcare providers are failing to fulfill our duty as patient advocates. Physician hand hygiene practices and compliance at King Abdulaziz Cardiac Centre (KACC) are consistent with those of other physicians in the global healthcare arena. That is one of noncompliance to King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC) organizational expectations and the World Health Organization (WHO) requirements? An observational study was conducted on the compliance of cardiac surgeons, cardiologists and nurses in the authors' cardiac center from January 2010 to December 2011. The hand hygiene (HH) compliance elements that were evaluated pertained to the WHO's five moments of HH recommendations. The data was obtained through direct observation by KAMC infection prevention and control practitioners. Physician hand hygiene compliance at KACC was consistently less than 60%, with nurses regularly encouraging physicians to be diligent with hand hygiene practices in the

Challenges for environmental hygiene practices in Australian paramedic-led health care: A brief report.

PubMed

Barr, Nigel; Holmes, Mark; Roiko, Anne; Dunn, Peter; Lord, Bill

2018-06-01

This study explored the self-reported behaviors and perceptions of Australian paramedics in relation to their environmental hygiene practices. A national online survey was conducted with Paramedics Australasia members (N = 417). Participants reported working in ambulances often contaminated with body fluids. Widespread noncompliance with routine and deep cleaning of ambulances, and misunderstandings about environmental hygiene practices were apparent. Improvements to environmental hygiene practices of Australian paramedics are recommended to avoid pathogen transmission and ensure patient safety. Copyright © 2018 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of adjuvant sleep hygiene psychoeducation and lorazepam on depression and sleep quality in patients with major depressive disorders: results from a randomized three-arm intervention

PubMed Central

Rahimi, Alireza; Ahmadpanah, Mohammad; Shamsaei, Farshid; Cheraghi, Fatemeh; Sadeghi Bahmani, Dena; Holsboer-Trachsler, Edith; Brand, Serge

2016-01-01

Background Sleep disturbances are a common co-occurring disturbance in patients with major depressive disorders (MDDs) and accordingly deserve particular attention. Using a randomized design, we investigated the effects of three different adjuvant interventions on sleep and depression among patients with MDD: a sleep hygiene program (SHP), lorazepam (LOR), and their combination (SHP–LOR). Methods A total of 120 outpatients with diagnosed MDD (mean age: 48.25 years; 56.7% females) and treated with a standard SSRI (citalopram at 20–40 mg at therapeutic level) were randomly assigned to one of the following three conditions: SHP (n=40), LOR (1 mg/d; n=40), SHP–LOR (1 mg/d; n=40). At the beginning and at the end of the study 8 weeks later, patients completed two questionnaires, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index to assess sleep and the Beck Depression Inventory to assess symptoms of depression. Results Sleep disturbances decreased over time and in all groups. No group differences or interactions were observed. Symptoms of depression decreased over time and in all three groups. Reduction in symptoms of depression was greatest in the SHP–LOR group and lowest in the LOR group. Conclusion The pattern of results suggests that all three adjuvant treatments improved symptoms of sleep disturbances and depression, with greater benefits for the SHP–LOR for symptoms of depression, but not for sleep. Nevertheless, risks and benefits of benzodiazepine prescriptions should be taken into account. PMID:27382293

Effect of adjuvant sleep hygiene psychoeducation and lorazepam on depression and sleep quality in patients with major depressive disorders: results from a randomized three-arm intervention.

PubMed

Rahimi, Alireza; Ahmadpanah, Mohammad; Shamsaei, Farshid; Cheraghi, Fatemeh; Sadeghi Bahmani, Dena; Holsboer-Trachsler, Edith; Brand, Serge

2016-01-01

Sleep disturbances are a common co-occurring disturbance in patients with major depressive disorders (MDDs) and accordingly deserve particular attention. Using a randomized design, we investigated the effects of three different adjuvant interventions on sleep and depression among patients with MDD: a sleep hygiene program (SHP), lorazepam (LOR), and their combination (SHP-LOR). A total of 120 outpatients with diagnosed MDD (mean age: 48.25 years; 56.7% females) and treated with a standard SSRI (citalopram at 20-40 mg at therapeutic level) were randomly assigned to one of the following three conditions: SHP (n=40), LOR (1 mg/d; n=40), SHP-LOR (1 mg/d; n=40). At the beginning and at the end of the study 8 weeks later, patients completed two questionnaires, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index to assess sleep and the Beck Depression Inventory to assess symptoms of depression. Sleep disturbances decreased over time and in all groups. No group differences or interactions were observed. Symptoms of depression decreased over time and in all three groups. Reduction in symptoms of depression was greatest in the SHP-LOR group and lowest in the LOR group. The pattern of results suggests that all three adjuvant treatments improved symptoms of sleep disturbances and depression, with greater benefits for the SHP-LOR for symptoms of depression, but not for sleep. Nevertheless, risks and benefits of benzodiazepine prescriptions should be taken into account.

Safe Sleep Practices of Kansas Birthing Hospitals

PubMed Central

Ahlers-Schmidt, Carolyn R.; Schunn, Christy; Sage, Cherie; Engel, Matthew; Benton, Mary

2018-01-01

Background Sleep-related death is tied with congenital anomalies as the leading cause of infant mortality in Kansas, and external risk factors are present in 83% of these deaths. Hospitals can impact caregiver intentions to follow risk-reduction strategies. This project assessed the current practices and policies of Kansas hospitals with regard to safe sleep. Methods A cross-sectional survey of existing safe sleep practices and policies in Kansas hospitals was performed. Hospitals were categorized based on reported delivery volume and data were compared across hospital sizes. Results Thirty-one of 73 (42%) contacted hospitals responded. Individual survey respondents represented various hospital departments including newborn/well-baby (68%), neonatal intensive care unit (3%) and other non-nursery departments or administration (29%). Fifty-eight percent of respondents reported staff were trained on infant safe sleep; 44% of these held trainings annually. High volume hospitals tended to have more annual training than low or mid volume birth hospitals. Thirty-nine percent reported a safe sleep policy, though most of these (67%) reported never auditing compliance. The top barrier to safe sleep education, regardless of delivery volume, was conflicting patient and family member beliefs. Conclusions Hospital promotion of infant safe sleep is being conducted in Kansas to varying degrees. High and mid volume birth hospitals may need to work more on formal auditing of safe sleep practices, while low volume hospitals may need more staff training. Low volume hospitals also may benefit from access to additional caregiver education materials. Finally, it is important to note hospitals should not be solely responsible for safe sleep education. PMID:29844848

Going Dotty: a practical guide for installing new hand hygiene products.

PubMed

Bush, Kathryn; Mah, Manuel W; Meyers, Gwyneth; Armstrong, Pamela; Stoesz, Janice; Strople, Sally

2007-12-01

This report distills our experiences coordinating the installation of a new commercial line of hand hygiene products in a large, integrated health care region in Western Canada into a practical guide that can benefit infection control professionals. Some key considerations while managing such a large hand hygiene products installation are stakeholder collaboration, management of occupational hand dermatitis, housekeeping support, and communication.

A Survey of Practicing Sleep Coaches.

PubMed

Ingram, David G; Mindell, Jodi A; Puzino, Kristina; Walters, Russel M

2018-01-01

Sleep coaches are individuals of various backgrounds who offer services to families struggling with behavioral childhood sleep problems. We conducted a survey of coaches to further elucidate scope of practice, practice patterns, geographic distribution, education, training, and beliefs regarding qualification requirements. A Web-based survey was completed by 142 individuals who identified as a sleep coach. Coaches were distributed across 17 countries and 5 continents. Overall, 65% of coaches served clients in countries beyond their home country. Within the United States, coaches were generally located in more affluent and well-educated zip codes near large metropolitan centers, 91% served clients beyond their home state, and 56% served clients internationally. Educational background varied across coaches (12% high school degree, 51% bachelor's degree, 32% master's degree, 2% doctoral degree, 1.5% JD degree). Few coaches (20%) were or had been licensed health care providers or carried malpractice insurance (38%). Coaches usually provided services for children < 4 months of age to about 6 years of age, and were much less likely to provide services for children with comorbid neurodevelopmental (32%) or significant medical disorders (19%). Coaches reported an average of 3 new and 6 total clients per week and working 20 hr per week on average. Most coaches (76%) felt that a formal sleep coach training program was the most important qualification for practice. These results highlight a diversity of background, training, and geographical distribution of sleep coaches, and may help inform discussions regarding guidelines for training and credentialing of sleep coaches.

Association of food-hygiene practices and diarrhea prevalence among Indonesian young children from low socioeconomic urban areas.

PubMed

Agustina, Rina; Sari, Tirta P; Satroamidjojo, Soemilah; Bovee-Oudenhoven, Ingeborg M J; Feskens, Edith J M; Kok, Frans J

2013-10-19

Information on the part that poor food-hygiene practices play a role in the development of diarrhea in low socioeconomic urban communities is lacking. This study was therefore aimed at assessing the contribution of food-hygiene practice to the prevalence of diarrhea among Indonesian children. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 274 randomly selected children aged 12-59 months in selected low socioeconomic urban areas of East Jakarta. The prevalence of diarrhea was assessed from 7-day records on frequency and consistency of the child's defecation pattern. Food-hygiene practices including mother's and child's hand washing, food preparation, cleanliness of utensils, water source and safe drinking water, habits of buying cooked food, child's bottle feeding hygiene, and housing and environmental condition were collected through home visit interviews and observations by fieldworkers. Thirty-six practices were scored and classified into poor (median and below) and better (above median) food-hygiene practices. Nutritional status of children, defined anthropometrically, was measured through height and weight. Among the individual food-hygiene practices, children living in a house with less dirty sewage had a significantly lower diarrhea prevalence compared to those who did not [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.16, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.03-0.73]. The overall food-hygiene practice score was not significantly associated with diarrhea in the total group, but it was in children aged < 2 years (adjusted OR 4.55, 95% CI = 1.08-19.1). Overall poor mother's food-hygiene practices did not contribute to the occurrence of diarrhea in Indonesian children. However, among children < 2 years from low socioeconomic urban areas they were associated with more diarrhea.

Sleep Practices of University Students Living in Residence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Qin, Pei; Brown, Cary A.

2017-01-01

Sleep plays an important role in both students' academic and personal life. Despite widespread sleep problems among young adults, few studies focus on higher education students living in campus residence. This study investigated residence-living students' sleep patterns, sleep promoting practices, sources of help seeking, and preferred ways to…

Assessment of knowledge and practice of menstrual hygiene among high school girls in Western Ethiopia.

PubMed

Upashe, Shivaleela P; Tekelab, Tesfalidet; Mekonnen, Jalane

2015-10-14

The issue of menstrual hygiene is inadequately acknowledged and has not received proper attention. Use of sanitary pads and washing the genital area are essential practices to keep the menstrual hygiene. Unhygienic menstrual practices can affect the health of the girls and there is an increased vulnerability to reproductive tract infections and pelvic inflammatory diseases and other complications. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the knowledge and practice of menstrual hygiene among high school girls at Nekemte town, Oromia region, Western Ethiopia. A school based cross-sectional study design was employed in Nekemte Town, Western Ethiopia. A multi stage sampling technique was used to select 828 female high school students. Data collection was carried out from May 04 to May 30, 2014 using a pre- tested structured questionnaire. The data were entered into a computer using Epi-info version 3.5.1 and then exported to SPSS for Windows version 20.0 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was done at 95 % confidence interval. In this study, 504 (60.9 %) and 330 (39.9 %) respondents had good knowledge and practice of menstrual hygiene respectively. The findings of the study showed a significant positive association between good knowledge of menstruation and educational status of mothers (AOR = 1.51, 95 % CI = 1.02 - 2.22), having radio/TV (AOR = 2.42, 95 % CI: 1.64 - 3.56). Educational status of the mother (AOR = 2.03, 95 % CI = 1.38 - 2.97) and earning permanent pocket money from parents (AOR = 2.73, 95 % CI = 1.76 - 4.26) revealed significant positive association with good practice of menstrual hygiene. The findings showed that the knowledge and practice of menstrual hygiene is low. Awareness regarding the need for information about good menstrual practices is very important. So, health education program should be setup to create awareness and practice of good menstrual hygiene.

Hand hygiene knowledge and practice among university students: evidence from Private Universities of Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Sultana, Marufa; Mahumud, Rashidul Alam; Sarker, Abdur Razzaque; Hossain, Sarder Mahmud

2016-01-01

Hand hygiene has achieved the reputation of being a convenient means of preventing communicable diseases. Although causal links between hand hygiene and rates of infectious disease have also been established earlier, studies focusing on hand hygiene among university-going students are not adequate in number. This study evaluated handwashing knowledge, practice, and other related factors among the selected university students in the city of Dhaka, Bangladesh. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 undergraduate students from four selected universities. A pretested, semistructured questionnaire, that included a checklist associated with handwashing practice, was applied to capture all relevant data. The mean (± SD) age of the participants was 20.4 (±1.8) years. The majority of the students washed their hands with water, but only 22.5% washed their hands effectively by maintaining the correct steps and frequency of handwashing with water, and soap or hand sanitizer. The mean (± SD) score of the participants’ hand hygiene practice was 50.81 (±4.79), while the total score with all perfect answers was considered as 66. Regression coefficient demonstrated that age has a negative influence on hand hygiene practice, as older students have lower scores compared to the younger ones (P<0.01). However, the unmarried students were a significant predictor for influencing the incensement of handwashing practice compared to the married ones (P<0.01). Findings of this study designate widespread insufficient hand hygiene practice in the university-going students and indicate a need for an extensive public health education program on this topic. Furthermore, availability of soap and sufficient water supply is needed within the university setting to facilitate handwashing. Therefore, supporting quantity and quality of available campus-based public health education programs along with providing health-washing equipment is suggested. PMID:26929673

Hand hygiene knowledge and practice among university students: evidence from Private Universities of Bangladesh.

PubMed

Sultana, Marufa; Mahumud, Rashidul Alam; Sarker, Abdur Razzaque; Hossain, Sarder Mahmud

2016-01-01

Hand hygiene has achieved the reputation of being a convenient means of preventing communicable diseases. Although causal links between hand hygiene and rates of infectious disease have also been established earlier, studies focusing on hand hygiene among university-going students are not adequate in number. This study evaluated handwashing knowledge, practice, and other related factors among the selected university students in the city of Dhaka, Bangladesh. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 undergraduate students from four selected universities. A pretested, semistructured questionnaire, that included a checklist associated with handwashing practice, was applied to capture all relevant data. The mean (± SD) age of the participants was 20.4 (±1.8) years. The majority of the students washed their hands with water, but only 22.5% washed their hands effectively by maintaining the correct steps and frequency of handwashing with water, and soap or hand sanitizer. The mean (± SD) score of the participants' hand hygiene practice was 50.81 (±4.79), while the total score with all perfect answers was considered as 66. Regression coefficient demonstrated that age has a negative influence on hand hygiene practice, as older students have lower scores compared to the younger ones (P<0.01). However, the unmarried students were a significant predictor for influencing the incensement of handwashing practice compared to the married ones (P<0.01). Findings of this study designate widespread insufficient hand hygiene practice in the university-going students and indicate a need for an extensive public health education program on this topic. Furthermore, availability of soap and sufficient water supply is needed within the university setting to facilitate handwashing. Therefore, supporting quantity and quality of available campus-based public health education programs along with providing health-washing equipment is suggested.

Oral hygiene practices and dental service utilization among pregnant women.

PubMed

Boggess, Kim A; Urlaub, Diana M; Massey, Katie E; Moos, Merry-K; Matheson, Matthew B; Lorenz, Carol

2010-05-01

Daily oral hygiene and regular dental visits are important components of oral health care. The authors' objective in this study was to examine women's oral hygiene practices and use of dental services during pregnancy. The authors developed a written oral health questionnaire and administered it to 599 pregnant women. They collected demographic information, as well as data on oral hygiene practices and use of dental services during pregnancy. They used chi2 and multivariable logistic regression models to assess associations between oral hygiene practice and dental service use during pregnancy and to identify maternal predictor variables. Of the 599 participants, 83 percent (n=497) reported brushing once or twice per day. Twenty-four percent (n=141) reported flossing at least once daily; Hispanic women were more likely to floss than were white or African American women (28 percent [52 of 183] versus 22 percent [54 of 248] versus 19 percent [23 of 121], respectively, P<.001). Seventy-four percent (n=442) of the participants reported having received no routine dental care during pregnancy. Hispanic women were significantly less likely than were black or white women to receive routine dental care during pregnancy (13 percent versus 21 percent versus 36 percent, respectively, P<.001). The authors found that being older than 36 years, being of Hispanic race or ethnicity, having an annual income of less than $30,000, flossing infrequently and receiving no dental care when not pregnant were significantly associated with lack of routine dental care during pregnancy (adjusted odds ratios, 95 percent confidence intervals: 2.56 [1.33-4.92]; 2.19 [1.11-4.29]; 2.02 [1.12-3.65]; 1.86 [1.13-3.07]; and 4.35 [2.5-7.69], respectively). A woman's lack of receiving routine dental care when not pregnant was the most significant predictor of lack of receiving dental care during pregnancy. Racial, ethnic and economic disparities related to oral hygiene practices and dental service

The effects of gender disparities on dental hygiene education and practice in Europe.

PubMed

Luciak-Donsberger, C

2003-11-01

In Europe, over 96.5% of dental hygienists are women. The objective of this report was to examine the impact of gender role stereotyping on the image of the dental hygiene profession and on disparities in educational attainment and work regulations within Europe. Data pertaining to regulated or non-regulated dental hygiene practice in 22 European countries were analysed according to possible gender impact on access to education and on the structure of the delivery of care. It was examined whether there is a correlation between national differences found in the dental hygiene profession and gender related disparities found in other work-related areas. Results show that the gender bias in the dental hygiene profession has an effect on equal access to education, and on equal occupational opportunities for dental hygienists within the European Union (EU) and beyond. In northern Europe, higher educational attainment in the field of dental hygiene, more extensive professional responsibilities and greater opportunities for self-employment in autonomous practice tend to correlate with greater equality in the work force. In eastern Europe, lower educational and professional opportunities in dental hygiene correlate with greater gender disparities found in other work-related areas. In some western European countries, the profession has not been implemented because of the political impact of organised dentistry, which expects financial loss from autonomous dental hygiene practice. In order to fulfil mandates of the EU, initiatives must be taken to remove the gender bias in the delivery of preventive care and to promote equal access to educational attainment and to professional development in the whole of Europe for those who choose to do so.

Chronic sleep reduction is associated with academic achievement and study concentration in higher education students.

PubMed

van der Heijden, Kristiaan B; Vermeulen, Marije C M; Donjacour, Claire E H M; Gordijn, Marijke C M; Hamburger, Hans L; Meijer, Anne M; van Rijn, Karin J; Vlak, Monique; Weysen, Tim

2018-04-01

Inadequate sleep impairs cognitive function and has been associated with worse academic achievement in higher education students; however, studies that control for relevant background factors and include knowledge on sleep hygiene are scarce. This study examined the association of chronic sleep reduction (i.e. symptoms of chronic sleep reduction such as shortness of sleep, sleepiness and irritation), subjective sleep quality and sleep hygiene knowledge with academic achievement (grades and study credits) and study concentration among 1378 higher education students (71% female, mean age 21.73 years, SD = 3.22) in the Netherlands. Demographic, health, lifestyle and study behaviour characteristics were included as covariates in hierarchical regression analyses. After controlling for significant covariates, only chronic sleep reduction remained a significant predictor of lower grades (last exam, average in current academic year). Better sleep quality and sleep hygiene knowledge were associated with better academic achievement, but significance was lost after controlling for covariates, except for a remaining positive association between sleep hygiene beliefs and grades in the current academic year. Moreover, better sleep quality and lower scores on chronic sleep reduction were associated with better study concentration after controlling for significant covariates. To conclude, chronic sleep reduction is associated with academic achievement and study concentration in higher education students. Inadequate sleep hygiene knowledge is moderately associated with worse academic achievement. Future research should investigate whether sleep hygiene interventions improve academic achievement in students of higher education. © 2017 European Sleep Research Society.

Outcomes of an infection prevention project focusing on hand hygiene and isolation practices.

PubMed

Aragon, Daleen; Sole, Mary Lou; Brown, Scott

2005-01-01

Nosocomial infections are a major health problem for hospitalized patients and their families. Since the 1800s, hand hygiene has been recognized as the single best method to prevent the spread of pathogens and nosocomial infections. Despite this fact, many healthcare workers do not adhere to hand hygiene policies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a guideline for hand hygiene practices in 2002. Multifaceted approaches to improve hand hygiene have been shown to increase compliance among healthcare workers and subsequently reduce infections. A performance improvement project was initiated to implement this guideline and other strategies to prevent nosocomial infection. This article summarizes the performance improvement processes and the preliminary outcomes on adherence to infection prevention policies related to hand hygiene and isolation practices. Clinically and statistically significant increases were noted for hand hygiene prior to patient care and in wearing masks when indicated. Nurses and patient care technicians had the greatest increases in compliance. Increases in hand hygiene after patient contact and wearing of gown and gloves were also noted, but results were not statistically significant. Nosocomial infection rates from antibiotic-resistant organisms decreased in the first surveillance, but rates increased during the 1-year surveillance. Consumption of alcohol-based foam disinfectant doubled from baseline. Findings are consistent with other published studies. The project will continue with further reinforcement and education over the second year.

Association of food-hygiene practices and diarrhea prevalence among Indonesian young children from low socioeconomic urban areas

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Information on the part that poor food-hygiene practices play a role in the development of diarrhea in low socioeconomic urban communities is lacking. This study was therefore aimed at assessing the contribution of food-hygiene practice to the prevalence of diarrhea among Indonesian children. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 274 randomly selected children aged 12–59 months in selected low socioeconomic urban areas of East Jakarta. The prevalence of diarrhea was assessed from 7-day records on frequency and consistency of the child’s defecation pattern. Food-hygiene practices including mother’s and child’s hand washing, food preparation, cleanliness of utensils, water source and safe drinking water, habits of buying cooked food, child’s bottle feeding hygiene, and housing and environmental condition were collected through home visit interviews and observations by fieldworkers. Thirty-six practices were scored and classified into poor (median and below) and better (above median) food-hygiene practices. Nutritional status of children, defined anthropometrically, was measured through height and weight. Results Among the individual food-hygiene practices, children living in a house with less dirty sewage had a significantly lower diarrhea prevalence compared to those who did not [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.16, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.03-0.73]. The overall food-hygiene practice score was not significantly associated with diarrhea in the total group, but it was in children aged < 2 years (adjusted OR 4.55, 95% CI = 1.08-19.1). Conclusions Overall poor mother’s food-hygiene practices did not contribute to the occurrence of diarrhea in Indonesian children. However, among children < 2 years from low socioeconomic urban areas they were associated with more diarrhea. PMID:24138899

Video observation of hand hygiene practices during routine companion animal appointments and the effect of a poster intervention on hand hygiene compliance

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Hand hygiene is considered one of the most important infection control measures in human healthcare settings, but there is little information available regarding hand hygiene frequency and technique used in veterinary clinics. The objectives of this study were to describe hand hygiene practices associated with routine appointments in companion animal clinics in Ontario, and the effectiveness of a poster campaign to improve hand hygiene compliance. Results Observation of hand hygiene practices was performed in 51 clinics for approximately 3 weeks each using 2 small wireless surveillance cameras: one in an exam room, and one in the most likely location for hand hygiene to be performed outside the exam room following an appointment. Data from 38 clinics were included in the final analysis, including 449 individuals, 1139 appointments before and after the poster intervention, and 10894 hand hygiene opportunities. Overall hand hygiene compliance was 14% (1473/10894), while before and after patient contact compliance was 3% (123/4377) and 26% (1145/4377), respectively. Soap and water was used for 87% (1182/1353) of observed hand hygiene attempts with a mean contact time of 4 s (median 2 s, range 1-49 s), while alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) was used for 7% (98/1353) of attempts with a mean contact time of 8 s (median 7 s, range 1-30 s). The presence of the posters had no significant effect on compliance, although some staff reported that they felt the posters did increase their personal awareness of the need to perform hand hygiene, and the posters had some effect on product contact times. Conclusions Overall hand hygiene compliance in veterinary clinics in this study was low, and contact time with hand hygiene products was frequently below current recommendations. Use of ABHR was low despite its advantages over hand washing and availability in the majority of clinics. The poster campaign had a limited effect on its own, but could still be used as a

Video observation of hand hygiene practices during routine companion animal appointments and the effect of a poster intervention on hand hygiene compliance.

PubMed

Anderson, Maureen E C; Sargeant, Jan M; Weese, J Scott

2014-05-07

Hand hygiene is considered one of the most important infection control measures in human healthcare settings, but there is little information available regarding hand hygiene frequency and technique used in veterinary clinics. The objectives of this study were to describe hand hygiene practices associated with routine appointments in companion animal clinics in Ontario, and the effectiveness of a poster campaign to improve hand hygiene compliance. Observation of hand hygiene practices was performed in 51 clinics for approximately 3 weeks each using 2 small wireless surveillance cameras: one in an exam room, and one in the most likely location for hand hygiene to be performed outside the exam room following an appointment. Data from 38 clinics were included in the final analysis, including 449 individuals, 1139 appointments before and after the poster intervention, and 10894 hand hygiene opportunities. Overall hand hygiene compliance was 14% (1473/10894), while before and after patient contact compliance was 3% (123/4377) and 26% (1145/4377), respectively. Soap and water was used for 87% (1182/1353) of observed hand hygiene attempts with a mean contact time of 4 s (median 2 s, range 1-49 s), while alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) was used for 7% (98/1353) of attempts with a mean contact time of 8 s (median 7 s, range 1-30 s). The presence of the posters had no significant effect on compliance, although some staff reported that they felt the posters did increase their personal awareness of the need to perform hand hygiene, and the posters had some effect on product contact times. Overall hand hygiene compliance in veterinary clinics in this study was low, and contact time with hand hygiene products was frequently below current recommendations. Use of ABHR was low despite its advantages over hand washing and availability in the majority of clinics. The poster campaign had a limited effect on its own, but could still be used as a component of a multimodal hand

Knowledge of Dental Health and Oral Hygiene Practices of Taiwanese Visually Impaired and Sighted Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Chien-Huey Sophie; Shih, Yeng-Hung

2004-01-01

This study investigated the dental health knowledge and oral hygiene practices of 95 students with visual impairments and 286 sighted students in Taiwan. It found that the students with visual impairments were less knowledgeable about dental health and less frequently completed oral hygiene practices than did the sighted students.

Correlation of oral hygiene practices, smoking and oral health conditions with self perceived halitosis amongst undergraduate dental students.

PubMed

Setia, Saniya; Pannu, Parampreet; Gambhir, Ramandeep Singh; Galhotra, Virat; Ahluwalia, Pooja; Sofat, Anjali

2014-01-01

The present study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of oral hygiene practices, smoking habits and halitosis among undergraduate dental students and correlating the oral hygiene practices, oral health conditions to the prevalence of self perceived oral malodour. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among 277 male and female students. A questionnaire was developed to assess the self-reported perception of oral breath, awareness of bad breath, timing of bad breath, oral hygiene practices, caries and bleeding gums, dryness of the mouth, smoking and tongue coating. The results indicate female students had better oral hygiene practices. Significantly less self-reported oral bad breath (P = 0.007) was found in female dental students (40%) as compared to their male counterparts (58%). It was found that smoking and dryness of mouth had statistically significant correlation with halitosis (P = 0.026, P = 0.001). Presence of other oral conditions such as tongue coating and dental caries and bleeding gums also showed higher prevalence of halitosis in dental students. A direct correlation exists between oral hygiene practices and oral health conditions with halitosis. Females exhibited better oral hygiene practices and less prevalence of halitosis as compared to male students.

How mindfulness changed my sleep: focus groups with chronic insomnia patients.

PubMed

Hubbling, Amber; Reilly-Spong, Maryanne; Kreitzer, Mary Jo; Gross, Cynthia R

2014-02-10

Chronic insomnia is a major public health problem affecting approximately 10% of adults. Use of meditation and yoga to develop mindful awareness ('mindfulness training') may be an effective approach to treat chronic insomnia, with sleep outcomes comparable to nightly use of prescription sedatives, but more durable and with minimal or no side effects. The purpose of this study was to understand mindfulness training as experienced by patients with chronic insomnia, and suggest procedures that may be useful in optimizing sleep benefits. Adults (N = 18) who completed an 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program as part of a randomized, controlled clinical trial to evaluate MBSR as a treatment for chronic insomnia were invited to participate in post-trial focus groups. Two groups were held. Participants (n = 9) described how their sleep routine, thoughts and emotions were affected by MBSR and about utility (or not) of various mindfulness techniques. Groups were audio-recorded, transcribed and analyzed using content analysis. Four themes were identified: the impact of mindfulness on sleep and motivation to adopt a healthy sleep lifestyle; benefits of mindfulness on aspects of life beyond sleep; challenges and successes in adopting mindfulness-based practices; and the importance of group sharing and support. Participants said they were not sleeping more, but sleeping better, waking more refreshed, feeling less distressed about insomnia, and better able to cope when it occurred. Some participants experienced the course as a call to action, and for them, practicing meditation and following sleep hygiene guidelines became priorities. Motivation to sustain behavioral changes was reinforced by feeling physically better and more emotionally stable, and seeing others in the MBSR class improve. The body scan was identified as an effective tool to enable falling asleep faster. Participants described needing to continue practicing mindfulness to maintain

[Economic effects of single-pack dental hygienic materials introduced into daily clinical practice].

PubMed

Sunakawa, Mitsuhiro; Matsumoto, Hiroyuki; Izumi, Yuichi

2011-03-01

To improve and maintain medical safety and quality, it is necessary to construct and manage a safe and economical medical system. Almost five years have passed since single-pack dental hygienic materials were introduced into daily clinical practice in the University Hospital, Faculty of Dentistry, Tokyo Medical and Dental University. The costs of purchasing hygienic materials themselves are higher when using outsourced sterilized single packed ones, compared with when using intra-murally sterilized ones in the past. Proper usage of single-pack hygienic materials sterilized with Ethylene Oxide Gas (EOG) would reduce waste of unused materials and save labor for staff in the Section of Central Supplies. Financially, the use of hygienic materials could be reduced if single-pack dental hygienic materials by outsourcing were introduced into the hospital, because all costs for sterilizing hygienic materials in the hospital could be eliminated.

Correlation of oral hygiene practices, smoking and oral health conditions with self perceived halitosis amongst undergraduate dental students

PubMed Central

Setia, Saniya; Pannu, Parampreet; Gambhir, Ramandeep Singh; Galhotra, Virat; Ahluwalia, Pooja; Sofat, Anjali

2014-01-01

Objective: The present study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of oral hygiene practices, smoking habits and halitosis among undergraduate dental students and correlating the oral hygiene practices, oral health conditions to the prevalence of self perceived oral malodour. Materials and Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among 277 male and female students. A questionnaire was developed to assess the self-reported perception of oral breath, awareness of bad breath, timing of bad breath, oral hygiene practices, caries and bleeding gums, dryness of the mouth, smoking and tongue coating. Results: The results indicate female students had better oral hygiene practices. Significantly less self-reported oral bad breath (P = 0.007) was found in female dental students (40%) as compared to their male counterparts (58%). It was found that smoking and dryness of mouth had statistically significant correlation with halitosis (P = 0.026, P = 0.001). Presence of other oral conditions such as tongue coating and dental caries and bleeding gums also showed higher prevalence of halitosis in dental students. Conclusion: A direct correlation exists between oral hygiene practices and oral health conditions with halitosis. Females exhibited better oral hygiene practices and less prevalence of halitosis as compared to male students. PMID:24678201

Clinical Practice Guideline for Diagnostic Testing for Adult Obstructive Sleep Apnea: An American Academy of Sleep Medicine Clinical Practice Guideline

PubMed Central

Kapur, Vishesh K.; Auckley, Dennis H.; Chowdhuri, Susmita; Kuhlmann, David C.; Mehra, Reena; Ramar, Kannan; Harrod, Christopher G.

2017-01-01

Introduction: This guideline establishes clinical practice recommendations for the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults and is intended for use in conjunction with other American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) guidelines on the evaluation and treatment of sleep-disordered breathing in adults. Methods: The AASM commissioned a task force of experts in sleep medicine. A systematic review was conducted to identify studies, and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) process was used to assess the evidence. The task force developed recommendations and assigned strengths based on the quality of evidence, the balance of benefits and harms, patient values and preferences, and resource use. In addition, the task force adopted foundational recommendations from prior guidelines as “good practice statements”, that establish the basis for appropriate and effective diagnosis of OSA. The AASM Board of Directors approved the final recommendations. Recommendations: The following recommendations are intended as a guide for clinicians diagnosing OSA in adults. Under GRADE, a STRONG recommendation is one that clinicians should follow under most circumstances. A WEAK recommendation reflects a lower degree of certainty regarding the outcome and appropriateness of the patient-care strategy for all patients. The ultimate judgment regarding propriety of any specific care must be made by the clinician in light of the individual circumstances presented by the patient, available diagnostic tools, accessible treatment options, and resources. Good Practice Statements: Diagnostic testing for OSA should be performed in conjunction with a comprehensive sleep evaluation and adequate follow-up. Polysomnography is the standard diagnostic test for the diagnosis of OSA in adult patients in whom there is a concern for OSA based on a comprehensive sleep evaluation. Recommendations: We recommend that clinical tools, questionnaires and prediction

Infant sleep position practices 2 years into the "back to sleep" campaign.

PubMed

Gibson, E; Dembofsky, C A; Rubin, S; Greenspan, J S

2000-05-01

Since the 1992 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendation to put babies to sleep in the nonprone position and the subsequent 1994 "Back to Sleep" campaign, the U.S. rate of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has decreased more than 40%. This study reports sleep position practices in the greater Philadelphia area during 1996 and 1997. Four hundred and ten parents of infants 6 months of age or less answered a questionnaire by interview in Philadelphia clinics and private pediatric offices from December 1995 through February 1997. Sleep position practices and other SIDS risk factors were measured among demographic groups and compared with reported rates in a similar population from 1993 and 1994. Data were analyzed by Chi square after analysis of correlation coefficients. Significance is reported at p < 0.05. Seventy-two percent of all infants surveyed slept nonprone (NP) compared to 31.8% in 1993 and 59.1% in 1994. The population was 61% African-American (AA), 62% clinic patients. The breast feeding rate was 31%, maternal smoking 17%, and cosleeping 46%. AA infants (67% vs. 82%), infants receiving care at a clinic (66% vs. 84%), and infants > 3 months old (65% vs. 76%) are less likely to be placed nonprone. Most parents who place infants on their back report it was recommended by a medical professional (56%). The majority of those placing infants prone do so because their infant is more comfortable or sleeps better (65%), although 73% said their physician/nurse discussed sleep position with them. Nonprone sleeping continues to increase since the initiation of the "Back to Sleep" campaign. Disparity between some demographic groups persists. An excessive number of African-American families and clinic families still choose a prone sleep position. Many who do so cite increased infant comfort, despite knowledge of the AAP recommendation.

An evaluation of hospital hand hygiene practice and glove use in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Chau, Janita P-C; Thompson, David R; Twinn, Sheila; Lee, Diana T F; Pang, Sharon W M

2011-05-01

To identify omissions in hand hygiene practice and glove use among hospital workers in Hong Kong. Hospital-acquired infection is the commonest complication affecting hospitalised patients. Even though research evidence suggests that hand hygiene and proper glove use are the most important ways to prevent the spread of disease and infection, compliance with both are reported to be unacceptably low. An observational study of hospital workers in one acute and two convalescence and rehabilitation hospitals in Hong Kong was conducted. The participating clinical areas included the medical and surgical wards, accident and emergency department and intensive care unit. Hand hygiene practice and glove use amongst 206 hospital health and support workers, stratified according to years of working experience, were observed. The number of observed episodes for hand hygiene was 1037 and for glove use 304. Compliance with hand hygiene was 74.7% and with glove use 72.4%. In approximately two-third of episodes, participants washed their hands after each patient contact; though, 78.5% failed to rub their hands together vigorously for at least 15 seconds. The major break in compliance with glove use was failure to change gloves between procedures on the same patient. In 28.6% of observed glove use episodes, participants did not wear gloves during procedures that exposed them to blood, body fluids, excretion, non-intact skin or mucous membranes. Significant differences in performance scores on antiseptic hand rub were found between the two types of hospital and on glove use between the three groups of work experience: ≤ 5, 6-10, >10 years. Education and reinforcement of proper hand hygiene practice and glove use among hospital health and support workers is needed. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Awareness and Practices of Oral Hygiene among Female Undergraduates in a Malaysian University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waheed, Zarina; Saeed, Munazza; Jameel, Rafey Ahmad

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the extent of awareness and practices of oral hygiene among undergraduate female students in a residential college of a university at Malaysia and to assess the need for awareness programs about oral hygiene. The study was carried out using a self-administered questionnaire. Hundred undergraduate female Malay…

Qur’anic insights into sleep

PubMed Central

BaHammam, Ahmed S; Gozal, David

2012-01-01

Sleep has preoccupied and fascinated many civilizations since the dawn of mankind. Here, we critically review the various elements pertaining to sleep in the context of early Islamic religion and culture. The many principles of sleep hygiene, wellbeing and health associated with adequate sleep, and the understanding of sleep as a dynamic state are all apparent from such explorative process of Islamic tradition. PMID:23620681

A return to the basics; nurses' practices and knowledge about interventional patient hygiene in critical care units.

PubMed

El-Soussi, Azza H; Asfour, Hayam I

2017-06-01

The Nursing profession is struggling to return to basic nursing care to maintain patients' safety. "Interventional patient hygiene" (IPH) is a measurement model for reducing the bioburden of both the patient and health care worker, and its components are hand hygiene, oral care, skin care/antisepsis, and catheter site care. To identify the level of nurses' practice and knowledge about interventional patient hygiene and identify barriers for implementing interventional patient hygiene in critical care units. A descriptive research design was used and three tools were applied in this study: "The Interventional Patient Hygiene Observational Checklist", "The Interventional Patient Hygiene Knowledge Questionnaire" and "The Barriers for Implementing Interventional Patient Hygiene in Critical Care Units". The mean percentage nurses' knowledge score is higher than the mean percentage practice score in all items (hand hygiene (71.28±25.46, compared with 46.15±17.87), oral care (100.0±0.0, compared with 25.32±24.25), catheter care (75.76±9.40, compared with 8.97±24.14) and skin care (47.80±6.79, compared with 26.28±16.57). Barriers for implementing hand hygiene are workload (71.79%), insufficient resources (61.53%), and lack of knowledge (10.25%). The mean percentage IPH knowledge score is higher than the mean percentage IPH practice score of all IPH items. Barriers for implementing IPH include workload, insufficient resources, and lack of knowledge/training. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Oral hygiene practices and risk of oral leukoplakia.

PubMed

Macigo, F G; Gathece, L W; Guthua, S W; Njeru, E K; Wagaiyu, E G; Mulli, T K

2006-04-01

To determine the influence of oral hygiene habits and practices on the risk of developing oral leukoplakia. Case control study. Githongo sublocation in Meru District. Eighty five cases and 141 controls identified in a house-to-house screening. The relative risk (RR) of oral leukoplakia increased gradually across the various brushing frequencies from the reference RR of 1.0 in those who brushed three times a day, to 7.6 in the "don't brush" group. The trend of increase was statistically significant (X2 for Trend : p = 0.001). The use of chewing stick as compared to conventional tooth brush had no significant influence on RR of oral leukoplakia. Non-users of toothpastes had a significantly higher risk of oral leukoplakia than users (RR = 1.8; 95% confidence levels (CI) = 1.4-2.5). Among tobacco smokers, the RR increased from 4.6 in those who brushed to 7.3 in those who did not brush. Among non-smokers, the RR of oral leukoplakia in those who did not brush (1.8) compared to those who brushed was also statistically significant (95% CL = 1.6-3.8). Failure to brush teeth and none use of toothpastes are significantly associated with the development of oral leukoplakia, while the choice of brushing tools between conventional toothbrush and chewing stick is not. In addition, failure to brush teeth appeared to potentiate the effect of smoking tobacco in the development of oral leukoplakia. Oral health education, instruction and motivation for the improvement of oral hygiene habits and practices; and therefore oral hygiene status, should be among the strategies used in oral leukoplakia preventive and control programmes.

Application of the human needs conceptual model to dental hygiene practice.

PubMed

Darby, M L; Walsh, M M

2000-01-01

The Human Needs Conceptual Model is relevant to dental hygiene because of the need for dental hygienists to be client focused, humanistic, and accountable in practice. Application of the Human Needs Conceptual Model provides a formal framework for identifying and understanding the unique needs of the client that can be met through dental hygiene care. Practitioners find that the Human Needs Conceptual Model can not only help them in assessment and diagnosis, but also in client education, decision-making, care implementation, and the evaluation of treatment outcomes. By using the model, the dental hygienist is able to manage client care humanistically and holistically, and ensure that care is client-centered rather than task-oriented. With the model, a professional practice can be made operational.

Sleep and Recovery in Team Sport: Current Sleep-Related Issues Facing Professional Team-Sport Athletes.

PubMed

Fullagar, Hugh H K; Duffield, Rob; Skorski, Sabrina; Coutts, Aaron J; Julian, Ross; Meyer, Tim

2015-11-01

While the effects of sleep loss on performance have previously been reviewed, the effects of disturbed sleep on recovery after exercise are less reported. Specifically, the interaction between sleep and physiological and psychological recovery in team-sport athletes is not well understood. Accordingly, the aim of the current review was to examine the current evidence on the potential role sleep may play in postexercise recovery, with a tailored focus on professional team-sport athletes. Recent studies show that team-sport athletes are at high risk of poor sleep during and after competition. Although limited published data are available, these athletes also appear particularly susceptible to reductions in both sleep quality and sleep duration after night competition and periods of heavy training. However, studies examining the relationship between sleep and recovery in such situations are lacking. Indeed, further observational sleep studies in team-sport athletes are required to confirm these concerns. Naps, sleep extension, and sleep-hygiene practices appear advantageous to performance; however, future proof-of-concept studies are now required to determine the efficacy of these interventions on postexercise recovery. Moreover, more research is required to understand how sleep interacts with numerous recovery responses in team-sport environments. This is pertinent given the regularity with which these teams encounter challenging scenarios during the course of a season. Therefore, this review examines the factors that compromise sleep during a season and after competition and discusses strategies that may help improve sleep in team-sport athletes.

Sleep Promotion Program for Improving Sleep Behaviors in Adolescents: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study

PubMed Central

John, Bindu; Bellipady, Sumanth Shetty; Bhat, Shrinivasa Undaru

2016-01-01

Aims. The purpose of this pilot trial was to determine the efficacy of sleep promotion program to adapt it for the use of adolescents studying in various schools of Mangalore, India, and evaluate the feasibility issues before conducting a randomized controlled trial in a larger sample of adolescents. Methods. A randomized controlled trial design with stratified random sampling method was used. Fifty-eight adolescents were selected (mean age: 14.02 ± 2.15 years; intervention group, n = 34; control group, n = 24). Self-report questionnaires, including sociodemographic questionnaire with some additional questions on sleep and activities, Sleep Hygiene Index, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, The Cleveland Adolescent Sleepiness Questionnaire, and PedsQL™ Present Functioning Visual Analogue Scale, were used. Results. Insufficient weekday-weekend sleep duration with increasing age of adolescents was observed. The program revealed a significant effect in the experimental group over the control group in overall sleep quality, sleep onset latency, sleep duration, daytime sleepiness, and emotional and overall distress. No significant effect was observed in sleep hygiene and other sleep parameters. All target variables showed significant correlations with each other. Conclusion. The intervention holds a promise for improving the sleep behaviors in healthy adolescents. However, the effect of the sleep promotion program treatment has yet to be proven through a future research. This trial is registered with ISRCTN13083118. PMID:27088040

Sleep problems and mental health in primary school new entrants: cross-sectional community-based study.

PubMed

Quach, Jon; Hiscock, Harriet; Wake, Melissa

2012-12-01

To determine at school entry (i) the prevalence and types of child sleep problems; (ii) sleep difficulties and hygiene practices associated with sleep problems; and (iii) their associations with child health-related quality of life, mental health and parent mental health. We conducted a cross-sectional community-based study at 22 primary schools in Melbourne, Australia. One thousand five hundred and twelve (70%) parents of children in the first 6 months of the child's first year of primary school took part. Parent report of child sleep problems (none, mild, and moderate/severe); sleep difficulties; pre-bedtime activities (television in bedroom, television or electronic games before bedtime, television or electronic games >2 h/day) and caffeine intake; child mental health (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire), health-related quality of life (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory); and parent mental health (Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21). 38.6% of children had a parent-reported sleep problem (27.9% mild, 10.8% moderate/severe). Sleep problems were characterised by problematic sleep difficulties but not poor sleep hygiene practices. Moderate/severe sleep problems were associated with poorer child mental health (mean difference -0.8; 95% confidence interval (CI) -1.1 to -0.5, P < 0.001), health-related quality of life (mean difference -9.9; 95% CI -11.9 to -7.9, P < 0.001) and parent mental health (mean difference 9.8; 95% CI 7.7-11.9, P < 0.001). In new school entrants, sleep problems are common and associated with poorer child mental health, health-related quality of life and parent mental health. Future research needs to determine if systematically addressing sleep problems improves these outcomes. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2012 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Management of sleep disorders in stroke.

PubMed

Im, Kyoung Bin; Strader, Scott; Dyken, Mark Eric

2010-09-01

Scientific studies have proven a very strong association between stroke and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The prevalence of OSA is very high in patients with acute stroke, and untreated OSA is a stroke risk factor. In the stroke patient population, symptoms of OSA may atypically appear as isolated insomnia, hypersomnia, a dysfunction of circadian rhythm, a parasomnia, or a sleep-related movement disorder. Thus, we believe that in patients with acute stroke, OSA should be addressed first, using full in-laboratory, attended polysomnography (PSG), before other specific sleep disorders are aggressively addressed with specific therapeutic interventions. When OSA is diagnosed, supportive techniques including the application of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, positional therapies, or both should be considered first-line treatments. If OSA is ruled out by PSG, the therapeutic emphasis for sleep-related complaints is routinely based on instituting good sleep hygiene practices and using cognitive behavioral techniques (cognitive therapies, sleep restriction, stimulus control, and progressive relaxation therapies) because patients with stroke may be prone to the adverse effects of many of the medications that are otherwise routinely prescribed for a variety of specific sleep disorders.

Effectiveness of a Motivation and Practical Skills Development Methods on the Oral Hygiene of Orphans Children in Kaunas, Lithuania.

PubMed

Markeviciute, Greta; Narbutaite, Julija

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a motivation and practical skills development methods on the oral hygiene of orphans. Sixty eight orphans aged between 7 and 17 years from two orphanages in Kaunas were divided into two groups: practical application group and motivation group. Children were clinically examined by determining their oral hygiene status using Silness-Löe plaque index. Questionnaire was used to estimate the oral hygiene knowledge and practices at baseline and after 3 months. Statistical analysis included: Chi-square test (χ(2)), Fisher's exact test, Student's t-test, nonparametric Mann-Whitney test, Spearman's rho correlation coefficient and Kappa coefficient. All children had a plaque on at least one tooth in both groups: motivation 1.14 (SD 0.51), practical application 1.08 (SD 0.4) (P = 0.58). Girls in both groups showed significantly better oral hygiene than boys (P < 0.001). After 3 months educational program oral hygiene status improved in both groups significantly 0.4 (SD 0.35) (P < 0.001). Significantly better oral hygiene was determined in practical application group 0.19 (SD 0.27) in comparison with motivation group 0.55 (SD 0.32) (P < 0.001). By comparing results of first and second questionnaire surveys on use of soft drinks, the statistically significant decline of their use was in both groups (P = 0.004). Educational programs are effective in improving oral hygiene, especially when they're based on practical skills training.

Understanding Healthcare Workers Self-Reported Practices, Knowledge and Attitude about Hand Hygiene in a Medical Setting in Rural India.

PubMed

Diwan, Vishal; Gustafsson, Charlotte; Rosales Klintz, Senia; Joshi, Sudhir Chandra; Joshi, Rita; Sharma, Megha; Shah, Harshada; Pathak, Ashish; Tamhankar, Ashok J; Stålsby Lundborg, Cecilia

2016-01-01

To describe self-reported practices and assess knowledge and attitudes regarding hand hygiene among healthcare workers in a rural Indian teaching hospital. A rural teaching hospital and its associated medical and nursing colleges in the district of Ujjain, India. The study population consisted of physicians, nurses, teaching staff, clinical instructors and nursing students. Self-administered questionnaires based on the World Health Organization Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Healthcare were used. Out of 489 healthcare workers, 259 participated in the study (response rate = 53%). The proportion of healthcare workers that reported to 'always' practice hand hygiene in the selected situations varied from 40-96% amongst categories. Reported barriers to maintaining good hand hygiene were mainly related to high workload, scarcity of resources, lack of scientific information and the perception that priority is not given to hand hygiene, either on an individual or institutional level. Previous training on the topic had a statistically significant association with self-reported practice (p = 0.001). Ninety three per cent of the respondents were willing to attend training on hand hygiene in the near future. Self-reported knowledge and adherence varied between situations, but hand hygiene practices have the potential to improve if the identified constraints could be reduced. Future training should focus on enhancing healthcare workers' knowledge and understanding regarding the importance of persistent practice in all situations.

Physician Practice Information: The Practice Expenses and Characteristics of Sleep Medicine as Compared with Other AMA-Recognized Medical Specialties

PubMed Central

Blehart, Caroline

2009-01-01

Summary: This report introduces the Physician Practice Information (PPI) Survey and its findings. Background information on the PPI Survey is explained, as is the Survey's importance to the field of sleep medicine. Statistics reported by the Survey regarding Practice Expenses per Hour (PE/HR) for various specialties are analyzed in comparison with those reported specifically for sleep medicine. The similarities and differences between sleep medicine and all other medical specialties surveyed in terms of practice characteristics are also discussed. Analysis of PE/HR data found that sleep medicine payroll practice expenses are closest to those of obstetrics/gynecology, likely due to the employment of technologists in both fields. Regarding supplies and equipment expenses, sleep medicine is most similar to radiology, cardiology, and spine surgery, probably due to the use of disposable medical supplies. In terms of total PE/HR (less separately billable), sleep medicine is most like obstetrics/gynecology, orthopedic surgery, and otolaryngology. The full cause of this is undeterminable from the PPI Survey. Some areas of dissimilarity in regard to the practice characteristics of sleep physicians and all physicians surveyed across all specialties were found. Most of these fell in the area of “practice size and function of non-physician personnel.” Overall, the results of this section of the PPI Survey show that sleep medicine is practiced in a manner similar to that of the various specialty fields of all physicians surveyed across all specialties but still maintains some unique practice characteristics. Citation: Blehart C. Physician practice information: the practice expenses and characteristics of sleep medicine as compared with other AMA-recognized medical specialties. J Clin Sleep Med 2009;5(6):E1-E11.

Poor hospital infection control practice in hand hygiene, glove utilization, and usage of tourniquets.

PubMed

Sacar, Suzan; Turgut, Huseyin; Kaleli, Ilknur; Cevahir, Nural; Asan, Ali; Sacar, Mustafa; Tekin, Koray

2006-11-01

Hospital-acquired infection often occurs because of lapses in accepted standards of practice on the part of health care personnel. The aim of this study is to attract attention on poor hospital infection control practice in venepuncture and use of tourniquets and emphasize the importance of hand hygiene. Overall compliance with hygiene during usage of tourniquets and routine patient care before and after implementation of a hospital infection control measures was evaluated. According to the questionnaire, only 26.9% of respondents always washed their hands both before and after venepuncture. In the second step of the study, based on direct observation, hands were washed both before and after venepuncture on only 41 (45.1%) occasions. Failure to remove gloves after patient contact was observed on 23.1% occasions. Our survey reveals poor infection control practice in hand hygiene, glove utilization, and usage of tourniquets and the implementation of infection control measures produced a moderate improvement in compliance with them.

Survey of Food-hygiene Practices at Home and Childhood Diarrhoea in Hanoi, Viet Nam

PubMed Central

Takanashi, Kumiko; Chonan, Yuko; Quyen, Dao To; Khan, Nguyen Cong; Poudel, Krishna C.

2009-01-01

A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the potential factors of food-hygiene practices of mothers on the prevalence of diarrhoea among their children. Mothers who had children aged 6 months–5 years were recruited in a hamlet in Viet Nam. The food-hygiene practices included hand-washing, method of washing utensils, separation of utensils for raw and cooked food, and the location where foods were prepared for cooking. A face-to-face interview was conducted, and data on 206 mothers were analyzed. The risk of diarrhoea was significantly higher among children whose mothers prepared food for cooking somewhere other than the table (typically on the ground) compared to children whose mothers prepared food on the table (adjusted odds ratio=2.85, 95% confidence interval 1.11–7.28). The results indicate that food-hygiene practices of mothers, such as avoiding preparing food for cooking on the ground, has a potential impact in preventing diarrhoea among children in Viet Nam. PMID:19902795

Vaginal health and hygiene practices and product use in Canada: a national cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Crann, Sara E; Cunningham, Shannon; Albert, Arianne; Money, Deborah M; O'Doherty, Kieran C

2018-03-23

The vaginal microbiome influences quality of life and health. The composition of vaginal microbiota can be affected by various health behaviors, such as vaginal douching. The purpose of this study was to examine the types and prevalence of diverse vaginal/genital health and hygiene behaviors among participants living in Canada and to examine associations between behavioral practices and adverse gynecological health conditions. An anonymous online survey, available in English and French, was distributed across Canada. The sample consisted of 1435 respondents, 18 years or older, living in Canada. Respondents reported engaging in diverse vaginal/genital health and hygiene behavioral practices, including the use of commercially manufactured products and homemade and naturopathic products and practices. Over 95% of respondents reported using at least one product in or around the vaginal area. Common products and practices included vaginal/genital moisturizers, anti-itch creams, feminine wipes, washes, suppositories, sprays, powders, and waxing and shaving pubic hair. The majority of the sample (80%) reported experiencing one or more adverse vaginal/genital symptom in their lifetime. Participants who had used any vaginal/genital product(s) had approximately three times higher odds of reporting an adverse health condition. Several notable associations between specific vaginal/genital health and hygiene products and adverse health conditions were identified. This study is the first of its kind to identify the range and prevalence of vaginal/genital health and hygiene behaviors in Canada. Despite a lack of credible information about the impact of these behaviors on women's health, the use of commercially manufactured and homemade products for vaginal/genital health and hygiene is common. Future research can extend the current exploratory study by identifying causal relationships between vaginal/genital health and hygiene behaviors and changes to the vaginal microbiome.

Aerobic exercise improves self-reported sleep and quality of life in older adults with insomnia.

PubMed

Reid, Kathryn J; Baron, Kelly Glazer; Lu, Brandon; Naylor, Erik; Wolfe, Lisa; Zee, Phyllis C

2010-10-01

To assess the efficacy of moderate aerobic physical activity with sleep hygiene education to improve sleep, mood and quality of life in older adults with chronic insomnia. Seventeen sedentary adults aged >or=55 years with insomnia (mean age 61.6 [SD±4.3] years; 16 female) participated in a randomized controlled trial comparing 16 weeks of aerobic physical activity plus sleep hygiene to non-physical activity plus sleep hygiene. Eligibility included primary insomnia for at least 3 months, habitual sleep duration <6.5h and a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score >5. Outcomes included sleep quality, mood and quality of life questionnaires (PSQI, Epworth Sleepiness Scale [ESS], Short-form 36 [SF-36], Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale [CES-D]). The physical activity group improved in sleep quality on the global PSQI (p<.0001), sleep latency (p=.049), sleep duration (p=.04), daytime dysfunction (p=.027), and sleep efficiency (p=.036) PSQI sub-scores compared to the control group. The physical activity group also had reductions in depressive symptoms (p=.044), daytime sleepiness (p=.02) and improvements in vitality (p=.017) compared to baseline scores. Aerobic physical activity with sleep hygiene education is an effective treatment approach to improve sleep quality, mood and quality of life in older adults with chronic insomnia.

A Qualitative Assessment of the Acceptability of Smartphone Applications for Improving Sleep Behaviors in Low-Income and Minority Adolescents.

PubMed

Quante, Mirja; Khandpur, Neha; Kontos, Emily Z; Bakker, Jessie P; Owens, Judith A; Redline, Susan

2018-02-05

Daily behaviors such as sleep can be targeted by smartphone app-based interventions, with potential utility among young people of minority ethnic backgrounds who commonly access smartphone devices and are short sleepers. There is a need to understand the acceptability and youth's readiness to use apps to improve sleep, and to identify desired app components that would motivate engagement. We conducted three focus group discussions (N = 27 total, age 14-18 years) within low- and middle-income ethnically diverse Boston neighborhoods. We also interviewed 10 participants who provided specific feedback on two commercially available sleep-promoting apps, one of which they had used on their smartphone preceding the interviews. All focus group discussions and interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed. We identified several barriers to adoption of sleep hygiene interventions, namely reluctance to follow scheduled sleep routines on weekends and concern about "parting" with electronics at bedtime. Participants were intrigued by the idea of adopting an app-based sleep intervention, but were skeptical that they could successfully adopt sleep hygiene practices, and were more interested in making changes on school days than on weekends. Nonetheless, the overall feedback on two commercial sleep apps, neither targeted at youth, was positive, with a good adherence and engagement rate, and perceived health benefits. Our findings highlight the need to adapt sleep hygiene recommendations to targeted populations, considering preferences and social and cultural contextual factors. Our research also underscores the importance of the platform, setting, and messenger when delivering health information to adolescents.

Effectiveness of a Motivation and Practical Skills Development Methods on the Oral Hygiene of Orphans Children in Kaunas, Lithuania

PubMed Central

Narbutaite, Julija

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a motivation and practical skills development methods on the oral hygiene of orphans. Material and Methods Sixty eight orphans aged between 7 and 17 years from two orphanages in Kaunas were divided into two groups: practical application group and motivation group. Children were clinically examined by determining their oral hygiene status using Silness-Löe plaque index. Questionnaire was used to estimate the oral hygiene knowledge and practices at baseline and after 3 months. Statistical analysis included: Chi-square test (χ2), Fisher‘s exact test, Student‘s t-test, nonparametric Mann-Whitney test, Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient and Kappa coefficient. Results All children had a plaque on at least one tooth in both groups: motivation 1.14 (SD 0.51), practical application 1.08 (SD 0.4) (P = 0.58). Girls in both groups showed significantly better oral hygiene than boys (P < 0.001). After 3 months educational program oral hygiene status improved in both groups significantly 0.4 (SD 0.35) (P < 0.001). Significantly better oral hygiene was determined in practical application group 0.19 (SD 0.27) in comparison with motivation group 0.55 (SD 0.32) (P < 0.001). By comparing results of first and second questionnaire surveys on use of soft drinks, the statistically significant decline of their use was in both groups (P = 0.004). Conclusions Educational programs are effective in improving oral hygiene, especially when they’re based on practical skills training. PMID:26539284

Promoting sleep by nursing interventions in health care settings: a systematic review.

PubMed

Hellström, Amanda; Willman, Ania

2011-09-01

Sleep disturbances are common problems among individuals in hospitals and institutions. Although several studies have explored this phenomenon, there is still a lack of knowledge about the effectiveness of sleep-promoting nursing interventions. This systematic review aims to describe and evaluate the effectiveness of sleep-promoting nursing interventions in health care settings. A systematic review was performed. In June 2009, a literature search was carried out in the following databases: Academic Search Elite, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library and MedLine/PubMed. Fifty-two references were identified and after critical appraisal, nine studies were selected. A compilation of the results and the outcomes of the interventions were carried out. Furthermore, the evidence strength of the interventions was assessed. Little evidence for the nursing interventions, sleep hygiene, music, natural sound and vision, stimulation of acupoints, relaxation, massage and aromatherapy is found. However, large effect size of interventions were found when using massage, acupuncture and music, natural sounds or music videos. The use of sleep hygiene and relaxation, on the other hand, produced only small effects. The lack of high evidence strength for the nursing interventions together with the uncertainty about their effects calls for more research before implementing these interventions into clinical practice. Copyright ©2010 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Sleep in the modern family: protective family routines for child and adolescent sleep

PubMed Central

Buxton, Orfeu M.; Chang, Anne-Marie; Spilsbury, James C.; Bos, Taylor; Emsellem, Helene; Knutson, Kristen L.

2015-01-01

Study objectives The overall objective of the 2014 National Sleep Foundation Sleep in America Poll “Sleep in the Modern Family” was to obtain a current picture of sleep in families with at least 1 school-aged child. Design Cross-sectional poll. Setting Internet-based interview. Participants Nationally representative Internet panel of US households with a child 6–17 years. Measurements and results Primary measures included parental perception of the importance of sleep, parental and child sleep quality, child sleep duration and habits, technology in bedroom, and family rules. Parents/guardians (n= 1103; mean age, 42; 54% female) completed the survey. Although the majority of parents endorsed the importance of sleep, 90% of children obtain less sleep than recommended. Significant predictors of age-adjusted sufficient sleep duration (estimated conservatively as ≥9 hours for ages 6–11 years and ≥8 hours for ages 12–17 years) included parent education, regular enforcement of rules about caffeine, and whether children left technology on in their bedroom overnight. Significant predictors of excellent sleep quality included whether a bedtime was always enforced and whether children left technology on overnight. Conclusions Children generally have better age-appropriate sleep in the presence of household rules and regular sleep-wake routines. Sufficient sleep quantity and adequate sleep quality were protected by well-established rules of sleep hygiene (limited caffeine and regular bedtime). In contrast, sleep deficiency was more likely to be present when parents and children had electronic devices on in the bedroom after bedtime. Public health intervention goals for sleep health might focus on reducing the encroachment of technology and media into time for sleep and supporting well-known sleep hygiene principles. PMID:26779564

Relationship between Female University Students' Knowledge on Menstruation and Their Menstrual Hygiene Practices: A Study in Tamale, Ghana

PubMed Central

Garti, Helene Akpene

2016-01-01

Positive perception about menstruation and good menstrual hygiene practice safeguards the health of postpubescent females by reducing their vulnerability to reproductive and urinary tract infections. Using a questionnaire, a cross-sectional study involving 293 randomly selected female undergraduate students in northern Ghana assessed the relationship between knowledge on menstruation and the practice of safe menstrual hygiene. Data collected was analyzed using GraphPad 5.01. This study found that although majority of respondents (73.4%) were aware of menstruation before menarche, most of them experienced fear and panic when it occurred. Mothers were the first to be informed when menstruation occurred, although teachers first provided them knowledge on menstruation. Respondents' knowledge on menstruation was average (57.3%) but their menstrual hygiene practice was good (80.2%). Age (p = 0.005) and course of study (p = 0.0008) significantly influenced respondents' knowledge on menstruation with older students as well as the medical and midwifery students being most knowledgeable. Muslim rather than Christian female students practiced better menstrual hygiene (p = 0.0001). Average knowledge score on menstruation indicated a deficit of knowledge on the anatomy and physiology of the female reproductive system. Increasing knowledge on menstruation had a positive and significant effect on practice of good menstrual hygiene. PMID:27525125

Sleep education improves the sleep duration of adolescents: a randomized controlled pilot study.

PubMed

Kira, Geoff; Maddison, Ralph; Hull, Michelle; Blunden, Sarah; Olds, Timothy

2014-07-15

To determine the feasibility and pilot a sleep education program in New Zealand high school students. A parallel, two-arm randomized controlled pilot trial was conducted. High school students (13 to 16 years) were randomly allocated to either a classroom-based sleep education program intervention (n = 15) or to a usual curriculum control group (n = 14). The sleep education program involved four 50-minute classroom-based education sessions with interactive groups. Students completed a 7-day sleep diary, a sleep questionnaire (including sleep hygiene, knowledge and problems) at baseline, post-intervention (4 weeks) and 10 weeks follow-up. An overall treatment effect was observed for weekend sleep duration (F 1,24 = 5.21, p = 0.03). Participants in the intervention group slept longer during weekend nights at 5 weeks (1:37 h:min, p = 0.01) and 10 weeks: (1:32 h:min, p = 0.03) compared to those in the control group. No differences were found between groups for sleep duration on weekday nights. No significant differences were observed between groups for any of the secondary outcomes (sleep hygiene, sleep problems, or sleep knowledge). A sleep education program appears to increase weekend sleep duration in the short term. Although this program was feasible, most schools are under time and resource pressure, thus alternative methods of delivery should be assessed for feasibility and efficacy. Larger trials of longer duration are needed to confirm these findings and determine the sustained effect of sleep education on sleep behavior and its impact on health and psychosocial outcomes. A commentary on this article appears in this issue on page 793.

Cultural Differences in Sleeping Practices--Helping Early Childhood Educators Understand.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez-Mena, Janet; Bhavnagri, Navaz Peshotan

2001-01-01

Discusses cultural differences in sleeping practices, focusing on how child caregivers can provide developmentally appropriate and culturally sensitive care. Describes co-sleeping as an accepted practice in many cultures with several benefits. Discusses the role of cultural values, beliefs, priorities, and goals and the importance of…

To evaluate the comparative status of oral health practices, oral hygiene and periodontal status amongst visually impaired and sighted students.

PubMed

Jain, Ashish; Gupta, Jyoti; Aggarwal, Vyom; Goyal, Chinu

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the comparative status of oral health practices, oral hygiene, and periodontal status amongst visually impaired and sighted students. In this study, 142 visually impaired children from a blind school in the age group of 6-18 years were enrolled with a similar number of age and sex matched sighted students studying in different schools of Chandigarh. The outcome variables were oral hygiene practices, oral hygiene status, and periodontal status. The visually impaired had been found to have better oral hygiene practices, a nonsignificant difference of oral hygiene scores but a significantly high value for bleeding scores as compared to sighted students. Age wise comparisons showed that bleeding scores were highly significant in 9-11 years and 12-14 years age group as compared to 6-8 years and 15-18 years age group. It could be related that the increased prevalence of bleeding sites despite of better oral hygiene practices in visually impaired group might be the result of their handicap to visualize plaque. ©2012 Special Care Dentistry Association and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The health belief model and determinants of oral hygiene practices and beliefs in preteen children: a pilot study.

PubMed

Walker, Kimberly; Jackson, Richard

2015-01-01

There is limited understanding of children's behavioral decisions for practicing good oral hygiene. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that may motivate children to practice good oral hygiene. Guided by the Health Belief Model (HBM), eight focus groups of 42 American children (second through fifth graders) were interviewed concerning their histories with caries, perceived confidence in brushing, self-perceived susceptibility and vulnerability for caries and/or poor oral health, and perceived benefits and barriers to practicing oral hygiene. Most children equated good oral health as being central to their overall health; however, some viewed poor oral health as occurring only in the elderly while others believed poor oral health could begin at any age. Children cited esthetic appearance of teeth and the desire to please others by brushing without reminders as motivators of good oral hygiene. The greatest barriers to performing oral hygiene were a perceived lack of time and limited access to toothbrushes and dentifrice when away. To motivate children in this age range, emphasis should be placed on the positive aspects of maintaining good oral hygiene for its contribution to appearance and its implication for an overall healthy body and self-image.

The effect of an acute sleep hygiene strategy following a late-night soccer match on recovery of players.

PubMed

Fullagar, Hugh; Skorski, Sabrina; Duffield, Rob; Meyer, Tim

2016-01-01

Elite soccer players are at risk of reduced recovery following periods of sleep disruption, particularly following late-night matches. It remains unknown whether improving sleep quality or quantity in such scenarios can improve post-match recovery. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of an acute sleep hygiene strategy (SHS) on physical and perceptual recovery of players following a late-night soccer match. In a randomised cross-over design, two highly-trained amateur teams (20 players) played two late-night (20:45) friendly matches against each other seven days apart. Players completed an SHS after the match or proceeded with their normal post-game routine (NSHS). Over the ensuing 48 h, objective sleep parameters (sleep duration, onset latency, efficiency, wake episodes), countermovement jump (CMJ; height, force production), YoYo Intermittent Recovery test (YYIR2; distance, maximum heart rate, lactate), venous blood (creatine kinase, urea and c-reactive protein) and perceived recovery and stress markers were collected. Sleep duration was significantly greater in SHS compared to NSHS on match night (P = 0.002, d = 1.50), with NSHS significantly less than baseline (P < 0.001, d = 1.95). Significant greater wake episodes occurred on match night for SHS (P = 0.04, d = 1.01), without significant differences between- or within-conditions for sleep onset latency (P = 0.12), efficiency (P = 0.39) or wake episode duration (P = 0.07). No significant differences were observed between conditions for any physical performance or venous blood marker (all P > 0.05); although maximum heart rate during the YYIR2 was significantly higher in NSHS than SHS at 36 h post-match (P = 0.01; d = 0.81). There were no significant differences between conditions for perceptual "overall recovery" (P = 0.47) or "overall stress" (P = 0.17). Overall, an acute SHS improved sleep quantity following a late-night soccer match; albeit without any improvement in physical

Wearing face masks in public during the influenza season may reflect other positive hygiene practices in Japan.

PubMed

Wada, Koji; Oka-Ezoe, Kuniko; Smith, Derek R

2012-12-10

Although the wearing of face masks in public has not been recommended for preventing influenza, these devices are often worn in many Asian countries during the influenza season. In Japan, it is thought that such behavior may be an indicator of other positive hygiene practices. The aim of this study, therefore, was to determine if wearing a face mask in public is associated with other positive hygiene practices and health behaviors among Japanese adults. We initially recruited around 3,000 Japanese individuals ranging from 20 to 69 years of age who were registered with a web survey company. Participants were asked to recall their personal hygiene practices during the influenza season of the previous year. Logistic regression analysis was then used to examine the associations between wearing a face mask in public and personal hygiene practices and health behaviors. A total of 3,129 persons responded to the survey, among whom 38% reported that they had worn a face mask in public during the previous influenza season. Wearing a face mask in public was associated with various self-reported hygiene practices including: frequent hand washing (adjusted Odds Ratio [OR]: 1.67; 95% Confidence Interval [95%CI]: 1.34-1.96), occasional hand washing (OR: 1.43; 95%CI: 1.10-1.75), frequently avoiding crowds (OR: 1.85; 95%CI: 1.70-1.98), occasionally avoiding crowds (OR: 1.65; 95%CI: 1.53-1.76), frequent gargling (OR: 1.68; 95%CI: 1.51-1.84), occasional gargling (OR: 1.46; 95%CI: 1.29-1.62), regularly avoiding close contact with an infected person (OR: 1.50; 95%CI: 1.33-1.67), occasionally avoiding close contact with an infected person (OR: 1.31; 95%CI: 1.16-1.46), and being vaccinated of influenza in the last season (OR: 1.31; 95%CI: 1.17-1.45). Overall, this study suggests that wearing a face mask in public may be associated with other personal hygiene practices and health behaviors among Japanese adults. Rather than preventing influenza itself, face mask use might instead be a

Practice parameters for the treatment of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea with oral appliances. American Sleep Disorders Association.

PubMed

1995-07-01

These clinical guidelines, which have been reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors of the American Sleep Disorders Association (ASDA), provide recommendations for the practice of sleep medicine in North American with regards to the use of oral appliances for the treatment of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. Oral appliances have been developed for the treatment of snoring and have been applied to the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, a syndrome associated with morbidity. Based on a review of the relevant scientific literature, the Standards of Practice Committee of the ASDA has developed guidelines describing the use of oral appliances for the treatment of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea in adults.

[Hygiene in endoscopy in the clinic and practice, 2003: Results of infection hygiene survey on endoscopy services in Frankfurt am Main by the public health service].

PubMed

Heudorf, U; Hofmann, H; Kutzke, G; Otto, U; Exner, M

2004-08-01

Guidelines for reprocessing flexible endoscopes have been published in many countries. Compliance to the German guidelines, published in 2002 by the Commission on Hospital Hygiene and Infection Prevention on the Robert Koch Institute is mandatory in all endoscopic units, in hospitals as well as in private practices. Here, a survey of current reprocessing practices in an urban region in Germany is published, covering all hospitals and private practices in this region. In summer 2003, all endoscopic units in Frankfurt/Main, Germany--15 hospitals and 23 private practices -- were visited by members of the public health service, using a checklist based on the recommendations of the German guideline. In these institutions, more than 70 000 endoscopic examinations per year are performed. 87 % (13 /15) of the hospitals and 43 % (10/23) of the practices, reported to conduct more than 1000 procedures per year. Great differences were found in hygienic quality comparing endoscopic units in hospitals and in private practices. In hospitals compliance with the guidelines was satisfactory. Main problems in the practices were: missing facilities for ultrasonic cleaning (74%) and sterilizing (43%), faults in reprocessing the bottle and tube for air/water-channel flushing (26%) which was filled in with water not sterilised (48%), storage of the endoscope with risk of recontamination (48%), missing routine-tests of the endoscopes after reprocessing (44%). Generally, hygienic conditions and procedures were worse in smaller units than in bigger ones. The data from Frankfurt hospitals are satisfactory. In private practices, however, especially in smaller ones, improvements are mandatory. Improvements should cover the quality of structure and process, i.e. specific education of the nurses, availability of ultrasonic cleaners and sterilizators and -- preferably -- automatic dishwashers, as well as implementation of a written protocol for hygiene in endoscopy, based on the German Guidelines.

Survey of attitudes and practices of Irish nursing students towards hand hygiene, including handrubbing with alcohol-based hand rub.

PubMed

Kingston, Liz M; O'Connell, Nuala H; Dunne, Colum P

2017-05-01

Hand hygiene is widely recognised as the most important measure a healthcare worker can take in preventing the spread of healthcare associated infections. As a member of the healthcare team, nursing students have direct patient contact during clinical practice; hence, good hand hygiene practice among nursing students is essential. Low to moderate levels of hand hygiene knowledge and poor attitudes and practices are reported among nursing students. However, less is known about their attitudes and practices of handrubbing with ABHR, even though handrubbing is the recommended optimum practice in most situations. The aim of this study was to explore attitudes and practices of hand hygiene, in particular handrubbing with alcohol-based hand rub, among nursing students in Ireland. This survey employed a descriptive, self-report design using a questionnaire to gather data. It was administered electronically to all undergraduate nursing students (n=342) in the Department of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Limerick, Ireland in March and April 2015. Response rate was 66%. Attitudes towards hand hygiene were generally positive. Compliance with hand hygiene after contact with body fluid was high (99.5%) and before a clean or aseptic procedure (98.5%). However, suboptimal practices emerged, before touching a patient (85%), after touching a patient (87%) and after touching patients' surroundings (61%), with first year students more compliant than fourth year students. 16% of students were not aware of the clinical contraindications for using alcohol-based hand rub and 9% did not know when to use soap and water and when to use alcohol-based hand rub. Educators and practitioners play an important role in ensuring that nursing students develop appropriate attitudes towards hand hygiene and engage in optimal handrubbing practices. Raising awareness among nursing students of their responsibility in preventing the occurrence and reducing the transmission of HCAI as an on

Knowledge and practice of food hygiene and safety among food handlers in fast food restaurants in Benin City, Edo State.

PubMed

Isara, A R; Isah, E C

2009-09-01

To assess the knowledge and practice of food hygiene and safety among food handlers in fast food restaurants in Benin City, Edo State. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 350 respondents who were selected by means of a systematic sampling method and interviewed using a semi-structured researcher-administered questionnaire. An observational checklist was thereafter used to inspect their personal hygiene status. The mean age of the food handlers was 26.4 +/- 6.1 years. Two hundred and twenty eight (65.1%) were females while 34.9% were males. A majority (98%) of the respondents had formal education. There was good knowledge and practice of food hygiene and safety among the respondents. Knowledge was significantly influenced by previous training in food hygiene and safety (p = 0.002). Food handlers who had worked for longer years in the fast food restaurants had better practice of food hygiene and safety (p = 0.036). The level of education of respondents did not significantly influenced their practice of food hygiene and safety (p = 0.084). Although, 299 (85.4%) food handlers were generally clean, skin lesions was seen in 4 (7.3%) of them. This study showed good knowledge and practice of food hygiene and safety by food handlers in the fast food restaurants in Benin City, but there is need for improvement through training and retraining of food handlers by the management of the restaurants and the local government authorities.

Sleep Tips for Sjogren's Patients

MedlinePlus

... important for those with Sjögren’s syndrome, saying that sleep deprivation exacerbates daytime fatigue and can affect the immune system. Make sure the bedroom is comfortable, secure, dark, and quiet. Try to maintain good “sleep hygiene:” Get out of bed at the same ...

Skin and surface lead contamination, hygiene programs, and work practices of bridge surface preparation and painting contractors.

PubMed

Virji, M Abbas; Woskie, Susan R; Pepper, Lewis D

2009-02-01

A 2005 regulatory review of the lead in construction standard by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) noted that alternative pathways of exposure can be as significant as inhalation exposure and that noncompliance with the standard pertaining to hygiene facilities and practices was the second most commonly violated section of the standard. Noncompliance with provisions of the standard and unhealthy work and hygiene practices likely increase the likelihood of take-home lead via contaminated clothing, automobiles, and skin, thus contributing to elevated blood lead levels (BLL) among construction workers and their family members. We performed a cross-sectional study of bridge painters working for small contractors in Massachusetts to investigate causes of persistent elevated BLLs and to assess lead exposures. Thirteen work sites were evaluated for a 2-week period during which surface and skin wipe samples were collected and qualitative information was obtained on personal hygiene practices, decontamination and hand wash facilities, and respiratory protection programs. Results showed lead contamination on workers' skin, respirators, personal automobiles, and the decontamination unit, indicating a significant potential for take-home lead exposure. Overall, the geometric mean (GM) skin lead levels ranged from 373 microg on workers' faces at end of shift to 814 microg on hands at break time. The overall GM lead level inside respirators was 143 microg before work and 286 microg after work. Lead contamination was also present inside workers' personal vehicles as well as on surfaces inside the clean side of the decontamination unit. Review of the respiratory protection programs, work site decontamination and hand wash facilities, and personal hygiene practices indicated that these factors had significant impact on skin and surface contamination levels and identified significant opportunities for improving work site facilities and personal practices

Too clean, or not too clean: the Hygiene Hypothesis and home hygiene

PubMed Central

Bloomfield, SF; Stanwell-Smith, R; Crevel, RWR; Pickup, J

2006-01-01

Summary The ‘hygiene hypothesis’ as originally formulated by Strachan, proposes that a cause of the recent rapid rise in atopic disorders could be a lower incidence of infection in early childhood, transmitted by unhygienic contact with older siblings. Use of the term ‘hygiene hypothesis’ has led to several interpretations, some of which are not supported by a broader survey of the evidence. The increase in allergic disorders does not correlate with the decrease in infection with pathogenic organisms, nor can it be explained by changes in domestic hygiene. A consensus is beginning to develop round the view that more fundamental changes in lifestyle have led to decreased exposure to certain microbial or other species, such as helminths, that are important for the development of immunoregulatory mechanisms. Although this review concludes that the relationship of the hypothesis to hygiene practice is not proven, it lends strong support to initiatives seeking to improve hygiene practice. It would however be helpful if the hypothesis were renamed, e.g. as the ‘microbial exposure’ hypothesis, or ‘microbial deprivation’ hypothesis, as proposed for instance by Bjorksten. Avoiding the term ‘hygiene’ would help focus attention on determining the true impact of microbes on atopic diseases, while minimizing risks of discouraging good hygiene practice. PMID:16630145

What do we know about skin-hygiene care for patients with bariatric needs? Implications for nursing practice.

PubMed

Cowdell, Fiona; Radley, Kathy

2014-03-01

This article presents a discussion of the current state of knowledge about bariatric skin-hygiene care and whether this is sufficient to underpin evidence-based nursing practice. The challenges of providing bariatric skin-hygiene care are highlighted and include managing specific skin changes with associated risk of skin breakdown and practical management needs. The risk of skin breakdown is high and can have a devastating impact on well-being and increased treatment costs. A four-stage search strategy included: (i) literature search using electronic databases from inception-May 2013; (ii) hand search of selected journals; (iii) review of internet-based guidelines, policies or protocols and (iv) contact with clinical experts. There is a dearth of robust evidence on bariatric skin-hygiene care. Whilst a range of information and guidelines exist, these are generally based on expert opinion and often used only in a local context. Nurses are increasingly faced with the challenge of providing skin-hygiene care for patients with bariatric needs. At present, care is largely based on custom and practice or clinical opinion; this limits capacity to provide optimum evidence-based nursing care. As the prevalence of people needing bariatric skin-hygiene care continues to increase, there is a lack of evidence to inform interventions and hence a growing need for further research in this challenging clinical area to help nurses and patients select the best possible interventions that will meet individual personal-hygiene needs and preserve skin integrity. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Sleep Well!: A Pilot Study of an Education Campaign to Improve Sleep of Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Children.

PubMed

Mindell, Jodi A; Sedmak, Rebecca; Boyle, Julia T; Butler, Rachel; Williamson, Ariel A

2016-12-15

Socioeconomically disadvantaged children are at risk for poor sleep hygiene and increased sleep problems. This pilot study examined the efficacy of Sleep Well!, a parent-based sleep education endeavor, which supplemented an outreach program that provides beds to socioeconomically disadvantaged children. In addition to receiving a bed, 152 children (mean age = 5.95 years, 57.2% boys) were randomly assigned to sleep education (3 messages: bedtime before 21:00; no caffeine; keep electronics out of the bedroom) or control (dental hygiene education) conditions. All education was provided at both the time of scheduling and delivery of a bed to each child. Parent-reported sleep data were collected at baseline and at 4-week follow-up. Provision of a bed was associated with reduced bedroom electronics and increased parent-reported nighttime sleep duration for all children. However, relative to control children, intervention children showed even greater reductions in electronics (baseline mean = 1.91 items, follow-up mean = 0.85 items) and improvements in sleep duration (baseline mean = 9.75 hours, follow-up mean = 10.19 hours). There was no intervention effect for caffeine consumption or bedtime from baseline to follow-up. Providing beds to socioeconomically disadvantaged children resulted in increased sleep duration and decreased use of electronics at bedtime, while the combination of a bed and brief parent sleep education conferred additional sleep benefits. Further study of brief child sleep interventions is warranted, particularly among socioeconomically disadvantaged children who are at risk for sleep problems. © 2016 American Academy of Sleep Medicine

Dental Hygiene Realpolitik Affecting Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bader, James D.

1991-01-01

Current conditions in dental hygiene influencing professional education are discussed. Workplace/practice issues include dental hygiene care as a component of dental practice, content, effects, and quality of care, hygienist supply and demand, and job satisfaction. Professional issues include the knowledge base, definitions of practice, and…

History of dental hygiene research.

PubMed

Bowen, Denise M

2013-01-01

Dental hygiene is defined as the science and practice of the recognition, treatment and prevention of oral diseases. The history of dental hygiene research is considered in the context of the development of the discipline and an emerging infrastructure. Research-related events supporting the growth and maturation of the profession are considered from the early years to the most recent. The benefits of preventive oral health services provided by dental hygienists have been supported by research, and the practice of dental hygiene has expanded as a result of research findings since its inception 100 years ago. Dental hygienists' engagement in research, however, did not begin until the 1960s as research associates or administrators, primarily with dental researchers as primary investigators. The Journal of Dental Hygiene (JDH) has provided information for dental hygiene practice since 1927, and has been the primary venue for dissemination of dental hygiene research since 1945. Graduate education in dental hygiene at the master's degree level and the work of early dental hygiene researchers led to the first conference on dental hygiene research in 1982. Over 30 years later, dental hygiene has established a meta-paradigm and defined conceptual models, built an initial infrastructure to support research endeavors and contributed much to the development of dental hygiene as a unique discipline. A doctoral degree in the discipline, continued theory-based research, initiatives to foster collaborations between dental hygiene and other researchers and enhanced capabilities to attract funding to support large scale studies are goals that must be attained through the efforts of future researchers to address the needs for additional development in the discipline of dental hygiene. Dental hygiene research supports the growing discipline and its value to society.

Middle school start times: the importance of a good night's sleep for young adolescents.

PubMed

Wolfson, Amy R; Spaulding, Noah L; Dandrow, Craig; Baroni, Elizabeth M

2007-01-01

With the onset of adolescence, teenagers require 9.2 hr of sleep and experience a delay in the timing of sleep. In the "real world" with early school start times, however, they report less sleep, striking differences between their school-weekend sleep schedules, and significant daytime sleepiness. Prior studies demonstrated that high schoolers with later school starts do not further delay bedtime but obtain more sleep due to later wake times. This study examined sleep-wake patterns of young adolescents attending urban, public middle schools with early (7:15 a.m.) versus late (8:37 a.m.) start times. Students (N = 205) were assessed at 2 time periods. Students at the late-starting school reported waking up over 1 hr later on school mornings and obtaining 50 min more sleep each night, less sleepiness, and fewer tardies than students at the early school. All students reported similar school-night bedtime, sleep hygiene practices, and weekend sleep schedules.

Perceptions of Dental Hygiene Master's Degree Learners About Dental Hygiene Doctoral Education.

PubMed

Tumath, Ursula G M; Walsh, Margaret

2015-08-01

To determine perceptions about dental hygiene doctoral education among dental hygiene master's degree program enrollees. In this cross-sectional national study, all dental hygiene master degree program directors were sent an email requesting they forward an attached consent form and online-survey-link to their graduate learners. The 29-item online survey assessed their perceptions about need for, importance of and interest in applying to proposed dental hygiene doctoral degree programs. A second-request was sent 1 month later to capture non-responders. Frequencies and cross-tabulations of responses were analyzed using the online software program, Qualtrics.™ Of the 255 graduate learners enrolled in 2014 reported by dental hygiene program directors, 159 completed the survey for a 62% response rate. The majority of respondents (77%) indicated that doctoral education in dental hygiene is needed for the advancement of the dental hygiene discipline and such programs are important to the dental hygiene profession (89%). Although most respondents supported both the PhD in dental hygiene and the Doctor of Dental Hygiene Practice (DDHP) degrees, more were interested in applying to a DDHP program (62%) than to a dental hygiene PhD program (38%). In addition, 43% expressed interest in enrolling in a doctoral degree program in the next 1 to 5 years and most preferred a hybrid online/onsite program format. The most frequently reported reasons for pursing a doctoral degree were: to become a better teacher, to expand clinical practice opportunities, to become a better researcher and to increase salary. Most dental hygiene master degree learners in this study believed doctoral dental hygiene education is needed and important to the dental hygiene discipline and profession, and were interested in applying to such programs. Future research is needed in this area. Copyright © 2015 The American Dental Hygienists’ Association.

Skin reactions related to hand hygiene and selection of hand hygiene products.

PubMed

Larson, Elaine; Girard, Raphaelle; Pessoa-Silva, Carmem Lucia; Boyce, John; Donaldson, Liam; Pittet, Didier

2006-12-01

In October 2004, The World Health Organization (WHO) launched the World Alliance for Patient Safety. Within the alliance, the first priority of the Global Patient Safety Challenge is to reduce health care-associated infection. A key action within the challenge is to promote hand hygiene in health care globally as well as at the country level through the campaign "Clean Care is Safer Care." As a result, the WHO is developing Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care, designed to be applicable throughout the world. This paper summarizes one component of the global WHO guidelines related to the impact of hand hygiene on the skin of health care personnel, including a discussion of types of skin reactions associated with hand hygiene, methods to reduce adverse reactions, and factors to consider when selecting hand hygiene products. Health care professionals have a higher prevalence of skin irritation than seen in the general population because of the necessity for frequent hand hygiene during patient care. Ways to minimize adverse effects of hand hygiene include selecting less irritating products, using skin moisturizers, and modifying certain hand hygiene practices such as unnecessary washing. Institutions need to consider several factors when selecting hand hygiene products: dermal tolerance and aesthetic preferences of users as well as practical considerations such as convenience, storage, and costs.

[Dental care and oral hygiene practices in long-term geriatric care institutions].

PubMed

Ferreira, Raquel Conceição; Schwambach, Carolina Wolff; de Magalhães, Cláudia Silami; Moreira, Allyson Nogueira

2011-04-01

This study evaluated the activities of dentists, dental care and oral hygiene practices in the long-term care institutions of Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais, Brazil). A semi-structured questionnaire was handed out to the coordinators of 37 philanthropic and 30 private institutions. The data was compared by the chi-square and Fisher's Exact Tests. 81% of the questionnaires were answered. The majority of the private (74.2%) and philanthropic institutions (87%) do not have a dentist (p=0.21). The location, period of existence, type institution kind and number of residents weren't factors regarding the presence of a dentist (p>0.05). 67% of the philanthropic institutions with equipped consultation rooms had dentists, though there were none when there was no consultation room. Even without consultation rooms, 13% of the private institutions had dentists. When necessary, 69.6% of the philanthropic institutions refer the elderly to public health centers, while 58.1% of the private institutions refer them to their family dentists. A higher percentage of the private institutions adopted systematic oral hygiene procedures (p=0.01), with a considerable divergence of treatment reported. There is a need to include a dentist on the health staff in the institutions and for systematization of oral hygiene practices.

[Sleep disorders and epilepsy].

PubMed

Aoki, Ryo; Ito, Hiroshi

2014-05-01

It has been reported that patients with epilepsy often have insomnia and/or daytime sleepiness; the symptomatologic features differ in seizure types. Not only the administration of anti-epileptics, but also inappropriate sleep hygiene cause daytime sleepiness. In subjective assessment of sleepiness, we need to pay attention if it can correctly assess or not. The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea in patients with epilepsy is approximately 10-30%. Sleep apnea deteriorates the seizure control because of worsen sleep condition by sleep apnea, especially in elderly patients. Some researchers report that continuous positive airway pressure was effective for seizure control. Patients with epilepsy occasionally have REM sleep behavior disorder as comorbidity. Examination using polysomnography is required for differential diagnosis.

Personality and Healthy Sleep: The Importance of Conscientiousness and Neuroticism

PubMed Central

Duggan, Katherine A.; Friedman, Howard S.; McDevitt, Elizabeth A.; Mednick, Sara C.

2014-01-01

Although previous research has shown personality and sleep are each substantial predictors of health throughout the lifespan, little is known about links between personality and healthy sleep patterns. This study examined Big Five personality traits and a range of factors related to sleep health in 436 university students (M age = 19.88, SD = 1.50, 50% Male). Valid self-report measures of personality, chronotype, sleep hygiene, sleep quality, and sleepiness were analyzed. To remove multicollinearity between personality factors, each sleep domain was regressed on relevant demographic and principal component-derived personality factors in multiple linear regressions. Results showed that low conscientiousness and high neuroticism were the best predictors of poor sleep (poor sleep hygiene, low sleep quality, and increased sleepiness), consistent with other research on predictors of poor health and mortality risk. In this first comprehensive study of the topic, the findings suggest that personality has a significant association with sleep health, and researchers could profitably examine both personality and sleep in models of health and well-being. PMID:24651274

Clothing and personal hygiene

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Finogenov, A. M.; Azhayev, A. N.; Kaliberdin, G. V.

1975-01-01

The biomedical maintenance of astronauts is discussed in terms of personal hygiene. Principal characteristics and general requirements are described which must be followed in perfecting a system of hygienic practices and in devising means to maintain personal hygiene, flight clothing, underwear, bedding, and medical-domestic equipment for manned space flights of varying durations. Factors discussed include: disposable clothing, thermal protection, oral hygiene, cleansing of the skin, and grooming of the hair.

Evaluation of an ethical method aimed at improving hygiene rules compliance in dental practice.

PubMed

Offner, Damien; Strub, Marion; Rebert, Christelle; Musset, Anne-Marie

2016-06-01

The objective of this study is to determine the efficiency of an ethical method, based on a thought experiment in ethics, on hygiene rules compliance for dental health care team members. This is a prospective study that assesses hygiene compliance in dental practice before and after a thought experiment in ethics, using 2 questionnaires. Participants included 130 clinician students in dentistry at Strasbourg University Hospital, France. The results emphasize a better implementation of hygiene rules after the thought experiment in ethics, when comparing the relative frequencies of completed hygiene items. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test shows significant differences between the first questionnaire and the second one after the thought experiment in ethics (P < .001). This ethical method provides efficiency on hygiene rules compliance, which makes it beneficial to implement. However, far from being an absolute unit method, this thought experiment in ethics appears to be an original, supplemental, and complementary method. Copyright © 2016 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Let's talk about sleep: a systematic review of psychological interventions to improve sleep in college students.

PubMed

Friedrich, Anja; Schlarb, Angelika A

2018-02-01

Sleep problems are a common occurrence in college students. Insomnia, nightmares and impaired sleep quality lead to several mental health issues, as well as impaired academic performance. Although different sleep programmes exist, a systematic overview comparing their effectiveness is still missing. This systematic review aims to provide an overview of psychological interventions to improve sleep in college students. Seven databases were searched from November to December 2016 (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cinahl, Cochrane Library, PubMed, OpenSigle). The search string included search terms from three different topics: sleep, intervention and college students. Outcome measures included subjective as well as objective measures and focused on sleep, sleep-related and mental health variables. Twenty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria. They were assigned to four intervention categories: (1) sleep hygiene, (2) cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), (3) relaxation, mindfulness and hypnotherapy and (4) other psychotherapeutic interventions. Fifteen studies were randomized controlled trials. While sleep hygiene interventions provided small to medium effects, the CBTs showed large effects. The variability of the effect sizes was especially large in the relaxation category, ranging from very small to very large effect sizes. Other psychotherapeutic interventions showed medium effects. CBT approaches provided the best effects for the improvement of different sleep variables in college students. Five studies included insomnia patients. The other three intervention categories also showed promising results with overall medium effects. In the future, CBT should be combined with relaxation techniques, mindfulness and hypnotherapy. Furthermore, the interventions should broaden their target group and include more sleep disorders. © 2017 European Sleep Research Society.

Sleep disturbance in adults with cancer: a systematic review of evidence for best practices in assessment and management for clinical practice.

PubMed

Howell, D; Oliver, T K; Keller-Olaman, S; Davidson, J R; Garland, S; Samuels, C; Savard, J; Harris, C; Aubin, M; Olson, K; Sussman, J; MacFarlane, J; Taylor, C

2014-04-01

Sleep disturbance is prevalent in cancer with detrimental effects on health outcomes. Sleep problems are seldom identified or addressed in cancer practice. The purpose of this review was to identify the evidence base for the assessment and management of cancer-related sleep disturbance (insomnia and insomnia syndrome) for oncology practice. The search of the health literature included grey literature data sources and empirical databases from June 2004 to June 2012. The evidence was reviewed by a Canadian Sleep Expert Panel, comprised of nurses, psychologists, primary care physicians, oncologists, physicians specialized in sleep disturbances, researchers and guideline methodologists to develop clinical practice recommendations for pan-Canadian use reported in a separate paper. Three clinical practice guidelines and 12 randomized, controlled trials were identified as the main source of evidence. Additional guidelines and systematic reviews were also reviewed for evidence-based recommendations on the assessment and management of insomnia not necessarily in cancer. A need to routinely screen for sleep disturbances was identified and the randomized, controlled trial (RCT) evidence suggests benefits for cognitive behavioural therapy for improving sleep quality in cancer. Sleep disturbance is a prevalent problem in cancer that needs greater recognition in clinical practice and in future research.

Factors associated with oral hygiene practices among adults with systemic sclerosis

PubMed Central

Yuen, Hon K.; Hant, Faye N.; Hatfield, Corey; Summerlin, Lisa M.; Smith, Edwin A.; Silver, Richard M.

2013-01-01

OBJECTIVE To identify factors associated with oral hygiene practices in adults with systemic sclerosis (SSc) METHODS In this cross-sectional study, 178 dentate adults with SSc received an oral examination which included measurement of oral aperture, assessment of manual dexterity to perform oral hygiene, as well as completion of the Center of Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale, and an oral health-related questionnaire. RESULTS Multivariable logistic regression modeling showed male, minority and high CES-D scores (i.e., clinically significant symptoms of depression) were associated with less likelihood of participants brushing teeth at least twice daily, but the presence of self-reported dry mouth symptoms increased the likelihood of toothbrushing. Having a dental visit in the past 12 months, and use of an adapted flossing or interdental cleaning device were significantly associated with daily dental flossing; however, having difficulty flossing teeth reduced the likelihood of daily flossing. CONCLUSIONS Overall, demographic variables were strongly associated with toothbrushing frequency, whereas, flossing self-efficacy and barriers were strongly associated with dental flossing frequency in adults with SSc. The results suggest that dental health professionals should take mental health into consideration when educating patients with SSc to improve their oral hygiene, and consider making referrals for patients exhibiting suspected clinically significant depressive symptoms to mental health professionals for further evaluation and treatment. In addition, an appropriate adapted flossing or interdental cleaning device should be recommended to increase dental flossing practices in this patient population. PMID:24128049

[Assessment of hygiene practices in anaesthesia between 1998 and 2007 in Lorraine].

PubMed

Anselme, S; Boileau, S; Vedel, M; Muller, C; Blech, M-F; Bouaziz, H

2009-01-01

To study the assessment of hygiene practices in anaesthesia in Lorraine between 1998 and 2007, after recommendations from the French Society of Anaesthesia and Reanimation (SFAR) in December 1997, and different local actions. Two surveys performed at a nine-year interval in Lorraine hospitals. Questionnaires about risk infection management and hygiene practices were sent by post to all anaesthetists, nurse anaesthetists and recovery room nurses in 1998 (n=279) and in 2007 (n=259). Between the two surveys multidrug-resistant bacteria signalling, movements of the staff in operating rooms, septic isolation protocol and management of single-use disposable anaesthesia material have been improved (p<0.05). Central venous catheters are less performed in recovery rooms and rings wearing decreased by 16% (p<0.05). Wearing of nonsterile gloves for peripheral venous catheter and intubation is not generalized (p<0.05). About half of the hospitals have cleanup procedures of anaesthesia furniture. Washing of hands by anaesthesia staff is not sometimes respected but it's more frequent for medicine preparation and between two operations. A good skin disinfection (cleaning - rinsing - drying - antiseptic) is more recurrent in 2007 (61.4%) than in 1998 (41.9%) for arterial catheter. Wearing of glasses for intubation is each times rare, about 15%. Hygiene practices in anaesthesia in Lorraine have been improved between the two surveys by recommendations from the Sfar and the work of the Antenne Régional de Lorraine (audits, manuals, formations). Promising progress has been made but some points must still be worked on.

Student retention practices in associate degree, entry-level dental hygiene programs.

PubMed

Holt, Marianne P

2005-01-01

The main purpose of this study was to investigate student retention strategies and practices implemented in associate degree, entry-level dental hygiene programs. Included are student attrition issues, academic standards, re-entry policies, and clinical remediation strategies. A survey consisting of forced choice and open-ended questions was mailed to 31 randomly selected associate degree, entry-level dental hygiene programs. Surveys were analyzed using descriptive statistics and frequency distributions. Open-ended questions were analyzed using the constant comparative qualitative method to identify recurring themes. There was an 80% (n=25) return response to the survey. The findings of this study determined that dental hygiene programs are graduating, on average, a higher percentage (83%) of students when compared to two-year, associate degree programs in general (46%). The primary reasons reported by respondents for student attrition included: academic difficulties (88%), dissatisfaction with career choice (76%), family/personal responsibilities (72%), and clinical skill difficulties (56%). A wide variety of retention strategies were reported. Those most often cited were academic remediation (92%), clinical skill development/remediation (84%), academic advising (84%), financial aid assistance (84%), and tutoring (80%). Participating programs also reported setting high academic and ethical standards. Specific criteria for student re-entry were discussed. The findings of this study suggest that associate degree, entry-level dental hygiene programs are committed to student retention and make considerable efforts to help students succeed. Student retention efforts could be enhanced for those student groups identified as possibly being at high risk for attrition. The findings and recommendations in this investigation may assist associate degree, entry-level dental hygiene programs in their efforts to retain a higher percentage of students.

Impact of targeted counseling on reported vaginal hygiene practices and bacterial vaginosis: the HIV Prevention Trials Network 035 study.

PubMed

Kasaro, Margaret P; Husnik, Marla J; Chi, Benjamin H; Reid, Cheri; Magure, Tsitsi; Makanani, Bonus; Tembo, Tchangani; Ramjee, Gita; Maslankowski, Lisa; Rabe, Lorna; Brad Guffey, M

2017-04-01

The objective of this study was to describe the impact of intense counseling to reduce vaginal hygiene practices and its effect on bacterial vaginosis. A secondary data analysis of the HIV Prevention Trials Network 035 study was undertaken, focusing on HIV-negative, nonpregnant women who were at least 18 years old, in seven African sites and one US site. At enrollment and during follow-up quarterly visits, vaginal hygiene practices were determined by face-to-face administration of a behavioral assessment questionnaire. Vaginal hygiene practices were categorized as insertion into the vagina of (1) nothing, (2) water only, and (3) other substances with or without water. Each practice was quantified by frequency and type/combination of inserted substances. At quarterly visits, diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis was made using the Nugent score. Trends for vaginal hygiene practices and bacterial vaginosis were evaluated using generalized estimating equation models. A total of 3087 participants from the HIV Prevention Trials Network 035 study were eligible for this analysis. At enrollment, 1859 (60%) reported recent vaginal hygiene practices. By one year, this figure had decreased to 1019 (33%) with counseling. However, bacterial vaginosis prevalence remained consistent across the study observation period, with 36%-38% of women testing positive for the condition ( p for trend = 0.27). Overall, those who reported douching with water only (AOR = 1.03, 95%CI: 0.94-1.13) and those who reported inserting other substances (AOR= 0.98, 95%CI: 0.88-1.09) in the past quarter were not more likely to have bacterial vaginosis compared to those who reported no insertions. However, in South Africa, an increase in bacterial vaginosis was seen among those who reported inserting other substances (AOR: 1.48, 95%CI: 1.17, 1.88). In conclusion, targeted counseling against vaginal hygiene practices resulted in change in self-reported behavior but did not have an impact on bacterial vaginosis

Sleep Patterns among South Korean Infants and Toddlers: Global Comparison.

PubMed

Ahn, Youngmin; Williamson, Ariel A; Seo, Hyun-Joo; Sadeh, Avi; Mindell, Jodi A

2016-02-01

The purpose of this study was to examine sleep patterns in a large sample of infants and toddlers (ages birth to 36 months) in Korea, and to compare sleep patterns, sleep problems, sleep ecology, and parental behaviors to global sleep data on young children in both predominantly Asian (P-A) and predominantly Caucasian (P-C) countries/regions. We additionally examined parent and child demographic information, parental behaviors, and aspects of the sleep ecology as predictors of sleep patterns among infants and toddlers in Korea. Parents/caregivers of 1,036 Korean infants and toddlers completed an expanded, internet-based version of the brief infant sleep questionnaire. Consistent with other studies of sleep in early childhood, sleep/wake patterns became increasingly consolidated with older child age for the Korea sample. Compared to both P-A and P-C infants and toddlers, children in Korea had the latest bedtimes, shortest total sleep and daytime sleep durations, and the least frequent rates of napping. Even though half of parents perceive their children's sleep problematic, parental perceptions of severe child sleep problems were the lowest. Within Korea, breastfeeding and bottle-feeding at sleep resumption were associated with increased nocturnal awakenings. Evening television viewing was associated with later bedtimes, which may have implications for sleep hygiene recommendations in clinical practice. The current study provides important information about sleep/wake patterns, parental behaviors, and aspects of the sleep ecology for infants and toddlers for physicians to support healthy sleep in Korea.

Sleep Patterns among South Korean Infants and Toddlers: Global Comparison

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine sleep patterns in a large sample of infants and toddlers (ages birth to 36 months) in Korea, and to compare sleep patterns, sleep problems, sleep ecology, and parental behaviors to global sleep data on young children in both predominately Asian (P-A) and predominately Caucasian (P-C) countries/regions. We additionally examined parent and child demographic information, parental behaviors, and aspects of the sleep ecology as predictors of sleep patterns among infants and toddlers in Korea. Parents/caregivers of 1,036 Korean infants and toddlers completed an expanded, internet-based version of the brief infant sleep questionnaire. Consistent with other studies of sleep in early childhood, sleep/wake patterns became increasingly consolidated with older child age for the Korea sample. Compared to both P-A and P-C infants and toddlers, children in Korea had the latest bedtimes, shortest total sleep and daytime sleep durations, and the least frequent rates of napping. Even though half of parents perceive their children’s sleep problematic, parental perceptions of severe child sleep problems were the lowest. Within Korea, breastfeeding and bottle-feeding at sleep resumption were associated with increased nocturnal awakenings. Evening television viewing was associated with later bedtimes, which may have implications for sleep hygiene recommendations in clinical practice. The current study provides important information about sleep/wake patterns, parental behaviors, and aspects of the sleep ecology for infants and toddlers for physicians to support healthy sleep in Korea. PMID:26839481

Impact of a Behavioral Sleep Intervention on New School Entrants' Social Emotional Functioning and Sleep: A Translational Randomized Trial.

PubMed

Hiscock, Harriet; Quach, Jon; Paton, Kate; Peat, Rebecca; Gold, Lisa; Arnup, Sarah; Sia, Kah-Ling; Nicolaou, Elizabeth; Wake, Melissa

2018-05-14

Determine the effects and costs of a brief behavioral sleep intervention, previously shown to improve child social-emotional functioning, sleep, and parent mental health, in a translational trial. Three hundred thirty-four school entrant children from 47 primary schools in Melbourne, Australia, with parent-reported moderate to severe behavioral sleep problems. intervention group received sleep hygiene practices and standardized behavioral strategies delivered by trained school nurses in 2013 and 2014. Control group children could receive usual community care. Outcome measures: child social-emotional functioning (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 psychosocial health summary score-primary outcome), sleep problems (parent-reported severity, Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire), behavior, academic function, working memory, child and parent quality of life, and parent mental health. At six months post randomization, 145 (of 168) intervention and 155 (of 166) control families completed the primary outcome for which there was no difference. Intervention compared with control children had fewer sleep problems (35.2% vs. 52.7% respectively, OR 0.5; 95% CI 0.3 to 0.8, p = 0.002) and better sleep patterns (e.g., longer sleep duration). Their parents reported fewer symptoms of depression. All differences attenuated by 12 months. There was no difference in other outcomes at either time point. Intervention costs: $AUS 182/child. A brief behavioral sleep intervention, delivered by school nurses to children with behavioral sleep problems, does not improve social emotional functioning. Benefits to child sleep and parent mental health are evident at 6 but not 12 months. Approaches that increase intervention dosage may improve outcomes.

Listening to food workers: Factors that impact proper health and hygiene practice in food service.

PubMed

Clayton, Megan L; Clegg Smith, Katherine; Neff, Roni A; Pollack, Keshia M; Ensminger, Margaret

2015-01-01

Foodborne disease is a significant problem worldwide. Research exploring sources of outbreaks indicates a pronounced role for food workers' improper health and hygiene practice. To investigate food workers' perceptions of factors that impact proper food safety practice. Interviews with food service workers in Baltimore, MD, USA discussing food safety practices and factors that impact implementation in the workplace. A social ecological model organizes multiple levels of influence on health and hygiene behavior. Issues raised by interviewees include factors across the five levels of the social ecological model, and confirm findings from previous work. Interviews also reveal many factors not highlighted in prior work, including issues with food service policies and procedures, working conditions (e.g., pay and benefits), community resources, and state and federal policies. Food safety interventions should adopt an ecological orientation that accounts for factors at multiple levels, including workers' social and structural context, that impact food safety practice.

Prevalence of Dental Caries, Oral Hygiene Knowledge, Status, and Practices among Visually Impaired Individuals in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

PubMed

John, James Rufus; Daniel, Breena; Paneerselvam, Dakshaini; Rajendran, Ganesh

2017-01-01

Aim . To assess the prevalence of dental caries, oral hygiene knowledge, status, and practices among visually impaired individuals in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Materials and Methods . A cross-sectional study was conducted among 404 visually impaired individuals in Chennai city, Tamil Nadu. Four schools were randomly selected for conducting the study. The oral hygiene status, prevalence of caries, and knowledge and attitude towards oral care among visually impaired individuals were collected and analysed. Results . In the present study, whilst 42% of individuals had fair oral hygiene status, 33% had good hygiene followed by 25% having poor oral hygiene. The overall mean number of DMFT was estimated to be 4.5 ± 2.7. The mean number of decayed teeth was 3.1 ± 2.2, mean number of missing teeth was 0.8 ± 1.4, and mean number of filled teeth was 0.5 ± 1.3. Conclusion . Whilst oral hygiene status was found to be relatively fair, there was a high rate of dental caries among the sample population. This shows that there is lack of knowledge regarding oral health maintenance. Therefore, early identification of caries coupled with effective oral health promotion programs providing practical knowledge to visually impaired students would prove beneficial.

Prevalence of Dental Caries, Oral Hygiene Knowledge, Status, and Practices among Visually Impaired Individuals in Chennai, Tamil Nadu

PubMed Central

Daniel, Breena; Paneerselvam, Dakshaini; Rajendran, Ganesh

2017-01-01

Aim. To assess the prevalence of dental caries, oral hygiene knowledge, status, and practices among visually impaired individuals in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Materials and Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 404 visually impaired individuals in Chennai city, Tamil Nadu. Four schools were randomly selected for conducting the study. The oral hygiene status, prevalence of caries, and knowledge and attitude towards oral care among visually impaired individuals were collected and analysed. Results. In the present study, whilst 42% of individuals had fair oral hygiene status, 33% had good hygiene followed by 25% having poor oral hygiene. The overall mean number of DMFT was estimated to be 4.5 ± 2.7. The mean number of decayed teeth was 3.1 ± 2.2, mean number of missing teeth was 0.8 ± 1.4, and mean number of filled teeth was 0.5 ± 1.3. Conclusion. Whilst oral hygiene status was found to be relatively fair, there was a high rate of dental caries among the sample population. This shows that there is lack of knowledge regarding oral health maintenance. Therefore, early identification of caries coupled with effective oral health promotion programs providing practical knowledge to visually impaired students would prove beneficial. PMID:28458691

Assessing Evidence-Based Practice Knowledge, Attitudes, Access and Confidence Among Dental Hygiene Educators.

PubMed

Stanley, Jennifer L; Hanson, Carrie L; Van Ness, Christopher J; Holt, Lorie

2015-10-01

To assess U.S. dental hygiene educators' evidence-based practice (EBP) knowledge, attitude, access and confidence and determine whether a correlation exists between assessment scores and level of education, length teaching and teaching setting (didactic, clinical or both). A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a sample of dental hygiene faculty from all 334 U.S. dental hygiene schools. ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficient statistical analysis were utilized to investigate relationships between demographic variables and application of evidence-based principles of patient care. This study involved a non-probability sample (n=124), since the total faculty among all U.S. dental hygiene schools was not determined. Analysis demonstrated a positive correlation between EBP knowledge, access and confidence scores indicating that as knowledge scores increased, so did confidence and access scores (r=0.313, p<0.01 and r=0.189, p<0.05, respectively). Study findings also revealed that faculty who held advanced educational degrees scored significantly higher in EBP knowledge (F3,120=2.81, p<0.04) and confidence (F3,120=7.26, p<0.00). This study suggests the level of EBP knowledge, attitude, access and confidence increases with additional education. Therefore, more EBP training may be necessary for faculty who do not possess advanced education. Results of the study indicate that further incorporation of EBP into dental hygiene curricula may occur as dental hygiene educators' knowledge of EBP increases, which in turn could enhance students' acquisition of EBP skills and their application of EBP principles toward patient care. Copyright © 2015 The American Dental Hygienists’ Association.

Relationship between parent knowledge of child sleep, and child sleep practices and problems: A pilot study in a children's hospital cohort.

PubMed

McDowall, Philippa S; Elder, Dawn E; Campbell, Angela J

2017-08-01

To describe parent reports of sleep practices, and examine associations with parent knowledge of child sleep, and whether children's sleep practices differ between parents who underestimated, overestimated or accurately estimated children's sleep needs. Parents of children aged 2-12 years (n = 115) attending hospital inpatient or day wards were approached and asked to report child sleep routines, sleep problems, parent education, household income and parent knowledge of child sleep via questionnaire. Younger age was associated with earlier bedtimes and wake times, shorter sleep latencies, longer sleep durations and greater sleep problems (P < 0.05). Parents from higher income homes reported earlier bedtimes and wake times, shorter sleep latencies and fewer sleep problems (P < 0.05). Parents with higher education reported shorter sleep latencies (P < 0.05). Parents with greater knowledge about child sleep reported earlier weekday and weekend bedtimes (r s  ≥ 0.26) and wake times (r s  ≥ 0.21) and greater consistency between their child's weekend and weekday sleep routines (P < 0.05). In comparison with parents who correctly estimated their child's sleep needs: parents who underestimated reported later weekday bedtimes (on average, 46 min), and longer sleep latencies (17 min); parents who overestimated reported longer sleep latencies (22 min). These findings remained significant when controlling for child age (P < 0.05). Parents with increased sleep knowledge, higher incomes and higher levels of education were more likely to report earlier bedtimes, wake times and more consistent sleep routines for their children. © 2017 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Teaching minority children hygiene: investigating hygiene education in kindergartens and homes of ethnic minority children in northern Vietnam.

PubMed

Rheinländer, Thilde; Samuelsen, Helle; Dalsgaard, Anders; Konradsen, Flemming

2015-01-01

Ethnic minority children in Vietnam experience high levels of hygiene- and sanitation-related diseases. Improving hygiene for minority children is therefore vital for improving child health. The study objective was to investigate how kindergarten and home environments influence the learning of hygiene of pre-school ethnic minority children in rural Vietnam. Eight months of ethnographic field studies were conducted among four ethnic minority groups living in highland and lowland communities in northern Vietnam. Data included participant observation in four kindergartens and 20 homes of pre-school children, together with 67 semi-structured interviews with caregivers and five kindergarten staff. Thematic analysis was applied and concepts of social learning provided inputs to the analysis. This study showed that poor living conditions with lack of basic sanitation infrastructures were important barriers for the implementation of safe home child hygiene. Furthermore, the everyday life of highland villages, with parents working away from the households resulted in little daily adult supervision of safe child hygiene practices. While kindergartens were identified as potentially important institutions for improving child hygiene education, essential and well-functioning hygiene infrastructures were lacking. Also, hygiene teaching relied on theoretical and non-practice-based learning styles, which did not facilitate hygiene behaviour change in small children. Minority children were further disadvantaged as teaching was only provided in non-minority language. Kindergartens can be important institutions for the promotion of safe hygiene practices among children, but they must invest in the maintenance of hygiene and sanitation infrastructures and adopt a strong practice-based teaching approach in daily work and in teacher's education. To support highland minority children in particular, teaching styles must take local living conditions and caregiver structures into account

Listening to food workers: Factors that impact proper health and hygiene practice in food service

PubMed Central

Clegg Smith, Katherine; Neff, Roni A.; Pollack, Keshia M.; Ensminger, Margaret

2015-01-01

Background Foodborne disease is a significant problem worldwide. Research exploring sources of outbreaks indicates a pronounced role for food workers' improper health and hygiene practice. Objective To investigate food workers' perceptions of factors that impact proper food safety practice. Method Interviews with food service workers in Baltimore, MD, USA discussing food safety practices and factors that impact implementation in the workplace. A social ecological model organizes multiple levels of influence on health and hygiene behavior. Results Issues raised by interviewees include factors across the five levels of the social ecological model, and confirm findings from previous work. Interviews also reveal many factors not highlighted in prior work, including issues with food service policies and procedures, working conditions (e.g., pay and benefits), community resources, and state and federal policies. Conclusion Food safety interventions should adopt an ecological orientation that accounts for factors at multiple levels, including workers' social and structural context, that impact food safety practice. PMID:26243248

Steps to the Future. Dental Hygiene Education and Practice Workshop II Proceedings (Louisville, Kentucky, April 25-27, 1985).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Dental Hygienists' Association, Chicago, IL.

The proceedings of the second in a series of workshops on dental hygiene education and practice are presented. The opening remarks are by Cheryl Westphal. Papers categorized as "Considerations for the Professionalization of Dental Hygiene" are as follows: "Socio-Economic Viewpoint" (Gary Gaumer); "Political Science Viewpoint" (Lelia Helms);…

Impact of the "Guidelines for infection prevention in dentistry" (2006) by the Commission of Hospital Hygiene and Infection Prevention at the Robert Koch-Institute (KRINKO) on hygiene management in dental practices - analysis of a survey from 2009.

PubMed

Hübner, Nils-Olaf; Handrup, Stephan; Meyer, Georg; Kramer, Axel

2012-01-01

To assess trends in hygiene management in dental practices in comparison to an earlier survey in 2002/2003 and to point out key aspects for future efforts. The infection prevention management of all dental practices in Greifswald (n=35) was determined by a questionnaire in a personal interview in 2008/2009. 26% of the dentists did not use sufficient personal protective equipment during the general examination of the patient. In conservative and prosthetic dentistry, 15% still did not use adequate measures and 9% did not even in surgical interventions. Vaccination coverage was clearly too low, as only 35% of dentists were vaccinated against influenza and coverage with other vaccinations was also quite low. 11% of the dentists did not perform a documented anamnesis and in 29% of the dental practices no appointment system for risk patients existed.There were significant deficiencies in the reprocessing of medical devices and in the equipment needed for reprocessing. The opportunity to participate in further training in this field was rejected by 23% of the dentists.In 10 dental practices, the colony count in the dental unit water-conducting system was five times higher than the limit. A contamination with P. aeruginosa was discovered in 4 practices. All units were renovated. Overall, both the hygiene management and hygiene equipment in the practices have improved considerably compared to the previous survey in 2002/2003. This demonstrates the positive effect of the KRINKO guidelines from 2006. However, the survey again showed relevant deficiences in the hygiene management of dental practices, which agrees with a Germany-wide online survey from 2009. While the study revealed persistent deficiencies in hygiene management, especially in reprocessing, it confirms that the KRINKO guidelines for dental practices from 2006 led to significant improvements in hygiene management. Doubts about the impact of the guidelines are not backed by evidence.

Socio-demographic factors and availability of piped fountains affect food hygiene practice of food handlers in Bahir Dar Town, northwest Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Derso, Terefe; Tariku, Amare; Ambaw, Fekadu; Alemenhew, Marew; Biks, Gashaw Andargie; Nega, Ansha

2017-11-28

Morbidity and mortality rates of food borne diseases are consistently highest in African due to poor food handling and sanitation practices. Thus, the study aimed to assess food handling practice and associated factors among food handlers of Restaurants in Bahir Dar Town, northwest, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted from December, 7/2012 to January, 2/2013 among food handlers working in 106 restaurants in Bahir Dar Town. A structured questionnaire composed of socio-demographic factors, food safety knowledge, working environmental characteristics and food hygiene practice of food handlers was employed to collect the data via interviewing and observations. Binary logistic regression model was fitted to assess factors associated with food hygiene practice after multi-collinearity and outlier were checked and data was clean. Both crude odds ratio (COR) and adjusted odds ratio (AOR) were estimated to show the strength of association. In multivariate analysis, variables with a P value of ≤ 0.05 were considered as statistical significant. About 67.6% [95% confidence interval (CI) 58.8, 76.4] of food handlers had good food hygiene practice, whereas 32.4% of food handlers had poor food hygiene practice. The odds of having good food hygiene practice was higher among food handlers who had received food safety training [AOR: 4.7, 95% CI 1.7, 12.8], had formal education [AOR: 6.4, 95% CI 3.5, 11.5] and work experiences greater than 2 years [AOR: 3.4, 95% CI 1.8, 6.4]. At last, food handlers working in restaurants which had piped fountains for hand wash were 2.1 times more likely to have good food hygiene practice[AOR: 2.1, 95% CI 1.1, 3.8]. In this study, the overall food hygiene practice of food handlers is not to the acceptable level. Therefore, endeavors ought to be reinforced to improve food hygiene practices of food handlers through intervention programs such as training and education. Also emphasis should be given on the accessibility of piped fountains

Assessing hand hygiene resources and practices at a large african teaching hospital.

PubMed

Owusu-Ofori, Alex; Jennings, Rebecca; Burgess, Jennifer; Prasad, Priya A; Acheampong, Faustina; Coffin, Susan E

2010-08-01

To gather baseline data on hand hygiene (HH) practices in an African hospital with a newly established infection prevention and control team. Cross-sectional, observational study. Setting. Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, a large teaching hospital in Ghana with approximately 1,000 beds. All hospital staff with patient contact were eligible for assessment of HH practices. HH observations were conducted using a standardized data collection tool and method based on the World Health Organization's "5 Moments of Hand Hygiene." Small-group interviews were conducted to gather additional information on perceptions of HH and barriers to its use. HH resource needs were also assessed using a standardized tool. HH was attempted in 12% of the opportunities and was performed appropriately in 4% of the opportunities. Most main wards (89%) had at least 1 functional HH station. The most commonly identified barriers to HH were limited resources and lack of knowledge on appropriate times to perform HH. We developed and applied tools to evaluate HH resources and practices in a large African hospital. These assessments were undertaken to guide future efforts to improve HH at this hospital but can also serve as a model of the way to perform a systematic assessment at acute care hospitals in developing countries.

Safe sleep practices and sudden infant death syndrome risk reduction: NICU and well-baby nursery graduates.

PubMed

Fowler, Aja J; Evans, Patricia W; Etchegaray, Jason M; Ottenbacher, Allison; Arnold, Cody

2013-11-01

Our primary objective was to compare parents of infants cared for in newborn intensive care units (NICUs) and infants cared for in well-baby ("general") nurseries with regard to knowledge and practice of safe sleep practices/sudden infant death syndrome risk reduction measures and guidelines. Our secondary objective was to obtain qualitative data regarding reasons for noncompliance in both populations. Sixty participants (30 from each population) completed our survey measuring safe sleep knowledge and practice. Parents of NICU infants reported using 2 safe sleep practices-(a) always placing baby in crib to sleep and (b) always placing baby on back to sleep-significantly more frequently than parents of well infants. Additional findings and implications for future studies are discussed.

Hygienic practices and diarrheal illness among persons living in at-risk settings in Kabul, Afghanistan: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Mubarak, Mohammad Yousuf; Wagner, Abram L; Asami, Mari; Carlson, Bradley F; Boulton, Matthew L

2016-08-31

Sustained civil and military conflict, resulting in large numbers of internally displaced persons (IDP), in combination with rapid urbanization has strained public health and sanitation within cities in Afghanistan. In order to examine the association between preventive sanitary behaviors and diarrhea within two high risk settings located within Kabul, Afghanistan, this study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of hygienic practices and diarrheal illness in an IDP camp and an urban slum. In this cross sectional study, a convenience sample of residents of an IDP camp and an urban slum in Kabul, Afghanistan, was used. Participants were asked to describe their hygienic practices and interviewers independently documented household sanitation. The knowledge and attitudes about and practice of hygienic activities to prevent diarrhea were compared between the two settings. Two hundred participants, 100 from each setting, were enrolled. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding hygienic activities to prevent diarrhea were greater among the slum dwellers than the IDP. Fewer than half of participants washed their hands with soap before eating or after eating: 31 % of slum dwellers washed before eating compared to 11 % of IDPs (P = 0.0050), and 25 % of slum dwellers washed after defecating compared to 4 % of IDPs (P = 0.0020). The IDPs were more likely to share a latrine (P = 0.0144) and less likely to disinfect their latrine than slum dwellers. Diarrhea in the household within the past 3 months was more common in the IDP camp (54 %) than the slum (20 %) (P = 0.0020). Even though certain sanitary and hygienic practices were more common among slum dwellers than IDPs, the lack of hygienic activities in both setting indicates that interventions to change behavior, like increasing the availability of soap and encouraging hand washing, are needed. Any initiative will have to be developed in the context of pervasive illiteracy among persons in both of these

Assessment of water, sanitation, and hygiene practice and associated factors among people living with HIV/AIDS home based care services in Gondar city, Ethiopia

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background People living with HIV/AIDS have substantially greater need for water, sanitation, and hygiene. Encouraging hygiene education for People Living with HIV/AIDS in home based care services and additional support for the provision of water, sanitation, and hygiene services is recommended. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried during 2009 to assess water, sanitation status and hygiene practices and associated factors among People Living with HIV/AIDS in home based care services in Gondar city of Ethiopia. A systematic random sampling was used to select study subjects from 900 Home Based Care clients of People Living HIV/AIDS in Gondar city. Data was collected from 296 People Living with HIV/AIDS from two NGO’s in the city. For in-depth interview, four different categories were participated. Logistic regression and thematic framework analysis were performed for quantitative and qualitative part respectively. Results Two hundred ninety four subjects (72.8% (214) females and 27.2% (80) males) were studied. The mean age was 35.8 ± 8.7 years. In the study, 42.9% (126) of the households have unimproved water status, 67% (197) of the households have unimproved sanitation status, and 51.7% (152) of the households have poor hygienic practice. Diarrhoea with water status; educational status and latrine availability with sanitation status; and hand washing device availability and economical reasons for the affordability of soap with hygienic practice were significantly associated. Economical reasons and hygiene education were factors that affect water, sanitation, and hygienic practice. Stigma and discrimination were minimized as a factor in the study area. Conclusions There is high burden of water, sanitation and hygiene in people living HIV/AIDS in home based care services. Encouraging hygiene education for people living HIVAIDS in home based care services and additional support for the provision of water, sanitation, and hygiene services is recommended

Use of a supplementary internet based education program improves sleep literacy in college psychology students.

PubMed

Quan, Stuart F; Anderson, Janis L; Hodge, Gordon K

2013-02-01

Knowledge regarding the importance of sleep in health and performance and good sleep hygiene practices is low, especially among adolescents and young adults. It is important to improve sleep literacy. Introductory psychology is one of the most highly enrolled courses at colleges and universities. This study tested the impact of an Internet-based learning module on improving sleep literacy in this venue. An Internet-based supplementary learning module containing sleep physiology and hygiene information was developed using content from the Harvard Medical School sleep educational website http://www.understandingsleep.org. Access to the module was provided as an extra credit activity for 2 of 4 sections (Supplemental Sleep, SS, N = 889) of an introductory college psychology course during their standard instruction on sleep and dreaming. The remaining 2 sections (Standard Instruction, SI, N = 878) only were encouraged to visit the website without further direction. Level of knowledge was assessed before and after availability to the module/website and at the end of the semester. Students were asked to complete a survey at the end of the semester inquiring whether they made any changes in their sleep behaviors. Two hundred fifty students participated in the extra credit activity and had data available at all testing points. Students in the SS Group had a significant improvement in sleep knowledge test scores after interacting with the website in comparison to the SI group (19.41 ± 3.15 vs. 17.94 ± 3.08, p < 0.001). This difference persisted, although at a lower level, at the end of the semester. In addition, 55.9% of the SS group versus 45.1% of the SI group indicated that they made changes in their sleep habits after participation in the extra credit sleep activity (p < 0.01). The most common change was a more consistent wake time. Use of a supplementary internet-based sleep learning module has the potential to enhance sleep literacy and change behavior among

Health care worker hand hygiene in the pediatric special care unit at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Uganda: a best practice implementation project.

PubMed

Muhumuza, Christine; Gomersall, Judith Streak; Fredrick, Makumbi E; Atuyambe, Lynn; Okiira, Christopher; Mukose, Aggrey; Ssempebwa, John

2015-03-01

The hands of a health care worker are a common vehicle of pathogen transmission in hospital settings. Health care worker hand hygiene is therefore critical for patients' well being. Whilst failure of health care workers to comply with the best hand hygiene practice is a problem in all health care settings, issues of lack of access to adequate cleaning equipment and in some cases even running water make practicing good hand hygiene particularly difficult in low-resource developing country settings. This study reports an audit and feedback project that focused on the hand hygiene of the health care worker in the pediatric special care unit of the Mulago National Referral Hospital, which is a low-resource setting in Uganda. To improve hand hygiene among health care workers in the pediatric special care unit and thereby contribute to reducing transmission of health care worker-associated pathogens. The Joanna Briggs Institute three-phase Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System audit and feedback tool for promoting evidence utilization and change in health care was used. In phase one of the project, stakeholders were engaged and seven evidence-based audit criteria were developed. A baseline audit was then conducted. In phase two, barriers underpinning areas of noncompliance found in the baseline audit were identified and three strategies - education, reminders and provision of hand cleaning equipment - were implemented to overcome them. In phase three, a follow-up audit was conducted. Compliance with best practice hygiene was found to be poor in the baseline audit for all but one of the audit criteria. Following the implementation of the strategies, hand hygiene improved. The compliance rate increased substantially across all criteria. Staff education achieved 100%, whilst criterion 4 increased to 70%. However, use of alcohol-based hand-rub for hand hygiene only improved to 66%, and for six of the seven audit criteria, compliance remained below 74%. The

A model of hygiene practices and consumption patterns in the consumer phase.

PubMed

Christensen, Bjarke B; Rosenquist, Hanne; Sommer, Helle M; Nielsen, Niels L; Fagt, Sisse; Andersen, Niels L; Nørrung, Birgit

2005-02-01

A mathematical model is presented, which addresses individual hygiene practices during food preparation and consumption patterns in private homes. Further, the model links food preparers and consumers based on their relationship to household types. For different age and gender groups, the model estimates (i) the probability of ingesting a meal where precautions have not been taken to avoid the transfer of microorganisms from raw food to final meal (a risk meal), exemplified by the event that the cutting board was not washed during food preparation, and (ii) the probability of ingesting a risk meal in a private home, where chicken was the prepared food item (a chicken risk meal). Chicken was included in the model, as chickens are believed to be the major source of human exposure to the foodborne pathogen Campylobacter. Monte Carlo simulations showed that the probability of ingesting a risk meal was highest for young males (aged 18-29 years) and lowest for the elderly above 60 years of age. Children aged 0-4 years had a higher probability of ingesting a risk meal than children aged 5-17 years. This difference between age and gender groups was ascribed to the variations in the hygiene levels of food preparers. By including the probability of ingesting a chicken meal at home, simulations revealed that all age groups, except the group above 60 years of age, had approximately the same probability of ingesting a chicken risk meal, the probability of females being slightly higher than that of males. The simulated results show that the probability of ingesting a chicken risk meal at home does not only depend on the hygiene practices of the persons preparing the food, but also on the consumption patterns of consumers, and the relationship between people preparing and ingesting food. This finding supports the need of including information on consumer behavior and preparation hygiene in the consumer phase of exposure assessments.

Back to basics: hand hygiene and surgical hand antisepsis.

PubMed

Spruce, Lisa

2013-11-01

Health care-associated infections (HAIs) are a significant issue in the United States and throughout the world, but following proper hand hygiene practices is the most effective and least expensive way to prevent HAIs. Hand hygiene is inexpensive and protects patients and health care personnel alike. The four general types of hand hygiene that should be performed in the perioperative environment are washing hands that are visibly soiled, hand hygiene using alcohol-based products, surgical hand scrubs, and surgical hand scrubs using an alcohol-based surgical hand rub product. Barriers to proper hand hygiene may include not thinking about it, forgetting, skin irritation, a lack of role models, or a lack of a safety culture. One strategy for improving hand hygiene practices is monitoring hand hygiene as part of a quality improvement project, but the most important aspect for perioperative team members is to set an example for other team members by following proper hand hygiene practices and reminding each other to perform hand hygiene. Copyright © 2013 AORN, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hand hygiene practices of veterinary support staff in small animal private practice.

PubMed

Nakamura, R K; Tompkins, E; Braasch, E L; Martinez, J G; Bianco, D

2012-03-01

To evaluate the hand hygiene (HH) practices among veterinary technicians (VT) and veterinary support staff (VSS) in small animal private practice. This was a prospective questionnaire-based study involving 182 VT and VSS from 18 small animal hospitals in the USA. Questions asked included gender, number of animals handled per work shift, frequency of hand washing, reason for not washing more frequently, most common available hand washing agent, education regarding the importance of HH and frequency of ring wearing. Less than half of the respondents [76 of 182 (41·7%)] reported washing their hands regularly between handling patients and 154 of 182 (85·6%) believed they should have washed more frequently. The most commonly employed HH agent was hand soap [154 of 182 (84·6%)] and the most common reason cited for not washing more frequently was being too busy [132 of 182 (72·5%)]. Only 96 of 182 (52·7%) respondents were educated by doctors at their hospital regarding the importance of HH. The HH practices among VT and VSS in small animal private practice is poor. Hand soap was the most commonly employed agent among respondents in this study. Education of VT and VSS regarding the importance of HH requires improvement. © 2012 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.

Management of sleep disorders in neurodevelopmental disorders and genetic syndromes.

PubMed

Heussler, Helen S

2016-03-01

Sleep disorders in individuals with developmental difficulties continue to be a significant challenge for families, carers, and therapists with a major impact on individuals and carers alike. This review is designed to update the reader on recent developments in this area. A systematic search identified a variety of studies illustrating advances in the regulation of circadian rhythm and sleep disturbance in neurodevelopmental disorders. Specific advances are likely to lead in some disorders to targeted therapies. There is strong evidence that behavioural and sleep hygiene measures should be first line therapy; however, studies are still limited in this area. Nonpharmacological measures such as exercise, sensory interventions, and behavioural are reported. Behavioural regulation and sleep hygiene demonstrate the best evidence for improved sleep parameters in individuals with neurodisability. Although the mainstay of management of children with sleep problems and neurodevelopmental disability is similar to that of typically developing children, there is emerging evidence of behavioural strategies being successful in large-scale trials and the promise of more targeted therapies for more specific resistant disorders.

Self-rated oral health status, oral health service utilization, and oral hygiene practices among adult Nigerians.

PubMed

Olusile, Adeyemi Oluniyi; Adeniyi, Abiola Adetokunbo; Orebanjo, Olufemi

2014-11-27

There is scarce information available on oral health service utilization patterns and common oral hygiene practices among adult Nigerians. We conducted the 2010-2011 national oral health survey before the introduction of the national oral health policy to determine the prevalence of oral health service utilization, patterns of oral hygiene practices, and self reported oral health status, among adults in various social classes, educational strata, ethnic groups and geopolitical zones in Nigeria. We conducted a cross-sectional survey in North-Central, North-West, South-East, South-South and South-West geopolitical zones of Nigeria. Multi-stage cluster sampling method was used for the sample selection. We administered a structured questionnaire to a total of 7,630 participants. Information on the socio-demographic characteristics, oral hygiene practices and oral health services utilization pattern of participants was obtained. We interviewed 7, 630 participants (55.6% female). The participants ages ranged between 18 and 81 years, mean age was 37.96 (SD = 13.2). Overall 21.2% of the participants rated their oral health status as very good, 37.1% as good and 27.4% as fair. Only 26.4% reported having visited the dentist at least once prior to the conduct of the survey. More than half of these visits (54.9%) were for treatment purpose. Utilization of oral health services was significantly (p < 0.05) associated with being older, more educated and being engaged in a skilled profession. More educated persons, females and younger persons used toothbrushes for daily tooth cleaning. Age, sex, marital status, level of education and occupation were significantly related to daily frequency of tooth cleaning (p < 0.05). Our results show that while most Nigerian adults have a positive view of their oral health status, majority reported poor oral health utilization habits. Older persons resident in the northern zones of the country and less educated persons displayed

Prerequisite programs and food hygiene in hospitals: food safety knowledge and practices of food service staff in Ankara, Turkey.

PubMed

Bas, Murat; Temel, Mehtap Akçil; Ersun, Azmi Safak; Kivanç, Gökhan

2005-04-01

Our objective was to determine food safety practices related to prerequisite program implementation in hospital food services in Turkey. Staff often lack basic food hygiene knowledge. Problems of implementing HACCP and prerequisite programs in hospitals include lack of food hygiene management training, lack of financial resources, and inadequate equipment and environment.

Vaginal douches and other feminine hygiene products: women's practices and perceptions of product safety.

PubMed

Grimley, Diane M; Annang, Lucy; Foushee, Herman R; Bruce, F Carol; Kendrick, Juliette S

2006-05-01

Use of vaginal douche products has been linked with a variety of reproductive health problems; nonetheless, the practice of douching persists. The goals of this study were to 1) determine the use of vaginal douches and other feminine hygiene products, 2) ascertain how safe women think vaginal douche products are, and 3) evaluate women's readiness to stop douching. A random-digit-dial computer-assisted telephone survey was conducted among US women between the ages of 18 and 44. Of the 2,602 women interviewed, 11.8% (n = 307) engaged in regular douching (White: 9.1%; African American: 27.7%; Hispanic: 15.0%). Women who douched, compared to women who did not douche, used other feminine hygiene products significantly more often (vaginal sprays [ p < .0001], wipes/towelettes [ p < 0.01], vaginal powder [ p < 0.0001] and bubble bath for feminine cleansing [ p < 0.001]). Women who douched also were more likely than nondouchers to agree with the statement, "Douche products are safe to use; otherwise they wouldn't be on the market" (70.3% vs. 33.4%, respectively; p < 0.0001). Nearly all women (90.0%) who douched had no intention to discontinue the practice. Compared with women who do not douche, women who douche use other feminine hygiene products at a much higher rate and also believe that douche products are safe. Women who douche will remain resistant to stopping the practice without innovative interventions. Given that most women start douching in adolescence, teens should be targeted for prevention efforts.

Consolidation of episodic memories during sleep: long-term effects of retrieval practice.

PubMed

Racsmány, Mihály; Conway, Martin A; Demeter, Gyula

2010-01-01

Two experiments investigated the long-term effects of retrieval practice. In the retrieval-practice procedure, selected items from a previously studied list are repeatedly recalled. The typical retrieval-practice effects are considerably enhanced memory for practiced items accompanied by low levels of recall, relative to baseline, for previously studied items that are associated with the practiced items but were not themselves practiced. The two experiments demonstrated that the former effect persisted over 12 hr; the latter effect also persisted over 12 hr, but only if a period of nocturnal sleep occurred during the retention interval. We propose that consolidation processes occurring during sleep, and possibly featuring some form of off-line rehearsal, mediate these long-term effects of retrieval practice.

Correlation between slaughter practices and the distribution of Salmonella and hygiene indicator bacteria on pig carcasses during slaughter.

PubMed

Biasino, W; De Zutter, L; Mattheus, W; Bertrand, S; Uyttendaele, M; Van Damme, I

2018-04-01

This study investigated the distribution of hygiene indicator bacteria and Salmonella on pig carcasses. Moreover, the relation between hygiene indicator counts and Salmonella presence as well as associations between specific slaughter practices and carcass contamination were determined for each carcass area. Seven Belgian pig slaughterhouses were visited three times to swab five randomly selected carcasses at nine different areas, after evisceration and trimming. Information about slaughter practices was collected using a questionaire. In all samples, the E. coli and Salmonella presence was analyzed and Enterobacteriaceae and total aerobic bacteria were quantified. Average total aerobic counts ranged from 3.1 (loin, pelvic duct, ham) to 4.4 log 10  CFU/cm 2 (foreleg). Median Enterobacteriaceae numbers varied between 0.4 (ham) an 1.8 log 10  CFU/cm 2 (foreleg). E. coli and Salmonella presence ranged from 15% (elbow) to 89% (foreleg) and 5% (elbow) to 38% (foreleg), respectively. Positive relations were found between hygiene indicator counts and Salmonella presence at the head, sternum, loin and throat. Several slaughter practices, such as splitting the head and incising tonsils, were associated with higher levels of hygiene indicator bacteria and Salmonella. These findings can be used to educate slaughterhouse personnel and estimate the public health risk involved in consumption of different pork cuts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Facilities and Hygiene Practices Associated with Diarrhea and Vomiting in Monastic Schools, Myanmar.

PubMed

Weaver, Emma R N; Agius, Paul A; Veale, Hilary; Dorning, Karl; Hlang, Thein T; Aung, Poe P; Fowkes, Freya J I; Hellard, Margaret E

2016-08-03

Gastrointestinal diseases are major contributors to mortality among children globally, causing one in 10 child deaths. Although most deaths are in children aged ≤ 5 years, the burden of disease in school-aged children is still considerable and contributes to high rates of school absenteeism. This study investigates behavioral and structural risk factors associated with diarrhea and/or vomiting among schoolchildren in Myanmar. Cross-sectional data from a school-based multistage cluster sample of grade 4 and 5 students were analyzed to explore water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities and hygiene-related practices of students in monastic schools in Myanmar. The outcome of interest was student self-reported diarrhea and/or vomiting in the past week. Random effects multinomial logistic regression models were used to explore correlates at the student and school level. A total of 2,082 students from 116 schools across eight states/regions were included. Of these, 11% (223) self-reported at least one episode of diarrhea only, 12% (253) at least one episode of vomiting only, and 12% (244) diarrhea and vomiting in the past week. Independent risk factors associated with the outcome included poor availability of handwash stations, no access to a septic tank toilet, inconsistent toilet use, and lower student grade. These findings highlight the importance of having an adequate number of handwash stations for students, the provision of septic tank toilets, and consistent toilet use. Future WASH programs need to target not only the provision of these WASH facilities but also their utilization, particularly among younger school-aged children. © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Heart rate variability during sleep following the practice of cyclic meditation and supine rest.

PubMed

Patra, Sanjib; Telles, Shirley

2010-06-01

Day time activities are known to influence the sleep on the following night. Cyclic meditation (CM) has recurring cycles. Previously, the low frequency (LF) power and the ratio between low frequency and high frequency (LF/HF ratio) of the heart rate variability (HRV) decreased during and after CM but not after a comparable period of supine rest (SR). In the present study, on thirty male volunteers, CM was practiced twice in the day and after this the HRV was recorded (1) while awake and (2) during 6 h of sleep (based on EEG, EMG and EGG recordings). This was similarly recorded for the night's sleep following the day time practice of SR. Participants were randomly assigned to the two sessions and all of them practiced both CM and SR on different days. During the night following day time CM practice there were the following changes; a decrease in heart rate, LF power (n.u.), LF/HF ratio, and an increase in the number of pairs of Normal to Normal RR intervals differing by more than 50 ms divided by total number of all NN intervals (pNN50) (P < 0.05, in all cases, comparing sleep following CM compared with sleep following SR). No change was seen on the night following SR. Hence yoga practice during the day appears to shift sympatho-vagal balance in favor of parasympathetic dominance during sleep on the following night.

Procedural performance following sleep deprivation remains impaired despite extended practice and an afternoon nap

PubMed Central

Kurniawan, Irma Triasih; Cousins, James Nicholas; Chong, Pearlynne L. H.; Chee, Michael W. L.

2016-01-01

The negative impact of sleep loss on procedural memory is well established, yet it remains unclear how extended practice opportunities or daytime naps can modulate the effect of a night of sleep deprivation. Here, participants underwent three training and test conditions on a sequential finger tapping task (SFTT) separated by at least one week. In the first condition they were trained in the evening followed by a night of sleep. Two further conditions took place where evening training was followed by a night of total sleep deprivation (TSD). One of the TSD conditions included a one-hour nap opportunity (15:00). Compared to the condition in which sleep was permitted, a night of TSD resulted in poorer performance across 4 practices the following day (10:00–19:00). The deleterious effect of a single night of TSD on procedural performance, was neither clearly alleviated by an afternoon nap nor by multiple practice opportunities. Interestingly, significant gains in performance were observed in all conditions after a one-week delay. Recovery sleep on subsequent nights thus appeared to nullify the effect of a single night of sleep deprivation, underscoring the importance of offline consolidation on the acquisition of procedural skill. PMID:27782172

Pilot study of a mindfulness-based, multi-component, in-school group sleep intervention in adolescent girls.

PubMed

Bei, Bei; Byrne, Michelle L; Ivens, Clare; Waloszek, Joanna; Woods, Michael J; Dudgeon, Paul; Murray, Greg; Nicholas, Christian L; Trinder, John; Allen, Nicholas B

2013-05-01

Existing literature links poor sleep and anxiety symptoms in adolescents. This pilot study aimed to develop a practical method through which a program to improve sleep could reach adolescents in need and to examine the feasibility of a mindfulness-based, multi-component group sleep intervention using sleep and anxiety as outcome measures. Sixty-two grade 9 students (aged 13-15) at a girls' school were screened with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS). Ten participants with self-reported poor sleep were enrolled into a six-session program based on Bootzin & Stevens, with added stress/anxiety-specific components. Sessions covered key aspects of basic mindfulness concepts and practice, sleep hygiene, sleep scheduling, evening/daytime habits, stimulus control, skills for bedtime worries and healthy attitudes to sleep. Treatment changes were measured by pre-post scores on the PSQI, SCAS and 7-day actigraphy-measured sleep. The program demonstrated high acceptability, with a completion rate of 90%. Based on effect-size analysis, participants showed significant improvement on objective sleep onset latency (SOL), sleep efficiency and total sleep time; actigraphy data also showed significantly earlier bedtime, rise time and smaller day-to-day bedtime variation. Post-intervention global PSQI scores were significantly lower than that of pre-intervention, with significant improvement in subjective SOL, sleep quality and sleep-related daytime dysfunction. There were small improvements on some subscales of the SCAS, but change on its total score was minimal. A mindfulness-based, multi-component, in-school group sleep intervention following brief screening is feasible, and has the potential to improve sleep. Its impact on anxiety needs further investigation. © 2012 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Use of a Supplementary Internet Based Education Program Improves Sleep Literacy in College Psychology Students

PubMed Central

Quan, Stuart F.; Anderson, Janis L.; Hodge, Gordon K.

2013-01-01

Introduction: Knowledge regarding the importance of sleep in health and performance and good sleep hygiene practices is low, especially among adolescents and young adults. It is important to improve sleep literacy. Introductory psychology is one of the most highly enrolled courses at colleges and universities. This study tested the impact of an Internet-based learning module on improving sleep literacy in this venue. Methods: An Internet-based supplementary learning module containing sleep physiology and hygiene information was developed using content from the Harvard Medical School sleep educational website http://www.understandingsleep.org. Access to the module was provided as an extra credit activity for 2 of 4 sections (Supplemental Sleep, SS, N = 889) of an introductory college psychology course during their standard instruction on sleep and dreaming. The remaining 2 sections (Standard Instruction, SI, N = 878) only were encouraged to visit the website without further direction. Level of knowledge was assessed before and after availability to the module/website and at the end of the semester. Students were asked to complete a survey at the end of the semester inquiring whether they made any changes in their sleep behaviors. Results: Two hundred fifty students participated in the extra credit activity and had data available at all testing points. Students in the SS Group had a significant improvement in sleep knowledge test scores after interacting with the website in comparison to the SI group (19.41 ± 3.15 vs. 17.94 ± 3.08, p < 0.001). This difference persisted, although at a lower level, at the end of the semester. In addition, 55.9% of the SS group versus 45.1% of the SI group indicated that they made changes in their sleep habits after participation in the extra credit sleep activity (p < 0.01). The most common change was a more consistent wake time. Conclusion: Use of a supplementary internet-based sleep learning module has the potential to enhance

A natural history of hygiene

PubMed Central

Curtis, Valerie A

2007-01-01

In unpacking the Pandora's box of hygiene, the author looks into its ancient evolutionary history and its more recent human history. Within the box, she finds animal behaviour, dirt, disgust and many diseases, as well as illumination concerning how hygiene can be improved. It is suggested that hygiene is the set of behaviours that animals, including humans, use to avoid harmful agents. The author argues that hygiene has an ancient evolutionary history, and that most animals exhibit such behaviours because they are adaptive. In humans, responses to most infectious threats are accompanied by sensations of disgust. In historical times, religions, social codes and the sciences have all provided rationales for hygiene behaviour. However, the author argues that disgust and hygiene behaviour came first, and that the rationales came later. The implications for the modern-day practice of hygiene are profound. The natural history of hygiene needs to be better understood if we are to promote safe hygiene and, hence, win our evolutionary war against the agents of infectious disease. PMID:18923689

Digital Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia versus sleep hygiene education: the impact of improved sleep on functional health, quality of life and psychological well-being. Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Espie, Colin A; Luik, Annemarie I; Cape, John; Drake, Christopher L; Siriwardena, A Niroshan; Ong, Jason C; Gordon, Christopher; Bostock, Sophie; Hames, Peter; Nisbet, Mhairi; Sheaves, Bryony; G Foster, Russell; Freeman, Daniel; Costa-Font, Joan; Emsley, Richard; Kyle, Simon D

2016-05-23

Previous research has demonstrated that digital CBT (dCBT), delivered via the Internet, is a scalable and effective intervention for treating insomnia in otherwise healthy adults and leads to significant improvements in primary outcomes relating to sleep. The majority of people with insomnia, however, seek help because of the functional impact and daytime consequences of poor sleep, not because of sleep discontinuity per se. Although some secondary analyses suggest that dCBT may have wider health benefits, no adequately powered study has investigated these as a primary endpoint. This study specifically aims to investigate the impact of dCBT for insomnia upon health and well-being, and will investigate sleep-related changes as mediating factors. We propose a pragmatic, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial of 1000 community participants meeting criteria for insomnia disorder. In the DIALS trial (Digital Insomnia therapy to Assist your Life as well as your Sleep), participants will be randomised to dCBT delivered using web and/or mobile channels (in addition to treatment as usual (TAU)) or to sleep hygiene education (SHE), comprising a website plus a downloadable booklet (in addition to TAU). Online assessments will take place at 0 (baseline), 4 (mid-treatment), 8 (post-treatment), and 24 (follow-up) weeks. At week 25 all participants allocated to SHE will be offered dCBT, at which point the controlled element of the trial will be complete. Naturalistic follow-up will be invited at weeks 36 and 48. Primary outcomes are functional health and well-being at 8 weeks. Secondary outcomes are mood, fatigue, sleepiness, cognitive function, productivity and social functioning. All main analyses will be carried out at the end of the final controlled follow-up assessments and will be based on the intention-to-treat principle. Further analyses will determine whether observed changes in functional health and well-being are mediated by changes in sleep. The trial is funded

Effect of the Intelligent Health Messenger Box on health care professionals' knowledge, attitudes, and practice related to hand hygiene and hand bacteria counts.

PubMed

Saffari, Mohsen; Ghanizadeh, Ghader; Fattahipour, Rasoul; Khalaji, Kazem; Pakpour, Amir H; Koenig, Harold G

2016-12-01

We assessed the effectiveness of the Intelligent Health Messenger Box in promoting hand hygiene using a quasiexperimental design. Knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported practices related to hand hygiene as well as hand bacteria counts and amount of liquid soap used were measured. The intervention involved broadcasting preventive audio messages. All outcomes showed significant change after the intervention compared with before. The Intelligent Health Messenger Box can serve as a practical way to improve hand hygiene. Copyright © 2016 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Hygiene practices and contamination risks of surface waters by schistosome eggs: the case of an infested village in Northern Senegal].

PubMed

Sow, S; de Vlas, S J; Polman, K; Gryseels, B

2004-02-01

The transmission of intestinal schistosomiasis presumes that faecal materials containing viable schistosome eggs reach natural water bodies infested with snail intermediate host. So far there is little knowledge about the contamination dynamics of streams with schistosome eggs. We conducted a pilot study on defecating behaviour and hygienic practices in an Schistosoma mansoni endemic focus in Northern Senegal. Questionnaires were used to obtain quantitative data on hygienic practices and the use of latrines in 59 children. Although the community was well endowed with pit latrines, most of the children declared that they usually defecated somewhere else, in particular near the streams where the vegetation offers hideouts. Observations based on mapping of defecation sites showed that a considerable number of stools were left just a few meters from the riverbank, thus bearing a high risk of being washed off into the water. All these practices can easily lead to contamination of water bodies with schistosomae eggs. In order to improve hygienic practices and reduce fecal pollution of the environment, a health education model respecting local beliefs and customs would be indispensable.

Qualitative description of dental hygiene practices within oral health and dental care perspectives of Mexican-American adults and teenagers.

PubMed

Maupome, Gerardo; Aguirre-Zero, Odette; Westerhold, Chi

2015-01-01

The objectives of this study were to identify dental hygiene themes voiced by adults and teenagers of Mexican origin [or Mexican Americans (MAs)] and place these themes within the larger landscape of oral health and dental care perceptions. Interviews with urban-based MAs were analyzed to identify barriers, beliefs, and behaviors influencing engagement in dental hygiene practices. Adult (n = 16, ages 33-52) and teenage (n = 17, ages 14-19) MAs reported themes pertaining to structural factors (financial and economic-related barriers, the dual challenges of reduced access to care vis-à-vis successfully navigating the dental care system, and the effects of reduced social support derived from migration) and to individual factors (different agendas between MAs and health systems for dental care utilization and indications for oral self-care, including limited dental hygiene instruction from professionals and larger impacts from school-based and mass media). Also, prior experiences with dental hygiene, prevention, and associated themes were characterized by a range of attitudes from fatalistic to highly determined agency. Good family upbringing was instrumental for appropriate dental hygiene, anteceding good oral health; and outlining a loose structure of factors affecting oral health such as diet, having "weak" teeth, or personal habits. Themes from adults and teenagers in the Midwest United States were generally similar to other groups of MA parents and younger children. Dental hygiene was not salient relative to other oral health and dental care matters. Several opportunities for improvement of knowledge and enhancing motivation for dental hygiene practices were identified, both within and outside professional resources. © 2014 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

Sleep-Related Behaviors and Beliefs Associated With Race/Ethnicity in Women

PubMed Central

Grandner, Michael A.; Patel, Nirav P.; Jean-Louis, Girardin; Jackson, Nicholas; Gehrman, Philip R.; Perlis, Michael L.; Gooneratne, Nalaka S.

2013-01-01

Explore how social factors influence sleep, especially sleep-related beliefs and behaviors. Sleep complaints, sleep hygiene behaviors, and beliefs about sleep were studied in 65 black/African American and white/European American women. Differences were found for snoring and discrepancy between sleep duration and need. Sleep behaviors differed across groups for napping, methods for coping with sleep difficulties, and nonsleep behaviors in bed. Beliefs also distinguished groups, with differences in motivation for sleep and beliefs about sleep being important for health and functioning. These findings have important public health implications in terms of developing effective sleep education interventions that include consideration of cultural aspects. PMID:23862291

Predictors of vaginal practices for sex and hygiene in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: findings of a household survey and qualitative inquiry.

PubMed

Scorgie, Fiona; Smit, Jennifer A; Kunene, Busisiwe; Martin-Hilber, Adriane; Beksinska, Mags; Chersich, Matthew F

2011-04-01

Vaginal practices in sub-Saharan Africa may increase HIV transmission and have important implications for development of microbicides and future HIV prevention technologies. It remains unclear which women undertake vaginal practices and what factors predict prevalence, practice type and choice of products. Using cross-sectional data from mixed research methods, we identify factors associated with vaginal practices among women in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Data were gathered through focus group discussions, in-depth and key-informant interviews, followed by a province-wide, multi-stage cluster household survey, using structured questionnaires in face-to-face interviews with 867 women. This paper details six types of vaginal practices, which--despite their individual distinctiveness and diverse motivations--may be clustered into two broad groups: those undertaken for purposes of 'hygiene' (genital washing, douching and application) and those for 'sexual motivations' (application, insertion, ingestion and incisions). Multivariate analysis found significant associations between 'hygiene' practices and media access, religiosity and transactional sex. 'Sexual' practices were associated with partner concurrency, religiosity and use of injectable hormonal contraceptives. Future interventions relating to vaginal practices as well as microbicides need to reflect this characterisation of practices as sexual- and/or hygiene-related.

Transducer hygiene: comparison of procedures for decontamination of ultrasound transducers and their use in clinical practice.

PubMed

Häggström, Mikael; Spira, Jack; Edelstam, Greta

2015-02-01

To determine whether current hygiene practices are appropriate during sonographic examinations. Five major hospitals in Sweden were investigated with a survey. At each hospital, the departments corresponding to the main types of sonographic examination were chosen. Personnel who were responsible for or acquainted with the local hygiene procedures completed a standardardized questionnaire. The surveys were completed by 25 departments, where the total number of sonographic examinations was approximately 20,000 per month. For transvaginal and transrectal sonographic examinations, the most common method for decontamination of the transducer was barrier protection during the procedure followed by cleansing with alcohol. Latex was the predominant cover material, but one department used polyethylene gloves, and another department used nitrile gloves. Both of these involved transvaginal ultrasonography. In transcutaneous examinations, all hospitals were using alcohol and paper or cloth for decontamination at a minimum. Transesophageal examinations were carried out without barrier protection, and decontamination was performed with an alkylating substance. The hygiene practices appear to be appropriate at most hospitals, but there is a prevalence of transducer cover materials of unacceptable permeability, as well as use of gloves on transducers despite insufficient evidence of safety. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Point of care hand hygiene-where's the rub? A survey of US and Canadian health care workers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices.

PubMed

Kirk, Jane; Kendall, Anson; Marx, James F; Pincock, Ted; Young, Elizabeth; Hughes, Jillian M; Landers, Timothy

2016-10-01

Hand hygiene at the point of care is recognized as a best practice for promoting compliance at the moments when hand hygiene is most critical. The objective of this study was to compare knowledge, attitudes, and practices of US and Canadian frontline health care personnel regarding hand hygiene at the point of care. Physicians and nurses in US and Canadian hospitals were invited to complete a 32-question online survey based on evidence supporting point of care hand hygiene. Eligible health care personnel were in direct clinical practice at least 50% of the time. Three hundred fifty frontline caregivers completed the survey. Among respondents, 57.1% were from the United States and 42.9% were from Canada. Respondents were evenly distributed between physician and nurses. The US and Canadian respondents gave identical ranking to their perceived barriers to hand hygiene compliance. More than half of the respondents from both the United States and Canada agreed or strongly agreed that they would be more likely to clean their hands when recommended if alcohol-based handrub was closer to the patient. This survey demonstrates that similarities between Canada and the United States were more common than not, and the survey raises, or suggests, potential knowledge gaps that require further illumination. Copyright © 2016 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improvement of environmental health and hygiene practices--case study in the Northern Province.

PubMed

Mathekgana, M A; Chauke, L K; Otieno, F A

2001-01-01

The primary purpose of an improved water supply and sanitation is the achievement of acceptable health and hygiene standards as well as the sustainable improvement of the environment. Many governments recognize this and so they budget for large sums of money to improve these services to the communities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the different gaps in environmental health and hygiene practices with the aim of suggesting a strategy of improving this in the Northern Province of South Africa. To do this, 231 households and 30 schools were surveyed. Workshops and visits to different government departments were also used. This paper reports the results from this study which indicate that the situation in schools was not any better than that in households, with more than 90% of the villages still dependent on the unimproved pit latrines and 56,6% relying on standpipes which were (70% of the time) non-operational. The main problems identified seem to those associated with implementation and maintenance. The study concludes that with proper training of the water committees and their active involvement with the government and NGOs, environmental health and hygiene problems can be minimized or eliminated.

Behavioural informatics for improving water hygiene practice based on IoT environment.

PubMed

Fu, Yang; Wu, Wenyan

2018-02-01

The development of Internet of Things (IoT) and latest Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have changed the nature of healthcare monitoring and health behaviour intervention in many applications. Water hygiene and water conservation behaviour intervention as important influence factors to human health are gaining much attentions for improving sustained sanitation practice. Based on face-to-face delivery, typical behaviour intervention method is costly and hardly to provide all day access to personalised intervention guidance and feedbacks. In this study, we presented a behavioural information system and water use behaviour model using IoT platform. Using Expanded Theory of Planned Behaviour (ETPB) and adopted structure equation model, this study offers a solution for understanding the behaviour intervention mechanism and methodology for developing empirical model. A case study of behaviour intervention model is presented by utilising residential water conservation behaviour data collected in China. Results suggested that cultural differences have significant influences on the understanding of intervention drivers, promoting projects and increasing awareness, which could improve the behaviour intervention efficiency and further facilitate the improvement of water hygiene practice. The performance evaluation of water saving dimension is discussed as well in the paper. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Hygiene between tradition and implementation].

PubMed

Hansis, M L

2004-04-01

The basis of evidence for hygiene rules implemented in hospitals is traditionally small. This is not only because there is little theoretical knowledge on the reciprocal influence between a single hygienic mistake/a single microbial input and the manifestation of a nosocomial infection. There are also not enough clinical studies, especially on complex hygiene questions, to determine whether special measures (e.g., septic rooms)can compensate for deficits in hygiene practice. Furthermore, it would be necessary to designate security buffers distinctly. In-house traditions are able to stabilize hygienic behavior in an excellent manner. They should be fostered and not disparaged as myths. Discussions of experts should not be conducted in public; that is disastrous for the everyday work of physicians in hospitals.

Behavioral interventions for insomnia: Theory and practice

PubMed Central

Sharma, Mahendra P.; Andrade, Chittaranjan

2012-01-01

Insomnia is a general clinical term that refers to a difficulty in initiating or maintaining sleep. Insomnia is widely prevalent in the general population, especially in the elderly and in those with medical and psychiatric disorders. Hypnotic drug treatments of insomnia are effective but are associated with potential disadvantages. This article presents an overview of behavioral interventions for insomnia. Behavioral interventions for insomnia include relaxation training, stimulus control therapy, sleep restriction therapy, sleep hygiene, paradoxical intention therapy, cognitive restructuring, and other approaches. These are briefly explained. Research indicates that behavioral interventions are efficacious, effective, and likely cost-effective treatments for insomnia that yield reliable, robust, and long-term benefits in adults of all ages. Detailed guidance is provided for the practical management of patients with insomnia. PMID:23372241

Reflection on observation: A qualitative study using practice development methods to explore the experience of being a hand hygiene auditor in Australia.

PubMed

Jain, Susan; Edgar, Denise; Bothe, Janine; Newman, Helen; Wilson, Annmaree; Bint, Beth; Brown, Megan; Alexander, Suzanne; Harris, Joanna

2015-12-01

Within the Australian public health care system, an observation model is used to assess hand hygiene practice in health care workers, culminating in a publicly available healthcare service performance indicator. The intent of this study was for the results to inform the development of a strategy to support individual auditors and local sustainability of the hand hygiene auditing program. This qualitative study used a values clarification tool to gain an understanding of the experiences of hand hygiene auditors. The methodology involved qualitative interpretation of focus group discussions to identify the enablers and barriers to successful performance of the auditors' role. Twenty-five participants identified congruous themes of the need for peer and managerial support, improved communication and feedback, and consideration for succession planning. There was consistency in the participants' most frequently identified significant barriers in undertaking the role. Hand hygiene auditors take pride in their role and work toward the goal of reducing health care-associated infections by having a part to play in improving hand hygiene practices of all staff members. Important themes, barriers, and enablers were identified in this study. This research will be of interest nationally and globally, considering the dearth of published information on the experience of hand hygiene auditors. This study provides evidence of the need to support individual hand hygiene auditors. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Personal hygiene and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection.

PubMed

Turabelidze, George; Lin, Mei; Wolkoff, Barbara; Dodson, Douglas; Gladbach, Stephen; Zhu, Bao-Ping

2006-03-01

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections outside the healthcare setting are an increasing concern. We conducted a case-control study to investigate an MRSA outbreak during 2002-2003 in a Missouri prison and focused on hygiene factors. Information on sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, and hygiene practices of study participants was collected by interview and medical record review. Logistic regression was used to evaluate MRSA infection in relation to hygiene factors individually and as a composite hygiene score; potential confounding factors were controlled. Selected MRSA isolates were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). MRSA infection was significantly associated with a low composite hygiene score. Transmission among prison inmates appeared to be responsible for this outbreak. PFGE analysis showed that isolates were indistinguishable and associated with community-onset MRSA infections in other US prisons. Improving hygiene practices and environmental conditions may help prevent and interrupt future MRSA outbreaks in prison settings.

Hand hygiene in the intensive care unit.

PubMed

Tschudin-Sutter, Sarah; Pargger, Hans; Widmer, Andreas F

2010-08-01

Healthcare-associated infections affect 1.4 million patients at any time worldwide, as estimated by the World Health Organization. In intensive care units, the burden of healthcare-associated infections is greatly increased, causing additional morbidity and mortality. Multidrug-resistant pathogens are commonly involved in such infections and render effective treatment challenging. Proper hand hygiene is the single most important, simplest, and least expensive means of preventing healthcare-associated infections. In addition, it is equally important to stop transmission of multidrug-resistant pathogens. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization guidelines on hand hygiene in health care, alcohol-based handrub should be used as the preferred means for routine hand antisepsis. Alcohols have excellent in vitro activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including multidrug-resistant pathogens, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a variety of fungi, and most viruses. Some pathogens, however, such as Clostridium difficile, Bacillus anthracis, and noroviruses, may require special hand hygiene measures. Failure to provide user friendliness of hand hygiene equipment and shortage of staff are predictors for noncompliance, especially in the intensive care unit setting. Therefore, practical approaches to promote hand hygiene in the intensive care unit include provision of a minimal number of handrub dispensers per bed, monitoring of compliance, and choice of the most attractive product. Lack of knowledge of guidelines for hand hygiene, lack of recognition of hand hygiene opportunities during patient care, and lack of awareness of the risk of cross-transmission of pathogens are barriers to good hand hygiene practices. Multidisciplinary programs to promote increased use of alcoholic handrub lead to an increased compliance of healthcare

Water and sanitation hygiene knowledge attitude practice in urban slum settings.

PubMed

Joshi, Ashish; Prasad, Satish; Kasav, Jyoti B; Segan, Mehak; Singh, Awnish K

2013-11-18

Access to improved drinking water, sanitation and hygiene is one of the prime concerns around the globe. This study aimed at assessing water and sanitation hygiene-related attitude and practices, and quality of water in urban slums of south Delhi, India. This pilot cross sectional study was performed during July 2013 across four urban slums of South Delhi. A convenient sample of 40 participants was enrolled. A modified version of previously validated questionnaire was used to gather information on socio-demographics, existing water and sanitation facilities and water treatment practices. Water quality testing was additionally performed using hydrogen sulphide (H2S) vials. Average age of participants was 36 years (SD=10). 83% of the participants perceived gastrointestinal tract infection as the most important health problem. 75% of the participants did not use any method for drinking water treatment. 45% of the participants consumed water from privately-owned tube well/ bore well. Water shortage lasted two days or more (50%) at a stretch with severe scarcity occurring twice a year (40%). Females aged 15 years and above were largely responsible (93%) for fetching water from water source. 45% of the participants had toilets within their households. 53% of drinking water samples collected from storage containers showed positive bacteriological contamination. There is an urgent need to develop family centered educational programs that would enhance awareness about water treatment methods that are cost effective and easily accessible.

Associations of Parent Health Behaviors and Parenting Practices with Sleep Duration in Overweight and Obese Children

PubMed Central

Rea, Corinna J.; Smith, Renata L.; Taveras, Elsie M.

2016-01-01

Study Objectives: To examine the extent to which parent health behaviors and parenting practices are associated with school-age children's sleep duration. Methods: We surveyed 790 parents of children, aged 6 to 12 y, who had a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 90th percentile and were participating in a randomized controlled obesity trial. The main exposures were parent sleep duration, screen time and physical activity, parental limits placed on child TV viewing time and TV content, and parents' confidence regarding their ability to help their child get enough sleep. The primary outcome was child sleep duration. We used linear regression models to examine associations of parent behaviors and parenting practices with child sleep duration. Results: On average, children slept 9.2 h per night, whereas parents slept 6.9 h. Parents reported having an average of 1.9 h of screen time per day and 0.6 h of physical activity. There were 57.3% of parents who reported feeling very/extremely confident that they could help their child get enough sleep. In adjusted multivariate analyses, child sleep duration was 0.09 h/day (95% confidence interval: 0.03, 0.15) longer for each 1-h increment in parent sleep duration. Additionally, children whose parents reported being very/extremely confident they could help their child get age-appropriate sleep duration slept 0.67 h/day longer (95% confidence interval: 0.54, 0.81) than those whose parents were not/somewhat confident. Conclusions: Educating parents about their own sleep health and enhancing parent confidence to help their children get enough sleep are potential areas of intervention to increase child sleep duration. Citation: Rea CJ, Smith RL, Taveras EM. Associations of parent health behaviors and parenting practices with sleep duration in overweight and obese children. J Clin Sleep Med 2016;12(11):1493–1498. PMID:27655464

Effect of Diabetes Sleep Education for T2DM Who Sleep After Midnight: A Pilot Study from China.

PubMed

Li, Mingzhen; Li, Daiqing; Tang, Yunzhao; Meng, Lingling; Mao, Cuixiu; Sun, Lirong; Chang, Baocheng; Chen, Liming

2018-02-01

Our prior study showed that patients with sleep disorders had poor blood pressure (BP), glycemic control, and more severe complications. Therefore, sleep is very important for diabetic control. Our work was to investigate whether individualized diabetes sleep education significantly improve sleep quality and glycemic control in type 2 diabetic patients who sleep after midnight and potential mechanism by a randomized parallel interventional study. T2D patients were randomly recruited to an intervention or control group. Patients received structured special diabetes sleep education program with 3-month follow-up. Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was scored for each participant. Demographic data, HbA1c, biochemical, and some hormones were also examined. SPSS 13.0 was used for statistical analysis. One hundred patients were approached, and 45 were enrolled into our trial. Eventually, 31 patients completed the study. Patients in the intervention group greatly improved their sleep hygiene. After intervention, PSQI scores were lowered significantly (-1.48 ± 0.88 vs. -0.51 ± 0.71, P < 0.001), as well as significant reduction of HbA1c (-1.5 ± 0.55 vs. -1.11 ± 0.47, P < 0.05). Fasting plasma glucose was also lowered significantly. Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance was reduced significantly (-1.29 ± 0.97 vs. 1.04 ± 0.91, P < 0.01). Serum concentrations for interleukin (IL)-6, cortisol, and ghrelin were decreased significantly. Ghrelin (coefficients -0.65, P < 0.001), cortisol (coefficients -0.38, P < 0.05), and IL-6 (coefficients 0.452, P < 0.05) were correlated with HbA1c improvement. The change of ghrelin was negatively associated with the improvement of HbA1c. Diabetes sleep education could improve sleep quality, better blood glucose and BP, and decrease insulin resistance through healthier sleep hygiene. Lower serum concentration of ghrelin might be partly involved in the reduction of HbA1c.

[ACTUAL PROBLEMS OF HYGIENE SCIENCE AND PRACTICE IN THE PRESERVATION OF PUBLIC HEALTH].

PubMed

Onishchenko, G G

2015-01-01

In the article there are designated the state and actual hygiene tasks on the issue of environmental pollution and its effects on health of the population. There was emphasized the growing importance of chemical contamination of various objects of environment--air water, soil, and living environment. There is presented the analysis of data on different types of treatment of municipal waste in selected countries. There were shown the significance of the developed Guidance on risk assessmentfor public health as a toolfor making sound management decisions, prospects of using of the methodology of epidemiological mapping based on geoinformational technology (GIS technology). There was marked an important role of the younger generation of hygienists and health officers in further work on both preservation and improvement the health of the population in their countries, harmonization of scientific and practical solutions of actual problems of hygiene.

Bidirectional Associations between Bedtime Parenting and Infant Sleep: Parenting Quality, Parenting Practices, and their Interaction

PubMed Central

Philbrook, Lauren E.; Teti, Douglas M.

2016-01-01

In keeping with transactional conceptualizations of infant sleep development (Sadeh et al., 2010), the present study examined longitudinal, bidirectional linkages between bedtime parenting (direct observations of parenting practices and quality) and infant sleep across the first six months postpartum. In doing so, we also drew from Darling and Steinberg's (1993) conceptual model to examine parenting quality as a moderator of linkages between specific bedtime practices and infant sleep. Multilevel model analyses revealed that the strongest increases in infant nighttime sleep across the first six months occurred among infants of mothers who engaged in low levels of nursing at bedtime. Within-person linkages between mothers' emotional availability (EA) at bedtime, infant distress, and infant sleep were found, such that at time points when mothers were more emotionally available, infants were less distressed and slept more throughout the night. Several moderating effects of maternal EA on linkages between parenting practices and infant sleep were obtained that were consistent with predictions from Darling and Steinberg (1993). Higher maternal EA in combination with less close contact at bedtime was associated with more infant sleep across the night on average, and higher EA in combination with fewer arousing bedtime activities predicted more rapid increases in infant sleep with age. Finally, there was evidence of infant-driven effects, as higher infant nighttime distress predicted lower EA at subsequent time points. Results showcased the complex, reciprocal interplay between parents and infants in the development of infant sleep patterns and parenting behavior during the first six months postpartum. PMID:27010601

Development of a Checklist for Assessing Good Hygiene Practices of Fresh-Cut Fruits and Vegetables Using Focus Group Interviews.

PubMed

Araújo, Jane A M; Esmerino, Erick A; Alvarenga, Verônica O; Cappato, Leandro P; Hora, Iracema C; Silva, Marcia Cristina; Freitas, Monica Q; Pimentel, Tatiana C; Walter, Eduardo H M; Sant'Ana, Anderson S; Cruz, Adriano G

2018-03-01

This study aimed to develop a checklist for good hygiene practices (GHP) for raw material of vegetable origin using the focus groups (FGs) approach (n = 4). The final checklist for commercialization of horticultural products totaled 28 questions divided into six blocks, namely: water supply; hygiene, health, and training; waste control; control of pests; packaging and traceability; and hygiene of facilities and equipment. The FG methodology was efficient to elaborate a participatory and objective checklist, based on minimum hygiene requirements, serving as a tool for diagnosis, planning, and training in GHP of fresh vegetables, besides contributing to raise awareness of the consumers' food safety. The FG methodology provided useful information to establish the final checklist for GHP, with easy application, according to the previous participants' perception and experience.

An Integrative Review of Nonpharmacological Interventions to Improve Sleep among Adults with Advanced Serious Illness.

PubMed

Capezuti, Elizabeth; Sagha Zadeh, Rana; Woody, Nicole; Basara, Aleksa; Krieger, Ana C

2018-05-01

Sleep fragmentation is common among those with advanced serious illness. Nonpharmacological interventions to improve sleep have few, if any, adverse effects and are often underutilized in these settings. We aimed to summarize the literature related to nonpharmacological interventions to improve sleep among adults with advanced serious illness. We systematically searched six electronic databases for literature reporting sleep outcomes associated with nonpharmacological interventions that included participants with advanced serious illness during the period of 1996-2016. From a total of 2731 results, 42 studies met the inclusion criteria. A total of 31 individual interventions were identified, each evaluated individually and some in combination with other interventions. Twelve of these studies employed either multiple interventions within an intervention category (n = 8) or a multicomponent intervention consisting of interventions from two or more categories (n = 5). The following intervention categories emerged: sleep hygiene (1), environmental (6), physical activity (4), complementary health practices (11), and mind-body practices (13). Of the 42 studies, 22 demonstrated a statistically significant, positive impact on sleep and represented each of the categories. The quality of the studies varied considerably, with 17 studies classified as strong, 17 as moderate, and 8 as weak. Several interventions have been demonstrated to improve sleep in these patients. However, the small number of studies and wide variation of individual interventions within each category limit the generalizability of findings. Further studies are needed to assess interventions and determine effectiveness and acceptability.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of food hygiene among schools students' in Majmaah city, Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Almansour, Mohammed; Sami, Waqas; Al-Rashedy, Oliyan Shoqer; Alsaab, Rayan Saad; Alfayez, Abdulrahman Saad; Almarri, Nawaf Rashed

2016-04-01

To determine the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice of food hygiene among primary, intermediate and high school students and explore association, if any, with socio-demographic differences. The observational cross-sectional study was conducted at boy's schools in Majmaah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, from February to May 2014. Data was collected using stratified random sampling technique from students aged 8-25 year. Two schools from each level (primary, intermediate and high school) were randomly selected and data was collected from the selected schools using simple random sampling method. A self-administered modified Sharif and Al-Malki questionnaire for knowledge, attitude and practice of food hygiene was used with Arabic translation. The mean age of 377 male students in the study was 14.53±2.647 years. Knowledge levels was less in primary school students compared to high school students (p=0.026). Attitude level was high in primary school students compared to intermediate school students (p< 0.001). No significant difference was observed between groups with regard to practice levels (p=0.152). The students exhibited good practice levels, despite fair knowledge and attitude levels.

Feasibilty of a sleep intervention during adjuvant breast cancer chemotherapy.

PubMed

Berger, Ann M; VonEssen, Susanna; Khun, Brett R; Piper, Barbara F; Farr, Lynne; Agrawal, Sangeeta; Lynch, James C; Higginbotham, Patti

2002-01-01

To evaluate the feasibility of an intervention designed to promote sleep and modify fatigue during four cycles of adjuvant breast cancer chemotherapy. Prospective, repeated measures, quasi-experimental feasibility study. Midwestern urban oncology clinics. 25 women between the ages of 40-65 (mean = 54.3) with stage I-II breast cancer receiving doxorubicin-based chemotherapy. Each woman developed, reinforced, and revised an individualized sleep promotion plan (ISPP) with four components: sleep hygiene, relaxation therapy, stimulus control, and sleep restriction techniques. A daily diary, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, a wrist actigraph, and the Piper Fatigue Scale were used to collect data two days before and seven days after each treatment. Adherence, sleep and wake outcomes, and fatigue. Adherence rates with the components of the ISPP varied during treatments one through four: sleep hygiene (68%-78%), relaxation therapy (57%-67%), stimulus control (46%-67%), and sleep restriction (76%-80%). Mean sleep and wake outcomes at baseline, peak, and rebound times were that (a) sleep latency remained brief (less than 30 minutes per night), (b) time awake after sleep onset exceeded the desired less than 30 minutes per night, (c) sleep efficiency scores remained stable at 85%-90%, (d) total rest time remained stable at 8-10 hours per night, (e) subjective ratings of feelings on arising were stable, and (f) nighttime awakenings were 8-10 per night. Fatigue outcomes were that fatigue was stable two days after each treatment and mean daily fatigue intensity was lower at treatment three than at treatment one but rebounded at treatment four. The intervention was feasible, adherence rates improved over time, and most sleep and wake patterns were consistent with normal values. Revisions will focus on decreasing nighttime awakenings. Adopting behaviors to promote sleep may assist in maintaining sleep and managing fatigue during chemotherapy.

Who Sleeps by Whom Revisited: A Method for Extracting the Moral Goods Implicit in Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schweder, Richard A; And Others

1995-01-01

Explores the specific family practice of determining which family members share a bed or sleeping space. Discusses ways of extracting the moral principles implicit in the practice of arranging where family members sleep at night. Examines similarities and differences in the preferred moral goods of two culture regions--rural Hindu India and urban…

A shower before bedtime may improve the sleep onset latency of youth soccer players.

PubMed

Whitworth-Turner, Craig; Di Michele, Rocco; Muir, Ian; Gregson, Warren; Drust, Barry

2017-10-01

During the competitive season, soccer players are likely exposed to numerous factors that may disrupt the process of sleep. The current investigation looked to evaluate a practical sleep hygiene strategy (10-min showering at ∼40°C before lights out), within a group of 11 youth soccer players in comparison to normal sleeping conditions (control). Each condition consisted of three days within a randomised crossover trial design. Sleep information was collected using a commercial wireless bedside sleep monitor. Measures of skin temperature were evaluated using iButton skin thermistors to establish both distal and proximal skin temperatures and distal to proximal gradient. The shower intervention elevated distal skin temperature by 1.1°C (95% CI: 0.1-2.1°C, p = .04) on average prior to lights out. The elevation in distal temperature was also present during the first 30-min following lights out (1.0°C, 95% CI: 0.4-1.6°C, p < .01). The distal to proximal gradient also showed a significant effect between the conditions within the first 30-min after lights out (0.7°C, 95% CI: 0.3-1.2°C, p < .01). On average the sleep latency of the youth soccer players was -7-min lower (95% CI: -13 to -2 min, p < .01) and sleep efficiency +2% higher (95% CI: 1-3%; p < .01) in the shower condition. These findings demonstrate that a warm shower performed before lights out may offer a practical strategy to promote thermoregulatory changes that may advance sleep onset latency and improve sleep efficiency in athletes.

Menstrual Hygiene Management in Resource-Poor Countries.

PubMed

Kuhlmann, Anne Sebert; Henry, Kaysha; Wall, L Lewis

2017-06-01

Adequate management of menstrual hygiene is taken for granted in affluent countries; however, inadequate menstrual hygiene is a major problem for girls and women in resource-poor countries, which adversely affects the health and development of adolescent girls. The aim of this article is to review the current evidence concerning menstrual hygiene management in these settings. A PubMed search using MeSH terms was conducted in English, supplemented by hand searching for additional references. Retrieved articles were reviewed, synthesized, and summarized. Most research to date has described menstrual hygiene knowledge, attitudes, and practices, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Many school-based studies indicate poorer menstrual hygiene among girls in rural areas and those attending public schools. The few studies that have tried to improve or change menstrual hygiene practices provide moderate to strong evidence that targeted interventions do improve menstrual hygiene knowledge and awareness. Challenges to improving menstrual hygiene management include lack of support from teachers (who are frequently male); teasing by peers when accidental menstrual soiling of clothes occurs; poor familial support; lack of cultural acceptance of alternative menstrual products; limited economic resources to purchase supplies; inadequate water and sanitation facilities at school; menstrual cramps, pain, and discomfort; and lengthy travel to and from school, which increases the likelihood of leaks/stains. Areas for future research include the relationship between menarche and school dropout, the relationship between menstrual hygiene management and other health outcomes, and how to increase awareness of menstrual hygiene management among household decision makers including husbands/fathers and in-laws.

Food hygiene practices and its associated factors among model and non model households in Abobo district, southwestern Ethiopia: Comparative cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Okugn, Akoma; Woldeyohannes, Demelash

2018-01-01

In developing country most of human infectious diseases are caused by eating contaminated food. Estimated nine out ten of the diarrheal disease is attributable to the environment and associated with risk factors of poor food hygiene practice. Understanding the risk of eating unsafe food is the major concern to prevent and control food borne diseases. The main goal of this study was to assessing food hygiene practices and its associated factors among model and non model households at Abobo district. This study was conducted from 18 October 2013 to 13 June 2014. A community-based comparative cross-sectional study design was used. Pretested structured questionnaire was used to collect data. A total of 1247 households (417 model and 830 non model households) were included in the study from Abobo district. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with outcome variable. The study revealed that good food hygiene practice was 51%, of which 79% were model and 36.70% were non model households. Type of household [AOR: 2.07, 95% CI: (1.32-3.39)], sex of household head [AOR: 1.63, 95% CI: (1.06-2.48)], Availability of liquid wastes disposal pit [AOR: 2.23, 95% CI: (1.39,3.63)], Knowledge of liquid waste to cause diseases [AOR: 1.95, 95% (1.23,3.08)], and availability of functional hand washing facility [AOR: 3.61, 95% CI: (1.86-7.02)] were the factors associated with food handling practices. This study revealed that good food handling practice is low among model and non model households. While type of household (model versus non model households), sex, knowledge of solid waste to cause diseases, availability of functional hand washing facility, and availability of liquid wastes disposal pit were the factors associated with outcome variable. Health extension workers should play a great role in educating households regarding food hygiene practices to improve their knowledge and practices of the food hygiene.

Infant Sleep Location and Breastfeeding Practices in the United States, 2011-2014.

PubMed

Smith, Lauren A; Geller, Nicole L; Kellams, Ann L; Colson, Eve R; Rybin, Denis V; Heeren, Timothy; Corwin, Michael J

2016-08-01

To describe the prevalence of breastfeeding and sleep location practices among US mothers and the factors associated with these behaviors, including advice received regarding these practices. A nationally representative sample of 3218 mothers who spoke English or Spanish were enrolled at a sample of 32 US birth hospitals between January 2011 and March 2014. Exclusive breastfeeding was reported by 30.5% of mothers, while an additional 29.5% reported partial breastfeeding. The majority of mothers, 65.5%, reported usually room sharing without bed sharing, while 20.7% reported bed sharing. Compared to mothers who room shared without bed sharing, mothers who bed shared were more likely to report exclusive breastfeeding (adjusted odds ratio 2.46, 95% confidence interval 1.76, 3.45) or partial breastfeeding (adjusted odds ratio 1.75, 95% confidence interval 1.33, 2.31). The majority of mothers reported usually room sharing without bed sharing regardless of feeding practices, including 58.2% of exclusively breastfeeding mothers and 70.0% of nonbreastfeeding mothers. Receiving advice regarding sleep location or breastfeeding increased adherence to recommendations in a dose response manner (the adjusted odds of room sharing without bed sharing and exclusive breastfeeding increased as the relevant advice score increased); however, receiving advice regarding sleep location did not affect feeding practices. Many mothers have not adopted the recommended infant sleep location or feeding practices. Receiving advice from multiple sources appears to promote adherence in a dose response manner. Many women are able to both breastfeed and room share without bed sharing, and advice to adhere to both of these recommendations did not decrease breastfeeding rates. Copyright © 2016 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sleep medicine knowledge, attitudes, and practices among medical students in Guangzhou, China.

PubMed

Luo, Miao; Feng, Yuan; Li, Taoping

2013-05-01

This study aimed to describe the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Chinese medical students towards sleep medicine. The authors surveyed medical students at Southern Medical University in 2009. Students completed a questionnaire before and after attending a 3-h sleep disorders course. All 324 questionnaires were returned. Less than one half of the students were aware that restless legs syndrome, somniloquy, and teeth grinding are sleep disorders. Only a small percentage of students knew that sleep disorders are related to diabetes, anemia, hyperlipidemia, and attention deficit syndrome. After the 3-h sleep disorders course, the percentage of students who regarded snoring, restless legs syndrome, nightmares, and somniloquy as sleep disorders increased from 64.9 to 92.7 %, 40.8 to 64.4 %, 48.0 to 60.3 %, and 33.5 to 59.9 % (P < 0.001), respectively. Sleep problems were considered to be a significant issue by 93.8 % of the students. The students thought that people with sleep disorders should seek treatment. Of the students, 81.3 % were interested in sleep medicine. The students considered that it is necessary to set up specialized sleep medicine departments to manage sleep disorders. Of the students, 76.8 % thought they or their friends had sleep problems, and 44.8 % consulted physicians about sleep problems. Greater than two thirds of the students (67.1 %) did not have formal education about sleep medicine. Few students were aware of medical schools offering a course in sleep medicine. Most of the students liked learning in the form of elective courses, lectures, or online course. The students also realized that having sleep medicine knowledge is needed as a physician. Chinese medical students attached importance to sleep disorders, but knew little about sleep disorders. Knowledge of sleep medicine can be improved with a short training course.

Menstrual Hygiene Practices, WASH Access and the Risk of Urogenital Infection in Women from Odisha, India

PubMed Central

Das, Padma; Baker, Kelly K.; Dutta, Ambarish; Swain, Tapoja; Sahoo, Sunita; Das, Bhabani Sankar; Panda, Bijay; Nayak, Arati; Bara, Mary; Bilung, Bibiana; Mishra, Pravas Ranjan; Panigrahi, Pinaki; Cairncross, Sandy; Torondel, Belen

2015-01-01

Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) practices vary worldwide and depend on the individual’s socioeconomic status, personal preferences, local traditions and beliefs, and access to water and sanitation resources. MHM practices can be particularly unhygienic and inconvenient for girls and women in poorer settings. Little is known about whether unhygienic MHM practices increase a woman’s exposure to urogenital infections, such as bacterial vaginosis (BV) and urinary tract infection (UTI). This study aimed to determine the association of MHM practices with urogenital infections, controlling for environmental drivers. A hospital-based case-control study was conducted on 486 women at Odisha, India. Cases and controls were recruited using a syndromic approach. Vaginal swabs were collected from all the participants and tested for BV status using Amsel’s criteria. Urine samples were cultured to assess UTI status. Socioeconomic status, clinical symptoms and reproductive history, and MHM and water and sanitation practices were obtained by standardised questionnaire. A total of 486 women were recruited to the study, 228 symptomatic cases and 258 asymptomatic controls. Women who used reusable absorbent pads were more likely to have symptoms of urogenital infection (AdjOR=2.3, 95%CI1.5-3.4) or to be diagnosed with at least one urogenital infection (BV or UTI) (AdjOR=2.8, 95%CI1.7-4.5), than women using disposable pads. Increased wealth and space for personal hygiene in the household were protective for BV (AdjOR=0.5, 95%CI0.3-0.9 and AdjOR=0.6, 95%CI0.3-0.9 respectively). Lower education of the participants was the only factor associated with UTI after adjusting for all the confounders (AdjOR=3.1, 95%CI1.2-7.9). Interventions that ensure women have access to private facilities with water for MHM and that educate women about safer, low-cost MHM materials could reduce urogenital disease among women. Further studies of the effects of specific practices for managing

Menstrual Hygiene Practices, WASH Access and the Risk of Urogenital Infection in Women from Odisha, India.

PubMed

Das, Padma; Baker, Kelly K; Dutta, Ambarish; Swain, Tapoja; Sahoo, Sunita; Das, Bhabani Sankar; Panda, Bijay; Nayak, Arati; Bara, Mary; Bilung, Bibiana; Mishra, Pravas Ranjan; Panigrahi, Pinaki; Cairncross, Sandy; Torondel, Belen

2015-01-01

Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) practices vary worldwide and depend on the individual's socioeconomic status, personal preferences, local traditions and beliefs, and access to water and sanitation resources. MHM practices can be particularly unhygienic and inconvenient for girls and women in poorer settings. Little is known about whether unhygienic MHM practices increase a woman's exposure to urogenital infections, such as bacterial vaginosis (BV) and urinary tract infection (UTI). This study aimed to determine the association of MHM practices with urogenital infections, controlling for environmental drivers. A hospital-based case-control study was conducted on 486 women at Odisha, India. Cases and controls were recruited using a syndromic approach. Vaginal swabs were collected from all the participants and tested for BV status using Amsel's criteria. Urine samples were cultured to assess UTI status. Socioeconomic status, clinical symptoms and reproductive history, and MHM and water and sanitation practices were obtained by standardised questionnaire. A total of 486 women were recruited to the study, 228 symptomatic cases and 258 asymptomatic controls. Women who used reusable absorbent pads were more likely to have symptoms of urogenital infection (AdjOR=2.3, 95%CI1.5-3.4) or to be diagnosed with at least one urogenital infection (BV or UTI) (AdjOR=2.8, 95%CI1.7-4.5), than women using disposable pads. Increased wealth and space for personal hygiene in the household were protective for BV (AdjOR=0.5, 95%CI0.3-0.9 and AdjOR=0.6, 95%CI0.3-0.9 respectively). Lower education of the participants was the only factor associated with UTI after adjusting for all the confounders (AdjOR=3.1, 95%CI1.2-7.9). Interventions that ensure women have access to private facilities with water for MHM and that educate women about safer, low-cost MHM materials could reduce urogenital disease among women. Further studies of the effects of specific practices for managing hygienically

Sickness absenteeism is associated with sleep problems independent of sleep disorders: results of the 2016 Sleep Health Foundation national survey.

PubMed

Reynolds, Amy C; Appleton, Sarah L; Gill, Tiffany K; Taylor, Anne W; McEvoy, R Douglas; Ferguson, Sally A; Adams, Robert J

2017-10-01

Sleep disorders are associated with sickness absenteeism (SA), at significant economic cost. Correlates of absenteeism are less well described in nonclinical samples. We determined the relationship between markers of inadequate sleep and SA in a sample of 551 working adults aged ≥18 years across Australia. We considered diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and insomnia symptoms, daytime symptoms, and sleepiness with respect to sickness absenteeism (missing ≥1 day of work in the past 28 days because of problems with physical or mental health). Sickness absenteeism was reported by 27.0% of participants and was more frequent in younger participants, university graduates, and those experiencing financial stress. Sickness absenteeism was independently associated with insomnia (odds ratio [OR]=2.5, confidence interval [CI]=1.5-4.0], OSA (OR=9.8, CI=4.7-20.7), sleep aid use (OR=3.0, CI=1.9-4.7), and daytime symptoms (OR=3.0, CI=2.0-4.6) and inversely associated with perception of getting adequate sleep (OR=0.6, CI=0.4-0.9). Associations persisted in the population free of insomnia and/or OSA. In adults without clinical sleep disorders, sleep behaviors are contributing to sickness absenteeism. An increased focus at an organizational level on improvement of sleep hygiene is important to reduce lost work performance. Copyright © 2017 National Sleep Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A specific hygiene hypothesis.

PubMed

Shunsheng Han, Cliff

2016-08-01

Allergic diseases have reached epidemic proportions in Western populations in the last several decades. The hygiene hypothesis proposed more than twenty years ago has helped us to understand the epidemic and has been verified with numerous studies. However, translational measures deduced from these studies to prevent allergic diseases have not proven effective. Recent studies on immigrants' allergies and any potential association between oral infection and allergic diseases prompt me to propose a specific hygiene hypothesis to explain how oral hygiene practices might have contributed to the uprising of hay fever, the most common allergic disease. The historic oral hygiene level in US is closely associated with the emerging allergic epidemic. Future studies to test the hypothesis are needed and verification of the hypothesis can potentially yield highly effective measures to prevent allergic diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Hygiene behaviour in rural Nicaragua in relation to diarrhoea.

PubMed

Gorter, A C; Sandiford, P; Pauw, J; Morales, P; Pérez, R M; Alberts, H

1998-12-01

Childhood diarrhoea is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Nicaragua. Amongst the risk factors for its transmission are 'poor' hygiene practices. We investigated the effect of a large number of hygiene practices on diarrhoeal disease in children aged <2 years and validated the technique of direct observation of hygiene behaviour. A prospective follow-up study was carried out in a rural zone of Nicaragua. From the database of a previously conducted case-control study on water and sanitation 172 families were recruited, half of which had experienced a higher than expected rate of diarrhoea in their children and the other half a lower rate. Hygiene behaviour was observed over two mornings and diarrhoea incidence was recorded with a calendar, filled out by the mother, and collected every week for 5 months. Of 46 'good' practices studied, 39 were associated with a lower risk of diarrhoea, five were unrelated and only for two a higher risk was observed. Washing of hands, domestic cleanliness (kitchen, living room, yard) and the use of a diaper/underclothes by the child had the strongest protective effect. Schooling (>3 years of primary school) and better economic position (possession of a radio) had a positive influence on general hygiene behaviour, education having a slightly stronger effect when a radio was present. Individual hygiene behaviour appeared to be highly variable in contrast with the consistent behaviour of the community as a whole. Feasible and appropriate indicators of hygiene behaviour were found to be domestic cleanliness and the use of a diaper or underclothes by the child. A consistent relationship between almost all hygiene practices and diarrhoea was detected, more schooling producing better hygiene behaviour. The high variability of hygiene behaviour at the individual level requires repeated observations (at least two) before and after the hygiene education in the event one wants to measure the impact of the campaign on the individual.

Bidirectional associations between bedtime parenting and infant sleep: Parenting quality, parenting practices, and their interaction.

PubMed

Philbrook, Lauren E; Teti, Douglas M

2016-06-01

In keeping with transactional conceptualizations of infant sleep development (Sadeh, Tikotzky, & Scher, 2010), the present study was an examination of longitudinal, bidirectional linkages between bedtime parenting (through direct observations of parenting practices and quality) and infant sleep across the first 6 months postpartum. In doing so, we also drew from Darling and Steinberg's (1993) conceptual model to examine parenting quality as a moderator of linkages between specific bedtime practices and infant sleep. Multilevel model analyses revealed that the strongest increases in infant nighttime sleep across the first 6 months occurred among infants of mothers who engaged in low levels of nursing at bedtime. Within-person linkages between mothers' emotional availability (EA) at bedtime, infant distress, and infant sleep were found, such that at time points when mothers were more emotionally available, infants were less distressed and slept more throughout the night. Several moderating effects of maternal EA on linkages between parenting practices and infant sleep were obtained that were consistent with predictions from Darling and Steinberg (1993). Higher maternal EA in combination with less close contact at bedtime was associated with more infant sleep across the night on average, and higher EA in combination with fewer arousing bedtime activities predicted more rapid increases in infant sleep with age. Finally, there was evidence of infant-driven effects, as higher infant nighttime distress predicted lower EA at subsequent time points. Results showcased the complex, reciprocal interplay between parents and infants in the development of infant sleep patterns and parenting behavior during the first 6 months postpartum. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Intrinsic Circadian Rhythm Sleep-Wake Disorders: Advanced Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder (ASWPD), Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder (DSWPD), Non-24-Hour Sleep-Wake Rhythm Disorder (N24SWD), and Irregular Sleep-Wake Rhythm Disorder (ISWRD). An Update for 2015

PubMed Central

Auger, R. Robert; Burgess, Helen J.; Emens, Jonathan S.; Deriy, Ludmila V.; Thomas, Sherene M.; Sharkey, Katherine M.

2015-01-01

A systematic literature review and meta-analyses (where appropriate) were performed and the GRADE approach was used to update the previous American Academy of Sleep Medicine Practice Parameters on the treatment of intrinsic circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders. Available data allowed for positive endorsement (at a second-tier degree of confidence) of strategically timed melatonin (for the treatment of DSWPD, blind adults with N24SWD, and children/ adolescents with ISWRD and comorbid neurological disorders), and light therapy with or without accompanying behavioral interventions (adults with ASWPD, children/adolescents with DSWPD, and elderly with dementia). Recommendations against the use of melatonin and discrete sleep-promoting medications are provided for demented elderly patients, at a second- and first-tier degree of confidence, respectively. No recommendations were provided for remaining treatments/ populations, due to either insufficient or absent data. Areas where further research is needed are discussed. Citation: Auger RR, Burgess HJ, Emens JS, Deriy LV, Thomas SM, Sharkey KM. Clinical practice guideline for the treatment of intrinsic circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders: advanced sleep-wake phase disorder (ASWPD), delayed sleep-wake phase disorder (DSWPD), non-24-hour sleep-wake rhythm disorder (N24SWD), and irregular sleep-wake rhythm disorder (ISWRD). An update for 2015. J Clin Sleep Med 2015;11(10):1199–1236. PMID:26414986

Menstrual Hygiene Practices in Context of Schooling: A Community Study Among Rural Adolescent Girls in Varanasi

PubMed Central

Kansal, Sangeeta; Singh, Sweta; Kumar, Alok

2016-01-01

Introduction: Up until now, poor menstrual hygiene in developing countries has been an insufficiently acknowledged problem. The lack of attention to this issue is striking as we cannot achieve several Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), that is, 2, 3 4,5, and 5B. This study aimed to assess the level of awareness about menarche and hygienic practices during menstruation in context of schooling. Materials and Methods: Community-based cross-sectional study using a mix method approach (qualitative and quantitative). It was conducted among 650 adolescent girls in the field practice area of Rural Health and Training Centre, Chiraigaon block of district Varanasi between January and June2011. Pretested, semistructured interview schedule was used. Data were analyzed statistically by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Results: Out of the total 650 respondents, 590 (90.78%) had attained menarche at the time of interview and only one-third of the respondents (29.4%) were aware of menstruation before menarche and sisters (55%) played the key role in providing information to them. Only 31% respondents were using sanitary pads during menstruation. Self-reported reproductive tract infection (RTI) was observed more in respondents not maintaining hygienic practices (6.6%) as compared to those maintaining hygiene (2.6%). Conclusion and Recommendations: From the Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) as well as quantitative survey it was observed that the awareness about menarche before its onset was still poor in rural areas. Significant association (P < 0.05) was observed between respondent education and their awareness about menarche before its onset. Therefore, it is recommended that teachers can play an influential role in informing them about changes during adolescence, especially about menarche and other issues related to menstruation. As per the present study, sisters and mothers were the major source of information. Therefore, there is a need for the

Comparison of Infant Sleep Practices in African-American and US Hispanic Families: Implications for Sleep-Related Infant Death.

PubMed

Mathews, Anita A; Joyner, Brandi L; Oden, Rosalind P; Alamo, Ines; Moon, Rachel Y

2015-06-01

African-American and Hispanic families share similar socioeconomic profiles. Hispanic rates of sleep-related infant death are four times lower than African-American rates. We conducted a cross-sectional, multi-modal (surveys, qualitative interviews) study to compare infant care practices that impact risk for sleep-related infant death in African-American and Hispanic families. We surveyed 422 African-American and 90 Hispanic mothers. Eighty-three African-American and six Hispanic mothers participated in qualitative interviews. African-American infants were more likely to be placed prone (p < 0.001), share the bed with the parent (p < 0.001), and to be exposed to smoke (p < 0.001). Hispanic women were more likely to breastfeed (p < .001), while African-American women were more knowledgeable about SIDS. Qualitative interviews indicate that, although African-American and Hispanic parents had similar concerns, behaviors differed. Although the rationale for infant care decisions was similar for African-American and Hispanic families, practices differed. This may help to explain the racial/ethnic disparity seen in sleep-related infant deaths.

Is there a relationship between hygiene practices and skin and soft tissue infections in diapered children?

PubMed

Rominger, Annie Heffernan; Woods, Charles; Fallat, Mary; Stevenson, Michelle

2013-05-01

The perineal and gluteal regions are the most frequent areas of skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI) in diapered children. No studies have investigated the relationship between perineal and general hygiene practices and SSTIs in this population. This study was conducted to evaluate this relationship. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in an urban pediatric emergency department. Subjects were recruited into 3 study groups as follows: gluteal/perineal SSTIs (SSTI), diaper dermatitis (DD), or healthy normal skin (NS). Survey responses were analyzed for significance followed by a clinically oriented staged regression to model predictors of SSTI compared with the NS and DD groups. There were 100 subjects in the SSTI, 206 in the NS, and 151 in the DD groups. Race was the only demographic characteristic that differed between the groups. After adjustment for race, no day care attendance, history of SSTI, household contact with SSTI history, and higher propensity for diaper rash were associated with SSTI compared with NS. Regression results comparing SSTI to DD revealed no day care attendance, history of SSTI, household contact with SSTI history, less sensitive skin, and less diaper cream use to be predictors of SSTI. Perineal and general hygiene practices were not significantly different between children with SSTI compared with children with NS or DD. Based on the results of this study, further prospective studies should evaluate diaper hygiene practices that prevent DD and subsequent SSTIs, the preventative role of day care attendance, and effective interventions that minimize the risk of recurrent SSTIs.

The effects of cognitive-behavioral therapy for youth anxiety on sleep problems.

PubMed

Peterman, Jeremy S; Carper, Matthew M; Elkins, R Meredith; Comer, Jonathan S; Pincus, Donna B; Kendall, Philip C

2016-01-01

The present study examined (a) whether sleep related problems (SRPs) improved following cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for youth with anxiety disorders, (b) whether variables that may link anxiety and SRPs (e.g., pre-sleep arousal, family accommodation, sleep hygiene) changed during treatment, and (c) whether such changes predicted SRPs at posttreatment. Youth were diagnosed with anxiety at pretreatment and received weekly CBT that targeted their principal anxiety diagnosis at one of two specialty clinics (N=69 completers, Mage=10.86). Results indicated that parent-reported SRPs improved from pre- to post-treatment and that treatment responders with regard to anxiety yielded greater SRP improvements than nonresponders. Parent report of bedtime resistance and sleep anxiety showed significant improvements. Youth reported lower rates of SRPs compared to their parents and did not demonstrate pre- to post-treatment changes in SRPs. Pre-sleep arousal and family accommodation decreased over treatment but did not predict lower SRPs at posttreatment. Higher accommodation was correlated with greater SRPs. Sleep hygiene evidenced no change and did not mediate links between accommodation and posttreatment SRPs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effect of Nursing Quality Improvement and Mobile Health Interventions on Infant Sleep Practices

PubMed Central

Moon, Rachel Y.; Hauck, Fern R.; Colson, Eve R.; Kellams, Ann L.; Geller, Nicole L.; Heeren, Timothy; Kerr, Stephen M.; Drake, Emily E.; Tanabe, Kawai; McClain, Mary; Corwin, Michael J.

2017-01-01

IMPORTANCE Inadequate adherence to recommendations known to reduce the risk of sudden unexpected infant death has contributed to a slowing in the decline of these deaths. OBJECTIVE To assess the effectiveness of 2 interventions separately and combined to promote infant safe sleep practices compared with control interventions. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Four-group cluster randomized clinical trial of mothers of healthy term newborns who were recruited between March 2015 and May 2016 at 16 US hospitals with more than 100 births annually. Data collection ended in October 2016. INTERVENTIONS All participants were beneficiaries of a nursing quality improvement campaign in infant safe sleep practices (intervention) or breastfeeding (control), and then received a 60-day mobile health program, in which mothers received frequent emails or text messages containing short videos with educational content about infant safe sleep practices (intervention) or breastfeeding (control) and queries about infant care practices. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was maternal self-reported adherence to 4 infant safe sleep practices of sleep position (supine), sleep location (room sharing without bed sharing), soft bedding use (none), and pacifier use (any); data were collected by maternal survey when the infant was aged 60 to 240 days. RESULTS Of the 1600 mothers who were randomized to 1 of 4 groups (400 per group), 1263 completed the survey (78.9%). The mean (SD) maternal age was 28.1 years (5.8 years) and 32.8% of respondents were non-Hispanic white, 32.3% Hispanic, 27.2% non-Hispanic black, and 7.7% other race/ethnicity. The mean (SD) infant age was 11.2 weeks (4.4 weeks) and 51.2% were female. In the adjusted analyses, mothers receiving the safe sleep mobile health intervention had higher prevalence of placing their infants supine compared with mothers receiving the control mobile health intervention (89.1% vs 80.2%, respectively; adjusted risk difference, 8.9% [95

Obstructive sleep apnea among commercial motor vehicle drivers: using evidence-based practice to identify risk factors.

PubMed

Olszewski, Kimberly; Wolf, Debra

2013-11-01

Commercial motor vehicle driving is a hazardous occupation, having the third highest fatality rate among common U.S. jobs. Among the estimated 14 million U.S. commercial motor vehicle drivers, the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea is reported to be 17% to 28%. Despite the identified increased prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea among commercial motor vehicle drivers, federal law does not require that they be screened for obstructive sleep apnea. This article presents an evidence-based practice change project; the authors developed, implemented, and evaluated a screening program to identify commercial motor vehicle drivers' risk for obstructive sleep apnea during commercial driver medical examinations. The results of this practice change indicated screening for obstructive sleep apnea during the commercial driver medical examination led to improved identification of obstructive sleep apnea risk among commercial motor vehicle drivers and should be a clinical standard in occupational health clinics. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.

Menstrual Hygiene Management in Resource-Poor Countries

PubMed Central

Kuhlmann, Anne Sebert; Henry, Kaysha; Wall, L. Lewis

2017-01-01

Importance Adequate management of menstrual hygiene is taken for granted in affluent countries; however, inadequate menstrual hygiene is a major problem for girls and women in resource-poor countries, which adversely affects the health and development of adolescent girls. Objective The aim of this article is to review the current evidence concerning menstrual hygiene management in these settings. Evidence Acquisition A PubMed search using MeSH terms was conducted in English, supplemented by hand searching for additional references. Retrieved articles were reviewed, synthesized, and summarized. Results Most research to date has described menstrual hygiene knowledge, attitudes, and practices, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Many school-based studies indicate poorer menstrual hygiene among girls in rural areas and those attending public schools. The few studies that have tried to improve or change menstrual hygiene practices provide moderate to strong evidence that targeted interventions do improve menstrual hygiene knowledge and awareness. Conclusion and Relevance Challenges to improving menstrual hygiene management include lack of support from teachers (who are frequently male); teasing by peers when accidental menstrual soiling of clothes occurs; poor familial support; lack of cultural acceptance of alternative menstrual products; limited economic resources to purchase supplies; inadequate water and sanitation facilities at school; menstrual cramps, pain, and discomfort; and lengthy travel to and from school, which increases the likelihood of leaks/stains. Areas for future research include the relationship between menarche and school dropout, the relationship between menstrual hygiene management and other health outcomes, and how to increase awareness of menstrual hygiene management among household decision makers including husbands/fathers and in-laws. Target Audience Obstetricians and gynecologists, family physicians. Learning Objectives After

Four hygienic-dietary recommendations as add-on treatment in depression: a randomized-controlled trial.

PubMed

García-Toro, Mauro; Ibarra, Olga; Gili, Margalida; Serrano, María J; Oliván, Bárbara; Vicens, Enric; Roca, Miguel

2012-10-01

Modifying diet, exercise, sunlight exposure and sleep patterns may be useful in the treatment of depression. Eighty nonseasonal depressive outpatients on anti-depressant treatment were randomly assigned either to the active or control group. Four hygienic-dietary recommendations were prescribed together. Outcome measures were blinded assessed before and after the six month intervention period. A better evolution of depressive symptoms, a higher rate of responder and remitters and a lesser psychopharmacological prescription was found in the active group. Small sample size. Lacked homogeneity concerning affective disorders (major depression, dysthimia, bipolar depression). This study suggests lifestyle recommendations can be used as an effective antidepressant complementary strategy in daily practice. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Morningness/eveningness and the need for sleep.

PubMed

Taillard, J; Philip, P; Bioulac, B

1999-12-01

The purpose of this study was to determine, in a large sample of adults of all ages (17-80 years), the effect of morningness/eveningness on sleep/wake schedules, sleep needs, sleep hygiene and subjective daytime somnolence. A total of 617 subjects (219 subjects per chronotype group) matched for age, sex and employment status, completed an abridged morningness/eveningness questionnaire, a questionnaire on sleep habits and the quality of sleep, and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Eveningness was associated with a greater need for sleep, less time in bed during the week compared to ideal sleep needs, more time in bed at the weekend, a later bedtime and waking-up time especially at the weekend, more irregular sleep/wake habits and greater caffeine consumption. These subjects built up a sleep debt during the week and extended their duration of sleep at the weekend. They did not, however, rate themselves more sleepy than other types, despite the fact that our results showed a clear link between subjectively evaluated daytime somnolence and sleep debt. Why they were less affected by sleep deprivation is not clear. This raises the question of individual susceptibility to the modification of sleep parameters.

Evidence-Based Review of Subjective Pediatric Sleep Measures

PubMed Central

Toliver-Sokol, Marisol; Palermo, Tonya M.

2011-01-01

Objective This manuscript provides an evidence-based psychometric review of parent and child-report pediatric sleep measures using criteria developed by the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 54 Evidence-Based Assessment (EBA) Task Force. Methods Twenty-one measures were reviewed: four measures of daytime sleepiness, four measures of sleep habits/hygiene, two measures assessing sleep-related attitudes/cognitions, five measures of sleep initiation/maintenance, and six multidimensional sleep measures. Results Six of the 21 measures met “well-established” evidence-based assessment criteria. An additional eight measures were rated as “approaching well-established” and seven were rated as “promising.” Conclusions Overall, the multidimensional sleep measures received the highest ratings. Strengths and weaknesses of the measures are described. Recommendations for future pediatric sleep assessment are presented including further validation of measures, use of multiple informants, and stability of sleep measures over time. PMID:21227912

Feasibility of Using Actigraphy and Motivational-Based Interviewing to Improve Sleep among School-Age Children and Their Parents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willgerodt, Mayumi A.; Kieckhefer, Gail M.; Ward, Teresa M.; Lentz, Martha J.

2014-01-01

Inadequate sleep occurs in 25% of our nation's children; poor sleep is associated with physical, cognitive, and social consequences. Developing good sleep hygiene in middle childhood is important, because habits typically extend to adolescence and adulthood; yet, there has been little research on sleep interventions for school-age children. The…

Associations between sleep disturbance and suicidal ideation in adolescents admitted to an inpatient psychiatric unit.

PubMed

Kaplan, Sebastian G; Ali, Shahzad K; Simpson, Brittany; Britt, Victoria; McCall, W Vaughn

2014-01-01

The goals of our study were to: 1) describe the incidence of disturbances in sleep quality, sleep hygiene, sleep-related cognitions and nightmares; and 2) investigate the association between these sleep-related disturbances and suicidal ideation (SI), in adolescents admitted to a psychiatric inpatient unit. Our sample consisted of 50 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 years (32 females and 18 males; 41 Caucasian and nine African American). Our cross-sectional design involved the administration of the Adolescent Sleep Wake Scale (ASWS), the Adolescent Sleep Hygiene Scale (ASHS), the Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep-Short version for use with children (DBAS-C10), the Disturbing Dreams and Nightmare Scale (DDNSI), and the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire Jr (SIQ-JR). Analyses were conducted using Pearson correlations, as well as univariate and multivariate regression. Results indicated that our sample experienced sleep disturbances and SI to a greater degree than non-clinical samples. Sleep quality was correlated with nightmares, while sleep quality and nightmares were each correlated with SI. Sleep quality, dysfunctional beliefs, and nightmares each independently predicted SI. Our study was the first to use the four sleep measures with an adolescent psychiatric inpatient sample. It is important to develop sleep-related assessment tools in high-risk populations given the link between sleep disturbances and suicidality. Furthermore, a better understanding of the relationships between SI and sleep quality, sleep-related cognitions, and nightmares is needed to develop potential prevention and treatment options for suicidality in adolescents.

Evaluation of hygiene practices and microbiological quality of cooked meat products during slicing and handling at retail.

PubMed

Pérez-Rodríguez, F; Castro, R; Posada-Izquierdo, G D; Valero, A; Carrasco, E; García-Gimeno, R M; Zurera, G

2010-10-01

Cooked meat ready-to-eat products are recognized to be contaminated during slicing which, in the last years, has been associated with several outbreaks. This work aimed to find out possible relation between the hygiene practice taking place at retail point during slicing of cooked meat products in small and medium-sized establishments (SMEs) and large-sized establishments (LEs) and the microbiological quality of sliced cooked meat products. For that, a checklist was drawn up and filled in based on scoring handling practice during slicing in different establishments in Cordoba (Southern Spain). In addition, sliced cooked meats were analyzed for different microbiological indicators and investigated for the presence of Listeria spp. and Listeria monocytogenes. Results indicated that SMEs showed a more deficient handling practices compared to LEs. In spite of these differences, microbiological counts indicated similar microbiological quality in cooked meat samples for both types of establishments. On the other hand, Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria inocua were isolated from 7.35% (5/68) and 8.82% (6/68) of analyzed samples, respectively. Positive samples for Listeria spp. were found in establishments which showed acceptable hygiene levels, though contamination could be associated to the lack of exclusiveness of slicers at retail points. Moreover, Listeria spp presence could not be statistically linked to any microbiological parameters; however, it was observed that seasonality influenced significantly (P<0.05) L. monocytogenes presence, being all samples found during warm season (5/5). As a conclusion, results suggested that more effort should be made to adequately educate handlers in food hygiene practices, focused specially on SMEs. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[A system of introduction of the results of scientific research on hygiene into practical health care and national economics].

PubMed

Eksler, N D; Vishnevskaia, S S

1989-01-01

The country's socio-economic development necessitates further elaboration of new approaches to the introduction of hygienic research results into practice. The main criterion for choosing proper research techniques lies in their economy-type efficiency, both social, medical and economic. A new system of hygienic research introduction should be based on financial and economic stimuli, establishment of a network of inventive firms, as well as supported by an effective mechanisms of information feed-back with due account of health indices.

Assessment of social, demographic determinants and oral hygiene practices in relation to dental caries among the children attending Anganwadis of Hingna, Nagpur.

PubMed

Bhayade, Shweta Suresh; Mittal, Rakesh; Chandak, Shweta; Bhondey, Ashish

2016-01-01

In developing countries, dental caries is the most common disease of the early childhood. Its increased prevalence in younger age group have been predictive of oral health problems in future, affecting oral health and development leading to several morbid conditions of oral and general health. Prevalence and incidence of dental caries is highly influenced by a number of risk factors such as gender, age, socioeconomic status, dietary patterns, and oral hygiene habits. To assess social, demographic determinants and oral hygiene practices in relation to dental caries among the children attending Anganwadis of Hingna, Nagpur. A cross sectional study in 27 Anganwadis of Hingna, Nagpur was carried out over a period of two months and a total of 324 subjects attending the Anganwadis were enrolled. Social, demographic and oral hygiene practices in relation to dental caries were assessed in the study population. Out of 324 subjects, 206 had dental caries and 38 were found to be malnourished. A significant association was found among age, malnutrition, parent's educational status, oral hygiene practices, total number of siblings, and dental caries. Anganwadis should be addressed routinely on effective oral and general health promoting strategies which must include education of parents, oral and general health issues, risk factors for dental caries, and malnutrition in children below 5 years of age.

Industrial Hygiene Laboratory accreditation: The JSC experience

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fadner, Dawn E.

1993-01-01

The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) is a society of professionals dedicated to the health and safety of workers and community. With more than 10,000 members, the AIHA is the largest international association serving occupational and environmental health professionals practicing industrial hygiene in private industry, academia, government, labor, and independent organizations. In 1973, AIHA developed a National Industrial Hygiene Laboratory Accreditation Program. The purposes of this program are shown.

Epidemiological aspects of self-reported sleep onset latency in Japanese junior high school children.

PubMed

Alexandru, Gaina; Michikazu, Sekine; Shimako, Hamanishi; Xiaoli, Chen; Hitomi, Kanayama; Takashi, Yamagami; Robert, Williams W; Sadanobu, Kagamimori

2006-09-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between sleep onset latency (SOL) and other sleep-wake patterns and media use habits in Japanese schoolchildren. A total of 9,718 junior high school children responded (12.8 years) and 9199 questionnaires were used in the present analyses. The questionnaire assessed sleep-wake patterns, TV viewing and videogame habits. Overall, 72.1% of the subjects reported short SOL (20 min) were strongly associated with disturbed sleep manifested especially by increased risk of night awakenings, decreased sleep depth, and bad sleep in general (overall sleep quality). Prolonged SOL was also associated with daytime sleepiness, difficulties in falling asleep, bad morning feeling and sleep insufficiency. We found a U-shaped relationship between sleep period and SOL. Increase in bedtime was accompanied by increased risk of prolonged SOL. The impact of ultra-short and ultra-long SOL (or=40 min) was also analysed. Long durations of watching television and playing videogame were significantly associated with prolonged SOL. After adjustment for sex, girls presented significantly higher risk of prolonged SOL. Body mass index adjustment did not reveal any significant results. SOL presents a significant component of sleep-wake habits; poor sleep hygiene and insufficient sleep time significantly increase SOL. Parents, healthcare practitioners and children themselves should be aware of the potentially negative influence of prolonged SOL. Additionally, the optimal coherent sleep-wake schedule must be promoted in parallel with the limitation on the viewing TV and game practices.

Domestic food preparation practices: a review of the reasons for poor home hygiene practices.

PubMed

Al-Sakkaf, Ali

2015-09-01

New Zealand has a much higher rate of reported campylobacteriosis cases than the rest of the developed world. It has been suggested that New Zealanders have worse home hygiene practices during food preparation than the citizens of other developed countries. Thus, it is necessary to recognize and understand the reasons for consumer's poor practices in order to help develop a more effective message to improve New Zealanders' practices in the domestic environment. This could in turn lead to a reduction in the number of campylobacteriosis cases. The objective is to review cited literature on consumer practices which is related to food poisoning and to attempt to list the factors related to poor consumer practice. There are many internationally identifiable reasons for the poor practices of consumers. These reasons include psychological, demographic and socioeconomic variables; personal interest in new information; prior knowledge; cultural influence; educational background; perception of risk, control and liability; and attitude towards the addressed practices or hazards. The results have indicated that 'optimistic bias', the 'illusion of control', habits and lack of knowledge concerning food safety during domestic food preparation are prevalent among consumers. The research indicated the influence of demographic factors (age, gender, level of education, income, work hours, race, location, culture), as they play a potential role in determining domestic food safety behaviour. It appears that all these factors are applicable for New Zealand consumers and should be addressed in any future education strategy aimed at improving New Zealanders' food handling practices. © The Author (2013). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Frequent nocturnal awakening in children: prevalence, risk factors, and associations with subjective sleep perception and daytime sleepiness.

PubMed

Li, Liwen; Ren, Jiwei; Shi, Lei; Jin, Xinming; Yan, Chonghuai; Jiang, Fan; Shen, Xiaoming; Li, Shenghui

2014-07-30

Nocturnal awakening is the most frequent insomnia complaint in the general population. In contrast to a growing knowledge based on adults, little is known about its prevalence, correlated factors, and associations with subjective sleep perception and daytime sleepiness in children. This study was designed to assess the prevalence and the correlate factors of frequent nocturnal awakening (FNA) among Chinese school-aged children. Furthermore, the associations of FNA with subjective sleep perception and daytime sleepiness were examined. A random sample of 20,505 children aged 5.00 to 11.92 years old (boys: 49.5% vs. girls: 50.5%) participated in a cross-sectional survey, which was conducted in eight cities of China. Parent-administered questionnaires were used to collect information on children's sleep behaviors, sleep perception, and potential influential factors of FNA from six domains. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were performed. The prevalence of FNA was 9.8% (10.0% for boys vs. 8.9% for girls) in our sampled children. The prominent FNA-related factors inclued biological health problems, such as overweight/obesity (OR = 1.70), chronic pain during night (OR = 2.47), and chronic respiratory condition (OR = 1.23), poor psychosocial condition, such as poor mental and emotional functioning (OR = 1.34), poor sleep hygiene, such as frequently doing exciting activities before bedtime (OR = 1.24) and bedtime resistance (OR = 1.42), and parents' history of insomnia (OR = 1.31). FNA was associated with subjective poor sleep quality (OR = 1.24), subjective insufficient sleep (OR = 1.21), and daytime sleepiness (OR = 1.35). FNA was associated with poor sleep and daytime sleepiness. Compared to sleep environment and family susceptibility, chronic health problems, poor psychosocial condition, and poor sleep hygiene had greater impact on FNA, indicating childhood FNA could be partly prevented by health promotion, by psychological intervention, and by

Hand hygiene in the nursery during diaper changing.

PubMed

Phang, Koh Ni; Maznin, Nur Liyanna; Yip, Wai Kin

2012-12-01

This project aimed to improve hand hygiene practice during diaper changing among nurses working in the nursery. This project was conducted in one of the nurseries in a 935-bed acute care hospital with a sample of 15 nurses. A pre- and post-intervention audit was conducted utilising the Joanna Briggs Institute Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System and Getting Research into Practice module. A revised written workflow, which specified the occasions and process for hand hygiene during diaper changing, was introduced. Modifications to the baby bassinets and nursery were made after barriers to good hand hygiene were identified. The project was carried out over 4 months, from March to June 2011. The post-intervention audit results show an improvement in performing hand washing after changing diapers (20%) and performing the correct steps of hand rubbing (25%). However, the compliance rates decreased for the other criteria that measured whether hand rubbing or hand washing was performed prior to contacting the infant and after wrapping the infant, and whether hand washing was performed correctly. The improvement in compliance with hand washing--the main focus of the new workflow--after changing diapers was especially significant. The results indicated that having a workflow on the occasions and process for hand hygiene during diaper changing was useful in standardising practice. Pre- and post-implementation audits were effective methods for evaluating the effect of translating evidence into practice. However, this project had limited success in improving compliance with hand hygiene. This suggested that more effort is needed to reinforce the importance of hand hygiene and compliance to the proposed workflow. In addition, this project showed that for change to take place successfully, environmental modifications, increased awareness and adequate communication to every staff member are essential. © 2012 The Authors. International Journal of Evidence

Social and cultural dimensions of hygiene in Cambodian health care facilities

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The frequency of bloodborne pathogen healthcare-associated infections is thought to be high in developing Southeast Asian Countries. The underlying social-cultural logics contributing to the risks of transmission are rarely studied. This report provides some insights on the social and cultural factors that shape hygiene practices in Cambodian health care settings. Methods We conducted qualitative surveys in various public and private health facilities in Phnom Penh, the capital city and in provinces. We observed and interviewed 319 participants, health care workers and patients, regarding hygiene practices and social relationships amongst the health care staff and with patients. We also examined the local perceptions of hygiene, their impact on the relationships between the health care staff and patients, and perceptions of transmission risks. Data collection stem from face to face semi-structured and open-ended interviews and focus group discussions with various health care staffs (i.e. cleaners, nurses, midwives and medical doctors) and with patients who attended the study health facilities. Results Overall responses and observations indicated that hygiene practices were burdened by the lack of adequate materials and equipements. In addition, many other factors were identified to influence and distort hygiene practices which include (1) informal and formal social rapports in hospitals, (2) major infection control roles played by the cleaners in absence of professional acknowledgment. Moreover, hygiene practices are commonly seen as an unessential matter to be devoted to low-ranking staff. Conclusion Our anthropological findings illustrate the importance of comprehensive understanding of hygiene practices; they need to be considered when designing interventions to improve infection control practices in a Cambodian medical setting. PMID:21294927

"Sleep is not tangible" or what the Hebrew tradition has to say about sleep.

PubMed

Ancoli-Israel, S

2001-01-01

Much of what is known about sleep disorders has been uncovered in the last forty years. As scientists, we consider these discoveries to be landmarks. Yet there is a tremendous amount of information written about sleep in the Bible and its commentaries. Sleep, and even sleep disorders, are referred to in many instances and can be directly interpreted by what we know today. Our forefathers and foremothers generally viewed sleep as both pleasant and necessary and were aware that sleep was not one continuous stage. They referred to the function of sleep as being restorative. They deplored sleep deprivation, believing that it impaired life. They felt that excessive sleepiness was harmful. They understood that insomnia could be caused by stress and anxiety and by excessive alcohol, and that physical activity (exercise) and drinking milk could improve sleep. They suggested cures for insomnia, including some of the ideas included in today's sleep hygiene rules. They understood that there was a rhythm or timing to sleep. They even understood that it is easier to delay the circadian rhythm that to advance it. Although naps are not recommended, they sometimes took naps in the afternoon, but suggested just how long that nap should last-about one-half hour. And they knew that with age, although sleep is advanced, healthy elderly do not have difficulty sleeping. Although we think we have discovered many new features about sleep disorders, much of what we know today was suggested thousands of years ago and documented in the Bible and the Talmud.

Practice parameters for the clinical evaluation and treatment of circadian rhythm sleep disorders. An American Academy of Sleep Medicine report.

PubMed

Morgenthaler, Timothy I; Lee-Chiong, Teofilo; Alessi, Cathy; Friedman, Leah; Aurora, R Nisha; Boehlecke, Brian; Brown, Terry; Chesson, Andrew L; Kapur, Vishesh; Maganti, Rama; Owens, Judith; Pancer, Jeffrey; Swick, Todd J; Zak, Rochelle

2007-11-01

The expanding science of circadian rhythm biology and a growing literature in human clinical research on circadian rhythm sleep disorders (CRSDs) prompted the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) to convene a task force of experts to write a review of this important topic. Due to the extensive nature of the disorders covered, the review was written in two sections. The first review paper, in addition to providing a general introduction to circadian biology, addresses "exogenous" circadian rhythm sleep disorders, including shift work disorder (SWD) and jet lag disorder (JLD). The second review paper addresses the "endogenous" circadian rhythm sleep disorders, including advanced sleep phase disorder (ASPD), delayed sleep phase disorder (DSPD), irregular sleep-wake rhythm (ISWR), and the non-24-hour sleep-wake syndrome (nonentrained type) or free-running disorder (FRD). These practice parameters were developed by the Standards of Practice Committee and reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors of the AASM to present recommendations for the assessment and treatment of CRSDs based on the two accompanying comprehensive reviews. The main diagnostic tools considered include sleep logs, actigraphy, the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), circadian phase markers, and polysomnography. Use of a sleep log or diary is indicated in the assessment of patients with a suspected circadian rhythm sleep disorder (Guideline). Actigraphy is indicated to assist in evaluation of patients suspected of circadian rhythm disorders (strength of recommendation varies from "Option" to "Guideline," depending on the suspected CRSD). Polysomnography is not routinely indicated for the diagnosis of CRSDs, but may be indicated to rule out another primary sleep disorder (Standard). There is insufficient evidence to justify the use of MEQ for the routine clinical evaluation of CRSDs (Option). Circadian phase markers are useful to determine circadian phase and confirm the diagnosis of

Sleep Bruxism in Respiratory Medicine Practice.

PubMed

Mayer, Pierre; Heinzer, Raphael; Lavigne, Gilles

2016-01-01

Sleep bruxism (SB) consists of involuntary episodic and repetitive jaw muscle activity characterized by occasional tooth grinding or jaw clenching during sleep. Prevalence decreases from 20% to 14% in childhood to 8% to 3% in adulthood. Although the causes and mechanisms of idiopathic primary SB are unknown, putative candidates include psychologic risk factors (eg, anxiety, stress due to life events, hypervigilance) and sleep physiologic reactivity (eg, sleep arousals with autonomic activity, breathing events). Although certain neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine, noradrenalin, histamine) have been proposed to play an indirect role in SB, their exact contribution to rhythmic masticatory muscle activity (RMMA) (the electromyography marker of SB) genesis remains undetermined. No specific gene is associated with SB; familial environmental influence plays a significant role. To date, no single explanation can account for the SB mechanism. Secondary SB with sleep comorbidities that should be clinically assessed are insomnia, periodic limb movements during sleep, sleep-disordered breathing (eg, apnea-hypopnea), gastroesophageal reflux disease, and neurologic disorders (eg, sleep epilepsy, rapid eye movement behavior disorder). SB is currently quantified by scoring RMMA recordings in parallel with brain, respiratory, and heart activity recordings in a sleep laboratory or home setting. RMMA confirmation with audio-video recordings is recommended for better diagnostic accuracy in the presence of neurologic conditions. Management strategies (diagnostic tests, treatment) should be tailored to the patient's phenotype and comorbidities. In the presence of sleep-disordered breathing, a mandibular advancement appliance or CPAP treatment is preferred over single occlusal splint therapy on the upper jaw. Copyright © 2016 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sleep is an eye-opener: Behavioral causes and consequences of hypersomnolence in children.

PubMed

Thomas, Jocelyn H; Burgers, Darcy E

2018-01-01

The most common behavioral cause of hypersomnia in children is insufficient sleep. Behavioral causes of insufficient sleep for children, ages six months through 12 years, include inadequate sleep hygiene, bedtime struggles, prolonged sleep onset latency, nighttime fears, and nightmares. Behavioral interventions are efficacious and should be individualized to meet the needs of the child and family. Insufficient sleep affects many areas of child development, including academic, cognitive, and psychosocial, as well as parents and caregivers. Behavioral causes of sleepiness in children are best identified through a clinical interview, sleep diary, and actigraphy. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Hygiene Hypothesis in Asthma Development: Is Hygiene to Blame?

PubMed

van Tilburg Bernardes, Erik; Arrieta, Marie-Claire

2017-11-01

Industrialized countries have registered epidemic rates on allergic diseases, such as hay fever, asthma, eczema, and food allergies. The Hygiene Hypothesis was born from work made by Dr. David Strachan, who observed that younger siblings were less susceptible to eczema and asthma, and proposed that this was a result of increased transmission of infectious agents via unhygienic practices within a household. This initial hypothesis was then reframed as the old friends/microbiota hypothesis, implicating non-pathogenic commensal microorganisms as the source of immunomodulatory signals necessary to prevent immune-mediated chronic disorders. Although the hygiene hypothesis is supported by epidemiological research of allergic diseases in certain industrialized settings, it often fails to explain the incidence of asthma in less affluent regions of the world. In this review, we summarize up-to-date information on genetic and environmental factors associated with asthma in different human populations, and present evidence that calls for caution when associating hygiene with the pathogenesis of asthma and other allergic conditions. Copyright © 2017 IMSS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A discourse on the nature of dental hygiene knowledge and knowing.

PubMed

Cobban, S J; Edgington, E M; Myrick, F; Keenan, L

2009-02-01

Historically, dental hygiene has adopted theory and research from other health disciplines, without adequately modifying these concepts to reflect the unique dental hygiene practice context, leaving dental hygiene's research and theory base underdeveloped. Dental hygiene has yet to articulate its epistemological assumptions--the nature, scope and object of dental hygiene knowledge--or to fully describe the patterns of knowing that are brought to practice. This paper uses a method of inquiry from philosophy to begin the discourse about dental hygiene ways of knowing. In nursing, Carper identified four fundamental patterns of knowing: empirics or the science of nursing; aesthetics or the art of nursing; personal knowledge and ethical or moral knowledge. These patterns were used to explore this concept within dental hygiene. There is more to the nature of dental hygiene knowledge and knowing than rote application of technique-related or research-based information in practice, including judgements about when and how to use different types of information that are used. Currently, empirical forms of knowledge seem to be disproportionately valued, yet evidence was found for all of Carper's four patterns of knowing. Carper's work on patterns of knowing in nursing provided a useful framework to initiate the discourse on ways of knowing in dental hygiene. These results are submitted for others to challenge, refine and extend, for continuing the discussion. Dental hygiene leaders and scholars need to engage in discourse about extending the epistemological assumptions to reflect reality.

Sleep-Related Improvements in Motor Learning Following Mental Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Debarnot, Ursula; Creveaux, Thomas; Collet, Christian; Gemignani, Angelo; Massarelli, Raphael; Doyon, Julien; Guillot, Aymeric

2009-01-01

A wide range of experimental studies have provided evidence that a night of sleep may enhance motor performance following physical practice (PP), but little is known, however, about its effect after motor imagery (MI). Using an explicitly learned pointing task paradigm, thirty participants were assigned to one of three groups that differed in the…

Experiences of hand hygiene among acute care nurses: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

PubMed Central

Chatfield, Sheryl L; Nolan, Rachael; Crawford, Hannah; Hallam, Jeffrey S

2016-01-01

Objective: Occurrences of healthcare-associated infections are associated with substantial direct and indirect costs. Improvement in hand hygiene among acute care nurses has potential to reduce incidence of healthcare-associated infections. Findings from reviews of intervention research have not conclusively identified components that are more or less efficient or effective. Much prior qualitative research has focused on descriptive analysis of policies and practices rather than providing interpretive explorations of how individuals’ perceptions of hygiene might drive practices. Methods: We conducted qualitative interview research with eight nurses in the United States who were employed in various patient-care roles. We analyzed the data using an interpretative phenomenological analysis methodology to explore how nurses described their perceptions of, and experiences with, hygiene. We developed themes that explored individual, workplace, and management influences on perception of hygiene. Results: Developed themes include practical hygiene, risky business, and hygiene on trial; the latter theme described the conflict between how nurses perceived their own hygiene practices and how they felt hospital management perceived these practices. Other findings included that participants distinguished between policy-mandated use of sanitizer and a personal sense of cleanliness; the latter was more likely to be associated with scrubbing or removal of contaminants than with use of protectants. Conclusion: While participants asserted support for facility hand hygiene policies, their behavior in certain instances might be mediated by broadly defined emergent situations and a belief that it is not currently possible to establish a causal link between an healthcare-associated infections and a specific individual or occurrence. Researchers and infection prevention practitioners might consider soliciting greater input from nurses in planning hand hygiene improvement interventions

Predictors of respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette in a large community in Korea: A descriptive study.

PubMed

Choi, Jeong Sil; Kim, Kyung Mi

2016-11-01

This study was conducted to investigate the level of knowledge about and practice of respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette among the general population of Korea and to identify the factors that may influence the practice of respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette. The mean correct answer rate for knowledge of respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette was 56.1%. Predictors of respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette practice were carrying a handkerchief or tissues, prior education on respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette, awareness level of respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette, daily frequency of handwashing, and knowledge level of respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette. Copyright © 2016 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sleep disturbances in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

PubMed Central

Spruyt, Karen; Gozal, David

2011-01-01

In this article, we advocate the need for better understanding and treatment of children exhibiting inattentive, hyperactive, impulsive behaviors, by in-depth questioning on sleepiness, sleep-disordered breathing or problematic behaviors at bedtime, during the night and upon awakening, as well as night-to-night sleep duration variability. The relationships between sleep and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are complex and are routinely overlooked by practitioners. Motricity and somnolence, the most consistent complaints and objectively measured sleep problems in children with ADHD, may develop as a consequence of multidirectional and multifactorial pathways. Therefore, subjectively perceived or reported restless sleep should be evaluated with specific attention to restless legs syndrome or periodic limb movement disorder, and awakenings should be queried with regard to parasomnias, dyssomnias and sleep-disordered breathing. Sleep hygiene logs detailing sleep onset and offset quantitatively, as well as qualitatively, are required. More studies in children with ADHD are needed to reveal the 24-h phenotype, or its sleep comorbidities. PMID:21469929

Baccalaureate Dental Hygiene Education: Creating a Reality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wayman, Dona E.

1985-01-01

Inherent in the meaning of baccalaureate dental hygiene education is the offering of upper-division courses in the theory and practice of dental hygiene itself. Restructuring the associate programs as strictly two-year, lower-division programs would require standardization of baccalaureate programs as strictly upper-division curricula. (MLW)

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Facilities and Hygiene Practices Associated with Diarrhea and Vomiting in Monastic Schools, Myanmar

PubMed Central

Weaver, Emma R. N.; Agius, Paul A.; Veale, Hilary; Dorning, Karl; Hlang, Thein T.; Aung, Poe P.; Fowkes, Freya J. I.; Hellard, Margaret E.

2016-01-01

Gastrointestinal diseases are major contributors to mortality among children globally, causing one in 10 child deaths. Although most deaths are in children aged ≤ 5 years, the burden of disease in school-aged children is still considerable and contributes to high rates of school absenteeism. This study investigates behavioral and structural risk factors associated with diarrhea and/or vomiting among schoolchildren in Myanmar. Cross-sectional data from a school-based multistage cluster sample of grade 4 and 5 students were analyzed to explore water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities and hygiene-related practices of students in monastic schools in Myanmar. The outcome of interest was student self-reported diarrhea and/or vomiting in the past week. Random effects multinomial logistic regression models were used to explore correlates at the student and school level. A total of 2,082 students from 116 schools across eight states/regions were included. Of these, 11% (223) self-reported at least one episode of diarrhea only, 12% (253) at least one episode of vomiting only, and 12% (244) diarrhea and vomiting in the past week. Independent risk factors associated with the outcome included poor availability of handwash stations, no access to a septic tank toilet, inconsistent toilet use, and lower student grade. These findings highlight the importance of having an adequate number of handwash stations for students, the provision of septic tank toilets, and consistent toilet use. Future WASH programs need to target not only the provision of these WASH facilities but also their utilization, particularly among younger school-aged children. PMID:27325805

The sleeping brain in Parkinson's disease: A focus on REM sleep behaviour disorder and related parasomnias for practicing neurologists.

PubMed

Bhidayasiri, Roongroj; Sringean, Jirada; Rattanachaisit, Watchara; Truong, Daniel D

2017-03-15

Sleep disorders are identified as common non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) and recently this recognition has been expanded to include parasomnias, encompassing not only REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD), but also other non-REM forms. RBD, a prototypical parasomnia in PD, exists even in the prodromal stage of the disease, and is characterized by the presence of dream enactment behaviours occurring alongside a loss of normal skeletal muscle atonia during REM sleep. In contrast, non-REM parasomnias are more frequently observed in the late stage PD. However, the development of these disorders often overlaps and it is not uncommon for PD patients to meet the criteria for more than one type of parasomnias, thus making a clinical distinction challenging for practicing neurologists who are not sleep specialists. Indeed, clinical recognition of the predominant form of parasomnia does not just depend on video-polysomnography, but also on an individual physician's clinical acumen in delineating pertinent clinical history to determine the most likely diagnosis and proceed accordingly. In this review article, we highlight the various forms of parasomnias that have been reported in PD, including, but not limited to, RBD, with a focus on clinical symptomatology and implications for clinical practice. In addition, we review the differences in PD-related parasomnias compared to those seen in general populations. With advances in sleep research and better technology for ambulatory home monitoring, it is likely that many unanswered questions on PD-related parasomnias will soon be resolved resulting in better management of this nocturnal challenge in PD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Household sanitation and personal hygiene practices are associated with child stunting in rural India: a cross-sectional analysis of surveys

PubMed Central

Rah, Jee Hyun; Cronin, Aidan A; Badgaiyan, Bhupendra; Aguayo, Victor M; Coates, Suzanne; Ahmed, Sarah

2015-01-01

Objectives Increasing evidence suggests that water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices affect linear growth in early childhood. We determined the association between household access to water, sanitation and personal hygiene practices with stunting among children aged 0–23 months in rural India. Setting India. Participants A total of 10 364, 34 639 and 1282 under-2s who participated in the 2005–2006 National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3), the 2011 Hunger and Malnutrition Survey (HUNGaMA) and the 2012 Comprehensive Nutrition Survey in Maharashtra (CNSM), respectively, were included in the analysis. Primary outcome measures The association between WASH indicators and child stunting was assessed using logistic regression models. Results The prevalence of stunting ranged from 25% to 50% across the three studies. Compared with open defecation, household access to toilet facility was associated with a 16–39% reduced odds of stunting among children aged 0–23 months, after adjusting for all potential confounders (NHFS-3 (OR=0.84, 95% CI 0.71 to 0.99); HUNGaMA (OR=0.84, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.91); CNSM (OR=0.61, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.85)). Household access to improved water supply or piped water was not in itself associated with stunting. The caregiver's self-reported practices of washing hands with soap before meals (OR=0.85, 95% CI 0.76 to 0.94) or after defecation (OR=0.86, 95% CI 0.80 to 0.93) were inversely associated with child stunting. However, the inverse association between reported personal hygiene practices and stunting was stronger among households with access to toilet facility or piped water (all interaction terms, p<0.05). Conclusions Improved conditions of sanitation and hygiene practices are associated with reduced prevalence of stunting in rural India. Policies and programming aiming to address child stunting should encompass WASH interventions, thus shifting the emphasis from nutrition-specific to nutrition-sensitive programming. Future

Use and effect of clinical photographic records on the motivation and oral hygiene practices of a group of mentally handicapped adults.

PubMed

Bickley, S R; Shaw, L; Shaw, M J

1990-01-01

A study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that clinical photographic records can be used to motivate oral hygiene performance in mentally handicapped adults. Plaque reduction over the period of the study was shown to be higher in the test group than the control group but differences between the test and control groups were not statistically significant. The small numbers involved (29) and the difficulties in matching subjects may have mitigated against demonstrating a statistically significant difference between the two groups. All participants demonstrated high levels of toothbrushing ability during the practical aspects of the study but this was not maintained through daily oral hygiene practices in the majority of subjects.

The personal and general hygiene practices of food handlers in the delicatessen sections of retail outlets in South Africa.

PubMed

van Tonder, Izanne; Lues, Jan F R; Theron, Maria M

2007-11-01

This paper presents data on personal- and general-hygiene knowledge and practices among food handlers in the delicatessens of a major retail group in the Western Cape in South Africa. Food handlers were interviewed by means of a structured questionnaire. Although the majority of food handlers adhered to basic hygiene principles, there is definitely a need for proper and continuous training in personal and general hygiene, not only for food handlers, but also for management. The study reported here is of importance particularly in view of new local regulations governing the application of the hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) system. Management is responsible for the implementation of this system, and where supervision is not adequate, the manager of the outlet should intervene to ensure that staff conform to the requirements.

The Relation among Sleep, Routines, and Externalizing Behavior in Children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henderson, Jill A.; Barry, Tammy D.; Bader, Stephanie H.; Jordan, Sara Sytsma

2011-01-01

The present study examined relations among sleep, routines, and externalizing behavior (based on parent report) in 115 children ages 6 to 12 years in two groups: 58 children with an autism spectrum disorder (age M = 9.0, SD = 2.09) and 57 non-ASD children (age M = 8.25, SD = 1.98). Within the ASD group, sleep hygiene and sleep quality were related…

Evaluation of hygiene practices and microbiological status of ready-to-eat vegetable salads in Spanish school canteens.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Caturla, Magdevis Y; Valero, Antonio; Carrasco, Elena; Posada, Guiomar D; García-Gimeno, Rosa M; Zurera, Gonzalo

2012-08-30

This study was conducted in eight Spanish school canteens during the period 2008-2009. Food handlers' practices, kitchen equipment, hygiene/sanitation conditions and handling practices were evaluated using checklists. In parallel, the microbiological quality and safety of ready-to-eat (RTE) vegetable salads were assessed. In addition, food contact surfaces and environmental air quality of different areas were analysed. The study determined the relationship between the microbiological quality of RTE foods and food handling practices, together with the degree of contamination of working surfaces and environmental contamination of processing and distribution areas. Some deficiencies were found regarding the use and change of gloves, hand-washing and cleanliness of working surfaces. The microbial levels detected in the foods examined indicated the absence of pathogens in the samples analysed. Surface counts were higher on cutting boards and faucets, showing insufficient cleanliness procedures. This study constitutes a descriptive analysis of the hygiene/sanitation conditions implemented in food service systems in eight Spanish school canteens. The results should help risk managers to better define control measures to be adopted in order to prevent foodborne infections. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.

Methodological strategies in using home sleep apnea testing in research and practice.

PubMed

Miller, Jennifer N; Schulz, Paula; Pozehl, Bunny; Fiedler, Douglas; Fial, Alissa; Berger, Ann M

2017-11-14

Home sleep apnea testing (HSAT) has increased due to improvements in technology, accessibility, and changes in third party reimbursement requirements. Research studies using HSAT have not consistently reported procedures and methodological challenges. This paper had two objectives: (1) summarize the literature on use of HSAT in research of adults and (2) identify methodological strategies to use in research and practice to standardize HSAT procedures and information. Search strategy included studies of participants undergoing sleep testing for OSA using HSAT. MEDLINE via PubMed, CINAHL, and Embase with the following search terms: "polysomnography," "home," "level III," "obstructive sleep apnea," and "out of center testing." Research articles that met inclusion criteria (n = 34) inconsistently reported methods and methodological challenges in terms of: (a) participant sampling; (b) instrumentation issues; (c) clinical variables; (d) data processing; and (e) patient acceptability. Ten methodological strategies were identified for adoption when using HSAT in research and practice. Future studies need to address the methodological challenges summarized in this paper as well as identify and report consistent HSAT procedures and information.

Student-led intervention to inNOvate hand hygiene practice in Auckland Region's medical students (the No HHARMS study).

PubMed

Lucas, Nathanael Cc; Hume, Carl G; Al-Chanati, Abdal; Diprose, William; Roberts, Sally; Freeman, Josh; Mogol, Vernon; Hoskins, David; Hamblin, Richard; Frampton, Chris; Bagg, Warwick; Merry, Alan F

2017-01-13

Hand hygiene is important in reducing healthcare-associated infections. The World Health Organization has defined 'five moments' when hand hygiene compliance is required. During 2013, New Zealand national data showed poor compliance with these moments by medical students. To improve medical students' compliance with the five moments. In this prospective student-led quality improvement initiative, student investigators developed, implemented and evaluated a multi-modal intervention comprising a three-month social media campaign, a competition and an entertaining educational video. Data on individual patient-medical student interactions were collected covertly by observers at baseline and at one week, six weeks and three months after initiation of the intervention. During the campaign, compliance improved in moment 2, but not significantly in moments 1, 3, 4 or 5. Statistical analysis of amalgamated data was limited by non-independent data points-a consideration apparently not always addressed in previous studies. The initiative produced improvements in compliance by medical students with one hand hygiene moment. Statistical analysis of amalgamated data for all five moments should allow for the non-independence of each occasion in which clinicians interact with a patient. More work is needed to ensure excellent hand hygiene practices of future doctors.

Sleep-related Issues for Recovery and Performance in Athletes.

PubMed

Kölling, Sarah; Duffield, Rob; Erlacher, Daniel; Venter, Ranel; Halson, Shona L

2018-04-13

The body of research that reports the relevance of sleep in high-performance sports is growing steadily. While the identification of sleep cycles and diagnosis of sleep disorders is limited to lab-based assessment via polysomnography, the development of activity-based devices estimating sleep patterns provides greater insight into the sleep behaviour of athletes in ecological settings. Overall, small sleep quantity and/or poor quality appears to exist in many athletic populations, though this may be related to training and competition context. Typical sleep-affecting factors are the scheduling of training sessions and competitions as well as impaired sleep-onset as a result of increased arousal prior to competition or due to the use of electronic devices before bedtime. Further challenges are travel demands which may be accompanied by jet-lag symptoms and disruption of sleep habits. Promotion of sleep may be approached via behavioural strategies, such as sleep hygiene, extending night-time sleep or daytime napping. Pharmacological interventions should be limited to clinically-induced treatments as evidence among healthy and athletic populations is lacking. To optimise and manage sleep in athletes, it is recommended to implement routine sleep monitoring on an individual basis.

Maternal perceptions of advice on sleep in young children: How, what, and when?

PubMed

Hatton, Rosalind E M; Gardani, Maria

2018-05-01

Parental knowledge on sleep hygiene in children may be a contributing factor for sleep difficulties in preschoolers. As sleep is crucial for healthy development, it is important to understand how parental knowledge can be improved. The aim of this qualitative study was to develop an understanding of advice available in the United Kingdom (UK) on sleep in young children. This study employed constructivist grounded theory methodology. Participants were recruited via social media and a previously constructed participant database. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed. Fourteen mothers were interviewed independently, whilst one mother was interviewed together with her husband. Themes relating to how UK mothers wish advice on sleep to be formulated, what they believe it should include and when they would like to receive it, were identified from the data. Specifically, this study suggests that UK mothers value experience and thus recommends that advice be made through collaboration projects involving both professionals and parents. It also suggests that advice should be readily available and given to expecting parents prior to the arrival of their baby as well as at regular follow-ups. In addition, the participating mothers wanted advice to be balanced and non-judgemental. This study looks at the views of mainly White British mothers currently residing within the United Kingdom. Thus, it may not represent the views of everyone in the United Kingdom. Nevertheless, it still makes important recommendations for practice. For example, relationships between health professionals and parents need to be improved and information on different sleeping practices widely dispersed. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Poor sleep is common in young children. Young children's sleep quality can be affected by parental behaviours. Parents lack knowledge of sleep in young children. What does this study add? According to this study: It would

Clinical Practice Guideline for the Pharmacologic Treatment of Chronic Insomnia in Adults: An American Academy of Sleep Medicine Clinical Practice Guideline

PubMed Central

Sateia, Michael J.; Buysse, Daniel J.; Krystal, Andrew D.; Neubauer, David N.; Heald, Jonathan L.

2017-01-01

Introduction: The purpose of this guideline is to establish clinical practice recommendations for the pharmacologic treatment of chronic insomnia in adults, when such treatment is clinically indicated. Unlike previous meta-analyses, which focused on broad classes of drugs, this guideline focuses on individual drugs commonly used to treat insomnia. It includes drugs that are FDA-approved for the treatment of insomnia, as well as several drugs commonly used to treat insomnia without an FDA indication for this condition. This guideline should be used in conjunction with other AASM guidelines on the evaluation and treatment of chronic insomnia in adults. Methods: The American Academy of Sleep Medicine commissioned a task force of four experts in sleep medicine. A systematic review was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials, and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) process was used to assess the evidence. The task force developed recommendations and assigned strengths based on the quality of evidence, the balance of benefits and harms, and patient values and preferences. Literature reviews are provided for those pharmacologic agents for which sufficient evidence was available to establish recommendations. The AASM Board of Directors approved the final recommendations. Recommendations: The following recommendations are intended as a guideline for clinicians in choosing a specific pharmacological agent for treatment of chronic insomnia in adults, when such treatment is indicated. Under GRADE, a STRONG recommendation is one that clinicians should, under most circumstances, follow. A WEAK recommendation reflects a lower degree of certainty in the outcome and appropriateness of the patient-care strategy for all patients, but should not be construed as an indication of ineffectiveness. GRADE recommendation strengths do not refer to the magnitude of treatment effects in a particular patient, but rather, to the strength of

Students' Perceptions of Teaching Methods That Bridge Theory to Practice in Dental Hygiene Education.

PubMed

Wilkinson, Denise M; Smallidge, Dianne; Boyd, Linda D; Giblin, Lori

2015-10-01

Health care education requires students to connect classroom learning with patient care. The purpose of this study was to explore dental hygiene students' perceptions of teaching tools, activities and teaching methods useful in closing the gap between theory and practice as students transition from classroom learning into the clinical phase of their training. This was an exploratory qualitative study design examining retrospective data from journal postings of a convenience sample of dental hygiene students (n=85). Open-ended questions related to patient care were given to junior and senior students to respond in a reflective journaling activity. A systematic approach was used to establish themes. Junior students predicted hands-on experiences (51%), critical thinking exercises (42%) and visual aids (27%) would be the most supportive in helping them connect theory to practice. Senior students identified critical thinking exercises (44%) and visual aids (44%) as the most beneficial in connecting classroom learning to patient care. Seniors also identified barriers preventing them from connecting theory to patient care. Barriers most often cited were not being able to see firsthand what is in the text (56%) and being unsure that what was seen during clinical practice was the same as what was taught (28%). Students recognized the benefits of critical thinking and problem solving skills after having experienced patient care and were most concerned with performance abilities prior to patient care experiences. This information will be useful in developing curricula to enhance critical thinking and problem solving skills. Copyright © 2015 The American Dental Hygienists’ Association.

The Effect of Recent Trends on Dental Hygiene.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Douglass, Chester W.

1991-01-01

Six trends affecting dental hygiene practice are discussed: demographic changes; disease pattern changes; higher societal expectations; financing and delivery system changes; technological advancement; and regulatory and legislative trends. It is argued that, though the trends reflect positively on dental hygiene, practitioners need to increase…

Improving water, sanitation and hygiene in health-care facilities, Liberia.

PubMed

Abrampah, Nana Mensah; Montgomery, Maggie; Baller, April; Ndivo, Francis; Gasasira, Alex; Cooper, Catherine; Frescas, Ruben; Gordon, Bruce; Syed, Shamsuzzoha Babar

2017-07-01

The lack of proper water and sanitation infrastructures and poor hygiene practices in health-care facilities reduces facilities' preparedness and response to disease outbreaks and decreases the communities' trust in the health services provided. To improve water and sanitation infrastructures and hygiene practices, the Liberian health ministry held multistakeholder meetings to develop a national water, sanitation and hygiene and environmental health package. A national train-the-trainer course was held for county environmental health technicians, which included infection prevention and control focal persons; the focal persons acted as change agents. In Liberia, only 45% of 701 surveyed health-care facilities had an improved water source in 2015, and only 27% of these health-care facilities had proper disposal for infectious waste. Local ownership, through engagement of local health workers, was introduced to ensure development and refinement of the package. In-county collaborations between health-care facilities, along with multisectoral collaboration, informed national level direction, which led to increased focus on water and sanitation infrastructures and uptake of hygiene practices to improve the overall quality of service delivery. National level leadership was important to identify a vision and create an enabling environment for changing the perception of water, sanitation and hygiene in health-care provision. The involvement of health workers was central to address basic infrastructure and hygiene practices in health-care facilities and they also worked as stimulators for sustainable change. Further, developing a long-term implementation plan for national level initiatives is important to ensure sustainability.

Mindfulness Meditation and Improvement in Sleep Quality and Daytime Impairment Among Older Adults With Sleep Disturbances

PubMed Central

Black, David S.; O’Reilly, Gillian A.; Olmstead, Richard; Breen, Elizabeth C.; Irwin, Michael R.

2015-01-01

IMPORTANCE Sleep disturbances are most prevalent among older adults and often go untreated. Treatment options for sleep disturbances remain limited, and there is a need for community-accessible programs that can improve sleep. OBJECTIVE To determine the efficacy of a mind-body medicine intervention, called mindfulness meditation, to promote sleep quality in older adults with moderate sleep disturbances. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Randomized clinical trial with 2 parallel groups conducted from January 1 to December 31, 2012, at a medical research center among an older adult sample (mean [SD] age, 66.3 [7.4] years) with moderate sleep disturbances (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI] >5). INTERVENTIONS A standardized mindful awareness practices (MAPs) intervention (n = 24) or a sleep hygiene education (SHE) intervention (n = 25) was randomized to participants, who received a 6-week intervention (2 hours per week) with assigned homework. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The study was powered to detect between-group differences in moderate sleep disturbance measured via the PSQI at postintervention. Secondary outcomes pertained to sleep-related daytime impairment and included validated measures of insomnia symptoms, depression, anxiety, stress, and fatigue, as well as inflammatory signaling via nuclear factor (NF)–κB. RESULTS Using an intent-to-treat analysis, participants in the MAPs group showed significant improvement relative to those in the SHE group on the PSQI. With the MAPs intervention, the mean (SD) PSQIs were 10.2 (1.7) at baseline and 7.4 (1.9) at postintervention. With the SHE intervention, the mean (SD) PSQIs were 10.2 (1.8) at baseline and 9.1 (2.0) at postintervention. The between-group mean difference was 1.8 (95%CI, 0.6–2.9), with an effect size of 0.89. The MAPs group showed significant improvement relative to the SHE group on secondary health outcomes of insomnia symptoms, depression symptoms, fatigue interference, and fatigue severity (P

Impact of a multi-faceted training intervention on the improvement of hand hygiene and gloving practices in four healthcare settings including nursing homes, acute-care geriatric wards and physical rehabilitation units.

PubMed

Eveillard, Matthieu; Raymond, Françoise; Guilloteau, Véronique; Pradelle, Marie-Thérèse; Kempf, Marie; Zilli-Dewaele, Marina; Joly-Guillou, Marie-Laure; Brunel, Patrick

2011-10-01

To assess the impact of a multi-faceted training program on the compliance with hand hygiene and gloving practices. Hand hygiene is considered as the cornerstone of the prevention of hospital-acquired infections. Several studies have enhanced the poor effectiveness of training programs in improving hand hygiene compliance. A before-after evaluation study. The study was conducted in four healthcare settings before and after an intervention program which included the performance feedback of the first evaluation phase, three six-h training sessions, the assessment of hand hygiene performance with teaching boxes and the organisation of one full-day session devoted to institutional communication around hand hygiene in each setting. Hand hygiene compliance and quality of hand rubbing were evaluated. Hand hygiene opportunities were differentiated into extra-series opportunities (before or after a single contact and before the first contact or after the last contact of a series of consecutive contacts) and intra-series opportunities (from the opportunity following the first contact to the opportunity preceding the last in the same series). Overall, 969 contacts corresponding to 1,470 hand hygiene opportunities (760 during the first phase and 710 during the second) were observed. A significant improvement of observed practices was recorded for the hand hygiene compliance in intra-series opportunities (39·0% vs. 19·0%; p < 10(-5) ), the proportion of gloves worn if indicated (71·4% vs. 52·0%; p < 0·001) and the quality of hand rubbing (85·0% vs. 71·9%; p < 10(-5) ). Some of the performances measured for both hand hygiene and gloving practices were improved. We plan to extend this investigation by performing a qualitative study with experts in behavioural sciences to try improving practices for which adherence was still weak after the training program such as hand hygiene in intra-series opportunities. This study underscored the usefulness of implementing

A comparative evaluation of oral hygiene practices, oral health status, and behavior between graduate and post-graduate dentists of North India: An epidemiological survey

PubMed Central

Singh, Maan Surinder; Tuli, Aaswin Kaur

2013-01-01

Objectives: The present study was carried out to compare oral hygiene practices, oral health status and behavior of graduate and postgraduate dentists of North India. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out among 727 dentists (446 graduate i.e., Group A and 281 post graduate i.e., Group B) through an online questionnaire. The questionnaire covered oral hygiene regimen, adverse oral habits, information regarding dental visits and dental treatment. Results: Results showed less than adequate oral hygiene practices among both the groups with more so in the graduate group (P ≤ 0.05). Very few dentists in both the groups reported any adverse oral habit. A more positive (P ≤ 0.05) attitude towards regular dental check up and dental treatment was seen in post-graduate dentists when compared to graduates. Conclusion: Very few dentists in both the groups followed ideal dental hygiene regimen. Dentists are the role models for the society as far as oral health is concerned; hence they need to be more responsible and lay more stress on their daily regimen and improve the scenario. PMID:24478975

Maintenance of an Adequate Dental Hygiene Education System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ley, Eugene; And Others

1984-01-01

Administrative decisions about the future of dental hygiene programs are often based on inadequate information about employment trends and about the importance of the dental hygienist in dental practices. Studies indicate that demand for dental hygiene services will remain high in the 1980s. (Author/MLW)

Dyssomnias, parasomnias, and sleep disorders associated with medical and psychiatric diseases.

PubMed

Barthlen, G M; Stacy, C

1994-03-01

Sleep disorders can be intrinsic, as are insomnia or narcolepsy, or can be accounted for by external factors, such as noise, altitude, drug or alcohol abuse, or shift work. The arousal disorders, common in children, are usually benign and disappear by puberty. Sleep-wake transition disorders such as sleep starts are benign as well, and may occur at any age. The parasomnias comprise different entities such as nightmares, REM-sleep behavior disorder, sleep enuresis, and bruxism. Diagnosis and treatment often require a multidisciplinary approach. Virtually every psychiatric, neurologic, or medical disease, when of sufficient severity, leaves its specific fingerprint on sleep; some disorders, such as peptic ulcer disease, gastroesophageal reflux, or epilepsy, tend to be exacerbated during sleep. Fortunately, most sleep disorders are amenable to therapy, which can include counseling, sleep hygiene, withholding of an offending agent, behavioral therapy, light therapy, or cautious drug therapy.

[Practical guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome].

PubMed

Nogueira, Facundo; Nigro, Carlos; Cambursano, Hugo; Borsini, Eduardo; Silio, Julio; Avila, Jorge

2013-01-01

Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) is one of the most relevant chronic respiratory pathologies due to its high prevalence and impact in morbidity and mortality. In 2001, the Asociación Argentina de Medicina Respiratoria (AAMR) published the first Argentinean Consensus on Sleep-Related breathing Disorders. Since then, wide new scientific evidence has emerged, increasing significantly the knowledge about this pathology. According to this, the Sleep-Related breathing Disorders and Oxygen Therapy Section of the AAMR, decided to update its Consensus, developing this Practical Guidelines on Management of patients with OSAS. A working group was created with members belonging to the section, experts in OSAS. They extensively reviewed the literature and wrote these guidelines, orientated to practical resolution of clinical problems and giving answers to questions emerged from dealing with patients who suffer from this syndrome. The document defines OSAS and describes the diagnosis and severity criteria, as well as the risk factors, ways of presentation and epidemiology. Clinical consequences, mainly on cognition, cardiovascular system and metabolism are pointed out. Different diagnostic methods, with their indications and technical aspects for validation and interpretation are detailed. Finally, we describe therapeutic alternatives, as well as practical aspects of their implementation. The authors' aim was to generate an accessible tool for teaching and spreading the knowledge on these disorders, which have a great impact in public health.

Sleep duration and its impact on adherence in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

McDonough, Ryan J; Clements, Mark A; DeLurgio, Stephen A; Patton, Susana R

2017-06-01

Adherence to the type 1 diabetes (T1D) regimen, while predictive of glycemic control, decreases during adolescence. For adolescents, attaining adequate sleep is an additional challenge. This study evaluates the impact of sleep on adherence in teens with T1D. Forty-five adolescents aged 12-18 yr, with T1D for at least 6 months while on insulin pump therapy. Adolescents logged their sleep on a written diary for 2 wk. Corresponding insulin pump/glucometer downloads as well as sleep habit questionnaires were also obtained. Data from 20 girls and 25 boys, with a mean age of 15 ± 1.6 yr and mean glycated hemoglobin of 8.7 ± 1.1% (72 mmol/mol), were analyzed. Overall, average sleep was 8.6 ± 0.9 h per night. Sleep durations were compared to the next day's frequency of self-monitored blood glucose (SMBG) and total daily insulin bolus frequency. Associations were found between sleep duration and youths' SMBG and insulin bolus frequencies (p < 0.03 and p < 0.001, respectively). Specifically, a 15- and 20-min increase in sleep was associated with one additional SMBG check and one additional insulin bolus, respectively. Analyses suggest an associated increase in T1D self-management behaviors in youths with increased sleep duration. These findings highlight the importance of assessing sleep in clinical practice, and encourage further research to examine effective strategies to address sleep hygiene as part of routine diabetes management. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Tailored educational supportive care programme on sleep quality and psychological distress in patients with heart failure: A randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Chang, Yia-Ling; Chiou, Ai-Fu; Cheng, Shu-Meng; Lin, Kuan-Chia

2016-09-01

Up to 74% of patients with heart failure report poor sleep in Taiwan. Poor symptom management or sleep hygiene may affect patients' sleep quality. An effective educational programme was important to improve patients' sleep quality and psychological distress. However, research related to sleep disturbance in patients with heart failure is limited in Taiwan. To examine the effects of a tailored educational supportive care programme on sleep disturbance and psychological distress in patients with heart failure. randomised controlled trial. Eighty-four patients with heart failure were recruited from an outpatient department of a medical centre in Taipei, Taiwan. Patients were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n=43) or the control group (n=41). Patients in the intervention group received a 12-week tailored educational supportive care programme including individualised education on sleep hygiene, self-care, emotional support through a monthly nursing visit at home, and telephone follow-up counselling every 2 weeks. The control group received routine nursing care. Data were collected at baseline, the 4th, 8th, and 12th weeks after patients' enrollment. Outcome measures included sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, anxiety, and depression. The intervention group exhibited significant improvement in the level of sleep quality and daytime sleepiness after 12 weeks of the supportive nursing care programme, whereas the control group exhibited no significant differences. Anxiety and depression scores were increased significantly in the control group at the 12th week (p<.001). However, anxiety and depression scores in the intervention group remained unchanged after 12 weeks of the supportive nursing care programme (p>.05). Compared with the control group, the intervention group had significantly greater improvement in sleep quality (β=-2.22, p<.001), daytime sleepiness (β=-4.23, p<.001), anxiety (β=-1.94, p<.001), and depression (β=-3.05, p<.001) after 12 weeks of

Home hygiene and environmental sanitation: a country situation analysis for India.

PubMed

Nath, K J

2003-06-01

Problems of the environment and of domestic hygiene are always related to poverty of population and the sanitation of settlements. Most cities and towns in developing countries, like India, are characterised by over-crowding, congestion, inadequate water supply and inadequate facilities of disposal of human excreta, waste water and solid wastes. Inadequacy of housing for most urban poor invariably leads to poor home hygiene. Personal and domestic hygiene practices cannot be improved without improving basic amenities, such as water supply, waste water disposal, solid waste management and the problems of human settlements. But even under the prevailing conditions, there is significant scope of improving hygiene practices at home to prevent infection and cross-infection. Unfortunately, in developing countries, public health concerns are usually raised on the institutional setting, such as municipal services, hospitals, environmental sanitation, etc. There is a reluctance to acknowledge the home as a setting of equal importance along with the public institutions in the chain of disease transmission in the community. Managers of home hygiene and community hygiene must act in unison to optimise return from efforts to promote public health. Current practices and perceptions of domestic and personal hygiene in Indian communities, the existing levels of environmental and peri-domestic sanitation and the 'health risk' these pose will be outlined, as well as the need for an integrated action for improving hygiene behaviour and access to safe water and sanitation.

Strategies for service-learning assessment in dental hygiene education.

PubMed

Burch, Sharlee

2013-10-01

A large body of literature exists on the instructional pedagogy known as service-learning. Service-learning is a teaching and learning approach characterized by the dental hygiene student's practical application of academic studies and occurs within a community setting, to the benefit of both the student and community. Dental hygiene educators use service-learning to enhance student knowledge and application of oral health curriculum. This manuscript reports on the importance of service-learning assessment to the National Dental Hygiene Research Agenda as well as the future of the profession of dental hygiene and the successful strategies in service-learning evaluation available for utilization by dental hygiene educators.

Safe sleeping positions: practice and policy for babies with cleft palate.

PubMed

Davies, Karen; Bruce, Iain A; Bannister, Patricia; Callery, Peter

2017-05-01

Guidance recommends 'back to sleep' positioning for infants from birth in order to reduce the risk of sudden infant death. Exceptions have been made for babies with severe respiratory difficulties where lateral positioning may be recommended, although uncertainty exists for other conditions affecting the upper airway structures, such as cleft palate. This paper presents research of (i) current advice on sleep positioning provided to parents of infants with cleft palate in the UK; and (ii) decision making by clinical nurse specialists when advising parents of infants with cleft palate. A qualitative descriptive study used data from a national survey with clinical nurse specialists from 12 regional cleft centres in the UK to investigate current practice. Data were collected using semi-structured telephone interviews and analysed using content analysis. Over half the regional centres used lateral sleep positioning based on clinical judgement of the infants' respiratory effort and upper airway obstruction. Assessment relied upon clinical judgement augmented by a range of clinical indicators, such as measures of oxygen saturation, heart rate and respiration. Specialist practitioners face a clinical dilemma between adhering to standard 'back to sleep' guidance and responding to clinical assessment of respiratory effort for infants with cleft palate. In the absence of clear evidence, specialist centres rely on clinical judgement regarding respiratory problems to identify what they believe is the most appropriate sleeping position for infants with cleft palate. Further research is needed to determine the best sleep position for an infant with cleft palate. What is Known • Supine sleep positioning reduces the risk of sudden infant death in new born infants. • There is uncertainty about the benefits or risks of lateral sleep positioning for infants with upper airway restrictions arising from cleft palate. What is New • Variability exists in the information

Food safety knowledge and hygiene practices among veterinary medicine students at Trakia University, Bulgaria.

PubMed

Stratev, Deyan; Odeyemi, Olumide A; Pavlov, Alexander; Kyuchukova, Ralica; Fatehi, Foad; Bamidele, Florence A

The results from the first survey on food safety knowledge, attitudes and hygiene practices (KAP) among veterinary medicine students in Bulgaria are reported in this study. It was designed and conducted from September to December 2015 using structured questionnaires on food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices. Data were collected from 100 undergraduate veterinary medicine students from the Trakia University, Bulgaria. It was observed that the age and the gender did not affect food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) on food safety knowledge and practices among students based on the years of study. A high level of food safety knowledge was observed among the participants (85.06%), however, the practice of food safety was above average (65.28%) while attitude toward food safety was high (70%). Although there was a significant awareness of food safety knowledge among respondents, there is a need for improvement on food safety practices, interventions on food safety and foodborne diseases. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

[Guidelines in Practice: The New S3 Guideline "Sleeping Disorders - Sleep-Related Abnormal Breathing"].

PubMed

Gerlach, Martin; Sanner, Bernd

2017-10-01

Sleep related breathing disorders include central sleep apnea (CSA), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), sleep-related hypoventilation, and sleep-related hypoxia. These disorders are frequent and growing in clinical relevance. The related chapter of the S3 guideline "Non-restorative sleep/Sleep disorders", published by the German Sleep Society (DGSM), has recently been updated in November 2016. Epidemiology, diagnostics, therapeutic procedures, and classification of sleep related disorders have been revised. Concerning epidemiology, a considerably higher mortality rate among pregnant women with OSA has been emphasized. With regards to diagnostics, the authors point out that respiratory polygraphy may be sufficient in diagnosing OSA, if a typical clinical condition is given. For CSA, recommendations were changed to diagnose CSA with low apnea rates present. Significant changes for treating CSA in patients with left ventricular dysfunction have been introduced. In addition, there is now to be differentiated between sleep-related hypoventilation and sleep-related hypoxaemia. Obesity hypoventilation syndrome is discussed in more detail. This article sums up and comments on the published changes. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

[Guidelines in Practice: The New S3 Guideline "Sleeping Disorders - Sleep-Related Abnormal Breathing"].

PubMed

Gerlach, M; Sanner, B

2017-08-01

Sleep related breathing disorders include central sleep apnea (CSA), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), sleep-related hypoventilation, and sleep-related hypoxia. These disorders are frequent and growing in clinical relevance. The related chapter of the S3 guideline "Non-restorative sleep/Sleep disorders", published by the German Sleep Society (DGSM), has recently been updated in November 2016. Epidemiology, diagnostics, therapeutic procedures, and classification of sleep related disorders have been revised. Concerning epidemiology, a considerably higher mortality rate among pregnant women with OSA has been emphasized. With regards to diagnostics, the authors point out that respiratory polygraphy may be sufficient in diagnosing OSA, if a typical clinical condition is given. For CSA, recommendations were changed to diagnose CSA with low apnea rates present. Significant changes for treating CSA in patients with left ventricular dysfunction have been introduced. In addition, there is now to be differentiated between sleep-related hypoventilation and sleep-related hypoxaemia. Obesity hypoventilation syndrome is discussed in more detail. This article sums up and comments on the published changes. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Oral hygiene practices, periodontal conditions, dentition status and self-reported bad mouth breath among young mothers, Tanzania.

PubMed

Mumghamba, E G S; Manji, K P; Michael, J

2006-11-01

To determine the oral hygiene practices, periodontal conditions, dentition status and self-reported bad mouth breath (S-BMB) among young mothers. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted at Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. A total of 302 postpartum mothers, aged 14-44 years, were interviewed on oral hygiene practices and S-BMB using structured questionnaire. Oral hygiene, dentition and periodontal status were assessed using the Community Periodontal Index probe and gingival recessions (GR) using Williams Periodontal probe. Tooth brushing practice was 99%; tongue brushing (95%), plastic toothbrush users (96%), chewing stick (1%), wooden toothpicks (76%), dental floss (<1%); and toothpaste (93%). The prevalence of plaque and gingival bleeding on probing was 100%, gum bleeding during tooth brushing (33%), calculus (99%), probing periodontal pocket depth (PPD) 4-5 mm (27%), PPD 6+ mm (3%), GR 1+ mm (27%) and tooth decay (55%). The prevalence of S-BMB was 14%; the S-BMB had higher mean number of sites with plaque compared to the no S-BMB group (P=0.04). Factors associated with S-BMB were gum bleeding on tooth brushing (OR=2.4) and PPD 6+ mm (OR=5.4). Self-reported bad mouth breath is a cause of concern among young mothers, and associated significant factors were gum bleeding on tooth brushing and deep periodontal pockets of 6+ mm. Further research involving clinical diagnosis of bad mouth breath and intervention through oral health promotion and periodontal therapy are recommended. This study provides baseline information on oral health status and the complaint on bad mouth breath which necessitates in the future need for objective assessment, diagnosis and management of bad mouth breath for enhanced social and professional interaction without embarrassment.

Safe Sleep Infant Care Practices Reported by Mothers of Twins.

PubMed

Damato, Elizabeth G; Haas, Madeline C; Czeck, Pamela; Dowling, Donna A; Barsman, Sarah Gutin

2016-12-01

The high prevalence of prematurity and low birth-weight places twin infants at increased risk for sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) and/or sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Risk for these SUID and SIDS is affected by a combination of nonmodifiable intrinsic risk factors and modifiable extrinsic stressors including infant care practices related to sleep. Although adherence to the full scope of American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) 2011 recommendations is intended to decrease risk, these recommendations are aimed at singleton infants and may require tailoring for families with multiple infants. The study describes infant care practices reported by mothers of twins in the first 6 months postpartum. Mothers caring for twin infants (N = 35) were surveyed online both longitudinally (at 2, 8, 16, and 24 weeks after infant hospital discharge) and cross-sectionally. AAP recommendations (2011) guided survey content. The degree of adherence to AAP recommendations varied over time. For example, mothers of twins reported 100% adherence to placing twins supine for sleep initially, but many reported putting babies on their stomachs for naps as twins became older. Sharing a parent's bedroom decreased over time as did frequency of crib sharing. Fewer than half of mothers offered a pacifier most or all of the time for sleep. Opportunities exist for development of an educational program geared specifically for postpartum parents of twins. Barriers affecting adherence to AAP recommendations and effectiveness of educational programs addressing needs of this unique population need further exploration.

Cohabitation with farm animals in urban households with and without occupational farm work: associations between participation in educational activities and good hygiene practices in at-risk households cohabiting with farm animals.

PubMed

Somphou, Phoupasong; Takano, Takehito; Nakamura, Keiko

2008-11-01

This study was performed to investigate patterns of cohabitation with farm animals in urban households in Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic, with regard to animal-to-human disease transmission. We also investigated the association between participation in hygiene-related educational activities and good hygiene practices in households with or without cohabitation with animals. A survey regarding cohabitation with animals, socioeconomic characteristics and participation in educational activities was conducted among 1,497 households randomly sampled from urban districts of Vientiane in 2001. Rates of satisfactory performance of recommended good hygiene practices according to a program commencing in 1996 were compared among households cohabiting with animals with or without participation in educational activities (reference group). Even among households not engaged in agriculture as a major source of income, 54.4, 34.9, 7.9, 3.1 and 35.7% cohabited with chickens, ducks, cattle, buffaloes and dogs, respectively. The percentage of households fulfilling the recommendations for good hygiene practices was 56.7%. The rates of satisfactory hygiene practices among households participating in health education and cohabitating with chickens, ducks or cattle were greater than those in the reference group (OR = 1.7, 95%CI = 1.2, 2.3; OR = 2.0, 95%CI = 1.3, 3.0; OR = 2.3, 95%CI = 1.0, 4.9) regardless of socioeconomic factors. Households cohabiting with animals showed poorer rates of satisfactory hygiene practices than those without animals. Cohabitation with farm animals is common in urban Vientiane regardless of household involvement in agriculture. Further effort is required to improve hygiene conditions, despite some positive effects of health education even in households cohabiting with animals.

[Hygiene in Urological Surgeries - Results of the Health Authority's Visit to all Urological Surgeries in Braunschweig].

PubMed

Buhr-Riehm, B; Lenz, T

2015-07-01

Following a patient complaint, the Health Department carried out a hygiene inspection of a urological practice in Braunschweig in February 2013. The topic of the complaint was that a patient assumed having acquired a resistant pathogen in the practice. In the subsequent visit, significant hygiene defects were found, particularly with regard to the processing of medical devices. This led to a decision to commit all urological practices in Braunschweig to hygiene inspections as part of a priority project. In retrospect, the hygiene surveys were justified. Deficiencies included inadequate preparation of medical products, procedures in practice inconsistent with hygiene plans, poor knowledge of hygiene procedures among assistant staff and doctors, lack of expertise of assistant staff and lack of hygiene risk awareness by doctors. Positive experiences were: open communication in a good atmosphere with the Practice managers, willingness to change, good cooperation between the Health Authority and the Labor Inspectorate and Physicians' Association. The claimed deficits were corrected by spring 2014 by the practice operators. The consulting expertise of the health authorities was made use of continuously. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Assessment of water, sanitation, and hygiene practices and associated factors in a Buruli ulcer endemic district in Benin (West Africa).

PubMed

Johnson, Roch Christian; Boni, Gratien; Barogui, Yves; Sopoh, Ghislain Emmanuel; Houndonougbo, Macaire; Anagonou, Esai; Agossadou, Didier; Diez, Gabriel; Boko, Michel

2015-08-19

Control of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) requires multiple strategic approaches including water, sanitation and hygiene services (WASH). Buruli ulcer (BU), one of the 17 NTDs, remains a public health issue in Benin particularly in the district of Lalo. The availability of water as well as good hygiene are important for the management of Buruli ulcer particularly in the area of wound care one of the main component of the treatment of BU lesions. Given the growing importance of WASH in controlling NTDs and in order to assess the baseline for future cross-cutting interventions, we report here on the first study evaluating the level of WASH and associated factors in Lalo, one of the most BU-endemic districts in Benin. A cross-sectional study was carried to assess WASH practices and associated factors in the district of Lalo. Data were collected from 600 heads of household using structured pretested questionnaire and observations triangulated with qualitative information obtained from in-depth interviews of patients, care-givers and community members. Univariate and multivariate analysis were carried to determine the relationships between the potential associated factors and the sanitation as well as hygiene status. BU is an important conditions in the district of Lalo with 917 new cases detected from 2006 to 2012. More than 49 % of the household surveyed used unimproved water sources for their daily needs. Only 8.7 % of the investigated household had improved sanitation facilities at home and 9.7 % had improved hygiene behavior. The type of housing as an indicator of the socioeconomic status, the permanent availability of soap and improved hygiene practices were identified as the main factors positively associated with improved sanitation status. In the district of Lalo in Benin, one of the most endemic for BU, the WASH indicators are very low. This study provides baseline informations for future cross-cutting interventions in this district.

Household sanitation and personal hygiene practices are associated with child stunting in rural India: a cross-sectional analysis of surveys.

PubMed

Rah, Jee Hyun; Cronin, Aidan A; Badgaiyan, Bhupendra; Aguayo, Victor M; Coates, Suzanne; Ahmed, Sarah

2015-02-12

Increasing evidence suggests that water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices affect linear growth in early childhood. We determined the association between household access to water, sanitation and personal hygiene practices with stunting among children aged 0-23 months in rural India. India. A total of 10 364, 34 639 and 1282 under-2s who participated in the 2005-2006 National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3), the 2011 Hunger and Malnutrition Survey (HUNGaMA) and the 2012 Comprehensive Nutrition Survey in Maharashtra (CNSM), respectively, were included in the analysis. The association between WASH indicators and child stunting was assessed using logistic regression models. The prevalence of stunting ranged from 25% to 50% across the three studies. Compared with open defecation, household access to toilet facility was associated with a 16-39% reduced odds of stunting among children aged 0-23 months, after adjusting for all potential confounders (NHFS-3 (OR=0.84, 95% CI 0.71 to 0.99); HUNGaMA (OR=0.84, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.91); CNSM (OR=0.61, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.85)). Household access to improved water supply or piped water was not in itself associated with stunting. The caregiver's self-reported practices of washing hands with soap before meals (OR=0.85, 95% CI 0.76 to 0.94) or after defecation (OR=0.86, 95% CI 0.80 to 0.93) were inversely associated with child stunting. However, the inverse association between reported personal hygiene practices and stunting was stronger among households with access to toilet facility or piped water (all interaction terms, p<0.05). Improved conditions of sanitation and hygiene practices are associated with reduced prevalence of stunting in rural India. Policies and programming aiming to address child stunting should encompass WASH interventions, thus shifting the emphasis from nutrition-specific to nutrition-sensitive programming. Future randomised trials are warranted to validate the causal association. Published by the BMJ

Personal hygiene among primary school children living in a slum of Kolkata, India.

PubMed

Sarkar, M

2013-09-01

For children, maintenance of personal hygiene helps to improve the quality of life and longevity. This is of particular importance in a slum community with compromised living situation. This study was undertaken to find out the knowledge and practice of personal hygiene among the primary school children living in a slum area, to identify any misconception among them regarding the maintenance of personal hygiene, to find out their morbidity pattern, and also to elicit the relationship between practice of personal hygiene among the children and the literacy status of their mother. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted among 104 primary school children of a primary school situated in the slum area of Chetla, Kolkata, India with the help of a predesigned, pre-tested and structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed statistically by simple proportions and tests of significance. It was found that the female students were more knowledgeable than the male students regarding the maintenance of personal hygiene. There was a wide gap between practice and knowledge of personal hygiene among the primary school children living in the slum area. Even, misconceptions do exist on certain indicators of personal hygiene among the students. Statistically significant association was observed between practices of personal hygiene among the primary school children and the literacy status of their mother. Future of a society depends considerably on the health of its children. The parents and the school teachers, as constructive shapers of children's health behaviors, should play a responsible role in early education of children on personal hygiene.

Mindfulness meditation and improvement in sleep quality and daytime impairment among older adults with sleep disturbances: a randomized clinical trial.

PubMed

Black, David S; O'Reilly, Gillian A; Olmstead, Richard; Breen, Elizabeth C; Irwin, Michael R

2015-04-01

Sleep disturbances are most prevalent among older adults and often go untreated. Treatment options for sleep disturbances remain limited, and there is a need for community-accessible programs that can improve sleep. To determine the efficacy of a mind-body medicine intervention, called mindfulness meditation, to promote sleep quality in older adults with moderate sleep disturbances. Randomized clinical trial with 2 parallel groups conducted from January 1 to December 31, 2012, at a medical research center among an older adult sample (mean [SD] age, 66.3 [7.4] years) with moderate sleep disturbances (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI] >5). A standardized mindful awareness practices (MAPs) intervention (n = 24) or a sleep hygiene education (SHE) intervention (n = 25) was randomized to participants, who received a 6-week intervention (2 hours per week) with assigned homework. The study was powered to detect between-group differences in moderate sleep disturbance measured via the PSQI at postintervention. Secondary outcomes pertained to sleep-related daytime impairment and included validated measures of insomnia symptoms, depression, anxiety, stress, and fatigue, as well as inflammatory signaling via nuclear factor (NF)-κB. Using an intent-to-treat analysis, participants in the MAPs group showed significant improvement relative to those in the SHE group on the PSQI. With the MAPs intervention, the mean (SD) PSQIs were 10.2 (1.7) at baseline and 7.4 (1.9) at postintervention. With the SHE intervention, the mean (SD) PSQIs were 10.2 (1.8) at baseline and 9.1 (2.0) at postintervention. The between-group mean difference was 1.8 (95% CI, 0.6-2.9), with an effect size of 0.89. The MAPs group showed significant improvement relative to the SHE group on secondary health outcomes of insomnia symptoms, depression symptoms, fatigue interference, and fatigue severity (P < .05 for all). Between-group differences were not observed for anxiety, stress, or NF-κB, although NF

Improving water, sanitation and hygiene in health-care facilities, Liberia

PubMed Central

Montgomery, Maggie; Baller, April; Ndivo, Francis; Gasasira, Alex; Cooper, Catherine; Frescas, Ruben; Gordon, Bruce; Syed, Shamsuzzoha Babar

2017-01-01

Abstract Problem The lack of proper water and sanitation infrastructures and poor hygiene practices in health-care facilities reduces facilities’ preparedness and response to disease outbreaks and decreases the communities’ trust in the health services provided. Approach To improve water and sanitation infrastructures and hygiene practices, the Liberian health ministry held multistakeholder meetings to develop a national water, sanitation and hygiene and environmental health package. A national train-the-trainer course was held for county environmental health technicians, which included infection prevention and control focal persons; the focal persons acted as change agents. Local setting In Liberia, only 45% of 701 surveyed health-care facilities had an improved water source in 2015, and only 27% of these health-care facilities had proper disposal for infectious waste. Relevant changes Local ownership, through engagement of local health workers, was introduced to ensure development and refinement of the package. In-county collaborations between health-care facilities, along with multisectoral collaboration, informed national level direction, which led to increased focus on water and sanitation infrastructures and uptake of hygiene practices to improve the overall quality of service delivery. Lessons learnt National level leadership was important to identify a vision and create an enabling environment for changing the perception of water, sanitation and hygiene in health-care provision. The involvement of health workers was central to address basic infrastructure and hygiene practices in health-care facilities and they also worked as stimulators for sustainable change. Further, developing a long-term implementation plan for national level initiatives is important to ensure sustainability. PMID:28670017

Multilevel Obstructive Sleep Apnea Surgery.

PubMed

Lin, Hsin-Ching; Weaver, Edward M; Lin, Ho-Sheng; Friedman, Michael

2017-01-01

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the primary treatment of obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSA). Most sleep physicians are in agreement that a certain number of OSA patients cannot or will not use CPAP. Although other conservative therapies, such as oral appliance, sleep hygiene, and sleep positioning, may help some of these patients, there are many who fail all conservative treatments. As sleep surgeons, we have the responsibility to screen patients for both symptoms and signs of OSA. As experts of upper airway diseases, we often view an airway clearly and help the patient understand the importance of assessment and treatment for OSA. Surgery for OSA is not a substitute for CPAP but is a salvage treatment for those who failed CPAP and other conservative therapies and therefore have no other options. Most early studies and reviews focused on the efficacy of uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, a single-level procedure for the treatment of OSA. Since OSA is usually caused by multilevel obstructions, the true focus on efficacy should be on multilevel surgical intervention. The purpose here is to provide an updated overview of multilevel surgery for OSA patients. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

[Hygiene in endoscopy in clinic and practice 2013 in comparison with 2003--structure and process quality].

PubMed

Jager, E; Hausemann, A; Hofmann, H; Otto, U; Heudorf, U

2014-12-01

Endoscopy is an important part of modern medical diagnostics and therapy. The invasive procedures are however associated with a risk to transmit infections. Against this background the KRINKO has published the "Hygienic requirements for the reprocessing of flexible endoscopes and endoscopic accessories" in 2002 and has updated these recommendations in 2012. In 2003 and 2013 all gastroenterological facilities in Frankfurt am Main using flexible endoscopes were monitored for compliance with the recommendations. The inspections were performed after prior notice by a staff member of the health authority using a checklist which had been developed on the basis of the current KRINKO recommendations. In both years all institutions performing endoscopic procedures were visited: 2003 15 hospitals and 23 practices; 2013 14 clinics and 10 practices. In 2013 (data for 2003 in brackets) 100 % (93 %) of the hospitals and 60 % (22 %) of practices reprocessed their endoscopes by automated methods. The appropriate reprocessing and filling of water bottles for rinsing the scope channels with sterile water and the sterilisation of accessories were satisfactorily performed in 2003 and 2013 by all hospitals. However in 2013 only 90 % (2003: 74 %) of the practices correctly reprocessed water bottles and 80 % (52 %) used sterile water for filling the bottle. In 2013 100 % (2003: 57 %) of the practices correctly sterilised accessory instruments, while 2 practices used disposable, i. e., single-use materials. In 2013 all institutions performed microbiological tests according to KRINKO recommendations, while in 2003 all hospitals but only 43 % of the practices could present such tests. While the gastroenterological departments of Frankfurt hospitals already complied with the KRINKO recommendations in 2003, the inspection of several practices in 2003 had revealed considerable shortcomings in the implementation of these recommendations. Subsequently the practices have

Assessment of Oral Hygiene Knowledge, Practices, and Concepts of Tobacco Usage among Engineering Students in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.

PubMed

Bandyopadhyay, Alokenath; Bhuyan, Lipsa; Panda, Abikshyeet; Dash, Kailash C; Raghuvanshi, Malvika; Behura, Shyam S

2017-06-01

This study aimed to assess oral hygiene-related knowledge and practices among engineering students of Bhubaneswar city and also to evaluate the concepts about the side effects of tobacco usage among those students. The study was conducted using a self-administered, close-ended questionnaire to assess the oral hygiene knowledge and practices and study the concepts on tobacco usage among 362 engineering students of Bhubaneswar city, Odisha, India. The obtained data were statistically analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 20.0. This survey found that 26.51% of the students had never visited a dentist. Nearly 43.64% of the participants were cognizant of the fact that improper brushing is the reason of tooth decay. About 47% of the participants consumed alcohol and 32.6% had the habit of chewing tobacco, though 80% were aware that use of smokeless tobacco can impair oral health and cause cancer and use of alcohol has detrimental effect on oral health. Knowledge with respect to oral health among engineering students of Bhubaneswar city is adequate regarding using fluoridated toothpaste and flosses. However, an unhealthy snacking habit, overusage of toothbrushes, consumption of alcohol, and practicing tobacco habit show the lack of oral health knowledge in these students. Our study provides an idea about the present scenario in terms of oral hygiene and tobacco usage in young individuals. This can form the basis for oral health education and tobacco cessation program. Moreover, as the habit of tobacco usage starts early during college life, adequate knowledge about its ill-effects would prevent deadly diseases, such as potentially malignant disorders and oral cancer.

Relationships between dental hygienists' career attitudes and their retention of practice. Part II. From the results of the Ohio Dentist and Dental Hygiene Surveys.

PubMed

Cox, S S; Langhout, K J; Scheid, R C

1993-01-01

This article utilizes findings from the Ohio Dental Hygiene Survey and Ohio Dentist Survey to uncover what specific dental hygiene attitudes exist relative to employment and what factors have led to job termination and to re-entry. Ohio dental hygiene employees are most satisfied with patient relationships, co-worker relationships, and flexible working hours. The dental hygienists are least satisfied with fringe benefits, financial growth, and career creativity. Salary, benefits, nor career longevity were significant factors in determining satisfaction. Dental hygienists who were not working when surveyed, said they would consider returning to practice if a better salary were available, if they could find part-time work, if there were a good wage scale with benefits, or if their own financial need changed. Thirty-six percent of the non-practitioners said they would not ever consider returning to practice due to working conditions, establishment of a new career, or inadequate compensation. Dentist employers stated that they were satisfied or very satisfied with their dental hygienists' patient care and contribution to the practice.

Impact of oral health education on oral hygiene knowledge, practices, plaque control and gingival health of 13- to 15-year-old school children in Bangalore city.

PubMed

D'Cruz, A M; Aradhya, S

2013-05-01

To assess effectiveness of an oral health education (OHE) programme on oral hygiene knowledge, practices, plaque control and gingival health of 13- to 15-year-old school children in Bangalore city. Three schools were randomly selected and assigned to experimental I, experimental II and control groups. At baseline, a 20-item questionnaire was used to assess the oral hygiene knowledge and practices. Clinical examinations (Turesky-Gilmore-Glickman modification of Quigley Hein plaque index; Loe-Silness gingival index) were performed by 2 examiners. OHE was provided by the investigator for experimental groups I (lecture using a PowerPoint presentation) and II (lecture using a PowerPoint presentation with toothbrushing demonstration). Control group did not receive any intervention. Reinforcement was provided for experimental groups at 3 and 6 months. At end of 9 months, questionnaire was administered and clinical examinations were performed. Data were analysed using chi-square, anova and post hoc Tukey's tests. Nine months post-intervention, there was significant improvement in oral hygiene knowledge and practices in experimental groups. There were significant reductions in mean plaque index and gingival index scores in the experimental groups. The control group did not show any significant improvement. Active involvement of school children with reinforcement of OHE can improve oral hygiene knowledge, practices and gingival health and decrease plaque levels. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

[Current problems of school education and ways of its hygienic optimization].

PubMed

Stepanova, M I; Sazaniuk, Z I; Voronova, B Z; Polenova, M A

2009-01-01

The aim of the study was to analyse effects of various innovative forms of school education on the health status and functional abilities of children and adolescents. Enhanced academic loads are shown to be the most unfavourable factor of the school environment. The main consequences of excess teaching load are shortened motor and outdoor activities of the children, smaller duration of night sleep. Optimization of academic routine (alternation of studies and holidays), modular structure of school calendar might help to reduce fatigue during school hours. Hygienic estimates of different variants of specialized education are obtained. Scientifically sound hygienic requirements are proposed to be applied to the organization of academic activities in a new type of educational institutions, full-day schools.

A novel approach to improve hand hygiene compliance of student nurses

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The National University Hospital, Singapore routinely undertakes standardized Hand Hygiene auditing with results produced by ward and by staff type. In 2010 concern was raised over consistently low compliance by nursing students averaging 45% (95% CI 42%–48%) prompting us to explore novel approaches to educating our next generation of nurses to improve their hand hygiene practice. We introduced an experiential learning assignment to final year student nurses on attachment to NUH inclusive of hand hygiene auditor training followed by a period of hand hygiene observation. The training was based on the World Health Organisation (WHO) “My 5 moments for hand hygiene” approach. Upon completion students completed an anonymous questionnaire to evaluate their learning experience. Findings By 2012, nursing students were 40% (RR: 1.4, 95% CI 1.3–1.5, p<0.001) more likely to comply with hand hygiene practices. 97.5% (359/368) of nursing students felt that the experience would enhance their own hand hygiene practice and would recommend participating in audits as a learning instrument. Conclusions With consideration of all stakeholders a sustainable, flexible, programme was implemented. Experiential learning of hand hygiene was a highly valued educational tool and in our project was directly associated with improved hand hygiene compliance. Feedback demonstrated popularity amongst participants and success in achieving its program objectives. While this does not guarantee long term behavioural change it is intuitive that instilling good habits and messages at the early stages of a career will potentially have significant long-term impact. PMID:23721611

Sleep Habits of Elementary and Middle School Children in South Texas.

PubMed

Surani, Salim; Hesselbacher, Sean; Surani, Saherish; Sadasiva, Sreevidya; Surani, Zoya; Surani, Sara S; Khimani, Amina; Subramanian, Shyam

2015-01-01

Background. Sleep difficulties, including insufficient sleep and inadequate sleep hygiene, have been prevalent among children. Sleep deprivation can lead to poor grades, sleepiness, and moodiness. We undertook this study to assess the prevalence of sleep abnormalities among elementary and middle school students in South Texas and how the groups compare with one another. Method. After approval from the appropriate school district for a sleep education program, a baseline survey was taken of elementary and middle school students, using the Children's Sleep Habit Questionnaire-Sleep Self-Report Form, which assessed the domains of bedtime resistance, sleep onset delay, sleep anxiety, sleep duration, night awakening, and daytime sleepiness. Results. The survey was completed by 499 elementary and 1008 middle school children. Trouble sleeping was reported by 43% in elementary school, compared with 29% of middle school children. Fifty percent of middle school children did not like sleeping, compared with 26% in elementary school. Bedtime resistance, sleep onset delay, and nighttime awakening were more common among elementary school students. Daytime sleepiness was more common among the middle school children when compared to elementary school children. Conclusions. Sleep abnormalities are present in elementary school children with changes in sleep habits into middle school.

Sleep, chronic pain, and opioid risk for apnea.

PubMed

Marshansky, Serguei; Mayer, Pierre; Rizzo, Dorrie; Baltzan, Marc; Denis, Ronald; Lavigne, Gilles J

2017-07-19

Pain is an unwelcome sleep partner. Pain tends to erode sleep quality and alter the sleep restorative process in vulnerable patients. It can contribute to next-day sleepiness and fatigue, affecting cognitive function. Chronic pain and the use of opioid medications can also complicate the management of sleep disorders such as insomnia (difficulty falling and/or staying asleep) and sleep-disordered breathing (sleep apnea). Sleep problems can be related to various types of pain, including sleep headache (hypnic headache, cluster headache, migraine) and morning headache (transient tension type secondary to sleep apnea or to sleep bruxism or tooth grinding) as well as periodic limb movements (leg and arm dysesthesia with pain). Pain and sleep management strategies should be personalized to reflect the patient's history and ongoing complaints. Understanding the pain-sleep interaction requires assessments of: i) sleep quality, ii) potential contributions to fatigue, mood, and/or wake time functioning; iii) potential concomitant sleep-disordered breathing (SDB); and more importantly; iv) opioid use, as central apnea may occur in at-risk patients. Treatments include sleep hygiene advice, cognitive behavioral therapy, physical therapy, breathing devices (continuous positive airway pressure - CPAP, or oral appliance) and medications (sleep facilitators, e.g., zolpidem; or antidepressants, e.g., trazodone, duloxetine, or neuroleptics, e.g., pregabalin). In the presence of opioid-exacerbated SDB, if the dose cannot be reduced and normal breathing restored, servo-ventilation is a promising avenue that nevertheless requires close medical supervision. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dysphagia management in a 3-year dental hygiene education programme in Japan.

PubMed

Sato, Yoko; Miura, Ai; Saito, Atsushi

2005-11-01

This paper reports the development and evaluation of a dysphagia management course taught to the third year dental hygiene students during 2004-2005 as one framework of the new curriculum. The course consisted of lectures by specialists in each field, basic practice and clinical practice at a facility for the elderly. Evaluation of the course showed that improvements were found in students' understanding in certain subjects when compared with that during 2003-2004. Scores on the post-test were statistically significantly higher than those on the pre-test, showing that basic knowledge of the students had been improved. Introductory and follow-up lectures by dental hygiene instructors and appropriate basic practice enhanced the learning process of the students. In the clinical practice, the concept of 'dental hygiene process of care' was incorporated. The dental hygiene process facilitated the students in planning and implementing dental hygiene care that meets the needs of the individual clients. This active learning experience enhanced the students' understanding of dysphagia management. Although further improvements are necessary, this dysphagia management course should help dental hygienists in playing a greater role in the field of oral care and dysphagia rehabilitation.

Outpatient treatment of sleep disorders in Alzheimer patients

PubMed Central

Scoralick, Francisca Magalhães; Camargos, Einstein Francisco; Freitas, Marco Polo Dias; Nóbrega, Otávio Toledo

2015-01-01

Sleep disorders are common in patients with Alzheimer dementia and affect the quality of life of patients and of their caregivers. Despite the rising number of studies in the area, almost all of them are about non-pharmacological treatment. Our objective was to review the literature concerning pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches to treat sleep disorders of elderly patients with Alzheimer dementia in the ambulatory setting. The treatments revised consisted of sleep hygiene and/or use of intense light coupled or not with use of melatonin, cholinesterase inhibitors, antipsychotics, hypnotics or antidepressants. In addition to the non-pharmacological measures, there is evidence that the use of trazodone may aid the treatment of sleep disorders of older individuals with Alzheimer dementia. More studies are necessary to examine the non-pharmacological and pharmacological treatments revised herein. PMID:25946052

Using Sleep Interventions to Engage and Treat Heavy-Drinking College Students: A Randomized Pilot Study.

PubMed

Fucito, Lisa M; DeMartini, Kelly S; Hanrahan, Tess H; Yaggi, Henry Klar; Heffern, Christina; Redeker, Nancy S

2017-04-01

Continued high alcohol consumption levels by college students highlight the need for more effective alcohol interventions and novel treatment engagement strategies. The purpose of this study was to investigate a behavioral sleep intervention as a means to engage heavy-drinking college students in treatment and reduce alcohol use and alcohol-related consequences. Heavy-drinking college students (N = 42) were assigned to 1 of 2 web-based interventions comprised of 4 modules delivered over 4 weeks. The experimental intervention focused primarily on sleep and included evidence-based sleep content (i.e., stimulus control instructions, sleep scheduling [consistent bed/rise times; ideal sleep duration for adolescents/young adults], sleep hygiene advice, relaxation training, cognitive strategies to target sleep-disruptive beliefs), and alcohol content (i.e., normative and blood alcohol level feedback, moderate drinking guidelines, controlled drinking strategies, effects of alcohol on sleep and the body, advice to moderate drinking for improved sleep) in young adults. The control condition Healthy Behaviors provided basic advice about nutrition, exercise, sleep (i.e., good sleep hygiene only), and drinking (i.e., effects of alcohol on the body, moderate drinking guidelines, advice to moderate drinking for sleep). Participants in both conditions monitored their sleep using daily web-based diaries and a wrist-worn sleep tracker. Recruitment ads targeting college students with sleep concerns effectively identified heavy-drinking students. The program generated a high number of inquiries and treatment completion rates were high. Both interventions significantly reduced typical week drinking and alcohol-related consequences and improved sleep quality and sleep-related impairment ratings. The control condition yielded greater reductions in total drinks in a heaviest drinking week. The effects on drinking were larger than those observed in typical brief alcohol intervention