Knowledge deficiency of work-related radiation hazards associated with psychological distress among orthopedic surgeons: A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Fan, Guoxin; Wang, Yueye; Guo, Changfeng; Lei, Xuefeng; He, Shisheng

2017-05-01

Knowledge and concern degree about work-related radiation hazards remained unknown among orthopedic surgeons. The aim of the cross-sectional study is to investigate whether the knowledge degree of work-related radiation is associated with psychological distress among orthopedic surgeons. This cross-sectional study sent electronic questionnaire via WeChat to orthopedic surgeons nationwide. Concern and knowing degree over radiation exposure was evaluated by a single self-reported question. Professional evaluation of concern degree was reflected by general psychological distress, which was assessed with the Kessler 10 scale (K10) and depressive symptoms with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Only 43.23% (115/266) respondents knew well about radiation and a total of 78.20% (208/266) respondents considered radiation exposure as a great concern. Among those who reported concerns about radiation exposure, a total of 57.69% (120/208) respondents reported knowing little about radiation. Respondents who reported concerns over radiation exposure were significantly associated with higher scores on CES-D and K10 (P < .05). Among respondents who reported concerns over radiation exposure, those who have fewer knowledge about radiation, had higher CES-D and K10 scores than those who knew well about radiation (P < .05). Among respondents who reported no concerns over radiation exposure, those who knew little about radiation still had higher CES-D and K10 scores (P < .05). Fewer radiation knowledge tends to induce more radiation concerns associated with higher psychological distress in orthopedic surgeons. Radiation knowledge should be enhanced for surgeons who daily work with radiation-related fluoroscopy.

Impact of Tumarkin attacks on complaints and work ability in Ménière's disease.

PubMed

Pyykkö, Ilmari; Manchaiah, Vinaya; Zou, Jing; Levo, Hilla; Kentala, Erna

2018-05-22

The purpose of the present study was to characterize the occurrence of Tumarkin attacks in patients with Ménière'sdisease (MD), and to study its association with reported complaints, severity of consequences, and also self-reported work ability. The study used a cross-sectional design. Data obtained from the Finnish Ménière Federation using an electronic survey was analyzed. 602 people with MD responded to the survey (62% response rate) with a mean age of 56.7 years and a mean duration of the disease 12.4 years. 49% of the respondents experienced Tumarkin attacks, which lasted for a few seconds to a few minutes. There were significant differences in complaints reported by MD patients with and without Tumarkin attacks. Respondents with Tumarkin attacks experienced various consequences, including tripping, falls, fear, anxiety, problems in dyadic life, and even transient loss of consciousness. Respondents with Tumarkin attacks had more frequently applied for pension than those not having Tumarkin attacks. On an average, respondents with Tumarkin attacks had less self-reported working ability when compared to those without Tumarkin attacks. The current study results suggest various differences in terms of complaints reported, severity of consequences, and the self-reported working ability in MD patients with and without Tumarkin attacks. Hearing healthcare professionals must examine Tumarkin attacks and their consequences in patients with MD during clinical examinations. In addition, the therapy should focus on alleviating the consequences and improving work ability.

The knowledge, perceptions and practice of pharmacovigilance amongst community pharmacists in Lagos state, south west Nigeria.

PubMed

Oreagba, I A; Ogunleye, O J; Olayemi, S O

2011-01-01

Community Pharmacists both have an important responsibility in monitoring the ongoing safety of medicines and are widely accessible to do it. This study aims to investigate the knowledge, perceptions and practice of Pharmacovigilance amongst community pharmacists in Lagos State, South West Nigeria A cross-sectional observational survey was used in this study. A multistage random sampling technique was employed in the selection of 420 community pharmacies in Lagos. About 55% of respondents have ever heard of the word 'Pharmacovigilance' out of which less than half (representing only 18% of all respondents) could define the term 'Pharmacovigilance'. Forty percent of the respondents stated that patients reported ADRs to them at least once a month, and 20% reported to the relevant authorities. However only 3% of respondents actually reported an ADR to the National Pharmacovigilance Centre. The most important reason for poor reporting was lack of knowledge about how to report ADRs (44.6%).Meanwhile, 90% of respondents believed that the role of the pharmacists in ADR reporting was important. Most community pharmacists were willing to practice pharmacovigilance if they were trained. Community pharmacists in Lagos had poor knowledge about pharmacovigilance. Reporting rate was also poor. There is an urgent need for educational programs to train pharmacists about pharmacovigilance and ADR reporting. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Emotional, physical and sexual violence among Sami and non-Sami populations in Norway: The SAMINOR 2 questionnaire study.

PubMed

Eriksen, Astrid M A; Hansen, Ketil Lenert; Javo, Cecilie; Schei, Berit

2015-08-01

To assess the prevalence and investigate ethnic differences of emotional, physical and sexual violence among a population of both Sami and non-Sami in Norway. Our study was based on the SAMINOR 2 study, a population-based survey on health and living conditions in multiethnic areas with both Sami and non-Sami populations in Central and Northern Norway. Our study includes a total of 11,296 participants: 2197 (19.4%) Sami respondents and 9099 (80.6 %) non-Sami respondents. Almost half of the Sami female respondents and one-third of the non-Sami female respondents reported any violence (any lifetime experience of violence). Sami women were more likely to report emotional, physical and sexual violence than non-Sami women. More than one-third of the Sami men compared with less than a quarter of non-Sami men reported having experienced any violence in their life. Sami men were more likely to report emotional and physical violence than non-Sami men. However, ethnicity was not significantly different regarding sexual violence experienced among men. Violence was typically reported to have occurred in childhood. Sami participants were more likely to report having experienced violence in the past 12 months. For all types of violence, the perpetrator was typically known to the victim. Regardless of gender, Sami respondents were more likely to report interpersonal violence. The prevalence of any violence was substantial in both ethnic groups and for both genders; it was highest among Sami women. © 2015 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.

Absence of nonresponse bias in a study of sport-caught Great Lakes fish consumption and conception failure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stein, A.D.; Tay, E.; Courval, J.M.

1999-04-01

The authors have reported that men`s lifetime sport-caught Great Lakes fish consumption was associated with lifetime prevalence of conception delay or failure. Those cross-sectional data were based on responses to a postal questionnaire. The present study was conducted to evaluate whether nonresponse bias could explain the cross-sectional findings. The authors conducted telephone interviews with 230 men and 38 women who did not respond to the original responders with respect to key demographic, behavioral, and reproductive characteristics. Nonresponders were approximately 1.5 years older at interview, were more likely to be Caucasian, and reported higher incomes than responders. Among men, nonresponders hadmore » fished fewer days in the past year. Almost one half of nonresponders reported no fish consumption in the past year, compared to one quarter of responders. Nonresponders were more likely than responders to have ever conceived a live-born child, had more children, and were less likely to intend to have additional children in the next 5 years. Among both responders and nonresponders there was an increased prevalence of a period of conception failure among men who reported consuming greater quantities of sport-caught Great Lakes fish. The study provides support for the cross-sectional analyses presented previously, insofar as nonresponse bias is unlikely to have a major role in the observed association.« less

Comparing the validity of informant and self-reports of personality using laboratory indices of emotional responding as criterion variables.

PubMed

Lieberman, Lynne; Liu, Huiting; Huggins, Ashley A; Katz, Andrea C; Zvolensky, Michael J; Shankman, Stewart A

2016-09-01

Personality traits relate to risk for psychopathology and can inform predictions about treatment outcome. In an effort to obtain a comprehensive index of personality, informant reports of personality are sometimes obtained in addition to self-reports of personality. However, there is limited research comparing the validity of self- and informant reports of personality, particularly among those with internalizing psychopathology. This is important given that informants may provide an additional (and perhaps different) perspective on individuals' personality. The present study therefore compared how both reports of positive affectivity (PA) and negative affectivity (NA) relate to psychophysiological and subjective measures of emotional responding to positive and negative stimuli. Given that our sample (n = 117) included individuals with no history of psychopathology, as well as individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) and/or panic disorder (PD), we were also able to explore whether these internalizing diagnoses moderated the association between personality reports and measures of emotional responding. Informant-reported PA predicted physiological responses to positive stimuli (but not negative). Informant-reported NA predicted physiological responses to negative stimuli (but not positive). Self-reported personality did not predict physiological responding, but did predict subjectively measured emotional responding (NA for negative responding, PA for positive responding). Diagnoses of internalizing psychopathology (PD or MDD) did not moderate these associations. Results suggest self- and informant reports of personality may each provide valid indices of an individual's emotional response tendencies, but predict different aspects of those tendencies. © 2016 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

Economic study on the impact of side effects in patients taking oxycodone controlled-release for noncancer pain.

PubMed

Anastassopoulos, Kathryn P; Chow, Wing; Tapia, Crisanta I; Baik, Rebecca; Ackerman, Stacey J; Biondi, David; Kim, Myoung S

2012-10-01

Chronic pain is a prevalent condition in the United States. Musculoskeletal pain, including joint and back pain, is the most common type of chronic pain, and many patients with back pain have a neuropathic component. Pain has direct economic consequences. While oxycodone controlled-release (CR) is one of the most widely used oral long-acting opioids for pain, including pain with a neuropathic component, it is often associated with bothersome side effects, resulting in additional medical resource use (MRU) and costs. To examine the impact on MRU and costs to payers of side effects in patients taking oxycodone CR alone or in combination with other pain medications for noncancer pain (including those with neuropathic pain symptoms). A nationwide convenience sample of adults in the United States, who participated in a survey research panel and reported current use of oxycodone CR for noncancer pain, completed an online survey between November 2, 2010, and December 13, 2010. Respondents were excluded if they reported current use of other extended-release or long-acting opioid prescription medications. The survey consisted of questions on demographics, clinical characteristics, pain characteristics, experience with pain medication, and MRU associated with side effects. Payer costs were calculated based on the MRU reported by the respondents multiplied by Medicare reimbursement rates for hospitalizations and outpatient visits and average wholesale price (AWP) minus 20% for medications. A subgroup of patients who reported neuropathic pain symptoms also was examined. After applying the exclusion criteria, 432 respondents completed the survey. Approximately half of the respondents (n = 219; 50.7%) reported neuropathic pain symptoms. The majority of respondents were Caucasian (88.4%) and female (63.7%) with an average age of 41.8 years (14.89). Respondents most frequently reported low back pain (41.2%), followed by osteoarthritis/rheumatoid arthritis (20.4%), neuropathic pain (10.6%), and fibromyalgia (9.0%). Respondents reported having their pain condition for an average of 5.4 (7.42) years. On days when taken, respondents reported a mean oxycodone CR daily dose of 83.3 mg (126.93) taken in an average of 2 doses. Most respondents (82.4%) reported experiencing at least 1 side effect with 77.5% being bothered by at least 1 side effect. The most frequently reported side effects ( greater than 25%) were drowsiness (41.4%), constipation (37.0%), fatigue or daytime sleepiness (36.6%), and dizziness (27.1%). Among respondents who reported being bothered by one or more side effects in the previous month, MRU associated with side effects was reported by 39.1% of respondents and significantly increased as the level of side-effect bother increased from 19.8% among those "A little bit bothered" to 38.4% among those "Bothered" to 61.0% among those "Extremely bothered" (P less than 0.001). Additionally, total average payer costs (in 2010 dollars) per respondent in the previous month associated with side effects were $238 ($1,159) and also significantly increased as the level of side-effect bother increased from $61 ($512) among those "A little bit bothered" to $238 ($1,160) among those "Bothered" to $425 ($1,561) among those "Extremely bothered" (P less than 0.001). Results reported in the neuropathic pain subgroup were similar to results reported in the total study sample. Among adults taking oxycodone CR for chronic noncancer pain (with or without a neuropathic pain component), over three-fourths reported being bothered by side effects. Respondents who reported higher levels of side-effect bother also reported greater MRU, resulting in increased payer costs. The results of this study provide further support of the econo-mic burden to payers associated with opioid-related side effects in patients with chronic noncancer pain, with and without neuropathic pain.

Knowledge and Practices Relating to Acute Pesticide Poisoning Among Health Care Providers in Selected Regions of Tanzania.

PubMed

Lekei, Elikana; Ngowi, Aiwerasia V; Mkalanga, Habib; London, Leslie

2017-01-01

Acute pesticide poisoning (APP) is commonly underdiagnosed in Tanzania. Studies in developing countries suggest that a lack of diagnostic skills among health care providers (HCPs) undermines surveillance for APP. This study aimed at characterizing experience and skills of Tanzanian HCPs regarding APP diagnosis and management. The population included HCPs responsible for managing APP in Kilimanjaro and Arusha regions (n = 91). The resulting sample included 66 respondents (response rate: 73%). The data were collected in 2005 using a standardized questionnaire. Half of all respondents (50%) reported handling at least 1 APP case with 15% reporting handling more than 5 cases in the past. Reported experience of handling an APP case was marginally higher in respondents who reported ⩾4 years of work experience in the health sector compared with those with <4 years of work experience (odds ratio = 1.32; 95% confidence interval = 0.9-1.5). Most of the respondents had high knowledge of exposure routes, reporting awareness of oral (98.5%), inhalational (93.9%), and dermal (77%) routes. The study revealed low awareness of pesticide classification by chemical groups (29%) or World Health Organization hazard (0%) and weak knowledge on pesticide label instructions (55%). Organophosphates accounted for 35% of the pesticide products reported by respondents as being responsible for poisoning. Some treatment options were incorrectly reported as first aid options, and some reported first aid options were wrong or inappropriate. The study revealed that HCPs in northern Tanzania lack adequate skills to diagnose and manage APP. For effective surveillance of APP, there is a need to include training on hazards, classification, diagnosis, and health effects in the training programmes for all HCPs in Tanzania.

Knowledge and Practices Relating to Acute Pesticide Poisoning Among Health Care Providers in Selected Regions of Tanzania

PubMed Central

Lekei, Elikana; Ngowi, Aiwerasia V; Mkalanga, Habib; London, Leslie

2017-01-01

Background: Acute pesticide poisoning (APP) is commonly underdiagnosed in Tanzania. Studies in developing countries suggest that a lack of diagnostic skills among health care providers (HCPs) undermines surveillance for APP. This study aimed at characterizing experience and skills of Tanzanian HCPs regarding APP diagnosis and management. Methodology: The population included HCPs responsible for managing APP in Kilimanjaro and Arusha regions (n = 91). The resulting sample included 66 respondents (response rate: 73%). The data were collected in 2005 using a standardized questionnaire. Results: Half of all respondents (50%) reported handling at least 1 APP case with 15% reporting handling more than 5 cases in the past. Reported experience of handling an APP case was marginally higher in respondents who reported ⩾4 years of work experience in the health sector compared with those with <4 years of work experience (odds ratio = 1.32; 95% confidence interval = 0.9-1.5). Most of the respondents had high knowledge of exposure routes, reporting awareness of oral (98.5%), inhalational (93.9%), and dermal (77%) routes. The study revealed low awareness of pesticide classification by chemical groups (29%) or World Health Organization hazard (0%) and weak knowledge on pesticide label instructions (55%). Organophosphates accounted for 35% of the pesticide products reported by respondents as being responsible for poisoning. Some treatment options were incorrectly reported as first aid options, and some reported first aid options were wrong or inappropriate. Conclusions: The study revealed that HCPs in northern Tanzania lack adequate skills to diagnose and manage APP. For effective surveillance of APP, there is a need to include training on hazards, classification, diagnosis, and health effects in the training programmes for all HCPs in Tanzania. PMID:28469444

STORC safety initiative: a multicentre survey on preparedness & confidence in obstetric emergencies.

PubMed

Guise, Jeanne-Marie; Segel, Sally Y; Larison, Kristine; M Jump, Sarah; Constable, Marion; Li, Hong; Osterweil, Patricia; Dieter Zimmer

2010-12-01

Patient safety is a national and international priority. The purpose of this study was to understand clinicians' perceptions of teamwork during obstetric emergencies in clinical practice, to examine factors associated with confidence in responding to obstetric emergencies and to evaluate perceptions about the value of team training to improve preparedness. An anonymous survey was administered to all clinical staff members who respond to obstetric emergencies in seven Oregon hospitals from June 2006 to August 2006. 614 clinical staff (74.5%) responded. While over 90% felt confident that the appropriate clinical staff would respond to emergencies, more than half reported that other clinical staff members were confused about their role during emergencies. Over 84% were confident that emergency drills or simulation-based team training would improve performance. Clinical staff who respond to obstetric emergencies in their practice reported feeling confident that the qualified personnel would respond to an emergency; however, they were less confident that the responders would perform well as a team. They reported that simulation and team training may improve their preparedness and confidence in responding to emergencies.

Physician assistant students' attitudes and behaviors toward cheating and academic integrity.

PubMed

Dereczyk, Amy; Bozimowski, Greg; Thiel, Linda; Higgins, Rose

2010-01-01

To examine physician assistant (PA) students' attitudes towards academic integrity. Three integrity factors were assessed: academic environment, personal cheating behaviors, and perceived seriousness of specific cheating behaviors. After receiving local IRB approval, an anonymous online survey was disseminated to PA students at the University of Detroit Mercy. Ninety-four potential participants were contacted through the university's email account. Respondents were directed to an online site to complete the academic integrity survey. This descriptive study was part of a larger study of students in the whole college, including the PA department, in order to determine baseline data prior to instituting a college-wide honor code. The response rate was 52% (n = 49). The majority of respondents (86%) indicated "never" having seen another student cheat during an exam. Respondents perceived cheating during a test or exam campuswide as occurring "never" (47%) or "very seldom" (42%). All (100%) respondents reported that they had "never" personally turned in work done by another student or purchased from a "paper mill." All participants (100%) responded "never" to not taking vital signs and reporting approximates. A few respondents (8%) reported getting test questions and answers from another student. Respondents' perceptions of the seriousness of cheating behaviors varied. Working with others when asked to do individual work was considered "not cheating" by 14% of respondents; 35% indicated that not taking vital signs and reporting approximates was less serious than cheating. PA students have a self-reported high level of integrity in general course assignments, tests and exams, and clinical courses. This apparent high level of academic integrity may be a result of admissions practices and of various program practices throughout the curriculum, including an honor agreement acknowledged by PA students that reinforces what is expected of them.

District-Wide Comprehensive Needs Assessment Study: Administrator Levels Report, Part II, 1980-81.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saginaw Public Schools, MI. Dept. of Evaluation Services.

A needs assessment study was conducted to identify areas of consensus for respondent groups concerning attitudes toward educational issues. The overall findings of all respondents and each respondent group separately was presented. The groups were elementary, junior high, senior high, and central office administrators. Opinions of these groups are…

Accrual and recruitment practices at Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) institutions: a call for expectations, expertise, and evaluation.

PubMed

Kost, Rhonda G; Mervin-Blake, Sabrena; Hallarn, Rose; Rathmann, Charles; Kolb, H Robert; Himmelfarb, Cheryl Dennison; D'Agostino, Toni; Rubinstein, Eric P; Dozier, Ann M; Schuff, Kathryn G

2014-08-01

To respond to increased public and programmatic demand to address underenrollment of clinical translational research studies, the authors examined participant recruitment practices at Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) sites and make recommendations for performance metrics and accountability. The CTSA Recruitment and Retention taskforce in 2010 invited representatives at 46 CTSAs to complete an online 48-question survey querying accrual and recruitment outcomes, practices, evaluation methods, policies, and perceived gaps in related knowledge/practice. Descriptive statistical and thematic analyses were conducted. Forty-six respondents representing 44 CTSAs completed the survey. Recruitment conducted by study teams was the most common practice reported (78%-91%, by study type); 39% reported their institution offered recruitment services to investigators. Respondents valued study feasibility assessment as a successful practice (39%); desired additional resources included feasibility assessments (49%) and participant registries (44%). None reported their institution systematically required justification of feasibility; some indicated relevant information was considered prior to institutional review board (IRB) review (30%) or contract approval (22%). All respondents' IRBs tracked study progress, but only 10% of respondents could report outcome data for timely accrual. Few reported written policies addressing poor accrual or provided data to support recruitment practice effectiveness. Many CTSAs lack the necessary frame work to support study accrual. Recom men dations to enhance accrual include articulating institutional expectations and policy for routine recruitment plan ning; providing recruitment expertise to inform feasibility assessment and recruit ment planning; and developing interdepartmental coordination and integrated informatics infrastructure to drive the conduct, evaluation, and improvement of recruitment practices.

Knowledge deficiency of work-related radiation hazards associated with psychological distress among orthopedic surgeons

PubMed Central

Fan, Guoxin; Wang, Yueye; Guo, Changfeng; Lei, Xuefeng; He, Shisheng

2017-01-01

Abstract Knowledge and concern degree about work-related radiation hazards remained unknown among orthopedic surgeons. The aim of the cross-sectional study is to investigate whether the knowledge degree of work-related radiation is associated with psychological distress among orthopedic surgeons. This cross-sectional study sent electronic questionnaire via WeChat to orthopedic surgeons nationwide. Concern and knowing degree over radiation exposure was evaluated by a single self-reported question. Professional evaluation of concern degree was reflected by general psychological distress, which was assessed with the Kessler 10 scale (K10) and depressive symptoms with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Only 43.23% (115/266) respondents knew well about radiation and a total of 78.20% (208/266) respondents considered radiation exposure as a great concern. Among those who reported concerns about radiation exposure, a total of 57.69% (120/208) respondents reported knowing little about radiation. Respondents who reported concerns over radiation exposure were significantly associated with higher scores on CES-D and K10 (P < .05). Among respondents who reported concerns over radiation exposure, those who have fewer knowledge about radiation, had higher CES-D and K10 scores than those who knew well about radiation (P < .05). Among respondents who reported no concerns over radiation exposure, those who knew little about radiation still had higher CES-D and K10 scores (P < .05). Fewer radiation knowledge tends to induce more radiation concerns associated with higher psychological distress in orthopedic surgeons. Radiation knowledge should be enhanced for surgeons who daily work with radiation-related fluoroscopy. PMID:28538368

Health Behaviours and Awareness of Canada's Food Guide: A Population-based Study.

PubMed

Mathe, Nonsikelelo; Agborsangaya, Calypse B; Loitz, Christina C; Johnson, Jeffrey A; Johnson, Steven T

2016-06-01

Lifestyle behaviours among adults reporting awareness of Canada's Food Guide (CFG) are described. Data from a cross-sectional survey of adults from Alberta were used to estimate the prevalence of reported health behaviours among respondents aware of the CFG. Respondents (n = 1044) reported general awareness of CFG (mean age 50.3 years; 54.2% female) of whom 82.2% reported awareness of specific CFG recommendations. Respondents reported frequently reading food labels (>58.0%), reading the number of calories (45.5%), the amount of sodium (49.5%), the amount of fat (46.7%), and the type of fat (45.5%) on the food label. Most respondents (90.0%) reported frequently selecting foods to promote health. Approximately one-third of the respondents (35.8%) reported frequently consuming ≥5 portions of vegetables and fruit per day and regularly participating in physical activity (55.3%). Body weight was perceived as healthy by 63.4% of the respondents. Most engaged in 2 health behaviours frequently. Adjusting for important socio-demographic characteristics, those who reported frequently consuming ≥5 portions of vegetables and fruit per day were more likely to engage in a second health behaviour outlined in CGF (OR: 23.6, 95% CI (16.2-34.4)). Awareness of CFG did not translate to positive health behaviours. More proactive population level strategies to support specific health behaviours as outlined in CFG might be warranted.

Mixed Methods Survey of Zoonotic Disease Awareness and Practice among Animal and Human Healthcare Providers in Moshi, Tanzania

PubMed Central

Zhang, Helen L.; Mnzava, Kunda W.; Mitchell, Sarah T.; Melubo, Matayo L.; Kibona, Tito J.; Cleaveland, Sarah; Kazwala, Rudovick R.; Crump, John A.; Sharp, Joanne P.; Halliday, Jo E. B.

2016-01-01

Background Zoonoses are common causes of human and livestock illness in Tanzania. Previous studies have shown that brucellosis, leptospirosis, and Q fever account for a large proportion of human febrile illness in northern Tanzania, yet they are infrequently diagnosed. We conducted this study to assess awareness and knowledge regarding selected zoonoses among healthcare providers in Moshi, Tanzania; to determine what diagnostic and treatment protocols are utilized; and obtain insights into contextual factors contributing to the apparent under-diagnosis of zoonoses. Methodology/Results We conducted a questionnaire about zoonoses knowledge, case reporting, and testing with 52 human health practitioners and 10 livestock health providers. Immediately following questionnaire administration, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 60 of these respondents, using the findings of a previous fever etiology study to prompt conversation. Sixty respondents (97%) had heard of brucellosis, 26 (42%) leptospirosis, and 20 (32%) Q fever. Animal sector respondents reported seeing cases of animal brucellosis (4), rabies (4), and anthrax (3) in the previous 12 months. Human sector respondents reported cases of human brucellosis (15, 29%), rabies (9, 18%) and anthrax (6, 12%). None reported leptospirosis or Q fever cases. Nineteen respondents were aware of a local diagnostic test for human brucellosis. Reports of tests for human leptospirosis or Q fever, or for any of the study pathogens in animals, were rare. Many respondents expressed awareness of malaria over-diagnosis and zoonoses under-diagnosis, and many identified low knowledge and testing capacity as reasons for zoonoses under-diagnosis. Conclusions This study revealed differences in knowledge of different zoonoses and low case report frequencies of brucellosis, leptospirosis, and Q fever. There was a lack of known diagnostic services for leptospirosis and Q fever. These findings emphasize a need for improved diagnostic capacity alongside healthcare provider education and improved clinical guidelines for syndrome-based disease management to provoke diagnostic consideration of locally relevant zoonoses in the absence of laboratory confirmation. PMID:26943334

Assessing quality of life of self-reported rheumatic patients.

PubMed

Ferreira, Pedro L; Gonçalves, Sónia P; Ferreira, Lara N; Pereira, Luis N; Antunes, Patrícia; Gouveia, Nélia; Rodrigues, Ana; Canhão, Helena; Branco, Jaime

2016-09-01

The aims of this study were to assess the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with self-reported rheumatic diseases (RD), to classify self-reported rheumatic patients in groups according to their health state and to explore the associations between health status and sociodemographic variables. Data came from the Portuguese Epidemiologic study of the RD. A sample of the Portuguese population aged 18 or more (n = 10,661) stratified by region and locality dimension was interviewed by trained interviewers and answered a standardized questionnaire that included the SF-36v1, the EQ-5D-3L, medical history, identification of potential rheumatic diseases, sociodemographic characteristics, among others. Descriptive statistics and parametric tests were used to compare HRQoL of respondents with and without RD. Comparisons with normative data from the Portuguese population were also carried out. A cluster analysis was used to classify respondents into homogeneous groups. Regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with HRQoL. Respondents with self-reported RD assigned a lower self-perception to their health status. The burden of disease was observed mainly in physical function, role physical and bodily pain. The EQ-5D-3L dimensions show similar results: the intensity of problems is significantly more evident in respondents with self-reported RD. HRQoL of respondents with self-reported RD is related to sociodemographic variables and is significantly lower when compared with the Portuguese population. Four clusters of homogeneous respondents with self-reported RD were formed and characterized according to a number of variables. Factors associated with HRQoL were identified. In conclusion, suffering from a self-reported RD has a significant impact on self-perceived health status and on the quality of life.

The Prevalence of Multiple-Choice Testing in Registered Nurse Licensure-Qualifying Nursing Education Programs in New York State.

PubMed

Birkhead, Susan; Kelman, Glenda; Zittel, Barbara; Jatulis, Linnea

The aim of this study was to describe nurse educators' use of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) in testing in registered nurse licensure-qualifying nursing education programs in New York State. This study was a descriptive correlational analysis of data obtained from surveying 1,559 nurse educators; 297 educators from 61 institutions responded (response rate [RR] = 19 percent), yielding a final cohort of 200. MCQs were reported to comprise a mean of 81 percent of questions on a typical test. Baccalaureate program respondents were equally likely to use MCQs as associate degree program respondents (p > .05) but were more likely to report using other methods of assessing student achievement to construct course grades (p < .01). Both groups reported little use of alternate format-type questions. Respondent educators reported substantial reliance upon the use of MCQs, corroborating the limited data quantifying the prevalence of use of MCQ tests in licensure-qualifying nursing education programs.

[Effects of interviews during body weight checks in general population surveys].

PubMed

Kroh, M

2005-01-01

While surveying actually measured body weight is largely impractical in national surveys, self-reported weight is a simple and inexpensive method of collecting data. Previous research shows that data on reported body weight are falsified by systematic mis-reporting. This bias is said to be the consequence of the sensitive nature of information on body weight. Numerous studies on survey response suggest that certain modes of data collection are more conducive than others for probing sensitive information. This paper investigates the effect of the anonymous interviews, characteristics of the interviewer and respondents' familiarity with the survey, as factors that may impinge on reported body weight. Findings of this paper show that refusals to state the body weight are rare. Moreover, characteristics of interviewers account for only a small fraction of the variance in reported body weight. Yet the hypothesis that the absence of an interviewer in self-administered interviews increases reported body weight can be confirmed. This interview effect, however, occurred in men only. On average, male respondents in anonymous interview settings report on a body weight which is 1 kg more than they would report in other settings. The repeated participation of respondents in the Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) increases their reported body weight accuracy which suggests a positive panel effect on respondents' willingness to disclose sensitive information.

[NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Report 5:] Summary report to phase 1 respondents including frequency distributions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E.; Kennedy, John M.; White, Terry F.

1991-01-01

Phase 1 of a four part study was undertaken to investigate the use of scientific and technical information (STI) by U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists. Specific attention was paid to institutional and sociometric variables and to the step-by-step process of information gathering used by the respondents. Data were collected by means of three self-administered mail-back questionnaires. The approximately 34,000 members of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics served as the study population. More than 65 percent of the randomly selected respondants returned the questionnaires in each of the three groups. Respondants relied more heavily on informal sources of information than formal sources and turned to librarians and other technical information specialists only when they did not obtain results via informal means or their own formal searches. The report includes frequency distributions for the questions.

The impact of the BP Baker report.

PubMed

Rodríguez, Jennifer M; Payne, Stephanie C; Bergman, Mindy E; Beus, Jeremy M

2011-06-01

This study examined the impact of the British Petroleum (BP) Baker Panel Report, reviewing the March 2005 BP-Texas City explosion, on the field of process safety. Three hundred eighty-four subscribers of a process safety listserv responded to a survey two years after the BP Baker Report was published. Results revealed respondents in the field of process safety are familiar with the BP Baker Report, feel it is important to the future safety of chemical processing, and believe that the findings are generalizable to other plants beyond BP-Texas City. Respondents indicated that few organizations have administered the publicly available BP Process Safety Culture Survey. Our results also showed that perceptions of contractors varied depending on whether respondents were part of processing organizations (internal perspective) or government or consulting agencies (external perspective). This research provides some insight into the beliefs of chemical processing personnel regarding the transportability and generalizability of lessons learned from one organization to another. This study has implications for both organizational scientists and engineers in that it reveals perceptions about the primary mechanism used to share lessons learned within one industry about one major catastrophe (i.e., investigation reports). This study provides preliminary information about the perceived impact of a report such as this one. Copyright © 2011 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of Communication on Preventive Services Among Deaf American Sign Language Users

PubMed Central

McKee, Michael M.; Barnett, Steve L.; Block, Robert C.; Pearson, Thomas A.

2011-01-01

Background Deaf American Sign Language (ASL) users face communication and language barriers that limit healthcare communication with their providers. Prior research has not examined preventive services with ASL-skilled clinicians. Purpose The goal of this study was to determine whether provider language concordance is associated with improved receipt of preventive services among deaf respondents. Methods This cross-sectional study included 89 deaf respondents aged 50–75 years from the Deaf Health Survey (2008), a BRFSS survey adapted for use with deaf ASL users. Association between the respondent's communication method with the provider (i.e., categorized as either concordant–doctor signs or discordant–other) and preventive services use was assessed using logistic regression adjusting for race, gender, income, health status, health insurance, and education. Analyses were conducted in 2010. Results Deaf respondents who reported having a concordant provider were more likely to report a greater number of preventive services (OR 3.42; 95% CI:1.31, 8.93; p=0.0122) when compared to deaf respondents who reported having a discordant provider even after adjusting for race, gender, income, health status, health insurance, and education. In unadjusted analyses, deaf respondents who reported having a concordant provider were more likely to receive an influenza vaccination in the past year (OR 4.55; p=0.016) when compared to respondents who had a discordant provider. Conclusions Language-concordant patient–provider communication is associated with higher appropriate use of preventive services by deaf ASL users. PMID:21665066

Strategies for Successful Retention of Alaska Native and American Indian Study Participants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Redwood, Diana; Leston, Jessica; Asay, Elvin; Ferucci, Elizabeth; Etzel, Ruth; Lanier, Anne P.

2011-01-01

This paper reports the strategies used to track and follow 3,828 Alaska Native and American Indian study participants in the city of Anchorage and more rural areas of Alaska and provides characteristics of respondents and non-respondents. Over 88% were successfully followed-up, with 49% of respondents completed in three or fewer attempts.…

Patient knowledge on reporting adverse drug reactions in Poland

PubMed Central

Staniszewska, Anna; Dąbrowska-Bender, Marta; Olejniczak, Dominik; Duda-Zalewska, Aneta; Bujalska-Zadrożny, Magdalena

2017-01-01

Aim The aim of the study was to assess patient knowledge on reporting of adverse drug reactions. Materials and methods A prospective study was conducted among 200 patients. The study was based on an original survey composed of 15 single- and multiple-choice questions. The study involved individuals who have experienced adverse reactions as well as individuals who have never experienced any adverse reactions; people over the age of 18; literate; residing in Mazowieckie Voivodeship, who have not been diagnosed with any disease that could compromise their logical thinking skills. Results The respondents who lived in the city had a greater knowledge compared to the respondents who lived in the countryside (Pearson’s χ2=47.70, P=0.0013). The respondents who lived in the city were also more statistically likely to provide a correct answer to the question about the type of adverse reactions to be reported (Pearson’s χ2=50.66, P=0.012). Statistically significant associations were found between the place of residence of the respondents and the correct answer to the question about the data that must be included in the report on adverse reactions (Pearson’s χ2=11.7, P<0.0001). PMID:28096661

A picture is worth a thousand words: needs assessment for multimedia radiology reports in a large tertiary care medical center.

PubMed

Nayak, Lina; Beaulieu, Christopher F; Rubin, Daniel L; Lipson, Jafi A

2013-12-01

Radiology reports are the major, and often only, means of communication between radiologists and their referring clinicians. The purposes of this study are to identify referring physicians' preferences about radiology reports and to quantify their perceived value of multimedia reports (with embedded images) compared with narrative text reports. We contacted 1800 attending physicians from a range of specialties at large tertiary care medical center via e-mail and a hospital newsletter linking to a 24-question electronic survey between July and November 2012. One hundred sixty physicians responded, yielding a response rate of 8.9%. Survey results were analyzed using Statistical Analysis Software (SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC). Of the 160 referring physicians respondents, 142 (89%) indicated a general interest in reports with embedded images and completed the remainder of the survey questions. Of 142 respondents, 103 (73%) agreed or strongly agreed that reports with embedded images could improve the quality of interactions with radiologists; 129 respondents (91%) agreed or strongly agreed that having access to significant images enhances understanding of a text-based report; 110 respondents (77%) agreed or strongly agreed that multimedia reports would significantly improve referring physician satisfaction; and 85 respondents (60%) felt strongly or very strongly that multimedia reports would significantly improve patient care and outcomes. Creating accessible, readable, and automatic multimedia reports should be a high priority to enhance the practice and satisfaction of referring physicians, improve patient care, and emphasize the critical role radiology plays in current medical care. Copyright © 2013 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Report of the Look-Listen Opinion Poll, 1971-1972.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Council for Better Broadcasts, Madison, WI.

The Look-Listen Poll, reported in this paper, is based on television program gradings from over 2,000 adults and nearly 2,000 high school students in 32 states. The "report card" used by the respondents to rate TV programs and the method used in the study are described first, and then information is provided about the respondents, their top and…

A Survey of Adverse Event Reporting Practices Among US Healthcare Professionals.

PubMed

Stergiopoulos, Stella; Brown, Carrie A; Felix, Thomas; Grampp, Gustavo; Getz, Kenneth A

2016-11-01

The under-reporting of adverse drug events (ADEs) is an international health concern. A number of studies have assessed the root causes but, to our knowledge, little information exists relating under-reporting to practices and systems used for the recording and tracking of drug-related adverse event observations in ambulatory settings, institutional settings, and retail pharmacies. Our objective was to explore the process for reporting ADEs in US hospitals, ambulatory settings, and retail pharmacies; to explore gaps and inconsistencies in the reporting process; and to identify the causes of under-reporting ADEs in these settings. The Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development (Tufts CSDD) interviewed 11 thought leaders and conducted a survey between May and August 2014 among US-based healthcare providers (HCPs) in diverse settings to assess their experiences with, and processes for, reporting ADEs. A total of 123 individuals completed the survey (42 % were pharmacists; 27 % were nurses; 15 % were physicians; and 16 % were classified as 'other'). HCPs indicated that the main reasons for under-reporting were difficulty in determining the cause of the ADE, given that most patients receive multiple therapies simultaneously (66 % of respondents); that HCPs lack sufficient time to report ADEs (63 % of respondents); poor integration of ADE-reporting systems (53 % of respondents); and uncertainty about reporting procedures (52 % of respondents). The results of this pilot study identify that key factors contributing to the under-reporting of ADEs relate to a lack of standardized process, a lack of training and education, and a lack of integrated health information technologies.

Evoked fear and effects of appeals on attitudes to performing breast self-examination: an information-processing perspective.

PubMed

Ruiter, R A; Kok, G; Verplanken, B; Brug, J

2001-06-01

The effect of fear arousal on attitude toward participating in early detection activities [i.e. breast self-examination (BSE)] was studied from an information-processing perspective. It was hypothesized that fear arousal motivates respondents to more argument-based processing of fear-relevant persuasive information. Respondents first read information about breast cancer in which fear was manipulated. After measuring fear arousal, respondents read a persuasive message about performing BSE. Analyses with reported fear, but not manipulated fear, found support for the hypothesis. Respondents who reported mild fear of breast cancer based their attitude toward BSE more on the arguments provided than respondents who reported low fear of breast cancer. This finding suggests that the use of fear arousal may be an efficient tool in health education practice. However, alternative interpretations are provided, in addition to the suggestion to be careful with using fear arousal in health education messages.

Couple Reports on Intimate Partner Violence and their Health Impact: Evidence From a Population-Based Survey in Japan.

PubMed

Nakamura, Saki; Hashimoto, Hideki

2018-05-01

Recent studies have shown that couples' reports of intimate partner violence (IPV) are not necessarily consistent. This study investigated the associations between patterns of partner victimization and perpetration reports and health and perceived wellbeing. Using household survey data from a probabilistic urban sample of adults aged 25 to 50 years and their partners, we identified 1,467 heterosexual pairs who completed the modified Japanese version of the Conflict Tactics Scale 2 Short Form. We classified responses into four categories: congruent report of no IPV, incongruent respondent victimization report, incongruent partner perpetration report, and congruent report of IPV. We used analysis of covariance to compare physical and mental health (measured by the SF-8 Health Survey Questionnaire) and life satisfaction among the four groups. The results showed that 22.4% of respondents were involved in IPV, and approximately 75% of them had incongruent reports. Compared with congruent reports of no IPV, respondents with an incongruent victimization report and an incongruent partner perpetration report scored significantly lower on physical health (-0.96, p = .03 and -1.16, p = .04, respectively). Those with an incongruent victimization report and congruent report of IPV had lower mental health scores (-2.32, p = .00 and -2.21, p = .00, respectively) and lower life satisfaction (-0.32, p = .00 and -0.21, p = .01, respectively). The results indicated that the respondent's victimization report was associated with worse mental health regardless of their partner's perpetration report, and physical health was worse only in cases with incongruent reports. Cases with a partner perpetration report but no respondent victimization report showed worse physical health but no negative effects on mental health and perceived wellbeing. These results indicate that research and practice regarding IPV should consider both partners' experiences of violence when assessing the impact of health and wellbeing on victims.

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Report 4: Summary report to phase 1 respondents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E.; Kennedy, John M.; White, Terry F.

1991-01-01

Phase 1 of a 4 part study was undertaken studying the use of scientific and technical information (STI) by U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists. Specific attention was paid to institutional and socioeconomic variables and to the step-by-step process of information gathering used by the respondents. Data were collected by means of three self administered mail-back questionnaires. The approximately 34,000 members of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) served as the study population. More than 65 percent of the randomly selected respondents returned the questionnaires in each of the three groups. Respondents relied more heavily upon informal sources of information than formal sources and turned to librarians and other technical information specialists only when they did not obtain results via informal means or their own formal searches.

Reporting errors in siblings' survival histories and their impact on adult mortality estimates: results from a record linkage study in Senegal.

PubMed

Helleringer, Stéphane; Pison, Gilles; Kanté, Almamy M; Duthé, Géraldine; Andro, Armelle

2014-04-01

Estimates of adult mortality in countries with limited vital registration (e.g., sub-Saharan Africa) are often derived from information about the survival of a respondent's siblings. We evaluated the completeness and accuracy of such data through a record linkage study conducted in Bandafassi, located in southeastern Senegal. We linked at the individual level retrospective siblings' survival histories (SSH) reported by female respondents (n = 268) to prospective mortality data and genealogies collected through a health and demographic surveillance system (HDSS). Respondents often reported inaccurate lists of siblings. Additions to these lists were uncommon, but omissions were frequent: respondents omitted 3.8 % of their live sisters, 9.1 % of their deceased sisters, and 16.6 % of their sisters who had migrated out of the DSS area. Respondents underestimated the age at death of the siblings they reported during the interview, particularly among siblings who had died at older ages (≥45 years). Restricting SSH data to person-years and events having occurred during a recent reference period reduced list errors but not age and date errors. Overall, SSH data led to a 20 % underestimate of 45 q 15 relative to HDSS data. Our study suggests new quality improvement strategies for SSH data and demonstrates the potential use of HDSS data for the validation of "unconventional" demographic techniques.

Effects of varenicline on ethanol- and food-maintained responding in a concurrent access procedure.

PubMed

Ginsburg, Brett C; Lamb, Richard J

2013-07-01

Varenicline has been reported to reduce drinking in smokers and to selectively decrease responding for ethanol (EtOH) versus alternatives in preclinical studies. Such selectivity may reflect potential therapeutic effects and the involvement of nicotinic receptors in EtOH reinforcement. However, these studies have been conducted with EtOH and an alternative available in isolation or in separate groups, and selectivity can depend on the context in which reinforcement occurs. Whether varenicline selectivity is maintained when EtOH and an alternative are concurrently available has not been reported. To examine the effects of varenicline on EtOH self-administration when an alternative is concurrently available, male Lewis rats (n = 5) were trained to respond for EtOH and food under a concurrent FR5 FRX schedule where the fixed ratio (FR) for food was adjusted (FR = 25 or 35 for each subject) to provide similar numbers of EtOH and food deliveries during a 30-minute session. Doses of varenicline (0.56 to 5.6 mg/kg, i.p.) or vehicle were administered 30 minutes before sessions. Effects of varenicline on responding across the session and during each tenth of the session were compared to responding following vehicle treatment. Lower doses (0.56 to 1.0 mg/kg) of varenicline increased responding for EtOH without affecting responding for food. Higher doses disrupted responding for EtOH and food similarly. Previous reports of varenicline selectivity on EtOH-maintained responding do not generalize to other experimental conditions such as a concurrent schedule. The increase in responding for EtOH following lower doses might be due to enhanced EtOH reinforcement, decreased food reinforcement, rate dependency, or greater perseverance on the initial, EtOH response. Copyright © 2013 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Impact of communication on preventive services among deaf American Sign Language users.

PubMed

McKee, Michael M; Barnett, Steve L; Block, Robert C; Pearson, Thomas A

2011-07-01

Deaf American Sign Language (ASL) users face communication and language barriers that limit healthcare communication with their providers. Prior research has not examined preventive services with ASL-skilled clinicians. The goal of this study was to determine whether provider language concordance is associated with improved receipt of preventive services among deaf respondents. This cross-sectional study included 89 deaf respondents aged 50-75 years from the Deaf Health Survey (2008), a Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey adapted for use with deaf ASL users. Association between the respondent's communication method with the provider (i.e., categorized as either concordant-doctor signs or discordant-other) and preventive services use was assessed using logistic regression adjusting for race, gender, income, health status, health insurance, and education. Analyses were conducted in 2010. Deaf respondents who reported having a concordant provider were more likely to report a greater number of preventive services (OR=3.42, 95% CI=1.31, 8.93, p=0.0122) when compared to deaf respondents who reported having a discordant provider even after adjusting for race, gender, income, health status, health insurance, and education. In unadjusted analyses, deaf respondents who reported having a concordant provider were more likely to receive an influenza vaccination in the past year (OR=4.55, p=0.016) when compared to respondents who had a discordant provider. Language-concordant patient-provider communication is associated with higher appropriate use of preventive services by deaf ASL users. Copyright © 2011 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Self-Reported Minimalist Running Injury Incidence and Severity: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Ostermann, Katrina; Ridpath, Lance; Hanna, Jandy B

2016-08-01

Minimalist running entails using shoes with a flexible thin sole and is popular in the United States. Existing literature disagrees over whether minimalist running shoes (MRS) improve perceived severity of injuries associated with running in traditional running shoes (TRS). Additionally, the perceived injury patterns associated with MRS are relatively unknown. To examine whether injury incidence and severity (ie, degree of pain) by body region change after switching to MRS, and to determine if transition times affect injury incidences or severity with MRS. Runners who were either current or previous users of MRS were recruited to complete an Internet-based survey regarding self-reported injury before switching to MRS and whether self-reported pain from that injury decreased after switching. Questions regarding whether new injuries developed in respondents after switching to MRS were also included. Analyses were calculated using t tests, Wilcoxon signed rank tests, and Fischer exact tests. Forty-seven runners completed the survey, and 16 respondents reported injuries before switching to MRS. Among these respondents, pain resulting from injuries of the feet (P=.03) and knees (P=.01) decreased. Eighteen respondents (38.3%) indicated they sustained new injuries after switching to MRS, but the severity of these did not differ significantly from no injury. Neither time allowed for transition to MRS nor use or disuse of a stretching routine during this period was correlated with an increase in the incidence or severity of injuries. After switching to MRS, respondents perceived an improvement in foot and knee injuries. Additionally, respondents using MRS reported an injury rate of 38.3%, compared with the approximately 64% that the literature reports among TRS users. Future studies should be expanded to determine the full extent of the differences in injury patterns between MRS and TRS.

Surviving the storms: Emergency preparedness in Texas nursing facilities and assisted living facilities.

PubMed

Castro, Carmen; Persson, Diane; Bergstrom, Nancy; Cron, Stanley

2008-08-01

This study assesses the preparedness of long-term care facilities in Texas responding to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. A 41-item questionnaire was mailed to facilities; the response rate was 42%. Among responding facilities, 4513 residents were evacuated, and 6% of respondents reported resident death. Financial losses were reported by 8% of nursing facilities and 45% of assisted living facilities due to transportation and staff overtime. Respondents indicated the need for improved disaster preparednesstraining, better coordination, and transportation. Changes in policy and practice will lead to better trained staff who will provide the care residents need for improved health outcomes during future public health disasters.

Emotional Risks to Respondents in Survey Research: Some Empirical Evidence

PubMed Central

Labott, Susan M.; Johnson, Timothy P.; Fendrich, Michael; Feeny, Norah C.

2014-01-01

Some survey research has documented distress in respondents with pre-existing emotional vulnerabilities, suggesting the possibility of harm. In this study, respondents were interviewed about a personally distressing event; mood, stress, and emotional reactions were assessed. Two days later, respondents participated in interventions to either enhance or alleviate the effects of the initial interview. Results indicated that distressing interviews increased stress and negative mood, although no adverse events occurred. Between the interviews, moods returned to baseline. Respondents who again discussed a distressing event reported moods more negative than those who discussed a neutral or a positive event. This study provides evidence that, among nonvulnerable survey respondents, interviews on distressing topics can result in negative moods and stress, but they do not harm respondents. PMID:24169422

Is Childhood Socioeconomic Status Related to Coronary Heart Disease? Evidence From the Health and Retirement Study (1992-2012).

PubMed

Lee, Minjee; Khan, M Mahmud; Wright, Brad

2017-01-01

Objective: We investigated the association between childhood socioeconomic status (SES) and coronary heart disease (CHD) in older Americans. Method: We used Health and Retirement Study data from 1992 to 2012 to examine a nationally representative sample of Americans aged ≥50 years ( N = 30,623). We modeled CHD as a function of childhood and adult SES using maternal and paternal educational level as a proxy for childhood SES. Results: Respondents reporting low childhood SES were significantly more likely to have CHD than respondents reporting high childhood SES. Respondents reporting both low childhood and adult SES were 2.34 times more likely to have CHD than respondents reporting both high childhood and adult SES. People with low childhood SES and high adult SES were 1.60 times more likely than people with high childhood SES and high adult SES to report CHD in the fully adjusted model. High childhood SES and low adult SES increased the likelihood of CHD by 13%, compared with high SES both as a child and adult. Conclusion: Childhood SES is significantly associated with increased risk of CHD in later life among older adult Americans.

Technical Feasibility of Reporting YITS 2010 Skill Assessment Results on the PISA 2000 Reading Scale. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 69

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cartwright, Fernando

2012-01-01

This study examines the feasibility of reporting scores of a test based on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2000 instrument that was administered to a sample of 25-year-old Youth in Transition Survey (YITS) respondents on the PISA scale. Each of these respondents also participated in PISA 2000. The study examines the…

Participation in an Intensive Longitudinal Study with Weekly Web Surveys Over 2.5 Years

PubMed Central

Barber, Jennifer; Kusunoki, Yasamin; Schulz, Paul

2016-01-01

Background Technological advances have made it easier for researchers to collect more frequent longitudinal data from survey respondents via personal computers, smartphones, and other mobile devices. Although technology has led to an increase in data-intensive longitudinal studies, little is known about attrition from such studies or the differences between respondents who complete frequently administered surveys in a timely manner, and respondents who do not. Objective We examined respondent characteristics and behaviors associated with continued and on-time participation in a population-based intensive longitudinal study, using weekly web-based survey interviews over an extended period. Methods We analyzed data from the Relationship Dynamics and Social Life study, an intensive longitudinal study that collected weekly web-based survey interviews for 2.5 years from 1003 18- and 19-year-olds to investigate factors shaping the dynamics of their sexual behavior, contraceptive use, and pregnancies. Results Ordinary least squares and logistic regression analyses showed background respondent characteristics measured at baseline were associated with the number of days respondents remained enrolled in the study, the number of interviews they completed, and the odds that they were late completing interviews. In addition, we found that changes in pregnancy-related behaviors reported in the weekly interviews were associated with late completion of interviews. Specifically, after controlling for sociodemographic, personality, contact information, and prior experience variables, we found that weekly reports such as starting to have sex (odds ratio [OR] 1.17, 95% CI 1.03-1.32, P=.01), getting a new partner (OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.53-2.03, P<.001), stopping the use of contraception (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.10-1.49, P=.001), and having a new pregnancy (OR 5.57, 95% CI 4.26-7.29, P<.001) were significantly associated with late survey completion. However, young women who reported changes in pregnancy-related behaviors also had lower levels of study attrition, and completed more interviews overall, than did their counterparts. Conclusions We found that measures of participation in a longitudinal study with weekly web surveys varied not only by respondent characteristics, but also by behaviors measured across the surveys. Our analyses suggest that respondents who experience the behaviors measured by the study may maintain higher participation levels than respondents who do not experience those behaviors. PMID:27338859

Self-report of physical symptoms associated with using mobile phones and other electrical devices.

PubMed

Korpinen, Leena H; Pääkkönen, Rauno J

2009-09-01

The aim of our work was to study the working-age population's self-reported physical symptoms associated with using mobile phones and other electrical devices. A qualitative method was applied using an open-ended question in a questionnaire, which included questions about the possible influence of new technical equipment on health. We then created subgroups of respondents for different self-reported symptoms associated with mobile phones and other electrical devices. The research questions were: (1) how the respondents described physical symptoms associated with using mobile phones and other electrical devices and (2) how the answers can be classified into subgroups based on symptoms or devices. We identified the following categories: (1) respondents with different self-reported symptoms which they associated with using mobile phones (headache, earache, or warmth sensations), (2) respondents who had skin symptoms when they stayed in front of a computer screen, (3) respondents who mentioned physical symptoms associated with using mobile phones and other electrical devices. Total prevalence of self-reported physical symptoms associated with using mobile phones and other electrical devices (categories 1 and 2) was 0.7%. In the future it will be possible to obtain new knowledge of these topics by using qualitative methods.

Attitudes of Arab and Jewish patients toward integration of complementary medicine in primary care clinics in Israel: a cross-cultural study.

PubMed

Ben-Arye, Eran; Karkabi, Khaled; Karkabi, Sonia; Keshet, Yael; Haddad, Maria; Frenkel, Moshe

2009-01-01

The purpose of this cross-cultural study was to evaluate patient perspectives on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) integration within primary care clinics. It is one of the first multiethnic studies to explore patients' perspectives on the best model for integrating CAM into the conventional care setting. We developed a 13-item questionnaire that addresses issues of CAM use, expectations from the primary care physicians concerning CAM, and attitudes toward CAM integration within a patient's primary care clinic. We constructed the questionnaire with cross-cultural sensitivity concerning the core concepts of CAM and traditional medicine in both the Arab and Jewish communities in northern Israel. Data for statistical analysis were obtained from 3840 patients attending seven primary care clinics. Of the 3713 respondents who were willing to identify their religion, 2184 defined themselves as Muslims, Christians, or Druze and 1529 as Jews. Respondents in the two groups were equally distributed by sex but differed significantly by age, education, self-rated religiosity, and self-reported chronic diseases in their medical background. Respondents in the two groups reported comparable overall CAM use during the previous year, but the Arab respondents reported more use of herbs and traditional medicine. Respondents in both groups stated that their primary expectation from a family physician concerning CAM was to refer them appropriately and safely to a CAM practitioner. Respondents in both groups greatly supported a theoretical scenario of CAM integration into primary medical care. However, Arab respondents were more supportive of the option that non-physician CAM practitioners would provide CAM rather than physicians.

Sources of medicine information and their reliability evaluated by medicine users.

PubMed

Närhi, Ulla

2007-12-01

To study the medicine users' sources of medicine information and the perceived reliability of these sources in different age groups. A computer-aided telephone interview (CATI) to Finnish consumers (n = 1,004). Those respondents (n = 714) who reported using any prescription or self-medication medicines more than once a month were included in the study. The respondents were interviewed about their use of sources of medicine information during the previous 6 months. The reliability of sources in different age groups was estimated using a 4-point scale: very reliable, somewhat reliable, somewhat unreliable and very unreliable. The respondents also had the option of being unable to make an appraisal. A proportion of respondents reporting using the source, number of mentioned sources and their reliability evaluated by respondents. About half of the respondents in each age group mentioned two to four sources. The most common sources of information were Patient Information Leaflets (PILs) (74%), doctors (68%) and pharmacists (60%). Next came television (40%), newspapers and magazines (40%), drug advertisements (32%), nurses (28%), drug information leaflets (27%), relatives and friends (24%), medicine guides and books (22%) and the Internet (20%). There was a significant difference between age groups in reporting the Internet as a source of medicine information (15-34-year-old respondents reported the greatest Internet use). The three most reliable sources in every age group were reported to be PILs, doctors and pharmacists. Nurses, drug regulatory authorities, drug information leaflets and medicine guides and books were considered next most reliable. Relatives and friends, television, newspapers and magazines were considered the least reliable. The respondents were most uncertain about the reliability of the Internet, patient organisations and telephone services. There was a significant difference between age groups in evaluating the reliability of telephone services (15-34-year-olds found them more reliable). Medicine users reported receiving medicine information from many sources. The most commonly used sources were perceived as the most reliable, but their reliability did not seem to depend on age. The counsellors should take into account that patients have many sources of medicine information, with varying validity.

Evaluation of flood preparedness in government healthcare facilities in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka.

PubMed

Farley, Jessica M; Suraweera, Inoka; Perera, W L S P; Hess, Jeremy; Ebi, Kristie L

2017-01-01

Sri Lanka is vulnerable to floods and other hydro-meteorological disasters. Climate change is projected to increase the intensity of these events. This study aimed to assess the flood preparedness in healthcare facilities in Eastern Province. This was a cross-sectional, descriptive, mixed methods study conducted in Trincomalee District. Surveys were conducted in 31 government healthcare facilities, using a pre-tested, structured questionnaire covering the last 5 years. Seven in-depth interviews were conducted with randomly selected Medical Officers in Charge or their equivalent, and 3 interviews were conducted with Medical Offices of Health. Two general hospitals, 3 base hospitals, 11 divisional hospitals, and 15 primary care units were included. Six respondents (19.4%) reported flooding in their facility, and 19 (61.3%) reported flooding in their catchment area. For the health workforce, 77.4% of respondents reported not enough staff to perform normal service delivery during disasters, and 25.5% reported staff absenteeism due to flooding. Several respondents expressed a desire for more disaster-specific and general clinical training opportunities for themselves and their staff. Most respondents (80.7%) reported no delays in supply procurement during weather emergencies, but 61.3% reported insufficient supplies to maintain normal service delivery during disasters. Four facilities (12.9%) had disaster preparedness plans, and 4 (12.9%) had any staff trained on disaster preparedness or management within the last year. One quarter (25.8%) of respondents had received any written guidance on disaster preparedness from the regional, provincial, or national level in the last year. While there is a strong health system operating in Sri Lanka, improvements are needed in localized and appropriate disaster-related training, resources for continuing clinical education, and investments in workforce to strengthen flood and other disaster resilience within the government healthcare system in the study district.

The association between EMS workplace safety culture and safety outcomes.

PubMed

Weaver, Matthew D; Wang, Henry E; Fairbanks, Rollin J; Patterson, Daniel

2012-01-01

Prior studies have highlighted wide variation in emergency medical services (EMS) workplace safety culture across agencies. To determine the association between EMS workplace safety culture scores and patient or provider safety outcomes. We administered a cross-sectional survey to EMS workers affiliated with a convenience sample of agencies. We recruited these agencies from a national EMS management organization. We used the EMS Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (EMS-SAQ) to measure workplace safety culture and the EMS Safety Inventory (EMS-SI), a tool developed to capture self-reported safety outcomes from EMS workers. The EMS-SAQ provides reliable and valid measures of six domains: safety climate, teamwork climate, perceptions of management, working conditions, stress recognition, and job satisfaction. A panel of medical directors, emergency medical technicians and paramedics, and occupational epidemiologists developed the EMS-SI to measure self-reported injury, medical errors and adverse events, and safety-compromising behaviors. We used hierarchical linear models to evaluate the association between EMS-SAQ scores and EMS-SI safety outcome measures. Sixteen percent of all respondents reported experiencing an injury in the past three months, four of every 10 respondents reported an error or adverse event (AE), and 89% reported safety-compromising behaviors. Respondents reporting injury scored lower on five of the six domains of safety culture. Respondents reporting an error or AE scored lower for four of the six domains, while respondents reporting safety-compromising behavior had lower safety culture scores for five of the six domains. Individual EMS worker perceptions of workplace safety culture are associated with composite measures of patient and provider safety outcomes. This study is preliminary evidence of the association between safety culture and patient or provider safety outcomes.

The association between EMS workplace safety culture and safety outcomes

PubMed Central

Weaver, Matthew D.; Wang, Henry E.; Fairbanks, Rollin J.; Patterson, Daniel

2012-01-01

Objective Prior studies have highlighted wide variation in EMS workplace safety culture across agencies. We sought to determine the association between EMS workplace safety culture scores and patient or provider safety outcomes. Methods We administered a cross-sectional survey to EMS workers affiliated with a convenience sample of agencies. We recruited these agencies from a national EMS management organization. We used the EMS Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (EMS-SAQ) to measure workplace safety culture and the EMS Safety Inventory (EMS-SI), a tool developed to capture self-reported safety outcomes from EMS workers. The EMS-SAQ provides reliable and valid measures of six domains: safety climate, teamwork climate, perceptions of management, perceptions of working conditions, stress recognition, and job satisfaction. A panel of medical directors, paramedics, and occupational epidemiologists developed the EMS-SI to measure self-reported injury, medical errors and adverse events, and safety-compromising behaviors. We used hierarchical linear models to evaluate the association between EMS-SAQ scores and EMS-SI safety outcome measures. Results Sixteen percent of all respondents reported experiencing an injury in the past 3 months, four of every 10 respondents reported an error or adverse event (AE), and 90% reported safety-compromising behaviors. Respondents reporting injury scored lower on 5 of the 6 domains of safety culture. Respondents reporting an error or AE scored lower for 4 of the 6 domains, while respondents reporting safety-compromising behavior had lower safety culture scores for 5 of 6 domains. Conclusions Individual EMS worker perceptions of workplace safety culture are associated with composite measures of patient and provider safety outcomes. This study is preliminary evidence of the association between safety culture and patient or provider safety outcomes. PMID:21950463

Faculty Professional Development Needs and Career Advancement at Tribal Colleges and Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Asfour, Ahmed; Young, Suzanne

2017-01-01

Professional development needs of faculty who are teaching at Tribal Colleges and Universities were examined in this survey research study. The majority of 126 respondents to the online survey reported that they were full-time faculty members, female, not tribal members, and had taught five or less years. Respondents reported that the two greatest…

Longitudinal Consistency in Self-Reported Age of First Vaginal Intercourse Among Young Adults

PubMed Central

Goldberg, Shoshana K.; Haydon, Abigail A.; Herring, Amy H.; Halpern, Carolyn T.

2014-01-01

We examined consistency in self-reports of age at first vaginal sex among 9,399 male and female respondents who participated in Waves III and IV (separated by approximately 7 years) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Respondents were coded as consistent if they reported an age at first vaginal intercourse at Wave IV that was within 1 year of the age they reported at Wave III. Sociodemographic, behavioral, and cognitive predictors of consistency were examined using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression. Overall, 85.43% of respondents were able to provide consistent reports. Among both males and females, consistency was associated with age, years since first vaginal intercourse, race/ethnicity, and lifetime number of other-sex partners in final multivariate models. Respondents who were older and had more recently had their first sexual experience were more likely to be consistent. For females only, those who reported a history of non-parental, physically forced sex were less likely to be consistent. Most young adults consistently report age at first vaginal intercourse, supporting the credibility of retrospective self-reports about salient sexual events such as timing of first vaginal intercourse. PMID:23237101

Reactions of older employees to organizational downsizing: the role of gender, job level, and time.

PubMed

Armstrong-Stassen, M

2001-07-01

This panel study examined the reactions of 187 federal government employees aged 45 and older during the initial phase of a large-scale downsizing and 20 months later. There were few significant differences in the reactions of older men and women. Respondents in management positions reported significantly more positive attitudes toward their job and the organization than did respondents in nonmanagement jobs. Compared with the initial phase of the downsizing, respondents reported a significant decrease in commitment to the organization 20 months later. For the two dimensions of job insecurity, perceived threat of job loss decreased, whereas sense of powerlessness over decisions affecting the future of one's job increased. A major area of concern for management is the low level of organizational trust and morale reported by the respondents at both time periods.

The Impact of Married Individuals Learning HIV Status in Malawi: Divorce, Number of Sexual Partners, and Condom Use With Spouses

PubMed Central

Kohler, Hans-Peter; Behrman, Jere R.

2015-01-01

This article assesses how married individuals’ knowledge of HIV status gained through HIV testing and counseling (HTC) affects divorce, the number of sexual partners, and the use of condoms within marriage. This study improves upon previous studies on this topic because the randomized incentives affecting the propensity to be tested for HIV permit control for selective testing. Instrumental variable probit and linear models are estimated, using a randomized experiment administered as part of the Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health (MLSFH). The results indicate that knowledge of HIV status (1) does not affect chances of divorce for either HIV-negative or HIV-positive respondents; (2) reduces the number of reported sexual partners among HIV-positive respondents; and (3) increases reported condom use with spouses for both HIV-negative and HIV-positive respondents. These results imply that individuals actively respond to information about their HIV status that they learn during HTC, invoking protective behavior against future risk of HIV/AIDS for them-selves and their actual and potential sexual partners. Some limitations of this study are a small sample size for those who are HIV-positive and dependence on self-reported sexual behaviors. PMID:25582891

The Impact of Married Individuals Learning HIV Status in Malawi: Divorce, Number of Sexual Partners, and Condom Use With Spouses.

PubMed

Fedor, Theresa M; Kohler, Hans-Peter; Behrman, Jere R

2015-02-01

This article assesses how married individuals' knowledge of HIV status gained through HIV testing and counseling (HTC) affects divorce, the number of sexual partners, and the use of condoms within marriage. This study improves upon previous studies on this topic because the randomized incentives affecting the propensity to be tested for HIV permit control for selective testing. Instrumental variable probit and linear models are estimated, using a randomized experiment administered as part of the Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health (MLSFH). The results indicate that knowledge of HIV status (1) does not affect chances of divorce for either HIV-negative or HIV-positive respondents; (2) reduces the number of reported sexual partners among HIV-positive respondents; and (3) increases reported condom use with spouses for both HIV-negative and HIV-positive respondents. These results imply that individuals actively respond to information about their HIV status that they learn during HTC, invoking protective behavior against future risk of HIV/AIDS for themselves and their actual and potential sexual partners. Some limitations of this study are a small sample size for those who are HIV-positive and dependence on self-reported sexual behaviors.

Redding Responder phase I final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2005-12-19

The Redding Responder Study was initiated as a component of the Redding Incident : Management Enhancement (RIME) Program. The goals of the RIME program are to leverage : technology and communications deployments for emergency communication providers ...

Mischievous responding in Internet Gaming Disorder research.

PubMed

Przybylski, Andrew K

2016-01-01

The most recent update to the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) included Internet Gaming Disorder as a new potential psychiatric condition that merited further scientific study. The present research was conducted in response to the APA Substance-Related Disorders Working Group's research call to estimate the extent to which mischievous responding-a known problematic pattern of participant self-report responding in questionnaires-is relevant to Internet Gaming Disorder research. In line with a registered sampling and analysis plan, findings from two studies (n tot = 11,908) provide clear evidence that mischievous responding is positively associated with the number of Internet Gaming Disorder indicators participants report. Results are discussed in the context of ongoing problem gaming research and the discussion provides recommendations for improving the quality of scientific practice in this area.

Collecting Self-Reported Data on Dating Abuse Perpetration From a Sample of Primarily Black and Hispanic, Urban-Residing, Young Adults: A Comparison of Timeline Followback Interview and Interactive Voice Response Methods.

PubMed

Rothman, Emily F; Heeren, Timothy; Winter, Michael; Dorfman, David; Baughman, Allyson; Stuart, Gregory

2016-12-01

Dating abuse is a prevalent and consequential public health problem. However, relatively few studies have compared methods of collecting self-report data on dating abuse perpetration. This study compares two data collection methods-(a) the Timeline Followback (TLFB) retrospective reporting method, which makes use of a written calendar to prompt respondents' recall, and (b) an interactive voice response (IVR) system, which is a prospective telephone-based database system that necessitates respondents calling in and entering data using their telephone keypads. We collected 84 days of data on young adult dating abuse perpetration using IVR from a total of 60 respondents. Of these respondents, 41 (68%) completed a TLFB retrospective report pertaining to the same 84-day period after that time period had ended. A greater number of more severe dating abuse perpetration events were reported via the IVR system. Participants who reported any dating abuse perpetration were more likely to report more frequent abuse perpetration via the IVR than the TLFB (i.e., may have minimized the number of times they perpetrated dating abuse on the TLFB). The TLFB method did not result in a tapering off of reported events past the first week as it has in prior studies, but the IVR method did result in a tapering off of reported events after approximately the sixth week. We conclude that using an IVR system for self-reports of dating abuse perpetration may not have substantial advantages over using a TLFB method, but researchers' choice of mode may vary by research question, resources, sample, and setting.

Coloring of the past via respondent's current psychological state, mediation, and the association between childhood disadvantage and morbidity in adulthood.

PubMed

Sheikh, Mashhood Ahmed

2018-05-31

Many researchers view retrospective reports with skepticism. Indeed, the observed association between retrospectively-reported childhood disadvantage (CD) and morbidity in adulthood has been criticized as an artefactual correlation driven by the psychological state of the respondent at the time of reporting (current psychological state). The aim of this study was to assess the role of current psychological state in the association between childhood disadvantage and morbidity in adulthood. The present analysis used cross-sectional data collected in 2007-2008 within the framework of the Tromsø Study (N = 10,765), a representative study of adult men and women in Norway. The association between CD and the physical health outcomes heart attack, angina pectoris, chronic bronchitis/emphysema/COPD, diabetes mellitus, hypothyroid/low metabolism, migraine, hypertension, and comorbidity (i.e., the sum of these physical health outcomes) was assessed with Poisson regression models. Relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated. A wide range of indicators of respondents' current psychological state were included in the models to assess the % attenuation in estimates. CD was associated with an increased risk of heart attack, angina pectoris, chronic bronchitis/emphysema/COPD, diabetes mellitus, hypothyroid/low metabolism, migraine, hypertension, and comorbidity (p < 0.05), independent of respondents' current psychological state. A sizeable proportion (23-42%) of the association between CD and physical health outcomes was driven by recall bias or mediation via respondents' current psychological state. Controlling for indicators of current psychological state reduced the strength of associations between CD and physical health outcomes; however, the independent associations remained in the same direction. The association between retrospectively-reported CD and physical health outcomes in adulthood is not driven entirely by respondent's current psychological state. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Generalized anxiety disorder in urban China: Prevalence, awareness, and disease burden.

PubMed

Yu, Wei; Singh, Shikha Satendra; Calhoun, Shawna; Zhang, Hui; Zhao, Xiahong; Yang, Fengchi

2018-07-01

Limited published research has quantified the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) prevalence and its burden in China. This study aimed to fill in the knowledge gap and to evaluate the burden of GAD among adults in urban China. This study utilized existing data from the China National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS) 2012-2013. Prevalence of self-reported diagnosed and undiagnosed GAD was estimated. Diagnosed and undiagnosed GAD respondents were compared with non-anxious respondents in terms of health-related quality of life (HRQoL), resource utilization, and work productivity and activity impairment using multivariate generalized linear models. A multivariate logistic model assessed the risk factors for GAD. The prevalence of undiagnosed/diagnosed GAD was 5.3% in urban China with only 0.5% of GAD respondents reporting a diagnosis. Compared with non-anxious respondents, both diagnosed and undiagnosed GAD respondents had significantly lower HRQoL, more work productivity and activity impairment, and greater healthcare resource utilization in the past six months. Age, gender, marital status, income level, insurance status, smoking, drinking and exercise behaviors, and comorbidity burdens were significantly associated with GAD. This was a patient-reported study; data are therefore subject to recall bias. The survey was limited to respondents in urban China; therefore, these results focused on urban China and may be under- or over-estimating GAD prevalence in China. Causal inferences cannot be made given the cross-sectional nature of the study. GAD may be substantially under-diagnosed in urban China. More healthcare resources should be invested to alleviate the burden of GAD. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Response Distortion in Adolescents Who Smoke: a Pilot Study*

PubMed Central

Stein, L. A. R.; Colby, Suzanne M.; O'Leary, Tracy A.; Monti, Peter M.; Rohsenow, Damaris J.; Spirito, Anthony; Riggs, Suzanne; Barnett, Nancy P.

2010-01-01

A wide range of data are obtained with self-report. Information obtained from persons using substances is generally reliable and valid, however, many studies show that some proportion of self-reports regarding substance use are inaccurate. This study examines self-reported response distortion in adolescents who received a brief intervention to reduce their smoking. Findings indicate that age and ethnicity of respondent may influence reported response distortion. Factors that appear to influence under- and over-reporting include social desirability and fear of repercussion. Response distortion does not appear to affect rated usefulness of the intervention, nor does intervention type appear to influence whether respondents thought the researcher wanted them to report less use. Results point to the need for further research regarding adolescents and response distortion. PMID:12556133

An exploration of differences between Japan and two European countries in the self-reporting and valuation of pain and discomfort on the EQ-5D.

PubMed

Feng, Yan; Herdman, Mike; van Nooten, Floortje; Cleeland, Charles; Parkin, David; Ikeda, Shunya; Igarashi, Ataru; Devlin, Nancy J

2017-08-01

To investigate the systematic differences in the self-reporting and valuation of overall health and, in particular, pain/discomfort between three countries (England/UK, Japan, and Spain) on the EQ-5D. Existing datasets were used to explore differences in responses on the EQ-5D descriptive system between Japan (3L and 5L), the UK (3L), England (5L), and Spain (5L), particularly on the dimension of pain/discomfort. The role of different EQ dimensions in determining self-reported overall health scores for the EuroQol visual analog scale (EQ-VAS) was investigated using ordinary least squares regression. Time trade-off (TTO) results from Japanese and UK respondents for the EQ-5D-3L as well as Japanese and English respondents for the EQ-5D-5L were compared using t tests. For the EQ-5D-3L, a higher percentage of respondents in Japan than in the UK reported 'no pain/discomfort' (81.6 vs 67.0%, respectively); for the EQ-5D-5L, the proportions were 79.2% in Spain, 73.2% in Japan, and 63-64% in England, after adjusting for age differences in samples. The 'pain/discomfort' dimension had the largest impact on respondents' self-reported EQ-VAS only for EQ-5D-3L in Japan. Using the EQ-5D-3L, Japanese respondents were considerably less willing to trade off time to avoid pain/discomfort than the UK respondents; for example, moving from health state, 11121 (some problems with pain/discomfort) to 11131 (extreme pain/discomfort) represented a decrement of 0.65 on the observed TTO value in the UK compared with 0.15 in Japan. Using the EQ-5D-5L, Japanese respondents were also less willing to trade off time to avoid pain/discomfort than respondents in England; however, the difference in values was much smaller than that observed using EQ-5D-3L data. This study provides evidence of between-country differences in the self-reporting and valuation of health, including pain/discomfort, when using EQ-5D in general population samples. The results suggest a need for caution when comparing or aggregating EQ-5D self-reported data in multi-country studies.

Accrual and Recruitment Practices at Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Institutions: A Call for Expectations, Expertise, and Evaluation

PubMed Central

Kost, Rhonda G.; Mervin-Blake, Sabrena; Hallarn, Rose; Rathmann, Charles; Kolb, H. Robert; Himmelfarb, Cheryl Dennison; D’Agostino, Toni; Rubinstein, Eric P.; Dozier, Ann M.; Schuff, Kathryn G.

2014-01-01

Purpose To respond to increased public and programmatic demand to address underenrollment of clinical translational research studies, the authors examine participant recruitment practices at Clinical and Translational Science Award sites (CTSAs) and make recommendations for performance metrics and accountability. Method The CTSA Recruitment and Retention taskforce developed and, in 2010, invited representatives at 46 CTSAs to complete an online 48-question survey querying CTSA accrual and recruitment outcomes, practices, evaluation methods, policies, and perceived gaps in related knowledge/practice. Descriptive statistical and thematic analyses were conducted. Results Forty-six respondents representing 44 CTSAs completed the survey. Recruitment conducted by study teams was the most common practice reported (78–91%, by study type); 39% reported their institution offered recruitment services to investigators. Respondents valued study feasibility assessment as a successful practice (39%); their desired additional resources included feasibility assessments (49%) and participant registries (44%). None reported their institution systematically required justification of feasibility; some indicated relevant information was considered prior to IRB review (30%) or contract approval (22%). All respondents’ IRBs tracked study progress, but only 10% of respondents could report outcome data for timely accrual. Few reported written policies addressing poor accrual or provided data to support recruitment practice effectiveness. Conclusions Many CTSAs lack the necessary framework to support study accrual. Recommendations to enhance accrual include articulating institutional expectations and policy for routine recruitment planning; providing recruitment expertise to inform feasibility assessment and recruitment planning; and developing interdepartmental coordination and integrated informatics infrastructure to drive the conduct, evaluation, and improvement of recruitment practices. PMID:24826854

Management of Pediatric Delirium in Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Patients: An International Survey of Current Practices.

PubMed

Staveski, Sandra L; Pickler, Rita H; Lin, Li; Shaw, Richard J; Meinzen-Derr, Jareen; Redington, Andrew; Curley, Martha A Q

2018-06-01

The purpose of this study was to describe how pediatric cardiac intensive care clinicians assess and manage delirium in patients following cardiac surgery. Descriptive self-report survey. A web-based survey of pediatric cardiac intensive care clinicians who are members of the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Society. Pediatric cardiac intensive care clinicians (physicians and nurses). None. One-hundred seventy-three clinicians practicing in 71 different institutions located in 13 countries completed the survey. Respondents described their clinical impression of the occurrence of delirium to be approximately 25%. Most respondents (75%) reported that their ICU does not routinely screen for delirium. Over half of the respondents (61%) have never attended a lecture on delirium. The majority of respondents (86%) were not satisfied with current delirium screening, diagnosis, and management practices. Promotion of day/night cycle, exposure to natural light, deintensification of care, sleep hygiene, and reorientation to prevent or manage delirium were among nonpharmacologic interventions reported along with the use of anxiolytic, antipsychotic, and medications for insomnia. Clinicians responding to the survey reported a range of delirium assessment and management practices in postoperative pediatric cardiac surgery patients. Study results highlight the need for improvement in delirium education for pediatric cardiac intensive care clinicians as well as the need for systematic evaluation of current delirium assessment and management practices.

Bias influencing maternal reports of child behaviour and emotional state.

PubMed

Najman, J M; Williams, G M; Nikles, J; Spence, S; Bor, W; O'Callaghan, M; Le Brocque, R; Andersen, M J; Shuttlewood, G J

2001-04-01

Previous research has indicated that there may be only a modest degree of agreement between different reporters of a child's behaviour (mental health). This raises the possibility that some descriptions of the child's behaviour may reflect the personal characteristics of the respondent. We examine two potential sources of bias that may influence reports of a child's behaviour/mental health. The first is the mental or emotional impairment of the respondent; the second concerns gender-related expectations of children. Mothers (and their children after the birth) were assessed at first clinic visit, 3-5 days after the birth, then 6 months, 5 years and 14 years after the birth. Some 70% of respondents giving birth remained in the study at the 14-year follow-up, leaving some 5277 cases for this analysis. At the 14-year follow-up, child behaviour (mental health) was assessed using the Child Behaviour Check List and the Youth Self Report. Maternal mental health was determined using the anxiety and depression subscales of the Delusions-Symptoms-States Inventory. Mothers who were not emotionally impaired reported fewer child behaviour problems than did the children themselves. As the mother's current emotional impairment increased, so her reports of the child's behaviour problems increased, when compared with the child's own reports. Further, mothers attributed more internalising symptoms to female respondents, and more externalising symptoms to male respondents, than did the child respondents themselves. Mothers differ systematically from their children when they are reporting their child's behaviour (mental health). The more emotionally impaired the mother, the greater the degree to which she imputes the child to have behaviour problems. Further, female children are attributed to have more internalising behaviours and male children externalising behaviours.

Pharmacy Students’ Knowledge and Perceptions About Pharmacovigilance in Malaysian Public Universities

PubMed Central

Elkalmi, Ramadan Mohamed; Hassali, Mohamed Azmi; Ibrahim, Mohamed Izham M.; Widodo, Riyanto T.; Efan, Qais M. A.; Hadi, Muhammad Abdul

2011-01-01

Objective. To assess senior pharmacy students’ knowledge of and perceptions about pharmacovigilance and reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) at 5 public universities in Malaysia Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted between December 1, 2010, and January 31, 2010, using a validated self-administered questionnaire delivered to a sample of 510 final-year (fourth-year) pharmacy students at 5 Malaysian public universities. Results. Four hundred twenty-one (84%) students responded to the survey. About 60% (n = 240) indicated that they had taken courses on the concept of pharmacovigilance during their current pharmacy curriculum. The mean score for knowledge about pharmacovigilance and ADR reporting was 6.9 ± 1.4. There was a significant difference in the mean scores for knowledge about pharmacovigilance across the 5 universities. The majority (82.3%) of respondents felt it was necessary to confirm the causal relationship between the drug and the ADR. About 57.8% (n = 241) of the respondents believed that pharmacy students are competent and capable of reporting ADRs during their clerkships. The majority (87.0%) of respondents perceived that pharmacy students should be taught how to report ADRs. Conclusion. The results of this study demonstrate that the majority of final-year pharmacy students in Malaysian public universities have insufficient knowledge about pharmacovigilance and ADR reporting. PMID:21829270

Pharmacy students' knowledge and perceptions about pharmacovigilance in Malaysian public universities.

PubMed

Elkalmi, Ramadan Mohamed; Hassali, Mohamed Azmi; Ibrahim, Mohamed Izham M; Widodo, Riyanto T; Efan, Qais M A; Hadi, Muhammad Abdul

2011-06-10

To assess senior pharmacy students' knowledge of and perceptions about pharmacovigilance and reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) at 5 public universities in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was conducted between December 1, 2010, and January 31, 2010, using a validated self-administered questionnaire delivered to a sample of 510 final-year (fourth-year) pharmacy students at 5 Malaysian public universities. Four hundred twenty-one (84%) students responded to the survey. About 60% (n = 240) indicated that they had taken courses on the concept of pharmacovigilance during their current pharmacy curriculum. The mean score for knowledge about pharmacovigilance and ADR reporting was 6.9 ± 1.4. There was a significant difference in the mean scores for knowledge about pharmacovigilance across the 5 universities. The majority (82.3%) of respondents felt it was necessary to confirm the causal relationship between the drug and the ADR. About 57.8% (n = 241) of the respondents believed that pharmacy students are competent and capable of reporting ADRs during their clerkships. The majority (87.0%) of respondents perceived that pharmacy students should be taught how to report ADRs. The results of this study demonstrate that the majority of final-year pharmacy students in Malaysian public universities have insufficient knowledge about pharmacovigilance and ADR reporting.

Illinois Higher Education in the 21st Century. Identifying and Responding to the Educational Needs in Lake County: A Committee Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois State Board of Higher Education, Springfield.

This report presents the findings of a pilot study conducted in Lake County (Illinois) that was designed to identify higher educational needs and to develop recommendations to respond to those needs. Several methodologies were employed: public hearings; market research; analyses of census, labor, economic, and educational data; consultations with…

Survey of 1975-76 Physics and Astronomy Bachelor's Degree Recipients. AIP Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellis, Susanne D.

This report presents data from a survey of 1975-76 physics and astronomy bachelor degree recipients. From a sample of 3,969 physics graduates, 2,616 responded. From a sample of 180 astronomy graduates, 110 responded. Data on the 1975-76 sample are presented in tabular form, and comparisons are made with responses to previous studies for several…

Can lay responder defibrillation programmes improve survival to hospital discharge following an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest?

PubMed

Smith, Leigh M; Davidson, Patricia M; Halcomb, Elizabeth J; Andrew, Sharon

2007-11-01

The importance of early defibrillation in improving outcomes and reducing morbidity following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest underscores the importance of examining novel approaches to treatment access. The increasing evidence to support the importance of early defibrillation has increased attention on the potential for lay responders to deliver this therapy. This paper seeks to critically review the literature that evaluates the impact of lay responder defibrillator programs on survival to hospital discharge following an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the adult population. The electronic databases, Medline and CINAHL, were searched using keywords including; "first responder", "lay responder", "defibrillation" and "cardiac arrest". The reference lists of retrieved articles and the Internet were also searched. Articles were included in the review if they reported primary data, in the English language, which described the effect of a lay responder defibrillation program on survival to hospital discharge from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in adults. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. The small number of published studies, heterogeneity of study populations and study outcome methods prohibited formal meta-analysis. Therefore, narrative analysis was undertaken. Studies included in this report provided inconsistent findings in relation to survival to hospital discharge following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Although there are limited data, the role of the lay responder appears promising in improving the outcome from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest following early defibrillation. Despite the inherent methodological difficulties in studying this population, future research should address outcomes related to morbidity, mortality and cost-effectiveness.

Socio-demographic study on extent of knowledge, awareness, attitude, and risks of zoonotic diseases among livestock owners in Puducherry region

PubMed Central

Rajkumar, K.; Bhattacharya, A.; David, S.; Balaji, S. Hari; Hariharan, R.; Jayakumar, M.; Balaji, N.

2016-01-01

Aim: This study was conducted to assess the extent of knowledge, awareness, attitude, and risks of zoonotic diseases among livestock owners in Puducherry region. Materials and Methods: A total of 250 livestock farmers were selected randomly from eight revenue villages. And each farmer was interviewed with a questionnaire containing both open- and close-ended questions on various aspects of zoonotic diseases, a total of 49 questionnaires were framed to assess the source and transmission of infection to the farmers and to test their knowledge and awareness about zoonotic diseases. The data collected were analyzed by chi-square test using software Graph pad prism, and results were used to assess the relationship between education level and zoonotic disease awareness; risk of zoonotic diseases and its relation with independent variables. Results: The present survey analysis represents that most of the respondents are belonging to the age group of 41-60 years. About 42.8% of respondents’ household having a graduate. The most of the respondent are small-scale farmers and their monthly income was less than Rs. 10,000. About 61.2% of farmers were keeping their animal shed clean. About 29.6% of the respondents were ignorant about cleaning the dog bitten wound. Only 16.4% of respondents knew that diseases in animals can be transmitted to humans. Only 4.8%, 3.6%, 6.8%, and 22.4% of respondents knew about the zoonotic potential of diseases such as brucellosis, tuberculosis (TB), anthrax, and avian flu, respectively. Only 18% of the respondents were aware about zoonotic diseases from cattle. Regarding the list of zoonotic diseases contracted, 37.7% reported respiratory infection, 31.1% digestive disturbances, 15.5% had dermatological problem, and 15.5% reported indiscrete disease such as fever, body pain, and headache joint pain. From the respondent got the zoonotic disease (n=45), 51.2% of the respondent reported chronic infection and 48.8% of the respondent reported acute form of zoonotic infection. About 30% of the respondents’ farm had an incidence of abortion. Our analyses showed that there was significant in educational level of respondents and treatment of dog bitten animals. Furthermore, there was statistical significance in occurrence of hand and foot lesions in the respondent and occurrence of foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in their animals. Conclusion: From this study, it is concluded that involvement of educated family members in farming practices can create awareness and improve knowledge toward zoonotic disease. Further creation of awareness toward zoonotic diseases is of utmost important. PMID:27733806

Health research participants' preferences for receiving research results.

PubMed

Long, Christopher R; Stewart, M Kathryn; Cunningham, Thomas V; Warmack, T Scott; McElfish, Pearl A

2016-12-01

Participants in health research studies typically express interest in receiving the results from the studies in which they participate. However, participants' preferences and experiences related to receiving the results are not well understood. In general, the existing studies have had relatively small sample sizes and typically address specific and often sensitive issues within targeted populations. This study used an online survey to explore attitudes and experiences of registrants in ResearchMatch, a large database of past, present, and potential health research participants. Survey respondents provided information related to whether or not they received research results from studies in which they participated, the methods used to communicate the results, their satisfaction with the results, and when and how they would like to receive research results from future studies. In all, 70,699 ResearchMatch registrants were notified of the study's topic. Of the 5207 registrants who requested full information about the study, 3381 respondents completed the survey. Approximately 33% of respondents with previous health research participation reported receiving the results. Approximately half of respondents with previous research participation reported no opportunity to request the results. However, almost all respondents said researchers should always or sometimes offer the results to participants. Respondents expressed particular interest in the results related to their (or a loved one's) health, as well as information about studies' purposes and any medical advances based on the results. In general, respondents' most preferred dissemination methods for the results were email and website postings. The least desirable dissemination methods for the results included Twitter, conference calls, and text messages. Across all the results, we compare the responses of respondents with and without previous research participation experience and those who have worked in research organizations versus those who have not. Compared to respondents who have previous participation experience, a greater proportion of respondents with no participation experience indicated that the results should always be shared with participants. Likewise, respondents with no participation experience placed higher importance on the receipt of each type of results' information included in the survey. We present findings from a survey assessing attitudes and experiences of a broad sample of respondents that addresses gaps in knowledge related to participants' preferences for receiving the results. The study's findings highlight the potential for inconsistency between respondents' expressed preferences to receive specific types of results via specific methods and researchers' unwillingness or inability to provide them. We present specific recommendations to shift the approach of new studies to investigate participants' preferences for receiving research results. © The Author(s) 2016.

Comparison of Physical Activity Adult Questionnaire results with accelerometer data.

PubMed

Garriguet, Didier; Tremblay, Sylvain; Colley, Rachel C

2015-07-01

Discrepancies between self-reported and objectively measured physical activity are well-known. For the purpose of validation, this study compares a new self-reported physical activity questionnaire with an existing one and with accelerometer data. Data collected at one site of the Canadian Health Measures Survey in 2013 were used for this validation study. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was administered to respondents during the household interview, and the new Physical Activity for Adults Questionnaire (PAAQ) was administered during a subsequent visit to a mobile examination centre (MEC). At the MEC, respondents were given an accelerometer to wear for seven days. The analysis pertains to 112 respondents aged 18 to 79 who wore the accelerometer for 10 or more hours on at least four days. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) measured by accelerometer had higher correlation with data from the PAAQ (r = 0.44) than with data from the IPAQ (r = 0.20). The differences between accelerometer and PAAQ data were greater based on accelerometer-measured physical activity accumulated in 10-minute bouts (30-minute difference in MVPA) than on all minutes (9-minute difference). The percentages of respondents meeting the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines were 90% based on self-reported IPAQ minutes, 70% based on all accelerometer MVPA minutes, 29% based on accelerometer MVPA minutes accumulated in 10-minute bouts, and 61% based on self-reported PAAQ minutes. The PAAQ demonstrated reasonable validity against the accelerometer criterion. Based on correlations and absolute differences between daily minutes of MVPA and the percentages of respondents meeting the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines, PAAQ results were closer to accelerometer data than were the IPAQ results for the study sample and previous Statistics Canada self-reported questionnaire findings.

Factors associated with the use of social workers for assistance with lifetime and 12-month behavioral health disorders.

PubMed

Woodward, Amanda Toler; Taylor, Robert Joseph

2018-04-01

This study examined the use of social workers for assistance with a behavioral health disorder. Data were from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys. The analytic sample included respondents who reported using professional services for assistance with a behavioral health disorder during their lifetime (n = 5,585). Logistic regression was used to examine the use of a social worker during the respondent's lifetime or 12 months prior to the interview. Ten percent of respondents visited a social worker for help with a behavioral health disorder during their lifetime and 3% did so in the 12 months prior to the interview. Women were less likely than men to report using a social worker. Those who visited a social worker tended to also use other professionals for a behavioral health disorder although overall respondents reported visiting social workers less frequently for this reason than other types of professionals.

Parental reporting of response to oral cannabis extracts for treatment of refractory epilepsy.

PubMed

Press, Craig A; Knupp, Kelly G; Chapman, Kevin E

2015-04-01

Oral cannabis extracts (OCEs) have been used in the treatment of epilepsy; however, no studies demonstrate clear efficacy. We report on a cohort of pediatric patients with epilepsy who were given OCE and followed in a single tertiary epilepsy center. A retrospective chart review of children and adolescents who were given OCE for treatment of their epilepsy was performed. Seventy-five patients were identified of which 57% reported any improvement in seizure control and 33% reported a >50% reduction in seizures (responders). If the family had moved to CO for OCE treatment, the responder rate was 47% vs. 22% for children who already were in CO. The responder rate varied based on epilepsy syndrome: Dravet 23%, Doose 0%, and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) 88.9%. The background EEG of the 8 responders where EEG data were available was not improved. Additional benefits reported included: improved behavior/alertness (33%), improved language (10%), and improved motor skills (10%). Adverse events (AEs) occurred in 44% of patients including increased seizures (13%) and somnolence/fatigue (12%). Rare adverse events included developmental regression, abnormal movements, status epilepticus requiring intubation, and death. Our retrospective study of OCE use in pediatric patients with epilepsy demonstrates that some families reported patient improvement with treatment; however, we also found a variety of challenges and possible confounding factors in studying OCE retrospectively in an open-labeled fashion. We strongly support the need for controlled, blinded studies to evaluate the efficacy and safety of OCE for treatment of pediatric epilepsies using accurate seizure counts, formal neurocognitive assessments, as well as EEG as a biomarker. This study provides Class III evidence that OCE is well tolerated by children and adolescents with epilepsy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

NITROBENZENE CARCINOGENICITY IN ANIMALS AND HUMAN HAZARD EVALUATION

EPA Science Inventory

Nitrobenzene (NB) human cancer studies have not been reported, but animals studies have. Three rodent strains inhaling NB produce cancer at eight sites. B6C3F1 mice respond with mammary gland malignant tumors and male lung and thyroid benign tumors, F344/N male rats respond with ...

Inconsistent Responding in a Criminal Forensic Setting: An Evaluation of the VRIN-r and TRIN-r Scales of the MMPI-2-RF.

PubMed

Gu, Wen; Reddy, Hima B; Green, Debbie; Belfi, Brian; Einzig, Shanah

2017-01-01

Criminal forensic evaluations are complicated by the risk that examinees will respond in an unreliable manner. Unreliable responding could occur due to lack of personal investment in the evaluation, severe mental illness, and low cognitive abilities. In this study, 31% of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF; Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008/2011) profiles were invalid due to random or fixed-responding (T score ≥ 80 on the VRIN-r or TRIN-r scales) in a sample of pretrial criminal defendants evaluated in the context of treatment for competency restoration. Hierarchical regression models showed that symptom exaggeration variables, as measured by inconsistently reported psychiatric symptoms, contributed over and above education and intellectual functioning in their prediction of both random responding and fixed responding. Psychopathology variables, as measured by mood disturbance, better predicted fixed responding after controlling for estimates of cognitive abilities, but did not improve the prediction for random responding. These findings suggest that random responding and fixed responding are not only affected by education and intellectual functioning, but also by intentional exaggeration and aspects of psychopathology. Measures of intellectual functioning and effort and response style should be considered for administration in conjunction with self-report personality measures to rule out rival hypotheses of invalid profiles.

Mixed-methods investigation of women's experiences with second-trimester abortion care in the Midwest and Northeast United States.

PubMed

Blanchard, Kelly; Meadows, Jill L; Gutierrez, Hialy R; Hannum, Curtiss Ps; Douglas-Durham, Ella F; Dennis, Amanda J

2017-12-01

We studied women's experiences seeking and receiving second-trimester abortion care in two geographically and legislatively different settings to inform ways to improve abortion care access and services. We conducted in-depth interviews with women who obtained second-trimester abortion care. Themes from the interviews were then used to inform a self-administered survey, which was completed by 108 women who received second-trimester abortion care in the Northeast and Midwest. We calculated descriptive statistics and used chi-squared and t-tests to compare responses. We interviewed eight women and surveyed 108 women. Most interviewees and 65.2% of survey respondents reported difficulties accessing care. Although most interview and survey respondents had insurance, a slight majority reported difficulty funding care. All interviewees and 57.9% of survey respondents reported positive experiences with providers, with many interviewees and 62.0% of survey respondents saying their abortion care was better than their usual health care. Most interviewees and 75.8% of survey respondents reported pain as low to moderate, and the majority of participants reported it was the same or less than expected. Knowledge about abortion restrictions was low. Most interviewees and 68.4% survey respondents disagreed with restrictions on insurance coverage of abortion. Common recommendations to improve experiences were to ensure travel and financial support and to decrease wait times at clinics. There were few regional differences among outcomes. Women seeking second-trimester abortion in these locations reported positive abortion experiences. However, they had to overcome significant obstacles to obtain care. This is the first study to systematically research women's second-trimester care experiences in two different regions of the United States. Regardless of location, women experienced barriers due to policies that impose gestational age restrictions, limit provider availability (consequently increasing wait times), and increase costs. Policy change to reduce these barriers is critical to improve access to and experiences with second trimester abortion care. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Science reporting in Accra, Ghana: Sources, barriers and motivational factors

PubMed Central

Gastel, Barbara; Burdine, James N.; Russell, Leon H.

2014-01-01

In Ghana, as in many other developing countries, most science reporting is done by general reporters. However, few studies have investigated science reporting in such a situation. To understand better the dynamics of science reporting in such context, we surveyed 151 general reporters in Ghana. Respondents’ demographic characteristics resembled those found in studies elsewhere. Respondents perceived health professionals and scientists as very important sources of information for reporting science. There was an inverse correlation between journalism experience and the number of science feature stories reported in the past 12 months (p = .017). Most respondents indicated that science journalism training would motivate them to report science more. Likewise, most reported that easier access to research findings would do so. We identify characteristics of reporters, media, scientific, and training institutions that are important influences of Ghanaian reporters’ coverage of science. We provide recommendations for advancing science reporting in Ghana. PMID:25193967

On the Potential Implications of Reports of Fictitious Drug Use for Survey Research on Juvenile Delinquency.

PubMed

Meldrum, Ryan Charles; Piquero, Alex R

2015-08-01

A variety of methodological issues have been raised over self-reports of delinquency and its correlates. In this study, we call attention to the provision of untruthful information and provide an investigation of this issue using a survey item that assesses a respondent's use of a fictitious drug in relation to reports of delinquency and traditional criminological correlates. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted based on data drawn from a probability sample of middle and high school students in Florida. Results show (a) there are important differences on key criminological variables between respondents who report use of a fictitious drug and those who do not; (b) the internal consistency of a variety index of delinquency is particularly sensitive to the inclusion of respondents reporting the use of a fictitious drug; and (c) the effect size of some criminological variables on delinquency may be sensitive to controlling for reports of fictitious drug use. Overall, the inclusion of fictitious drug use items within etiological models may serve as a useful approach to further establishing the reliability and validity of information provided by survey respondents. © The Author(s) 2014.

Patient Engagement Practices in Clinical Research among Patient Groups, Industry, and Academia in the United States: A Survey

PubMed Central

Smith, Sophia K.; Selig, Wendy; Harker, Matthew; Roberts, Jamie N.; Hesterlee, Sharon; Leventhal, David; Klein, Richard; Patrick-Lake, Bray; Abernethy, Amy P.

2015-01-01

Objective Patient-centered clinical trial design and execution is becoming increasingly important. No best practice guidelines exist despite a key stakeholder declaration to create more effective engagement models. This study aims to gain a better understanding of attitudes and practices for engaging patient groups so that actionable recommendations may be developed. Methods Individuals from industry, academic institutions, and patient groups were identified through Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative and Drug Information Association rosters and mailing lists. Objectives, practices, and perceived barriers related to engaging patient groups in the planning, conduct, and interpretation of clinical trials were reported in an online survey. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis of survey data followed a literature review to inform survey questions. Results Survey respondents (n = 179) valued the importance of involving patient groups in research; however, patient group respondents valued their contributions to research protocol development, funding acquisition, and interpretation of study results more highly than those contributions were valued by industry and academic respondents (all p < .001). Patient group respondents placed higher value in open communications, clear expectations, and detailed contract execution than did non–patient group respondents (all p < .05). Industry and academic respondents more often cited internal bureaucratic processes and reluctance to share information as engagement barriers than did patient group respondents (all p < .01). Patient groups reported that a lack of transparency and understanding of the benefits of collaboration on the part of industry and academia were greater barriers than did non–patient group respondents (all p< .01). Conclusions Despite reported similarities among approaches to engagement by the three stakeholder groups, key differences exist in perceived barriers and benefits to partnering with patient groups among the sectors studied. This recognition could inform the development of best practices for patient-centered clinical trial design and execution. Additional research is needed to define and optimize key success factors. PMID:26465328

Patient Engagement Practices in Clinical Research among Patient Groups, Industry, and Academia in the United States: A Survey.

PubMed

Smith, Sophia K; Selig, Wendy; Harker, Matthew; Roberts, Jamie N; Hesterlee, Sharon; Leventhal, David; Klein, Richard; Patrick-Lake, Bray; Abernethy, Amy P

2015-01-01

Patient-centered clinical trial design and execution is becoming increasingly important. No best practice guidelines exist despite a key stakeholder declaration to create more effective engagement models. This study aims to gain a better understanding of attitudes and practices for engaging patient groups so that actionable recommendations may be developed. Individuals from industry, academic institutions, and patient groups were identified through Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative and Drug Information Association rosters and mailing lists. Objectives, practices, and perceived barriers related to engaging patient groups in the planning, conduct, and interpretation of clinical trials were reported in an online survey. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis of survey data followed a literature review to inform survey questions. Survey respondents (n = 179) valued the importance of involving patient groups in research; however, patient group respondents valued their contributions to research protocol development, funding acquisition, and interpretation of study results more highly than those contributions were valued by industry and academic respondents (all p < .001). Patient group respondents placed higher value in open communications, clear expectations, and detailed contract execution than did non-patient group respondents (all p < .05). Industry and academic respondents more often cited internal bureaucratic processes and reluctance to share information as engagement barriers than did patient group respondents (all p < .01). Patient groups reported that a lack of transparency and understanding of the benefits of collaboration on the part of industry and academia were greater barriers than did non-patient group respondents (all p< .01). Despite reported similarities among approaches to engagement by the three stakeholder groups, key differences exist in perceived barriers and benefits to partnering with patient groups among the sectors studied. This recognition could inform the development of best practices for patient-centered clinical trial design and execution. Additional research is needed to define and optimize key success factors.

Fear and distress disorders as predictors of heart disease: a temporal perspective

PubMed Central

Roest, AM; de Jonge, P; Lim, C; Stein, DJ; Al-Hamzawi, A; Alonso, J; Benjet, C; Bruffaerts, R; Bunting, B; Caldas-de-Almeida, JM; Ciutan, M; de Girolamo, G; Hu, C; Levinson, D; Nakamura, Y; Navarro-Mateu, F; Piazza, M; Posada-Villa, J; Torres, Y; Wojtyniak, B; Kessler, RC; Scott, KM

2017-01-01

Objective Few studies have been able to contrast associations of anxiety and depression with heart disease. These disorders can be grouped in fear and distress disorders. Aim of this study was to study the association between fear and distress disorders with subsequent heart disease, taking into account the temporal order of disorders. Methods Twenty household surveys were conducted in 18 countries (n=53791; person years=2,212,430). The Composite International Diagnostic Interview assessed lifetime prevalence and age at onset of disorders, and respondents were categorized into categories based on the presence and timing of fear and distress disorders. Heart disease was indicated by self-report of physician-diagnosed heart disease or self-report of heart attack, together with year of onset. Survival analyses estimated associations between disorder categories and heart disease. Results Most respondents with fear or distress disorders had either pure distress or pure fear (8.5% and 7.7% of total sample), while fear preceded distress in the large majority of respondents with comorbid fear and distress (3.8% of total sample). Compared to the “no fear or distress disorder” category, respondents with pure fear disorder had the highest odds of subsequent heart disease (OR:1.8;95%CI:1.5–2.2; p<.001) and compared to respondents with pure distress disorder, these respondents were at a significantly increased risk of heart disease (OR:1.3;95%CI:1.0–1.6; p=0.020). Conclusion This novel analytic approach indicates that the risk of subsequent self-reported heart disease associated with pure fear disorder is significantly larger than the risk associated with distress disorder. These results should be confirmed in prospective studies using objective measures of heart disease. PMID:28545795

Fear and distress disorders as predictors of heart disease: A temporal perspective.

PubMed

Roest, A M; de Jonge, P; Lim, C W W; Stein, D J; Al-Hamzawi, A; Alonso, J; Benjet, C; Bruffaerts, R; Bunting, B; Caldas-de-Almeida, J M; Ciutan, M; de Girolamo, G; Hu, C; Levinson, D; Nakamura, Y; Navarro-Mateu, F; Piazza, M; Posada-Villa, J; Torres, Y; Wojtyniak, B; Kessler, R C; Scott, K M

2017-05-01

Few studies have been able to contrast associations of anxiety and depression with heart disease. These disorders can be grouped in fear and distress disorders. Aim of this study was to study the association between fear and distress disorders with subsequent heart disease, taking into account the temporal order of disorders. Twenty household surveys were conducted in 18 countries (n=53791; person years=2,212,430). The Composite International Diagnostic Interview assessed lifetime prevalence and age at onset of disorders, and respondents were categorized into categories based on the presence and timing of fear and distress disorders. Heart disease was indicated by self-report of physician-diagnosed heart disease or self-report of heart attack, together with year of onset. Survival analyses estimated associations between disorder categories and heart disease. Most respondents with fear or distress disorders had either pure distress or pure fear (8.5% and 7.7% of total sample), while fear preceded distress in the large majority of respondents with comorbid fear and distress (3.8% of total sample). Compared to the "no fear or distress disorder" category, respondents with pure fear disorder had the highest odds of subsequent heart disease (OR:1.8; 95%CI:1.5-2.2; p<0.001) and compared to respondents with pure distress disorder, these respondents were at a significantly increased risk of heart disease (OR:1.3; 95%CI:1.0-1.6; p=0.020). This novel analytic approach indicates that the risk of subsequent self-reported heart disease associated with pure fear disorder is significantly larger than the risk associated with distress disorder. These results should be confirmed in prospective studies using objective measures of heart disease. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Characterization of Binge-Eating Behavior in Individuals With Binge-Eating Disorder in an Adult Population in the United States.

PubMed

Pawaskar, Manjiri; Solo, Kirk; Valant, Jason; Schmitt, Emily; Nwankwo, Millicent; Herman, Barry K

2016-10-27

Characterize the frequency, duration, and severity of binge-eating behaviors in adults meeting DSM-5 criteria for binge-eating disorder (BED) in a large US community sample. A representative sample of US adults from the National Health and Wellness Survey was recruited from an online panel and asked to respond to an Internet survey (conducted in October 2013) that included questions designed to assess binge-eating behaviors in relation to DSM-5 BED diagnostic criteria. Of 22,397 respondents, 344 self-reported meeting DSM-5 BED criteria (BED respondents). Most BED respondents reported that binge-eating episodes had occurred for the past 7-12 months (61.0%), and 93.6% reported ≥ 2-3 binge-eating episodes/wk. All BED respondents reported that "extreme" (52.6%) or "great" (47.4%) distress levels were associated with binge-eating episodes. Among BED respondents who agreed to provide detailed binge-eating behavior data after being invited to respond to additional survey questions, 40.6% reported binge eating on average > 1 time/d, and 59.2% reported binge eating 2-3 times/d. For 44.5% of BED respondents, binge-eating duration was 31-60 minutes. BED respondents reported that they "very often" (36.6%) or "often" (34.0%) had urges to binge eat between 7-10 pm. "Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or guilty afterward" was the most bothersome symptom of binge eating for BED respondents (extremely bothersome: 41.9%). Binge-eating frequency among BED respondents averaged once daily. Most BED respondents exhibited binge-eating behavior for 7-12 months, often with severe symptoms. These findings highlight the disease burden of BED and have potential implications for diagnosing and treating BED. © Copyright 2016 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

Responding to Racism and Racial Trauma in Doctoral Study: An Inventory for Coping and Mediating Relationships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Truong, Kimberly A.; Museus, Samuel D.

2012-01-01

In this study, Kimberly A. Truong and Samuel D. Museus focus on understanding strategies doctoral students of color use to respond to racism. The authors conducted semi-structured individual interviews with twenty-six participants who self-reported experiencing racism and racial trauma during doctoral studies. Analysis of the data resulted in…

Asthma among World Trade Center First Responders: A Qualitative Synthesis and Bias Assessment.

PubMed

Kim, Hyun; Baidwan, Navneet Kaur; Kriebel, David; Cifuentes, Manuel; Baron, Sherry

2018-05-23

The World Trade Center (WTC) disaster exposed the responders to several hazards. Three cohorts i.e., the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), the General Responder Cohort (GRC), and the WTC Health Registry (WTCHR) surveyed the exposed responder population. We searched Pubmed and Web of Science for literature on a well-published association between the WTC exposures and asthma, focusing on new-onset self-reported physician-diagnosed asthma. The resulting five articles were qualitatively assessed for potential biases. These papers were independently reviewed by the co-authors, and conclusions were derived after discussions. While, the cohorts had well-defined eligibility criteria, they lacked information about the entire exposed population. We conclude that selection and surveillance biases may have occurred in the GRC and WTCHR cohorts, but were likely to have been minimal in the FDNY cohort. Health care benefits available to responders may have increased the reporting of both exposure and outcome in the former, and decreased outcome reporting in the FDNY cohort. Irrespective of the biases, the studies showed similar findings, confirming the association between WTC exposure and self-reported physician-diagnosed asthma among responders. This suggests that health data gathered under great duress and for purposes other than epidemiology can yield sound conclusions. Potential biases can, however, be minimized by having validated survey instruments and worker registries in place before events occur.

Secondary science teachers' use of the affective domain in science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grauer, Bette L.

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore (a) the types of student affective responses that secondary science teachers reported emerged in science classes, (b) how those teachers worked with student affective responses, and (c) what interactions were present in the classroom when they worked with student affective responses. The study was motivated by research indicating that student interest and motivation for learning science is low. Eight secondary science teachers participated in the case study. The participants were selected from a pool of teachers who graduated from the same teacher education program at a large Midwest university. The primary sources of data were individual semi-structured interviews with the participants. Krathwohl's Taxonomy of the Affective Domain served as the research framework for the study. Student affective behavior reported by participants was classified within the five levels of Krathwohl's Affective Taxonomy: receiving, responding, valuing, organization, and characterization. Participants in the study reported student behavior representing all levels of the Affective Taxonomy. The types of behavior most frequently reported by participants were identified with the receiving and responding levels of the Affective Taxonomy. Organization behavior emerged during the study of perceived controversial science topics such as evolution. Participants in the study used student affective behavior to provide feedback on their lesson activities and instructional practices. Classroom interactions identified as collaboration and conversation contributed to the development of responding behavior. The researcher identified a process of affective progression in which teachers encouraged and developed student affective behavior changes from receiving to responding levels of the Affective Taxonomy.

Anger, Control, and Intimate Partner Violence in Young Adulthood

PubMed Central

Giordano, Peggy C.; Copp, Jennifer E.; Longmore, Monica A.; Manning, Wendy D.

2015-01-01

A common theme in the literature is that intimate partner violence (IPV) is not about anger, but about power and control. While prior research has focused either on respondents' or partners' controlling behaviors, an interactionist perspective provides the basis for hypothesizing that both respondent and partner control will be significantly related to the odds of reporting perpetration, and that emotional processes are a component of IPV experiences. Analyses rely on interview data collected at waves 1 and 5 of a longitudinal study (Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study; n = 928) of adolescent and young adult relationships. Results indicate that after controlling for traditional predictors, both respondent and partner control attempts and measures of anger (including a measure of relationship-based anger) contributed significantly to the odds of reporting perpetration. Further, these patterns did not differ by gender, indicating some areas of similarity in the relationship and emotional processes associated with variations in men and women's IPV reports. PMID:26924886

Empathic Concern and the Desire to Help as Separable Components of Compassionate Responding.

PubMed

Ministero, Lauren M; Poulin, Michael J; Buffone, Anneke E K; DeLury, Shane

2018-04-01

When do people experience versus regulate responses to compassion-evoking stimuli? We hypothesized that compassionate responding is composed of two factors-empathic concern and the desire to help-and that these would be differentially affected by perspective taking and self-affirmation. Exploratory (Study 1) and confirmatory (Study 2) factor analyses indicated that a compassion measure consisted of two factors corresponding to empathic concern and the desire to help. In Study 1 ( N = 237), participants with high emotion regulation ability reported less empathic concern for multiple children than for one, but perspective taking prevented this effect. In Study 2 ( N = 155), participants reported less desire to help multiple children, but only in the presence of self-affirmation. In both the studies, empathic concern predicted greater distress while the desire to help predicted greater chances of donating. Compassionate responding may consist of two separable facets that collapse under distinct conditions and that predict distinct outcomes.

Online respondent-driven sampling for studying contact patterns relevant for the spread of close-contact pathogens: a pilot study in Thailand.

PubMed

Stein, Mart L; van Steenbergen, Jim E; Chanyasanha, Charnchudhi; Tipayamongkholgul, Mathuros; Buskens, Vincent; van der Heijden, Peter G M; Sabaiwan, Wasamon; Bengtsson, Linus; Lu, Xin; Thorson, Anna E; Kretzschmar, Mirjam E E

2014-01-01

Information on social interactions is needed to understand the spread of airborne infections through a population. Previous studies mostly collected egocentric information of independent respondents with self-reported information about contacts. Respondent-driven sampling (RDS) is a sampling technique allowing respondents to recruit contacts from their social network. We explored the feasibility of webRDS for studying contact patterns relevant for the spread of respiratory pathogens. We developed a webRDS system for facilitating and tracking recruitment by Facebook and email. One-day diary surveys were conducted by applying webRDS among a convenience sample of Thai students. Students were asked to record numbers of contacts at different settings and self-reported influenza-like-illness symptoms, and to recruit four contacts whom they had met in the previous week. Contacts were asked to do the same to create a network tree of socially connected individuals. Correlations between linked individuals were analysed to investigate assortativity within networks. We reached up to 6 waves of contacts of initial respondents, using only non-material incentives. Forty-four (23.0%) of the initially approached students recruited one or more contacts. In total 257 persons participated, of which 168 (65.4%) were recruited by others. Facebook was the most popular recruitment option (45.1%). Strong assortative mixing was seen by age, gender and education, indicating a tendency of respondents to connect to contacts with similar characteristics. Random mixing was seen by reported number of daily contacts. Despite methodological challenges (e.g. clustering among respondents and their contacts), applying RDS provides new insights in mixing patterns relevant for close-contact infections in real-world networks. Such information increases our knowledge of the transmission of respiratory infections within populations and can be used to improve existing modelling approaches. It is worthwhile to further develop and explore webRDS for the detection of clusters of respiratory symptoms in social networks.

Online Respondent-Driven Sampling for Studying Contact Patterns Relevant for the Spread of Close-Contact Pathogens: A Pilot Study in Thailand

PubMed Central

Stein, Mart L.; van Steenbergen, Jim E.; Chanyasanha, Charnchudhi; Tipayamongkholgul, Mathuros; Buskens, Vincent; van der Heijden, Peter G. M.; Sabaiwan, Wasamon; Bengtsson, Linus; Lu, Xin; Thorson, Anna E.; Kretzschmar, Mirjam E. E.

2014-01-01

Background Information on social interactions is needed to understand the spread of airborne infections through a population. Previous studies mostly collected egocentric information of independent respondents with self-reported information about contacts. Respondent-driven sampling (RDS) is a sampling technique allowing respondents to recruit contacts from their social network. We explored the feasibility of webRDS for studying contact patterns relevant for the spread of respiratory pathogens. Materials and Methods We developed a webRDS system for facilitating and tracking recruitment by Facebook and email. One-day diary surveys were conducted by applying webRDS among a convenience sample of Thai students. Students were asked to record numbers of contacts at different settings and self-reported influenza-like-illness symptoms, and to recruit four contacts whom they had met in the previous week. Contacts were asked to do the same to create a network tree of socially connected individuals. Correlations between linked individuals were analysed to investigate assortativity within networks. Results We reached up to 6 waves of contacts of initial respondents, using only non-material incentives. Forty-four (23.0%) of the initially approached students recruited one or more contacts. In total 257 persons participated, of which 168 (65.4%) were recruited by others. Facebook was the most popular recruitment option (45.1%). Strong assortative mixing was seen by age, gender and education, indicating a tendency of respondents to connect to contacts with similar characteristics. Random mixing was seen by reported number of daily contacts. Conclusions Despite methodological challenges (e.g. clustering among respondents and their contacts), applying RDS provides new insights in mixing patterns relevant for close-contact infections in real-world networks. Such information increases our knowledge of the transmission of respiratory infections within populations and can be used to improve existing modelling approaches. It is worthwhile to further develop and explore webRDS for the detection of clusters of respiratory symptoms in social networks. PMID:24416371

Hospitals' Internal Accountability

PubMed Central

Kraetschmer, Nancy; Jass, Janak; Woodman, Cheryl; Koo, Irene; Kromm, Seija K.; Deber, Raisa B.

2014-01-01

This study aimed to enhance understanding of the dimensions of accountability captured and not captured in acute care hospitals in Ontario, Canada. Based on an Ontario-wide survey and follow-up interviews with three acute care hospitals in the Greater Toronto Area, we found that the two dominant dimensions of hospital accountability being reported are financial and quality performance. These two dimensions drove both internal and external reporting. Hospitals' internal reports typically included performance measures that were required or mandated in external reports. Although respondents saw reporting as a valuable mechanism for hospitals and the health system to monitor and track progress against desired outcomes, multiple challenges with current reporting requirements were communicated, including the following: 58% of survey respondents indicated that performance-reporting resources were insufficient; manual data capture and performance reporting were prevalent, with the majority of hospitals lacking sophisticated tools or technology to effectively capture, analyze and report performance data; hospitals tended to focus on those processes and outcomes with high measurability; and 53% of respondents indicated that valuable cross-system accountability, performance measures or both were not captured by current reporting requirements. PMID:25305387

[Workers' Health Referral Centers and reporting of work-related injuries in Brazil].

PubMed

Galdino, Adriana; Santana, Vilma Sousa; Ferrite, Silvia

2012-01-01

This study examines the contribution of Workers' Health Referral Centers (CEREST) to the reporting of severe work-related injuries and those involving exposure to biological materials in the Brazilian National Health Reporting System (SINAN), under the Unified National Health System (SUS). The study used data from the Form-SUS and SINAN databases, aggregated for the CEREST coverage areas. Valid data were obtained for 125 CEREST (23 State and 102 regional). A majority of the CEREST were assessed as fully installed. The increase in the reporting of severe work-related accidents was greater when staffing was consistent with the demand, and when teams responded to external demands, including those of the media. For exposures to biological material, CEREST with good physical installations, those that responded to media demands, and those with trained personnel in the sentinel network showed a higher increase in reporting. Infrastructure, staff numbers and training, and responding to external demands are important for increasing notification of work-related accidents and should be prioritized in order to reduce the major underreporting of such accidents.

Reporting Errors in Siblings’ Survival Histories and Their Impact on Adult Mortality Estimates: Results From a Record Linkage Study in Senegal

PubMed Central

Helleringer, Stéphane; Pison, Gilles; Kanté, Almamy M.; Duthé, Géraldine; Andro, Armelle

2014-01-01

Estimates of adult mortality in countries with limited vital registration (e.g., sub-Saharan Africa) are often derived from information about the survival of a respondent’s siblings. We evaluated the completeness and accuracy of such data through a record linkage study conducted in Bandafassi, located in southeastern Senegal. We linked at the individual level retrospective siblings’ survival histories (SSH) reported by female respondents (n = 268) to prospective mortality data and genealogies collected through a health and demographic surveillance system (HDSS). Respondents often reported inaccurate lists of siblings. Additions to these lists were uncommon, but omissions were frequent: respondents omitted 3.8 % of their live sisters, 9.1 % of their deceased sisters, and 16.6 % of their sisters who had migrated out of the DSS area. Respondents underestimated the age at death of the siblings they reported during the interview, particularly among siblings who had died at older ages (≥45 years). Restricting SSH data to person-years and events having occurred during a recent reference period reduced list errors but not age and date errors. Overall, SSH data led to a 20 % underestimate of 45q15 relative to HDSS data. Our study suggests new quality improvement strategies for SSH data and demonstrates the potential use of HDSS data for the validation of “unconventional” demographic techniques. PMID:24493063

Problems and accommodation strategies reported by computer users with rheumatoid arthritis or fibromyalgia.

PubMed

Baker, Nancy A; Rubinstein, Elaine N; Rogers, Joan C

2012-09-01

Little is known about the problems experienced by and the accommodation strategies used by computer users with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or fibromyalgia (FM). This study (1) describes specific problems and accommodation strategies used by people with RA and FM during computer use; and (2) examines if there were significant differences in the problems and accommodation strategies between the different equipment items for each diagnosis. Subjects were recruited from the Arthritis Network Disease Registry. Respondents completed a self-report survey, the Computer Problems Survey. Data were analyzed descriptively (percentages; 95% confidence intervals). Differences in the number of problems and accommodation strategies were calculated using nonparametric tests (Friedman's test and Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test). Eighty-four percent of respondents reported at least one problem with at least one equipment item (RA = 81.5%; FM = 88.9%), with most respondents reporting problems with their chair. Respondents most commonly used timing accommodation strategies to cope with mouse and keyboard problems, personal accommodation strategies to cope with chair problems and environmental accommodation strategies to cope with monitor problems. The number of problems during computer use was substantial in our sample, and our respondents with RA and FM may not implement the most effective strategies to deal with their chair, keyboard, or mouse problems. This study suggests that workers with RA and FM might potentially benefit from education and interventions to assist with the development of accommodation strategies to reduce problems related to computer use.

Do Individuals Perceive Income Tax Rates Correctly?

PubMed

Gideon, Michael

2017-01-01

This article uses data from survey questions fielded on the 2011 wave of the Cognitive Economics Study to uncover systematic errors in perceptions of income tax rates. First, when asked about the marginal tax rates (MTRs) for households in the top tax bracket, respondents underestimate the top MTR on wages and salary income, overestimate the MTR on dividend income, and therefore significantly underestimate the currently tax-advantaged status of dividend income. Second, when analyzing the relationship between respondents' self-reported average tax rates (ATRs) and MTRs, many people do not understand the progressive nature of the federal income tax system. Third, when comparing self-reported tax rates with those computed from self-reported income, respondents systematically overestimate their ATR while reported MTR are accurate at the mean, the responses are consistent with underestimation of tax schedule progressivity.

Do Individuals Perceive Income Tax Rates Correctly?

PubMed Central

Gideon, Michael

2017-01-01

This article uses data from survey questions fielded on the 2011 wave of the Cognitive Economics Study to uncover systematic errors in perceptions of income tax rates. First, when asked about the marginal tax rates (MTRs) for households in the top tax bracket, respondents underestimate the top MTR on wages and salary income, overestimate the MTR on dividend income, and therefore significantly underestimate the currently tax-advantaged status of dividend income. Second, when analyzing the relationship between respondents' self-reported average tax rates (ATRs) and MTRs, many people do not understand the progressive nature of the federal income tax system. Third, when comparing self-reported tax rates with those computed from self-reported income, respondents systematically overestimate their ATR while reported MTR are accurate at the mean, the responses are consistent with underestimation of tax schedule progressivity. PMID:29238156

Is Suicide Training Sufficient for Psychology Trainees to Respond Appropriately to Suicidal Clients?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bromley, Nicole M.

2012-01-01

This study reports the frequency of suicide training for current psychology trainees. Additionally, the research uses the Suicide Intervention Response Inventory-Second Edition (SIRI-2) to assess psychology trainees' ability to respond appropriately to suicidal clients. This study compares scores on the SIRI-2 between participants who are in…

Evaluation of flood preparedness in government healthcare facilities in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka

PubMed Central

Farley, Jessica M.; Suraweera, Inoka; Perera, W. L. S. P.; Hess, Jeremy; Ebi, Kristie L.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: Sri Lanka is vulnerable to floods and other hydro-meteorological disasters. Climate change is projected to increase the intensity of these events. Objective: This study aimed to assess the flood preparedness in healthcare facilities in Eastern Province. Design: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive, mixed methods study conducted in Trincomalee District. Surveys were conducted in 31 government healthcare facilities, using a pre-tested, structured questionnaire covering the last 5 years. Seven in-depth interviews were conducted with randomly selected Medical Officers in Charge or their equivalent, and 3 interviews were conducted with Medical Offices of Health. Results: Two general hospitals, 3 base hospitals, 11 divisional hospitals, and 15 primary care units were included. Six respondents (19.4%) reported flooding in their facility, and 19 (61.3%) reported flooding in their catchment area. For the health workforce, 77.4% of respondents reported not enough staff to perform normal service delivery during disasters, and 25.5% reported staff absenteeism due to flooding. Several respondents expressed a desire for more disaster-specific and general clinical training opportunities for themselves and their staff. Most respondents (80.7%) reported no delays in supply procurement during weather emergencies, but 61.3% reported insufficient supplies to maintain normal service delivery during disasters. Four facilities (12.9%) had disaster preparedness plans, and 4 (12.9%) had any staff trained on disaster preparedness or management within the last year. One quarter (25.8%) of respondents had received any written guidance on disaster preparedness from the regional, provincial, or national level in the last year. Conclusions: While there is a strong health system operating in Sri Lanka, improvements are needed in localized and appropriate disaster-related training, resources for continuing clinical education, and investments in workforce to strengthen flood and other disaster resilience within the government healthcare system in the study district. PMID:28612689

LGBT health and vaccinations: Findings from a community health survey of Lexington-Fayette County, Kentucky, USA.

PubMed

Jones, Jeff; Poole, Asheley; Lasley-Bibbs, Vivian; Johnson, Mark

2016-04-07

Data on adult immunization coverage at the state level and for LGBT Americans in particular are sparse. This study reports the results of a 2012 Lexington-Fayette County, Kentucky, community health assessment's results asking about eight adult vaccinations among 218 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) respondents. Researchers collected data using an online survey distributed through LGBT social media, posters, and LGBT print media. The LGBT sample largely matches the demographics of the county as a whole except this group reports higher level of education and fewer uninsured individuals. Among LGBT respondents, immunization prevalence reaches 68.0% (annual Influenza), 65.7% (Hepatitis B), 58.8% (Chickenpox/Varicella), 55.9% (Hepatitis A), 41.2% (Smallpox), and 25.8% (Pneumonia). Among respondents who are currently within the recommended 19-26 years age range for the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, the LGBT females are less likely to report receiving the vaccine (15.4%) compared to the national coverage percentage of 34.5%. Males, however, are more likely to have received the vaccine (10.3%) than the national percentage of 2.3%. The small number of LGBT seniors in the study report a much higher prevalence of the Shingles (Herpes Zoster) vaccines than for U.S. seniors 60 and older (71.4% compared to 20.1% nationally). LGBT respondents report higher percentages of adult vaccination. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Knowledge, Practices and Attitudes Towards Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting by Private Practitioners from Klang Valley in Malaysia

PubMed Central

Agarwal, Renu; Daher, Aqil Mohammad; Mohd Ismail, Nafeeza

2013-01-01

Background: The study aimed to determine current status of knowledge, practices, and attitudes towards adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting among private practitioners in Klang region of Malaysia. Methods: A total of 238 private practitioners in Klang valley were distributed a questionnaire consisting of seven questions, two knowledge-related, two practice-related and three attitude-related. Each favourable and unfavourable response was given a score of 1 and 0 respectively. Total score of 70% or more for each domain was considered “satisfactory” whereas less than 70% as “unsatisfactory”. Results: One hundred forty-five participants completed questionnaire. Knowledge assessment showed 83.4% responses stating that ADR reporting helps to identify safe drugs and 91.7% responded that it measures ADR incidence. Regarding practices, 76.6% respondents were willing to report only if confident that reaction is an ADR. Regarding attitudes, 81.9%, 66.9% and 23.5% participants showed complacency, ignorance, and indifference respectively. Unsatisfactory knowledge, practices, and attitudes were observed in 57.2%, 56.6%, and 73.1% respondents respectively. Satisfactory knowledge was significantly higher in respondent with higher qualification with odds ratio of 2.96 with 95% confidence interval of 1.48–5.93. Conclusion: The study showed unsatisfactory level of knowledge, practices, and attitudes towards ADR reporting among high proportion of private practitioners in Klang valley, Malaysia. PMID:23983578

Transforming Verbal Counts in Reports of Qualitative Descriptive Studies Into Numbers

PubMed Central

Chang, YunKyung; Voils, Corrine I.; Sandelowski, Margarete; Hasselblad, Vic; Crandell, Jamie L.

2009-01-01

Reports of qualitative studies typically do not offer much information on the numbers of respondents linked to any one finding. This information may be especially useful in reports of basic, or minimally interpretive, qualitative descriptive studies focused on surveying a range of experiences in a target domain, and its lack may limit the ability to synthesize the results of such studies with quantitative results in systematic reviews. Accordingly, the authors illustrate strategies for deriving plausible ranges of respondents expressing a finding in a set of reports of basic qualitative descriptive studies on antiretroviral adherence and suggest how the results might be used. These strategies have limitations and are never appropriate for use with findings from interpretive qualitative studies. Yet they offer a temporary workaround for preserving and maximizing the value of information from basic qualitative descriptive studies for systematic reviews. They show also why quantitizing is never simply quantitative. PMID:19448052

Preferred Modes of Literary Response: The Characteristics of High School Juniors in Relation to the Consistency of Their Reaction to Three Dissimilar Short Stories.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, Charles Raymond

This study sought to discover whether high school juniors might have a relatively consistent preferred way of responding to short stories, even when the stories are dissimilar. "Way of responding" included engagement (the reader's report of his involvement with the text), interpretation (the reader's report of the relation of the text to the world…

A descriptive study of California hospice providers' perceptions of public reporting of quality data using the Family Evaluation of Hospice Care Survey.

PubMed

Nelson, Marsha; Gale, Randall C; Naierman, Naomi; DeViney, Meredith

2014-06-01

The Affordable Care Act requires US hospices to report quality data to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in 2013 with data eventually being made public. There may be some benefit to participating in a voluntary public-reporting program prior to public disclosure by CMS; therefore, we developed and conducted an electronic survey exploring California hospices' perceptions of public reporting. The majority (78.1%) of respondents reported current use of the Family Evaluation of Hospice Care tool and a willingness to consider voluntary participation in a public-reporting program outside of what is being implemented by CMS (58.6%). Tax status of responding hospices was not predictive of a willingness to participate in a statewide public-reporting program of hospice quality in our study.

Surprising results regarding MASCC members' beliefs about spiritual care

PubMed Central

Ramondetta, Lois M.; Sun, Charlotte; Surbone, Antonella; Olver, Ian; Ripamonti, Carla; Konishi, Tatsuya; Baider, Lea; Johnson, Judith

2014-01-01

Background The purpose of the study was to better understand the practice and meaning of spiritual care among cancer care professionals and ultimately provide a rationale for developing internationally focused spiritual care guidelines. Methods We developed a 16-question survey to assess the spiritual care practices. We sent 635 MASCC members 4 e-mails each inviting them to complete the survey via an online survey service. Demographic information was collected. The results were tabulated, and summary statistics were used to describe the results. Results Two hundred seventy-one MASCC members (42.7%) from 41 countries completed the survey. Of the respondents, 50.5% were age ≤50 years, 161 (59.4%) were women and 123 (45.4%) had ≥20 years of cancer care experience. The two most common definitions of spiritual care the respondents specified were “offering emotional support as part of addressing psychosocial needs” (49.8%) and “alleviating spiritual/existential pain/suffering” (42.4%). Whether respondents considered themselves to be “spiritual” correlated with how they rated the importance of spiritual care (P≤0.001). One hundred six respondents (39.1%) reported that they believe it is their role to explore the spiritual concerns of their cancer patients, and 33 respondents (12.2%) reported that they do not feel it is their role. Ninety-one respondents (33.6%) reported that they seldom provide adequate spiritual care, and 71 respondents (26.2%) reported that they did not feel they could adequately provide spiritual care. Conclusions The majority of MASCC members who completed the survey reported that spiritual care plays an important role in the total care of cancer patients, but few respondents from this supportive care focused organization actually provide spiritual care. However, in order to be able to provide a rationale for developing spiritual care guidelines, we need to understand how to emphasize the importance of spiritual care and at minimum, train MASCC members to triage patients for spiritual crises. PMID:23775154

Preferences for partner notification method: variation in responses between respondents as index patients and contacts.

PubMed

Apoola, A; Radcliffe, K W; Das, S; Robshaw, V; Gilleran, G; Kumari, B S; Boothby, M; Rajakumar, R

2007-07-01

There have been very few studies focusing on what form of communication patients would find acceptable from a clinic. This study looks at the differences in preferences for various partner notification methods when the respondents were index patients compared with when they had to be contacted because a partner had a sexually transmitted infection (STI). There were 2544 respondents. When the clinic had to notify partners, respondents were more likely to report the method as good when a partner had an STI and they were being contacted compared with when the respondents had an infection and the partner was being contacted. The opposite was true for patient referral partner notification. Therefore, there are variations in the preferences of respondents for partner notification method, which depend on whether they see themselves as index patients or contacts.

Qualitative assessment of study materials and communication strategies used in studies that include DNA collection.

PubMed

Jenkins, Mary M; Reed-Gross, Erika; Barfield, Wanda D; Prue, Christine E; Gallagher, Margaret L; Rasmussen, Sonja A; Honein, Margaret A

2011-11-01

To understand motivations and barriers to participation in studies that include DNA collection, focus group discussions were held with mothers who had participated in a case-control study of birth defects. Recruited mothers had completed an interview and had received a mailed kit containing cytobrushes to collect buccal cells for DNA from herself, her infant, and her infant's father. Six moderator-led focus groups were attended by a total of 38 women residing in Atlanta, Georgia. Focus groups were segmented by DNA collection status (biologics participants or nonparticipants), infant case-control status, infant birthweight, and maternal race and ethnicity. This report assesses maternal attitudes toward study materials and communication strategies. Across groups, respondents expressed concern about how their contact information was obtained. Study materials were described as clear and professional by most women, although some respondents reported confusion about disclosure of individual genetic results. Respondents generally reported that monetary incentives were not a motivation to participate, but increased perceived study legitimacy. Biologics nonparticipants expressed concerns about kit component sterility; government involvement; and DNA sample use, storage, and disposal. Respondents suggested that investigators provide feedback on whether sample collection was performed correctly and provide materials targeted to fathers to help alleviate paternal skepticism. Participation in DNA collection might be improved by strengthening study materials and communication strategies. Published 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Secondhand Smoke in the Operating Room? Precautionary Practices Lacking for Surgical Smoke

PubMed Central

Steege, Andrea L.; Boiano, James M.; Sweeney, Marie H.

2016-01-01

Background Consensus organizations, government bodies, and healthcare organization guidelines recommend that surgical smoke be evacuated at the source by local exhaust ventilation (LEV) (i.e., smoke evacuators or wall suctions with inline filters). Methods Data are from NIOSH’s Health and Safety Practices Survey of Healthcare Workers module on precautionary practices for surgical smoke. Results Four thousand five hundred thirty-three survey respondents reported exposure to surgical smoke: 4,500 during electrosurgery; 1,392 during laser surgery procedures. Respondents were mainly nurses (56%) and anesthesiologists (21%). Only 14% of those exposed during electrosurgery reported LEV was always used during these procedures, while 47% reported use during laser surgery. Those reporting LEV was always used were also more likely to report training and employer standard procedures addressing the hazards of surgical smoke. Few respondents reported use of respiratory protection. Conclusions Study findings can be used to raise awareness of the marginal use of exposure controls and impediments for their use. PMID:27282626

Survey of New York City Resident Physicians on Cause-of-Death Reporting, 2010

PubMed Central

Wexelman, Barbara A.; Eden, Edward

2013-01-01

Introduction Death certificates contain critical information for epidemiology, public health research, disease surveillance, and community health programs. In most teaching hospitals, resident physicians complete death certificates. The objective of this study was to examine the experiences and opinions of physician residents in New York City on the accuracy of the cause-of-death reporting system. Methods In May and June 2010, we conducted an anonymous, Internet-based, 32-question survey of all internal medicine, emergency medicine, and general surgery residency programs (n = 70) in New York City. We analyzed data by type of residency and by resident experience in reporting deaths. We defined high-volume respondents as those who completed 11 or more death certificates in the last 3 years. Results A total of 521 residents from 38 residency programs participated (program response rate, 54%). We identified 178 (34%) high-volume respondents. Only 33.3% of all respondents and 22.7% of high-volume residents believed that cause-of-death reporting is accurate. Of all respondents, 48.6% had knowingly reported an inaccurate cause of death; 58.4% of high-volume residents had done so. Of respondents who indicated they reported an inaccurate cause, 76.8% said the system would not accept the correct cause, 40.5% said admitting office personnel instructed them to “put something else,” and 30.7% said the medical examiner instructed them to do so; 64.6% cited cardiovascular disease as the most frequent diagnosis inaccurately reported. Conclusion Most resident physicians believed the current cause-of-death reporting system is inaccurate, often knowingly documenting incorrect causes. The system should be improved to allow reporting of more causes, and residents should receive better training on completing death certificates. PMID:23660118

Brain Trauma Foundation Guideline Compliance: Results of a Multidisciplinary, International Survey.

PubMed

Hirschi, Ryan; Rommel, Casey; Letsinger, Joshua; Nirula, Raminder; Hawryluk, Gregory W J

2018-05-09

Brain Trauma Foundation (BTF) guidelines reflect evidence-based best practices in management of traumatic brain injury. The aim of this study was to examine self-reported physician compliance and predictors of compliance related to BTF guidelines. We conducted an international, multidisciplinary survey examining self-reported adherence to BTF guidelines and multiple factors potentially affecting adherence. We also surveyed intracranial pressure monitoring practices. Of 154 physician respondents, 15.9% reported their institutions "always" follow BTF guidelines and 72.2% reported that they follow them "most of the time." Personal volume of traumatic brain injury cases and years in practice were not significantly related to adherence. Reported adherence varied significantly in association with respondent's institutional trauma level (P = 0.0010): 17.3% of practitioners at level I, 13.0% at level II, and 0% at level III trauma centers reported "always" following guidelines. Reported adherence to guidelines also varied significantly in association with provider specialty (P = 0.015) and institutional volume of severe traumatic brain injury cases (P = 0.008). Regarding intracranial pressure monitoring practices, 52% of respondents used external ventricular drains, 21% used intraparenchymal monitors, and 27% had no preference (P < 0.001). Of respondents not routinely using external ventricular drains, 36% claimed to "always" follow guidelines. There was no apparent association between type of intracranial pressure monitoring used and reported guideline adherence. Few respondents reported their institutions "always" follow BTF guidelines. General surgeons and providers at high-volume level I trauma centers were more likely to comply with guidelines. Differences in survey responses based on provider and institutional characteristics may help target educational efforts. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Paediatric specialist registrars' views of educational supervision and how it can be improved: a questionnaire study.

PubMed

Lloyd, B W; Becker, D

2007-08-01

To determine what paediatric specialist registrars think of the educational supervision they have received and what advice they would give to a consultant who wanted to be a more effective educational supervisor. A questionnaire study. The North Thames Deanery, UK. 129 year 3, 4 or 5 paediatric specialist registrars in the North Thames Deanery. Reported value of educational supervision on a Likert scale; what elements of educational supervision were reported to be most useful; what elements of educational supervision were reported to be done poorly; what advice would specialist registrars give to a consultant who wanted to be a more effective educational supervisor. 86/129 specialist registrars responded (67%). The mean score on the Likert scale (0-a complete waste of time; 100-excellent) was 57 with 37% of respondents giving a score of less than 50. The most valued aspects of educational supervision were: feedback on performance--cited by 50 respondents (56% of respondents); career advice--cited by 43 (48%); objective setting--cited by 36 (40%); pastoral support--cited by 25 (28%). Aspects of educational supervision that were reported to be often not done well were: commitment to educational supervision--cited by 44 respondents (49% of respondents); ensuring sessions are bleep-free-cited by 43 (48%); listening rather than talking--cited by 23 (26%); being encouraging--cited by 18 (20%). Advice to consultants about how to improve educational supervision included: listen rather than talk; be encouraging; treat the trainee as an individual with individual needs. We can find no other study of trainees' views about how educational supervision can be improved. Although some trainees found educational supervision very valuable, many did not. Educational supervision should only be carried out by consultants who are committed to the task. An educational supervisor should listen carefully in order to understand the trainee's individual ambitions and needs, should provide specific feedback on performance and should be encouraging.

Knowledge and attitudes toward organ donation: a community-based study comparing rural and urban populations.

PubMed

Alghanim, Saad Abdullah

2010-01-01

The study was set to determine whether knowledge and attitudes toward organ donation differ according to geographical location. Self-administered questionnaires were employed to collect data such as demographic characteristics, basic knowledge, attitudes and source of information about organ donation from subjects in rural and urban areas. The questionnaires were distributed randomly to 1,000 individuals in both areas during 2008. The data were analyzed in a descriptive fashion. Despite similarities in knowledge and attitudes of respondents in both areas, rural respondents were less likely to have information about organ donation, to report willingness to donate organs, and to have knowledge about "brain death" or the "organ donation card" than their counterparts in urban areas. The study identified that the principle respondents' source of information about organ donation was the television. More than 90% of respondents in rural and urban areas reported that the contribution of health care providers in providing them with knowledge about organ donation and transplantation was "none" or "little". Respondents identified several reasons, which may influence their decisions to donate organs. In conclusion, the deficit in knowledge and attitudes of rural respondents about organ donation may be justified by the lack of information about this significant issue. Accordingly, health facilities, local mass media and educational institutions should provide intensive educational programs to encourage the public donate organs.

U.S. Dental Schools' Preparation for the Integrated National Board Dental Examination.

PubMed

Duong, Mai-Ly T; Cothron, Annaliese E; Lawson, Nathaniel C; Doherty, Eileen H

2018-03-01

An Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE) combining basic, behavioral, and clinical sciences will be implemented in 2020 to replace the current two-part National Board Dental Examination required for all candidates who seek to practice dentistry in the U.S. The aims of this study were to determine how U.S. dental schools are preparing for implementation of the INBDE and to assess their top administrators' attitudes about the new exam. A total of 150 deans, academic deans, and other administrators at all 64 U.S. dental schools with graduating classes in 2016 were emailed a 19-question electronic survey. The survey questions addressed the respondents' level of support, perceived benefits and challenges, and planned preparation strategies for the INBDE. The individual response rate was 59%, representing 57 of the 64 schools. Approximately 60% of the respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that they support the integrated exam, while roughly 25% either somewhat or strongly disagreed. While most respondents (72%) reported that their institutions would be prepared for the INBDE, 74% reported that the merged exam created additional strain for their institutions. Respondents reported viewing content integration and clinical applicability as benefits of the INBDE, while required curriculum changes and student preparedness and stress were seen as challenges. Most of the respondents reported their schools were currently employing strategies to prepare for the INBDE including meetings with faculty and students and changes to curricula and course content. The beginning of the fourth year and the end of the third year were the most frequently reported times when schools planned to require students to take the INBDE, although almost half of the respondents did not yet know what it would be required at their school. Several schools were reconsidering using the boards as a passing requirement. This study found that support for the INBDE was not universal, but strategies are under way to prepare students, faculty, and curricula for this new means of assessment.

Health Information Exchange Readiness for Demonstrating Return on Investment and Quality of Care.

PubMed

Khurshid, Anjum; Diana, Mark L; Jain, Rahul

2015-01-01

To study the extent to which community health information exchanges (HIEs) deliver and measure return on investment (ROI) and improvements in the quality of care. We surveyed operational HIEs for their characteristics, information domains, impact on quality of care, and ROI. A 60 percent response rate was achieved. Two-thirds of respondents agreed that community HIEs demonstrated a positive ROI, while one-third had no opinion or disagreed. One-fourth or fewer respondents reported using various metrics to calculate ROI. Most respondents agreed that HIEs improve the quality of care, though several were not sure and were awaiting further evidence. Most respondents indicated that they did not deliver reports on quality measures (76 percent) and that data were not being used to measure quality performance of participating providers (73 percent). Respondents from most HIEs believe that the HIEs are demonstrating a positive ROI; however, a minority of them indicated they had used or will use specific metrics to calculate ROI. HIE representatives overwhelmingly reported that they believe the HIE activities improve the quality of healthcare delivered, but only a few are using data to evaluate provider performance or generate reports on quality measures. This study demonstrates the challenge faced by policy makers and healthcare organizations that are investing millions of dollars in HIEs that are believed to improve health outcomes and increase efficiency, but still need more time to develop the evidence to confirm that belief. Our study shows that calculating ROI for HIEs or their impact on quality of care remains a secondary priority for most HIEs. This finding raises serious questions for the sustained support of HIEs, both financially and as a policy lever, given the end of Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act funding.

Assistive technology and self-rated health in comparison with age peers: a longitudinal study in 55-64-year-olds.

PubMed

Boons, Christel C L M; van de Kamp, Karline; Deeg, Dorly J H

2014-08-26

Abstract Purpose: To determine changes in self-rated health in comparison with age peers (SRH-AP) among 55-64-year-olds, as affected by (1) initiating, (2) ceasing, and (3) prolonging the use of assistive technology (AT). Methods: Data included two national cohorts of 55-64-year-olds from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (total N = 1968), with baseline cycles in 1992-93 and 2002-03 and 3-year follow-ups. The effect of AT use on SRH-AP was studied in analyses of variance for repeated measurements, adjusting for age and self-reported disability. Results: Respondents using AT reported poorer SRH-AP than respondents not using AT. Over time disability increased for respondents prolonging and initiating AT use and decreased for respondents ceasing AT use. No major changes were seen in SRH-AP over time, except for a small improvement for respondents prolonging AT use. Conclusions: AT use had a negative influence on SRH-AP, but this influence subsided over time for prolonged AT use. Despite longitudinal changes in disability, there was a marked stability of SRH-AP over time which may be attributed to AT use. Implications for Rehabilitation Both the proportion of 55-64-year-olds using AT and the proportion reporting disability was significantly higher in the recent cohort as compared to the early cohort. 55-64-Year-olds not using AT rated their health compared with age peers (SRH-AP) better than those using AT. 55-64-Year-olds who prolonged the use of AT reported the poorest ratings of SRH-AP, but also showed the clearest improvement in SRH-AP, suggesting that the initial negative influence of AT use on SRH-AP may subside over time.

Availability and needs of herbal medicinal information resources at community pharmacy, Riyadh region, Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Al-Arifi, Mohamed N

2013-10-01

A cross-sectional survey of community pharmacists in Riyadh region, Saudi Arabia was conducted over a period of 6 months from July through December 2011. Data collection was carried out using a structured self-administered questionnaire. The survey questionnaire consisted of a brief introduction to the study and eleven questions. The questions consisted of close ended, multiple-choice, and fill-in short answers. A stratified random sample of one thousand and seven hundred registered pharmacy practitioners all over Saudi Arabia were randomly chosen to respond to the survey. The data from each of the returned questionnaire were coded and entered into Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 19 software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) which was used for statistical analysis. Only one thousand four hundred one pharmacists responded to the survey (response rate is 82.4%) with a completely answered questionnaire. The study results show that 59.7% of the participants sometimes discuss herbal medicine use with their patients, while only 4.25% never discuss it. The study shows 48.5% of participated pharmacists record herbal medicine use sometimes where only 9.4% of them never did so. However, with regard to initiation of the discussion, the study shows that 44.3% of the respondents reported that patients initiate herbal issue discussion while 20.8% reported that pharmacists initiate the discussion. This discussion was reported to be a one time discussion or an ongoing discussion by 14.3% or 9.9% of the respondents respectively. According to the study results, respondents reported that the most common barriers that limit discussing herbal medicines' use with their patients were lack of time due to other obligations assigned to the community pharmacist (46%), lack of reliable resources (30.3%), lack of scientific evidence that support herbal medicine use (15.2%), or lack of knowledge of herbal medicines (13.4%). Yet, a small number of respondents was concerned about interest in herbal medicines (9.1%) and other reasons (2.4%). So it is urgent to ensure that pharmacists are appropriately educated and trained. Extra efforts are needed to increase the awareness of pharmacists to adverse drug reactions reporting system at Saudi Food and Drug Authority. Finally, more consideration to herbal issues should be addressed in both pharmacy colleges' curricula and continuous education program..

Self-Reported Ache, Pain, or Numbness in Feet and Use of Computers amongst Working-Age Finns.

PubMed

Korpinen, Leena; Pääkkönen, Rauno; Gobba, Fabriziomaria

2016-11-07

The use of the computers and other technical devices has increased. The aim of our work was to study the possible relation between self-reported foot symptoms and use of computers and cell phones using a questionnaire. The study was carried out as a cross-sectional study by posting a questionnaire to 15,000 working-age Finns. A total of 6121 responded, and 7.1% of respondents reported that they very often experienced pain, numbness, and aches in the feet. They also often experienced other symptoms: 52.3% had symptoms in the neck, 53.5% in had problems in the hip and lower back, and 14.6% often had sleeping disorders/disturbances. Only 11.2% of the respondents thought that their symptoms were connected to the use of desktop computers. We found that persons with symptoms in the feet quite often, or more often, had additional physical and mental symptoms. In future studies, it is important to take into account that the persons with symptoms in the feet may very often have other symptoms, and the use of computers can influence these symptoms.

Have Mischievous Responders Misidentified Sexual Minority Youth Disparities in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health?

PubMed

Fish, Jessica N; Russell, Stephen T

2018-05-01

The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) has been instrumental in identifying sexual minority youth health disparities. Recent commentary suggested that some Wave 1 youth responders, especially males, intentionally mismarked same-sex attraction and, as a result, published reports of health disparities from these data may be suspect. We use two recently developed approaches to identify "jokesters" and mischievous responding and apply them to the Add Health data. First, we show that Wave 1 same-sex attracted youth, including those who later reported completely heterosexual identities in adulthood, were no more likely than different-sex attracted youth and consistently heterosexual participants to be "jokesters." Second, after accounting for mischievous responses, we replicated six previously established disparities: depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation and behaviors, alcohol use, cocaine use, parental satisfaction, and school connectedness. Accounting for mischievousness resulted in the elimination of one observed disparity between heterosexual and sexual minority youth: suicidal ideation for males who reported romantic attraction to both sexes. Results also showed that accounting for mischievous responding may underestimate disparities for sexual minority youth, particularly females. Overall, results presented here support previous studies that identified health disparities among sexual minority youth using these data.

Neighborhoods, Social and Cultural Correlates of Obesity Risk among Latinos living on the U.S.-Mexico border in Southern California.

PubMed

Baquero, Barbara; Molina, Marisa; Elder, John P; Norman, Gregory J; Ayala, Guadalupe X

2016-01-01

We explored the relationship between obesity and neighborhood-related, social, and cultural variables and possible moderation by acculturation and cross-national practices. We obtained data from the 2009 San Diego Prevention Research Center's community survey, which used multistage sampling methods to recruit 397 adult respondents and conducted multilevel logistic analytic methods. Nearly half of the respondents were obese. Respondents had low acculturation scores and reported crossing the U.S.-Mexico border about three times per month, mostly to visit family and friends. Neighborhoods where respondents lived were predominantly Latino and had 27% home ownership. A significant cross-level interaction emerged: those who reported crossing the border and reported higher levels of collective efficacy were more likely to be obese than those who had not crossed. Study findings provide evidence of the complex relationship among obesity risk factors in a U.S.-Mexico border community that warrant further examination to prevent and control obesity.

Subjective Welfare, Well-Being, and Self-Reported Food Hypersensitivity in Four European Countries: Implications for European Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Voordouw, Jantine; Antonides, Gerrit; Fox, Margaret; Cerecedo, Inmaculada; Zamora, Javier; de la Hoz Caballer, Belen; Rokicka, Ewa; Cornelisse-Vermaat, Judith; Jewczak, Maciej; Starosta, Pawel; Kowalska, Marek L.; Jedrzejczak-Czechowicz, Monika; Vazquez-Cortes, Sonia; Escudero, Cano; de Blok, Bertine Flokstra; Dubois, Anthony; Mugford, Miranda; Frewer, Lynn J.

2012-01-01

This study estimates the effects of food hypersensitivity on individuals' perceived welfare and well-being compared to non-food hypersensitive individuals. Study respondents were recruited in the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and UK. The difference in welfare between food hypersensitive respondents and those asymptomatic to foods was estimated using…

Who suggests drinking less? Demographic and national differences in informal social controls on drinking.

PubMed

Dietze, Paul; Ferris, Jason; Room, Robin

2013-11-01

The purpose of this study was to examine variation in reports of pressuring others to drink less, as a form of informal social control of drinking, across countries and different types of relationship to the respondent. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 19,945 respondents ages 18-69 years in 14 countries included in the data set of the Gender, Alcohol and Culture: An International Study (GENACIS). Outcome variables were respondents' reports of pressuring others to drink less (yes/no) across a variety of relationships (their partners, other family members, workmates, or friends). Multilevel, multivariable logistic regression analysis was carried out on each outcome variable. The fixed-effects components included the Level 1 (individual) covariates of respondent age, gender, drinking status, and education level as well as the Level 2 (country level) covariates of percentage female drinkers and purchasing power parity. The random-effects components included country and current drinking status. Respondents most frequently reported pressuring male friends to drink less (18%), followed by male family members (other than partners, 15%), partners (15%), work colleagues (12%), female friends (9%), female family members (other than partners, 6%), and children (5%). There was marked variation across countries, with pressuring frequently reported in Uganda, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua across most relationship types. Multivariable logistic regression revealed consistent effects of gender, with women more likely than men to report pressuring others to drink less across most relationship types. The patterns in relation to education status and age were less consistent and varied across relationship type. Informal social control of drinking varies dramatically according to whom is most likely to pressure whom to drink less as well as the country in which people live.

An exploratory study of future plans and extracurricular activities of transition-age youth and young adults.

PubMed

Betz, Cecily L; Redcay, Gay

2005-01-01

A descriptive profile of the health related concerns, school-related and extracurricular activities, employment-related activities, social relationships and future plans of 25 transition-aged youth and young adults (ages 14 to 21 years) were conducted. The findings of this exploratory study provide insight on the impact their chronic condition had upon all aspects of their lives. Sixty percent of respondents indicated they had missed school due to their condition and a third of the respondents had not completed high school. Health care professionals usually were not identified as participatory in youth transition planning. The majority of these transition-aged youth and young adults had positive feelings towards their school experience, although most of the respondents were not involved in school projects or clubs, which suggests their participation in school-related extra-curricular activities was limited. Nearly all of the respondents had some form of employment experience. Most of their work experiences were nonpaying jobs such as serving as a volunteer and participating in school-based employment training. Nearly all of the respondents expressed desires for sustainable employment and fiscal and social independence. Most of the respondents reported having social relationships with just less than half reporting seeing friends outside of school.

Accuracy and usefulness of BMI measures based on self-reported weight and height: findings from the NHANES & NHIS 2001-2006.

PubMed

Stommel, Manfred; Schoenborn, Charlotte A

2009-11-19

The Body Mass Index (BMI) based on self-reported height and weight ("self-reported BMI") in epidemiologic studies is subject to measurement error. However, because of the ease and efficiency in gathering height and weight information through interviews, it remains important to assess the extent of error present in self-reported BMI measures and to explore possible adjustment factors as well as valid uses of such self-reported measures. Using the combined 2001-2006 data from the continuous National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, discrepancies between BMI measures based on self-reported and physical height and weight measures are estimated and socio-demographic predictors of such discrepancies are identified. Employing adjustments derived from the socio-demographic predictors, the self-reported measures of height and weight in the 2001-2006 National Health Interview Survey are used for population estimates of overweight & obesity as well as the prediction of health risks associated with large BMI values. The analysis relies on two-way frequency tables as well as linear and logistic regression models. All point and variance estimates take into account the complex survey design of the studies involved. Self-reported BMI values tend to overestimate measured BMI values at the low end of the BMI scale (< 22) and underestimate BMI values at the high end, particularly at values > 28. The discrepancies also vary systematically with age (younger and older respondents underestimate their BMI more than respondents aged 42-55), gender and the ethnic/racial background of the respondents. BMI scores, adjusted for socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents, tend to narrow, but do not eliminate misclassification of obese people as merely overweight, but health risk estimates associated with variations in BMI values are virtually the same, whether based on self-report or measured BMI values. BMI values based on self-reported height and weight, if corrected for biases associated with socio-demographic characteristics of the survey respondents, can be used to estimate health risks associated with variations in BMI, particularly when using parametric prediction models.

Factors related to stress and coping among Chinese nurses in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Callaghan, P; Tak-Ying, S A; Wyatt, P A

2000-06-01

Few empirical studies have investigated the issues linked to Hong Kong nurses work-related health. The present study investigated factors related to stress and coping among Chinese nurses in Hong Kong. The researchers employed a cross-sectional survey and made within-group comparisons of nurses' stress and coping. Using stratified random sampling the researchers selected nurses from the mailing list of a local professional organization. One hundred and sixty-eight (33.6%) nurses responded. Nurses reported lower stress levels than other workers assessed with the same measure. Paediatric nurses reported the highest stress levels. Nurses at the lower grades reported higher stress levels than nurses at the higher grades. Single nurses had marginally higher stress scores than married nurses and females had slightly higher stress scores than males. However, none of these results were statistically significant. The respondents' major sources of stress were related to nursing issues like too much work, interpersonal relationships, and dealing with hospital administration. The respondents coped with their stresses by seeking support from friends and colleagues, using different cognitive strategies and through leisure activities. There was a statistically significant link between the respondents' stress and sickness levels. The results raise issues about the nature of nurses' working experiences.

Self-reported risk factors related to the most frequent musculoskeletal complaints among Czech dentists.

PubMed

Hodacova, Lenka; Sustova, Zdenka; Cermakova, Eva; Kapitan, Martin; Smejkalova, Jindra

2015-01-01

The purpose of the study was to describe the occurrence of the most common complaints related to MSDs in Czech dentists and to assess the risk factors affecting them. A questionnaire survey of 581 Czech dentists (the response rate 72.6%) was conducted in 2011. The questionnaire ascertained general information about the respondents, their work habits and environment along with the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders. The respondents filled out the questionnaires during the educational events organized by the Czech Dental Chamber. At least mild difficulties associated with the motoric system were reported by 96.9% of the respondents, with 66.3% of respondents reporting moderate or major difficulties. Back and neck pain followed by shoulder pain and headache were the most common complaints in our sample. According to our data: age, gender, length of practice, a history of serious MSDs, the occurrence of MSDs in blood relatives, the perception of work as psychologically demanding, and especially a perceived moderate/bad general health were significantly associated with the four most common musculoskeletal complaints. Some of the factors were found as protective. This study suggests that MSDs represent a significant burden for Czech dentists and further research is needed to elucidate this issue.

Family history of colorectal cancer: clinicians' preventive recommendations and patient behavior.

PubMed

Zlot, Amy I; Silvey, Kerry; Newell, Nanette; Coates, Ralph J; Leman, Richard

2012-01-01

Few population-based studies have addressed the role that family history of colorectal cancer (CRC) plays in clinician decision making or patient health choices. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of family history of CRC on clinician practice, patient CRC screening, and patient preventive behavior. We analyzed 2008 Oregon Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data to examine associations between family history of CRC and 1) patient-reported clinician recommendations, 2) perceived risk of developing CRC, 3) adoption of preventive and screening behaviors, and 4) CRC risk factors among 1,795 respondents without CRC. A family history of CRC was positively associated with a higher likelihood of respondents reporting that their clinicians discussed colorectal cancer screening (OR, 4.2; 95% CI, 2.4-7.4) and of respondents having colorectal screening within the recommended time period (OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.3-3.9). A family history of CRC was also associated with respondents reporting lifestyle changes to prevent CRC (OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.7-4.0). A family history of CRC may prompt clinicians to recommend screening and preventive behavior changes and motivate patients to adopt such strategies.

Doubly illegal: Qualitative accounts of underage alcohol access through theft

PubMed Central

Jennings, Vanessa K.; Friese, Bettina; Moore, Roland S.; Grube, Joel W.

2012-01-01

This study investigated sources of alcohol for underage drinkers. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were individually conducted with 47 youths, ages 15–18, who reported drinking within the last 12 months, to explore alcohol access. Theft was one method that some youths reported using to obtain alcohol. In addition to 9% of respondents who reported stealing alcohol from commercial outlets themselves, a total of 26% respondents reported occasions when their close friends stole alcohol. Our findings unveiled that teens had a body of knowledge that some drew upon for stealing alcohol. Youths revealed detailed knowledge about store layout, theft protection devices and store policies. In particular, respondents disclosed knowledge about which aisles have blind spots, how to remove security tops on bottles, and no-chase policies. Theft of alcohol from commercial sources may be reduced by examining the weaknesses of existing theft prevention practices, and revising store policies. PMID:22303285

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Report 7:Summary report to phase 2 respondents including frequency distributions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E.; Kennedy, John M.; White, Terry F.

1991-01-01

Phase 2 of the four phase NASA/DoD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project was undertaken to study the transfer of scientific and technical information (STI) from government to the aerospace industry and the role of librarians and technical information specialists in the transfer process. Data was collected through a self-administered mailback questionnaire. Libraries identified as holding substantial aerospace or aeronautical technical report collections were selected to receive the questionnaires. Within each library, the person responsible for the technical report was requested to answer the questionnaire. Questionnaires were returned from approx. 68 pct. of the libraries. The respondents indicated that scientists and engineer are not aware of the services available from libraries/technical information centers and that scientists and engineers also under-utilized their services. The respondents also indicated they should be more involved in the process.

Orientation, Evaluation, and Integration of Part-Time Nursing Faculty.

PubMed

Carlson, Joanne S

2015-07-10

This study helps to quantify and describe orientation, evaluation, and integration practices pertaining to part-time clinical nursing faculty teaching in prelicensure nursing education programs. A researcher designed Web-based survey was used to collect information from a convenience sample of part-time clinical nursing faculty teaching in prelicensure nursing programs. Survey questions focused on the amount and type of orientation, evaluation, and integration practices. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze results. Respondents reported on average four hours of orientation, with close to half reporting no more than two hours. Evaluative feedback was received much more often from students than from full-time faculty. Most respondents reported receiving some degree of mentoring and that it was easy to get help from full-time faculty. Respondents reported being most informed about student evaluation procedures, grading, and the steps to take when students are not meeting course objectives, and less informed about changes to ongoing curriculum and policy.

Prevalence of Chronic Diseases in Adults Exposed to Arsenic-Contaminated Drinking Water

PubMed Central

Zierold, Kristina M.; Knobeloch, Lynda; Anderson, Henry

2004-01-01

Inorganic arsenic is naturally occurring in groundwaters throughout the United States. This study investigated arsenic exposure and self-report of 9 chronic diseases. We received private well-water samples and questionnaires from 1185 people who reported drinking their water for 20 or more years. Respondents with arsenic levels of 2 μg/L or greater were statistically more likely to report a history of depression, high blood pressure, circulatory problems, and bypass surgery than were respondents with arsenic concentrations less than 2 μg/L. PMID:15514231

Do impression management and self-deception distort self-report measures with content of dynamic risk factors in offender samples? A meta-analytic review.

PubMed

Hildebrand, Martin; Wibbelink, Carlijn J M; Verschuere, Bruno

Self-report measures provide an important source of information in correctional/forensic settings, yet at the same time the validity of that information is often questioned because self-reports are thought to be highly vulnerable to self-presentation biases. Primary studies in offender samples have provided mixed results with regard to the impact of socially desirable responding on self-reports. The main aim of the current study was therefore to investigate-via a meta-analytic review of published studies-the association between the two dimensions of socially desirable responding, impression management and self-deceptive enhancement, and self-report measures with content of dynamic risk factors using the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR) in offender samples. These self-report measures were significantly and negatively related with self-deception (r = -0.120, p < 0.001; k = 170 effect sizes) and impression management (r = -0.158, p < 0.001; k = 157 effect sizes), yet there was evidence of publication bias for the impression management effect with the trim and fill method indicating that the relation is probably even smaller (r = -0.07). The magnitude of the effect sizes was small. Moderation analyses suggested that type of dynamic risk factor (e.g., antisocial cognition versus antisocial personality), incentives, and publication year affected the relationship between impression management and self-report measures with content of dynamic risk factors, whereas sample size, setting (e.g., incarcerated, community), and publication year influenced the relation between self-deception and these self-report measures. The results indicate that the use of self-report measures to assess dynamic risk factors in correctional/forensic settings is not inevitably compromised by socially desirable responding, yet caution is warranted for some risk factors (antisocial personality traits), particularly when incentives are at play. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

42 CFR 93.312 - Opportunity to comment on the investigation report.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... respondent a copy of the draft investigation report and, concurrently, a copy of, or supervised access to, the evidence on which the report is based. The comments of the respondent on the draft report, if any, must be submitted within 30 days of the date on which the respondent received the draft investigation...

Predictors, Quality Markers, and Economics of Volunteering Internationally: Results from a Comprehensive Survey of American Society of Plastic Surgeons Members.

PubMed

McIntyre, Joyce K; Schoenbrunner, Anna R; Kelley, Kristen D; Gosman, Amanda A

2017-09-01

Plastic surgeons have a long history of international volunteer work. To date, there have been no outcome-based studies among surgeons who volunteer internationally. The purpose of this study was to describe predictors of volunteering, clinical quality markers, and economics of international volunteering among American plastic surgeons. A cross-sectional validated e-mail survey tool was sent to all board-certified plastic surgeons by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. The survey response rate was 15 percent (745 total individuals), of which 283 respondents traveled within the past 5 years. Analysis was performed in R. Stepwise multivariate logistic regression was performed to determine the predictors of death/complication. Respondents reported high use of medical records, follow-up care, and host affiliation. Fewer than half of all respondents reported use of international safety surgery guidelines, and the majority of respondents reported volunteering abroad outside of their scope of practice. The majority of children younger than 5 years were not cared for by a pediatric anesthesiologist. The majority of participants reported personally spending more than $1000 on their last trip and performing surgery estimated to be worth on average $28,000 each. International surgical volunteer trips attempt to ease the global burden of surgical disease. The authors' study reports variation in quality of care provided on these trips. Most significantly, the majority of children younger than 5 years were not cared for by a pediatric anesthesiologist, and many plastic surgeons operated outside of their scope of practice.

Safety pharmacology investigations in toxicology studies: an industry survey.

PubMed

Authier, Simon; Vargas, Hugo M; Curtis, Michael J; Holbrook, Mark; Pugsley, Michael K

2013-01-01

The Safety Pharmacology (SP) Society (SPS) conducted an industry survey in 2012 in an attempt to define current industry practices as they relate to inclusion of safety pharmacology (SP) endpoints into Toxicology studies. A total of 361 participants from Asia (9.1%), Europe (19.4%) and North America (71.4%) responded to the survey. The preponderance of respondents were toxicologists (53.2%) followed by safety pharmacologists (27.2%) and scientists involved in the conduct of both disciplines (19.6%). Most participants (58.6%) were from pharmaceutical companies employing more than 500 employees. A majority (68.2%) reported having experience in designing, performing or interpreting the SP component of a study when performed as part of a toxicology study. Some participants (42.0%) had submitted data to a regulatory agency where ICHS7 studies were performed as part of a toxicology study rather than as a standalone study. When comparing species that were used in studies in which SP was added to toxicology studies, canines were the most frequently reported animals used for new chemical entities (NCE) whereas non-human (NH) primates were the most frequent for the assessment of biological agents. The most frequent primary motivator for adding ICHS7 SP endpoints to regulatory toxicology studies was to generate additional data to allow for determination of an integrated risk assessment thereby testing Confidence in Safety (CIS) to better manage and/or mitigate risk. The current ability to add safety pharmacology endpoints into regulatory toxicology studies was used to address a specific concern (by 42.1% of respondents) to allow management of risk more effectively (36.8%) or to generate data that contributes to cessation of the progression of a compound (21.1%). For an NCE, SP measurements in toxicology studies were conducted in addition to standalone SP studies (by 40.6% of respondents) or in addition/instead of standalone safety pharmacology studies (by 39.8% of respondents). For biological agents, a majority (74.3%) indicated SP measurements in toxicology were conducted instead of standalone studies as outlined in the ICHS6 guideline while inclusion of SP endpoints in toxicology studies for biological agents in addition to standalone studies was reported by only 25.7% of the respondents. The survey highlights that obtaining regulatory agreement for the proposed combined SP/Tox study designs may be useful before study conduct in some cases. Respondents suggest that such discussion could occur at the pre-IND meeting before the IND/CTA enabling program. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A drive through Web 2.0: an exploration of driving safety promotion on Facebook™.

PubMed

Apatu, Emma J I; Alperin, Melissa; Miner, Kathleen R; Wiljer, David

2013-01-01

This study explored Facebook™ to capture the prevalence of driving safety promotion user groups, obtain user demographic information, to understand if Facebook™ user groups influence reported driving behaviors, and to gather a sense of perceived effectiveness of Facebook™ for driving safety promotion targeted to young adults. In total, 96 driving safety Facebook™ groups (DSFGs) were identified with a total of 33,368 members, 168 administrators, 156 officers, 1,598 wall posts representing 12 countries. A total of 85 individuals participated in the survey. Demographic findings of this study suggest that driving safety promotion can be targeted to young and older adults. Respondents' ages ranged from 18 to 66 years. A total of 62% of respondents aged ≤ 24 years and 57.8% of respondents aged ≥ 25 years reported changing their driving-related behaviors as a result of reading information on the DSFGs to which they belonged. A higher proportion of respondents ≥ 25 years were significantly more likely to report Facebook™ and YouTube™ as an effective technology for driving safety promotion. This preliminary study indicates that DSFGs may be effective tools for driving safety promotion among young adults. More research is needed to understand the cognition of Facebook™ users as it relates to adopting safe driving behavior. The findings from this study present descriptive data to guide public health practitioners for future health promotion activities on Facebook™.

The detection of content-based invalid responding: a meta-analysis of the MMPI-2-Restructured Form's (MMPI-2-RF) over-reporting validity scales.

PubMed

Ingram, Paul B; Ternes, Michael S

2016-05-01

This study synthesized research evaluation of the effectiveness of the over-reporting validity scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) for detecting intentionally feigned over-endorsements of symptoms using a moderated meta-analysis. After identifying experimental and quasi-experimental studies for inclusion (k = 25) in which the validity scales of the MMPI-2-RF were compared between groups of respondents, moderated meta-analyses were conducted for each of its five over-reporting scales. These meta-analyses explored the general effectiveness of each scale across studies, as well as the impact that several moderators had on scale performance, including comparison group, study type (i.e. real versus simulation), age, education, sex, and diagnosis. The over-reporting scales of the MMPI-2-RF act as effective general measures for the detection of malingering and over endorsement of symptoms with individual scales ranging in effectiveness from an effect size of 1.08 (Symptom Validity; FBS-r) to 1.43 (Infrequent Pathology; Fp-r), each with different patterns of moderating influence. The MMPI-2-RF validity scales effectively discriminate between groups of respondents presenting in either an honest manner or with patterned exaggeration and over-endorsement of symptoms. The magnitude of difference observed between honest and malingering groups was substantially narrower than might be expected using traditional cut-scores for the validity scales, making interpretation within the evaluation context particularly important. While all over-reporting scales are effective, the FBS-r and RBS scales are those least influenced by common and context specific moderating influences, such as respondent or comparison grouping.

Adverse drug reactions reporting : Knowledge and opinion of general public in Penang, Malaysia.

PubMed

Elkalmi, Ramadan; Hassali, Mohamed Azmi; Al-Lela, Omar Qutaiba; Jawad Awadh, Ammar Ihsan; Al-Shami, Abdul Kareem; Jamshed, Shazia Qasim

2013-07-01

The objective of this study was to explore the knowledge of the general population towards ADR and their reporting system. An anonymous, self-administered questionnaire (15 items) was designed. The questionnaire was subjected to face validity and content validity. The reliability coefficient was found to be 0.71. This study recruited proportionately large convenience sample of the general public in Penang. Interviews using a structured questionnaire were conducted over a week period in August 2009. The recommended sample size was calculated to be 368. Three hundred thirty-four responses were received. Slightly more than half of the respondents were in the age group of 18-25 years (53.6%; n = 179). When asked about the sources of their medication majority of them reported medical doctor (85.6%), whereas small number (34.7%) reported community pharmacists as sources of medications. Three-quarter of the respondents (77.2%) get their information about the side-effects of drugs from physicians, followed by pharmacist (44.6%). More than half of the respondents (65.6%, n = 219) reported unawareness about the existence of ADR center set up by the Ministry of Health. Respondents reflected inadequate knowledge on ADR reporting. This needs to be corrected as the trend of future pharmacovigilance is toward the patient. Moreover, the new trend seems to be more appropriate as the patient is the group of the people who are directly affected from the ADR of a particular drug and not the health-care providers. Furthermore, the patient will be informed about the economic implications of not reporting ADR. It is recommended that government agencies, like MADRAC needs to find ways to increase patient- reported ADR cases.

Occupational exposure among medical students and house staff at a New York City Medical Center.

PubMed

Resnic, F S; Noerdlinger, M A

1995-01-09

The purpose of the study was to ascertain the prevalence of and reasons for underreporting of occupational exposures to patients' blood and body fluids among students and house staff. A questionnaire surveyed 110 medical students and 275 house staff members regarding the number of reported and unreported exposures to patients' body fluids, and the reasons why the respondents did or did not report their exposures during the previous 6 months. Of 385 surveys returned, representing a response rate of 60%, 122 respondents (32%) experienced 330 occupational exposures during the previous 6 months. Fifty-two percent of surgical house staff, 27% of students, and 20% of medical house staff were exposed. Whereas the exposure risk to surgical house staff increased with training, the risk to medical house staff decreased with training. Only 29% of exposed respondents reported an exposure. Exposures from sources known to be positive or at high risk for human immunodeficiency virus had the highest reporting rates. The most frequent reason for not reporting an exposure was that the patient was thought not to be infectious. Forty-six percent of respondents exposed to sources of unknown human immunodeficiency virus status who did not report chose "patient thought not to be infectious" as the reason. The most common reason for reporting an exposure was "hospital policy." Although limited by recall bias, this study showed that a high proportion of students and house staff experience occupational exposures. The results suggest that populations at high risk for exposures are the more experienced surgical house staff and the junior medical house staff. Exposures from sources known to be positive or at high risk for human immunodeficiency virus were reported more frequently than those from unknown risk sources.

Responding to families with complex needs: a national survey of child and family health nurses.

PubMed

Rossiter, Chris; Schmied, Virginia; Kemp, Lynn; Fowler, Cathrine; Kruske, Sue; Homer, Caroline S E

2017-02-01

The aim of this study was to explore the extent to which Australian child and family health nurses work with families with complex needs and how their practice responds to the needs of these families. Many families with young children face challenges to their parenting capacity, potentially placing their children at risk of poorer developmental outcomes. Nurses increasingly work with families with mental health problems, trauma histories and/or substance dependence. Universal child health services must respond effectively to these challenges, to address health inequalities and to promote the best outcomes for all children and families. The descriptive study used cross-sectional data from the first national survey of child and family health nurses in Australia, conducted during 2011. Survey data reported how often, where and how child and family health nurses worked with families with complex needs and their confidence in nursing tasks. Many, but not all, of the 679 respondents saw families with complex needs in their regular weekly caseload. Child and family health nurses with diverse and complex caseloads reported using varied approaches to support their clients. They often undertook additional professional development and leadership roles compared with nurses who reported less complex caseloads. Most respondents reported high levels of professional confidence. For health services providing universal support and early intervention for families at risk, the findings underscore the importance of appropriate education, training and support for child and family health professionals. The findings can inform the organization and delivery of services for families in Australia and internationally. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

College law enforcement and security department responses to alcohol-related incidents: a national study.

PubMed

Bernat, Debra H; Lenk, Kathleen M; Nelson, Toben F; Winters, Ken C; Toomey, Traci L

2014-08-01

Campus police and security personnel are often the first to respond to alcohol-related incidents on campus. The purpose of this study is to examine how campus law enforcement and security respond to alcohol-related incidents, and how consequences and communication differ based on characteristics of the incident. Directors of campus police/security from 343 colleges across the United States completed a survey regarding usual practice following serious, underage, and less serious alcohol incidents on and off campus. Campus law enforcement and security most commonly reported contacting campus officials. A minority reported issuing citations and referring students to the health center. Enforcement actions were more commonly reported for serious and underage incidents than for less serious incidents. Large (vs. small) colleges, public (vs. private) colleges, and those located in small (vs. large) towns more consistently reported taking actions against drinkers. Understanding how campus police and security respond to alcohol-related incidents is essential for reducing alcohol-related problems on college campuses. Copyright © 2014 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

A history of major depressive disorder and the response to stress.

PubMed

Ilgen, Mark A; Hutchison, Kent E

2005-06-01

The occurrence of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) has been linked to an increased vulnerability to stress. However, the specific behavioral and affective aspects that may underlie this vulnerability to stress have not been well studied. This study examined sensitivity to a stress manipulation in 62 participants, 30 with and 32 without a previous episode of MDD. Comparisons were made between those with a history of depression and those without, randomized to either the high or low stress conditions on self-report measures of affect and behavior measures of performance. A significant interaction was found between depression history and level of stress on measures of self-report tension and behavioral performance on the experimental task. Specifically, those with a history of MDD in the high stress condition reported significantly more tension than other participants. Additionally, participants in the high stress condition without a history of MDD responded to uncontrollable stress by responding at a significantly higher rate on the task while those individuals with a history of MDD responded to uncontrollable stress by maintaining a relatively low level of responding. No differences in self-report depressed affect were found. The study utilized a laboratory stressor in a sample composed primarily of college students. A history of MDD appears to be associated with an increased sensitivity to uncontrollable stress. This vulnerability may manifest itself in the subjective state of individuals (i.e., tension) or in their behavioral responses to stress.

Construct validation of an interactive digital algorithm for ostomy care.

PubMed

Beitz, Janice M; Gerlach, Mary A; Schafer, Vickie

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate construct validity for a previously face and content validated Ostomy Algorithm using digital real-life clinical scenarios. A cross-sectional, mixed-methods Web-based survey design study was conducted. Two hundred ninety-seven English-speaking RNs completed the study; participants practiced in both acute care and postacute settings, with 1 expert ostomy nurse (WOC nurse) and 2 nonexpert nurses. Following written consent, respondents answered demographic questions and completed a brief algorithm tutorial. Participants were then presented with 7 ostomy-related digital scenarios consisting of real-life photos and pertinent clinical information. Respondents used the 11 assessment components of the digital algorithm to choose management options. Participant written comments about the scenarios and the research process were collected. The mean overall percentage of correct responses was 84.23%. Mean percentage of correct responses for respondents with a self-reported basic ostomy knowledge was 87.7%; for those with a self-reported intermediate ostomy knowledge was 85.88% and those who were self-reported experts in ostomy care achieved 82.77% correct response rate. Five respondents reported having no prior ostomy care knowledge at screening and achieved an overall 45.71% correct response rate. No negative comments regarding the algorithm were recorded by participants. The new standardized Ostomy Algorithm remains the only face, content, and construct validated digital clinical decision instrument currently available. Further research on application at the bedside while tracking patient outcomes is warranted.

Tooth bleaching and young adults in Nigeria: knowledge, experiences and intention.

PubMed

Azodo, C C; Ogbomo, A C; Agbor, M A

2012-12-01

To assess the knowledge, experiences and intention to have tooth bleaching among young adults studying in a Nigerian University. A cross-section of part-time undergraduate students of University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria were studied in 2010 using a self-administered questionnaire. About three-quarters 289 (72.4%) of the respondents reported awareness of at least one cause of tooth discoloration. A total of 143 (35.8%) of the respondents have heard of tooth bleaching with main sources of information being friends/relatives, dentists and the internet. One-third 132 (33.1%) of the respondents correctly identified that the aim of tooth bleaching was to make the teeth whiter. The respondents that had correct knowledge about mechanism, duration and complications of tooth bleaching were 51 (12.8%), 25 (6.3%) and 35 (8.8%) respectively. The major perceived benefits of tooth bleaching reported by the respondents were self confidence boost 152 (38.1%) and improvement of one's beauty 107 (26.8%). Out of the 68 (17.0%) respondents that have attempted tooth bleaching, 36 (52.9%) used tooth whitening toothpaste. Out of the 151 (37.8%) respondents that expressed intention of having tooth bleaching procedure, 32 (21.2%) would pursue the course, no matter the cost. In the studied population, knowledge of tooth discoloration was high, awareness and experiences of tooth bleaching were low but significant number expressed intention of having tooth bleaching. It is important that dentists increase oral health information particularly tooth bleaching information accessibility to the young adult population to improve the knowledge and prevent adverse effects.

Alterations in empathic responding among women with posttraumatic stress disorder associated with childhood trauma

PubMed Central

Parlar, Melissa; Frewen, Paul; Nazarov, Anthony; Oremus, Carolina; MacQueen, Glenda; Lanius, Ruth; McKinnon, Margaret C

2014-01-01

Objective Although studies increasingly point toward problems with social cognition among individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), few studies have assessed empathic responding. The aim of the current study was to investigate empathic responding in women with PTSD related to childhood trauma, and the contribution of parental bonding to empathic abilities in this sample. Methods Participants with PTSD (n = 29) and sex- and age-matched healthy controls (n = 20) completed two self-report empathy measures, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire (TEQ), and a self-report measure of attachment, the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI). Results Women with PTSD, relative to controls, reported significantly lower levels of empathic concern (r = 0.29) and perspective taking (r = 0.30), yet significantly higher levels of personal distress (r = 0.45) on the IRI. Women with PTSD also reported elevated scores on the TEQ (η2 = 0.13). Levels of paternal care on the PBI, rather than childhood trauma severity or PTSD symptom severity best predicted perspective taking scores on the IRI in the PTSD sample (R2 = 0.20). Conclusion Women with PTSD associated with childhood trauma reported alterations among different domains of empathic functioning that may be related to low levels of paternal care. PMID:24944867

A Study of the Plastics Industry in Missouri. Final Research Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Landers, Jack M.

Missouri's plastics industry was surveyed to identify tasks, skills, and knowledges necessary for entry into plastics-related occupations. Respondents returned 129 questionnaires. Additional information was received by telephone interviews with cooperating industries and associations. Of responding firms, St. Louis and Kansas City metropolitan…

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Report 12: An initial investigation into the production and use of Scientific and Technical Information (STI) at five NASA centers: Results of a telephone survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glassman, Nanci A.; Pinelli, Thomas E.

1992-01-01

A study was conducted to provide NASA management with an 'initial' look at the production and use of scientific and technical information (STI) at five NASA centers (Ames, Goddard, Langley, Lewis, and Marshall). The 550 respondents who were interviewed by telephone held favorable views regarding the NASA STI system. About 65 percent of the respondents stated that it is either very or somewhat important for them to publish their work through the NASA STI system. About 10 percent of those respondents encountered problems using the NASA STI system services for publication. The most frequently reported problem was 'the process is too time consuming' (8.6 percent). Overall, those respondents using the NASA STI system to publish their work rated the system as excellent (24.6 percent) or good (37.6 percent). About 79 percent of the respondents stated that it is either very or somewhat important for them to use the NASA STI system to access information. The most frequently reported problems were 'the time and effort it takes to locate and obtain information through the system' (14.4 percent). Overall, about 83 percent of the respondents stated that the NASA STI system is important to performing their work. Overall, about 73 percent of the respondents stated that the NASA STI system meets their information needs.

Researchers’ Intuitions About Power in Psychological Research

PubMed Central

Bakker, Marjan; Hartgerink, Chris H. J.; Wicherts, Jelte M.; van der Maas, Han L. J.

2016-01-01

Many psychology studies are statistically underpowered. In part, this may be because many researchers rely on intuition, rules of thumb, and prior practice (along with practical considerations) to determine the number of subjects to test. In Study 1, we surveyed 291 published research psychologists and found large discrepancies between their reports of their preferred amount of power and the actual power of their studies (calculated from their reported typical cell size, typical effect size, and acceptable alpha). Furthermore, in Study 2, 89% of the 214 respondents overestimated the power of specific research designs with a small expected effect size, and 95% underestimated the sample size needed to obtain .80 power for detecting a small effect. Neither researchers’ experience nor their knowledge predicted the bias in their self-reported power intuitions. Because many respondents reported that they based their sample sizes on rules of thumb or common practice in the field, we recommend that researchers conduct and report formal power analyses for their studies. PMID:27354203

Researchers' Intuitions About Power in Psychological Research.

PubMed

Bakker, Marjan; Hartgerink, Chris H J; Wicherts, Jelte M; van der Maas, Han L J

2016-08-01

Many psychology studies are statistically underpowered. In part, this may be because many researchers rely on intuition, rules of thumb, and prior practice (along with practical considerations) to determine the number of subjects to test. In Study 1, we surveyed 291 published research psychologists and found large discrepancies between their reports of their preferred amount of power and the actual power of their studies (calculated from their reported typical cell size, typical effect size, and acceptable alpha). Furthermore, in Study 2, 89% of the 214 respondents overestimated the power of specific research designs with a small expected effect size, and 95% underestimated the sample size needed to obtain .80 power for detecting a small effect. Neither researchers' experience nor their knowledge predicted the bias in their self-reported power intuitions. Because many respondents reported that they based their sample sizes on rules of thumb or common practice in the field, we recommend that researchers conduct and report formal power analyses for their studies. © The Author(s) 2016.

Perception, experience, and response to genetic discrimination in Huntington's disease: the Australian results of The International RESPOND-HD study.

PubMed

Goh, Anita M Y; Chiu, Edmond; Yastrubetskaya, Olga; Erwin, Cheryl; Williams, Janet K; Juhl, Andrew R; Paulsen, Jane S

2013-02-01

This study examines elements of genetic discrimination among an at-risk, clinically undiagnosed Huntington's disease (HD) population. Sixty at-risk individuals, either positive or negative for the HD genetic mutation, completed a survey regarding their experiences of genetic discrimination, adverse and unfair treatment, and knowledge about existing laws and policies surrounding genetic discrimination. Sixty eight percent of participants reported feeling "Great benefit" from knowing their genetic test results. Reported benefits of knowledge included planning for the future, making decisions, and many individuals found meaning in active participation in the HD community and in advocating for themselves or families at risk for HD. Many individuals found personal meaning and a sense of community from knowledge of this information and from the ability to participate in research. Despite these positive feelings toward gene testing, results demonstrated that 33% of participants perceived experiences of genetic discrimination, which occurred repeatedly and caused great self-reported distress. Significantly, more gene-positive respondents reported experiencing incidents of genetic discrimination, compared to gene-negative respondents. At least 58 separate incidents of discrimination were reported, the number of incidents ranged from 1 to 10, with 45% of individuals (9/20 respondents) indicating more than one event. Of the most significant events of discrimination, 58% were related to insurance, 21% to employment, 16% to transactions of daily life, and 5% to relationships. Results contribute toward validation of empirical data regarding genetic discrimination.

Poultry production and constraints in Eastern Province of Rwanda: case study of Rukomo sector, Nyagatare district.

PubMed

Mazimpaka, Eugene; Tukei, Micheal; Shyaka, Anselme; Gatari, Eugene N

2018-04-01

A study was conducted in Rukomo sector, Nyagatare district, to determine the status of poultry production. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 100 poultry farmers randomly as 20 farmers from each of the five cells. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16 and presented in chart and tables. The majority of the farmers (84%) reared their poultry in free range system while 10% practiced semi-intensive and only 6% did intensive production. Only 12% of the respondents kept exotic poultry breeds. The breeding stock were mostly obtained from local markets (63%) and the average flock size was about 1-10 birds per homestead (70%). The confinement of poultry at night was either in the main domestic house (33%), in kitchen (32%), or in separate poultry house (35%). Flock records were rare and kept by only 9% of respondents. Poultry products were reportedly at high demand by 87% of respondents and 89% farmers reported profit from their enterprises. Lack of veterinary and financial assistance was reported by 72% of respondents. Newcastle disease (57%) was the main health constraint followed by ectoparasites and internal worms. Many farmers (50%) were in dire need of veterinary assistance and financial support to improve their poultry enterprises. Poor management practices were reported to be one of the crucial factors leading to poor production. Lack of quality feeds (38%) and feeding of poultry, credit (20%), and poor market accessibility (19%) were the main challenges reported.

Health Research Participants’ Preferences for Receiving Research Results

PubMed Central

Long, Christopher R.; Stewart, M. Kathryn; Cunningham, Thomas V.; Warmack, T. Scott; McElfish, Pearl A.

2017-01-01

Background Participants in health research studies typically express interest in receiving results from the studies in which they participate. However, participants’ preferences and experiences related to receiving results are not well understood. In general, existing studies have had relatively small sample sizes and typically address specific and often sensitive issues within targeted populations. Methods The present study used an online survey to explore attitudes and experiences of registrants in ResearchMatch, a large database of past, present, and potential health research participants. Survey respondents provided information related to whether or not they received research results from studies in which they participated, the methods used to communicate results, their satisfaction with results, and when and how they would like to receive research results from future studies. 70,699 ResearchMatch registrants were notified of the study’s topic. Of the 5,207 registrants who requested full information about the study, 3,381 respondents completed the survey. Results Approximately 33% of respondents with previous health research participation reported receiving results. Approximately half of respondents with previous research participation reported no opportunity to request results. However, almost all respondents said researchers should always or sometimes offer results to participants. Respondents expressed particular interest in results related to their (or a loved one's) health, as well as information about studies’ purposes and any medical advances based on the results. In general, respondents’ most preferred dissemination methods for results were email and website postings. The least desirable dissemination methods for results included Twitter, conference calls, and text messages. Across all results, we compare the responses of respondents with and without previous research participation experience, and those who have worked in research organizations vs. those who have not. Compared to respondents who have previous participation experience, a greater proportion of respondents with no participation experience indicated that results should always be shared with participants. Likewise, respondents with no participation experience placed higher importance on the receipt of each type of results information included in the survey. Conclusions We present findings from a survey assessing attitudes and experiences of a broad sample of respondents that addresses gaps in knowledge related to participants’ preferences for receiving results. The study’s findings highlight the potential for inconsistency between respondents’ expressed preferences to receive specific types of results via specific methods and researchers’ unwillingness or inability to provide them. We present specific recommendations to shift the approach of new studies to investigate participants’ preferences for receiving research results. PMID:27562368

1997 federal highway cost allocation study : final report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-10-01

The purpose of this case study report is to examine the ways in which metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) and State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) have responded to Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Lega...

Self-Reported Functional Status among the Old-Old: A Comparison of Two Israeli Cohorts

PubMed Central

Litwin, Howard; Shrira, Amit; Shmotkin, Dov

2012-01-01

OBJECTIVES To examine differences in functional status among two successive cohorts. METHODS The study was a comparative analysis of Jewish respondents aged 75–94 from two nationwide random samples: the Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Aging Study (1989–1992; N =1200) and the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (2005–2006; N =379). Self-reported functional limitation and disability were compared by means of logistic regressions and MANCOVA, controlling for age, gender, origin, education, marital status, income, self-rated health, and home care receipt. RESULTS Reported functional limitation decreased in the later cohort (SHARE-Israel), but ADL- and IADL-disability increased. Receipt of home care moderated these effects. ADL- and IADL-disability increased among home-care-receiving respondents in the later cohort whereas functional limitation decreased among respondents not in receipt of home care. DISCUSSION The findings suggest that different measures used to assess the disablement process capture different aspects, and that contextual factors influence how older people rate their own functional capacity. PMID:22422761

U.S. public's experience with ticks and tick-borne diseases: Results from national HealthStyles surveys.

PubMed

Hook, Sarah A; Nelson, Christina A; Mead, Paul S

2015-06-01

Surveillance data indicate that tick-borne diseases (TBDs) are a substantial public health problem in the United States, yet information on the frequency of tick exposure and TBD awareness and prevention practices among the general population is limited. The objective of this study was to gain a more complete understanding of the U.S. public's experience with TBDs using data from annual, nationally representative HealthStyles surveys. There were 4728 respondents in 2009, 4050 in 2011, and 3503 in 2012. Twenty-one percent of respondents reported that a household member found a tick on his or her body during the previous year; of these, 10.1% reported consultation with a health care provider as a result. Overall, 63.7% of respondents reported that Lyme disease (LD) occurs in the area where they live, including 49.4% of respondents from the West South Central and 51.1% from the Mountain regions where LD does not occur. Conversely, in the New England and Mid-Atlantic regions where LD, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis are common, 13.9% and 20.8% of respondents, respectively, reported either that no TBDs occur in their area or that they had not heard of any of these diseases. The majority of respondents (51.2%) reported that they did not routinely take any personal prevention steps against tick bites during warm weather. Results from these surveys indicate that exposure to ticks is common and awareness of LD is widespread. Nevertheless, use of TBD prevention measures is relatively infrequent among the U.S. public, highlighting the need to better understand barriers to use of prevention measures. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Do Health Professionals have Positive Perception Towards Consumer Reporting of Adverse Drug Reactions?

PubMed

Alshakka, Mohammed Ahmed; Ibrahim, Mohamed Izham Mohamed; Hassali, Mohamed Azmi Ahmad

2013-10-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the perceptions of general practitioners (GPs) and community pharmacists (CPs) in Penang, Malaysia, towards consumer reporting of Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs). A cross-sectional mail survey was adopted for the performance of the study. Survey questionnaires were sent to 192 CPs and 400 GPs in the state of Penang, Malaysia. Reminders were sent to all the non-respondents after 3 weeks of the initial mailing. Data which were collected from the questionnaires were analyzed by using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), version 15. The Chi-square test was used to determine as to whether there was any significant difference between expected and observed frequencies at the alpha level of 0.05. Only 104 respondents (47 CPs and 57 GPs) returned the survey, with a response rate of 18.0%- a figure which could be considered to be low. This study indicated that GPs and CPs were aware about the importance and benefits of consumer reporting. A majority of them (88.0%) thought that consumer reporting would add more benefits to the existing pharmacovigilance program. Similarly, 97% of the respondents agreed that reporting of ADRs was necessary and 87.0% respondents had seen ADRs among their patients. However, 57 of them (6.0%), had not been aware that the national program in Malaysia allowed consumers to report ADRs. A majority of them (97.0%) agreed that consumers needed more education regarding ADR reporting. Most of them (84.0%) thought that consumers could not write valid reports which were similar to reports which were made by healthcare professionals (HCPs). A majority of the respondents (68.0%) had not heard about the consumer reporting program in Malaysia and half of them did not believe that consumer reporting could overcome under-reporting, which was the main problem of the national pharmacovigilance program in Malaysia. The GPs and CPs were aware about the importance and benefits of consumer reporting. Such reporting will add more benefits to the existing programmes in Malaysia, although the barrier that we are facing now is the doubt that they hold over patients' ability to write valid reports which are similar to reports which are made by healthcare professionals (HCPs). Therefore, the consumers need to be educated more about their medications, on how to validate any complaints that they had about the drug consumption and on how to file a proper report and channel it to the 'right' person or bodies. Equally importantly, the media and the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) should play an important role in determining the success of consumer reporting.

Do Health Professionals have Positive Perception Towards Consumer Reporting of Adverse Drug Reactions?

PubMed Central

Alshakka, Mohammed Ahmed; Ibrahim, Mohamed Izham Mohamed; Hassali, Mohamed Azmi Ahmad

2013-01-01

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the perceptions of general practitioners (GPs) and community pharmacists (CPs) in Penang, Malaysia, towards consumer reporting of Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs). Methodology: A cross-sectional mail survey was adopted for the performance of the study. Survey questionnaires were sent to 192 CPs and 400 GPs in the state of Penang, Malaysia. Reminders were sent to all the non-respondents after 3 weeks of the initial mailing. Data which were collected from the questionnaires were analyzed by using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), version 15. The Chi-square test was used to determine as to whether there was any significant difference between expected and observed frequencies at the alpha level of 0.05. Results: Only 104 respondents (47 CPs and 57 GPs) returned the survey, with a response rate of 18.0%- a figure which could be considered to be low. This study indicated that GPs and CPs were aware about the importance and benefits of consumer reporting. A majority of them (88.0%) thought that consumer reporting would add more benefits to the existing pharmacovigilance program. Similarly, 97% of the respondents agreed that reporting of ADRs was necessary and 87.0% respondents had seen ADRs among their patients. However, 57 of them (6.0%), had not been aware that the national program in Malaysia allowed consumers to report ADRs. A majority of them (97.0%) agreed that consumers needed more education regarding ADR reporting. Most of them (84.0%) thought that consumers could not write valid reports which were similar to reports which were made by healthcare professionals (HCPs). A majority of the respondents (68.0%) had not heard about the consumer reporting program in Malaysia and half of them did not believe that consumer reporting could overcome under-reporting, which was the main problem of the national pharmacovigilance program in Malaysia. Conclusion: The GPs and CPs were aware about the importance and benefits of consumer reporting. Such reporting will add more benefits to the existing programmes in Malaysia, although the barrier that we are facing now is the doubt that they hold over patients’ ability to write valid reports which are similar to reports which are made by healthcare professionals (HCPs). Therefore, the consumers need to be educated more about their medications, on how to validate any complaints that they had about the drug consumption and on how to file a proper report and channel it to the ‘right’ person or bodies. Equally importantly, the media and the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) should play an important role in determining the success of consumer reporting. PMID:24298470

Campuses Respond to Violent Tragedy. American Council on Education Series on Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siegel, Dorothy G.

This book presents 10 case studies of how universities and colleges respond to violent tragedies, both on- and off-campus, and offers suggestions for institutions to prepare themselves to deal with such crises. Each case study of a specific case of violence or other tragedy was based on interviews with the participants and reports on the specific…

"This Is a Field That's Open, Not Closed": Multilingual and International Writing Faculty Respond to Composition Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arnold, Lisa R.

2016-01-01

This article reports on the results of a qualitative, interview-based study in which multilingual writing faculty based at the American University of Beirut, in Beirut, Lebanon, read and responded to "core" texts of composition scholarship primarily published in North America, for a North American audience. This study is premised on the…

Predictors of sun protection behaviors and severe sunburn in an international online study.

PubMed

Bränström, Richard; Kasparian, Nadine A; Chang, Yu-mei; Affleck, Paul; Tibben, Aad; Aspinwall, Lisa G; Azizi, Esther; Baron-Epel, Orna; Battistuzzi, Linda; Bergman, Wilma; Bruno, William; Chan, May; Cuellar, Francisco; Debniak, Tadeusz; Pjanova, Dace; Ertmanski, Slawomir; Figl, Adina; Gonzalez, Melinda; Hayward, Nicholas K; Hocevar, Marko; Kanetsky, Peter A; Leachman, Sancy A; Heisele, Olita; Palmer, Jane; Peric, Barbara; Puig, Susana; Schadendorf, Dirk; Gruis, Nelleke A; Newton-Bishop, Julia; Brandberg, Yvonne

2010-09-01

The incidence of melanoma continues to increase in many countries, and primary prevention of melanoma includes avoidance of sunburn as well as adequate sun protection behavior. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of self-reported sun protection behaviors and sunburn in users of the Internet, and to identify the demographic, clinical, and attitudinal/motivational correlates of sun protection behaviors. Self-report data were gathered on behalf of the GenoMEL consortium using an online survey available in 10 different languages, and 8,178 individuals successfully completed at least 80% of survey items, with 73% of respondents from Europe, 12% from Australia, 7% from the United States, 2% from Israel, and 6% from other countries. Half of all respondents and 27% of those with a previous melanoma reported at least one severe sunburn during the previous 12 months. The strongest factors associated with sun protection behavior were perceived barriers to protection (beta = -0.44/beta = -0.37), and respondents who reported a positive attitude toward suntans were less likely to protect (beta = -0.16/beta = -0.14). Reported use of protective clothing and shade, as well as avoidance of midday sun exposure, were more strongly related to reduced risk of sunburn than sunscreen use. Despite widespread dissemination of public health messages about the importance of sun protection, a substantial proportion of this international sample, including respondents with a previous melanoma, reported inadequate sun protection behaviors resulting in severe sunburn. Future strategies to decrease sunburn should target the practical, social, and psychological barriers associated with nonuptake of sun protection. (c)2010 AACR.

A study of occupational stress, scope of practice, and collaboration in nurse anesthetists practicing in anesthesia care team settings.

PubMed

Alves, Steve L

2005-12-01

This study examined occupational stress in Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) practicing with anesthesiologists in anesthesia care team (ACT) settings. The focus was to examine the relationships among CRNA scope of practice (SOP) in ACTs, collaboration, and role-related occupational stress. A survey questionnaire was mailed to CRNAs from the 6 New England states, with a return rate of 30.87% (n = 347). Data analysis included practice characteristics and demographics of the sample, and the research questions were examined applying correlational analysis, t test, and analysis of variance addressing relationships among the study measures. Data analyses revealed that limited, restricted CRNA practice scope was particularly evident in respondents employed by anesthesiology groups, compared with hospital-employed CRNAs. Few CRNA respondents perceived their practice as collaborative, and many used compromise as a conflict-resolution style. Respondents with a broader SOP reported higher collaboration than those with restrictions. Respondents reporting a broader SOP also experienced increased job stress in relation to role overload but used coping resources effectively. Implications for future studies include exploring strategies that achieve consensus between CRNAs and anesthesiologists in ACTs, emphasizing clearly defined roles and optimizing productivity.

28 CFR 115.264 - Staff first responder duties.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Staff first responder duties. 115.264... Report § 115.264 Staff first responder duties. (a) Upon learning of an allegation that a resident was sexually abused, the first security staff member to respond to the report shall be required to: (1...

28 CFR 115.264 - Staff first responder duties.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Staff first responder duties. 115.264... Report § 115.264 Staff first responder duties. (a) Upon learning of an allegation that a resident was sexually abused, the first security staff member to respond to the report shall be required to: (1...

28 CFR 115.264 - Staff first responder duties.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Staff first responder duties. 115.264... Report § 115.264 Staff first responder duties. (a) Upon learning of an allegation that a resident was sexually abused, the first security staff member to respond to the report shall be required to: (1...

Publication misconduct among medical professionals in India.

PubMed

Dhingra, Dhulika; Mishra, Devendra

2014-04-01

This study was planned as an exploratory study to determine the extent of occurrence of misconduct in publication (gift-authorship,ghost-authorship, falsification of data, fabrication of data,plagiarism, and duplication) amongst biomedical researchers.It was a questionnaire-based study, conducted at 9 institutions;6 medical colleges (4 government-run and 2 private), 7 non teaching government hospital, and 2 corporate hospitals, located in northern, central and southern India. The study was conducted between August 2072 and March 2073. 755 senior residents (<3 years after post-graduation) and young faculty members (< 70 years after post-graduation) with at least five previous publications were administered a structured questionnaire, in which no identifying information was collected. In addition to personal characteristics, the information collected included their knowledge of publication ethics, their opinions about the prevalence of these practices among their colleagues, and details of any first-hand information on publication misconduct. 7 55 responses were included for analysis. 7 4 7 (9 7 %) respondents agreed that they had some knowledge of publication ethics; but only 29% believed it was adequate. The most commonly observed misconduct was offering gift authorship, reported by 707 (65%); followed by alteration of data reported by 88 (56%). Plagiarism was observed by 83 respondents (53%); while 52 (33.5%) respondents had observed a colleague's name being omitted from a paper to which she/he had significantly contributed. A majority of respondents in the present study reported witnessing publication misconduct,thereby revealing the common occurrence of this problem among Indian biomedical researchers.

Willingness to Participate in Longitudinal Research Among People with Chronic Pain Who Take Medical Cannabis: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

PubMed

Bachhuber, Marcus A; Arnsten, Julia H; Starrels, Joanna L; Cunningham, Chinazo O

2018-01-01

Background: Regulatory barriers limit clinical trials of medical cannabis in the United States. Longitudinal cohort studies may be one feasible alternative that could yield clinically relevant information. Willingness to participate in such studies is not known. Materials and Methods: In October 2016, we surveyed a convenience sample of patients with chronic pain from two New York registered organizations (responsible for growing, processing, distributing, and retailing medical cannabis products). After a vignette describing a longitudinal cohort study involving weekly patient-reported outcomes and quarterly assessments of physical functioning and urine and blood tests, we asked about respondents' willingness to participate. We examined willingness to participate, duration of participation, and frequency of data collections overall and by subgroups, using multivariable logistic regression models. Results: Of 405 respondents (estimated response rate: 30%), 54% were women and 81% were white non-Hispanic. Neuropathy was the most common pain condition (67%) followed by inflammatory bowel disease (19%). Of respondents, 94% (95% CI 92-97%) thought that the study should be done, 85% (95% CI 81-88%) would definitely or probably enroll if asked, 76% (95% CI 72-81%) would participate for ≥1 year, and 59% (95% CI 54-64%) would respond to questions at least daily. Older age was the only factor associated with lower willingness to participate, lower willingness to participate for ≥1 year, and lower willingness to respond to questions at least daily. Conclusions: Nearly all respondents were supportive of the proposed study and most reported that they would enroll if asked. Enhanced engagement with older individuals may be needed to promote equal enrollment. Recruitment for longitudinal cohort studies with frequent data collection appears feasible in this patient population.

Willingness to Participate in Longitudinal Research Among People with Chronic Pain Who Take Medical Cannabis: A Cross-Sectional Survey

PubMed Central

Bachhuber, Marcus A.; Arnsten, Julia H.; Starrels, Joanna L.; Cunningham, Chinazo O.

2018-01-01

Abstract Background: Regulatory barriers limit clinical trials of medical cannabis in the United States. Longitudinal cohort studies may be one feasible alternative that could yield clinically relevant information. Willingness to participate in such studies is not known. Materials and Methods: In October 2016, we surveyed a convenience sample of patients with chronic pain from two New York registered organizations (responsible for growing, processing, distributing, and retailing medical cannabis products). After a vignette describing a longitudinal cohort study involving weekly patient-reported outcomes and quarterly assessments of physical functioning and urine and blood tests, we asked about respondents' willingness to participate. We examined willingness to participate, duration of participation, and frequency of data collections overall and by subgroups, using multivariable logistic regression models. Results: Of 405 respondents (estimated response rate: 30%), 54% were women and 81% were white non-Hispanic. Neuropathy was the most common pain condition (67%) followed by inflammatory bowel disease (19%). Of respondents, 94% (95% CI 92–97%) thought that the study should be done, 85% (95% CI 81–88%) would definitely or probably enroll if asked, 76% (95% CI 72–81%) would participate for ≥1 year, and 59% (95% CI 54–64%) would respond to questions at least daily. Older age was the only factor associated with lower willingness to participate, lower willingness to participate for ≥1 year, and lower willingness to respond to questions at least daily. Conclusions: Nearly all respondents were supportive of the proposed study and most reported that they would enroll if asked. Enhanced engagement with older individuals may be needed to promote equal enrollment. Recruitment for longitudinal cohort studies with frequent data collection appears feasible in this patient population. PMID:29607410

Leadership Development in Dental Education: Report on the ADEA Leadership Institute, 2000-14.

PubMed

Haden, N Karl; Ditmyer, Marcia M; Mobley, Connie; Rodriguez, Tobias; Brallier, Lynn Beck; Valachovic, Richard W

2016-04-01

The American Dental Education Association’s Leadership Institute (ADEA LI) is the association’s flagship development program for those aspiring to leadership in dental and higher education. As with previous studies of the ADEA LI, ADEA will use information from the survey described in this report to improve the ADEA LI curriculum and to guide other leadership development efforts. In 2014-15, ADEA distributed a 50-item online survey via email to all ADEA LI alumni from the classes of 2000 through 2014. The survey included selected-response questions, closed-ended questions, and open-response questions. The survey had an overall response rate of 47% (133/285); response rates to individual items varied. The mean age of the respondents when they participated in the Institute was 48.5 years. Men and women were almost equally represented among the respondents. Nearly half reported their ultimate career goal as department chair, associate dean, or assistant dean, while 20 (15.8%) indicated a goal of becoming dean and 15 (11.8%) aspired to administrative roles higher than dean. Areas the respondents recommended for improvement included more programming in budgeting and financial management, fundraising, and personnel management. Almost 100% of the respondents indicated they would recommend the ADEA LI to others. Overall, the survey respondents confirmed the value of the ADEA LI in their assessment of their fellowship and its subsequent application to their careers. Comparison of elements from this study to previous studies of ADEA LI alumni demonstrates the effectiveness of past changes made to the Institute and the creation of additional ADEA leadership initiatives.

USAF Food Habits Study. Part 3. Weight Gain and Food Preferences of the Overweight

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-10-01

consistent with data reported by Meiselman (1977) who calculated a somatotype ponderal index for each of approximately 4000 military respondents who...using that somatotype ponderal index, the lighter respondents indicated a much greater preference for desserts and wanted them served more often

Responsibilities and Training Needs of Paraeducators in Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Ronald W.; Kotecki, Jerome E.; Harvey, Michael W.; Oliver, Amy

2007-01-01

This study describes responsibilities and training needs of paraeducators in physical education. Paraeducators (n = 138) employed in 34 midwestern schools received a 27-item questionnaire. Of the 138 paraeducators contacted, 76 responded, resulting in a 55.1% response rate. Only 16% of the total respondents (n = 76) reported receiving specific…

Alumni Perspectives Survey, 2010. Survey Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheikh, Sabeen

2010-01-01

During the months of April and September of 2009, the Graduate Management Admission Council[R] (GMAC[R]) conducted the Alumni Perspectives Survey, a longitudinal study of prior respondents to the Global Management Education Graduate Survey of management students nearing graduation. A total of 3,708 alumni responded to the April 2009 survey,…

Generalised joint hypermobility and knee joint hypermobility: prevalence, knee joint symptoms and health-related quality of life in a Danish adult population.

PubMed

Junge, Tina; Henriksen, Peter; Hansen, Sebrina; Østengaard, Lasse; Golightly, Yvonne M; Juul-Kristensen, Birgit

2017-10-27

Several biomechanical factors, such as knee joint hypermobility (KJH), are suggested to play a role in the etiology of knee joint symptoms and knee osteoarthritis. Nevertheless, the prevalence or consequences of KJH solely or included in the classification of generalized joint hypermobility (GJHk) is unknown for a general population. Therefore, the objectives were to report the prevalence of self-reported GJHk and KJH, as well as the association of these conditions to knee joint symptoms, severity and duration of symptoms, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a Danish adult population. This study is a cross-sectional population-based survey of 2056 Danish adults. Respondents received online questionnaires of GJHk and KJH, knee joint symptoms, the severity and duration of these, as well as HRQoL. Total response rate was 49% (n = 1006). The prevalence of self-reported GJHk and KJH was 13% and 23%, mostly representing women. More than half of the respondents with GJHk and KJH had knee joint symptoms. The odds for reporting knee joint symptoms, severity of knee joint symptoms and duration of knee joint symptoms were twice as high for respondents with GJHk and KJH. Respondents with GJHk and KJH reported lower HRQoL. GJHk and KJH were frequently reported in the Danish adult population, mostly in women. Respondents with GJHk and KJH were two times more likely to report knee joint-related symptoms such as pain, reduced performance of usual activity and lower HRQoL. The impact of these conditions on HRQoL is comparable with knee osteoarthritis. © 2017 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

South Asian people and heart disease: an assessment of the importance of socioeconomic position.

PubMed

Nazroo, J Y

2001-01-01

Higher rates of mortality from ischemic heart disease among South Asian people are well established and appear to be unrelated to socioeconomic position. However, traditional indicators of socioeconomic position may be inadequate when making comparisons across ethnic groups. This study investigates these issues in a British morbidity survey. The Fourth National Survey was a British cross-sectional study conducted from 1993 to 1994. The study used a national representative community sample, consisting of 2867 white respondents, 2001 Indian respondents, and 1776 Pakistani and Bangladeshi respondents. Data on occupational class and standard of living were used to examine the contribution of socioeconomic factors to differences in rates of reported severe chest pain and diagnosed heart disease. White and Indian respondents had similar rates of reported indicators of heart disease, while Pakistani and Bangladeshi respondents had rates that were considerably higher. There was a clear socioeconomic gradient in reported heart disease for each ethnic group, with those who were poorer having higher rates. Controlling for occupational class made little difference to the greater risk of heart disease found in the Pakistani and Bangladeshi group; however, controlling for a more sensitive indicator of socioeconomic position-standard of living-greatly reduced their disproportionate risk. The findings suggest that South Asian people do not share a uniformly greater risk of heart disease. The more economically advantaged South Asian group, Indians, had rates that are similar to those found among white people, while the poorest groups, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis, had rates that are considerably higher. Socioeconomic position predicted risk in each ethnic group and made a key contribution to the higher risk found for Pakistani and Bangladeshi individuals. Other studies may have failed to identify the important contribution of socioeconomic position because the indicators used were too crude.

Mischievous responding in Internet Gaming Disorder research

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

The most recent update to the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) included Internet Gaming Disorder as a new potential psychiatric condition that merited further scientific study. The present research was conducted in response to the APA Substance-Related Disorders Working Group’s research call to estimate the extent to which mischievous responding—a known problematic pattern of participant self-report responding in questionnaires—is relevant to Internet Gaming Disorder research. In line with a registered sampling and analysis plan, findings from two studies (ntot = 11,908) provide clear evidence that mischievous responding is positively associated with the number of Internet Gaming Disorder indicators participants report. Results are discussed in the context of ongoing problem gaming research and the discussion provides recommendations for improving the quality of scientific practice in this area. PMID:27672496

Sexual Behavior in Parked Cars Reported by Midwestern College Men and Women.

PubMed

Struckman-Johnson, Cindy; Nalan-Sheffield, Kayla; Gaster, Samuel; Struckman-Johnson, Dave

2017-10-01

In an anonymous survey of 195 men and 511 women (M age  = 19.8) at a small Midwestern university, 119 men (61%) and 303 women (59.5%) reported that they had engaged in sex while parked. Of these 422, 14% lost their virginity in a parked car. Having sex in parked cars was more likely to involve relational dating partners than hookups. In most recent incidents, the majority of respondents were with a serious but noncohabiting romantic partner (56.9%) in the back seat (63.4%) of a standard car (56.4%) parked out in the country (56.0%). The most common sexual acts were penile-vaginal sex and genital touching, reported by 84.6% and 57.5% of respondents, respectively. Condoms were used by 58.2% of respondents. Less than 1% of respondents reported sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or pregnancy outcomes. These data, including personal stories of memorable incidents, revealed that despite discomfort, body bumps, and risk of being caught, sex while parked was primarily a positive sexual and romantic experience for both men and women. A dark side of parked-car sex existed in that 2.5% of men and 4.3% of women reported being sexually coerced. The future study of sex in parked cars in urban environments is recommended.

Place of Birth and Sleep Duration: Analysis of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).

PubMed

Newsome, Valerie; Seixas, Azizi; Iwelunmor, Juliet; Zizi, Ferdinand; Kothare, Sanjeev; Jean-Louis, Girardin

2017-07-07

While sleep disturbance has been related to a number of negative health outcomes, few studies have examined the relationship between place of birth and sleep duration among individuals living in the US. Data for 416,152 adult participants in the 2000-2013 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), who provided self-reported hours of sleep and place of birth were examined. Associations were explored between healthy sleep (7-8 h), referenced to unhealthy sleep (<7 or >8 h), and place of birth using multivariate logistic regression analysis. The mean age of the sample was 47.4 ± 0.03 years; 56% were female. Of the respondents, 61.5% reported experiencing healthy sleep, 81.5% reported being born in the US and 18.5% were foreign-born adults. Descriptive statistics revealed that Indian Subcontinent-born respondents (71.7%) were more likely to report healthy sleep compared to US-born respondents (OR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.37-1.71, p < 0.001), whereas African-born respondents (43.5%) were least likely to report healthy sleep (OR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.70-0.87, p < 0.001). These findings suggest that place of birth should be considered in the assessment of risk factors for unhealthy sleep.

Childhood violence and adult chronic pain among indigenous Sami and non-Sami populations in Norway: a SAMINOR 2 questionnaire study

PubMed Central

Eriksen, Astrid M. A.; Schei, Berit; Hansen, Ketil Lenert; Sørlie, Tore; Fleten, Nils; Javo, Cecilie

2016-01-01

Background Internationally, studies have shown that childhood violence is associated with chronic pain in adulthood. However, to date, this relationship has not been examined in any indigenous population. Objective The main objectives of this study were to investigate the association between childhood violence and reported chronic pain, number of pain sites and the intensity of pain in adulthood in indigenous Sami and non-Sami adults, and to explore ethnic differences. Design The study is based on the SAMINOR 2 questionnaire study, a larger population-based, cross-sectional survey on health and living conditions in multiethnic areas with both Sami and non-Sami populations in Mid- and Northern Norway. Our study includes a total of 11,130 adult participants: 2,167 Sami respondents (19.5%) and 8,963 non-Sami respondents (80.5%). Chronic pain was estimated by reported pain located in various parts of the body. Childhood violence was measured by reported exposure of emotional, physical and/or sexual violence. Results Childhood violence was associated with adult chronic pain in several pain sites of the body regardless of ethnicity and gender. Childhood violence was also associated with increased number of chronic pain sites and higher pain intensity compared to those not exposed to childhood violence. However, among Sami men, this association was only significant for pain located in chest, hips/legs and back, and non-significant for increased number of chronic pain sites (adjusted model), and higher pain intensity. Conclusion Respondents exposed to childhood violence reported more chronic pain in several parts of the body, increased number of chronic pain sites and more intense pain in adulthood than respondents reporting no childhood violence. However, among Sami men, this association was weaker and also not significant for increased number of chronic pain sites and higher pain intensity. PMID:27802844

Mother and Father Socially Desirable Responding in Nine Countries: Two Kinds of Agreement and Relations to Parenting Self-Reports

PubMed Central

Bornstein, Marc H.; Putnick, Diane L.; Lansford, Jennifer E.; Pastorelli, Concetta; Skinner, Ann T.; Sorbring, Emma; Tapanya, Sombat; Maria Uribe Tirado, Liliana; Zelli, Arnaldo; Peña Alampay, Liane; Al-Hassan, Suha M.; Bacchini, Dario; Silvia Bombi, Anna; Chang, Lei; Deater-Deckard, Kirby; Di Giunta, Laura; Dodge, Kenneth A.; Malone, Patrick S.; Oburu, Paul

2014-01-01

We assessed 2 forms of agreement between mothers’ and fathers’ socially desirable responding in China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and the United States (N = 1110 families). Mothers and fathers in all nine countries reported socially desirable responding in the upper half of the distribution, and countries varied minimally (but China was higher than the cross-country grand mean and Sweden lower). Mothers and fathers did not differ in reported levels of socially desirable responding, and mothers’ and fathers’ socially desirable responding were largely uncorrelated. With one exception, mothers’ and fathers’ socially desirable responding were similarly correlated with self-perceptions of parenting, and correlations varied somewhat across countries. These findings are set in a discussion of socially desirable responding, cultural psychology, and family systems. PMID:25043708

Of Fur, Feather, and Fin: Human’s Use and Concern for Non-Human Species

PubMed Central

Byrd, Elizabeth; Widmar, Nicole Olynk; Fulton, Joan

2017-01-01

Simple Summary An online survey of 825 U.S. residents was conducted to determine the level of approval for several uses of animals. More than 90% of respondents reported that using animals for egg production, service or therapy, pets, and milk production was acceptable to them. Older and male respondents more frequently found most of the animal uses surveyed acceptable. Half of respondents reported concern for the welfare of bison while 40% or more stated concern for the welfare of elk, beef cattle, and dairy cattle. Reported concern for animal species and acceptance of the use of animals were related in some instances. Respondents who stated they were concerned for the welfare of dairy cattle less frequently reported accepting using animals for meat production, livestock shows, and hunting. Abstract The public’s concern for animal welfare is evolving and it is important to consider factors that are related to concern for animals and their use by humans. An online survey of 825 U.S. residents was conducted. Relationships between approval of animal uses and stated concern for animal welfare were examined. More than 90% of respondents reported that using animals for egg production, service or therapy, pets, and milk production was acceptable to them. Respondents who were younger or reported being female less frequently found most uses acceptable than older or male respondents. Half of respondents reported concern for the welfare of bison while 40% or more stated concern for the welfare of elk, beef cattle, and dairy cattle. Respondents who stated they were concerned for the welfare of dairy cattle less frequently reported accepting using animals for meat production, livestock shows, and hunting. Thus, self-reported concern for animal species and acceptance of the use of animals were related in some instances. A better understanding of the factors related to acceptance of animal uses and concern for animal welfare will help animal-related industries and wildlife agencies develop practices that are consistent with public attitudes. PMID:28282913

Comorbidities in head and neck cancer: agreement between self-report and chart review.

PubMed

Mukerji, Shraddha S; Duffy, Sonia A; Fowler, Karen E; Khan, Mumtaz; Ronis, David L; Terrell, Jeffrey E

2007-04-01

To determine the accuracy of self-reported comorbidities compared with medical record review and the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics associated with accuracy of self-reported comorbidities. We conducted a prospective study of 458 newly diagnosed head and neck cancer patients using self-administered questionnaire and medical chart review data. Overall and itemwise consistency between self-report and chart review was evaluated. Social, clinical, and demographic characteristics of consistent versus inconsistent responders were analyzed. Seventy-four percent of patients had at least one comorbidity. There was good overall consistency between self-report and chart review (kappa = 0.50). Compared with consistent responders, inconsistent responders were found to be older (P < 0.05), have lower sleep (P < 0.05) and physical activity scores (P < 0.05), be more depressed (P < 0.05), and have more severe comorbidities (P < 0.05). Self-report may be considered as an alternative to chart review for comorbidity assessment in head and neck cancer patients. Younger patients, those with good general health, fewer depressive symptoms, and mild comorbidities, are more likely to give responses consistent with chart review.

Responders vs clinical response: a critical analysis of data from linaclotide phase 3 clinical trials in IBS-C.

PubMed

Lacy, B E; Lembo, A J; Macdougall, J E; Shiff, S J; Kurtz, C B; Currie, M G; Johnston, J M

2014-03-01

US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) set a rigorous standard for defining patient responders in irritable bowel syndrome-C (IBS-C; i.e., FDA's Responder Endpoint) for regulatory approval. However, this endpoint's utility for health-care practitioners to assess clinical response has not been determined. We analyzed pooled IBS-C linaclotide trial data to evaluate clinically significant responses in linaclotide-treated patients who did not meet the FDA responder definition. Percentages of FDA non-responders reporting improvement in abdominal pain, bowel function and/or global relief measures were determined using pooled data from two linaclotide Phase 3 IBS-C trials. 1602 IBS-C patients enrolled; 34% of linaclotide-treated and 17% of placebo-treated patients met the FDA Responder Endpoint (p < 0.0001). Among FDA non-responders at week 12, 63% of linaclotide-treated patients reported their abdominal pain was at least somewhat relieved, compared with 48% of placebo-treated patients. For stool frequency, 62% of linaclotide-treated patients reported that they were at least somewhat improved at week 12, compared with 46% of placebo-treated patients. For global IBS symptoms, 65% of linaclotide-treated patients reported at least some IBS-symptom relief, 43% reported adequate relief of IBS symptoms, and 57% reported being satisfied with linaclotide treatment, vs placebo rates of 48%, 34%, and 41% respectively. Most linaclotide-treated IBS-C patients who were FDA non-responders reported some improvement in abdominal pain and stool frequency, and global relief/satisfaction. In addition to the FDA Responder Endpoint, differing response thresholds and symptom-specific change from baseline should be considered by clinicians for a complete understanding of clinical response to linaclotide and other IBS-C therapies. © 2013 Ironwood Pharmaceuticals. Neurogastroenterology & Motility published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

An epidemiologic internet survey of fibromyalgia and chronic pain in Japan.

PubMed

Nakamura, Ikuro; Nishioka, Kenya; Usui, Chie; Osada, Kenichi; Ichibayashi, Hisao; Ishida, Mitsuhiro; Turk, Dennis C; Matsumoto, Yoshifuji; Nishioka, Kusuki

2014-07-01

To determine the epidemiologic features and symptom characteristics of fibromyalgia (FM) in Japan, and compare them with those for other chronic pain (CP) diagnoses. An internet survey was conducted in June and July 2011. The questionnaire consisted of 111 questions, including assessments of the Japanese version of the 2010 American College of Rheumatology preliminary diagnostic criteria for FM, the Japanese Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, and additional questions regarding pain and lifestyle. The questionnaire was completed by 20,407 male and female respondents in all prefectures of Japan. Of the survey population, 2,524 respondents (12.4%) reported symptoms consistent with CP; of these, 425 (2.1%) reported symptoms consistent with FM. Among respondents with FM and CP, 61% and 53%, respectively, were women. Pain severity and Widespread Pain Index scores were significantly higher in respondents meeting the diagnostic criteria for FM than in those meeting the criteria for CP. In terms of symptom severity scores, the proportions of respondents reporting the 3 major symptoms as "highly applicable" and greater numbers of 41 somatic symptoms were higher among respondents with FM than among those with CP. The incidence of FM in the present survey was similar to that reported (1.7%) in a study of FM in Japan in 2003, despite the use of the newer, easier to use 2010 diagnostic criteria. Because FM usually presents with more severe and more widely distributed pain, as well as more nonpainful symptoms than CP, our results suggest that FM is a different clinical phenotype of CP. Copyright © 2014 by the American College of Rheumatology.

Use and diversion of medical marijuana among adults admitted to inpatient psychiatry.

PubMed

Nussbaum, Abraham M; Thurstone, Christian; McGarry, Laurel; Walker, Brendan; Sabel, Allison L

2015-03-01

Marijuana use is associated with anxiety, depressive, psychotic, neurocognitive, and substance use disorders. Many US states are legalizing marijuana for medical uses. To determine the prevalence of medical marijuana use and diversion among psychiatric inpatients in Colorado. Some 623 participants (54.6% male) responded to an anonymous 15-item discharge survey that assessed age, gender, marijuana use, possession of a medical marijuana card, diversion of medical marijuana, perceived substance use problems, and effects of marijuana use. Univariate statistics were used to characterize participants and their responses. Chi-square tests assessed factors associated with medical marijuana registration. Of the total number of respondents, 282 (47.6%) reported using marijuana in the last 12 months and 60 (15.1%) reported having a marijuana card. In comparison to survey respondents who denied having a medical marijuana card, those respondents with a medical marijuana card were more likely to have initiated use before the age of 25, to be male, to have used marijuana in the last 12 months, and to have used at least 20 days in the past month. 133 (24.1%) respondents reported that someone with a medical marijuana card had shared or sold medical marijuana to them; 24 (41.4%) of respondents with a medical marijuana card reported ever having shared or sold their medical marijuana. Medical marijuana use is much more prevalent among adults hospitalized with a psychiatric emergency than in the general population; diversion is common. Further studies which correlate amount, dose, duration, and strain of use with particular psychiatric disorders are needed.

Effects of major depression on moment-in-time work performance.

PubMed

Wang, Philip S; Beck, Arne L; Berglund, Pat; McKenas, David K; Pronk, Nicolaas P; Simon, Gregory E; Kessler, Ronald C

2004-10-01

Although major depression is thought to have substantial negative effects on work performance, the possibility of recall bias limits self-report studies of these effects. The authors used the experience sampling method to address this problem by collecting comparative data on moment-in-time work performance among service workers who were depressed and those who were not depressed. The group studied included 105 airline reservation agents and 181 telephone customer service representatives selected from a larger baseline sample; depressed workers were deliberately oversampled. Respondents were given pagers and experience sampling method diaries for each day of the study. A computerized autodialer paged respondents at random time points. When paged, respondents reported on their work performance in the diary. Moment-in-time work performance was assessed at five random times each day over a 7-day data collection period (35 data points for each respondent). Seven conditions (allergies, arthritis, back pain, headaches, high blood pressure, asthma, and major depression) occurred often enough in this group of respondents to be studied. Major depression was the only condition significantly related to decrements in both of the dimensions of work performance assessed in the diaries: task focus and productivity. These effects were equivalent to approximately 2.3 days absent because of sickness per depressed worker per month of being depressed. Previous studies based on days missed from work significantly underestimate the adverse economic effects associated with depression. Productivity losses related to depression appear to exceed the costs of effective treatment.

Enrichment options for African painted dogs (Lycaon pictus).

PubMed

Cloutier, Tammy L; Packard, Jane M

2014-01-01

Best practices for carnivore enrichment encourage the diversity of species-typical behaviors, increased activity, and reduced stereotypic behavior; ideally considering the life-history and behavior of each species. African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus), or painted dogs, are social carnivores that have large home ranges and complex pack dynamics (e.g., variation in group size, relatedness, etc.). As there are relatively few studies on painted dog enrichment, the goal of this study was to compile a list of enrichment options used by institutions participating in the species survival plan (SSP). Representatives were asked to describe social groups (n = 45), enclosures (n = 21), enrichment practices (options, delivery frequency, perceived success), and overall best practices. Respondents (61%, n = 23) reported using options for all six enrichment categories recommended by the Canid Taxon Advisory Group: environmental enrichment devices, habitat, sensory, food, behavioral, and social. Perceived success was significantly higher for the food category, followed by the sensory and behavioral categories. All respondents reported delivering enrichment at least multiple times a month, and most reported multiple times per week. Enclosure size did not differ significantly for mixed-sex groups (n = 28) compared to single-sex groups (n = 17). We discuss respondents' suggestions for best practices and the need to record data to compare perceived success with actual behavioral effects, controlling for variation in group size and composition. Overall, respondents recommended a flexible approach, since not all painted dogs and groups respond in the same way to the enrichment options. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Newsletters and adherence to a weekly home spirometry program after lung transplant

PubMed Central

LaVelle, Meghan B.; Finkelstein, Stanley M.; Lindgren, Bruce R.; Lindquist, Ruth; Robiner, William N.; MacMahon, Kathleen; VanWormer, Arin M.

2017-01-01

Context Newsletters are a common intervention for patients in clinical trials. However, it is not clear whether newsletters are associated with increased adherence to the health regimen, and if so, which aspects of the newsletter are reported as most helpful to patients. Objective To examine the association between patients’ ratings of worthwhileness of a quarterly newsletter and adherence with a home spirometry regimen. Design Patients (n = 48) were in a research-based spirometry program after lung transplant and had received at least 1 newsletter; 24 (50%) returned completed surveys via postal mail. Main Outcome Measures Adherence for forced vital pulmonary function tests for respondents versus nonrespondents, number of weeks they were adherent, ratings they gave the newsletter, and which components of the newsletters were helpful to the respondents. Results Respondents had more forced vital capacity pulmonary function tests (“blows”) overall, blew more times weekly, and blew more consistently from week to week than did nonrespondents. Although it was not statistically significant, a mild correlation was found between the number of weeks that the respondents were adherent and their ratings of the newsletter (r = 0.36, P = .08). Most respondents reported that newsletter length was “about right,” and 86% reported that newsletters helped encourage regular spirometer use, maintain interest in the study, educate about general health, and alert readers to seasonal health risks. Implications for Practice High ratings for newsletters used to encourage participation among adults in our home spirometry study were associated with higher adherence. PMID:21265285

A responder analysis of the effects of yoga for individuals with COPD: who benefits and how?

PubMed

Donesky, DorAnne; Melendez, Michelle; Nguyen, Huong Q; Carrieri-Kohlman, Virginia

2012-01-01

We previously reported that a twice-weekly, modified Iyengar yoga program was a safe and viable self-management strategy for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 1 The primary purpose of this exploratory analysis was to classify yoga participants into 1 of 3 responder categories by using minimum clinically important difference (MCID) criteria for each of 3 variables: 6-minute walk distance (6MW), distress related to dyspnea (shortness of breath; DD), and functional performance (FPI). Changes in health-related quality of life (HRQL) and in psychological well-being (anxiety and depression), and participants' self-reported improvements by responder category were also examined. A secondary goal was to identify baseline participant characteristics, including initial randomization assignment that might predict response to treatment. Participants were randomly assigned to either an initial yoga (IY) or an enhanced wait-list control (WLC) group. Those in the WLC group were offered the yoga program immediately following the IY group's participation. Individuals from both groups who completed at least 18 of 24 yoga classes were categorized as responders, partial responders, or non-responders for each of the 3 outcome variables (6MW, DD, FPI) on the basis of MCID criteria. Baseline characteristics and changes in HRQL and psychological well-being were also analyzed. None of the participants demonstrated MCIDs for all 3 outcomes; however, 6 were classified as responders for 2 out-come variables and 4 were classified as non-responders for all 3 outcome variables. Two-thirds of the female participant group and one-third of the male participant group completed the yoga program. DD responders showed increased anxiety levels, whereas anxiety levels of the DD non-responders remained unchanged. FPI responders reported significant improvements in physical function, whereas partial and non-FPI responders noted declined function. Participants assigned to the IY group demonstrated greater benefit from yoga than did those in the W LC group. Although this modified Iyengar yoga program appears to have benefited some individuals with COPD, further studies are required to assess who the intervention works for and under what conditions.

Self-Reported Ache, Pain, or Numbness in Feet and Use of Computers amongst Working-Age Finns

PubMed Central

Korpinen, Leena; Pääkkönen, Rauno; Gobba, Fabriziomaria

2016-01-01

The use of the computers and other technical devices has increased. The aim of our work was to study the possible relation between self-reported foot symptoms and use of computers and cell phones using a questionnaire. The study was carried out as a cross-sectional study by posting a questionnaire to 15,000 working-age Finns. A total of 6121 responded, and 7.1% of respondents reported that they very often experienced pain, numbness, and aches in the feet. They also often experienced other symptoms: 52.3% had symptoms in the neck, 53.5% in had problems in the hip and lower back, and 14.6% often had sleeping disorders/disturbances. Only 11.2% of the respondents thought that their symptoms were connected to the use of desktop computers. We found that persons with symptoms in the feet quite often, or more often, had additional physical and mental symptoms. In future studies, it is important to take into account that the persons with symptoms in the feet may very often have other symptoms, and the use of computers can influence these symptoms. PMID:27827987

Injecting drug use, sexual risk, HIV knowledge and harm reduction uptake in a large prison in Bali, Indonesia.

PubMed

Sawitri, Anak Agung Sagung; Hartawan, Anak Agung Gede; Craine, Noel; Sari, Ayu Kartika; Septarini, Ni Wayan; Wirawan, Dewa Nyoman

2016-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe HIV-related risk behavior and knowledge of HIV among inmates of Kerobokan prison Bali, Indonesia. A cross-sectional survey of inmates of using a structured questionnaire and sample framework to reflect narcotic use among inmates and the prison gender mix. Among 230 inmates recruited to the study self-reported prevalence of injecting drug use was 7.4 percent (95 percent CI 4.0-10.8 percent). Respondents who participated in a prison based methadone treatment program were all still injecting drugs, these made up 13/17 of the IDU. In total, 47 percent (95 percent CIs 45-55 percent) of respondents who reported injecting also reported sharing needles within the last week. Sexual intercourse while in prison was reported by 3.0 percent (95 percent CI 0.82-5.26 percent) of study respondents. One-third of non-injectors were unaware of the preventative role of condom use. This study suggests that despite harm reduction initiatives within Kerobokan prison HIV risk behavior continues and there is a considerable lack of awareness of the importance of condom use in preventing HIV. The authors relied on self-reported risk behavior that may be subject to reporting bias. The sampling strategy may not reflect the true ratio inmates using or not using narcotics. The current harm reduction approach, including methadone substitution treatment should be optimized within the Indonesian prison setting. This is the first study reporting HIV-related risk behavior from an Indonesian prison with an established methadone substitution program.

Influences of sex, age and education on attitudes towards gender inequitable norms and practices in South Sudan.

PubMed

Scott, Jennifer; Hacker, Michele; Averbach, Sarah; Modest, Anna M; Cornish, Sarah; Spencer, Danielle; Murphy, Maureen; Parmar, Parveen

2014-01-01

Prolonged conflict in South Sudan exacerbated gender disparities and inequities. This study assessed differences in attitudes towards gender inequitable norms and practices by sex, age and education to inform programming. Applying community-based participatory research methodology, 680 adult respondents, selected by quota sampling, were interviewed in seven South Sudanese communities from 2009 to 2011. The verbally administered survey assessed attitudes using the Gender Equitable Men scale. Data were stratified by sex, age and education. Of 680 respondents, 352 were female, 326 were male and two did not report their sex. The majority of respondents agreed with gender inequitable household roles, but the majority disagreed with gender inequitable practices (i.e., early marriage, forced marriage and inequitable education of girls). Respondents who reported no education were more likely than those who reported any education to agree with gender inequitable practices (all p < 0.03) except for forced marriage (p = 0.07), and few significant differences were observed when these responses were stratified by sex and by age. The study reveals agreement with gender inequitable norms in the household but an overall disagreement with gender inequitable practices in sampled communities. The findings support that education of both women and men may promote gender equitable norms and practices.

Influences of sex, age, and education on attitudes toward gender inequitable norms and practices in South Sudan

PubMed Central

Scott, Jennifer; Hacker, Michele; Averbach, Sarah; Modest, Anna M.; Cornish, Sarah; Spencer, Danielle; Murphy, Maureen; Parmar, Parveen

2014-01-01

Background Prolonged conflict in South Sudan exacerbated gender disparities and inequities. This study assessed differences in attitudes toward gender inequitable norms and practices by sex, age, and education to inform programming. Methods Applying community-based participatory research methodology, 680 adult respondents, selected by quota sampling, were interviewed in seven South Sudanese communities from 2009 to 2011. The verbally administered survey assessed attitudes using the Gender Equitable Men scale. Data were stratified by sex, age, and education. Results Of 680 respondents, 352 were female, 326 were male, and two did not report their sex. The majority of respondents agreed with gender inequitable household roles, but the majority disagreed with gender inequitable practices (i.e. early marriage, forced marriage, and inequitable education of girls). Respondents who reported no education were more likely than those who reported any education to agree with gender inequitable practices (all p<0.03) except for forced marriage (p=0.07), and few significant differences were observed when these responses were stratified by sex and age. Conclusion The study reveals agreement with gender inequitable norms in the household, but an overall disagreement with gender inequitable practices in sampled communities. The findings support that education of both women and men may promote gender equitable norms and practices. PMID:25026024

Determinants of Pain Treatment Response and Non-Response: Identification of TMD Patient Subgroups

PubMed Central

Litt, Mark D.; Porto, Felipe B.

2013-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to determine if we could identify a specific subtype of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain patients that does not respond to treatment. Patients were 101 men and women with chronic TMD pain recruited from the community and randomly assigned to one of two treatment conditions: a standard conservative care (STD) condition or a standard care plus cognitive-behavioral treatment condition (STD+CBT) in which patients received all elements of STD, but also received cognitive-behavioral coping skills training. Growth mixture modeling, incorporating a series of treatment-related predictors, was used to distinguish several distinct classes of responders or non-responders to treatment based on reported pain over a one-year follow-up period. Results indicated that treatment non-responders accounted for 16% of the sample, and did not differ from treatment responders on demographics or temporomandibular joint pathology, but that they reported more psychiatric symptoms, poorer coping, and higher levels of catastrophizing. Treatment-related predictors of membership in treatment responder groups versus the non-responder group included the addition of CBT to standard treatment, treatment attendance, and decreasing catastrophization. It was concluded that CBT may be made more efficacious for TMD patients by placing further emphasis on decreasing catastrophization and on individualizing care. PMID:24094979

Community Health Seeking Behavior for Suspected Human and Animal Rabies Cases, Gomma District, Southwest Ethiopia.

PubMed

G/hiwot, Tsegaye Tewelde; Sime, Abiot Girma; Deresa, Benti; Tafese, Wubit; Hajito, Kifle Weldemichael; Gemeda, Desta Hiko

2016-01-01

Timely presentation to appropriate health service provider of sick animals/humans from zoonotic diseases like rabies is important for early case/outbreak detection and management. However, data on community's health seeking practice for rabies in Ethiopia is limited. Therefore the objective of this study was to determine community's health seeking behavior on rabies, Southwest Ethiopia. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from January 16-February 14, 2015 to collect data from 808 respondents where the respondents were selected using multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using interviewer administered structured questionnaire by trained epidemiology graduate level students. Data were entered to Epidata version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 20 for windows. Eight hundred three (99.4%) respondents participated in the study. Out of 28 respondents who reported their family members' exposure to rabies, 8 of them replied that the exposed family members sought treatment from traditional healers. More than nine in ten respondents perceived that humans and domestic animals with rabies exposure should seek help of which 85% of them suggested modern health care facilities as the preferred management option for the sick humans and domestic animals. However, among those who reported sick domestic animals, near to 72% of them had either slaughtered for human consumption, sold immediately, visited traditional healer, given home care or did nothing for the sick domestic animals. Majority of the respondents had favorable perception of seeking treatment from modern health care facilities for rabies. However, significant number of them had managed inappropriately for the sick domestic animals from rabies. Hence, raising awareness of the community about management of sick domestic animals from rabies and the need for reporting to both human and animal health service providers is needed.

Community Health Seeking Behavior for Suspected Human and Animal Rabies Cases, Gomma District, Southwest Ethiopia

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Background Timely presentation to appropriate health service provider of sick animals/humans from zoonotic diseases like rabies is important for early case/outbreak detection and management. However, data on community’s health seeking practice for rabies in Ethiopia is limited. Therefore the objective of this study was to determine community’s health seeking behavior on rabies, Southwest Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted from January 16-February 14, 2015 to collect data from 808 respondents where the respondents were selected using multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using interviewer administered structured questionnaire by trained epidemiology graduate level students. Data were entered to Epidata version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 20 for windows. Result Eight hundred three (99.4%) respondents participated in the study. Out of 28 respondents who reported their family members’ exposure to rabies, 8 of them replied that the exposed family members sought treatment from traditional healers. More than nine in ten respondents perceived that humans and domestic animals with rabies exposure should seek help of which 85% of them suggested modern health care facilities as the preferred management option for the sick humans and domestic animals. However, among those who reported sick domestic animals, near to 72% of them had either slaughtered for human consumption, sold immediately, visited traditional healer, given home care or did nothing for the sick domestic animals. Conclusion Majority of the respondents had favorable perception of seeking treatment from modern health care facilities for rabies. However, significant number of them had managed inappropriately for the sick domestic animals from rabies. Hence, raising awareness of the community about management of sick domestic animals from rabies and the need for reporting to both human and animal health service providers is needed. PMID:26959816

Alcohol use amongst learners in rural high school in South Africa

PubMed Central

van der Heever, Hendry; Hoque, Muhammad E.

2015-01-01

Background Drinking behaviour by adolescents is a significant public health challenge nationally and internationally. Alcohol use has serious challenges that continue to deprive adolescents of their normal child growth and development. Drinking is associated with dangers that include fighting, crime, unintentional accidents, unprotected sex, violence and others. Aim The aim of the study is to investigate drinking patterns, and factors contributing to drinking, amongst secondary school learners in South Africa. Method The sample included 177 male (46.6%) and 206 female (53.4%) respondents in the age range from 15–23 years, selected by stratified random sampling. Results The results indicated that 35.5% of male and 29.7% of female respondents used alcohol. Both male and female respondents consumed six or more alcohol units (binge drinking) within 30 days; on one occasion the consumption was 17.5% and 15.9% respectively. It was found that alcohol consumption increases with age, 32.2% of 15–17 year-olds and 53.2% of 18–20 year-olds consumed different types of alcohol. It was deduced that 28.9% respondents reported that one of the adults at home drank alcohol regularly, and 9.3% reported that both their parents drank alcohol daily. It was found that 27.6% of the respondents agreed that friends made them conform to drinking. The tenth and eleventh grade reported 15.2% of male and 13.9% of female respondents were aware that alcohol can be addictive. Conclusion This study found that age, gender, parental alcohol use and peer pressure were found to be the major contributing factors to alcohol use amongst learners Prevention campaigns such as introducing the harmful effects of alcohol use amongst learners are of utmost importance in reducing alcohol use amongst learners in South Africa. PMID:26466397

Alcohol use amongst learners in rural high school in South Africa.

PubMed

Chauke, Thembisile M; van der Heever, Hendry; Hoque, Muhammad E

2015-01-01

Drinking behaviour by adolescents is a significant public health challenge nationally and internationally. Alcohol use has serious challenges that continue to deprive adolescents of their normal child growth and development. Drinking is associated with dangers that include fighting, crime, unintentional accidents, unprotected sex, violence and others. The aim of the study is to investigate drinking patterns, and factors contributing to drinking, amongst secondary school learners in South Africa. The sample included 177 male (46.6%) and 206 female (53.4%) respondents in the age range from 15–23 years, selected by stratified random sampling. The results indicated that 35.5% of male and 29.7% of female respondents used alcohol. Both male and female respondents consumed six or more alcohol units (binge drinking) within 30 days; on one occasion the consumption was 17.5% and 15.9% respectively. It was found that alcohol consumption increases with age, 32.2% of 15–17 year-olds and 53.2% of 18–20 year-olds consumed different types of alcohol. It was deduced that 28.9% respondents reported that one of the adults at home drank alcohol regularly, and 9.3% reported that both their parents drank alcohol daily. It was found that 27.6% of the respondents agreed that friends made them conform to drinking. The tenth and eleventh grade reported 15.2% of male and 13.9% of female respondents were aware that alcohol can be addictive. This study found that age, gender, parental alcohol use and peer pressure were found to be the major contributing factors to alcohol use amongst learners Prevention campaigns such as introducing the harmful effects of alcohol use amongst learners are of utmost importance in reducing alcohol use amongst learners in South Africa.

Training practices and ergogenic aids used by male bodybuilders.

PubMed

Hackett, Daniel A; Johnson, Nathan A; Chow, Chin-Moi

2013-06-01

Bodybuilding involves performing a series of poses on stage where the competitor is judged on aesthetic muscular appearance. The purpose of this study was to describe training practices and ergogenic aids used by competitive bodybuilders and to determine whether training practices comply with current recommendations for muscular hypertrophy. A web-based survey was completed by 127 competitive male bodybuilders. The results showed that during the off-season phase of training (OFF), the majority of respondents performed 3-6 sets per exercise (95.3%), 7-12 repetition maximum (RM) per set (77.0%), and 61- to 120-seconds recovery between sets and exercises (68.6%). However, training practices changed 6 weeks before competition (PRE), where there was an increased number of respondents who reported undertaking 3-4 sets per exercise at the expense of 5-6 sets per exercise (p < 0.001), an increase in the number reporting 10-15RM per set from 7-9RM per set (p < 0.001), and an increase in the number reporting 30-60 seconds vs. 61-180 seconds recovery between sets and exercises (p < 0.001). Anabolic steroid use was high among respondents competing in amateur competitions (56 of 73 respondents), whereas dietary supplementation was used by all respondents. The findings of this study demonstrate that competitive bodybuilders comply with current resistance exercise recommendations for muscular hypertrophy; however, these changed before competition during which there is a reduction resistance training volume and intensity. This alteration, in addition to an increase in aerobic exercise volume, is purportedly used to increase muscle definition. However, these practices may increase the risk of muscle mass loss in natural compared with amateur bodybuilders who reportedly use drugs known to preserve muscle mass.

Electronic textbooks as a professional resource after dental school.

PubMed

Bates, Michael L; Strother, Elizabeth A; Brunet, Darlene P; Gallo, John R

2012-05-01

In two previous studies of dental students' attitudes about the VitalSource Bookshelf, a digital library of dental textbooks, students expressed negative opinions about owning and reading electronic textbooks. With the assumption that dentists would find the digital textbooks useful for patient care, the authors surveyed recent graduates to determine if their attitude toward the VitalSource Bookshelf had changed. A brief survey was sent to 119 alumni from the classes of 2009 and 2010 of one U.S. dental school. Forty-seven (39.5 percent) completed the questionnaire. Eighteen respondents (48.3 percent) reported using the e-textbooks often or sometimes. The twenty-nine dentists who said they have not used the collection since graduation reported preferring print books or other online sources or having technical problems when downloading the books to a new computer. Only five respondents selected the VitalSource Bookshelf as a preferred source of professional information. Most of the respondents reported preferring to consult colleagues (37.8 percent), the Internet (20 percent), or hardcopy books (17.8 percent) for information. When asked in an open-ended question to state their opinion of the Bookshelf, nineteen (42.2 percent) responded positively, but almost one-third of these only liked the search feature. Six respondents reported that they never use the program. Twenty-two said they have had technical problems with the Bookshelf, including fifteen who have not been able to install it on a new computer. Many of them said they have not followed up with either the dental school or VitalSource support services to overcome this problem. Our study suggests that dentists, similar to dental students, dislike reading electronic textbooks, even with the advantage of searching a topic across more than sixty dental titles.

The experience of adverse childhood experiences and dental care in childhood.

PubMed

Crouch, Elizabeth; Radcliff, Elizabeth; Nelson, Joni; Strompolis, Melissa; Martin, Amy

2018-06-06

Routine preventive dental care is important to overall child health and well-being. However, the experience of adversity in childhood may prevent children from getting adequate preventive care. This study seeks to explore how the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and the role of a protective adult may be associated with dental care utilization in childhood. Data from the 2016 South Carolina Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (SC BRFSS), which interviews adults eighteen year of age and older, were used in this study. Dental care utilization in childhood was measured as the adult retrospectively reported frequency of dental care in childhood: at least once every 2 years (adequate dental care) or less often than every 2 years (inadequate dental care). ACEs were determined by asking about each of respondent's childhood exposure to eleven childhood experiences, including divorce, parental incarceration, domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse, mental illness and emotional, physical or sexual abuse. The presence of a protective adult in childhood included respondents who had an adult who made them feel safe and protected during childhood. Descriptive and bivariate statistics explored differences in the adequacy of child dental care by ACE exposure, the presence of a protective adult and selected demographic characteristics. Multivariate regression models were used to examine the impact of counts and types of ACEs and the presence of a protective adult with inadequate childhood dental care. The unweighted study sample included 7079 respondents ageing from 18 to 79 years of age Sampling weights were used for all analyses. Among all respondents, 71.7% reported receiving adequate dental care during childhood; 28.3% responded that they received inadequate dental care. Adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, respondents who experienced four or more ACEs had a higher likelihood of inadequate dental care than respondents who reported no ACEs (aOR 2.79; 95% CI 2.77-2.82). The odds of reporting inadequate dental care were lower among those grew up with an adult who made them feel safe and protected (aOR 0.38; 95% CI 0.37-0.39). The presence of protective factors may mitigate the effects of ACEs on paediatric dental care. This research contributes to the literature through the further identification of the role of dentists in identifying signs of abuse and neglect. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Characterizing hospital workers' willingness to report to duty in an influenza pandemic through threat- and efficacy-based assessment.

PubMed

Balicer, Ran D; Barnett, Daniel J; Thompson, Carol B; Hsu, Edbert B; Catlett, Christina L; Watson, Christopher M; Semon, Natalie L; Gwon, Howard S; Links, Jonathan M

2010-07-26

Hospital-based providers' willingness to report to work during an influenza pandemic is a critical yet under-studied phenomenon. Witte's Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) has been shown to be useful for understanding adaptive behavior of public health workers to an unknown risk, and thus offers a framework for examining scenario-specific willingness to respond among hospital staff. We administered an anonymous online EPPM-based survey about attitudes/beliefs toward emergency response, to all 18,612 employees of the Johns Hopkins Hospital from January to March 2009. Surveys were completed by 3426 employees (18.4%), approximately one third of whom were health professionals. Demographic and professional distribution of respondents was similar to all hospital staff. Overall, more than one-in-four (28%) hospital workers indicated they were not willing to respond to an influenza pandemic scenario if asked but not required to do so. Only an additional 10% were willing if required. One-third (32%) of participants reported they would be unwilling to respond in the event of a more severe pandemic influenza scenario. These response rates were consistent across different departments, and were one-third lower among nurses as compared with physicians. Respondents who were hesitant to agree to work additional hours when required were 17 times less likely to respond during a pandemic if asked. Sixty percent of the workers perceived their peers as likely to report to work in such an emergency, and were ten times more likely than others to do so themselves. Hospital employees with a perception of high efficacy had 5.8 times higher declared rates of willingness to respond to an influenza pandemic. Significant gaps exist in hospital workers' willingness to respond, and the EPPM is a useful framework to assess these gaps. Several attitudinal indicators can help to identify hospital employees unlikely to respond. The findings point to certain hospital-based communication and training strategies to boost employees' response willingness, including promoting pre-event plans for home-based dependents; ensuring adequate supplies of personal protective equipment, vaccines and antiviral drugs for all hospital employees; and establishing a subjective norm of awareness and preparedness.

Self-perception and quality of life among overweight and obese rural housewives in Kelantan, Malaysia.

PubMed

Muda, Wan Abdul Manan Wan; Kuate, Dieudonne; Jalil, Rohana Abdul; Nik, Wan Suriati Wan; Awang, Siti Azima

2015-02-12

Obesity, in the past was perceived to be the problem of the rich, but recent studies have reported that the problem of obesity is a worldwide problem and rural population is no less affected. Self-perceived health and weight appropriateness is an important component of weight-loss and eating behaviors and may be mediated by local, social and cultural patterning. In addition to the quality of life assessment, it should therefore be an important focal point for the design and implementation of clinical and public health policies. The present study was carried out to assess the self-perception of weight appropriateness as well as the quality of life of overweight and obese individual among the rural population particularly among housewives. A total of 421 respondents participated in the study which consisted of 36.6% in the overweight and 63.4% in the obese categories. the analysis of the survey revealed that self-perception regarding obesity among respondents show common similarities, particularly in self reporting on health, dietary habit and also the concept of beauty and a beautiful body. Character and behavior are highly regarded in evaluating a person's self-worth in society. The results on the quality of life using the ORWELL 97 instrument show that the quality of life of respondents was moderate. Most of the respondents were aware of their body weight and indicated an intention to lose weight but also reported themselves as healthy or very healthy. The results of the survey indicated that perception on obesity did not differed very much between respondents, in fact there existed a lot of similarities in their perception about health, quality of life, personal health and self-satisfaction with own body. However, their quality of life was within the normal or moderate level based on the ORWELL 97 assessment. Even though most of the respondents were aware of their body weight and indicated an intention to lose weight they also reported themselves as healthy or very healthy, suggesting that public health messages intended for rural housewives need to be more tailored to health-related consequences of fatness.

Individual response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy assessed with optical mammography in patients with breast cancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, Pamela G.; Krishnamurthy, Nishanth; Kalli, Sirishma; Sassaroli, Angelo; Makim, Shital S.; Graham, Roger A.; Fantini, Sergio

2017-02-01

We report an optical mammography study on eight patients with breast cancer who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Of these eight patients, six were responders (tumor size decreased by more than 50%) and two were nonresponders (tumor size decreased by less than 50%). The goals of this study are (1) to characterize the temporal evolution of the hemoglobin concentration ([HbT]) and saturation (SO2) in breast tissue during the course of treatment in responders and non-responders, and (2) to define a quantitative index that is capable of identifying responders and nonresponders during treatment. We found that both [HbT] and SO2 decreased by a greater amount in responders than in non-responders during therapy. This result applied to both cancerous and healthy breast, but the discrimination of responders and non-responders was more significant with SO2 measurements in the cancerous breast. A cumulative response index defined in terms of SO2 measurements in the cancerous breast achieved a 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity for the identification of responders and non-responders at therapy midpoint. These results confirm the potential of optical mammography in assessing response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy during treatment, thus offering the opportunity to consider alternative options to ineffective treatment regimens.

Challenges in Responding to Scaffolding Opportunities in the Mathematics Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferguson, Sarah

2012-01-01

This paper reports on a study that explored the use of cognitively challenging tasks with low-attaining mathematics students and in particular, their teachers' attempts at scaffolding. A major finding was that responding appropriately to scaffolding opportunities was challenging for the teachers. In this paper two main factors are discussed which…

Research Use in Education: An Online Survey of School Practitioners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lysenko, Larysa V.; Abrami, Philip C.; Bernard, Robert M.; Dagenais, Christian

2015-01-01

This paper summarizes the results of a pan-Canadian online survey study that investigates the extent to which school practitioners (N = 1,153) use research to inform their practice. The self-reports indicate that the majority of the respondents used educational research, yet this engagement was infrequent. Although the respondents shared neutral…

Scientists' views about attribution of global warming.

PubMed

Verheggen, Bart; Strengers, Bart; Cook, John; van Dorland, Rob; Vringer, Kees; Peters, Jeroen; Visser, Hans; Meyer, Leo

2014-08-19

Results are presented from a survey held among 1868 scientists studying various aspects of climate change, including physical climate, climate impacts, and mitigation. The survey was unique in its size, broadness and level of detail. Consistent with other research, we found that, as the level of expertise in climate science grew, so too did the level of agreement on anthropogenic causation. 90% of respondents with more than 10 climate-related peer-reviewed publications (about half of all respondents), explicitly agreed with anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs) being the dominant driver of recent global warming. The respondents' quantitative estimate of the GHG contribution appeared to strongly depend on their judgment or knowledge of the cooling effect of aerosols. The phrasing of the IPCC attribution statement in its fourth assessment report (AR4)-providing a lower limit for the isolated GHG contribution-may have led to an underestimation of the GHG influence on recent warming. The phrasing was improved in AR5. We also report on the respondents' views on other factors contributing to global warming; of these Land Use and Land Cover Change (LULCC) was considered the most important. Respondents who characterized human influence on climate as insignificant, reported having had the most frequent media coverage regarding their views on climate change.

Medical education and informal teaching by nurses and midwives.

PubMed

Gilmour, Jean; Huntington, Annette; Bogossian, Fiona; Leadbitter, Bernadette; Turner, Catherine

2014-08-31

The aim of this study was to examine the contribution of nurses and midwives to the education of medical colleagues in the clinical context. The research design was a cross-sectional survey using an online questionnaire. A subsample of 2906 respondents, from a total of 4763 nurses and midwives participating in a web-based study, had taught doctors in the 12 months prior to the survey. The questionnaire generated mainly categorical data analysed with descriptive statistics. In the group of respondents who taught doctors (n =2906), most provided informal teaching (92.9%, n=2677). Nearly a quarter (23.9%, n=695) self-rated the amount of time spent teaching as at least moderate in duration. The most common named teaching topics were documentation (74.8%, n=2005) and implementing unit procedures (74.3, n=1987), followed by medication charting (61.9%, n=1657) and choosing correct medications (55.8%, n=1493). Respondents felt their contributions were unrecognised by the doctors and students they taught (43.9%, n=1256). Educational contributions while unrecognised could be considered positively by the respondents. However, discussion of teaching responsibilities is necessary to support the development of teaching protocols and supervision responsibilities as respondents reported teaching clinical medical tasks related to medications, consent and other skills within the medical domain. Study limitations include the nature of self-reported responses which cannot be validated and data drawn from a survey concluded in 2009.

First responder resuscitation teams in a rural Norwegian community: sustainability and self-reports of meaningfulness, stress and mastering.

PubMed

Rørtveit, Sverre; Meland, Eivind

2010-05-04

Training of lay first responder personnel situated closer to the potential victims than medical professionals is a strategy potentially capable of shortening the interval between collapse and start of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. In this study we trained lay first responders personnel in basic life support (BLS) and defibrillation for cases of cardiac arrest and suspected acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Forty-two lay first responders living in remote areas or working in industries in the island community of Austevoll, Western Norway, were trained in CPR and defibrillation. We placed particular emphasis on the first responders being able to defibrillate a primary ventricular fibrillation (PVF) in patients with AMI. The trainees were organised in four teams to attend victims of AMI and cardiac arrest while awaiting the arrival of the community emergency medical services. The purpose of the study was to find out whether the teams were able to function during the five-year study project, and to examine whether lives could be saved. The first responders completed questionnaires each year on their experiences of participation. Data on the medical actions of the teams were also collected. By the end of the project all groups were functioning. The questionnaires evidenced a reasonable degree of motivation and self-evaluated competence in both types of group organisation, but in spite of this attrition effects in the first responders were considerable. The first responders were called out on 24 occasions, for a total of 17 patients. During the study period no case of PVF occurred after the arrival of the first responders, and the number of AMIs was very low, strongly deviating from what was anticipated. No lives were saved by the project. The teams were sustained for almost five years without any significant deterioration of self-reported stress or mastering, but still showed attrition effects. Evaluated as a medical project the intervention was not successful, but the small scale prevents us from drawing firm conclusions on this aspect.

First responder resuscitation teams in a rural Norwegian community: sustainability and self-reports of meaningfulness, stress and mastering

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Training of lay first responder personnel situated closer to the potential victims than medical professionals is a strategy potentially capable of shortening the interval between collapse and start of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. In this study we trained lay first responders personnel in basic life support (BLS) and defibrillation for cases of cardiac arrest and suspected acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods Forty-two lay first responders living in remote areas or working in industries in the island community of Austevoll, Western Norway, were trained in CPR and defibrillation. We placed particular emphasis on the first responders being able to defibrillate a primary ventricular fibrillation (PVF) in patients with AMI. The trainees were organised in four teams to attend victims of AMI and cardiac arrest while awaiting the arrival of the community emergency medical services. The purpose of the study was to find out whether the teams were able to function during the five-year study project, and to examine whether lives could be saved. The first responders completed questionnaires each year on their experiences of participation. Data on the medical actions of the teams were also collected. Results By the end of the project all groups were functioning. The questionnaires evidenced a reasonable degree of motivation and self-evaluated competence in both types of group organisation, but in spite of this attrition effects in the first responders were considerable. The first responders were called out on 24 occasions, for a total of 17 patients. During the study period no case of PVF occurred after the arrival of the first responders, and the number of AMIs was very low, strongly deviating from what was anticipated. No lives were saved by the project. Conclusions The teams were sustained for almost five years without any significant deterioration of self-reported stress or mastering, but still showed attrition effects. Evaluated as a medical project the intervention was not successful, but the small scale prevents us from drawing firm conclusions on this aspect. PMID:20441592

Willingness to express emotions to caregiving spouses.

PubMed

Monin, Joan K; Martire, Lynn M; Schulz, Richard; Clark, Margaret S

2009-02-01

This study examined the association between care-recipients' willingness to express emotions to spousal caregivers and caregiver's well-being and support behaviors. Using self-report measures in the context of a larger study, 262 care-recipients with osteoarthritis reported on their willingness to express emotions to caregivers, and caregivers reported on their stress and insensitive responding to care-recipients. Results revealed that care-recipients' willingness to express happiness was associated with less insensitive caregiver responding, and willingness to express interpersonal emotions (e.g., compassion, guilt) was associated with less caregiving stress. There were also gender differences, such that caregiving wives, in particular, benefited from their husband's willingness to express vulnerable (e.g., anxiety, sadness) and interpersonal emotions. (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved

Willingness to Express Emotions to Caregiving Spouses

PubMed Central

Monin, Joan K.; Martire, Lynn M.; Schulz, Richard; Clark, Margaret S.

2009-01-01

This study examined the association between care-recipients’ willingness to express emotions to spousal caregivers and caregiver’s well-being and support behaviors. Using self-report measures in the context of a larger study, 262 care-recipients with osteoarthritis reported on their willingness to express emotions to caregivers, and caregivers reported on their stress and insensitive responding to care-recipients. Results revealed that care-recipients’ willingness to express happiness was associated with less insensitive caregiver responding, and willingness to express interpersonal emotions (e.g., compassion, guilt) was associated with less caregiving stress. There were also gender differences, such that caregiving wives, in particular, benefited from their husband’s willingness to express vulnerable (e.g., anxiety, sadness) and interpersonal emotions. PMID:19186921

Young adult non-smokers' exposure to real-world tobacco marketing: results of an ecological momentary assessment pilot study.

PubMed

Rose, Shyanika W; Anesetti-Rothermel, Andrew; Elmasry, Hoda; Niaura, Ray

2017-08-31

The aims of this pilot study were to assess and characterize non-current smoking young adults' exposure to tobacco marketing through an ecological momentary assessment protocol. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) consists of repeated measurement of momentary phenomena and is well-suited to capture sporadic experiences in the real-world, such as exposure to tobacco marketing. EMA has the potential to capture detailed information about real-world marketing exposures in ways that reduce recall bias and increase ecological validity. In this study, young adults (n = 31; ages 18-25) responded to random prompts regarding their momentary exposure to tobacco marketing via text messages on their smartphones for 14 days (n = 1798 observations). Unadjusted and adjusted analyses were conducted using multilevel logistic regression to assess the odds of exposure accounting for correlation of multiple repeated measures within individuals while controlling for variability between individuals. Respondents reported, on average, two momentary exposures to tobacco advertising in the 14-day study period. In adjusted analyses, African-American (aOR 3.36; 95% CI 1.07, 10.54) and Hispanic respondents (aOR 5.08; 95% CI 1.28, 20.13) were more likely to report exposure to tobacco advertising. Respondents were also more likely to report exposure when also exposed to others using tobacco products and when they were at stores compared with at home (aOR 14.82; 95% CI 3.61, 60.88). Non-smoking young adults report exposure to tobacco marketing particularly at the point-of-sale, with the highest likelihood of exposure among African-American and Hispanic young people. EMA protocols can be effective in assessing the potential impact of point-of-sale tobacco marketing on young adults.

Higher educational attainment but not higher income is protective for cardiovascular risk in Deaf American Sign Language (ASL) users.

PubMed

McKee, Michael M; McKee, Kimberly; Winters, Paul; Sutter, Erika; Pearson, Thomas

2014-01-01

Higher educational attainment and income provide cardiovascular protection in the general population. It is unknown if the same effect is seen among Deaf American Sign Language (ASL) users who face communication barriers in health care settings. We sought to examine whether educational attainment and/or annual household income were inversely associated with cardiovascular risk in a sample of Deaf ASL users. This cross-sectional study included 302 Deaf respondents aged 18-88 years from the Deaf Health Survey (2008), an adapted and translated Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) administered in sign language. Associations between the self-reported cardiovascular disease equivalents (CVDE; any of the following: diabetes, myocardial infarction (MI), cerebral vascular attack (CVA), and angina) with educational attainment (≤high school [low education], some college, and ≥4 year college degree [referent]), and annual household income (<$25,000, $25,000-<$50,000, or ≥$50,000 [referent]) were assessed using a multivariate logistic regression adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and smoking history. Deaf respondents who reported ≤high school education were more likely to report the presence of a CVDE (OR = 5.76; 95% CI = 2.04-16.31) compared to Deaf respondents who reported having ≥4 year college degree after adjustment. However, low-income Deaf individuals (i.e., household incomes <$25,000) were not more likely to report the presence of a CVDE (OR = 2.24; 95% CI = 0.76-6.68) compared to high-income Deaf respondents after adjustment. Low educational attainment was associated with higher likelihood of reported cardiovascular equivalents among Deaf individuals. Higher income did not appear to provide a cardiovascular protective effect for Deaf respondents. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Higher Educational Attainment but not Higher Income is Protective for Cardiovascular Risk in Deaf American Sign Language (ASL) Users

PubMed Central

McKee, Michael M.; McKee, Kimberly; Winters, Paul; Sutter, Erika; Pearson, Thomas

2013-01-01

Background Higher educational attainment and income provide cardiovascular protection in the general population. It is unknown if the same effect is seen among Deaf American Sign Language (ASL) users who face communication barriers in healthcare settings. Objective We sought to examine whether educational attainment and/or annual household income were inversely associated with cardiovascular risk in a sample of Deaf ASL users. Methods This cross-sectional study included 302 Deaf respondents aged 18-88 years from the Deaf Health Survey (2008), an adapted and translated Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) administered in sign language. Associations between the self-reported cardiovascular disease equivalents (CVDE; any of the following: diabetes, myocardial infarction (MI), cerebral vascular attack (CVA), and angina) with educational attainment (≤high school [low education], some college, and ≥4 year college degree [referent]), and annual household income (<$25,000, $25,000-<$50,000, or ≥$50,000 [referent]) were assessed using a multivariate logistic regression adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and smoking history. Results Deaf respondents who reported ≤high school education were more likely to report the presence of a CVDE (OR 5.92; 95% CI 2.12-16.57) compared to Deaf respondents who reported having ≥4 year college degree after adjustment. However, low-income Deaf individuals (i.e. household incomes <$25,000) were not more likely to report the presence of a CVDE (OR=2.24; 95% CI 0.76-6.68) compared to high-income Deaf respondents after adjustment. Conclusion Low educational attainment was associated with higher likelihood of reported cardiovascular equivalents among Deaf individuals. Higher income did not appear to provide a cardiovascular protective effect for Deaf respondents. PMID:24411507

Non-consensual sex in Benin.

PubMed

Gharoro, E P; Enabudoso, E J; Sodje, D K J

2011-01-01

The objective of the study is to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of non-consensual sex/rape in Benin. We surveyed 580 females in the University Community of Benin, 414 questionnaires were sufficiently completed for analysis. Seventy-six (18.4%) respondents reported that they had been victims of non-consensual sex (NCS), 36 in their current relationship. The unmarried single respondents had the lowest mean age at NCS experience of 18 years, while the divorced victims had the highest mean age of 32.5 ( P = 0.000). There was a major exposure peak age at 19 years with a smaller peak at 25. The majority of sex offenders were their present partners and next the husbands (22.2%). The father was the perpetrator on one (2.78%) occasion, while armed robbers raped two of the victims. Eighteen of the seventy-six respondents made a formal report. Cumulatively, 95.4% of the respondents felt it was futile reporting, four (5.3%) felt it was not all a bad experience. The risk of being infected with the HIV/AIDS virus was the worst fear. Ninety-five of four hundred and fourteen respondents want the public and parents to be educated, 64 would like the penal code to be tougher and better implemented, while 64 (14.0%) crave for a dress code for the University community. The self-reported incidence of NCS is high, majority were not formally reported as most of the sex offenders were the (ex)partners of the victims. There was a major exposure peak age at 19 with a smaller peak at 25 years. There was a condoned sense of futility and frustration in reporting.

Knowledge and attitudes toward food safety and use of good production practices among Canadian broiler chicken producers.

PubMed

Young, Ian; Rajić, Andrijana; Letellier, Ann; Cox, Bill; Leslie, Mira; Sanei, Babak; McEwen, Scott A

2010-07-01

Provincial broiler-chicken marketing boards in Canada have recently implemented an on-farm food safety program called Safe, Safer, Safest. The purpose of this study was to measure broiler chicken producers' attitudes toward the program and food safety topics and use of highly recommended good production practices (GPP). Mailed and Web-based questionnaires were administered to all producers registered in British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec in 2008. The response percentage was 33.2% (642 of 1,932). Nearly 70% of respondents rated the program as effective in producing safe chicken, and 49.1% rated the program requirements as easy to implement. Most respondents (92.9%) reported that they do not raise other poultry or keep birds as pets, and 79.8% reported that they clean and disinfect their barns between each flock cycle. Less than 50% of respondents reported that visitors wash their hands or change their clothes before entering barns, 38.4% reported that catching crews wear clean clothes and boots, and 35.8% reported that a crew other than from the hatchery places chicks. Respondents who rated the program requirements as effective or easy to implement were more likely to report the use of five of six highly recommended GPP. Only 21.1% of respondents indicated that Campylobacter can be transmitted from contaminated chicken meat to humans, and 26.6% believed that antimicrobial use in their industry is linked to antimicrobial resistance in humans. Continuing education of producers should focus on improving their awareness of these issues, while mandatory GPP should include those that are known to be effective in controlling Campylobacter and Salmonella in broiler chicken flocks.

Residents' experiences of abuse, discrimination and sexual harassment during residency training. McMaster University Residency Training Programs.

PubMed

Cook, D J; Liutkus, J F; Risdon, C L; Griffith, L E; Guyatt, G H; Walter, S D

1996-06-01

To assess the prevalence of psychological abuse, physical assault, and discrimination on the basis of gender and sexual orientation, and to examine the prevalence and impact of sexual harassment in residency training programs. Self-administered questionnaire. McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. Residents in seven residency training programs during the academic year from July 1993 to June 1994. Of 225 residents 186 (82.7%) returned a completed questionnaire, and 50% of the respondents were women. Prevalence of psychological abuse, physical assault and discrimination on the basis of gender and sexual orientation experienced by residents during medical training, prevalence and residents' perceived frequency of sexual harassment. Psychological abuse was reported by 50% of the residents. Some of the respondents reported physical assault, mostly by patients and their family members (14.7% reported assaults by male patients and family members, 9.8% reported assaults by female patients and family members), 5.4% of the female respondents reported assault by male supervising physicians. Discrimination on the basis of gender was reported to be common and was experienced significantly more often by female residents than by male residents (p < 0.01). Ten respondents, all female, reported having experienced discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation. Most of the respondents experienced sexual harassment, especially in the form of sexist jokes, flirtation and unwanted compliments on their dress or figure. On average, 40% of the respondents, especially women (p < 0.01), reported experiencing offensive body language and receiving sexist teaching material and unwanted compliments on their dress. Significantly more female respondents than male respondents stated that they had reported events of sexual harassment to someone (p < 0.001). The most frequent emotional reactions to sexual harassment were embarassment (reported by 24.0%), anger (by 23.4%) and frustration (20.8%). Psychological abuse, discrimination on the basis of gender and sexual harassment are commonly experienced by residents in training programs. A direct, progressive, multidisciplinary approach is needed to label and address these problems.

Variable approaches to genetic counseling for microarray regions of homozygosity associated with parental relatedness.

PubMed

Grote, Lauren; Myers, Melanie; Lovell, Anne; Saal, Howard; Sund, Kristen Lipscomb

2014-01-01

SNP microarrays are capable of detecting regions of homozygosity (ROH) which can suggest parental relatedness. This study was designed to describe pre- and post-test counseling practices of genetics professionals regarding ROH, explore perceived comfort and ethical concerns in the follow-up of such results, demonstrate awareness of laws surrounding duty to report consanguinity and incest, and allow respondents to share their personal experiences with results suggesting a parental relationship. A 35 question survey was administered to 240 genetic counselors and geneticists who had ordered or counseled for SNP microarray. The results are presented using descriptive statistics. There was variation in both pre- and post-test counseling practices of genetics professionals. Twenty-five percent of respondents reported pre-test counseling that ROH can indicate parental relatedness. The most commonly reported ethical concern was disclosure of findings suggesting parental relatedness to parents of the patient; only 48.4% reported disclosing parental relatedness when indicated. Fifty-seven percent felt comfortable receiving results suggesting parental consanguinity while 17% felt comfortable receiving results suggesting parental incest. Twenty percent of respondents were extremely/moderately familiar with the laws about duty to report incest. Personal experiences in post-test counseling included both parental acknowledgement and denial of relatedness. This study highlights the differences in genetics professionals' pre- and post-test counseling practices, comfort, and experiences surrounding parental relatedness suggested by SNP microarray results. It identifies a need for professional organizations to offer guidance to genetics professionals about how to respond to and counsel for molecular results suggesting parental consanguinity or incest. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Influenza in Australia: Absenteeism and redeployment of emergency medicine and nursing staff.

PubMed

Considine, Julie; Shaban, Ramon Z; Patrick, Jennifer; Holzhauser, Kerri; Aitken, Peter; Clark, Michele; Fielding, Elaine; FitzGerald, Gerry

2011-10-01

The aim of the present study was to examine the impact of Pandemic (H(1)N(1)) 2009 Influenza on the Australian emergency nursing and medicine workforce, specifically absenteeism and deployment. Data were collected using an online survey of 618 members of the three professional emergency medicine or emergency nursing colleges. Despite significant increases in emergency demand during the Pandemic (H(1)N(1)) 2009 Influenza, 56.6% of emergency nursing and medicine staff reported absenteeism of at least 1 day and only 8.5% of staff were redeployed. Staff illness with influenza-like illness was reported by 37% of respondents, and 87% of respondents who became ill were not tested for the Pandemic (H(1)N(1)) 2009 Influenza. Of the respondents who became ill, 43% (n= 79) reported missing no days of work and only 8% of respondents (n= 14) reported being absent for more than 5 days. The mean number of days away from work was 3.73 (standard deviation = 3.63). Factors anecdotally associated with staff absenteeism (caregiver responsibilities, concern about personal illness, concern about exposing family members to illness, school closures, risk of quarantine, stress and increased workload) appeared to be of little or no relevance. Redeployment was reported by 8% of respondents and the majority of redeployment was for operational reasons. Future research related to absenteeism, redeployment during actual pandemic events is urgently needed. Workforce data collection should be an integral part of organizational pandemic planning. © 2011 The Authors. EMA © 2011 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

Depression and social networks in community dwelling elders: a descriptive study.

PubMed

Wilby, Frances

2011-04-01

Social isolation and inadequate social support have been identified as correlates of depression in older adults, although the relationship between depression and social isolation is not entirely understood (Dorfman et al., 1995). This study was conducted to describe the social networks of depressed older adults living in the community and to compare the social networks of depressed and nondepressed individuals, thus adding to the body of knowledge regarding social networks, older adults, and depression. The sample consisted of 91 respondents aged 65 and older who were randomly selected using the voter registry. About 27% (25) respondents reported significant levels of depressive symptomology as measured by the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D). All respondents completed semistructured interviews that included questions about social contacts with family and others during the prior week. All participants reported social contact with family and friends during this period. In this sample, depressed elders were not socially isolated. They were more likely to report contacts with friends than those who were not depressed, and equally likely to report involvement in volunteer activities. Their likelihood of seeking social support was also comparable. Results emphasize the importance of peer relationships and suggest that, in some groups of older adults, social isolation may not be a hallmark of depressive symptoms.

Care seeking and beliefs about the cause of mental illness among Nigerian psychiatric patients and their families.

PubMed

Aghukwa, Chikaodiri Nkereuwem

2012-06-01

This study examined treatment seeking by 219 psychiatric patients at a teaching hospital in Kano, Nigeria. Patients or their families were interviewed about the types of mental health healers that patients saw before seeking conventional psychiatric treatment and beliefs about the causes of the illness. The length of illness before the psychiatric consultation was 4.5 years, and 99 (45%) respondents reported that patients had previously sought religious healing. A majority of respondents (N=128, 59%) attributed the illness to supernatural forces. Up to 68% and 75% of respondents who believed in a medical or genetic cause of illness, respectively, reported seeking a psychiatric consultation within six months of onset, and about 70% who believed in supernatural forces reported seeking psychiatric consultation five years after onset or later (p<.05). Mental health planners should educate alternative mental health healers and integrate them in the care of mental illness.

Response to Trauma in Haitian Youth at Risk

PubMed Central

Douyon, Richard; Marcelin, Louis Herns; Jean-Gilles, Michèle; Page, J. Bryan

2006-01-01

SUMMARY In order to characterize undesirable behavior (drug use, fighting, criminal activity) among Haitian youth at risk and determine the relationship between traumatic experience and that kind of behavior, investigators recruited 291 Haitian youths via networks of informal social relations in two zones of Miami/Dade County strongly idenitified with Haitian ethnicity. Each recruit responded to an interview schedule eliciting sociodemographic information and self-reported activities, including involvement in youth-dominated groups. They also reported traumatic experience. Clinicians administered CAPS to a subset of those respondents who self-reported traumatic experience. Staff ethnographers selected respondents for in-depth interviews and family studies to provide contextual depth for findings of the interview schedule and the CAPS assessments. Although traumatic experience may still play a role in mental health outcomes among children, childhood victimization among Haitian children does not appear to be related to the drug use and undesirable behaviors associated with unsupervised youth, including formation of gangs. PMID:16275637

Characteristics of Compensation Claimants Reporting an Occupational Injury Associated With Disability Benefits in the Subsequent Year: A Follow-Up Study.

PubMed

Rudbeck, Marianne; Johansen, Jens Peter; Omland, Øyvind

2018-03-01

To describe characteristics of claimants reporting an occupational injury associated with disability benefits for income independently granted by the municipality the subsequent year. Multivariate logistic regression was used on self-reported data and register data. Primary outcome was long-term disability benefits. We found that perceived low work ability, high emotional stress, perceived low health, and expected recognition increased the risk of disability benefits. Work ability was the most influential factor. Work ability of responders on benefits was 2.40 [2.23 to 2.58] (scale 1 to 10-low to high). Responders with recognized claims differed only little in characteristics regarding benefits. Responders with ongoing claims had highest risk (18.48%) of benefits despite few health differences. Low perceived work ability was characteristic; health and social issues explained only little of the differences in long-term benefits according to decision of workers' compensation system.

Experiences of homophobia among gay and bisexual men: results from a cross-sectional study in seven countries.

PubMed

Chard, Anna N; Finneran, Catherine; Sullivan, Patrick S; Stephenson, Rob

2015-01-01

Experiences of homophobic discrimination are associated with an increased prevalence of psychological disorders and increased odds of reporting suicidal ideation among gay and bisexual men. We examine two domains of homophobia--external homophobic discrimination and internalised homophobia--and their associations with sexual orientation, demographic characteristics, relationships and social support among a sample of gay and bisexual men from seven countries. Sexually active gay and bisexual men aged over 18 and residing in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, Thailand, the UK and the USA were recruited through banner advertisements on Facebook. Two outcomes were examined: reporting experiences of homophobic discrimination and reporting feelings of internalised homophobia. No covariates were consistently significantly associated with experiencing external homophobic discrimination across countries. Across all countries, bisexually identifying respondents reported significantly greater feelings of internalised homophobia. Respondents in Brazil and the UK reporting a main partner, and respondents in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, Thailand and the USA reporting a larger gay/bisexual social network, reported significantly fewer feelings of internalised homophobia. Results suggest an ameliorative effect of social networks on experiencing homophobia. Additional research should focus on the mechanisms through which social networks reduce feelings of internalised homophobia.

Farmer's Use of the Soil Test Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Best, K. E.; Blackburn, D. J.

A study of Haldimand County (Ontario, Canada) farmers' use and understanding of soil test reports and the relationship of these variables with certain personal and social characteristics of the respondents are summarized. The objectives of the study were to indicate the extent to which farmers use the soil test report, the quality of fertilizer…

Listeriosis Prevention Knowledge Among Pregnant Women in the USA

DOE PAGES

Ogunmodede, Folashade; Jones, Jeffery L.; Scheftel, Joni; ...

2005-01-01

Background: Listeriosis is a food-borne disease often associated with ready-to-eat foods. It usually causes mild febrile gastrointestinal illness in immunocompetent persons. In pregnant women, it may cause more severe infection and often crosses the placenta to infect the fetus, resulting in miscarriage, fetal death or neonatal morbidity. Simple precautions during pregnancy can prevent listeriosis. However, many women are unaware of these precautions and listeriosis education is often omitted from prenatal care. Methods: Volunteer pregnant women were recruited to complete a questionnaire to assess their knowledge of listeriosis and its prevention, in two separate studies. One study was a national surveymore » of 403 women from throughout the USA, and the other survey was limited to 286 Minnesota residents. Results: In the multi-state survey, 74 of 403 respondents (18%) had some knowledge of listeriosis, compared with 43 of 286 (15%) respondents to the Minnesota survey. The majority of respondents reported hearing about listeriosis from a medical professional. In the multi-state survey, 33% of respondents knew listeriosis could be prevented by not eating delicatessen meats, compared with 17% in the Minnesota survey ( p = 0.01). Similarly, 31% of respondents to the multi-state survey compared with 19% of Minnesota survey respondents knew listeriosis could be prevented by avoiding unpasteurized dairy products (p = 0.05). As for preventive behaviors, 18% of US and 23% of Minnesota respondents reported avoiding delicatessen meats and ready-to-eat foods during pregnancy, whereas 86% and 88%, respectively, avoided unpasteurized dairy products. Conclusions: Most pregnant women have limited knowledge of listeriosis prevention. Even though most respondents avoided eating unpasteurized dairy products, they were unaware of the risk associated with ready-to-eat foods. Improved education of pregnant women regarding the risk and sources of listeriosis in pregnancy is needed.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ogunmodede, Folashade; Jones, Jeffery L.; Scheftel, Joni

Background: Listeriosis is a food-borne disease often associated with ready-to-eat foods. It usually causes mild febrile gastrointestinal illness in immunocompetent persons. In pregnant women, it may cause more severe infection and often crosses the placenta to infect the fetus, resulting in miscarriage, fetal death or neonatal morbidity. Simple precautions during pregnancy can prevent listeriosis. However, many women are unaware of these precautions and listeriosis education is often omitted from prenatal care. Methods: Volunteer pregnant women were recruited to complete a questionnaire to assess their knowledge of listeriosis and its prevention, in two separate studies. One study was a national surveymore » of 403 women from throughout the USA, and the other survey was limited to 286 Minnesota residents. Results: In the multi-state survey, 74 of 403 respondents (18%) had some knowledge of listeriosis, compared with 43 of 286 (15%) respondents to the Minnesota survey. The majority of respondents reported hearing about listeriosis from a medical professional. In the multi-state survey, 33% of respondents knew listeriosis could be prevented by not eating delicatessen meats, compared with 17% in the Minnesota survey ( p = 0.01). Similarly, 31% of respondents to the multi-state survey compared with 19% of Minnesota survey respondents knew listeriosis could be prevented by avoiding unpasteurized dairy products (p = 0.05). As for preventive behaviors, 18% of US and 23% of Minnesota respondents reported avoiding delicatessen meats and ready-to-eat foods during pregnancy, whereas 86% and 88%, respectively, avoided unpasteurized dairy products. Conclusions: Most pregnant women have limited knowledge of listeriosis prevention. Even though most respondents avoided eating unpasteurized dairy products, they were unaware of the risk associated with ready-to-eat foods. Improved education of pregnant women regarding the risk and sources of listeriosis in pregnancy is needed.« less

Predictors of Sun Protection Behaviours and Severe Sunburn inan International on-line study

PubMed Central

Bränström, Richard; Kasparian, Nadine A.; Chang, Yu-mei; Affleck, Paul; Tibben, Aad; Aspinwall, Lisa G.; Azizi, Esther; Baron-Epel, Orna; Battistuzzi, Linda; Bergman, Wilma; Bruno, William; Chan, May; Cuellar, Francisco; Dębniak, Tadeusz; Pjanova, Dace; Ertmański, Sƚawomir; Figl, Adina; Gonzalez, Melinda; Hayward, Nicholas K.; Hocevar, Marko; Kanetsky, Peter A.; Leachman, Sancy A.; Heisele, Olita; Palmer, Jane; Peric, Barbara; Puig, Susana; Schadendorf, Dirk; Gruis, Nelleke A.; Newton-Bishop, Julia; Brandberg, Yvonne

2013-01-01

Background The incidence of melanoma continues to increase in many countries, and primary prevention of melanoma includes avoidance of sunburn as well as adequate sun protection behaviour. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of self-reported sun protection behaviours and sunburn in users of the Internet, and to identify the demographic, clinical and attitudinal/motivational correlates of sun protection behaviours. Methods Self-report data were gathered on behalf of GenoMEL (www.genomel.org) using an online survey available in 10 different languages, and 8,178 individuals successfully completed at least 80% of survey items, with 73% of respondents from Europe, 12% from Australia, 7% from the USA, 2% from Israel, and 6% from other countries. Results Half of all respondents and 27% of those with a previous melanoma reported at least one severe sunburn during the previous 12 months. The strongest factors associated with sun protection behaviour were perceived barriers to protection (β=−0.44/β=−0.37), and respondents who reported a positive attitude towards suntans were less likely to protect (β=−0.16/β=−0.14). Reported use of protective clothing and shade, as well as avoidance of midday sun exposure, were more strongly related to reduced risk of sunburn than sunscreen use. Conclusions Despite widespread dissemination of public health messages about the importance of sun protection, a substantial proportion of this international sample, including respondents with a previous melanoma, reported inadequate sun protection behaviours resulting in severe sunburn. Impact Future strategies to decrease sunburn should target the practical, social and psychological barriers associated with non-uptake of sun protection. PMID:20643826

78 FR 56995 - Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-16

...: Businesses. Respondent Universe: 763 railroads. Frequency of Submission: On occasion. Reporting Burden Total annual Average time per Total annual CFR Section Respondent universe responses response burden hours 225... Universe: 763 railroads. Frequency of Submission: On occasion; annually. Reporting Burden Respondent Total...

Cybersex: the impact of a contemporary problem on the practices of marriage and family therapists.

PubMed

Goldberg, Peter D; Peterson, Brennan D; Rosen, Karen H; Sara, Mary Linda

2008-10-01

The number of people accessing the Internet for sexual purposes (cybersex) has increased dramatically over the last 10 years. However, little research has been conducted to determine how frequently clients present for treatment with cybersex-related issues. One hundred sixty-four clinical members of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy participated in the current study, which was conducted to identify the impacts of cybersex on MFTs' practices. Most respondents report seeing clients with cybersex-related issues, with client numbers increasing over the past 2 years. Although most respondents felt prepared to diagnose and treat adults with cybersex problems, half felt unprepared to diagnose and treat children. Lastly, most respondents reported that their required college courses were not helpful in preparing them to diagnose and treat cybersex-related problems. The implications of study findings are discussed.

Cigarette smoking among college students attending a historically Black college and university.

PubMed

Laws, Michelle A; Huang, Chien Ju; Brown, Roderick F; Richmond, Al; Conerly, Rhonda C

2006-02-01

Very little is known about the prevalence, patterns, social norms, and trends of smoking among students attending historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The current study assessed the prevalence, patterns, and norms associated with cigarette smoking among a cross-sectional random sample of 371 undergraduate college students at a historically Black university in North Carolina. Eighty-seven percent of the respondents were non-smokers. Eighty-six percent of the students reported that smoking was discouraged among their peers and 45% responded that they preferred associating with peers who did not smoke cigarettes. Seventy-one percent of the students responded that they did not smoke before the age of 18 and 55% reported that, while they were growing up, neither of their parents smoked. Preliminary findings of this study indicate that smoking is not widely practiced and has not become a socially acceptable or encouraged norm among college students attending an HBCU.

Comparison of Self-Reported Telephone Interviewing and Web-Based Survey Responses: Findings From the Second Australian Young and Well National Survey

PubMed Central

Davenport, Tracey A; Burns, Jane M; Hickie, Ian B

2017-01-01

Background Web-based self-report surveying has increased in popularity, as it can rapidly yield large samples at a low cost. Despite this increase in popularity, in the area of youth mental health, there is a distinct lack of research comparing the results of Web-based self-report surveys with the more traditional and widely accepted computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI). Objective The Second Australian Young and Well National Survey 2014 sought to compare differences in respondent response patterns using matched items on CATI versus a Web-based self-report survey. The aim of this study was to examine whether responses varied as a result of item sensitivity, that is, the item’s susceptibility to exaggeration on underreporting and to assess whether certain subgroups demonstrated this effect to a greater extent. Methods A subsample of young people aged 16 to 25 years (N=101), recruited through the Second Australian Young and Well National Survey 2014, completed the identical items on two occasions: via CATI and via Web-based self-report survey. Respondents also rated perceived item sensitivity. Results When comparing CATI with the Web-based self-report survey, a Wilcoxon signed-rank analysis showed that respondents answered 14 of the 42 matched items in a significantly different way. Significant variation in responses (CATI vs Web-based) was more frequent if the item was also rated by the respondents as highly sensitive in nature. Specifically, 63% (5/8) of the high sensitivity items, 43% (3/7) of the neutral sensitivity items, and 0% (0/4) of the low sensitivity items were answered in a significantly different manner by respondents when comparing their matched CATI and Web-based question responses. The items that were perceived as highly sensitive by respondents and demonstrated response variability included the following: sexting activities, body image concerns, experience of diagnosis, and suicidal ideation. For high sensitivity items, a regression analysis showed respondents who were male (beta=−.19, P=.048) or who were not in employment, education, or training (NEET; beta=−.32, P=.001) were significantly more likely to provide different responses on matched items when responding in the CATI as compared with the Web-based self-report survey. The Web-based self-report survey, however, demonstrated some evidence of avidity and attrition bias. Conclusions Compared with CATI, Web-based self-report surveys are highly cost-effective and had higher rates of self-disclosure on sensitive items, particularly for respondents who identify as male and NEET. A drawback to Web-based surveying methodologies, however, includes the limited control over avidity bias and the greater incidence of attrition bias. These findings have important implications for further development of survey methods in the area of health and well-being, especially when considering research topics (in this case diagnosis, suicidal ideation, sexting, and body image) and groups that are being recruited (young people, males, and NEET). PMID:28951382

The role of intravenous immunoglobulin in treatment of mucous membrane pemphigoid: A review of literature

PubMed Central

Tavakolpour, Soheil

2016-01-01

Background: Mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) is considered an autoimmune blistering disease that predominantly affects mucous membranes. Various treatments are available for controlling the diseases, but not all of them may respond. Materials and Methods: PubMed and Google Scholar were searched for all the associated studies until 2015, using the keywords such as “cicatricial pemphigoid” or “ocular pemphigoid” or “mucous membrane pemphigoid” or “MMP” and “intravenous immunoglobulin” or “IVIg” to find all the relevant studies. The last search update was for September 2, 2015. Among the searched items, only English studies were included in the review. Results: After excluding nonrelevant studies, 13 studies with a total number of seventy patients with MMP who were under treatment with IVIg were analyzed. The 65 patients responded completely, one did not respond, two had partially responded, and the remaining two patients stopped IVIg therapy, which resulted in ocular cicatricial pemphigoid progression. Majority of the studies reported mild adverse effects while two of them did not report any unwanted side effect. The most common side effect was headache, followed by nausea. Most of the patients who had a cessation of IVIg therapy before achieving clinical remission experienced the disease progression. Conclusion: Overall, it can be concluded that IVIg therapy was very helpful in treatment of MMP patients who did not respond to conventional therapy or stopped using them for various side effects. Adverse effects associated with IVIg therapy were considerably lower than conventional therapy that can lead toward treatment with this agent in patients who suffer from severe side effects. PMID:27904583

Self-assessment of nursing competency among final year nursing students in Thailand: a comparison between public and private nursing institutions.

PubMed

Sawaengdee, Krisada; Kantamaturapoj, Kanang; Seneerattanaprayul, Parinda; Putthasri, Weerasak; Suphanchaimat, Rapeepong

2016-01-01

Nurses play a major role in Thailand's health care system. In recent years, the production of nurses, in both the public and private sectors, has been growing rapidly to respond to the shortage of health care staff. Alongside concerns over the number of nurses produced, the quality of nursing graduates is of equal importance. This study therefore aimed to 1) compare the self-assessed competency of final year Thai nursing students between public and private nursing schools, and 2) explore factors that were significantly associated with competency level. A cross-sectional clustered survey was conducted on 40 Thai nursing schools. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires. The questionnaire consisted of questions about respondents' background, their education profile, and a self-measured competency list. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and multivariate regression analysis were applied. A total of 3,349 students participated in the survey. Approximately half of the respondents had spent their childhood in rural areas. The majority of respondents reported being "confident" or "very confident" in all competencies. Private nursing students reported a higher level of "public health competency" than public nursing students with statistical significance. However, there was no significant difference in "clinical competency" between the two groups. Nursing students from private institutions seemed to report higher levels of competency than those from public institutions, particularly with regard to public health. This phenomenon might have arisen because private nursing students had greater experience of diverse working environments during their training. One of the key limitations of this study was that the results were based on the subjective self-assessment of the respondents, which might risk respondent bias. Further studies that evaluate current nursing curricula in both public and private nursing schools to assess whether they meet the health needs of the population are recommended.

Survey of the Definition of Fetal Viability and the Availability, Indications, and Decision Making Processes for Post-Viability Termination of Pregnancy for Fetal Abnormalities and Health Conditions in Canada.

PubMed

Hull, Danna; Davies, Gregory; Armour, Christine M

2016-06-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the definition of fetal viability and the availability, indications, and decision making processes for post-viability termination of pregnancy for fetal abnormalities and health conditions in Canada. An online survey of members of the Canadian Association of Genetic Counsellors, the Canadian College of Medical Geneticists, and the Canadian Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine who provide direct counselling to, or management of, prenatal patients in Canada (total sample size 815). Results of this study showed that the majority of respondents indicated that their centre will offer post-viability termination of pregnancy (98/123; 80 %). Sixty-seven percent (68/101) of respondents reported the definition of fetal viability to be 24 weeks' gestation. Most respondents reported that a collaborative decision making process was used to determine if post-viability termination of pregnancy would be offered (136/170; 80 %). For conditions presumed to be lethal/likely lethal, the majority of respondents would "sometimes" or "always" offer post-viability termination of pregnancy, whereas for conditions presumed to have a mild effect, the majority of respondents would "rarely" or "never" offer post-viability termination of pregnancy. Ninety percent (77/86) of respondents reported that perinatal hospice is offered as an alternative to termination of pregnancy. In conclusion, this study suggests that although post-viability termination is available in many provinces in Canada, variation in the definition of fetal viability and indications appear to exist. While these variations may lead to unequal access to post-viability termination of pregnancy across Canada, they might also represent the complexity of the decision making process and the importance of examining individual factors to ensure that the most appropriate decision is made in each case.

Development and testing of responder : phase III.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-06-28

This report documents the research project Development and Testing of Responder Phase III. Under previous research, a Responder system has been developed to provide relevant and timely information to first responders, allow responders to provid...

Using continuous sedation until death for cancer patients: A qualitative interview study of physicians’ and nurses’ practice in three European countries

PubMed Central

Rietjens, Judith; Bruinsma, Sophie; Deliens, Luc; Sterckx, Sigrid; Mortier, Freddy; Brown, Jayne; Mathers, Nigel; van der Heide, Agnes

2015-01-01

Background: Extensive debate surrounds the practice of continuous sedation until death to control refractory symptoms in terminal cancer care. We examined reported practice of United Kingdom, Belgian and Dutch physicians and nurses. Methods: Qualitative case studies using interviews. Setting: Hospitals, the domestic home and hospices or palliative care units. Participants: In all, 57 Physicians and 73 nurses involved in the care of 84 cancer patients. Results: UK respondents reported a continuum of practice from the provision of low doses of sedatives to control terminal restlessness to rarely encountered deep sedation. In contrast, Belgian respondents predominantly described the use of deep sedation, emphasizing the importance of responding to the patient’s request. Dutch respondents emphasized making an official medical decision informed by the patient’s wish and establishing that a refractory symptom was present. Respondents employed rationales that showed different stances towards four key issues: the preservation of consciousness, concerns about the potential hastening of death, whether they perceived continuous sedation until death as an ‘alternative’ to euthanasia and whether they sought to follow guidelines or frameworks for practice. Conclusion: This qualitative analysis suggests that there is systematic variation in end-of-life care sedation practice and its conceptualization in the United Kingdom, Belgium and the Netherlands. PMID:25062816

Physical activity level and its sociodemographic correlates in a peri-urban Nepalese population: a cross-sectional study from the Jhaukhel-Duwakot health demographic surveillance site.

PubMed

Vaidya, Abhinav; Krettek, Alexandra

2014-03-14

Physical inactivity is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular and other noncommunicable diseases in high-, low- and middle-income countries. Nepal, a low-income country in South Asia, is undergoing an epidemiological transition. Although the reported national prevalence of physical inactivity is relatively low, studies in urban and peri-urban localities have always shown higher prevalence. Therefore, this study aimed to measure physical activity in three domains-work, travel and leisure-in a peri-urban community and assess its variations across different sociodemographic correlates. Adult participants (n=640) from six randomly selected wards of the Jhaukhel-Duwakot Health Demographic Surveillance Site (JD-HDSS) near Kathmandu responded to the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. To determine total physical activity, we calculated the metabolic equivalent of task in minutes/week for each domain and combined the results. Respondents were categorized into high, moderate or low physical activity. We also calculated the odds ratio for low physical activity in various sociodemographic variables and self-reported cardiometabolic states. The urbanizing JD-HDSS community showed a high prevalence of low physical activity (43.3%; 95% CI 39.4-47.1). Work-related activity contributed most to total physical activity. Furthermore, women and housewives and older, more educated and self-or government-employed respondents showed a greater prevalence of physical inactivity. Respondents with hypertension, diabetes or overweight/obesity reported less physical activity than individuals without those conditions. Only 5% of respondents identified physical inactivity as a cardiovascular risk factor. Our findings reveal a high burden of physical inactivity in a peri-urban community of Nepal. Improving the level of physical activity involves sensitizing people to its importance through appropriate multi-sector strategies that provide encouragement across all sociodemographic groups.

“Violence. Enough already”: findings from a global participatory survey among women living with HIV

PubMed Central

Orza, Luisa; Bewley, Susan; Chung, Cecilia; Crone, E Tyler; Nagadya, Hajjarah; Vazquez, Marijo; Welbourn, Alice

2015-01-01

Introduction Women living with HIV are vulnerable to gender-based violence (GBV) before and after diagnosis, in multiple settings. This study's aim was to explore how GBV is experienced by women living with HIV, how this affects women's sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and human rights (HR), and the implications for policymakers. Methods A community-based, participatory, user-led, mixed-methods study was conducted, with women living with HIV from key affected populations. Simple descriptive frequencies were used for quantitative data. Thematic coding of open qualitative responses was performed and validated with key respondents. Results In total, 945 women living with HIV from 94 countries participated in the study. Eighty-nine percent of 480 respondents to an optional section on GBV reported having experienced or feared violence, either before, since and/or because of their HIV diagnosis. GBV reporting was higher after HIV diagnosis (intimate partner, family/neighbours, community and health settings). Women described a complex and iterative relationship between GBV and HIV occurring throughout their lives, including breaches of confidentiality and lack of SRH choice in healthcare settings, forced/coerced treatments, HR abuses, moralistic and judgemental attitudes (including towards women from key populations), and fear of losing child custody. Respondents recommended healthcare practitioners and policymakers address stigma and discrimination, training, awareness-raising, and HR abuses in healthcare settings. Conclusions Respondents reported increased GBV with partners and in families, communities and healthcare settings after their HIV diagnosis and across the life-cycle. Measures of GBV must be sought and monitored, particularly within healthcare settings that should be safe. Respondents offered policymakers a comprehensive range of recommendations to achieve their SRH and HR goals. Global guidance documents and policies are more likely to succeed for the end-users if lived experiences are used. PMID:26643458

"Violence. Enough already": findings from a global participatory survey among women living with HIV.

PubMed

Orza, Luisa; Bewley, Susan; Chung, Cecilia; Crone, E Tyler; Nagadya, Hajjarah; Vazquez, Marijo; Welbourn, Alice

2015-01-01

Women living with HIV are vulnerable to gender-based violence (GBV) before and after diagnosis, in multiple settings. This study's aim was to explore how GBV is experienced by women living with HIV, how this affects women's sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and human rights (HR), and the implications for policymakers. A community-based, participatory, user-led, mixed-methods study was conducted, with women living with HIV from key affected populations. Simple descriptive frequencies were used for quantitative data. Thematic coding of open qualitative responses was performed and validated with key respondents. In total, 945 women living with HIV from 94 countries participated in the study. Eighty-nine percent of 480 respondents to an optional section on GBV reported having experienced or feared violence, either before, since and/or because of their HIV diagnosis. GBV reporting was higher after HIV diagnosis (intimate partner, family/neighbours, community and health settings). Women described a complex and iterative relationship between GBV and HIV occurring throughout their lives, including breaches of confidentiality and lack of SRH choice in healthcare settings, forced/coerced treatments, HR abuses, moralistic and judgemental attitudes (including towards women from key populations), and fear of losing child custody. Respondents recommended healthcare practitioners and policymakers address stigma and discrimination, training, awareness-raising, and HR abuses in healthcare settings. Respondents reported increased GBV with partners and in families, communities and healthcare settings after their HIV diagnosis and across the life-cycle. Measures of GBV must be sought and monitored, particularly within healthcare settings that should be safe. Respondents offered policymakers a comprehensive range of recommendations to achieve their SRH and HR goals. Global guidance documents and policies are more likely to succeed for the end-users if lived experiences are used.

A survey of U.S. dental school programs that help students consider academic careers.

PubMed

McAndrew, Maureen; Brunson, W David; Kamboj, Karanjit

2011-11-01

The faculty shortage in dental education has been reported for many years and is expected to increase. Some dental schools have developed "grow your own" programs that introduce students to academic careers and give them teaching experiences. These programs generally consist of teaching assistant, fellowship, and peer tutoring opportunities. In this study, a nineteen-item survey was sent to fifty-six U.S. dental schools to determine the extent to which such programs were being implemented. Thirty-six out of fifty-six dental schools responded, a response rate of 64 percent. Twenty-five schools or 69 percent of the respondents reported the existence of a formal teaching assistant, fellowship, or peer tutoring program in which students teach in some capacity. The main reasons reported for implementing these programs were to expose students to academia and to address faculty shortages. The respondents reported that positive outcomes for dental student teachers and their students were academic benefits and increased interest in academic life. Among the barriers reported were securing faculty and financial support and problems with scheduling.

Adolescent Narcissism, Aggression, and Prosocial Behavior: The Relevance of Socially Desirable Responding.

PubMed

Barry, Christopher T; Lui, Joyce H L; Anderson, Alexandra C

2017-01-01

An important threat to validity in personality research pertains to an individual's motivation to respond in a socially desirable manner on self-report inventories. This issue was examined in this study in the context of narcissism, aggression, and prosocial behavior in a sample of at-risk adolescents. Participants were 161 adolescents (128 males, 29 females, 4 not reported) ranging in age from 16 to 19 years who were attending a residential program for youth who have dropped out of school. Overall, socially desirable response tendencies were negatively correlated with vulnerable narcissism and self-reported aggression. Moreover, low socially desirable responses strengthened the relation between narcissism and self-reported aggression. Socially desirable responding was not associated with self- or peer-reported prosocial behavior and did not moderate the relation between narcissism and prosocial behavior. These findings indicate that the relation between narcissism and aggression is attenuated by concerns with social desirability. However, further work is needed in broader samples of adolescents to more closely examine whether social desirability concerns actually mitigate aggression among some youth or signify underreporting of one's problem behaviors.

Health-related quality of life surveillance--United States, 1993-2002.

PubMed

Zahran, Hatice S; Kobau, Rosemarie; Moriarty, David G; Zack, Matthew M; Holt, James; Donehoo, Ralph

2005-10-28

Population-based surveillance of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is needed to promote the health and quality of life of U.S. residents and to monitor progress in achieving the two overall Healthy People 2010 goals: 1) increase the quality and years of healthy life and 2) eliminate health disparities. This report examines surveillance-based HRQOL data from 1993 through 2002. Survey data from a validated set of HRQOL measures (CDC HRQOL-4) were analyzed for 1993-2001 from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) surveys for the 50 states and the District of Columbia (DC) and for 2001-2002 from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). These measures assessed self-rated health; physically unhealthy days (i.e., the number of days during the preceding 30 days for which physical health, including physical illness and injury, was not good); mentally unhealthy days (i.e., the number of days during the preceding 30 days for which mental health, including stress, depression, and problems with emotions, was not good); and days with activity limitation (i.e., number of days during the preceding 30 days that poor physical or mental health prevented normal daily activities). A summary measure of overall unhealthy days also was computed from the sum of a respondent's physically unhealthy and mentally unhealthy days, with a maximum of 30 days. During 1993-2001, the mean number of physically unhealthy days, mentally unhealthy days, overall unhealthy days, and activity limitation days was higher after 1997 than before 1997. During 1993-1997, the percentage of respondents with zero overall unhealthy days was stable (51%-53%) but declined to 48% by 2001. The percentage of respondents with >/=14 overall unhealthy days increased from 15%-16% during 1993-1997 to 18% by 2001. Adults increasingly rated their health as fair or poor and decreasingly rated it as excellent or very good. Women, American Indians/Alaska Natives, persons of "other races," separated or divorced persons, unmarried couples, unemployed persons, those unable to work, those with a <$15,000 annual household income, and those with less than a high school education reported worse HRQOL (i.e., physically unhealthy days, mentally unhealthy days, overall unhealthy days, and activity limitation days). Older adults reported more physically unhealthy days and activity limitation days, whereas younger adults reported more mentally unhealthy days. A seasonal pattern was observed in physically unhealthy days and overall unhealthy days. During 1993-2001, BRFSS respondents in 13 states reported increasing physically unhealthy days; respondents in 13 states and DC reported increasing mentally unhealthy days; respondents in Alabama, Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Oregon reported both increasing physically and mentally unhealthy days; and respondents in 16 states and DC reported increasing activity limitation days. During 2001-2002, NHANES respondents with one or more medical conditions (e.g., arthritis or stroke) reported worse HRQOL than those without such conditions, and those with an increasing number of medical conditions reported increasingly worse HRQOL. Policy makers and researchers should continue to monitor HRQOL and its correlates in the U.S. population. In addition, public health professionals should expand monitoring to populations currently missed by existing surveys, including institutionalized and homeless persons, adolescents, and children. A key aspect is to study and identify the personal and community determinants of HRQOL in prevention research and population studies, to understand how to improve HRQOL, and to reduce HRQOL disparities. In addition, population health assessment professionals should continue to refine and validate HRQOL, functional status, and self-reported health measures.

Nonvascular thoracic magnetic resonance imaging: the current state of training, utilization, and perceived value: survey of the Society of Thoracic Radiology membership.

PubMed

Ackman, Jeanne B; Wu, Carol C; Halpern, Elkan F; Abbott, Gerald F; Shepard, Jo-Anne O

2014-07-01

The aim of the study was to determine the current state of training, utilization, and perceived value of nonvascular thoracic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The URL link for this anonymous, IRB-approved survey was e-mailed to all Society of Thoracic Radiology members with available e-mail addresses (733), of whom 693 were qualified to respond as per the survey's instructions. Survey questions focused on MRI training, interpretation volume, perceived value of thoracic MRI, and barriers to its utilization. Study data were collected and managed using Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) electronic data capture tools and analyzed with χ tests. The survey response rate was 27% (190/693). Thirty-seven percent (67/180) of respondents reported that they interpreted and reported zero thoracic MRIs and 64% (116/182) interpreted or reported <10 MRIs over the prior year. The perceived value of thoracic MRI was highest for chest wall and neurovascular involvement and evaluation of the mediastinum, particularly thymus, next highest for assessment of pleural or diaphragmatic lesions, and lowest for assessment of lung function with hyperpolarized gases. Seventy-three percent (121/166) of respondents felt it would be of value to increase utilization of thoracic MRI. Perceived obstacles to increasing thoracic MRI utilization included lack of: awareness of referring health care providers as to the value of thoracic MRI (59%, 98/166), radiologist proficiency or comfort with thoracic MRI (46%, 77/166), standardized protocols (38%, 64/166), technologist experience (38%, 63/166), and sufficient training during residency and/or fellowship (32%, 54/166). Twenty-five percent (41/166) of respondents reported insufficient thoracic MRI literature and limited CME courses and lectures in this field as an additional impediment. The majority of survey respondents reported limited experience in thoracic MRI interpretation, a recognition of thoracic MRI's value, and an interest in increasing its utilization. Improved education of radiologists, technologists, and referring clinicians would ameliorate the current state.

CPR-induced consciousness: A cross-sectional study of healthcare practitioners' experience.

PubMed

Olaussen, Alexander; Shepherd, Matthew; Nehme, Ziad; Smith, Karen; Jennings, Paul A; Bernard, Stephen; Mitra, Biswadev

2016-11-01

Consciousness may occur during effective management of cardiac arrest and ranges from eye opening to interfering with rescuers' resuscitation attempts. Reported cases in the medical literature appear scant compared to anecdotal reports. The aim of this study was to evaluate health care providers' experience with consciousness during cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR). A cross-sectional survey of 100 experienced health care professionals, including doctors, nurses and paramedics. Participants were asked about their experience with both CPR-non-interfering consciousness (e.g. eye opening, agonal breaths or mild restlessness) and CPR-interfering consciousness (e.g. purposeful movement, withdrawing from CPR, attempting to pull out airway-securing devices). A third of responders reported attending more than 100 cases of arrests, while another third had attended 20 or less arrests. The responders had a mean of 11 (SD 8.7) years of practice. Most responders (59 of 67) to the question had experienced CPR-non-interfering consciousness and reported experiencing it a median of 3 (IQR 1-5) times. CPR-interfering consciousness had been experienced by 51 of the 63 responders and was experienced overall 1 (IQR 1-3) time. Management of these cases varied widely with varied opinion on ideal management ranging from no action to sedation and/or paralysis. A guideline describing the management of this presentation was considered necessary by 40 out of 57 (70%) responders. Contrasting to a few reports in the medical literature, CPR-induced consciousness appears to be experienced more commonly during resuscitation. Management strategies varied widely and clinician opinion of ideal management was also varied. The desire for consensus guidelines on this topic exists. Acute care nurses are integral members of all resuscitation teams and in conjunction with other clinicians, ideally placed to develop, implement and disseminate such guidelines to delivering evidence based care to this sub-group of patients. Copyright © 2016 College of Emergency Nursing Australasia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How bad is bile acid diarrhoea: an online survey of patient-reported symptoms and outcomes

PubMed Central

Bannaga, Ayman; Kelman, Lawrence; O'Connor, Michelle; Pitchford, Claire; Walters, Julian R F; Arasaradnam, Ramesh P

2017-01-01

Objectives Bile acid diarrhoea (BAD) is an underdiagnosed condition producing diarrhoea, urgency and fear of faecal incontinence. How patients experience these symptoms has not previously been studied. Bile Acid Malabsorption (BAM) Support UK was established in 2015 as a national charity with objectives including to provide details regarding how BAD affects patients, to improve earlier recognition and clinical management. Design, setting and main outcome A questionnaire was collected anonymously by BAM Support UK and the Bile Salt Malabsorption Facebook group over 4 weeks at the end of 2015. It comprised 56 questions and aimed to inform patients and clinicians about how BAD affects the respondents. Results The first 100 responses were analysed. 91% of the respondents reported a diagnosis of BAD. 58% of total respondents diagnosed following a Selenium-homocholic acid taurine scan, 69% were diagnosed by a gastroenterologist, with type 2 and 3 BAD comprising 38% and 37%, respectively, of total respondents. Symptoms had been experienced for more than 5 years before diagnosis in 44% of respondents. Following treatment, usually with bile acid sequestrants, 60% of participants reported improvement of diarrhoea and most reported their mental health has been positively impacted. Just over half of the cohort felt as though their symptoms had been dismissed during clinical consultations and 28% felt their GPs were unaware of BAD. Conclusions BAD requires more recognition by clinicians to address the current delays in diagnosis. Treatment improves physical and mental symptoms in the majority of participants. PMID:28123771

Mephedrone use among same-sex attracted young people in Sydney, Australia.

PubMed

Lea, Toby; Reynolds, Robert; De Wit, John

2011-07-01

Mephedrone (4-methylmethcathinone) is a synthetic stimulant that has recently emerged as a recreational drug. There is currently no Australian data on prevalence and patterns of mephedrone use. This paper aims to explore patterns of mephedrone use among a large sample of same-sex attracted young people in Sydney, Australia. An online survey was conducted with 572 same-sex attracted men (n= 318) and women (n = 254) aged 18 to 25 years, who lived or regularly spent time in Sydney. Data on mephedrone were collected as part of a larger study exploring sexuality and nightlife. Mephedrone had been used by 4.0% (n = 23) of respondents, 2.1% (n = 12) in the preceding 6 months, 1.4% (n = 8) in the preceding month. Typical routes of use were intranasal (n = 8) and ingestion (n = 6). No respondent reported ever injecting mephedrone. Three respondents reported polydrug use with mephedrone. The most common contexts of use were respondents' homes or friends' homes (n = 8) and gay bars and clubs (n = 7). This paper reports low levels of mephedrone use among a large sample of same-sex attracted young people. The proportion of respondents who had used mephedrone was much lower than reported in recent UK research. This may suggest that mephedrone has not infiltrated the Australian market to the same extent as in Europe. However, data from annual surveillance of drug users are required to better determine this. © 2011 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

How bad is bile acid diarrhoea: an online survey of patient-reported symptoms and outcomes.

PubMed

Bannaga, Ayman; Kelman, Lawrence; O'Connor, Michelle; Pitchford, Claire; Walters, Julian R F; Arasaradnam, Ramesh P

2017-01-01

Bile acid diarrhoea (BAD) is an underdiagnosed condition producing diarrhoea, urgency and fear of faecal incontinence. How patients experience these symptoms has not previously been studied. Bile Acid Malabsorption (BAM) Support UK was established in 2015 as a national charity with objectives including to provide details regarding how BAD affects patients, to improve earlier recognition and clinical management. A questionnaire was collected anonymously by BAM Support UK and the Bile Salt Malabsorption Facebook group over 4 weeks at the end of 2015. It comprised 56 questions and aimed to inform patients and clinicians about how BAD affects the respondents. The first 100 responses were analysed. 91% of the respondents reported a diagnosis of BAD. 58% of total respondents diagnosed following a Selenium-homocholic acid taurine scan, 69% were diagnosed by a gastroenterologist, with type 2 and 3 BAD comprising 38% and 37%, respectively, of total respondents. Symptoms had been experienced for more than 5 years before diagnosis in 44% of respondents. Following treatment, usually with bile acid sequestrants, 60% of participants reported improvement of diarrhoea and most reported their mental health has been positively impacted. Just over half of the cohort felt as though their symptoms had been dismissed during clinical consultations and 28% felt their GPs were unaware of BAD. BAD requires more recognition by clinicians to address the current delays in diagnosis. Treatment improves physical and mental symptoms in the majority of participants.

Demographic and Psychological Predictors of Panel Attrition: Evidence from the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study

PubMed Central

Satherley, Nicole; Milojev, Petar; Greaves, Lara M.; Huang, Yanshu; Osborne, Danny; Bulbulia, Joseph; Sibley, Chris G.

2015-01-01

This study examines attrition rates over the first four years of the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study, a longitudinal national panel sample of New Zealand adults. We report the base rate and covariates for the following four distinct classes of respondents: explicit withdrawals, lost respondents, intermittent respondents and constant respondents. A multinomial logistic regression examined an extensive range of demographic and socio-psychological covariates (among them the Big-Six personality traits) associated with membership in these classes (N = 5,814). Results indicated that men, Māori and Asian peoples were less likely to be constant respondents. Conscientiousness and Honesty-Humility were also positively associated with membership in the constant respondent class. Notably, the effect sizes for the socio-psychological covariates of panel attrition tended to match or exceed those of standard demographic covariates. This investigation broadens the focus of research on panel attrition beyond demographics by including a comprehensive set of socio-psychological covariates. Our findings show that core psychological covariates convey important information about panel attrition, and are practically important to the management of longitudinal panel samples like the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study. PMID:25793746

Mandated Reporting Thresholds for Community Professionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crowell, Kathryn; Levi, Benjamin H.

2012-01-01

This study examines how community-based mandated reporters understand and interpret "reasonable suspicion", the standard threshold for mandated reporting of suspected child abuse. Respondents were asked to identify the probability necessary for "suspicion of child abuse" to constitute "reasonable suspicion". Data were analyzed for internal…

Does psychological distress influence reporting of demands and control at work?

PubMed Central

Waldenstrom, K; Lundberg, I; Waldenstrom, M; Harenstam, A; MOA, R

2003-01-01

Aims: To investigate whether self reporting of psychological demands and control at work is as valid for psychologically distressed subjects as for subjects with psychological wellbeing. Method: Self reported demands and control (according to the model of Karasek) were compared to expert assessments through direct observations of each subject's work conditions concerning time pressure, hindrances, qualification for work tasks, and possibility of having influence. The comparison was made between respondents reporting and not reporting psychological distress as measured by the general health questionnaire with 12 questions (GHQ-12). The sample consisted of 203 men and women in 85 occupations. Result: No systematic differences between self reported and externally assessed working conditions for respondents reporting different levels of psychological distress were found. Conclusion: Over-reporting of work demands or under-reporting of work control is unlikely at the levels of psychological distress studied. PMID:14573721

Social Studies in British Columbia: Technical Report of the 1989 Social Studies Assessment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bognar, Carl J.; And Others

In May 1989, over 100,000 British Columbia (Canada) students in grades 4, 7, and 10 took part in social studies attitude and achievement surveys. All grade 10 teachers were asked to respond to a questionnaire, as were a selected sample of grades 4 and 7 teachers. This report contains the results of that social studies assessment. The report is…

Measuring Burnout Among Psychiatry Clerkship Directors.

PubMed

Rakofsky, Jeffrey J; Dallaghan, Gary Beck; Balon, Richard

2018-02-01

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of burnout among Psychiatry clerkship directors. Psychiatry clerkship directors were solicited via email to complete an electronic version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey and the Respondent Information Form. Fifty-four out of 110 surveys (49%) were completed. Fourteen percent of respondents scored in the "high exhaustion" category, 21.6% scored in the "low professional efficacy" category, 20.4% scored in the "high cynicism" category, and 15.1% of respondents met threshold for at least two of the three categories. Those who scored in the "low professional efficacy" category reported higher levels of salary support for research, while those who scored in the "high cynicism" category reported lower levels of salary support at a trend level. Those who scored in the "high cynicism" category were younger. Approximately 14-22 percent of psychiatry clerkship directors reported some level of burnout depending on the subscale used. Future studies should aim to better identify those clerkship directors who are at greatest risk for becoming burned out by their educational role and to clarify the link between salary support for research, age, and burnout.

Selected effects of the Conservation Reserve Program on program participants: A report to survey respondents

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vandever, Mark W.; Allen, Arthur W.; Sexton, Natalie R.

2002-01-01

As a result, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was asked to survey CRP contractees on these issues. Preliminary results from this study have been furnished to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and are being considered as new conservation and management policies for the CRP are being developed (as part of the recently passed Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002). This report includes preliminary results of the study and is being sent to survey respondents. A formal publication of survey results is also being prepared and should be completed by the winter of 2002.

Exploring the Relationship Between Resilience and Ostomy Adjustment in Adults With a Permanent Ostomy.

PubMed

Scardillo, Jody; Dunn, Karen S; Piscotty, Ronald

2016-01-01

The aims of this study were to describe the relationship between resilience and ostomy adjustment in adults with permanent stomas and to determine if participants who report higher levels of resilience also report higher levels of adjustment to a permanent ostomy. Descriptive, correlational research design utilizing the Roy Adaptation Model as the theoretical framework was used. Persons with permanent stomas were recruited from ostomy support groups on the East Coast of the United States. The study sample included 48 respondents. Their mean age was 66 ± 12.7 years (mean ± SD); the majority (60.4%) were women, had an ileostomy (62.5%), and had a history of inflammatory bowel disease (62.5%). Respondents completed a questionnaire that queried demographic and pertinent clinical data, along with 2 previously validated instruments, the Resilience Scale and Ostomy Adjustment Inventory-23. The relationships between levels of resilience, levels of adjustment to an ostomy, and demographic characteristics were examined. Participants with higher levels of ostomy adjustment had higher levels of resilience than respondents who reported lower levels of ostomy adjustment (r = 0.65, P ≤ .01). Findings from this study suggest that higher levels of resilience facilitate adjustment to a permanent ostomy.

Local anesthetic use in tumescent liposuction: an American Society of Plastic Surgeons survey.

PubMed

Paik, Angie M; Daniali, Lily N; Lee, Edward S; Hsia, Henry C

2015-02-01

Current guidelines favor the use of lidocaine in liposuction wetting solutions. The use of bupivacaine as an alternative remains controversial despite reports of its use with safe and favorable outcomes suggesting faster postoperative recovery time secondary to improved pain control. The goals of this study were to determine the prevalence of bupivacaine use, examine liposuction practices of bupivacaine users, and elucidate opinions regarding bupivacaine use. An online survey was distributed to 2500 randomly selected members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Data were collected and analyzed with special attention toward the practice and opinions of bupivacaine use. The response rate of the survey met the average American Society of Plastic Surgeons online survey response rate at 12.8% (n=320). Respondents (7.2%; n=22) reported using bupivacaine in their wetting solutions (bupivacaine group) and provided a dosage range of 62.5 to 150 mg. Respondents (83.5%; n=254) reported using either lidocaine or prilocaine (no-bupivacaine group). There were no reports of bupivacaine toxicity in 2011. The demographic profile and liposuction practices of both groups were comparable. Although 36% of the no-bupivacaine group did not know or had no opinion on when it is appropriate to use bupivacaine in liposuction wetting solutions, 85% of this group has used bupivacaine for other clinical purposes. A review of 320 plastic surgeons' experiences revealed that 7% of respondents are using bupivacaine in their tumescent solutions with no reported cases of toxicity. Bupivacaine users differed dramatically only in their opinion regarding the safety of bupivacaine in tumescent liposuction. The recent studies suggesting better postoperative pain control with bupivacaine along with the proportion of respondents reporting bupivacaine use call for distinct guidelines on bupivacaine use in liposuction. Further studies, including a rigorous clinical trial documenting the safety and efficacy of bupivacaine when compared with lidocaine, would be warranted.

Sensory Behaviors in Minimally Verbal Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: How and When Do Caregivers Respond?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrop, Clare; Tu, Nicole; Landa, Rebecca; Kasier, Ann; Kasari, Connie

2018-01-01

Sensory behaviors are widely reported in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the impact of these behaviors on families remains largely unknown. This study explored how caregivers of minimally verbal children with ASD responded to their child's sensory behaviors. Using a mixed-methods approach, we examined two variables for each endorsed child…

Impact of inflammatory bowel disease on daily life: an online survey by the Korean Association for the Study of Intestinal Diseases.

PubMed

Kim, Young Sun; Jung, Sung-Ae; Lee, Kang-Moon; Park, Soo Jung; Kim, Tae Oh; Choi, Chang Hwan; Kim, Hyun Gun; Moon, Won; Moon, Chang Mo; Song, Hye Kyoung; Na, Soo-Young; Yang, Suk-Kyun

2017-07-01

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disabling gastrointestinal disorder that diminishes the quality of life of the affected individuals. Limited data are available regarding the impact of IBD on the daily life of Koreans. Self-administered, computer-aided, internet-based questionnaires were distributed to members of a Korean patient organization for IBD from March to April 2013, by the Korean Association for the Study of Intestinal Diseases. A total of 599 patients with IBD (387 with Crohn's disease [CD] and 212 with ulcerative colitis [UC]) were enrolled. The majority of patients (81%) expressed feelings of fatigue, weakness, and being worn out in their daily lives during times of flare; this percentage was reduced to 61% during remission. Respondents were absent from work or school for an average period of 18 days because of illness, within the first 6 months; the majority of respondents (64%) felt stressed about their absence. Forty-six percent of the respondents reported having received unfair comments at work, or having suffered discrimination. Forty-seven percent of the respondents felt that IBD had negatively affected their income and earnings. Compared with patients with UC, those with CD reported a more frequent negative impact of IBD on work, or more economic burden. More than half of the respondents (61%) reported that IBD had prevented them from making or keeping friends. IBD significantly impacts daily life, including work, education, and social relationships. Treatment that addresses the full spectrum of life of a patient would be more effective.

Effects of mischievous responding on universal mental health screening: I love rum raisin ice cream, really I do!

PubMed

Furlong, Michael J; Fullchange, Aileen; Dowdy, Erin

2017-09-01

Student surveys are often used for school-based mental health screening; hence, it is critical to evaluate the authenticity of information obtained via the self-report format. The objective of this study was to examine the possible effects of mischievous response patterns on school-based screening results. The present study included 1,857 high school students who completed a schoolwide screening for complete mental health. Student responses were reviewed to detect possible mischievous responses and to examine their association with other survey results. Consistent with previous research, mischievous responding was evaluated by items that are legitimate to ask of all students (e.g., How much do you weigh? and How many siblings do you have?). Responses were considered "mischievous" when a student selected multiple extreme, unusual (less than 5% incidence) response options, such as weighing more than 225 pounds and having 10 or more siblings. Only 1.8% of the students responded in extreme ways to 2 or more of 7 mischievous response items. When compared with other students, the mischievous responders were less likely to declare that they answered items honestly, were more likely to finish the survey in less than 10 min, reported lower levels of life satisfaction and school connectedness, and reported higher levels of emotional and behavioral distress. When applying a dual-factor mental health screening framework to the responses, mischievous responders were less likely to be categorized as having complete mental health. Implications for school-based mental health screening are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

The impact of breast cancer on employment among Japanese women.

PubMed

Saito, Nobue; Takahashi, Miyako; Sairenchi, Toshimi; Muto, Takashi

2014-01-01

Breast cancer (BC) is a cancer that affects working age women in Japan. The aim of this study was to examine the impact that BC has on the work-related life of Japanese women and identify factors that correlate with job resignation. A cross-sectional Internet survey of cancer survivors in Japan was conducted from December 2011 to February 2012. The questionnaire included questions regarding demographic characteristics, impact of cancer diagnosis and treatment on job resignation and consultation behavior of respondents regarding work-related issues. This study reports results obtained from 105 respondents with BC. The mean age of respondents at diagnosis was 42.5 ± 6.4 years, and the median time since diagnosis was 40 months. Thirty-one respondents (29.5%) lost their jobs, and 12 could not find another job after BC diagnosis. Nearly half of the respondents (47.6%) reported a decrease in personal income after diagnosis. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that contract or part time workers were significantly more likely to lose their jobs compared with regular, full time workers (odds ratio, 2.52; 95% confidence interval, 1.39 to 4.55; p<0.001). Seventy-nine respondents (75.2%) consulted someone regarding work-related issues. The most frequently consulted person was the boss at the workplace. Our findings suggest that women with BC experience various job-related problems. In order to create a supportive work environment for BC survivors, focus should be placed on facilitating communication and coordination between BC survivors, healthcare providers and coworkers.

Food outlet visits, physical activity and body weight: variations by gender and race-ethnicity.

PubMed

Frank, L; Kerr, J; Saelens, B; Sallis, J; Glanz, K; Chapman, J

2009-02-01

Recent evidence documents significant associations between community design, physical activity and obesity when adjusting for demographic covariates. Yet it is well understood that energy imbalance and weight gain are also a function of dietary patterns, and perhaps the degree of access to healthy food choices. The current study builds upon the Atlanta-based SMARTRAQ study of over 10,000 respondents and reports an integrated assessment of obesity impacts of physical activity and food outlet visitation. Respondents in the SMARTRAQ survey aged 25-65 provided BMI, self-reported physical activity levels (IPAQ), demographic factors, and where they went for food over a 2 day period. The relative effect of physical activity, neighbourhood walkability, and food outlet visitation on BMI differed significantly across gender and ethnicity. BMI in females increased with fast food and decreased with grocery store visitation and physical activity, but not with walkability or walking. BMI in males was not related to where they went for food but decreased with walking and overall physical activity and with walkability. Fast food visitation was associated with increased BMI in white respondents and grocery store visitation with decreased BMI in black respondents. Meeting moderate activity guidelines was associated with lower BMI in both black and white respondents, yet walking was only significant in predicting reduced BMI in white respondents. Obesity influences of physical activity, walkability, and where people go for food differ significantly across gender and ethnicity and offer important policy implications and insights for future research.

Determination of patellofemoral pain sub-groups and development of a method for predicting treatment outcome using running gait kinematics.

PubMed

Watari, Ricky; Kobsar, Dylan; Phinyomark, Angkoon; Osis, Sean; Ferber, Reed

2016-10-01

Not all patients with patellofemoral pain exhibit successful outcomes following exercise therapy. Thus, the ability to identify patellofemoral pain subgroups related to treatment response is important for the development of optimal therapeutic strategies to improve rehabilitation outcomes. The purpose of this study was to use baseline running gait kinematic and clinical outcome variables to classify patellofemoral pain patients on treatment response retrospectively. Forty-one individuals with patellofemoral pain that underwent a 6-week exercise intervention program were sub-grouped as treatment Responders (n=28) and Non-responders (n=13) based on self-reported measures of pain and function. Baseline three-dimensional running kinematics, and self-reported measures underwent a linear discriminant analysis of the principal components of the variables to retrospectively classify participants based on treatment response. The significance of the discriminant function was verified with a Wilk's lambda test (α=0.05). The model selected 2 gait principal components and had a 78.1% classification accuracy. Overall, Non-responders exhibited greater ankle dorsiflexion, knee abduction and hip flexion during the swing phase and greater ankle inversion during the stance phase, compared to Responders. This is the first study to investigate an objective method to use baseline kinematic and self-report outcome variables to classify on patellofemoral pain treatment outcome. This study represents a significant first step towards a method to help clinicians make evidence-informed decisions regarding optimal treatment strategies for patients with patellofemoral pain. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Validation of questionnaire-reported hearing with medical records: A report from the Swiss Childhood Cancer Survivor Study

PubMed Central

Scheinemann, Katrin; Grotzer, Michael; Kompis, Martin; Kuehni, Claudia E.

2017-01-01

Background Hearing loss is a potential late effect after childhood cancer. Questionnaires are often used to assess hearing in large cohorts of childhood cancer survivors and it is important to know if they can provide valid measures of hearing loss. We therefore assessed agreement and validity of questionnaire-reported hearing in childhood cancer survivors using medical records as reference. Procedure In this validation study, we studied 361 survivors of childhood cancer from the Swiss Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (SCCSS) who had been diagnosed after 1989 and had been exposed to ototoxic cancer treatment. Questionnaire-reported hearing was compared to the information in medical records. Hearing loss was defined as ≥ grade 1 according to the SIOP Boston Ototoxicity Scale. We assessed agreement and validity of questionnaire-reported hearing overall and stratified by questionnaire respondents (survivor or parent), sociodemographic characteristics, time between follow-up and questionnaire and severity of hearing loss. Results Questionnaire reports agreed with medical records in 85% of respondents (kappa 0.62), normal hearing was correctly assessed in 92% of those with normal hearing (n = 249), and hearing loss was correctly assessed in 69% of those with hearing loss (n = 112). Sensitivity of the questionnaires was 92%, 74%, and 39% for assessment of severe, moderate and mild bilateral hearing loss; and 50%, 33% and 10% for severe, moderate and mild unilateral hearing loss, respectively. Results did not differ by sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents, and survivor- and parent-reports were equally valid. Conclusions Questionnaires are a useful tool to assess hearing in large cohorts of childhood cancer survivors, but underestimate mild and unilateral hearing loss. Further research should investigate whether the addition of questions with higher sensitivity for mild degrees of hearing loss could improve the results. PMID:28333999

Secondhand smoke in the operating room? Precautionary practices lacking for surgical smoke.

PubMed

Steege, Andrea L; Boiano, James M; Sweeney, Marie H

2016-11-01

Consensus organizations, government bodies, and healthcare organization guidelines recommend that surgical smoke be evacuated at the source by local exhaust ventilation (LEV) (i.e., smoke evacuators or wall suctions with inline filters). Data are from NIOSH's Health and Safety Practices Survey of Healthcare Workers module on precautionary practices for surgical smoke. Four thousand five hundred thirty-three survey respondents reported exposure to surgical smoke: 4,500 during electrosurgery; 1,392 during laser surgery procedures. Respondents were mainly nurses (56%) and anesthesiologists (21%). Only 14% of those exposed during electrosurgery reported LEV was always used during these procedures, while 47% reported use during laser surgery. Those reporting LEV was always used were also more likely to report training and employer standard procedures addressing the hazards of surgical smoke. Few respondents reported use of respiratory protection. Study findings can be used to raise awareness of the marginal use of exposure controls and impediments for their use. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:1020-1031, 2016. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Dietary Supplements: Knowledge and Adverse Event Reporting Among American Medical Society for Sports Medicine Physicians.

PubMed

Pascale, Blaise; Steele, Clay; Attipoe, Selasi; OʼConnor, Francis G; Deuster, Patricia A

2016-03-01

Certain dietary supplements (DSs) used by military populations pose a threat to overall readiness. This study assessed members of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) regarding their knowledge of DS use among their patients and reporting of suspected adverse events. A thirteen-question retrospective, cross-sectional, Web-based survey sought data on practices regarding DSs and adverse event reporting. Anonymous Web-based survey. Military and civilian sports medicine physicians. The primary finding of the study was how frequently practitioners report adverse events associated with DS use. A total of 311 physicians responded to the survey. Only 51% of respondents had a reliable source for information on DS safety and 58% routinely discussed DS use with their patients. Although a majority (71%) of respondents had encountered adverse events associated with DS use, few of those (10%) confirmed reporting such events. Reasons that physicians did not report adverse events were lack of knowledge regarding where to report (68%), how to report (61%), and availability of time (9%). Our results indicate that some AMSSM physicians are familiar with DSs and have encountered adverse events associated with their use. However, reporting of these adverse events to the appropriate agency is minimal at best. The significant gaps in physician knowledge regarding how and where to report such events indicate a need to educate physicians on this subject. The findings of this survey indicate the need for provider education on reporting adverse events associated with DS use. Although reporting of adverse events is essential for removing harmful DSs from the market, a majority of physicians have limited knowledge on this issue. Moreover, the survey provides insight into the barriers to physician reporting of adverse events.

Reported Prevalence of Evidence-Based Instructional Practices by Special Educators in the Czech Republic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Mark; Strnadova, Iva; Stephenson, Jennifer

2012-01-01

The reported level of use of eight instructional strategies in a sample of 531 special educators in the Czech Republic was examined in this study. Consistent with recent parallel studies in North America and Australia, the respondents reported that they used a combination of evidence-based instructional practices (such as direct instruction and…

28 CFR 115.164 - Staff first responder duties.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Staff first responder duties. 115.164... NATIONAL STANDARDS Standards for Lockups Official Response Following A Detainee Report § 115.164 Staff... first law enforcement staff member to respond to the report shall be required to: (1) Separate the...

28 CFR 115.164 - Staff first responder duties.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Staff first responder duties. 115.164... NATIONAL STANDARDS Standards for Lockups Official Response Following A Detainee Report § 115.164 Staff... first law enforcement staff member to respond to the report shall be required to: (1) Separate the...

28 CFR 115.164 - Staff first responder duties.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Staff first responder duties. 115.164... NATIONAL STANDARDS Standards for Lockups Official Response Following A Detainee Report § 115.164 Staff... first law enforcement staff member to respond to the report shall be required to: (1) Separate the...

Resident Use of Text Messaging for Patient Care: Ease of Use or Breach of Privacy?

PubMed

Prochaska, Micah T; Bird, Amber-Nicole; Chadaga, Amar; Arora, Vineet M

2015-11-26

Short message service (SMS) text messaging is an efficient form of communication and pervasive in health care, but may not securely protect patient information. It is unclear if resident providers are aware of the security concerns of SMS text messaging when communicating about patient care. We sought to compare residents' preferences for SMS text messaging compared with other forms of in-hospital communication when considering security versus ease of use. This study was a cross-sectional multi-institutional survey of internal medicine residents. Residents ranked different communication modalities based on efficiency, ease of use, and security using a Likert scale. Communication options included telephone, email, hospital paging, and SMS text messaging. Respondents also reported whether they had received confidential patient identifiers through any of these modalities. SMS text messaging was preferred by 71.7% (94/131) of respondents because of its efficiency and by 79.8% (103/129) of respondents because of its ease of use. For security, 82.5% (104/126) of respondents preferred the hospital paging system, whereas only 20.6% (26/126) of respondents preferred SMS text messaging for secure communication. In all, 70.9% (93/131) of respondents reported having received patient identifiers (first and/or last name), 81.7% (107/131) reported receiving patient initials, and 50.4% (66/131) reported receiving a patient's medical record number through SMS text messages. Residents prefer in-hospital communication through SMS text messaging because of its ease of use and efficiency. Despite security concerns, the majority of residents reported receiving confidential patient information through SMS text messaging. For providers, it is possible that the benefits of improved in-hospital communication with SMS text messaging and the presumed improvement in the coordination and delivery of patient care outweigh security concerns they may have. The tension between the security and convenience of SMS text messaging may represent an educational opportunity to ensure the compliance of mobile technology in the health care setting.

Vaccine financing and billing in practices serving adult patients: A follow-up survey.

PubMed

Lindley, Megan C; Hurley, Laura P; Beaty, Brenda L; Allison, Mandy A; Crane, Lori A; Brtnikova, Michaela; Snow, Megan; Bridges, Carolyn B; Kempe, Allison

2018-02-14

Financial concerns are often cited by physicians as a barrier to administering routinely recommended vaccines to adults. The purpose of this study was to assess perceived payments and profit from administering recommended adult vaccines and vaccine purchasing practices among general internal medicine (GIM) and family medicine (FM) practices in the United States. We conducted an interviewer-administered survey from January-June 2014 of practices stratified by specialty (FM or GIM), affiliation (standalone or ≥ 2 practice sites), and level of financial decision-making (independent or larger system level) in FM and GIM practices that responded to a previous survey on adult vaccine financing and provided contact information for follow-up. Practice personnel identified as knowledgeable about vaccine financing and billing responded to questions about payments relative to vaccine purchase price and payment for vaccine administration, perceived profit on vaccination, claim denial, and utilization of various purchasing strategies for private vaccine stocks. Survey items on payment and perceived profit were assessed for various public and private payer types. Descriptive statistics were calculated and responses compared by physician specialty, practice affiliation, and level of financial decision-making. Of 242 practices approached, 43% (n = 104) completed the survey. Reported payment levels and perceived profit varied by payer type. Only for preferred provider organizations did a plurality of respondents report profiting on adult vaccination services. Over half of respondents reported losing money vaccinating adult Medicaid beneficiaries. One-quarter to one-third of respondents reported not knowing about Medicare Part D payment levels for vaccine purchase and vaccine administration, respectively. Few respondents reported negotiating with manufacturers or insurance plans on vaccine purchase prices or payments for vaccination. Practices vaccinating adults may benefit from education and technical assistance related to vaccine financing and billing and greater use of purchasing strategies to decrease upfront vaccine cost. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Treatment practices for Chiari malformation type I with syringomyelia: results of a survey of the American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgeons.

PubMed

Rocque, Brandon G; George, Timothy M; Kestle, John; Iskandar, Bermans J

2011-11-01

The purpose of this study was to report the results of a survey of the American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgeons (ASPN) on treatment of Chiari malformation Type I (CM-I) with syringomyelia. A questionnaire was circulated during the 2006 meeting of the ASPN, in which surgeons were surveyed on their management of patients with CM-I and syringomyelia. The survey consisted of questions about 4 clinical scenarios, common causes of surgical failures, and complications. There were 72 respondents, representing more than 90% of attendees at the 2006 ASPN meeting and approximately half of the society's members. The majority of respondents (85%) reported that they perform posterior fossa decompression as first-line treatment for CM-I with syringomyelia. Seven percent perform bony decompression alone, 36% open the dura, and 27% shrink the tonsils. Very few respondents indicated that they offer syrinx drainage as first-line therapy (< 3%). Although all respondents reported that they treat symptomatic CM-I/syringomyelia patients surgically, 15% of respondents indicated that they do not operate on asymptomatic patients. Finally, respondents stated that their most common complications are pseudomeningocele and chemical meningitis. This survey, given to a representative group of experienced North American pediatric neurosurgeons, confirms that posterior fossa decompression is still the preferred treatment modality in children with CM-I and syringomyelia, regardless of symptoms. Although most surgeons open the dura, preferred techniques for decompression vary. In contrast to the results of past surveys, conservative follow-up is now only used by a minority of respondents and only in the asymptomatic patient, and primary syrinx drainage seems to have lost popularity. A multicenter trial of surgical outcomes has been designed based on the information from this survey.

Determinants of climate change awareness level in upper Nyakach Division, Kisumu County, Kenya.

PubMed

Ajuang, Chadwick O; Abuom, Paul O; Bosire, Esna K; Dida, Gabriel O; Anyona, Douglas N

2016-01-01

Improving the understanding of climate change awareness is one of the top priorities in climate change research. While the African continent is among the regions with the highest vulnerability to climate change, research on climate knowledge and awareness is lacking. Kenya is already grappling with the impacts of climate change, which are projected to increase in a non-linear and non-predictable manner. This study sought to determine climate change awareness levels among households residing in Upper Nyakach Division, Kisumu County, Kenya using common climate change markers viz heavy rainfall, floods, droughts and temperature. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted in which 384 household heads were selected as respondents from 11 sub-locations; all located within Upper Nyakach Division. A questionnaire was used to collect data. Most (90.9 %) respondents had observed changes in the overall climate. Awareness level of climate change varied significantly across the 11 sub-locations. To further gain insight unto which variables were the most significant determinant of climate change awareness in upper Nyakach division, Kisumu county, a Generalized Linear Model (GLM) with Poisson error distribution was built. The model indicated that sex of the household head, education level and age significantly influenced respondents' awareness to climate change markers. Most (87 %) households reported rising temperatures over the past 20 years. Over half (55.2 %) the respondents had observed declining rains, with significant differences being observed across age groups. Up to 75 % of the respondents reported increased droughts frequency over the last 20 years, with significant differences observed across gender. Most (86.7 %) respondents reported having observed changes in water sources with significant differences reported across age groups. The respondents reported an increased prevalence of malaria with significant differences being observed among the education levels and households' main livelihoods. The general population of the Upper Nyakach Divison is aware of changing global climate. However, more effort is required in mitigating climate change as per the local settings. Awareness campaign aimed at increasing knowledge of climate change markers among community members is recommended.

Injury risks of EMS responders: evidence from the National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System

PubMed Central

Taylor, Jennifer A; Davis, Andrea L; Barnes, Brittany; Lacovara, Alicia V; Patel, Reema

2015-01-01

Objectives We analysed near-miss and injury events reported to the National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System (NFFNMRS) to investigate the workplace hazards and safety concerns of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) responders in the USA. Methods We reviewed 769 ‘non-fire emergency event’ reports from the NFFNMRS using a mixed methods approach. We identified 185 emergency medical calls and analysed their narrative text fields. We assigned Mechanism of Near-Miss/Injury and Nature of Injury codes and then tabulated frequencies (quantitative). We coded major themes regarding work hazards and safety concerns reported by the EMS responders (qualitative). Results Of the 185 emergency medical calls, the most commonly identified Mechanisms of Near-Miss/Injury to EMS responders was Assaults, followed by Struck-by Motor Vehicle, and Motor Vehicle Collision. The most commonly identified weapon used in an assault was a firearm. We identified 5 major domains of workplace hazards and safety concerns: Assaults by Patients, Risks from Motor Vehicles, Personal Protective Equipment, Relationships between Emergency Responders, and Policies, Procedures and Practices. Conclusions Narrative text from the NFFNMRS is a rich source of data that can be analysed quantitatively and qualitatively to provide insight into near-misses and injuries sustained by EMS responders. Near-miss reporting systems are critical components for occupational hazard surveillance. PMID:26068510

Cross-sectional study examining four types of male penile and urethral "play".

PubMed

Rinard, Katherine; Nelius, Thomas; Hogan, LaMicha; Young, Cathy; Roberts, Alden E; Armstrong, Myrna L

2010-12-01

To provide further quantitative and qualitative evidence about men who insert foreign liquids and objects into their penis and/or urethra. As part of a larger, cross-sectional study examining men (n = 445) with genital piercings (GP), 2 questions inquired whether the respondents had penile tattoos and/or inserted other materials, such as fluids and foreign objects, into their penis and urethra. Four different practices have been described in the literature: embedding (a) foreign objects and/or (b) liquids subcutaneously into penile tissue, as well as inserting (c) liquids and/or (d) foreign objects into the urethra. In our study, 354 (78%) men with GP responded to the 2 questions; 85 (24%) replied affirmatively and 68 (80%) provided comments. Respondents coined their practices penile and/or urethral "play." Two respondents embedded metal balls into their penis, 1 at age 13 injected water for penis enlargement; 11 inserted liquids into the urethra, and 63 reported insertion of 32 different objects, frequently urethral sounds or "sounding" (n = 33/52%) were mentioned. Major motivation themes focused on sexual stimulation and experimentation. Penile tattoos (n = 14) were also reported, mainly for esthetics. Few complications or STDs were reported. Basic demographic assumptions of those who participate in these actions were challenged, and this study provides evidence of a wider distribution of men using penile or urethral play, and "sounding." Clinician awareness of these practices are important to obtain accurate health histories, manage genitourinary tract complications, as well as provide applicable patient education. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Care Coordination for the Chronically Ill: Understanding the Patient's Perspective

PubMed Central

Maeng, Daniel D; Martsolf, Grant R; Scanlon, Dennis P; Christianson, Jon B

2012-01-01

Objective To identify factors associated with perception of care coordination problems among chronically ill patients. Methods Patient-level data were obtained from a random-digit dial telephone survey of adults with chronic conditions. The survey measured respondents' self-report of care coordination problems and level of patient activation, using the Patient Activation Measure (PAM-13). Logistic regression was used to assess association between respondents' self-report of care coordination problems and a set of patient characteristics. Results Respondents in the highest activation stage had roughly 30–40 percent lower odds of reporting care coordination problems compared to those in the lowest stage (p < .01). Respondents with multiple chronic conditions were significantly more likely to report coordination problems than those with hypertension only. Respondents' race/ethnicity, employment, insurance status, income, and length of illness were not significantly associated with self-reported care coordination problems. Conclusion We conclude that patient activation and complexity of chronic illness are strongly associated with patients' self-report of care coordination problems. Developing targeted strategies to improve care coordination around these patient characteristics may be an effective way to address the issue. PMID:22985032

Characterizing Hospital Workers' Willingness to Respond to a Radiological Event

PubMed Central

Balicer, Ran D.; Catlett, Christina L.; Barnett, Daniel J.; Thompson, Carol B.; Hsu, Edbert B.; Morton, Melinda J.; Semon, Natalie L.; Watson, Christopher M.; Gwon, Howard S.; Links, Jonathan M.

2011-01-01

Introduction Terrorist use of a radiological dispersal device (RDD, or “dirty bomb”), which combines a conventional explosive device with radiological materials, is among the National Planning Scenarios of the United States government. Understanding employee willingness to respond is critical for planning experts. Previous research has demonstrated that perception of threat and efficacy is key in the assessing willingness to respond to a RDD event. Methods An anonymous online survey was used to evaluate the willingness of hospital employees to respond to a RDD event. Agreement with a series of belief statements was assessed, following a methodology validated in previous work. The survey was available online to all 18,612 employees of the Johns Hopkins Hospital from January to March 2009. Results Surveys were completed by 3426 employees (18.4%), whose demographic distribution was similar to overall hospital staff. 39% of hospital workers were not willing to respond to a RDD scenario if asked but not required to do so. Only 11% more were willing if required. Workers who were hesitant to agree to work additional hours when required were 20 times less likely to report during a RDD emergency. Respondents who perceived their peers as likely to report to work in a RDD emergency were 17 times more likely to respond during a RDD event if asked. Only 27.9% of the hospital employees with a perception of low efficacy declared willingness to respond to a severe RDD event. Perception of threat had little impact on willingness to respond among hospital workers. Conclusions Radiological scenarios such as RDDs are among the most dreaded emergency events yet studied. Several attitudinal indicators can help to identify hospital employees unlikely to respond. These risk-perception modifiers must then be addressed through training to enable effective hospital response to a RDD event. PMID:22046238

Attention and emotion: does rating emotion alter neural responses to amusing and sad films?

PubMed

Hutcherson, C A; Goldin, P R; Ochsner, K N; Gabrieli, J D; Barrett, L Feldman; Gross, J J

2005-09-01

Functional neuroimaging of affective systems often includes subjective self-report of the affective response. Although self-report provides valuable information regarding participants' affective responses, prior studies have raised the concern that the attentional demands of reporting on affective experience may obscure neural activations reflecting more natural affective responses. In the present study, we used potent emotion-eliciting amusing and sad films, employed a novel method of continuous self-reported rating of emotion experience, and compared the impact of rating with passive viewing of amusing and sad films. Subjective rating of ongoing emotional responses did not decrease either self-reported experience of emotion or neural activations relative to passive viewing in any brain regions. Rating, relative to passive viewing, produced increased activity in anterior cingulate, insula, and several other areas associated with introspection of emotion. These results support the use of continuous emotion measures and emotionally engaging films to study the dynamics of emotional responding and suggest that there may be some contexts in which the attention to emotion induced by reporting emotion experience does not disrupt emotional responding either behaviorally or neurally.

Comparison of response rates on invitation mode of a web-based survey on influenza vaccine adverse events among healthcare workers: a pilot study.

PubMed

Tai, Xiaochen; Smith, Alanna M; McGeer, Allison J; Dubé, Eve; Holness, Dorothy Linn; Katz, Kevin; McGillis Hall, Linda; McNeil, Shelly A; Powis, Jeff; Coleman, Brenda L

2018-06-20

Web-based surveys have become increasingly popular but response rates are low and may be prone to selection bias. How people are invited to participate may impact response rates and needs further study as previous evidence is contradictory. The purpose of this study was to determine whether response to a web-based survey of healthcare workers would be higher with a posted or an emailed invitation. We also report results of the pilot study, which aims to estimate the percentage of adults vaccinated against influenza who report recurrent systemic adverse events (the same systemic adverse event occurring successively following receipt of influenza vaccines). The pilot study was conducted in November 2016 in Toronto, Canada. Members of a registry of adults (18 years and older and predominantly healthcare workers) who volunteered to receive information regarding future studies about influenza were randomly assigned to receive either an email or postal invitation to complete a web-based survey regarding influenza vaccinations. Non-respondents received one reminder using the same mode of contact as their original invitation. The overall response rate was higher for those sent the invitation by email (34.8%) than by post (25.8%; p < 0.001) and for older versus younger participants (p trend  < 0.001). Of those who responded, 387/401 had been vaccinated against influenza at least once since adulthood. Of those responding to the question, 70/386 (18.1%) reported a systemic adverse event after their most recent influenza vaccine including 22 (5.7%) who reported a recurring systemic event. Systemic adverse events were reported more often by males 18-49 years old than by other groups (p = 0.01). Recurrent systemic adverse events were similar by age and sex with muscle ache being the most commonly reported recurrent reaction. More respondents who reported only a local adverse event (93.1%) planned to be vaccinated again next year than those with a systemic adverse event (69.7%; p = 0.04). In this convenience sample of registry volunteers, response rates were generally low, but were higher for the emailed than posted invitations and for older than younger adults.

Patient-Provider Discussions About Strategies to Limit Air Pollution Exposures.

PubMed

Mirabelli, Maria C; Damon, Scott A; Beavers, Suzanne F; Sircar, Kanta D

2018-06-11

Exposure to air pollution negatively affects respiratory and cardiovascular health. The objective of this study was to describe the extent to which health professionals report talking about how to limit exposure to air pollution during periods of poor air quality with their at-risk patients. In 2015, a total of 1,751 health professionals completed an online survey and reported whether they talk with their patients about limiting their exposure to air pollution. In 2017, these data were analyzed to assess the frequency that health professionals in primary care, pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, and nursing reported talking about limiting air pollution exposure with patients who have respiratory or cardiovascular diseases, were aged ≤18 years, were aged ≥65 years, or were pregnant women. Frequencies of positive responses were assessed across categories of provider- and practice-level characteristics. Overall, 714 (41%) respondents reported ever talking with their patients about limiting their exposure to air pollution. Thirty-four percent and 16% of providers specifically reported talking with their patients with respiratory or cardiovascular disease diagnoses, respectively. Percentages of health professionals who reported talking with their patients about limiting air pollution exposure were highest among respondents in pediatrics (56%) and lowest among respondents in obstetrics/gynecology (0%). Despite the well-described health effects of exposure to air pollution, the majority of respondents did not report talking with their patients about limiting their exposure to air pollution. These findings reveal clear opportunities to improve awareness about strategies to limit air pollution exposure among sensitive groups of patients and their health care providers. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Treatment outcomes, quality of life, and impact of hemophilia on young adults (aged 18-30 years) with hemophilia.

PubMed

Witkop, Michelle; Guelcher, Christine; Forsyth, Angela; Hawk, Sarah; Curtis, Randall; Kelley, Laureen; Frick, Neil; Rice, Michelle; Rosu, Gabriela; Cooper, David L

2015-12-01

The Hemophilia Experiences, Results and Opportunities (HERO) initiative assessed psychosocial issues reported by people with moderate to severe hemophilia and was led by a multidisciplinary international advisory board. This analysis reports data from young adult respondents (aged 18-30 years), including both US and overall global (including US respondents) results, and investigates treatment outcomes, quality of life, and impacts of hemophilia on relationships. More young adults in HERO received prophylaxis than on-demand treatment, although a majority reported not using factor products exactly as prescribed, and 50% of global respondents and 26% of US respondents reported issues with access to factor replacement therapy in the previous 5 years. Many young adults with hemophilia reported comorbidities, including bone/skeletal arthritis, chronic pain, and viral infections, and nearly half of young adults reported anxiety/depression. Most reported pain interference with daily activities in the past 4 weeks, although a majority reported participating in lower-risk activities and approximately half in intermediate-risk activities. Most young adults were very or quite satisfied with the support of partners/spouses, family, and friends, although roughly one-third reported that hemophilia affected their ability to develop close relationships with a partner. A majority of young adults reported that hemophilia has had a negative impact on employment, and 62% of global respondents and 78% of US respondents were employed at least part-time. Together these data highlight the psychosocial issues experienced by young adults with hemophilia and suggest that increased focus on these issues may improve comprehensive care during the transition to adulthood. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Knowledge of Surgery-Related Allergic Contact Dermatitis among Florida Dermatological Surgeons

PubMed Central

Rouhani, Panta; Kirsner, Robert S.; Amado, Antoine; Fleming, Lora E.; Nouri, Keyvan

2009-01-01

Objective. To assess knowledge base and practice habits of dermatological surgeons regarding surgery-related allergic contact dermatitis. Design. Cross-sectional study. Setting. The Florida Society of Dermatologic Surgery served as the study group. Participants. Cohort of dermatological surgeons. Measurements. An anonymous, close-ended survey instrument eliciting common surgical practices as well as allergic contact dermatitis knowledge. Results. Among the 45 respondents, 87 percent reported performing surgery more than 10 times per week and only 14 percent of respondents reported using latex-free gloves in their practice. Nearly two-thirds (66%) of respondents reported diagnosing allergic contact dermatitis either among themselves, their surgical staff, and/or patients. Surgeons were noted to use the TRUE Test® to screen for adhesive allergy. While colophony can be found both in adhesive products and on the TRUE Test, the main adhesives found in perisurgical products, acrylates, cannot. Similarly, the TRUE Test does not screen for antiseptics, yet this group of respondents suspected antiseptics nearly one-fourth of the time and used the TRUE Test to screen for them. Lastly, six dermatological surgeons used the TRUE Test to screen for suture allergy. While only two used chromated cat gut (the TRUE Test screens for chromium), the other surgical components are not screened. Conclusion. Education among dermatological surgeons is needed regarding exposure to a potential allergen in the surgical setting and risk of developing allergic contact dermatitis. PMID:20725578

Sexual orientation health inequality: Evidence from Understanding Society, the UK Longitudinal Household Study.

PubMed

Booker, Cara L; Rieger, Gerulf; Unger, Jennifer B

2017-08-01

Few studies from the United Kingdom have fully investigated inequalities between members of different sexual minority groups and heterosexuals over range of health outcomes. Using data from over 40,000 individuals, this study explores the health inequalities of sexual minority UK adults. We include respondents who identify as other and those who prefer not to say (PNS). Data come from wave three (2011-2012) of the nationally-representative Understanding Society, the UK Household Longitudinal Study. Sexual orientation was asked in the self-completion portion of the study. Markers of health include physical and mental functioning, minor psychological distress, self-rated health, substance use and disability. Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses tested for differences in markers of health between sexual orientation groups. Overall, heterosexual respondents had the best health while bisexual respondents had the worst. Gay and lesbian respondents reported poorer health than heterosexuals, specifically with regards to mental functioning, distress and illness status. The other and PNS respondents were most similar to each other and generally experienced fewer health inequalities than gay and lesbian respondents; they were less likely to use tobacco or alcohol. In sum, sexual minorities experience health inequality. The inclusion of other and PNS respondents has not been done in other studies and shows that while they may be healthier than gay/lesbian and bisexual respondents they still experiences poorer health than heterosexuals. Health promotion interventions are needed for these other and PNS individuals, who might not participate in interventions targeted toward known sexual minority groups. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Human rights violations and smoking status among South African adults enrolled in the South Africa Stress and Health (SASH) study.

PubMed

Dutra, Lauren M; Williams, David R; Gupta, Jhumka; Kawachi, Ichiro; Okechukwu, Cassandra A

2014-03-01

Despite South Africa's history of violent political conflict, and the link between stressful experiences and smoking in the literature, no public health study has examined South Africans' experiences of human rights violations and smoking. Using data from participants in the nationally representative cross-sectional South Africa Stress and Health study (SASH), this analysis examined the association between respondent smoking status and both human rights violations experienced by the respondent and violations experienced by the respondents' close friends and family members. SAS-Callable SUDAAN was used to construct separate log-binomial models by political affiliation during apartheid (government or liberation supporters). In comparison to those who reported no violations, in adjusted analyses, government supporters who reported violations of themselves but not others (RR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.25-2.46) had a significantly higher smoking prevalence. In comparison to liberation supporters who reported no violations, those who reported violations of self only (RR = 1.56, 95%CI: 1.07-2.29), close others only (RR = 1.97, 95%CI: 1.12-3.47), or violations of self and close others due to close others' political beliefs and the respondent's political beliefs (RR = 2.86, 95%CI: 1.70-4.82) had a significantly higher prevalence of smoking. The results of this analysis suggest that a relationship may exist between human rights violations and smoking among South Africa adults. Future research should use longitudinal data to assess causality, test the generalizability of these findings, and consider how to apply these findings to smoking cessation interventions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving Situational Awareness for First Responders via Mobile Computing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Betts, Bradley J.; Mah, Robert W.; Papasin, Richard; Del Mundo, Rommel; McIntosh, Dawn M.; Jorgensen, Charles

2005-01-01

This project looks to improve first responder situational awareness using tools and techniques of mobile computing. The prototype system combines wireless communication, real-time location determination, digital imaging, and three-dimensional graphics. Responder locations are tracked in an outdoor environment via GPS and uploaded to a central server via GPRS or an 802.11 network. Responders can also wirelessly share digital images and text reports, both with other responders and with the incident commander. A pre-built three dimensional graphics model of a particular emergency scene is used to visualize responder and report locations. Responders have a choice of information end points, ranging from programmable cellular phones to tablet computers. The system also employs location-aware computing to make responders aware of particular hazards as they approach them. The prototype was developed in conjunction with the NASA Ames Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team and has undergone field testing during responder exercise at NASA Ames.

Improving Situational Awareness for First Responders via Mobile Computing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Betts, Bradley J.; Mah, Robert W.; Papasin, Richard; Del Mundo, Rommel; McIntosh, Dawn M.; Jorgensen, Charles

2006-01-01

This project looks to improve first responder incident command, and an appropriately managed flow of situational awareness using mobile computing techniques. The prototype system combines wireless communication, real-time location determination, digital imaging, and three-dimensional graphics. Responder locations are tracked in an outdoor environment via GPS and uploaded to a central server via GPRS or an 802. II network. Responders can also wireless share digital images and text reports, both with other responders and with the incident commander. A pre-built three dimensional graphics model of the emergency scene is used to visualize responder and report locations. Responders have a choice of information end points, ranging from programmable cellular phones to tablet computers. The system also employs location-aware computing to make responders aware of particular hazards as they approach them. The prototype was developed in conjunction with the NASA Ames Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team and has undergone field testing during responder exercises at NASA Ames.

African American Women’s Reports of Racism during Hurricane Katrina: Variation by Interviewer Race

PubMed Central

Lowe, Sarah R.; Lustig, Kara; Marrow, Helen B.

2013-01-01

This study investigated the effects of interviewer race on low-income African American female hurricane survivors’ reports of racism during Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath (N = 41). Respondents were asked directly about the role of racism during the storm and evacuation by one of three interviewers (two White females and one African American female). Contrary to expectations, respondents were not significantly more likely to agree that racism played a role during the hurricane and its aftermath when with an African American interviewer compared to a White interviewer. However, when speaking to the White interviewers versus the African American interviewer, respondents were significantly more likely to use qualifying and contradictory statements and to make references to other races also being victims of the hurricane. PMID:23459229

Racial and ethnic disparities in influenza vaccinations among community pharmacy patients and non-community pharmacy respondents.

PubMed

Wang, Junling; Munshi, Kiraat D; Hong, Song Hee

2014-01-01

Since 2009, pharmacists in all 50 states in the U.S. have been authorized to administer vaccinations. This study examined racial and ethnic disparities in the reported receipt of influenza vaccinations within the past year among noninstitutionalized community pharmacy patients and non-community pharmacy respondents. The 2009 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey was analyzed. The sample consisted of respondents aged 50 years or older, as per the 2009 recommendations by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the influenza vaccination rates and disparities in receiving influenza vaccinations within past year between non-Hispanic Whites (Whites), non-Hispanic Blacks (Blacks) and Hispanics. The influenza vaccination rates between community pharmacy patients and non-community pharmacy respondents were also examined. Bivariate analyses found that among the community pharmacy patients, a greater proportion of Whites reported receiving influenza vaccinations compared to Blacks (60.9% vs. 49.1%; P < 0.0001) and Hispanics (60.9% vs. 51.7%; P < 0.0001). Among non-community pharmacy respondents, differences also were observed in reported influenza vaccination rates among Whites compared to Blacks (41.0% vs. 24.3%; P < 0.0001) and Hispanics (41.0% vs. 26.0%; P < 0.0001). Adjusted logistic regression analyses found significant racial disparities between Blacks and Whites in receiving influenza vaccinations within the past year among both community pharmacy patients (odds ratio [OR]: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.69-0.95) and non-community pharmacy respondents (OR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.46-0.94). Sociodemographic characteristics and health status accounted for the disparities between Hispanics and Whites. Overall, community pharmacy patients reported higher influenza vaccination rates compared to non-community pharmacy respondents (59.0% vs. 37.2%; P < 0.0001). Although influenza vaccination rates were higher among community pharmacy patients, there were racial disparities in receiving influenza vaccinations among both community pharmacy patients and non-community pharmacy respondents. Increased emphasis on educational campaigns among pharmacists and their patients, especially minorities, may be needed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessment of trauma quality improvement activities at public hospitals in Thailand.

PubMed

Fuangworawong, Phuphit; LaGrone, Lacey N; Chadbunchachai, Witaya; Sornsrivichai, Vorasith; Mock, Charles N; Vavilala, Monica S

2016-09-01

Given the current exceptional burden of injury in Thailand, the proven efficacy of quality improvement programs, and the current scarcity of national-level information on trauma quality improvement program (TQIP) implementation in Thailand, we aimed to examine the use of TQIPs and barriers to TQIP adoption in Thai public trauma centers. We distributed a survey to 110 public hospitals which are designated to provide trauma care in Thailand. The survey assessed the presence or absence of the four core elements of the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended TQIPs (morbidity and mortality (M&M) conferences, preventable death panels, trauma registries, and audit filters), and provider perception of barriers and priorities in TQIP implementation. Responses were received from 80 (72%) respondents. Seventy-two (90%) reported having a trauma registry and seventy (88%) respondents reported use of audit filters. Seventy (88%) respondents reported conducting regular M&M conferences, and 45 (56%) respondents reported the presence of preventable death panels. Thirty-eight (48%) respondents reported presence of all four elements of WHO TQIPs. The most commonly reported barriers to implementing TQIPs were lack of interest (55; 68%) and lack of time (39; 48%)to implement TQIPs. Audit filters were reported by only 25 (31%) of respondents and optimization of audit filters was the most frequently identified next-step in further development of TQIP. Just under half of responding Thai public trauma centers reported implementation of all four elements of the WHO recommended TQIPs. Priority strategies to facilitate TQIP maturation in Thailand should address staff motivation, provision of staff time for TQIP development, and optimization of audit filter use to monitor quality of care. Copyright © 2016 IJS Publishing Group Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Surgical informed consent in obstetric and gynecologic surgeries: experience from a comprehensive teaching hospital in Southern Ethiopia.

PubMed

Teshome, Million; Wolde, Zenebe; Gedefaw, Abel; Tariku, Mequanent; Asefa, Anteneh

2018-05-24

Surgical Informed Consent (SIC) has long been recognized as an important component of modern medicine. The ultimate goals of SIC are to improve clients' understanding of the intended procedure, increase client satisfaction, maintain trust between clients and health providers, and ultimately minimize litigation issues related to surgical procedures. The purpose of the current study is to assess the comprehensiveness of the SIC process for women undergoing obstetric and gynecologic surgeries. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was undertaken at Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital (HUCSH) in November and December, 2016. A total of 230 women who underwent obstetric and/or gynecologic surgeries were interviewed immediately after their hospital discharge to assess their experience of the SIC process. Thirteen components of SIC were used based on international recommendations, including the Royal College of Surgeon's standards of informed consent practices for surgical procedures. Descriptive summaries are presented in tables and figures. Forty percent of respondents were aged between 25 and 29 years. Nearly a quarter (22.6%) had no formal education. More than half (54.3%) of respondents had undergone an emergency surgical procedure. Only 18.4% of respondents reported that the surgeon performing the operation had offered SIC, while 36.6% of respondents could not recall who had offered SIC. All except one respondent provided written consent to undergo a surgical procedure. However, 8.3% of respondents received SIC service while already on the operation table for their procedure. Only 73.9% of respondents were informed about the availability (or lack thereof) of alternative treatment options. Additionally, a majority of respondents were not informed about the type of anesthesia to be used (88.3%) and related complications (87.4%). Only 54.2% of respondents reported that they had been offered at least six of the 13 SIC components used by the investigators. There is gap in the provision of comprehensive and standardized pre-operative counseling for obstetric and gynecologic surgeries in the study hospital. This has a detrimental effect on the overall quality of care clients receive, specifically in terms of client expectations and information needs.

Association between gene variants and response to buprenorphine maintenance treatment.

PubMed

Gerra, Gilberto; Somaini, Lorenzo; Leonardi, Claudio; Cortese, Elena; Maremmani, Icro; Manfredini, Matteo; Donnini, Claudia

2014-01-30

A variety of studies were addressed to differentiate responders and non-responders to substitution treatment among heroin dependent patients, without conclusive findings. In particular, preliminary pharmacogenetic findings have been reported to predict treatment effectiveness in mental health and substance use disorders. Aim of the present study was to investigate the possible association of buprenorphine (BUP) treatment outcome with gene variants that may affect kappa-opioid receptors and dopamine system function. One hundred and seven heroin addicts (West European, Caucasians) who underwent buprenorphine maintenance treatment were genotyped and classified into two groups (A and B) on the basis of treatment outcome. Non-responders to buprenorphine (group B) have been identified taking into account early drop out, continuous use of heroin, severe behavioral or psychiatric problems, misbehavior and diversion during the 6 months treatment period. No difference was evidenced between responders and non-responders to BUP in the frequency of kappa opioid receptor (OPRK1) 36G>T SNP. The frequency of dopamine transporter (DAT) gene polymorphism (SLC6A3/DAT1), allele 10, was evidently much higher in "non-responder" than in "responder" individuals (64.9% vs. 55.93%) whereas the frequency of the category of other alleles (6, 7 and 11) was higher in responder than in non-responder individuals (11.02% vs. 2.13% respectively). On one hand, the hypothesis that possible gene-related changes in kappa-opioid receptor could consistently affect buprenorphine pharmacological action and clinical effectiveness was not confirmed in our study, at least in relation to the single nucleotide polymorphism 36G>T. On the other hand, the possibility that gene-related dopamine changes could have reduced BUP effectiveness and impaired maintenance treatment outcome was cautiously supported by our findings. DAT1 gene variants such as allele 10, previously reported in association with personality and behavioral problems, would have influenced the effects of BUP-induced dopamine release, modulated through mu and kappa opioid receptors, and probably the related reinforcing capacity of the drug. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Occupational health legislation and practices related to seafarers on passenger ships focused on communicable diseases: results from a European cross-sectional study (EU SHIPSAN PROJECT)

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Seafarers play an important role in the transmission of communicable diseases. The aim of the present study is to draw information and identify possible gaps on occupational health practices related to seafarers sailing on ships within the European Union Member States (EU MS) with focus on communicable diseases. Methods A structured questionnaire was sent to competent authorities from 21 EU MS. The questionnaire included questions about occupational health policies, medical certification of seafarers, communicable diseases reporting and relevant legislation. Descriptive analysis of the data was conducted by the use of Epi Info software: EU MS were categorized in four priority groups (A, B, C, D) based on: number of passenger ships visits, volume of passengers, and number of ports in each country. Moreover, EU MS were categorized to old and new, based on the date of entry in the EU. Results All 21 countries with relevant competent authorities responded to the questionnaire. The existence of specific national legislation/regulation/guidelines related to vaccination of seafarers was reported by three out of the 21 (14%) responding authorities. Surveillance data of communicable diseases related to seafarers are collected and analyzed by 4 (19%) authorities. Five out of 21 of the responding countries (24%) reported that tuberculin test result is required for the issuance of seafarer's medical certificate while a great variety of medical examination is required for the issuance of this certificate among countries. Gaps on occupational health services focused on communicable diseases related to maritime occupation have been reported by 33% of the responding countries. Responding authorities from Group A and B had the highest percentage of reported gaps followed by groups C and D. Old MS reported a higher frequency regarding gaps on occupational health services in comparison to new MS. Conclusion Our results revealed heterogeneity regarding occupational health of maritime employees in EU MS. This work provides some evidence that further work at international and European level could be considered, in order to explore the potential for harmonized initiatives regarding occupational health of seafarers. PMID:20181140

Community pharmacist participation in a practice-based research network: a report from the Medication Safety Research Network of Indiana (Rx-SafeNet).

PubMed

Patel, Puja; Hemmeger, Heather; Kozak, Mary Ann; Gernant, Stephanie A; Snyder, Margie E

2015-01-01

To describe the experiences and opinions of pharmacists serving as site coordinators for the Medication Safety Research Network of Indiana (Rx-SafeNet). Retail chain, independent, and hospital/health system outpatient community pharmacies throughout Indiana, with a total of 127 pharmacy members represented by 26 site coordinators. Rx-SafeNet, a statewide practice-based research network (PBRN) formed in 2010 and administered by the Purdue University College of Pharmacy. Barriers and facilitators to participation in available research studies, confidence participating in research, and satisfaction with overall network communication. 22 of 26 site coordinators participated, resulting in an 85% response rate. Most (72.2%) of the respondents had received a doctor of pharmacy degree, and 13.6% had postgraduate year (PGY)1 residency training. The highest reported benefits of PBRN membership were an enhanced relationship with the Purdue University College of Pharmacy (81% agreed or strongly agreed) and enhanced professional development (80% agreed or strongly agreed). Time constraints were identified as the greatest potential barrier to network participation, reported by 62% of respondents. In addition, the majority (59%) of survey respondents identified no prior research experience. Last, respondents' confidence in performing research appeared to increase substantially after becoming network members, with 43% reporting a lack of confidence in engaging in research before joining the network compared with 90% reporting confidence after joining the network. In general, Rx-SafeNet site coordinators appeared to experience increased confidence in research engagement after joining the network. While respondents identified a number of benefits associated with network participation, concerns about potential time constraints remained a key barrier to participation. These findings will assist network leadership in identifying opportunities to positively increase member participation in the future.

Detoxification in Naturopathic Medicine: A Survey

PubMed Central

Montalto, Melissa; Lovejoy, Jennifer; Weber, Wendy

2011-01-01

Abstract Objectives This study sought to assess the use of clinical detoxification therapies used by licensed naturopathic doctors (NDs) in the United States. Design This was a qualitative, descriptive, online survey of a convenience sample of NDs. Methods An online survey was conducted of NDs who were licensed in the United States. Responses were analyzed descriptively regarding the use of clinical detoxification therapies. Respondents were recruited from a membership list provided by the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, and from alumni e-mail lists of Council of Naturopathic Medical Education accredited naturopathic medical schools. Results Surveys were sent out to 1442 e-mail addresses (261 were returned to sender); a total of 196 respondents completed the survey (16.6%). Ninety-two percent (92%) of respondents reported using clinical detoxification therapies. Over 75% of respondents utilized detoxification therapies primarily to treat patients for environmental exposures, general cleansing/preventive medicine, gastrointestinal disorders, and autoimmune disease. Regarding methods used, >75% reported using dietary measures, reducing environmental exposures, and using botanicals as detoxification therapies. Eighty-three percent (83%) of NDs surveyed reported using follow-up measurements to determine efficacy of detoxification therapies. The most common were patient symptom questionnaires (66%), patient medical histories (54%), and urinary provocative challenge testing (53%). Conclusions The majority of NDs responding to this survey reported routine use of clinical detoxification therapies to treat a range of medical conditions utilizing multiple therapeutic approaches. Although the majority of NDs reported using some follow-up measurements after detoxification therapy, few of these are an objective means to determine treatment efficacy. Further research is needed in the field of complementary and alternative medicine clinical detoxification to determine the safety and efficacy of these approaches. PMID:22103982

Gender Preference in the Sexual Attractions, Fantasies, and Relationships of Voluntarily Castrated Men.

PubMed

Handy, Ariel B; Jackowich, Robyn A; Wibowo, Erik; Johnson, Thomas Wayne; Wassersug, Richard J

2016-03-01

Some men seek castration outside a clear medical need. This study explored how their sexuality changed after castration. To explore changes in preferred gender(s) of sexual attraction, fantasy, and relationships in voluntarily castrated men with or without gonadal hormone therapy. A questionnaire was posted at http://www.eunuch.org that yielded data on men who had been voluntarily castrated physically (n = 198) or chemically (n = 96). Respondents were asked to report retrospectively on their sexuality, including their sexual activity and which gender(s) they were sexually attracted to, fantasized about, or had sexual relations with 6 months to 1 year before and after castration. A substantial proportion of men remained sexually active after castration; 37% had sex at least several times per week. Most respondents did not report a change in preferred gender(s) of attraction (65%, n = 181), fantasies (62%, n = 169), or sexual relationships (66%, n = 163), although approximately 20% to 30% of respondents did report such changes and 8% to 11% became non-sexual after castration. Respondents who were attracted to and fantasized about "only men" or who had sexual relationship with "only women" before castration were the least likely to report a change subsequent to castration. Respondents who were taking neither supplemental testosterone nor estrogen were more likely to report (i) becoming attracted to no one, (ii) fantasizing about no one, and (iii) becoming sexually inactive. Sexual changes in voluntarily castrated men vary and can be influenced by various factors including the use of supplemental testosterone or estrogen therapy. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender Preference in the Sexual Attractions, Fantasies, and Relationships of Voluntarily Castrated Men

PubMed Central

Handy, Ariel B.; Jackowich, Robyn A.; Wibowo, Erik; Johnson, Thomas Wayne; Wassersug, Richard J.

2016-01-01

Introduction Some men seek castration outside a clear medical need. This study explored how their sexuality changed after castration. Aim To explore changes in preferred gender(s) of sexual attraction, fantasy, and relationships in voluntarily castrated men with or without gonadal hormone therapy. Methods A questionnaire was posted at http://www.eunuch.org that yielded data on men who had been voluntarily castrated physically (n = 198) or chemically (n = 96). Main Outcome Measures Respondents were asked to report retrospectively on their sexuality, including their sexual activity and which gender(s) they were sexually attracted to, fantasized about, or had sexual relations with 6 months to 1 year before and after castration. Results A substantial proportion of men remained sexually active after castration; 37% had sex at least several times per week. Most respondents did not report a change in preferred gender(s) of attraction (65%, n = 181), fantasies (62%, n = 169), or sexual relationships (66%, n = 163), although approximately 20% to 30% of respondents did report such changes and 8% to 11% became non-sexual after castration. Respondents who were attracted to and fantasized about “only men” or who had sexual relationship with “only women” before castration were the least likely to report a change subsequent to castration. Respondents who were taking neither supplemental testosterone nor estrogen were more likely to report (i) becoming attracted to no one, (ii) fantasizing about no one, and (iii) becoming sexually inactive. Conclusion Sexual changes in voluntarily castrated men vary and can be influenced by various factors including the use of supplemental testosterone or estrogen therapy. PMID:26944778

Consumer Response to Gastrointestinal Illness Perceived To Originate from Food Service Facilities.

PubMed

Garnett, Erin S; Gretsch, Stephanie R; Null, Clair; Moe, Christine L

2016-10-01

Consumer responses to food product recalls have been documented, but there is little information on how consumers respond to illnesses or outbreaks associated with food service facilities. This study uses an on-line survey of 885 adults conducted in 2012 to determine how respondents changed their dining behavior following personal experiences with and secondhand reports of gastrointestinal illness believed to be associated with food service facilities. In response to personally experiencing gastrointestinal illness that they attributed to a food service facility, 90% of survey participants reported that they avoided the implicated facility for a time following the incident; almost one-half decided to never return to the facility they believed had made them ill. In response to a secondhand report of gastrointestinal illness, 86% of respondents reported they would avoid the implicated facility for a time, and 22% said they would never return to the facility. After both personal experiences of illness and secondhand reports of illness, consumer responses were significantly more severe toward the implicated facility than toward all other food service facilities. Frequent diners avoided facilities for shorter periods of time and were less likely to never go back to a facility than were infrequent diners. The survey results indicate that 24 to 97 fewer meals were purchased per respondent, or a 11 to 20% reduction in meals purchased outside the home, in the year following respondents' illness. Future estimates of the economic burden of foodborne illnesses, including those caused by noroviruses, should consider the impacts on the food service industry attributable to changes in consumer behavior, in addition to health care costs and loss of productivity.

Premilitary intimate partner violence and attrition from the U.S. Navy.

PubMed

Merrill, Lex L; Stander, Valerie A; Thomsen, Cynthia J; Crouch, Julie L; Milner, Joel S

2006-12-01

A prospective study of U.S. Navy recruits (N = 5,498) examined whether premilitary intimate partner violence (IPV) was associated with attrition. Overall, more than one-fourth of recruits reported premilitary physical IPV and more than two-thirds reported premilitary verbal IPV. Women reported more perpetration and receipt of IPV than men, and married or cohabiting respondents reported more IPV than single respondents. Both perpetration and receipt of IPV significantly predicted attrition within 4 years. However, after controlling for other forms of IPV, only receipt of physical IPV significantly predicted attrition. In only one analysis did associations between IPV and attrition vary according to marital status or gender; premilitary receipt of verbal IPV had different effects on women and men.

Alcohol involvement in aggression between intimate partners in New Zealand: a national cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Kypri, Kypros; Bell, Melanie L; Cousins, Kimberly

2011-01-01

Objectives To examine the role of alcohol at the time of aggressive incidents between intimate partners in the general population by gender, by estimating (1) prevalence and severity of aggression, and drinking at the time, (2) associations of drinking at the time of the aggression with reported severity, anger and fear, and (3) association of usual drinking patterns with partner aggression. Design A national survey of 18–70-year-olds using an electoral roll sample obtained self-reported alcohol consumption, partner's alcohol consumption and details of the most severe partner aggression by the respondent and towards the respondent in the past 2 years. The mean scores for associated severity, anger and fear were analysed by gender and alcohol involvement. Multinomial models estimated associations of drinking patterns with aggression to and from the respondent. Results The response rate was 49% (n=1925). Men and women reported similar prevalence of victimisation and perpetration of aggression (11–15%). Alcohol was involved in more than 25% of incidents, and reported more by women than by men, particularly male-only drinking when the respondent was the victim. Women reported greater severity, anger and fear with victimisation than men, and drinking was associated with greater reported severity. Heavy episodic drinking by respondents was associated with a threefold increase in victimisation and doubling of perpetration of aggression involving alcohol. Heavy episodic drinking by either partner was also associated with drinking being involved in reported aggression. Conclusions The experience of intimate-partner aggression in a cross-section of households differs by gender and the involvement of alcohol, and ‘counts’ of aggressive acts in a population-based survey do not reflect the reality of gender differences. Heavy episodic drinking patterns are associated with more aggression involving alcohol within relationships, and alcohol involvement is associated with increased severity. PMID:22021745

Social capital, political trust and self-reported psychological health: a population-based study.

PubMed

Lindstrom, Martin; Mohseni, Mohabbat

2009-02-01

This study investigates the association between political trust (an aspect of institutional trust) in the Riksdag (the national parliament in Sweden) and self-reported psychological health, taking generalized (horizontal) trust in other people into account. The 2004 public health survey in Skåne in Southern Sweden is a cross-sectional postal questionnaire study that was answered by 27,757 respondents aged 18-80 yielding a 59% response rate. A logistic regression model was used to investigate the associations between political trust and self-reported psychological health adjusting for possible confounders (age, country of origin, education, economic stress and generalized trust in other people i.e. horizontal trust). We found that 13.0% of the men and 18.9% of the women reported poor psychological health. A total of 17.3% and 11.6% of the male and female respondents, respectively, reported that they had no trust at all in the national parliament, and another 38.2% and 36.2%, respectively, reported that their political trust was not particularly high. Respondents in younger age groups, born abroad, with high education, high levels of economic stress, low horizontal trust and low political trust had significantly higher levels of self-reported poor psychological health. There was a significant association between low political trust and low horizontal trust. After adjustments for age, country of origin, education and economic stress, the inclusion of horizontal trust reduced the odds ratios of self-reported poor psychological health in the "no political trust at all" category compared to the "very high political trust" category from 1.6 to 1.4 among men and from 1.7 to 1.4 among women. It is concluded that low political trust in the Riksdag seems to be significantly and positively associated with poor mental health.

Anti-Social Behavioral Correlates of Self-Reported Sexual Aggression.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Jacquelyn W.; And Others

Two studies examined the hypothesis that sexually coercive behavior is part of a larger constellation of non-sexual deviant behaviors. The first study considered the relationship between various antisocial intentions and self-reported levels of sexual aggression. As a part of a larger study, college men (N=108) responded to the Sexual Experiences…

Sociodemographic, Sexual Behavior, and Microbiological Profiles of Men Attending Public Health Laboratories for Testing for Sexually Transmitted Diseases.

PubMed

Sviben, Mario; Ljubin-Sternak, Sunčanica; Meštrović, Tomislav; Vraneš, Jasmina

2017-07-01

In order to identify the groups at risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), we assessed the sociodemographic profiles of men testing for STD, their sexual habits, and the results of microbiological analysis. During a three-year period, a total of 700 men older than 18 years of age completed the questionnaire regarding sociodemographic and sexual behavior. Urethral swabs were taken for microbiological analysis. Thirty-three percent of respondents reported not using condoms. Those that do not use condoms were predominantly less educated, unmarried but in steady relationships, employed, with children, and smokers. Alcohol or drug usage before sexual intercourse was disclosed by 21.4% of respondents, and 10.3% respondents reported sexual intercourses with commercial sex workers. Finally, 24.0% respondents reported sexual relations abroad. In 28.1% of subjects, one or more pathogens were observed in urethral swabs. The most commonly diagnosed microorganism was Ureaplasma urealyticum, followed by Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma hominis, Trichomonas vaginalis, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. This study identified several factors that may contribute to the general risk of STD transmission, which will serve to better understand the transmission dynamics and implementation of adequate prevention programs.

Head positioning for high +Gz loads: an analysis of the techniques used by F/A-18 pilots.

PubMed

Newman, D G

1997-08-01

A study was undertaken among Royal Australian Air Force fighter pilots to determine whether, as an occupational group, they had developed any particular protective head positioning strategies in order to minimize their risk of sustaining a +Gz-induced neck injury during air combat maneuvering. There were 42 F/A-18 Hornet pilots who responded to an anonymous questionnaire which asked about head positioning strategies. Of these, 29 pilots reported using a protective strategy. Several pilots reported using several different techniques. The most popular strategy reported was positioning the head prior to the application of +Gz (13 respondents). Eleven pilots reported using aircraft structures to wedge or brace their heads against. The results of this study show that fighter pilots who are regularly exposed to high +Gz forces develop an individualized approach to protecting their cervical spines from +Gz-induced injury.

Who Suggests Drinking Less? Demographic and National Differences in Informal Social Controls on Drinking

PubMed Central

Dietze, Paul; Ferris, Jason; Room, Robin

2013-01-01

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine variation in reports of pressuring others to drink less, as a form of informal social control of drinking, across countries and different types of relationship to the respondent. Method: A cross-sectional survey was administered to 19,945 respondents ages 18–69 years in 14 countries included in the data set of the Gender, Alcohol and Culture: An International Study (GENACIS). Outcome variables were respondents’ reports of pressuring others to drink less (yes/no) across a variety of relationships (their partners, other family members, workmates, or friends). Multilevel, multivariable logistic regression analysis was carried out on each outcome variable. The fixed-effects components included the Level 1 (individual) covariates of respondent age, gender, drinking status, and education level as well as the Level 2 (country level) covariates of percentage female drinkers and purchasing power parity. The random-effects components included country and current drinking status. Results: Respondents most frequently reported pressuring male friends to drink less (18%), followed by male family members (other than partners, 15%), partners (15%), work colleagues (12%), female friends (9%), female family members (other than partners, 6%), and children (5%). There was marked variation across countries, with pressuring frequently reported in Uganda, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua across most relationship types. Multivariable logistic regression revealed consistent effects of gender, with women more likely than men to report pressuring others to drink less across most relationship types. The patterns in relation to education status and age were less consistent and varied across relationship type. Conclusions: Informal social control of drinking varies dramatically according to whom is most likely to pressure whom to drink less as well as the country in which people live. PMID:24172112

Home Literacy Environments of Young Children with Down Syndrome: Findings from a Web-based Survey.

PubMed

Al Otaiba, Stephanie; Lewis, Sandra; Whalon, Kelly; Dyrlund, Alison; McKenzie, Amy

2009-03-01

Early home literacy experiences, including parent-child book reading, account for a significant amount of childrens' later reading achievement. Yet, there is a very limited research base about the home literacy environments and experiences of children with cognitive disabilities. The purpose of this study is to describe findings from a web-based survey of home literacy environments of young children with Down syndrome. Respondents ( n = 107) were mostly mothers; a majority were well-educated. Findings suggest that respondents gave literacy a higher priority than reported in prior research on children with disabilities. Over 70% of respondents had 50 or more childrens' books and also had literacy materials including flashcards, magnetic letters, and educational videos or computer games. Most parents read to their children and used these literacy materials 10-30 minutes per day. Respondents reported that their children had reached many important early literacy milestones and they also described having relatively ambitious life-long literacy goals for their children. Important implications for research and practice are discussed.

Medical education and informal teaching by nurses and midwives

PubMed Central

Huntington, Annette; Bogossian, Fiona; Leadbitter, Bernadette; Turner, Catherine

2014-01-01

Objectives The aim of this study was to examine the contribution of nurses and midwives to the education of medical colleagues in the clinical context. Methods The research design was a cross-sectional survey using an online questionnaire. A subsample of 2906 respondents, from a total of 4763 nurses and midwives participating in a web-based study, had taught doctors in the 12 months prior to the survey. The questionnaire generated mainly categorical data analysed with descriptive statistics. Results In the group of respondents who taught doctors (n =2906), most provided informal teaching (92.9%, n=2677). Nearly a quarter (23.9%, n=695) self-rated the amount of time spent teaching as at least moderate in duration. The most common named teaching topics were documentation (74.8%, n=2005) and implementing unit procedures (74.3, n=1987), followed by medication charting (61.9%, n=1657) and choosing correct medications (55.8%, n=1493). Respondents felt their contributions were unrecognised by the doctors and students they taught (43.9%, n=1256). Conclusions Educational contributions while unrecognised could be considered positively by the respondents. However, discussion of teaching responsibilities is necessary to support the development of teaching protocols and supervision responsibilities as respondents reported teaching clinical medical tasks related to medications, consent and other skills within the medical domain. Study limitations include the nature of self-reported responses which cannot be validated and data drawn from a survey concluded in 2009. PMID:25341227

Residents' experiences of abuse, discrimination and sexual harassment during residency training. McMaster University Residency Training Programs.

PubMed Central

Cook, D J; Liutkus, J F; Risdon, C L; Griffith, L E; Guyatt, G H; Walter, S D

1996-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of psychological abuse, physical assault, and discrimination on the basis of gender and sexual orientation, and to examine the prevalence and impact of sexual harassment in residency training programs. DESIGN: Self-administered questionnaire. SETTING: McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. PARTICIPANTS: Residents in seven residency training programs during the academic year from July 1993 to June 1994. Of 225 residents 186 (82.7%) returned a completed questionnaire, and 50% of the respondents were women. OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence of psychological abuse, physical assault and discrimination on the basis of gender and sexual orientation experienced by residents during medical training, prevalence and residents' perceived frequency of sexual harassment. RESULTS: Psychological abuse was reported by 50% of the residents. Some of the respondents reported physical assault, mostly by patients and their family members (14.7% reported assaults by male patients and family members, 9.8% reported assaults by female patients and family members), 5.4% of the female respondents reported assault by male supervising physicians. Discrimination on the basis of gender was reported to be common and was experienced significantly more often by female residents than by male residents (p < 0.01). Ten respondents, all female, reported having experienced discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation. Most of the respondents experienced sexual harassment, especially in the form of sexist jokes, flirtation and unwanted compliments on their dress or figure. On average, 40% of the respondents, especially women (p < 0.01), reported experiencing offensive body language and receiving sexist teaching material and unwanted compliments on their dress. Significantly more female respondents than male respondents stated that they had reported events of sexual harassment to someone (p < 0.001). The most frequent emotional reactions to sexual harassment were embarassment (reported by 24.0%), anger (by 23.4%) and frustration (20.8%). CONCLUSION: Psychological abuse, discrimination on the basis of gender and sexual harassment are commonly experienced by residents in training programs. A direct, progressive, multidisciplinary approach is needed to label and address these problems. PMID:8646653

"Why Don't They Report?" Hospital Personnel Working with Children at Risk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Svärd, Veronica

2017-01-01

Hospital personnel have been shown to report child maltreatment to social services less frequently than other professionals. This quantitative study shows that one-half of the respondents within the four largest Swedish children's hospitals had never made a report. However, nurses' and nurse assistants' odds of being low reporters were…

The value of library and information services in patient care: results of a multisite study*

PubMed Central

Marshall, Joanne Gard; Sollenberger, Julia; Easterby-Gannett, Sharon; Morgan, Lynn Kasner; Klem, Mary Lou; Cavanaugh, Susan K.; Oliver, Kathleen Burr; Thompson, Cheryl A.; Romanosky, Neil; Hunter, Sue

2013-01-01

Objective: The research conducted a large-scale, multisite study on the value and impact of library and information services on patient care. Methods: The study used: (1) 2 initial focus groups of librarians; (2) a web-based survey of physicians, residents, and nurses at 56 library sites serving 118 hospitals; and (3) 24 follow-up telephone interviews. Survey respondents were asked to base their responses on a recent incident in which they had sought information for patient care. Results: Of the 16,122 survey respondents, 3/4 said that they had definitely or probably handled aspects of the patient care situation differently as a result of the information. Among the reported changes were advice given to the patient (48%), diagnosis (25%), and choice of drugs (33%), other treatment (31%), and tests (23%). Almost all of the respondents (95%) said the information resulted in a better informed clinical decision. Respondents reported that the information allowed them to avoid the following adverse events: patient misunderstanding of the disease (23%), additional tests (19%), misdiagnosis (13%), adverse drug reactions (13%), medication errors (12%), and patient mortality (6%). Conclusions: Library and information resources were perceived as valuable, and the information obtained was seen as having an impact on patient care. PMID:23418404

The value of library and information services in patient care: results of a multisite study.

PubMed

Marshall, Joanne Gard; Sollenberger, Julia; Easterby-Gannett, Sharon; Morgan, Lynn Kasner; Klem, Mary Lou; Cavanaugh, Susan K; Oliver, Kathleen Burr; Thompson, Cheryl A; Romanosky, Neil; Hunter, Sue

2013-01-01

The research conducted a large-scale, multisite study on the value and impact of library and information services on patient care. THE STUDY USED: (1) 2 initial focus groups of librarians; (2) a web-based survey of physicians, residents, and nurses at 56 library sites serving 118 hospitals; and (3) 24 follow-up telephone interviews. Survey respondents were asked to base their responses on a recent incident in which they had sought information for patient care. Of the 16,122 survey respondents, 3/4 said that they had definitely or probably handled aspects of the patient care situation differently as a result of the information. Among the reported changes were advice given to the patient (48%), diagnosis (25%), and choice of drugs (33%), other treatment (31%), and tests (23%). Almost all of the respondents (95%) said the information resulted in a better informed clinical decision. Respondents reported that the information allowed them to avoid the following adverse events: patient misunderstanding of the disease (23%), additional tests (19%), misdiagnosis (13%), adverse drug reactions (13%), medication errors (12%), and patient mortality (6%). Library and information resources were perceived as valuable, and the information obtained was seen as having an impact on patient care.

Comparison of Self-Reported Telephone Interviewing and Web-Based Survey Responses: Findings From the Second Australian Young and Well National Survey.

PubMed

Milton, Alyssa C; Ellis, Louise A; Davenport, Tracey A; Burns, Jane M; Hickie, Ian B

2017-09-26

Web-based self-report surveying has increased in popularity, as it can rapidly yield large samples at a low cost. Despite this increase in popularity, in the area of youth mental health, there is a distinct lack of research comparing the results of Web-based self-report surveys with the more traditional and widely accepted computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI). The Second Australian Young and Well National Survey 2014 sought to compare differences in respondent response patterns using matched items on CATI versus a Web-based self-report survey. The aim of this study was to examine whether responses varied as a result of item sensitivity, that is, the item's susceptibility to exaggeration on underreporting and to assess whether certain subgroups demonstrated this effect to a greater extent. A subsample of young people aged 16 to 25 years (N=101), recruited through the Second Australian Young and Well National Survey 2014, completed the identical items on two occasions: via CATI and via Web-based self-report survey. Respondents also rated perceived item sensitivity. When comparing CATI with the Web-based self-report survey, a Wilcoxon signed-rank analysis showed that respondents answered 14 of the 42 matched items in a significantly different way. Significant variation in responses (CATI vs Web-based) was more frequent if the item was also rated by the respondents as highly sensitive in nature. Specifically, 63% (5/8) of the high sensitivity items, 43% (3/7) of the neutral sensitivity items, and 0% (0/4) of the low sensitivity items were answered in a significantly different manner by respondents when comparing their matched CATI and Web-based question responses. The items that were perceived as highly sensitive by respondents and demonstrated response variability included the following: sexting activities, body image concerns, experience of diagnosis, and suicidal ideation. For high sensitivity items, a regression analysis showed respondents who were male (beta=-.19, P=.048) or who were not in employment, education, or training (NEET; beta=-.32, P=.001) were significantly more likely to provide different responses on matched items when responding in the CATI as compared with the Web-based self-report survey. The Web-based self-report survey, however, demonstrated some evidence of avidity and attrition bias. Compared with CATI, Web-based self-report surveys are highly cost-effective and had higher rates of self-disclosure on sensitive items, particularly for respondents who identify as male and NEET. A drawback to Web-based surveying methodologies, however, includes the limited control over avidity bias and the greater incidence of attrition bias. These findings have important implications for further development of survey methods in the area of health and well-being, especially when considering research topics (in this case diagnosis, suicidal ideation, sexting, and body image) and groups that are being recruited (young people, males, and NEET). ©Alyssa C Milton, Louise A Ellis, Tracey A Davenport, Jane M Burns, Ian B Hickie. Originally published in JMIR Mental Health (http://mental.jmir.org), 26.09.2017.

Resilience among first responders.

PubMed

Pietrantoni, Luca; Prati, Gabriele

2008-12-01

Emergency rescue personnel can be considered a "high risk" occupational group in that they could experience a broad range of health and mental health consequences as a result of work-related exposures to critical incidents. This study examined the resilience factors that protect mental health among first responders. Nine hundred and sixty-one first responders filled out an on-line questionnaire, containing measure of sense of community, collective efficacy, self-efficacy and work-related mental health outcomes (compassion fatigue, burnout and compassion satisfaction). First responders reported high level of compassion satisfaction and low level of burnout and compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue was predicted by self-efficacy, burnout was predicted by self-efficacy, collective efficacy and sense of community, compassion satisfaction was predicted by self-efficacy and sense of community. Resilience following critical events is common among first responders. Self-efficacy, collective efficacy and sense of community could be considered resilience factors that preserve first responders' work-related mental health.

Racial/ethnic disparities in history of incarceration, experiences of victimization, and associated health indicators among transgender women in the U.S.

PubMed

Reisner, Sari L; Bailey, Zinzi; Sevelius, Jae

2014-01-01

Limited national data document the prevalence of incarceration among transgender women, experiences of victimization while incarcerated, and associations of transgender status with health. Data were from the National Transgender Discrimination Survey (NTDS), a large convenience sample of transgender adults in the U.S., collected between September 2008 and March 2009. Respondents who indicated a transfeminine gender identity were included in the current study (n = 3,878). Multivariable logistic regression was used to model ever being incarcerated and experiencing victimization while incarcerated as a function of race/ethnicity and health-related indicators. Overall, 19.3% reported having ever been incarcerated. Black and Native American/Alaskan Native transgender women were more likely to report a history of incarceration than White (non-Hispanic) respondents, and those with a history of incarceration were more likely to report negative health-related indicators, including self-reporting as HIV-positive. Among previously incarcerated respondents, 47.0% reported victimization while incarcerated. Black, Latina, and mixed race transgender women were more likely to report experiences of victimization while incarcerated. Transgender women reported disproportionately high rates of incarceration and victimization while incarcerated, as well as associated negative health-related indicators. Interventions and policy changes are needed to support transgender women while incarcerated and upon release.

Experiences of homophobia among gay and bisexual men: results from a cross-sectional study in seven countries

PubMed Central

Chard, Anna N.; Finneran, Catherine; Sullivan, Patrick S.

2016-01-01

Experiences of homophobic discrimination are associated with an increased prevalence of psychological disorders and increased odds of reporting suicidal ideation among gay and bisexual men. We examine two domains of homophobia – external homophobic discrimination and internalised homophobia – and their associations with sexual orientation, demographic characteristics, relationships, and social support among a sample of gay and bisexual men from 7 countries. Sexually active gay and bisexual men aged over 18 and residing in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, Thailand, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (USA) were recruited through banner advertisements on Facebook. Two outcomes were examined: reporting experiences of homophobic discrimination and reporting feelings of internalised homophobia. No covariates were consistently significantly associated with experiencing external homophobic discrimination across countries. Across all countries, bisexually identifying respondents reported significantly greater feelings of internalised homophobia. Respondents in Brazil and the UK reporting a main partner, and respondents in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, Thailand, and the USA reporting a larger gay/bisexual social network reported significantly fewer feelings of internalised homophobia. Results suggest an ameliorative effect of social networks on experiencing homophobia. Additional research should focus on the mechanisms through which social networks reduce feelings of internalised homophobia. PMID:26096688

How Schools Responded to Student Mental Health Needs Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Fact Sheet

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

RAND Corporation, 2007

2007-01-01

This fact sheet summarizes a study that examined how schools in the U.S. Gulf Coast region perceived the mental health needs of students after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and how schools responded. According to the report, despite strong initial efforts to support the mental health needs of students displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, many…

Self-Efficacy and Select Characteristics in Nurses Who Respond to a Pediatric Emergency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNeill, Nancy

2016-01-01

Nurses at a suburban northeastern U.S. community hospital reported that they felt unprepared to effectively respond to a pediatric emergency. Empirical data were not available to identify if this local problem was due to a lack of the nurses' self-confidence or if other factors were involved. The purpose of this study was to determine if there…

Follow-up survey of the prevalence, diagnosis, clinical manifestations and treatment of Spirocerca lupi in South Africa.

PubMed

Lobetti, Remo

2014-11-14

Spirocercosis is an important disease in South Africa. The object of this study was to determine if there had been a change in the prevalence, clinical manifestations and treatment of Spirocerca lupi over a 14-year period. A questionnaire was sent to 577 veterinary practices throughout South Africa in 2012. Of responders, 76% indicated that S. lupi occurred in their area, whilst 24% indicated that it did not; 84% considered S. lupi not to be a new phenomenon, whereas 16% considered it to be new. Monthly or seasonal distribution of the disease was not reported, and 76% of responders reported it to occur in no specific breed of dog, whereas 24% reported a breed risk, most considering large breeds to be at greater risk. No specific age or sex was identified as at higher risk. Common owner complaints were vomiting, weight loss, cough, or regurgitation. Reported clinical findings tended to mirror the clinical signs reported by owners. Most common diagnostic methods used were radiology, endoscopy, faecal flotation, and post mortem examination. Forty-four percent did not report seeing asymptomatic cases, 40% reported asymptomatic cases and 16% did not know. Associated complications were reported by 85% of responders, and included oesophageal neoplasia, hypertrophic osteopathy and acute haemothorax. Four different drugs were used as therapy: doramectin, ivermectin, milbemycin and Advocate®, with 9% of the responders using a combination of these four; 85% considered treatment to be effective and 15% ineffective. Treatment was considered more effective if the disease was diagnosed early and there were no complications. Two important conclusions were that more cases are being seen and that efficacy of therapy has increased, with a decrease in the mortality rate.

Case Report: Lung Disease in World Trade Center Responders Exposed to Dust and Smoke: Carbon Nanotubes Found in the Lungs of World Trade Center Patients and Dust Samples

PubMed Central

Wu, Maoxin; Gordon, Ronald E.; Herbert, Robin; Padilla, Maria; Moline, Jacqueline; Mendelson, David; Litle, Virginia; Travis, William D.; Gil, Joan

2010-01-01

Context After the collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) on 11 September 2001, a dense cloud of dust containing high levels of airborne pollutants covered Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, New York. Between 60,000 and 70,000 responders were exposed. Many reported adverse health effects. Case presentation In this report we describe clinical, pathologic, and mineralogic findings in seven previously healthy responders who were exposed to WTC dust on either 11 September or 12 September 2001, who developed severe respiratory impairment or unexplained radiologic findings and underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgical lung biopsy procedures at Mount Sinai Medical Center. WTC dust samples were also examined. We found that three of the seven responders had severe or moderate restrictive disease clinically. Histopathology showed interstitial lung disease consistent with small airways disease, bronchiolocentric parenchymal disease, and nonnecrotizing granulomatous condition. Tissue mineralogic analyses showed variable amounts of sheets of aluminum and magnesium silicates, chrysotile asbestos, calcium phosphate, and calcium sulfate. Small shards of glass containing mostly silica and magnesium were also found. Carbon nanotubes (CNT) of various sizes and lengths were noted. CNT were also identified in four of seven WTC dust samples. Discussion These findings confirm the previously reported association between WTC dust exposure and bronchiolar and interstitial lung disease. Long-term monitoring of responders will be needed to elucidate the full extent of this problem. The finding of CNT in both WTC dust and lung tissues is unexpected and requires further study. PMID:20368128

One explanatory basis for the discrepancy of reported prevalences of sleep paralysis among healthy respondents.

PubMed

Fukuda, K

1993-12-01

In a previous study, the author and coworkers found 39.8% of healthy young adults had experienced sleep paralysis. Some other studies reported prevalence as about the same or higher (i.e., 40.7% to 62.0%) than that previous estimate, while yet other studies, including Goode's work cited by ASDC and ASDA classifications, suggested much lower prevalences (i.e., 4.7% to 26.2%). The author tested the hypothesis that this discrepancy among the reported prevalences is partly due to the expression used in each questionnaire. University students who answered the questionnaire using the term 'transient paralysis' reported the lower prevalence (26.4%), while the second group of respondents who answered the questionnaire using the term kanashibari, the Japanese folklore expression for sleep paralysis, gave the higher prevalence (39.3%). The third group who answered the questionnaire with the term 'condition,' probably a rather neutral expression, marked the middle (31.0%) of these.

Family Characteristics and Structure as Determinants of Sexual Abuse Among Female Secondary School Students in Nigeria: A Brief Report.

PubMed

Nlewem, Chigozirim; Amodu, Olukemi K

2017-01-01

Child sexual abuse is associated with factors that enhance the vulnerability of the child, raising physical and mental health complications in adulthood. Three hundred and fifty students participated in this cross-sectional study. Important determinants of sexual abuse were parents not living together, not living with parents, family type, and current parents' marital status (p < 0.05). Respondents living with both parents were two times less likely to experience sexual abuse (OR = 0.5, CI: 0.3, 0.9) than respondents living with their guardians. Respondents whose parents were living together were about two times less likely to experience sexual abuse (OR = 0.6, CI: 0.3-0.9) than respondents whose parents were not living together. Respondents whose parents were either divorced or separated were about six times more likely to experience sexual abuse (OR = 5.6, CI: 1.1-27.2) than respondents with widowed parents. The study showed that parental togetherness protected against child vulnerability and risk of being sexually abused.

Local Implementation of PL 94-142: First Year Report of a Longitudinal Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stearns, Marian S.; And Others

The document reports findings from the first year of a longitudinal study of the implementation of P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. Based primarily on interviews with a wide variety of respondents (e.g., administrators, teachers, and parents) from 22 local education agencies (LEAs) in nine states, the report describes…

Online access to doctors' notes: patient concerns about privacy.

PubMed

Vodicka, Elisabeth; Mejilla, Roanne; Leveille, Suzanne G; Ralston, James D; Darer, Jonathan D; Delbanco, Tom; Walker, Jan; Elmore, Joann G

2013-09-26

Offering patients online access to medical records, including doctors' visit notes, holds considerable potential to improve care. However, patients may worry about loss of privacy when accessing personal health information through Internet-based patient portals. The OpenNotes study provided patients at three US health care institutions with online access to their primary care doctors' notes and then collected survey data about their experiences, including their concerns about privacy before and after participation in the intervention. To identify patients' attitudes toward privacy when given electronic access to their medical records, including visit notes. The design used a nested cohort study of patients surveyed at baseline and after a 1-year period during which they were invited to read their visit notes through secure patient portals. Participants consisted of 3874 primary care patients from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Boston, MA), Geisinger Health System (Danville, PA), and Harborview Medical Center (Seattle, WA) who completed surveys before and after the OpenNotes intervention. The measures were patient-reported levels of concern regarding privacy associated with online access to visit notes. 32.91% of patients (1275/3874 respondents) reported concerns about privacy at baseline versus 36.63% (1419/3874 respondents) post-intervention. Baseline concerns were associated with non-white race/ethnicity and lower confidence in communicating with doctors, but were not associated with choosing to read notes or desire for continued online access post-intervention (nearly all patients with notes available chose to read them and wanted continued access). While the level of concern among most participants did not change during the intervention, 15.54% (602/3874 respondents, excluding participants who responded "don't know") reported more concern post-intervention, and 12.73% (493/3874 respondents, excluding participants who responded "don't know") reported less concern. When considering online access to visit notes, approximately one-third of patients had concerns about privacy at baseline and post-intervention. These perceptions did not deter participants from accessing their notes, suggesting that the benefits of online access to medical records may outweigh patients' perceived risks to privacy.

Online Access to Doctors' Notes: Patient Concerns About Privacy

PubMed Central

Mejilla, Roanne; Leveille, Suzanne G; Ralston, James D; Darer, Jonathan D; Delbanco, Tom; Walker, Jan; Elmore, Joann G

2013-01-01

Background Offering patients online access to medical records, including doctors’ visit notes, holds considerable potential to improve care. However, patients may worry about loss of privacy when accessing personal health information through Internet-based patient portals. The OpenNotes study provided patients at three US health care institutions with online access to their primary care doctors’ notes and then collected survey data about their experiences, including their concerns about privacy before and after participation in the intervention. Objective To identify patients’ attitudes toward privacy when given electronic access to their medical records, including visit notes. Methods The design used a nested cohort study of patients surveyed at baseline and after a 1-year period during which they were invited to read their visit notes through secure patient portals. Participants consisted of 3874 primary care patients from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Boston, MA), Geisinger Health System (Danville, PA), and Harborview Medical Center (Seattle, WA) who completed surveys before and after the OpenNotes intervention. The measures were patient-reported levels of concern regarding privacy associated with online access to visit notes. Results 32.91% of patients (1275/3874 respondents) reported concerns about privacy at baseline versus 36.63% (1419/3874 respondents) post-intervention. Baseline concerns were associated with non-white race/ethnicity and lower confidence in communicating with doctors, but were not associated with choosing to read notes or desire for continued online access post-intervention (nearly all patients with notes available chose to read them and wanted continued access). While the level of concern among most participants did not change during the intervention, 15.54% (602/3874 respondents, excluding participants who responded “don’t know”) reported more concern post-intervention, and 12.73% (493/3874 respondents, excluding participants who responded “don’t know”) reported less concern. Conclusions When considering online access to visit notes, approximately one-third of patients had concerns about privacy at baseline and post-intervention. These perceptions did not deter participants from accessing their notes, suggesting that the benefits of online access to medical records may outweigh patients’ perceived risks to privacy. PMID:24072335

Treatment of proctalgia fugax with topical nitroglycerin: report of a case.

PubMed

Lowenstein, B; Cataldo, P A

1998-05-01

We report a single case of proctalgia fugax that responded to 0.3 percent nitroglycerin ointment. Case report. A single case of proctalgia fugax responded to topical application of 0.3 percent nitro glycerin ointment with no significant side effects. Nitroglycerin ointment is a newly described treatment for several painful anal conditions. We describe a single case of levator spasm or proctalgia fugax responding to topical application of nitroglycerin. This is only a single case report, and conclusive evidence awaits completion of a controlled clinical trial.

An Online Survey of Hypothyroid Patients Demonstrates Prominent Dissatisfaction.

PubMed

Peterson, Sarah J; Cappola, Anne R; Castro, M Regina; Dayan, Colin M; Farwell, Alan P; Hennessey, James V; Kopp, Peter A; Ross, Douglas S; Samuels, Mary H; Sawka, Anna M; Taylor, Peter N; Jonklaas, Jacqueline; Bianco, Antonio C

2018-06-01

Approximately 15% more patients taking levothyroxine (LT4) report impaired quality of life compared to controls. This could be explained by additional diagnoses independently affecting quality of life and complicating assignment of causation. This study sought to investigate the underpinnings of reduced quality of life in hypothyroid patients and to provide data for discussion at a symposium addressing hypothyroidism. An online survey for hypothyroid patients was posted on the American Thyroid Association Web site and forwarded to multiple groups. Respondents were asked to rank satisfaction with their treatment for hypothyroidism and their treating physician. They also ranked their perception regarding physician knowledge about hypothyroidism treatments, need for new treatments, and life impact of hypothyroidism on a scale of 1-10. Respondents reported the therapy they were taking, categorized as LT4, LT4 and liothyronine (LT4 + LT3), or desiccated thyroid extract (DTE). They also reported sex, age, cause of hypothyroidism, duration of treatment, additional diagnoses, and prevalence of symptoms. A total of 12,146 individuals completed the survey. The overall degree of satisfaction was 5 (interquartile range [IQR] = 3-8). Among respondents without self-reported depression, stressors, or medical conditions (n = 3670), individuals taking DTE reported a higher median treatment satisfaction of 7 (IQR = 5-9) compared to other treatments. At the same time, the LT4 treatment group exhibited the lowest satisfaction of 5 (IQR = 3-7), and for the LT4 + LT3 treatment group, satisfaction was 6 (IQR = 3-8). Respondents taking DTE were also less likely to report problems with weight management, fatigue/energy levels, mood, and memory compared to those taking LT4 or LT4 + LT3. A subset of patients with hypothyroidism are not satisfied with their current therapy or their physicians. Higher satisfaction with both treatment and physicians is reported by those patients on DTE. While the study design does not provide a mechanistic explanation for this observation, future studies should investigate whether preference for DTE is related to triiodothyronine levels or other unidentified causes.

Population estimates of extended family structure and size.

PubMed

Garceau, Anne; Wideroff, Louise; McNeel, Timothy; Dunn, Marsha; Graubard, Barry I

2008-01-01

Population-based estimates of biological family size can be useful for planning genetic studies, assessing how distributions of relatives affect disease associations with family history and estimating prevalence of potential family support. Mean family size per person is estimated from a population-based telephone survey (n = 1,019). After multivariate adjustment for demographic variables, older and non-White respondents reported greater mean numbers of total, first- and second-degree relatives. Females reported more total and first-degree relatives, while less educated respondents reported more second-degree relatives. Demographic differences in family size have implications for genetic research. Therefore, periodic collection of family structure data in representative populations would be useful. Copyright 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Occupational case-control studies: I. Collecting information on work histories and work-related exposures.

PubMed

Stewart, W F; Stewart, P A

1994-09-01

The strength and credibility of evidence from occupational case-control studies largely depend on the validity and precision with which the work history is reported and the exposure is assessed. We discuss the two steps which ultimately lead to an exposure decision. The first step involves the exchange between the respondent and an interviewer. The latter is usually naïve to occupations and workplace exposures and, as such, is limited to asking generic and open-ended questions about the workplace. Often, this type of information is too nonspecific to assess exposure. In the second step, an expert reviews the information reported on each occupation and decides on exposure status without contacting either the interviewer or respondent. Exposure assessment is not, therefore, integrated with data collection and, in fact, is usually not initiated until after all the interviews are completed. As such, the exposure expert does not have an opportunity to resolve questions before making the exposure decision. To improve the quality and specificity of data collected, we have developed over 40 sets of close-ended questions (branch questions) which are specific to defined occupations. These branch questions, incorporated into a computer-assisted telephone interview, are asked if selected occupations or their synonyms are reported. Second, to link the data collection process with the assessment process, we have developed a procedure called SCORE (Subject Corrected Occupational Report) which provides the industrial hygienist with a cost efficient method to ask questions directly of respondents. Shortly after each interview is completed, a computerized version of the work history is reviewed by the industrial hygienist who develops questions when more information is needed. Subsequently, respondents are mailed a form listing their reported work history along with the questions. After two mailings, 73% of participants in a pilot study returned the SCORE form.

Experiences and perceptions about cause and prevention of cardiovascular disease among people with cardiometabolic conditions: findings of in-depth interviews from a peri-urban Nepalese community

PubMed Central

Oli, Natalia; Vaidya, Abhinav; Subedi, Madhusudan; Krettek, Alexandra

2014-01-01

Background Nepal currently faces an increasing burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Earlier studies on health literacy and the behavior dimension of cardiovascular health reported a substantial gap between knowledge and practice. Objective This qualitative study aimed to deepen understanding of the community perspective on cardiovascular health from the patients’ viewpoint. Design We conducted in-depth interviews (IDIs) with 13 individuals with confirmed heart disease, hypertension, or diabetes mellitus. All participants provided verbal consent. We used an IDI guide to ask respondents about their perception and experiences with CVD, particularly regarding causation and preventability. We manually applied qualitative content analysis to evaluate the data and grouped similar content into categories and subcategories. Results Respondents perceived dietary factors, particularly consumption of salty, fatty, and oily food, as the main determinants of CVD. Similarly, our respondents unanimously linked smoking, alcohol intake, and high blood pressure with cardiac ailments but reported mixed opinion regarding the causal role of body weight and physical inactivity. Although depressed and stressed at the time of diagnosis, respondents learned to handle their situation better over time. Despite good family support for health care, the financial burden of disease was a major issue. All respondents understood the importance of lifestyle modification and relied upon health professionals for information and motivation. Respondents remarked that community awareness of CVD was inadequate and that medical doctors or trained local people should help increase awareness. Conclusions This study provided insight into the perceptions of patients regarding CVD. Respondents embraced the importance of lifestyle modification only after receiving their diagnosis. Although better health care is important in terms of aiding patients to better understand and cope with their disease, interventions should be tailored to improve the community's cardiovascular health literacy and preventive practices. PMID:24802386

Examination of the risk factors associated with injured recreational padel players in Spain.

PubMed

Priego Quesada, Jose I; Sanchís Almenara, Mercedes; Kerr, Zachary Y; Alcantara, Enrique

2018-01-01

Padel is a relatively new sport, with steady participation increases over the past 50 years. However, there is a need for data examining injury and associated risk factors. The study examined how intrinsic (e.g. age and sex) and extrinsic factors (e.g. padel participation and equipment) were associated with injury in recreational padel players. A self-administered questionnaire completed by 80 recreational padel players between September 2014 and March 2015 acquired data on: respondent demographics and padel-related activities; the number of injuries within the past year; characteristics of the last injury sustained; and extrinsic factors including respondents' evaluations of equipment (e.g., racquet control/power, footwear cushioning, flexibility, traction). χ2 tests compared the proportion of respondents reporting injuries in the past year among those reporting and not reporting equipment-related issues. Most respondents were male (57.5%), aged 30-40 years (46.3%), and played more than 2 padel sessions/week (48.8%). Overall, 40.0% reported sustaining at least one injury during the past year. Sex, age, frequency of padel sessions/week, and years of padel experience were not associated with the reporting of injury within the past year (P>0.05). The proportion of padel players reporting injuries in the past year was greater among those that wore padel-specific footwear than those that wore another kind of sports footwear (50.0% vs. 23.3%; P=0.02). Recreational padel players wearing padel-specific footwear were more at risk for injury than those not. Our findings highlight the need for additional research regarding injury risk and footwear.

Disparity in report of autism-related behaviors by social demographic characteristics: Findings from a community-based study in Taiwan.

PubMed

Tsai, Peng-Chou; Harrington, Rebecca A; Lung, For-Wey; Lee, Li-Ching

2017-07-01

The Social Communication Questionnaire is one of the most commonly used screening tools for autism spectrum disorder. The Social Communication Questionnaire is a caregiver-reported questionnaire with 40 items based on questions from the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised. This study collected Social Communication Questionnaire data from a community-based, multi-stage case identification design epidemiologic study in one socioeconomically disadvantaged county in Taiwan. The Social Communication Questionnaire was distributed to 3034 school children, aged 6-8 years. Item prevalence results indicate males were reported to have more autism-related behaviors than females (higher prevalence on most items), in the whole study sample as well as in children meeting Social Communication Questionnaire clinical cut-offs (⩾15). Children whose biological fathers completed the Social Communication Questionnaire were reported to have more behavioral issues than children whose biological mothers were the respondent. Lower respondent education levels were associated with reports of clinically concerning autism-related behaviors. However, males were not at higher risk of meeting Social Communication Questionnaire clinical cut-offs than females in this study population. Findings from this study help to better understand reporting patterns on children's autism-related behaviors potentially due to social demographic characteristics and child sex, which may lead to improved identification of these behaviors.

Specialist English as a foreign language for European public health: evaluation of competencies and needs among Polish and Lithuanian students.

PubMed

Sumskas, Linas; Czabanowska, Katarzyna; Bruneviciūte, Raimonda; Kregzdyte, Rima; Krikstaponyte, Zita; Ziomkiewicz, Anna

2010-01-01

Foreign languages are becoming an essential prerequisite for a successful carrier among all professions including public health professionals in many countries. The expanding role of English as a mode of communication allows for university graduates to project and to seek their career in English-speaking countries. The present study was carried out in the framework of EU Leonardo da Vinci project "Specialist English as a foreign language for European public health." The study aimed to get a deeper insight how the English language is perceived as a foreign language, by Polish and Lithuanian public health students, what is level of their language competence, which level of English proficiency they expect to use in future. MATERIAL AND METHODS. A total of 246 respondents completed the special questionnaires in autumn semester in 2005. A questionnaire form was developed by the international project team. For evaluation of English competences, the Language Passport (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages of Council of Europe) was applied. RESULTS. Current self-rated proficiency of the English language was at the same level for Lithuanian (3.47+/-1.14) and Polish (3.31+/-0.83) respondents (P>0.05). Majority of respondents (88.6% of Lithuanian and 87.8% of Polish) reported using the English language for their current studies. Respondents reported a significant increase in necessity for higher level of English proficiency in future: mean scores provided by respondents changed from B1 level to B2 level. Respondents gave priority to less formal and practice-based interactive English teaching methods (going abroad, contacts with native speakers) in comparison with theory-oriented methods of learning (self-studying, Internet courses). CONCLUSIONS. Similar levels of English language in all five areas of language skills were established in Polish and Lithuanian university students. Respondents gave more priorities to less formal and practice-based interactive English teaching methods (going abroad, contacts with native speakers) in comparison with theory-oriented or classroom-based methods of learning (self-studying, Internet courses). Survey showed a growing interest of students in improving English language in the future in Poland and Lithuania.

A survey of cannabis (marijuana) use and self-reported benefit in men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

PubMed

Tripp, Dean A; Nickel, J Curtis; Katz, Laura; Krsmanovic, Adrijana; Ware, Mark A; Santor, Darcy

2014-11-01

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a chronic pelvic pain condition largely refractory to treatment. Cannabis (marijuana) use has been reported for a wide variety of chronic pain conditions, but no study has examined prevalence of cannabis use, symptom benefit or side effects, or frequency in CP/CPPS. Participants were recruited from an outpatient CP/CPPS urology clinic (n = 98) and online through the Prostatitis Foundation website (n = 244). Participants completed questionnaires (demographics, CP/CPPS, depression, cannabis). The clinic sample included Canadian patients and the online sample included primarily American patients. Due to differences, groups were examined separately. Almost 50% of respondents reported using cannabis (clinic n = 49; online n = 89). Of the cannabis users, 36.8% of clinic and 75% of online respondents reported that it improved their symptoms. Most of the respondents (from the clinic and online groups) reported that cannabis improved their mood, pain, muscle spasms, and sleep. However, they did not note any improvements for weakness, fatigue, numbness, ambulation, and urination. Overall, the effectiveness of cannabis for CP/CPPS was "somewhat/very effective" (57% clinic; 63% online). There were no differences between side effects or choice of consumption and most reported using cannabis rarely. These are the first estimates in men suffering from CP/CPPS and suggest that while cannabis use is prevalent, its medical use and benefit are unknown. This is an understudied area and the benefit or hazard for cannabis use awaits further study.

Self-perceived lactose intolerance results in lower intakes of calcium and dairy foods and is associated with hypertension and diabetes in adults.

PubMed

Nicklas, Theresa A; Qu, Haiyan; Hughes, Sheryl O; He, Mengying; Wagner, Sara E; Foushee, Herman R; Shewchuk, Richard M

2011-07-01

Self-perceived lactose intolerance may result in adverse dietary modifications; thus, more studies are needed to understand the prevalence of self-perceived lactose intolerance and how it relates to calcium intake and selected health conditions. The objective was to examine the effects of self-perceived lactose intolerance as it relates to calcium intake and specific health problems that have been attributed to reduced intakes of calcium and dairy foods in a nationally representative multiethnic sample of adults. This was a cross-sectional study in a national sample of 3452 adults. The relation between self-perceived lactose intolerance, calcium intakes, and physician-diagnosed health conditions was analyzed by using linear regression analyses. Of the total sample, 12.3% of respondents perceived themselves to be lactose intolerant. The age-adjusted prevalence of self-perceived lactose intolerance was 7.8% for non-Hispanic whites, 20.1% for non-Hispanic blacks, and 8.8% for Hispanics. Respondents with self-perceived lactose intolerance had significantly lower (P < 0.05) average daily calcium intakes from dairy foods than did those without self-perceived lactose intolerance. A significantly higher (P < 0.05) percentage of respondents with self-perceived lactose intolerance than of respondents without self-perceived lactose intolerance reported having physician-diagnosed diabetes and hypertension. The odds of self-reported physician-diagnosed diabetes or hypertension decreased by factors of 0.70 and 0.60, respectively, for a 1000-mg increase in calcium intake from dairy foods per day. Self-perceived lactose-intolerant respondents had a significantly lower calcium intake from dairy foods and reported having a significantly higher rate of physician-diagnosed diabetes and hypertension.

Talking about tobacco on Twitter is associated with tobacco product use.

PubMed

Unger, Jennifer B; Urman, Robert; Cruz, Tess Boley; Majmundar, Anuja; Barrington-Trimis, Jessica; Pentz, Mary Ann; McConnell, Rob

2018-06-10

Tobacco-related content appears on social media in the form of advertising and messages by individuals. However, little is known about associations between posting social media messages and tobacco product use among adolescents and young adults. Self-reports of tobacco product use were obtained from the Children's Health Study of young adults in Southern California. Among the 1486 respondents in the most recent wave of the cohort (2016-2017), 284 provided tobacco product use data and their Twitter user names to access publicly available Twitter account data (mean age = 20.1 yrs. (SD = 0.6), 54% female, 49% Hispanic). We obtained the tweets that those respondents posted on Twitter, searched the tweets for 14 nicotine- and tobacco-related keywords, and coded these statements as positive or negative/neutral. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine whether respondents who posted positive tobacco-related tweets were more likely to report tobacco product use, relative to those who did not post any positive tobacco-related tweets. Respondents who posted any positive messages about tobacco had significantly higher odds of reporting past month use of cigarettes (OR = 3.15, 95% CI = 1.36, 7.30) and any tobacco product (OR = 2.41, 95% CI = 1.16, 5.01), relative to respondents who did not post about tobacco. This is the first study to establish an empirical link between adolescents' and young adults' tobacco-related Twitter activity and their tobacco product use. Health communications about the risks of tobacco use could target adolescents who post positive messages about tobacco products on Twitter. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Association between self-reports of being high and perceptions about the safety of drugged and drunk driving.

PubMed

Allen, Jane A; Davis, Kevin C; Duke, Jennifer C; Nonnemaker, James M; Bradfield, Brian R; Farrelly, Matthew C; Novak, Scott P; Zarkin, Gary A

2016-08-01

This study examines the relationship between self-reports of being high on marijuana and perceptions about driving high or drunk. Data were collected in 2014 from an online convenience sample of adult, past 30-day marijuana and hashish users in Colorado and Washington (n = 865). Respondents were asked, "Were you high or feeling the effects of marijuana or hashish when you took this survey?" Logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between being high and beliefs about driving high, controlling for demographics and marijuana use. Respondents who reported being high at the time of survey administration had higher odds of agreeing with the statements, "I can safely drive under the influence of marijuana" (OR = 3.13, P < 0.001) and "I can safely drive under the influence of alcohol" (OR = 3.71, P < 0.001) compared with respondents who did not report being high. Respondents who were high also had higher odds of being open to driving high under certain circumstances. Being high may influence perceptions about the safety of drugged and drunk driving. The effectiveness of public health messages to prevent drugged and drunk driving may depend in part on how persuasive they are among individuals who are high. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Quality improvement and accreditation readiness in state public health agencies.

PubMed

Madamala, Kusuma; Sellers, Katie; Beitsch, Leslie M; Pearsol, Jim; Jarris, Paul

2012-01-01

There were 3 specific objectives of this study. The first objective was to examine the progress of state/territorial health assessment, health improvement planning, performance management, and quality improvement (QI) activities at state/territorial health agencies and compare findings to the 2007 findings when available. A second objective was to examine respondent interest and readiness for national voluntary accreditation. A final objective was to explore organizational factors (eg, leadership and capacity) that may influence QI or accreditation readiness. Cross-sectional study. State and Territorial Public Health Agencies. Survey respondents were organizational leaders at State and Territorial Public Health Agencies. Sixty-seven percent of respondents reported having a formal performance management process in place. Approximately 77% of respondents reported a QI process in place. Seventy-three percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they would seek accreditation and 36% agreed or strongly agreed that they would seek accreditation in the first 2 years of the program. In terms of accreditation prerequisites, a strategic plan was most frequently developed, followed by a state/territorial health assessment and health improvement plan, respectively. Advancements in the practice and applied research of QI in state public health agencies are necessary steps for improving performance. In particular, strengthening the measurement of the QI construct is essential for meaningfully assessing current practice patterns and informing future programming and policy decisions. Continued QI training and technical assistance to agency staff and leadership is also critical. Accreditation may be the pivotal factor to strengthen both QI practice and research. Respondent interest in seeking accreditation may indicate the perceived value of accreditation to the agency.

Report on Honduras: ripples in the pond--the financial crisis and remittances to chronically ill patients in Honduras.

PubMed

Piette, John D; Mendoza-Avelares, Milton O; Chess, Laura; Milton, Evan C; Matiz Reyes, Armando; Rodriguez-Saldaña, Joel

2012-01-01

The U.S. financial crisis has affected employment opportunities for Latino immigrants, and this could affect their ability to send financial assistance, or "remittances", to chronically ill family members in their home country. In a cross-sectional survey of 624 chronically ill adults conducted in Honduras between June and August 2009, respondents reported their receipt of remittances, health service use, and cost-related access barriers. Fifty-four percent of respondents reported relatives living outside the country, and of this group, 66 percent (37% of the overall sample) received remittances. Seventy-four percent of respondents receiving remittances reported a decrease over the prior year, mostly due to job losses among their relatives abroad. Respondents reporting reductions in remittances received significantly less per month, on average, than those without a reduction (US $170 vs. $234; p = 0.01). In multivariate models, respondents experiencing a reduction in remittances used fewer health services and medications due to cost concerns. Remittance payments from relatives resident in the United States are a major source of income for chronically ill individuals in Latin America. Most recipients of remittances reported a reduction during the financial downturn that affected their access to care.

Salary Study, 1999.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feagans, Laura

This report details a study of trends in the salaries of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and other personnel at member agencies of the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA). Responding to the study's mail survey were 437 out of 977 CEOs (44.7 percent) and 337 out of 825 CWLA member agencies (40.8 percent). The bulk of the report is comprised of…

Conservative sharp wound debridement: an overview of Canadian education, practice, risk, and policy.

PubMed

Rodd-Nielsen, Elise; Harris, Connie L

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to describe the education, policy, practice, and risk management strategies of nurses performing conservative sharp wound debridement (CSWD) in Canada, prior to the release of the Canadian Association for Enterostomal Therapy Evidence-Based Recommendations for Conservative Sharp Wound Debridement. Data collection was based on a nonrandomized, nonexperimental study design and reported using descriptive statistics. Invitations for health care professionals to participate in a CSWD scan were sent to 4315 people via e-mail through the membership lists of 2 Canadian voluntary professional wound care associations. Skip logic screened out respondents who had no experience in CSWD (n = 57). The total number of professionals who participated was 487. A 26-question electronic scan addressed demographics, education, policy, practice, and risk/quality issues related to CSWD. A comment section was included for some questions. A selected subsample of 397 nurses was chosen from the original total of 487 respondents. Nonnurse respondents were excluded due to the low total number of participants in each of these other professional categories. Nurses perform CSWD in all types of care settings in Canada from outpost nursing stations to hospital wards, homes, and long-term care facilities. The wound education preparation reported varied. The most frequently reported formal wound care education was a 2-day course (59%; n = 220), followed by an enterostomal therapy course (42%; n = 155) and the International Interdisciplinary Wound Care Course (26%; n = 98), with overlapping preparation evident. Eleven percent of respondents (n = 47) reported having taken no formal wound course, and 7% (n = 27) taught themselves to perform CSWD. Twenty-eight percent of nurses (n = 112) were unclear about whether CSWD was within their scope of practice or replied that it was not, and 69% (n = 273) did not know if there was provincial legislation that restricted their practice of CSWD. Forty-eight percent of nurses (n = 181) reported that their institutions do not have policies on CSWD, and 9% (n = 35) did not know. Adverse events associated with CSWD were reported by 196 respondents, with minor bleeding reported most frequently (98% n = 192) by those who answered the question. The education, policy, practice, and risk management of nurses practicing CSWD could benefit from development and dissemination of a set of National Standards and Competencies for this high-risk wound intervention.

The association between workplace bullying and depressive symptoms: the role of the perpetrator.

PubMed

Török, Eszter; Hansen, Åse Marie; Grynderup, Matias Brødsgaard; Garde, Anne Helene; Høgh, Annie; Nabe-Nielsen, Kirsten

2016-09-17

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the depressive symptoms of the bullied respondents differed according to who the perpetrator was. We used cross-sectional questionnaire data from two representative cohorts: the Danish Working Environment Cohort Study (DWECS 2010) and the Work and Health Study (WH 2012). After excluding respondents not having a leader, or being self-employed, assisting spouses, and those reporting multiple perpetrators in WH 2012, the statistical analysis included 2478 bullied individuals. We compared respondents reporting being bullied by their (1) leader, (2) subordinates, (3) clients / customers / patients / students, or (4) colleagues, respectively. The occurrence of depressive symptoms was measured by the Major Depression Inventory (MDI). The most frequent perpetrator of bullying was clients (41.5 %) in DWECS 2010 and colleagues (60.3 %) in WH 2012. In DWECS 2010, the MDI score of those being bullied by clients were significantly lower than the MDI scores of the other groups. In WH 2012, respondents who reported bullying from leaders had a significantly higher mean MDI score than participants being bullied by colleagues. Also in WH 2012, our results indicated that those who were bullied by leaders had a higher MDI score than those bullied by clients, although this difference was not statistically significant at conventional levels. Our findings indicated a similar pattern in the two cohorts, with a tendency of more severe depressive symptoms among employees who are exposed to bullying by their leaders, and the least severe symptoms among those who are bullied by clients.

Empirical Tryout of a New Statistic for Detecting Temporally Inconsistent Responders.

PubMed

Kerry, Matthew J

2018-01-01

Statistical screening of self-report data is often advised to support the quality of analyzed responses - For example, reduction of insufficient effort responding (IER). One recently introduced index based on Mahalanobis's D for detecting outliers in cross-sectional designs replaces centered scores with difference scores between repeated-measure items: Termed person temporal consistency ( D 2 ptc ). Although the adapted D 2 ptc index demonstrated usefulness in simulation datasets, it has not been applied to empirical data. The current study addresses D 2 ptc 's low uptake by critically appraising its performance across three empirical applications. Independent samples were selected to represent a range of scenarios commonly encountered by organizational researchers. First, in Sample 1, a repeat-measure of future time perspective (FTP) inexperienced working adults (age >40-years; n = 620) indicated that temporal inconsistency was significantly related to respondent age and item reverse-scoring. Second, in repeat-measure of team efficacy aggregations, D 2 ptc successfully detected team-level inconsistency across repeat-performance cycles. Thirdly, the usefulness of the D 2 ptc was examined in an experimental study dataset of subjective life expectancy indicated significantly more stable responding in experimental conditions compared to controls. The empirical findings support D 2 ptc 's flexible and useful application to distinct study designs. Discussion centers on current limitations and further extensions that may be of value to psychologists screening self-report data for strengthening response quality and meaningfulness of inferences from repeated-measures self-reports. Taken together, the findings support the usefulness of the newly devised statistic for detecting IER and other extreme response patterns.

Concordance Between Life Satisfaction and Six Elements of Well-Being Among Respondents to a Health Assessment Survey, HealthPartners Employees, Minnesota, 2011.

PubMed

Pronk, Nicolaas P; Kottke, Thomas E; Lowry, Marcia; Katz, Abigail S; Gallagher, Jason M; Knudson, Susan M; Rauri, Sachin J; Tillema, Juliana O

2016-12-22

We assessed and tracked perceptions of well-being among employees of member companies of HealthPartners, a nonprofit health care provider and health insurance company in Bloomington, Minnesota. The objective of our study was to determine the concordance between self-reported life satisfaction and a construct of subjective well-being that comprised 6 elements of well-being: emotional and mental health, social and interpersonal status, financial status, career status, physical health, and community support. We analyzed responses of 23,268 employees (of 37,982 invitees) from 6 HealthPartners companies who completed a health assessment in 2011. We compared respondents' answers to the question, "How satisfied are you with your life?" with their indicators of well-being where "high life satisfaction" was defined as a rating of 9 or 10 on a scale of 0 (lowest) to 10 (highest) and "high level of well-being" was defined as a rating of 9 or 10 for 5 or 6 of the 6 indicators of well-being. We found a correlation between self-reported life satisfaction and the number of well-being elements scored as high (9 or 10) (r = 0.62, P < .001); 73.6% of the respondents were concordant (high on both or high on neither). Although 82.9% of respondents with high overall well-being indicated high life satisfaction, only 34.7% of those indicating high life satisfaction reported high overall well-being. The correlation between self-reported life satisfaction and our well-being measure was strong, and members who met our criterion of high overall well-being were likely to report high life satisfaction. However, many respondents who reported high life satisfaction did not meet our criterion for high overall well-being, which suggests that either they adapted to negative life circumstances or that our well-being measure did not identify their sources of life satisfaction.

A Study of Sexuality and Health among Older Adults in the United States

PubMed Central

Lindau, Stacy Tessler; Schumm, L. Philip; Laumann, Edward O.; Levinson, Wendy; O’Muircheartaigh, Colm A.; Waite, Linda J.

2008-01-01

BACKGROUND Despite the aging of the population, little is known about the sexual behaviors and sexual function of older people. METHODS We report the prevalence of sexual activity, behaviors, and problems in a national probability sample of 3005 U.S. adults (1550 women and 1455 men) 57 to 85 years of age, and we describe the association of these variables with age and health status. RESULTS The unweighted survey response rate for this probability sample was 74.8%, and the weighted response rate was 75.5%. The prevalence of sexual activity declined with age (73% among respondents who were 57 to 64 years of age, 53% among respondents who were 65 to 74 years of age, and 26% among respondents who were 75 to 85 years of age); women were significantly less likely than men at all ages to report sexual activity. Among respondents who were sexually active, about half of both men and women reported at least one bothersome sexual problem. The most prevalent sexual problems among women were low desire (43%), difficulty with vaginal lubrication (39%), and inability to climax (34%). Among men, the most prevalent sexual problems were erectile difficulties (37%). Fourteen percent of all men reported using medication or supplements to improve sexual function. Men and women who rated their health as being poor were less likely to be sexually active and, among respondents who were sexually active, were more likely to report sexual problems. A total of 38% of men and 22% of women reported having discussed sex with a physician since the age of 50 years. CONCLUSIONS Many older adults are sexually active. Women are less likely than men to have a spousal or other intimate relationship and to be sexually active. Sexual problems are frequent among older adults, but these problems are infrequently discussed with physicians. PMID:17715410

Awareness of pro-tobacco advertising and promotion and beliefs about tobacco use: Findings from the Tobacco Control Policy (TCP) India Pilot Survey†

PubMed Central

Bansal-Travers, Maansi; Fong, Geoffrey T.; Quah, Anne C.K.; Sansone, Genevieve; Pednekar, Mangesh S.; Gupta, Prakash C.; Sinha, Dhirendra N.

2014-01-01

Tobacco companies are utilizing similar strategies to advertise and promote their products in developing countries as they have used successfully for over 50 years in developed countries. The present study describes how adult smokers, smokeless tobacco users, and non-users of tobacco from the Tobacco Control Project (TCP) India Pilot Survey, conducted in 2006, responded to questions regarding their perceptions and observations of pro-tobacco advertising and promotion and beliefs about tobacco use. Analyses found that 74% (n=562) of respondents reported seeing some form of pro-tobacco advertising in the last six months, with no differences observed between smokers (74%), smokeless tobacco users (74%), and nonsmokers (73%). More than half of respondents reported seeing pro-tobacco advertising on store windows or inside shops. Overall, this study found that a significant percentage of tobacco users and non-users in India report seeing some form of pro-tobacco advertising and promotion messages. Additional analyses found that smokers were more likely to perceive tobacco use as harmful to their health compared with smokeless tobacco users and non-users (p<0.01). The findings from this study reiterate the need for stronger legislation and strict enforcement of bans on direct and indirect advertising and promotion of tobacco products in India. PMID:25455648

Stress responding in cannabis smokers as a function of trauma exposure, sex, and relapse in the human laboratory.

PubMed

Chao, Thomas; Radoncic, Vanya; Hien, Denise; Bedi, Gillinder; Haney, Margaret

2018-04-01

Stress responding is linked to drug use, but little is known about stress responses in cannabis smokers. We investigated acute stress responding in cannabis smokers as a function of trauma exposure and sex, and relationships between stress responses and cannabis relapse. 125 healthy, non-treatment-seeking daily cannabis smokers (23F, 102 M) completed the Trier Social Stress Task (TSST), a standardized laboratory stressor; subsets also completed a trauma questionnaire (n = 106) and a laboratory cannabis relapse measure (n = 54). Stress responding was assessed with heart rate (HR), salivary cortisol (CORT), and self-rated mood. Cannabis smokers reporting at least one trauma exposure had higher CORT and anxiety overall compared to those reporting no trauma. Stress responding did not differ as a function of binary trauma exposure, although total number of exposures correlated positively with CORT and anxiety during stress. Females reported increased nervousness after stress relative to males matched to the females for cannabis and cigarette use. An interactive effect of sex and trauma on HR suggested that females with trauma exposure have increased cardiovascular stress responding relative to those without such exposure, with no differential effect in males. Stress responding did not predict laboratory cannabis relapse. We report differences in acute stress responding as a function of trauma, sex, and their interaction in a large sample of relatively homogenous cannabis smokers. Further investigation of how trauma impacts stress responding in male and female cannabis smokers, and how this relates to different aspects of cannabis use, is warranted. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Surgical Satisfaction, Quality of Life, and Their Association After Gender-Affirming Surgery: A Follow-up Study.

PubMed

van de Grift, Tim C; Elaut, Els; Cerwenka, Susanne C; Cohen-Kettenis, Peggy T; Kreukels, Baudewijntje P C

2018-02-17

We assessed the outcomes of gender-affirming surgery (GAS, or sex-reassignment surgery) 4 to 6 years after first clinical contact, and the associations between postoperative (dis)satisfaction and quality of life (QoL). Our multicenter, cross-sectional follow-up study involved persons diagnosed with gender dysphoria (DSM-IV-TR) who applied for medical interventions from 2007 until 2009. Of 546 eligible persons, 201 (37%) responded, of whom 136 had undergone GAS (genital, chest, facial, vocal cord and/or thyroid cartilage surgery). Main outcome measures were procedure performed, self-reported complications, and satisfaction with surgical outcomes (standardized questionnaires), QoL (Satisfaction With Life Scale, Subjective Happiness Scale, Cantril Ladder), gender dysphoria (Utrecht Gender Dysphoria Scale), and psychological symptoms (Symptom Checklist-90). Postoperative satisfaction was 94% to 100%, depending on the type of surgery performed. Eight (6%) of the participants reported dissatisfaction and/or regret, which was associated with preoperative psychological symptoms or self-reported surgical complications (OR = 6.07). Satisfied respondents' QoL scores were similar to reference values; dissatisfied or regretful respondents' scores were lower. Therefore, dissatisfaction after GAS may be viewed as indicator of unfavorable psychological and QoL outcomes.

Computer use problems and accommodation strategies at work and home for people with systemic sclerosis: a needs assessment.

PubMed

Baker, Nancy A; Aufman, Elyse L; Poole, Janet L

2012-01-01

We identified the extent of the need for interventions and assistive technology to prevent computer use problems in people with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and the accommodation strategies they use to alleviate such problems. Respondents were recruited through the Scleroderma Foundation. Twenty-seven people with SSc who used a computer and reported difficulty in working completed the Computer Problems Survey. All but 1 of the respondents reported one problem with at least one equipment type. The highest number of respondents reported problems with keyboards (88%) and chairs (85%). More than half reported discomfort in the past month associated with the chair, keyboard, and mouse. Respondents used a variety of accommodation strategies. Many respondents experienced problems and discomfort related to computer use. The characteristic symptoms of SSc may contribute to these problems. Occupational therapy interventions for computer use problems in clients with SSc need to be tested. Copyright © 2012 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

"What else are you worried about?" – Integrating textual responses into quantitative social science research

PubMed Central

Brümmer, Martin; Schmukle, Stefan C.; Goebel, Jan; Wagner, Gert G.

2017-01-01

Open-ended questions have routinely been included in large-scale survey and panel studies, yet there is some perplexity about how to actually incorporate the answers to such questions into quantitative social science research. Tools developed recently in the domain of natural language processing offer a wide range of options for the automated analysis of such textual data, but their implementation has lagged behind. In this study, we demonstrate straightforward procedures that can be applied to process and analyze textual data for the purposes of quantitative social science research. Using more than 35,000 textual answers to the question “What else are you worried about?” from participants of the German Socio-economic Panel Study (SOEP), we (1) analyzed characteristics of respondents that determined whether they answered the open-ended question, (2) used the textual data to detect relevant topics that were reported by the respondents, and (3) linked the features of the respondents to the worries they reported in their textual data. The potential uses as well as the limitations of the automated analysis of textual data are discussed. PMID:28759628

"What else are you worried about?" - Integrating textual responses into quantitative social science research.

PubMed

Rohrer, Julia M; Brümmer, Martin; Schmukle, Stefan C; Goebel, Jan; Wagner, Gert G

2017-01-01

Open-ended questions have routinely been included in large-scale survey and panel studies, yet there is some perplexity about how to actually incorporate the answers to such questions into quantitative social science research. Tools developed recently in the domain of natural language processing offer a wide range of options for the automated analysis of such textual data, but their implementation has lagged behind. In this study, we demonstrate straightforward procedures that can be applied to process and analyze textual data for the purposes of quantitative social science research. Using more than 35,000 textual answers to the question "What else are you worried about?" from participants of the German Socio-economic Panel Study (SOEP), we (1) analyzed characteristics of respondents that determined whether they answered the open-ended question, (2) used the textual data to detect relevant topics that were reported by the respondents, and (3) linked the features of the respondents to the worries they reported in their textual data. The potential uses as well as the limitations of the automated analysis of textual data are discussed.

Studying "exposure" to firearms: household ownership v access

PubMed Central

Ikeda, R; Dahlberg, L; Kresnow, M; Sacks, J; Mercy, J

2003-01-01

Background: Firearm ownership has often been used to measure access to weapons. However, persons who own a firearm may not have access to it and conversely, persons who do not own a firearm may be able to access one quickly. Objectives: To examine whether using firearm ownership is a reasonable proxy for access by describing the demographic characteristics associated with ownership and access. Methods: Data are from the 1994 Injury Control and Risk Survey, a national, random digit dial survey. Information about household firearm ownership and ready access to a loaded firearm were collected and weighted to provide national estimates. Adjusted odds ratios for three separate models were calculated using logistic regression. Results: A total of 1353 (27.9%) respondents reported both having a firearm in the household and ready access to one. An additional 313 respondents (8.1%) reported having a firearm, but were not able to access these weapons. Another 421 respondents (7.2%) did not have a firearm in or around their home, yet reported being able to retrieve and fire one within 10 minutes. Based on the logistic regression findings, the demographic characteristics of this latter group are quite different from those who report ownership. Those who do not have a firearm, but report ready access to one, are more likely to be ethnic minorities, single, and living in attached homes. Conclusions: Asking only about the presence of a firearm in a household may miss some respondents with ready access to a loaded firearm. More importantly, those who do not own a firearm, but report ready access to one, appear to be qualitatively different from those who report ownership. Caution should be exercised when using measures of ownership as a proxy for access. PMID:12642560

Self-Reported Cognitive Impairment Across Racial/Ethnic Groups in the United States, National Health Interview Survey, 1997-2015.

PubMed

Luo, Huabin; Yu, Gary; Wu, Bei

2018-01-11

The primary objectives of this study were 1) to examine trends of self-reported cognitive impairment among 5 major racial/ethnic groups during 1997-2015 in the United States and 2) to examine differences in the trends across these groups. Data were from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). The sample consisted of 155,682 people aged 60 or older. Respondents were asked to report whether any family member was "limited in any way because of difficulty remembering or because of experiencing periods of confusion." Race/ethnicity categories were non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, Native American, Hispanic, and Asian. We applied hierarchical age-period-cohort cross-classified random-effects models for the trend analysis. All analyses accounted for the complex survey design of NHIS. The overall rate of self-reported cognitive impairment increased from 5.7% in 1997 to 6.7% in 2015 (P for trend <.001). Among non-Hispanic white respondents, the rate increased from 5.2% in 1997 to 6.1% in 2015 (slope = 0.14, P for trend <.001). We observed no significant trend in rate of cognitive impairment in other groups. After we controlled for covariates, we found that Asian (B = 0.31), non-Hispanic black (B = 0.37), Hispanic (B = 0.25), and Native American (B = 0.87) respondents were more likely than non-Hispanic white respondents to report cognitive impairment (P <.001 for all). We found an increased rate of self-reported cognitive impairment in older adults of 5 major racial/ethnic groups from 1997 through 2015 in the United States. However, the rate of self-reported cognitive impairment was low, which may suggest underreporting. There is a need to further promote awareness of the disease among individuals, family members, and health care providers.

Project Responder: technology needs for local emergency response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beakley, Guy; Garwin, Thomas; Pollard, Neal A.; Singley, George T., III; Tuohy, Robert V.; Lupo, Jasper

2003-09-01

Since April 2001, the Oklahoma City National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism has funded an effort by Hicks &Associates, Inc. and the Terrorism Research Center, Inc., aimed ultimately at improving local, state, and federal emergency responders" capabilities for mitigating the effects of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or explosive/ incendiary (CBRNE) terrorism. This effort, titled "Project Responder," began by developing an understanding of how state and local responders view their current capabilities, shortfalls, and needs. This paper discusses some of the results of this first phase of the effort that has resulted in a comprehensive report titled "Emergency Responders" Needs, Goals, and Priorities." This paper addresses two of the capabilities from that report which we believe are of most interest to this conference. There are ten other capabilities discussed in the report, which may also be of interest.

An Open Trial of Intensive Family Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in Youth with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Who Are Medication Partial Responders or Nonresponders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Storch, Eric A.; Lehmkuhl, Heather D.; Ricketts, Emily; Geffken, Gary R.; Marien, Wendi; Murphy, Tanya K.

2010-01-01

This study reports an open-trial of family-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Thirty primarily Caucasian youth with OCD (range = 7-19 years; 15 girls) who were partial responders or nonresponders to two or more medication trials that were delivered either serially or…

Another Look at the Melting Pot: Asian-American Undergraduates at the University of Maryland, College Park. Research Report #14-79.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minatoya, Lydia Yuriko; Sedlacek, William E.

Demographic characteristics and attitudes of Asian-American undergraduates at the University of Maryland, College Park, were studied. A random sample of 139 Asian-American students responded to a 51-item questionnaire, with a return rate of 81 percent. Seventy-five percent of the 86 male and 53 female respondents had resided for the longest period…

The environmental history in pediatric practice: a study of pediatricians' attitudes, beliefs, and practices.

PubMed Central

Kilpatrick, Nikki; Frumkin, Howard; Trowbridge, Jane; Escoffery, Cam; Geller, Robert; Rubin, Leslie; Teague, Gerald; Nodvin, Janice

2002-01-01

We conducted a mail survey of practicing pediatricians in Georgia to assess their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding recording patients' environmental histories. Of 477 eligible pediatricians, 266 (55.8%) responded. Fewer than one in five reported having received training in environmental history-taking. Pediatricians reported that they strongly believe in the importance of environmental exposures in children's health, and 53.5% of respondents reported experience with a patient who was seriously affected by an environmental exposure. Pediatricians agreed moderately strongly that environmental history-taking is useful in identifying potentially hazardous exposures and in helping prevent these exposures. Respondents reported low self-efficacy regarding environmental history-taking, discussing environmental exposures with parents, and finding diagnosis and treatment resources related to environmental exposures. The probability of self-reported history-taking varied with the specific exposure, with environmental tobacco smoke and pets most frequently queried and asbestos, mercury, formaldehyde, and radon rarely queried. The pediatricians' preferred information resources include the American Academy of Pediatrics, newsletters, and patient education materials. Pediatricians are highly interested in pediatric environmental health but report low self-efficacy in taking and following up on environmental histories. There is considerable opportunity for training in environmental history-taking and for increasing the frequency with which such histories are taken. PMID:12153766

Root caries: a survey of Queensland dentists.

PubMed

Garton, B J; Ford, P J

2013-08-01

Root caries stands to be a significant burden for Australia's ageing population. The objective of this study was to describe Queensland dental practitioners' perceptions of root caries prevalence, presentation and predisposing factors as well as diagnosis and recording practices. Using the Queensland Dental Board register, all 2,515 dentists and dental specialists practising in Queensland were invited to participate in a questionnaire-based postal survey. Of the 660 responses received, 638 were included for final analysis. Use of diagnostic measures such as surface elasticity and contour were reported frequently. A majority of respondents (77%) reported not recording root caries in a way that could be distinguished from coronal caries. Dietary analysis was the most commonly reported adjunctive aid for risk assessment. Recommendations for use of remineralizing agents were frequently reported (home use 90%; in office use 71%). Salivary impairment was reported to be an important risk factor for root caries by 93% of respondents, but only 18% reported performing salivary analysis. A large proportion of respondents (32%) considered patients with diabetes to be of low or no risk of root caries. While the Queensland dental practitioners who participated in this survey demonstrated an awareness of root caries and its predisposing factors, clinical risk assessment particularly for patients with diabetes should be further examined. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Public awareness and perception toward Adverse Drug Reactions reporting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Sales, Ibrahim; Aljadhey, Hisham; Albogami, Yasser; Mahmoud, Mansour A

2017-09-01

Purpose: To assess the general public awareness and perception about Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) reporting and pharmacovigilance. Method: A cross-sectional study conducted on June 2012 during awareness campaign held in two malls in Riyadh city for two days. A self-administered questionnaire consisting of three parts was distributed to the attendees who accepted to participate in the study. Results: A total of 204 questionnaires were collected with a response rate of 68%. Twenty-three percent could correctly define ADRs. Only 13(15.7%) of responders were familiar with the term "Pharmacovigilance" and only 78.6% were aware about the Saudi Pharmacovigilance Center. Sixty-seventy percent indicated that their physicians or pharmacists don't actively encourage them to report ADRs that may occur when they take their medications. The majority of responders (73.2%) believed that the medical team, rather than consumers, should report ADRs. When asked why patients do not report ADRs, 19.1(48.5%) believed that patients do not know whether the ADR is from the medication or not, 18.1(46.1%) stated that the reason was because patients don't know about the Pharmacovigilance Center, 16(40.7%) think that patients don't know about the importance of ADRs reporting, and 14(36.3%) responded that patients probably don't know how to report ADRs. Conclusion: The general public in Saudi Arabia are not aware about ADRs reporting and the pharmacovigilance system. The Saudi Food and Drug Authorities (FDA) need to put more efforts to increasing public awareness about the importance of ADRs reporting process and the importance of pharmacovigilance system in promoting patient safety.

Scientists' Views about Attribution of Global Warming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verheggen, Bart; Strengers, Bart; Cook, John; van Dorland, Rob; Vringer, Kees; Peters, Jeroen; Visser, Hans; Meyer, Leo

2015-04-01

What do scientists think? That is an important question when engaging in science communication, in which an attempt is made to communicate the scientific understanding to a lay audience. To address this question we undertook a large and detailed survey among scientists studying various aspects of climate change , dubbed "perhaps the most thorough survey of climate scientists ever" by well-known climate scientist and science communicator Gavin Schmidt. Among more than 1800 respondents we found widespread agreement that global warming is predominantly caused by human greenhouse gases. This consensus strengthens with increased expertise, as defined by the number of self-reported articles in the peer-reviewed literature. 90% of respondents with more than 10 climate-related peer-reviewed publications (about half of all respondents), agreed that anthropogenic greenhouse gases are the dominant cause of recent global warming, i.e. having contributed more than half of the observed warming. With this survey we specified what the consensus position entails with much greater specificity than previous studies. The relevance of this consensus for science communication will be discussed. Another important result from our survey is that the main attribution statement in IPCC's fourth assessment report (AR4) may lead to an underestimate of the greenhouse gas contribution to warming, because it implicitly includes the lesser known masking effect of cooling aerosols. This shows the importance of the exact wording in high-profile reports such as those from IPCC in how the statement is perceived, even by fellow scientists. The phrasing was improved in the most recent assessment report (AR5). Respondents who characterized the human influence on climate as insignificant, reported having the most frequent media coverage regarding their views on climate change. This shows that contrarian opinions are amplified in the media in relation to their prevalence in the scientific community. This is related to what is sometimes referred to as "false balance" in media reporting and may partly explain the divergence between public and scientific opinion regarding climate change.

Driving under the influence of drugs: Perceptions and attitudes of New Zealand drivers.

PubMed

Malhotra, Neha; Starkey, Nicola J; Charlton, Samuel G

2017-09-01

This study explored the patterns of drug driving in New Zealand by investigating 1) drivers' perceptions about impairment caused by legal and illegal drugs 2) countermeasures employed by drivers when under the influence of drugs (e.g., decisions not to drive) 3) drivers' attitudes about police enforcement of drug driving and 4) the factors that predict the likelihood of engaging in drug driving. Participants (n=434) were licensed drivers who completed an online questionnaire. Results of the questionnaire indicated that drivers rated hallucinogens and opiates as being the illegal drugs producing the highest level of driving impairment and cannabis the lowest. For legal drugs, sedatives were rated as having the highest driving impairment and anti-nausea and anti-depressants the lowest. Respondents' drug use history had an effect on their ratings of impairment for anti-anxiety drugs, anti-depressants, kava, sedatives, cannabis and hallucinogens such that drug users reported higher impairment ratings than Non-user. Making a decision not to drive after taking drugs was reported by users of alcohol (73.6%), cannabis (57.0%), strong painkillers (42.5%), and anti-depressants (10.0%). Respondents who reported drink driving were 3.26 times more likely to report drug driving than those reporting no drink driving. Respondents also showed greater acceptance towards driving under the influence of legal drugs (43.5%) compared to illegal drugs (10.3%). Those who did not have favourable attitudes about drug driving were less likely to report having driven under the influence of drugs. Drivers in this sample were less aware of the potential negative effects of legal drugs on driving compared to illegal drugs. More than half the respondents from this study acknowledged drug driving as a road safety issue which needs more resources dedicated to it. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Positive and negative reasons for sickness presenteeism in Norway and Sweden: a cross-sectional survey

PubMed Central

Johansen, Vegard; Aronsson, Gunnar; Marklund, Staffan

2014-01-01

Objectives This article investigates various reasons for sickness presenteeism (SP), that is, going to work despite illness. The research questions asked is: What are the main reported reasons for SP in Norway and Sweden? Design Cross-sectional survey in Norway and Sweden. Use of binomial logistic regression analysis. Participants A random sample of people aged between 20 and 60 years was obtained from complete and updated databases of the Norwegian and Swedish populations. A postal questionnaire was sent to the selected individuals, with response rate 33% (n=2843). 2533 workers responded to questions about SP during the last 12 months. Primary and secondary outcome measures The article informs about the distribution of reasons for SP in Norway and Sweden, selected by the respondents from a closed list. The article also examines which factors influence the most often reported reasons for SP. Results 56% of the Norwegian and Swedish respondents experienced SP in the previous year. The most frequently reported reasons for SP include not burden colleagues (43%), enjoy work (37%) and feeling indispensable (35%). A lower proportion of Norwegians state that they cannot afford taking sick leave adjusted OR (aOR 0.16 (95% CI 0.10 to 0.22)), while a higher proportion of Norwegians refer to that they enjoy their work (aOR=1.64 (95% CI 1.28 to 2.09)). Women and young workers more often report that they do not want to burden their colleagues. Managers (aOR=2.19 (95% CI 1.67 to 2.86)), highly educated persons and the self-employed more often report that they are indispensable. Conclusions Positive and negative reasons for SP are reported, and there are significant differences between respondents from the two countries. The response rate is low and results must be interpreted with caution. Study design Cross-sectional study. PMID:24523425

Student Conceptualizations of the Nature of Science in Response to a Socioscientific Issue. Research Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sadler, Troy D.; Chambers, William F.; Zeidler, Dana L.

2004-01-01

This study investigates student conceptualizations of the nature of science (NOS) and how students interpret and evaluate conflicting evidence regarding a socioscientific issue. Eighty-four high school students participated in the study by reading contradictory reports about the status of global warming and responding to questions designed to…

A Profile of Participation in Distance Education: 1999-2000. Postsecondary Education Descriptive Analysis Reports.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sikora, Anna C.

This study examined the participation of undergraduate and graduate students in distance education. Students responding to the 1999-2000 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study who reported taking distance education courses for credit were asked about their experiments. Eight percent of undergraduates and 10% of graduate and first professional…

Case-mix adjustment and enabled reporting of the health care experiences of adults with disabilities.

PubMed

Palsbo, Susan E; Diao, Guoqing; Palsbo, Gregory A; Tang, Liansheng; Rosenberger, William F; Mastal, Margaret F

2010-09-01

To develop activity limitation clusters for case-mix adjustment of health care ratings and as a population profiler, and to develop a cognitively accessible report of statistically reliable quality and access measures comparing the health care experiences of adults with and without disabilities, within and across health delivery organizations. Observational study. Three California Medicaid health care organizations. Adults (N = 1086) of working age enrolled for at least 1 year in Medicaid because of disability. Not applicable. Principal components analysis created 4 clusters of activity limitations that we used to characterize case mix. We identified and calculated 28 quality measures using responses from a proposed enabled version of the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey. We calculated scores for overall care as the weighted mean of the case-mix adjusted ratings. Disability caused a greater bias on health plan ratings and specialist ratings than did demographic factors. Proxy respondents rated care the same as self-respondents. Telephone and mail administration were equivalent for service reports, but telephone respondents tended to offer more positive global ratings. Plan-level reliability estimates for new composites on shared decision making and advice on healthy living are .79 and .87, respectively. Plan-level reliability estimates for a new composite measure on family planning did not discriminate between health plans because respondents rated all health plans poorly. Approximately 125 respondents per site are necessary to detect group differences. Self-reported activity limitations incorporating standard questions from the American Community Survey can be used to create a disability case-mix index and to construct profiles of a population's activity limitations. The enabled comparative report, which we call the Assessment of Health Plans and Providers by People with Activity Limitations, is more cognitively accessible than typical CAHPS report templates for state Medicaid plans. The CAHPS Medicaid reporting tools may provide misleading ratings of health plan and physician quality by people with disabilities because the mean ratings do not account for systematic biases associated with disability. More testing on larger populations would help to quantify the strength of various reporting biases.

The Child's Eye View of Family Life: A Report to Respondents in a Study Conducted in Victoria in Late 1982 and Early 1983.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ochiltree, Gay; Amato, Paul

Marriage and the family traditionally have been structured around the key functions of the nurturing and socialization of children. This report looks closely at how effectively and competently various family types manage these tasks. Containing a brief overview of the "Australian Children in Families Study," this report concentrates on…

HIV/AIDS and Croatian migrant workers.

PubMed

Stulhofer, Aleksandar; Brouillard, Pamela; Nikolić, Nebojga; Greiner, Nina

2006-12-01

Due to their geographical mobility and long periods of separation from intimate partners, migrant workers are at increased risk for a variety of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV/AIDS. This study sought to investigate patterns in HIV/AIDS related knowledge, attitudes and sexual behaviour in migrant workers in Croatia. In 2003, 566 male migrant workers were recruited during regular required medical examinations and surveyed at seven locations throughout the country. Each participant was asked to complete a self-administered KABP (sexual knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices) questionnaire. The average age of respondents was 38.2 years and the majority worked as seafarers (77.3%) and construction workers (20.5%). Only 18.5% of respondents were able to correctly answer all 13 questions assessing knowledge of HIV/AIDS. Seafarers reported higher levels of knowledge than did construction workers. The average respondent reported having had two sexual partners in the last 12 months, with slightly over half of the respondents (55.3%) reporting condom use at their last intercourse with a casual partner. One fifth of the respondents (20.3%) who reported having had intercourse with a sex worker during the last year reported not using condoms at last intercourse. The number of sexual partners was correlated with age, marital status, faith in God, and personal HIV risk assessment. Attitudes toward condom use, co-workers' HIV/AIDS concerns and the duration of migrant status (within the last two years) were shown to be significant correlates of condom use at last intercourse with a casual partner. The effect of HIV/AIDS related knowledge on analyzed behaviors did not reach statistical significance. Inadequate patterns of migrant workers' condom use, gaps in knowledge about HIV transmission and modes of protection, as well as widespread ignorance regarding available anonymous HIV testing found by this study suggest a critical need for expert intervention to avert the potential for an increase in new HIV/AIDS cases. A coordinated, systematic campaign for HIV/AIDS prevention among Croatian migrant workers should focus on increasing peer communication about HIV/AIDS, especially among younger migrant workers, and on reducing the frequency of sexual risk taking.

Survey of safety practices among hospital laboratories in Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia.

PubMed

Sewunet, Tsegaye; Kebede, Wakjira; Wondafrash, Beyene; Workalemau, Bereket; Abebe, Gemeda

2014-10-01

Unsafe working practices, working environments, disposable waste products, and chemicals in clinical laboratories contribute to infectious and non-infectious hazards. Staffs, the community, and patients are less safe. Furthermore, such practices compromise the quality of laboratory services. We conducted a study to describe safety practices in public hospital laboratories of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. Randomly selected ten public hospital laboratories in Oromia Regional State were studied from Oct 2011- Feb 2012. Self-administered structured questionnaire and observation checklists were used for data collection. The respondents were heads of the laboratories, senior technicians, and safety officers. The questionnaire addressed biosafety label, microbial hazards, chemical hazards, physical/mechanical hazards, personal protective equipment, first aid kits and waste disposal system. The data was analyzed using descriptive analysis with SPSS version16 statistical software. All of the respondents reported none of the hospital laboratories were labeled with the appropriate safety label and safety symbols. These respondents also reported they may contain organisms grouped under risk group IV in the absence of microbiological safety cabinets. Overall, the respondents reported that there were poor safety regulations or standards in their laboratories. There were higher risks of microbial, chemical and physical/mechanical hazards. Laboratory safety in public hospitals of Oromia Regional State is below the standard. The laboratory workers are at high risk of combined physical, chemical and microbial hazards. Prompt recognition of the problem and immediate action is mandatory to ensure safe working environment in health laboratories.

Methods and Purposes for Conducting Students' Course Evaluations Reported by North American Dental School and Dental Hygiene Program Leaders: A Preliminary Survey Study.

PubMed

Reinke, Robin E; Enright, Tonya; Love, Rebecca; Patel, Shalizeh A; Ali, Ala Omar; Horvath, Zsuzsa

2018-03-01

The aim of this preliminary survey study was to determine the perceptions of leaders of dental schools and dental hygiene programs regarding methods of and purposes for conducting students' course evaluations and their role in course improvement, curriculum design, and faculty assessment. A short electronic survey was distributed in 2016 to the academic deans of all 76 dental schools in the U.S. and Canada and a convenience sample of program directors of 232 of the total 332 accredited dental hygiene programs. Individuals from 93 institutions responded for an overall response rate of 30%: 30 of 76 dental schools (39.5% response rate) and 63 of the 232 dental hygiene programs (27% response rate). All of the respondents (100%) reported that their institutions' full-time faculty members were assessed by students in course evaluations for each course and semester they taught. However, only 78% reported that their part-time faculty members were evaluated by students. Course evaluations were mandatory in 62% (n=58) of the responding institutions, with the remaining 38% (n=35) optional. Respondents indicated course directors received the evaluation results for purposes of annual review (n=73, 78%) and instructional review (n=70, 75%). Further investigation of the use and effects of student evaluations is needed to better understand their role in faculty assessment and other aspects of the administration of dental schools and dental hygiene programs.

The enduring mental health impact of mass violence: a community comparison study of Cambodian civilians living in Cambodia and Thailand.

PubMed

Mollica, Richard F; Brooks, Robert; Tor, Svang; Lopes-Cardozo, Barbara; Silove, Derrick

2014-02-01

No population-based studies have directly compared the long-term health and mental health outcomes of conflict- versus non-conflict-affected communities from the same ethnic background. To identify and compare levels of psychiatric morbidity between a traumatized and non-traumatized civilian community; to investigate the long-term impact of mass violence. Double-stratified community surveys in Siem Reap and Surin provinces were conducted by highly qualified Cambodian interviewers using culturally validated survey instruments with known psychometric properties. These included Cambodian versions of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25, the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire and the Medical Outcome Study Short Form. Siem Reap and Surin respondents experienced 12,266 and 621 major trauma events, respectively; 745 (76.2%) Siem Reap respondents and six (0.6%) Surin respondents reported torture events; 499 (49.5%) Siem Reap respondents and 203 (19.7%) Surin respondents met the clinical threshold for depression (OR 4.01, 95% CI 3.29-4.88); 204 (20.6%) Siem Reap respondents and 23 (2.2%) Surin respondents met the clinical threshold for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (OR 11.39, 95% CI 7.3-17.7). The MOS physical disability was higher in Siem Reap versus Surin respondents (74 (7.5%) vs 13 (1.3%), χ(2) = 47.4 df = 1, p < .001). Health status was poorest among Siem Reap respondents when compared with Surin respondents (mean score 1.59 vs 0.59, respectively; t = 19.85 df = 2018, p < .001). Path analysis reveals that recent and past extreme violence are associated with the health and mental health status of the Siem Reap community. After 25 years, the Khmer civilian population that experienced the Pol Pot genocide continues to suffer psychiatric morbidity and poor health.

Health promoting outdoor environments--associations between green space, and health, health-related quality of life and stress based on a Danish national representative survey.

PubMed

Stigsdotter, Ulrika K; Ekholm, Ola; Schipperijn, Jasper; Toftager, Mette; Kamper-Jørgensen, Finn; Randrup, Thomas B

2010-06-01

To investigate the associations between green space and health, health-related quality of life and stress, respectively. Data were derived from the 2005 Danish Health Interview Survey and are based on a region-stratified random sample of 21,832 adults. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews followed by a self-administered questionnaire, including the SF-36, which measures eight dimensions of health and the Perceived Stress Scale, which measures self-reported stress. A total of 11,238 respondents completed the interview and returned the questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the association between distance to green space and self-perceived stress. Danes living more than 1 km away from the nearest green space report poorer health and health-related quality of life, i.e. lower mean scores on all eight SF-36 dimensions of health than respondents living closer. Respondents living more than 1 km away from a green space have 1.42 higher odds of experiencing stress than do respondents living less than 300 m from a green space. Respondents not reporting stress are more likely to visit a green space than are respondents reporting stress. Reasons for visiting green spaces differ significantly depending on whether or not respondents experience stress. Respondents reporting stress are likely to use green spaces to reduce stress. An association between distance to a green space and health and health-related quality of life was found. Further, the results indicate awareness among Danes that green spaces may be of importance in managing stress and that green spaces may play an important role as health-promoting environments.

Self-Reported Rationing Behavior Among US Physicians: A National Survey.

PubMed

Sheeler, Robert D; Mundell, Tim; Hurst, Samia A; Goold, Susan Dorr; Thorsteinsdottir, Bjorg; Tilburt, Jon C; Danis, Marion

2016-12-01

Rationing is a controversial topic among US physicians. Understanding their attitudes and behaviors around rationing may be essential to a more open and sensible professional discourse on this important but controversial topic. To describe rationing behavior and associated factors among US physicians. Survey mailed to US physicians in 2012 to evaluate self-reported rationing behavior and variables related to this behavior. US physicians across a full spectrum of practice settings. A total of 2541 respondents, representing 65.6 % of the original mailing list of 3872 US addresses. The study was a cross-sectional analysis of physician attitudes and self-reported behaviors, with neutral language representations of the behaviors as well as an embedded experiment to test the influence of the word "ration" on perceived responsibility. Overall percentage of respondents reporting rationing behavior in various contexts and assessment of attitudes toward rationing. In total, 1348 respondents (53.1 %) reported having personally refrained within the past 6 months from using specific clinical services that would have provided the best patient care, because of health system cost. Prescription drugs (n = 1073 [48.3 %]) and magnetic resonance imaging (n = 922 [44.5 %]) were most frequently rationed. Surgical and procedural specialists were less likely to report rationing behavior (adjusted odds ratio [OR] [95 % CI], 0.8 [0.9-0.9] and 0.5 [0.4-0.6], respectively) compared to primary care. Compared with small or solo practices, those in medical school settings reported less rationing (adjusted OR [95 % CI], 0.4 [0.2-0.7]). Physicians who self-identified as very or somewhat liberal were significantly less likely to report rationing (adjusted OR [95 % CI], 0.7 [0.6-0.9]) than those self-reporting being very or somewhat conservative. A more positive opinion about rationing tended to align with greater odds of rationing. More than one-half of respondents engaged in behavior consistent with rationing. Practicing physicians in specific subgroups were more likely to report rationing behavior.

Quality of life for patients living with ostomies: influence of contact with an ostomy nurse.

PubMed

Aronovitch, Sharon A; Sharp, Robbie; Harduar-Morano, Laurel

2010-01-01

This study was conducted to determine whether or not contact with a WOC nurse improves quality of life for ostomy patients. Home health care agencies, hospitals, and a durable medical equipment company in northern Florida were contacted to participate in the study. The role of the participating facilities was to address the provided envelopes and mail the patient survey packet (introductory letter, Ostomy Quality of Life Questionnaire [OQLQ], and demographic survey) directly to the patient. The mean age or respondents was 62 years, and the mean time of living with an ostomy was 10 years. Ninety-six percent of the sample participants did not attend support groups, yet nearly 50% reported receiving education following discharge home. Analysis of OQLQ scores revealed statistically significant differences based on who the respondent lived with, the number of comorbidities, how the respondent received supplies, and the type of appliance worn. There was no significant difference between respondents who saw an ostomy nurse and those who did not among the various sections of the OQLQ, even though 83% indicated seeing an ostomy nurse. Body image was a concern to respondents. The data demonstrated that most participants maintained satisfactory quality of life despite the presence of an ostomy. Individuals who were working part-time had a better health-related quality of life than those who worked full-time. More than 50% of our study sample participants reported satisfaction with the healthcare services they received, regardless of whether services were provided by a WOC or a nonspecialist nurse.

Which peer teaching methods do medical students prefer?

PubMed

Jayakumar, Nithish; Srirathan, Danushan; Shah, Rishita; Jakubowska, Agnieszka; Clarke, Andrew; Annan, David; Albasha, Dekan

2016-01-01

The beneficial effects of peer teaching in medical education have been well-described in the literature. However, it is unclear whether students prefer to be taught by peers in small or large group settings. This study's aim was to identify differences in medical students' preferences and perceptions of small-group versus large-group peer teaching. Questionnaires were administered to medical students in Year 3 and Year 4 (first 2 years of clinical training) at one institution in the United Kingdom to identify their experiences and perceptions of small-and large-group peer teaching. For this study, small-group peer teaching was defined as a tutorial, or similar, taught by peer tutor to a group of 5 students or less. Large-group peer teaching was defined as a lecture, or similar, taught by peer tutors to a group of more than 20 students. Seventy-three students (81% response rate) completed the questionnaires (54% males; median age of 23). Nearly 55% of respondents reported prior exposure to small-group peer teaching but a larger proportion of respondents (86%) had previously attended large-group peer teaching. Of all valid responses, 49% did not have a preference of peer teaching method while 47% preferred small-group peer teaching. The majority of Year 3 students preferred small-group peer teaching to no preference (62.5% vs 37.5%, Fisher's exact test; P = 0.035) whereas most Year 4 students did not report a particular preference. Likert-scale responses showed that the majority of students held negative perceptions about large-group peer teaching, in comparison with small-group peer teaching, with respect to (1) interactivity, (2) a comfortable environment to ask questions, and (3) feedback received. Most respondents in this study did not report a preference for small-versus large-group settings when taught by peers. More Year 3 respondents were likely to prefer small-group peer teaching as opposed to Year 4 respondents.

Physical activity level and its sociodemographic correlates in a peri-urban Nepalese population: a cross-sectional study from the Jhaukhel-Duwakot health demographic surveillance site

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Physical inactivity is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular and other noncommunicable diseases in high-, low- and middle-income countries. Nepal, a low-income country in South Asia, is undergoing an epidemiological transition. Although the reported national prevalence of physical inactivity is relatively low, studies in urban and peri-urban localities have always shown higher prevalence. Therefore, this study aimed to measure physical activity in three domains—work, travel and leisure—in a peri-urban community and assess its variations across different sociodemographic correlates. Methods Adult participants (n = 640) from six randomly selected wards of the Jhaukhel-Duwakot Health Demographic Surveillance Site (JD-HDSS) near Kathmandu responded to the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. To determine total physical activity, we calculated the metabolic equivalent of task in minutes/week for each domain and combined the results. Respondents were categorized into high, moderate or low physical activity. We also calculated the odds ratio for low physical activity in various sociodemographic variables and self-reported cardiometabolic states. Results The urbanizing JD-HDSS community showed a high prevalence of low physical activity (43.3%; 95% CI 39.4–47.1). Work-related activity contributed most to total physical activity. Furthermore, women and housewives and older, more educated and self-or government-employed respondents showed a greater prevalence of physical inactivity. Respondents with hypertension, diabetes or overweight/obesity reported less physical activity than individuals without those conditions. Only 5% of respondents identified physical inactivity as a cardiovascular risk factor. Conclusions Our findings reveal a high burden of physical inactivity in a peri-urban community of Nepal. Improving the level of physical activity involves sensitizing people to its importance through appropriate multi-sector strategies that provide encouragement across all sociodemographic groups. PMID:24628997

The Dependence on Smokeless Tobacco in the South Asian Communities in East London.

PubMed

Khaja, Amjad Hussain; Ali Zwiad, Abdulsalam; Tarakji, Bassel; Gazal, Giath; Albaba, Feras; KalajI, Nader; Petro, Waleed

2015-05-17

The purpose of the study was to understand the dependency on smokeless tobacco. The major aspect of the interview was to study the type of chewing tobacco used, frequency of purchase of chewing tobacco, change in attitude and behavior after the use of chewing tobacco. This study was done in 2005 in London. Of the 110 respondents interviewed 88 were used for the data analysis. An exploratory study was conducted in East London, United Kingdom. The selected sample was interviewed through a questionnaire, based on the Severson Smokeless Tobacco Dependence Scale. Cross tabulations report that in a sample of 88 South Asian UK resident men 46.6% used leaf (paan), 43.2% used processed form of chewing tobacco and 10.2% used gutka. Older age (67%) respondents were more likely than the younger age (30%) respondents to chew tobacco. The frequency of purchase of chewing tobacco is reported high (67.2%) in the older age group than the younger age group (50%). This current study used an amended form of the Severson Smokeless Tobacco Scale questionnaire to study the dependency on smokeless tobacco. The study could be developed in the selection of the sample, which would include both males and females to study the dependency on smokeless tobacco.

Experience with suspecting child maltreatment in the Norwegian public dental health services, a national survey.

PubMed

Brattabø, Ingfrid Vaksdal; Iversen, Anette Christine; Åstrøm, Anne Nordrehaug; Bjørknes, Ragnhild

2016-11-01

Detecting and responding to child-maltreatment is a serious challenge and public health concern. In Norway, public dental health personnel (PDHP) have a mandatory obligation to report to child welfare services (CWS) if they suspect child-maltreatment. This study aimed to assess PDHP's frequency of reporting and failing to report to CWS and whether the frequencies varied according to personal, organizational and external characteristics. An electronic questionnaire was sent to 1542 public dental hygienists and dentists in Norway, 1200 of who responded (77.8%). The majority 60.0%, reported having sent reports of concern to CWS throughout their career, 32.6% had suspected child-maltreatment but failed to report it in their career and 42.5% had sent reports during the three-year period from 2012 to 2014. The reporting frequency to CWS was influenced by PDHP's personal, organizational and external characteristics, while failure to report was influenced by personal characteristics. Compared to international studies, PDHP in Norway sends reports of concern and fails to report to CWS at relatively high rates. PDHP's likelihood of reporting was influenced by age, working experience, number of patients treated, size of the municipality and geographical region, while failure to report to CWS was influenced by working experience.

Investigating the Comparability of a Self-Report Measure of Childhood Bullying across Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Konishi, Chiaki; Hymel, Shelley; Zumbo, Bruno D.; Li, Zhen; Taki, Mitsuru; Slee, Phillip; Pepler, Debra; Sim, Hee-og; Craig, Wendy; Swearer, Susan; Kwak, Keumjoo

2009-01-01

Responding to international concerns regarding childhood bullying and a need to identify a common bullying measure, this study examines the comparability of children's self-reports of bullying across five countries. The Pacific-Rim Bullying Measure, a self-report measure of students' experiences with six different types of bullying behaviour and…

Reports of Self-Harm and Social Stressors among Early Adolescents: A Brief Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teufel, James A.; Brown, Stephen L.; Birch, David A.

2007-01-01

This study examined reports of self-harm by early adolescents as well as associations between salient interpersonal stressors and self-harm. While attending health education centers located in Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, early adolescents (n = 737) responded to a questionnaire measuring stressors, coping, and self-harm.…

Reported Prevalence by Australian Special Educators of Evidence-Based Instructional Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Mark; Stephenson, Jennifer; Strnadova, Iva

2011-01-01

This research examined the reported level of implementation of eight practices in a national sample of Australian special education teachers, replicating the North American study of Burns and Ysseldyke (2009). The 194 respondents reported extensive use of a number of evidence-based practices, such as direct instruction and applied behaviour…

Recurrence risk of hyperemesis gravidarum.

PubMed

Fejzo, Marlena S; Macgibbon, Kimber W; Romero, Roberto; Goodwin, T Murphy; Mullin, Patrick M

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study is to describe the recurrence risk for hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). Women who registered on a Web site sponsored by the Hyperemesis Education and Research Foundation as having had one HG-complicated pregnancy were contacted to follow-up on a subsequent pregnancy. Participants completed an online survey. One hundred women responded. Fifty-seven had become pregnant again, 2 were trying to conceive, 37 were not willing to get pregnant again because of HG, and 4 did not have a second pregnancy for other reasons. Among the 57 women who responded that they had become pregnant again, 81% reported having severe nausea and vomiting in their second pregnancy. Among the women reporting recurrent HG, 98% reported losing weight and taking prescribed medication for HG, 83% reported treatment with intravenous fluids, 20% reported treatment with total parenteral nutrition or nasogastric tube feeding, and 48% reported hospitalization for HG. This study demonstrates both a high recurrence rate of HG and a large percentage of women who change reproductive plans because of their experiences with HG. © 2011 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

A pilot study: research poster presentations as an educational tool for undergraduate epidemiology students.

PubMed

Deonandan, Raywat; Gomes, James; Lavigne, Eric; Dinh, Thy; Blanchard, Robert

2013-01-01

Students in a fourth year epidemiology course were surveyed after participating in a formal Science Research Day in which they presented original research, in poster form, to be judged by scientists from the community. Of 276 participating students, 80 (29%) responded to the study survey. As a result, 19% of respondents were more likely to pursue a career in science, and 27.5% were more likely to pursue a career in epidemiology. Only one respondent reported being less likely to pursue a science career, while seven were less likely to pursue epidemiology. A majority of respondents felt that the poster experience was on par with, or superior to, a comparable research paper, in terms of both educational appeal and enjoyment. Mandatory, formal poster presentations are an innovative format for teaching advanced health sciences, and may more accurately reflect the realities of a science career than do more traditional educational formats.

Well-Being among Emergency Medicine Resident Physicians: Results from the ABEM Longitudinal Study of Emergency Medicine Residents.

PubMed

Perina, Debra G; Marco, Catherine A; Smith-Coggins, Rebecca; Kowalenko, Terry; Johnston, Mary M; Harvey, Anne

2018-05-11

The Longitudinal Study of Emergency Medicine Residents (LSEMR) conducted by the American Board of Emergency Medicine queries a randomized cohort of emergency medicine (EM) residents. It is designed to identify residents' perceptions of their training, sources of stress, well-being level, and career choice satisfaction over time. This study utilizes LSEMR to identify resident well-being levels, career satisfaction, factors producing stress, and whether a specific cohort is more stressed than the overall respondent group. Data from five longitudinal cohorts were analyzed using descriptive statistics to assess stressors, career satisfaction, and self-reported resident well-being. Participants' answers were reported on a 5-point Likert scale. There were 766 residents who completed the survey in five cohorts. Respondents were 30 years old (median 29), male (66%), and predominantly White (79%). The most frequently encountered problems included "time devoted to documentation and bureaucratic issues," "knowing enough," and "crowding in the emergency department." In contrast, the least frequently reported problems included "gender discrimination," "EMS support," "minority discrimination," and "other residents." Respondents thought being an EM resident was fun and would select EM again. Less than 20% indicated they had seriously considered transferring to another EM program. Resident reports of health concerns changed over time, with fewer residents reporting they were exceptionally healthy in 2016. Residents are, overall, happy with their career choice. However, concern was expressed regarding continued well-being in training. Sources of stress in training are identified. Strategies should be developed to decrease identified stressors and increase well-being among EM residents. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessing the perceived level of institutional support for the second victim after a patient safety event.

PubMed

Joesten, Leroy; Cipparrone, Nancy; Okuno-Jones, Susan; DuBose, Edwin R

2015-06-01

The objective of this study was to establish a baseline of perceived availability of institutional support services or interventions and experiences following an adverse patient safety event (PSE) in a 650-bed children and adult community teaching hospital. Investigators queried associates about their experiences after a PSE, what institutional support services or interventions they perceived to be available, and how helpful used services were. The investigators used an online modified version of a PSE survey developed by several health related organizations in Boston. One hundred twenty evaluable surveys were analyzed. Sixty-eight percent of respondents were nurses, 99% of whom were female. Only 10% to 30% of respondents reported that various support services or interventions were actively offered, and 30% to 60% indicated that they were not available. Respondents reported having experienced several distressing symptoms after a PSE, most notably, troubling memories (56%) and worry about lawsuits (37%). Less than 32% "agreed" or "strongly agreed" that they could report concerns without fear of retribution or punitive action. More respondents experienced support from clinical colleagues (64%) than from their manager or department chair (38%). These results validate a need by associates for emotional support after a PSE and that associates' perception of available formal institutional support services or interventions is low.

Comparing Quality of Public Primary Care between Hong Kong and Shanghai Using Validated Patient Assessment Tools

PubMed Central

Wei, Xiaolin; Li, Haitao; Yang, Nan; Wong, Samuel Y. S.; Owolabi, Onikepe; Xu, Jianguang; Shi, Leiyu; Tang, Jinling; Li, Donald; Griffiths, Sian M.

2015-01-01

Objectives Primary care is the key element of health reform in China. The objective of this study was to compare patient assessed quality of public primary care between Hong Kong, a city with established primary care environment influenced by its colonial history, and Shanghai, a city leading primary care reform in Mainland China; and to measure the equity of care in the two cities. Methods Cross sectional stratified random sampling surveys were conducted in 2011. Data were collected from 1,994 respondents in Hong Kong and 811 respondents in Shanghai. A validated Chinese version of the primary care assessment tool was employed to assess perceived quality of primary care with respect to socioeconomic characteristics and health status. Results We analyzed 391 and 725 respondents in Hong Kong and Shanghai, respectively, who were regular public primary care users. Respondents in Hong Kong reported significant lower scores in first contact accessibility (1.59 vs. 2.15), continuity of care (2.33 vs. 3.10), coordination of information (2.84 vs. 3.64), comprehensiveness service availability (2.43 vs. 3.31), comprehensiveness service provided (2.11 vs. 2.40), and the total score (23.40 vs. 27.40), but higher scores in first contact utilization (3.15 vs. 2.54) and coordination of services (2.67 vs. 2.40) when compared with those in Shanghai. Respondents with higher income reported a significantly higher total primary care score in Hong Kong, but not in Shanghai. Conclusions Respondents in Shanghai reported better quality of public primary care than those in Hong Kong, while quality of public primary care tended to be more equitable in Shanghai. PMID:25826616

Assessment of medical reserve corps volunteers' emergency response willingness using a threat- and efficacy-based model.

PubMed

Errett, Nicole A; Barnett, Daniel J; Thompson, Carol B; Tosatto, Rob; Austin, Brad; Schaffzin, Samuel; Ansari, Armin; Semon, Natalie L; Balicer, Ran D; Links, Jonathan M

2013-03-01

The goal of this study was to investigate the willingness of Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) volunteers to participate in public health emergency-related activities by assessing their attitudes and beliefs. MRC volunteers responded to an online survey organized around the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM). Respondents reported agreement with attitude/belief statements representing perceived threat, perceived efficacy, and personal/organizational preparedness in 4 scenarios: a weather-related disaster, a pandemic influenza emergency, a radiological ("dirty bomb") emergency, and an inhalational anthrax bioterrorism emergency. Logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate predictors of volunteer response willingness. In 2 response contexts (if asked and regardless of severity), self-reported willingness to respond was higher among those with a high perceived self-efficacy than among those with low perceived self-efficacy. Analyses of the association between attitude/belief statements and the EPPM profiles indicated that, under all 4 scenarios and with few exceptions, those with a perceived high threat/high efficacy EPPM profile had statistically higher odds of agreement with the attitude/belief statements than those with a perceived low threat/low efficacy EPPM profile. The radiological emergency consistently received the lowest agreement rates for the attitude/belief statements and response willingness across scenarios. The findings suggest that enrollment with an MRC unit is not automatically predictive of willingness to respond in these types of scenarios. While MRC volunteers' self-reported willingness to respond was found to differ across scenarios and among different attitude and belief statements, the identification of self-efficacy as the primary predictor of willingness to respond regardless of severity and if asked highlights the critical role of efficacy in an organized volunteer response context.

Assessment of Medical Reserve Corps Volunteers' Emergency Response Willingness Using a Threat- and Efficacy-Based Model

PubMed Central

Barnett, Daniel J.; Thompson, Carol B.; Tosatto, Rob; Austin, Brad; Schaffzin, Samuel; Ansari, Armin; Semon, Natalie L.; Balicer, Ran D.; Links, Jonathan M.

2013-01-01

The goal of this study was to investigate the willingness of Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) volunteers to participate in public health emergency–related activities by assessing their attitudes and beliefs. MRC volunteers responded to an online survey organized around the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM). Respondents reported agreement with attitude/belief statements representing perceived threat, perceived efficacy, and personal/organizational preparedness in 4 scenarios: a weather-related disaster, a pandemic influenza emergency, a radiological (“dirty bomb”) emergency, and an inhalational anthrax bioterrorism emergency. Logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate predictors of volunteer response willingness. In 2 response contexts (if asked and regardless of severity), self-reported willingness to respond was higher among those with a high perceived self-efficacy than among those with low perceived self-efficacy. Analyses of the association between attitude/belief statements and the EPPM profiles indicated that, under all 4 scenarios and with few exceptions, those with a perceived high threat/high efficacy EPPM profile had statistically higher odds of agreement with the attitude/belief statements than those with a perceived low threat/low efficacy EPPM profile. The radiological emergency consistently received the lowest agreement rates for the attitude/belief statements and response willingness across scenarios. The findings suggest that enrollment with an MRC unit is not automatically predictive of willingness to respond in these types of scenarios. While MRC volunteers' self-reported willingness to respond was found to differ across scenarios and among different attitude and belief statements, the identification of self-efficacy as the primary predictor of willingness to respond regardless of severity and if asked highlights the critical role of efficacy in an organized volunteer response context. PMID:23477632

Usefulness of a single item in a mail survey to identify persons with possible dementia: a new strategy for finding high-risk elders.

PubMed

Brody, Kathleen K; Maslow, Katie; Perrin, Nancy A; Crooks, Valerie; DellaPenna, Richard; Kuang, Daniel

2005-04-01

The objective of this study was to examine the characteristics of elderly persons who responded positively to a question about "severe memory problems" on a mailed health questionnaire yet were missed by the existing health risk algorithm to identify vulnerable elderly persons. A total of 324,471 respondents aged 65 and older completed a primary care health status questionnaire that gathered clinical information to quickly identify members with functional impairment, multiple chronic diseases, and higher medical care needs. The respondents were part of a large, integrated, not-for-profit managed care organization that implemented a model of care for elders using a uniform risk identification method across eight regions. Respondents with severe memory problems were compared to general respondents by morbidity, geriatric syndromes, functional impairments, service utilization, sensory impairments, sociodemographic characteristics, and activities of daily living. Of the respondents, 13,902 persons (4.3%) reported severe memory problems; the existing health risk algorithm missed 47.1% of these. When severe memory problems were included in the risk algorithm, identification increased from 11% to 13%, and risk prevalence by age groups ranged from 4.4% to 40.5%; one third had severe memory problems, a finding that was fairly consistent within age groups (28.4% to 36.5%). A question about severe memory problems should be incorporated into population risk-identification techniques. While false-negative rates are unknown, the false-positive rate of a self-report mail survey appears to be minimal. Persons reporting severe memory problems clearly have multiple comorbidities, higher prevalence of geriatric syndromes, and greater functional and sensory impairments.

LGBT Coverage in U.S. Dental Schools and Dental Hygiene Programs: Results of a National Survey.

PubMed

Hillenburg, Kenneth L; Murdoch-Kinch, Carol A; Kinney, Janet S; Temple, Henry; Inglehart, Marita R

2016-12-01

The aims of this study were to assess curricular coverage of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) content in U.S. and Canadian dental schools and U.S. dental hygiene programs, including hours of LGBT content, pedagogy used, and assessment methods, and to determine whether respondents perceived their institution's coverage as adequate. Data were collected from academic deans at 32 U.S. and two Canadian dental schools and from program directors at 71 U.S. dental hygiene programs (response rates 49%, 20%, 23%, respectively). The results showed that 29% of responding dental schools and 48% of responding dental hygiene programs did not cover LGBT content. Among the respondents, dental schools dedicated on average 3.68 hours and dental hygiene programs 1.25 hours in required settings to LGBT content. Lectures (dental schools 68%, dental hygiene programs 45%) and small group instruction (43%, 25%) were reported as the most common methodology used in teaching this content. Most of the responding dental schools and dental hygiene programs covered HIV (85%, 53%), oral disease risk (63%, 54%), and barriers to accessing health care for LGBT people (58%, 38%). Up to a third reported no need for coverage of topics such as sexual orientation (21%, 32%), coming out (29%, 37%), transitioning (29%, 38%), and sex reassignment surgery (32%, 35%). Assessment was through written examinations (41%, 30%) and faculty-observed patient interactions (21%, 23%); some respondents (20%, 33%) reported no assessment of learning outcomes. The most frequently endorsed strategies for increasing LGBT content were receiving curricular material focusing on LGBT-related health issues and health disparities and having trained faculty to teach LGBT content.

78 FR 29202 - Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-17

.... Affected Public: Railroad Employees. Respondent Universe: 480 Railroad Employees. Frequency of Submission: On occasion. Reporting Burden Average time Respondent group Respondent universe Total annual per...

[PedsQL™ 4.0 Generic Core Infant Scales Parents Report for infants (ages 13-24 months). Linguistic validation from original US English version to Italian version].

PubMed

González-Melado, F J; Di Ciommo, V M; Di Pietro, M; Chiarini Testa, M B; Cutrera, R

2013-10-01

The purpose of this research was to show the translation and linguistic validation of the PedsQL™ 4.0 Generic Core Infant Scales Parents Report for Infants (ages 13-24 months) from its original English version to Italian language. The linguistic validation consists in three steps: a) different forward translations from the original US English instrument to Italian; this step includes the drawing of a "reconciliation" version (version 1); b) backward translations from the Italian reconciliation version to US English; c) patient testing: the second version of the questionnaire (obtained after the backward translations) has to be tested on a panel of a minimum of 5 respondents, throughout cognitive interviewing methodology, in order to obtain the final italian version of the PedsQL™ Parents Report for Infants (ages 13-24 months). In this report we summarize the third step of this process. To study the content validity, the applicability and comprehension of our questionnarie translation, we tested it through a qualitative methodology in a sample of parents whose children were hospitalized in Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital with two different kinds of interview: 4 parents responded to the questions posed through a "thinkaloud interview" and 3 parents responded to the questionnaire and to a "respondent debriefing" interview. We modified the main question of each section and also one of the possible answer in order to maintain the Italian translation that appeared in others PedsQL™. We did not modify the questions of each section because respondents expressed that are clearly comprehensible and easy to understand.

Social Media in Health Science Education: An International Survey

PubMed Central

Cutts, Emily; Kavikondala, Sushma; Salcedo, Alejandra; D'Souza, Karan; Hernandez-Torre, Martin; Anderson, Claire; Tiwari, Agnes; Ho, Kendall; Last, Jason

2017-01-01

Background Social media is an asset that higher education students can use for an array of purposes. Studies have shown the merits of social media use in educational settings; however, its adoption in health science education has been slow, and the contributing reasons remain unclear. Objective This multidisciplinary study aimed to examine health science students’ opinions on the use of social media in health science education and identify factors that may discourage its use. Methods Data were collected from the Universitas 21 “Use of social media in health education” survey, distributed electronically among the health science staff and students from 8 universities in 7 countries. The 1640 student respondents were grouped as users or nonusers based on their reported frequency of social media use in their education. Results Of the 1640 respondents, 1343 (81.89%) use social media in their education. Only 462 of the 1320 (35.00%) respondents have received specific social media training, and of those who have not, the majority (64.9%, 608/936) would like the opportunity. Users and nonusers reported the same 3 factors as the top barriers to their use of social media: uncertainty on policies, concerns about professionalism, and lack of support from the department. Nonusers reported all the barriers more frequently and almost half of nonusers reported not knowing how to incorporate social media into their learning. Among users, more than one fifth (20.5%, 50/243) of students who use social media “almost always” reported sharing clinical images without explicit permission. Conclusions Our global, interdisciplinary study demonstrates that a significant number of students across all health science disciplines self-reported sharing clinical images inappropriately, and thus request the need for policies and training specific to social media use in health science education. PMID:28052842

Pathological Gambling, Problem Gambling and Sleep Complaints: An Analysis of the National Comorbidity Survey: Replication (NCS-R)

PubMed Central

Siani, Aaron; Rosenthal, Richard J.; Fong, Timothy W.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between sleep disturbances and gambling behavior. Data from the National Comorbidity Survey—Replication (NCS-R) was used to examine the relationship between three specific sleep complaints (difficulty initiating sleep [DIS], difficulty maintaining sleep [DMS], and early morning awakening [EMA]) and gambling behavior. Bivariate logistic regression models were used to control for potentially confounding psychiatric disorders and age. Almost half of respondents with problem gambling behavior (45.9%) and two thirds (67.7%) of respondents with pathological gambling behavior reported at least one sleep compliant. Compared to respondents with no gambling pathology, respondents with pathological gambling were significantly more likely to report at least one sleep complaint (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] = 3.444, 95% CI = 1.538–7.713), to report all sleep complaints (AOR = 3.449, 95% CI = 1.503–7.914), and to report any individual complaint (DIS: OR = 2.300, 95% CI = 1.069–4.946; DMS: AOR = 4.604, 95% CI = 2.093–10.129; EMA: AOR = 3.968, 95% CI = 1.856–8.481). The relationship between problem gambling and sleep complaints were more modest (any sleep complaint: AOR = 1.794, 95% CI = 1.142–2.818; all three sleep complaints: AOR = 2.144, 95% CI = 1.169–3.931; DIS: AOR = 1.961, 95% CI = 1.204–3.194; DMS: AOR = 1.551, 95% CI = 0.951–2.529; EMA: AOR = 1.796, 95% CI = 1.099–2.935). Given the individual and societal ramifications linked with the presence of sleep problems, this study presents another health-related repercussion associated with gambling pathology rarely discussed in the literature. PMID:22396174

Anchoring Vignettes in the Health and Retirement Study: How Do Medical Professionals and Disability Recipients Characterize the Severity of Work Limitations?

PubMed Central

Heiland, Frank; Yin, Na

2015-01-01

Purpose Recent studies report systematic differences in how individuals categorize the severity of identical health and work limitation vignettes. We investigate how health professionals and disability recipients characterize the severity of work limitations and whether their reporting patterns are robust to demographic, education, and health characteristics. We use the results to illustrate the potential impact of reporting heterogeneity on the distribution of work disability estimated from self-reported categorical health and disability data. Method Nationally representative data on anchoring disability vignettes from the 2004 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) are used to investigate how respondents with an occupation background in health and Social Security disability beneficiaries categorize work limitation vignettes. Using pain, cardiovascular health, and depression vignettes, we estimate generalized ordered probit models (N = 2,660 individuals or 39,681 person-vignette observations) that allow the severity thresholds to vary by respondent characteristics. Results We find that health professionals (excluding nurses) and disability recipients tend to classify identical work limitations as more severe compared to non-health professional non-disabled respondents. For disability recipients, the differences are most pronounced and particularly visible in the tails of the work limitations distribution. For health professionals, we observe smaller differences, affecting primarily the classification of mildly and moderately severe work limitations. The patterns for health professionals (excluding nurses) are robust to demographics, education, and health conditions. The greater likelihood of viewing the vignette person as more severely work limited observed among disability recipients is mostly explained by the fact that these respondents also tend to be in poorer health which itself predicts a more inclusive scale. Conclusions Knowledge of reporting scales from health professionals and disabled individuals can benefit researchers in a broad range of applications in health and disability research. They may be useful as reference scales to evaluate disability survey data. Such knowledge may be beneficial when studying disability programs. Given the increasing availability of anchoring vignette data in surveys, this is a promising area for future evaluation research. PMID:25966316

"Are We hurting ourselves?" What is the prevalence of back pain in anesthesia providers?

PubMed

Anson, Jonathan A; Mets, Elbert J; Vaida, Sonia J; King, Tonya S; Ochoa, Tim; Gordin, Vitaly

2016-11-01

Back injuries are a highly reported category of occupational injury in the health care setting. The daily clinical activities of an anesthesia provider, including lifting, pushing stretchers, transferring patients, and bending for procedures, are risk factors for developing low back pain. The purpose of this study is to investigate the prevalence of work related low back pain in anesthesia providers. We conducted a cross-sectional survey study of anesthesia providers at an academic institution. The target population included all 141 clinical anesthesia providers employed by the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Department of Anesthesia. A survey study was conducted using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), a validated scoring system for low back pain. Additional questions related to the daily activities of clinical anesthesia practice were also asked. The survey instrument underwent pretesting and clinical sensibility testing to ensure validity and consistent interpretation. The primary self-reported measures were the prevalence of low back pain in anesthesia providers and an assessment of disability based on the ODI. Secondary functional measures included the impact of low back pain on work flow. Nearly half (46.6%) of respondents suffer from low back pain attributed to clinical practice. In this subset of respondents, 70.1% reported not having back pain prior to their anesthesia training. Of those with low back pain, 44% alter their work flow, and 9.8% reported missing at least one day of work. Six providers (5.3%) required surgical intervention. Using the ODI score interpretation guidelines, 46% of respondents had a "mild disability" and 2% had a "moderate disability." Respondents reporting feeling "burned out" from their job had a significantly higher average ODI score compared to those who did not (6.8 vs 3.3, respectively; P=.01). Nearly half of all anesthesia providers sampled suffer from low back pain subjectively attributed to their clinical practice. This leads to changes in work flow and missed days of work. The results of this study suggest a deficiency in the effectiveness of anesthesia training programs in teaching proper techniques to prevent musculoskeletal injuries. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quality of Life of Children with Learning Disabilities: A Comparison of Self-Reports and Proxy Reports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sakiz, Halis; Sart, Zeynep Hande; Börkan, Bengü; Korkmaz, Baris; Babür, Nalan

2015-01-01

This study aimed to explore how children with learning disabilities (LD) perceive their quality of life (QoL) and to compare self-reports and proxy reports regarding their QoL. Children with LD, their typically developing peers, their parents and teachers responded to the child, parent, and teacher forms of KINDL® Questionnaire for Measuring…

A survey of perceived problems in orthodontic education in 23 European countries.

PubMed

Sieminska-Piekarczyk, B; Adamidis, J P; Eaton, K A; McDonald, J P; Seeholzer, H

2000-12-01

This paper reports on a survey of perceived problems in the provision of orthodontic education at the stages of undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing professional education (CPE) in 23 European countries in 1997. A questionnaire, together with an explanatory letter, was mailed to all members of the EUROQUAL II BIOMED project. Answers were validated during a meeting of project participants and by further correspondence, when necessary. The topics covered in the questionnaire were adequacy of funding, numbers of orthodontic teachers, availability of equipment, regulations, training centres, numbers of orthodontists, availability of books, journals, and information technology. Completed questionnaires were returned by orthodontists from all 23 countries. Respondents from seven countries did not answer all questions. Respondents reported a perceived almost universal lack of adequate funding for postgraduate orthodontic training (from 18 out of 20 countries) and, to a lesser extent, at undergraduate (13 out of 20 countries) and CPE levels (17 out of 21 countries). Respondents from 12 of the 20 countries reported adequate numbers of qualified teachers at undergraduate level, but only seven out of 18 at postgraduate level and eight out of 19 for CPE. Lack of suitable equipment was reported as a more frequent problem by central and eastern European countries (six out of 20 countries at undergraduate level, eight out of 20 countries at postgraduate level, and 12 out of 19 at CPE level). Too few or too many regulations were only perceived to be a problem by the respondent from one country out of 19 at undergraduate level, by seven out of 19 at postgraduate level, and by eight out of 16 at CPE level). Lack of training centres was more frequently reported as a problem by respondents from central and eastern European countries, but was generally not perceived as a problem by respondents from west European countries. Respondents from seven countries reported a lack of training centres for CPE. Respondents from six countries reported that they perceived there to be too many orthodontists at postgraduate level, from seven countries that there were an appropriate number, and from seven that there were too few. A lack of books, journals, and information technology was reported to be a problem by respondents from four out of 19 countries at undergraduate level, eight out of 20 at postgraduate level, and 10 out of 20 at CPE level. At both undergraduate and postgraduate level, the majority of respondents from central and eastern European countries reported problems with books, journals, and information technology. The results of the survey confirmed many anecdotal impressions and provided an extremely useful background against which to formulate quality guidelines for orthodontic education in Europe.

U.S. dental hygiene faculty perceptions of learner outcomes in distance education courses.

PubMed

Corum, Kathrine A; Gadbury-Amyot, Cynthia C; Johnson, Kerry; Strait, Tia M

2014-04-01

The purpose of this study was to determine perceptions of full-time, entry-level dental hygiene educators regarding the ability to achieve interaction in their distance education courses and the impact of interaction on learning outcomes. The specific interactions explored were student-instructor, student-content, and student-student. A survey was developed, pilot tested, revised, and mailed to 287 educators across the United States, generating an overall response rate of 22.3 percent. The majority of respondents perceived interaction to be achievable in their distance courses, to increase through technology, and to positively influence learning outcomes. Nearly 90 percent reported student-instructor interaction as achievable, 95.3 percent reported student-content interaction as achievable, and 79.7 percent reported student-student interaction as achievable. Learning outcomes were defined in this study as the student's achievement of course objectives and competencies at course completion. Approximately 81 percent of the respondents reported a positive influence from student-instructor interaction, 79.7 percent from student-content interaction, and 70.3 percent from student-student interaction. This study also examined which modalities were perceived as being most influential in achieving interaction. The results demonstrated a prevalence of discussion board posting in an environment in which numerous Web 2.0 tools are available and respondents were not as positive about their ability to achieve student-student interaction in the distance learning environment. The authors conclude that faculty development is critical in achieving quality outcomes in dental hygiene distance education courses.

Trends in 'poor responder' research: lessons learned from RCTs in assisted conception.

PubMed

Papathanasiou, Athanasios; Searle, Belinda J; King, Nicole M A; Bhattacharya, Siladitya

2016-04-01

A substantial minority of women undergoing IVF will under-respond to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation. These women-so-called 'poor responders'-suffer persistently reduced success rates after IVF. Currently, no single intervention is unanimously accepted as beneficial in overcoming poor ovarian response (POR). This has been supported by the available research on POR, which consists mainly of randomized controlled trials (RCTs ) with an inherent high-risk of bias. The aim of this review was to critically appraise the available experimental trials on POR and provide guidance towards more useful-less wasteful-future research. A comprehensive review was undertaken of RCTs on 'poor responders' published in the last 15 years. Data on various methodological traits as well as important clinical characteristics were extracted from the included studies and summarized, with a view to identifying deficiencies from which lessons can be learned. Based on this analysis, recommendations were provided for further research in this field of assisted conception. We selected and analysed 75 RCTs. A valid, 'low-risk' randomization method was reported in three out of four RCTs. An improving trend in reporting concealment of patient allocation was also evident over the 15-year period. In contrast, <1 in 10 RCTs 'blinded' patients and <1 in 5 RCTs 'blinded' staff to the proposed intervention. Only 1 in 10 RCTs 'blinded' ultrasound practitioners to patient allocation, when assessing the outcome of early pregnancy. The majority of trials reported an intention-to-treat analysis for at least one of their outcomes, with an improving trend in the recent years. Substantial variation was noted in the definitions used for 'poor responders', the most popular being 'low ovarian response at previous stimulation'. The preferred cut-off value for defining previous low response has been 'less or equal to three retrieved oocytes'. The most popular tests used for diagnosing diminished ovarian reserve have been antral follicle count and FSH. Although the Bologna criteria for POR were only recently introduced, they are expected to become a popular definition in future 'poor responder' trials. Numerous interventions have been studied on 'poor responders'. Most of these have been applied before/during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation. The antagonist protocol, the microdose flare protocol and the long down-regulation protocol have been among the most popular interventions. The analysis of outcomes revealed a clear improving trend in reporting live birth. In contrast, only 10% of RCTs reported significant improvement in reproductive outcomes among tested interventions. Twelve 'significant' interventions were reported, each supported by a single 'positive' RCT. Finally, trials of higher methodological quality were more likely to have been published in a high-impact journal. Overall, the majority of published trials on POR suffer from methodological flaws and are, thus, regarded as being high-risk for bias. The same trials have used a variety of definitions for their poor responders and a variety of interventions for their head-to-head comparisons. Not surprisingly, discrepancies are also evident in the findings of trials comparing similar interventions. Based on the identified deficiencies, this novel type of 'methodology and clinical' review has introduced custom recommendations on how to improve future experimental research in the 'poor responder' population. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Home Literacy Environments of Young Children with Down Syndrome: Findings from a Web-based Survey

PubMed Central

Al Otaiba, Stephanie; Lewis, Sandra; Whalon, Kelly; Dyrlund, Alison; McKenzie, Amy

2014-01-01

Early home literacy experiences, including parent-child book reading, account for a significant amount of childrens' later reading achievement. Yet, there is a very limited research base about the home literacy environments and experiences of children with cognitive disabilities. The purpose of this study is to describe findings from a web-based survey of home literacy environments of young children with Down syndrome. Respondents (n = 107) were mostly mothers; a majority were well-educated. Findings suggest that respondents gave literacy a higher priority than reported in prior research on children with disabilities. Over 70% of respondents had 50 or more childrens' books and also had literacy materials including flashcards, magnetic letters, and educational videos or computer games. Most parents read to their children and used these literacy materials 10–30 minutes per day. Respondents reported that their children had reached many important early literacy milestones and they also described having relatively ambitious life-long literacy goals for their children. Important implications for research and practice are discussed. PMID:25249712

Women's Health Knowledge and Skills Among Transitional Year Internship-Trained Military Medical Officers Serving as Independent Health Care Providers.

PubMed

Heitmann, Ryan J; Hammons, Crystal B; Batig, Alison L

2017-07-01

Women comprise 14.5% of active duty service members. Delivery of women's health services is a critical component to personal, medical, and mission readiness. Our objective was to evaluate the knowledge, skills, and practices pertaining to basic elements of women's/reproductive health issues among transitional internship-trained general medical officers in the Army, Navy, and Air Force. This is a cross-sectional survey study of transitional internship-trained graduates from 2012 to 2015 who transitioned to an operational assignment as an independent provider after internship graduation. The study involved an anonymous 21-question survey evaluating aspects of knowledge and practice related to basic reproductive health care services (contraceptive provision, cervical cancer, and chlamydia screening). Thirty-four of 62 (55%) eligible physicians completed the survey. The majority (85%) of respondents were male; 71% practiced at troop or unit-based clinic outside a hospital setting. Among the respondents, 97% cared for female service members within their patient population; one respondent (3%) reported no female service members in their patient population. Most respondents (82%) reported provision of contraceptive services to female patients of reproductive age. The copper intrauterine device (IUD) was least comfortably discussed. Less than half of the respondents were trained to place either the copper or levonorgestrel IUD or the etonogestrel contraceptive implant. Seventy-six percent of respondents performed cervical cancer screening and 79% performed chlamydia screening in their female patient population. Among the respondents, 15% did not offer cervical cancer and 12% did not offer chlamydia screening in their practice. Eighty-eight percent of the respondents correctly identified the recommended age at which to begin cervical cancer screening and 64% correctly identified the aged-based recommendation and interval to screen for chlamydia. Our survey conveyed that the majority of respondents were comfortable discussing self-administered methods (combined contraceptives); fewer were comfortable discussing or had training to place the more efficacious, longer-acting methods. Although screening services specific to female health are offered, the uniform provision of these basic services appears to be inconsistent among our surveyed population of first-line health care providers. Our study identifies potential areas for refinement in transitional year medical training that could translate to enhanced female medical and mission readiness. Reprint & Copyright © 2017 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

The Influence of Counterfactual Comparison on Fairness in Gain-Loss Contexts.

PubMed

Li, Qi; Wang, Chunsheng; Taxer, Jamie; Yang, Zhong; Zheng, Ya; Liu, Xun

2017-01-01

Fairness perceptions may be affected by counterfactual comparisons. Although certain studies using a two-player ultimatum game (UG) have shown that comparison with the proposers influences the responders' fairness perceptions in a gain context, the effect of counterfactual comparison in a UG with multiple responders or proposers remains unclear, especially in a loss context. To resolve these issues, this study used a modified three-player UG with multiple responders in Experiment 1 and multiple proposers in Experiment 2 to examine the influence of counterfactual comparison on fairness-related decision-making in gain and loss contexts. The two experiments consistently showed that regardless of the gain or loss context, the level of inequality of the offer and counterfactual comparison influenced acceptance rates (ARs), response times (RTs), and fairness ratings (FRs). If the offers that were received were better than the counterfactual offers, unequal offers were more likely to be accepted than equal offers, and participants were more likely to report higher FRs and to make decisions more quickly. In contrast, when the offers they received were worse than the counterfactual offers, participants were more likely to reject unequal offers than equal offers, reported lower FRs, and made decisions more slowly. These results demonstrate that responders' fairness perceptions are influenced by not only comparisons of the absolute amount of money that they would receive but also specific counterfactuals from other proposers or responders. These findings improve our understanding of fairness perceptions.

Assessment of antibiotic use in farm animals in Rwanda.

PubMed

Manishimwe, Rosine; Nishimwe, Kizito; Ojok, Lonzy

2017-08-01

The irrational use of antibiotics in humans and animals is highly related to the emergence and increase of antibiotic-resistant bacteria worldwide. A cross-sectional survey aimed at evaluating the current level of practices regarding antibiotic use in farm animals in Rwanda was carried out countrywide. Interviews were conducted on 229 farmers rearing different types of animals. The study has revealed that almost all respondent farmers could name at least one antibiotic used in farm animals and peni-streptomycin was named by most of them (95.6%). The use of antibiotics in farm animals was observed in the majority of respondents (97.4%). It was found that 44.4 and 26.5% of respondents reported that they used antibiotics for disease prevention and growth promotion, respectively. The use of non-prescribed antibiotics in animals was also reported by more than the half of respondent farmers (55.6%). The majority of farmers had a moderate level of practices regarding antibiotic use in farm animals (73.5%), very few had a high level (26%) and only one respondent had a low level. The high level of practices in regard to antibiotic use in animals was associated with the location of the farm, the type of reared animals, and the rearing system. The results of this study give an insight into antibiotics usage practices in farm animals in Rwanda. The generated information can guide sensitizations and promotions of the prudent use of antibiotics among farmers in order to limit the increase of antibiotic resistance in the country.

The Influence of Counterfactual Comparison on Fairness in Gain-Loss Contexts

PubMed Central

Li, Qi; Wang, Chunsheng; Taxer, Jamie; Yang, Zhong; Zheng, Ya; Liu, Xun

2017-01-01

Fairness perceptions may be affected by counterfactual comparisons. Although certain studies using a two-player ultimatum game (UG) have shown that comparison with the proposers influences the responders' fairness perceptions in a gain context, the effect of counterfactual comparison in a UG with multiple responders or proposers remains unclear, especially in a loss context. To resolve these issues, this study used a modified three-player UG with multiple responders in Experiment 1 and multiple proposers in Experiment 2 to examine the influence of counterfactual comparison on fairness-related decision-making in gain and loss contexts. The two experiments consistently showed that regardless of the gain or loss context, the level of inequality of the offer and counterfactual comparison influenced acceptance rates (ARs), response times (RTs), and fairness ratings (FRs). If the offers that were received were better than the counterfactual offers, unequal offers were more likely to be accepted than equal offers, and participants were more likely to report higher FRs and to make decisions more quickly. In contrast, when the offers they received were worse than the counterfactual offers, participants were more likely to reject unequal offers than equal offers, reported lower FRs, and made decisions more slowly. These results demonstrate that responders' fairness perceptions are influenced by not only comparisons of the absolute amount of money that they would receive but also specific counterfactuals from other proposers or responders. These findings improve our understanding of fairness perceptions. PMID:28536542

The importance of assessing self-reported HIV status in bio-behavioural surveys.

PubMed

Johnston, Lisa G; Sabin, Miriam Lewis; Prybylski, Dimitri; Sabin, Keith; McFarland, Willi; Baral, Stefan; Kim, Andrea A; Raymond, H Fisher

2016-08-01

In bio-behavioural surveys measuring prevalence of infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), respondents should be asked the results of their last HIV test. However, many government authorities, nongovernmental organizations, researchers and other civil society stakeholders have stated that respondents involved in such surveys should not be asked to self-report their HIV status. The reasons offered for not asking respondents to report their status are that responses may be inaccurate and that asking about HIV status may violate the respondents' human rights and exacerbate stigma and discrimination. Nevertheless, we contend that, in the antiretroviral therapy era, asking respondents in bio-behavioural surveys to self-report their HIV status is essential for measuring and improving access to - and coverage of - services for the care, treatment and prevention of HIV infection. It is also important for estimating the true size of the unmet needs in addressing the HIV epidemic and for interpreting the behaviours associated with the acquisition and transmission of HIV infection correctly. The data available indicate that most participants in health-related surveys are willing to respond to a question about HIV status - as one of possibly several sensitive questions about sexual and drug use behaviours. Ultimately, normalizing the self-reporting of HIV status could help the global community move from an era of so-called exceptionalism to one of destigmatization - and so improve the epidemic response worldwide.

Self-reported Stress Problems among Teachers in Hong Kong

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, Alan H. S.; Chen, K.; Chong, Elaine Y. L.

2010-10-01

The present study was developed to comprehensively investigate the occupational health problems among teachers of primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong. A random sample of 1,710 respondents was generated from the database of Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union (HKPTU) members. A self-administrated questionnaire was designed and sent by mail to the teachers of primary and secondary schools in HK. The results indicated that comparing with one year and five years ago, 91.6% and 97.3% of the responding teachers reported an increase of perceived stress level, respectively. Heavy workload and time pressure, education reforms, external school review, pursuing further education, and managing students' behaviour and learning were the most frequently reported sources of work stress. The four most frequently reported stress management activities were sleeping, talking to neighbors and friends, self-relaxing, and watching television, while the least frequently reported activity was doing more exercises or sports.

Awareness and uptake of direct-to-consumer genetic testing among cancer cases, their relatives, and controls: the Northwest Cancer Genetics Network.

PubMed

Hall, Taryn O; Renz, Anne D; Snapinn, Katherine W; Bowen, Deborah J; Edwards, Karen L

2012-07-01

To determine if awareness of, interest in, and use of direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing is greater in a sample of high-risk individuals (cancer cases and their relatives), compared to controls. Participants were recruited from the Northwest Cancer Genetics Network. A follow-up survey was mailed to participants to assess DTC genetic testing awareness, interest, and use. One thousand two hundred sixty-seven participants responded to the survey. Forty-nine percent of respondents were aware of DTC genetic testing. Of those aware, 19% indicated interest in obtaining and <1% reported having used DTC genetic testing. Additional information supplied by respondents who reported use of DTC genetic tests indicated that 55% of these respondents likely engaged in clinical genetic testing, rather than DTC genetic testing. Awareness of DTC genetic testing was greater in our sample of high-risk individuals than in controls and population-based studies. Although interest in and use of these tests among cases in our sample were equivalent to other population-based studies, interest in testing was higher among relatives and people who self-referred for a registry focused on cancer than among cases and controls. Additionally, our results suggest that there may be some confusion about what constitutes DTC genetic testing.

Workplace bullying and sleep difficulties: a 2-year follow-up study.

PubMed

Hansen, Ase Marie; Hogh, Annie; Garde, Anne Helene; Persson, Roger

2014-04-01

The aims of the present study were to investigate whether being subjected to bullying and witnessing bullying at the workplace was associated with concurrent sleep difficulties, whether frequently bullied/witnesses have more sleep difficulties than occasionally bullied/witnesses, and whether there were associations between being subjected to bullying or witnessing bullying at the workplace and subsequent sleep difficulties. A total of 3,382 respondents (67 % women and 33 % men) completed a baseline questionnaire about their psychosocial work environment and health. The overall response rate was 46 %. At follow-up 2 years later, 1671 of those responded to a second questionnaire (49 % of the 3,382 respondents at baseline). Sleep difficulties were measured in terms of disturbed sleep, awakening problems, and poor quality of sleep. Bullied persons and witnesses reported more sleep difficulties than those who were neither bullied nor witnesses to bullying at baseline. Frequently bullied/witnesses reported more sleep difficulties than respondents who were occasionally bullied or witnessing bullying at baseline. Further, odds ratios for subsequent sleep difficulties were increased among the occasionally bullied, but not among witnesses. However, the associations weakened when adjusting for sleep difficulties at baseline. Being subjected to occasional bullying at baseline was predictive of subsequent sleep difficulties. Witnessing bullying at baseline did not predict sleep difficulties at follow-up.

Navigating the feminine in massively multiplayer online games: gender in World of Warcraft.

PubMed

Brehm, Audrey L

2013-01-01

The objective of the study is to present and discuss attitudes, perceptions and opinions about sexism and gendered play in the massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMO), World of Warcraft. Through the use of an online survey which includes both multiple choice questions and open-ended questions, the research discusses the major themes and findings expressed by the World of Warcraft forum users (N = 294). The descriptive statistical findings presented are derived from the multiple choice questions. Within the sample, the results reveal that sexism is a contentious topic in the World of Warcraft community. 63.6% (n = 75) of female respondents reported experiencing sexism within the game. 27.5% (n = 44) of male respondents and 45.3% (n = 53) of female respondents believe that sexism is a problem in the game. Overall, 64.4% (n = 183) of the respondents reported sexism as a non-issue in the game. Themes surrounding the topic of sexism experienced within the game are presented based on frequency of homogenous responses. Based on the multiple choice questions and the open-ended questions, the research argues that sexism and gendered play in gaming should be studied more closely, as the results reveal that many MMO players are affected negatively by it.

Navigating the feminine in massively multiplayer online games: gender in World of Warcraft

PubMed Central

Brehm, Audrey L.

2013-01-01

The objective of the study is to present and discuss attitudes, perceptions and opinions about sexism and gendered play in the massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMO), World of Warcraft. Through the use of an online survey which includes both multiple choice questions and open-ended questions, the research discusses the major themes and findings expressed by the World of Warcraft forum users (N = 294). The descriptive statistical findings presented are derived from the multiple choice questions. Within the sample, the results reveal that sexism is a contentious topic in the World of Warcraft community. 63.6% (n = 75) of female respondents reported experiencing sexism within the game. 27.5% (n = 44) of male respondents and 45.3% (n = 53) of female respondents believe that sexism is a problem in the game. Overall, 64.4% (n = 183) of the respondents reported sexism as a non-issue in the game. Themes surrounding the topic of sexism experienced within the game are presented based on frequency of homogenous responses. Based on the multiple choice questions and the open-ended questions, the research argues that sexism and gendered play in gaming should be studied more closely, as the results reveal that many MMO players are affected negatively by it. PMID:24363650

Agreement in functional assessment: graphic approaches to displaying respondent effects.

PubMed

Haley, Stephen M; Ni, Pengsheng; Coster, Wendy J; Black-Schaffer, Randie; Siebens, Hilary; Tao, Wei

2006-09-01

The objective of this study was to examine the agreement between respondents of summary scores from items representing three functional content areas (physical and mobility, personal care and instrumental, applied cognition) within the Activity Measure for Postacute Care (AM-PAC). We compare proxy vs. patient report in both hospital and community settings as represented by intraclass correlation coefficients and two graphic approaches. The authors conducted a prospective, cohort study of a convenience sample of adults (n = 47) receiving rehabilitation services either in hospital (n = 31) or community (n = 16) settings. In addition to using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) as indices of agreement, we applied two graphic approaches to serve as complements to help interpret the direction and magnitude of respondent disagreements. We created a "mountain plot" based on a cumulative distribution curve and a "survival-agreement plot" with step functions used in the analysis of survival data. ICCs on summary scores between patient and proxy report were physical and mobility ICC = 0.92, personal care and instrumental ICC = 0.93, and applied cognition ICC = 0.77. Although combined respondent agreement was acceptable, graphic approaches helped interpret differences in separate analyses of clinician and family agreement. Graphic analyses allow for a simple interpretation of agreement data and may be useful in determining the meaningfulness of the amount and direction of interrespondent variation.

Evaluation of angler reporting accuracy in an off-site survey to estimate statewide steelhead harvest

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCormick, J. L.; Whitney, D.; Schill, D. J.; Quist, Michael C.

2015-01-01

Accuracy of angler-reported data on steelhead, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), harvest in Idaho, USA, was quantified by comparing data recorded on angler harvest permits to the numbers that the same group of anglers reported in an off-site survey. Anglers could respond to the off-site survey using mail or Internet; if they did not respond using these methods, they were called on the telephone. A majority of anglers responded through the mail, and the probability of responding by Internet decreased with increasing age of the respondent. The actual number of steelhead harvested did not appear to influence the response type. Anglers in the autumn 2012 survey overreported harvest by 24%, whereas anglers in the spring 2013 survey under-reported steelhead harvest by 16%. The direction of reporting bias may have been a function of actual harvest, where anglers harvested on average 2.6 times more fish during the spring fishery than the autumn. Reporting bias that is a function of actual harvest can have substantial management and conservation implications because the fishery will be perceived to be performing better at lower harvest rates and worse when harvest rates are higher. Thus, these findings warrant consideration when designing surveys and evaluating management actions.

Terrorism and mental health in the rural Midwest.

PubMed

Hawley, Suzanne R; Ablah, Elizabeth; Hawley, Gary C; Cook, David J; Orr, Shirley A; Molgaard, Craig A

2006-01-01

Since the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, the amount of terrorism preparedness training has increased substantially. However, gaps continue to exist in training for the mental health casualties that result from such events. Responders must be aware of the mental health effects of terrorism and how to prepare for and buffer these effects. However, the degree to which responders possess or value this knowledge has not been studied. Multi-disciplinary terrorism preparedness training for healthcare professionals was conducted in Kansas in 2003. In order to assess knowledge and attitudes related to mental health preparedness training, post-test surveys were provided to 314 respondents 10 months after completion of the training. Respondents returned 197 completed surveys for an analysis response rate of 63%. In general, the results indicated that respondents have knowledge of and value the importance of mental health preparedness issues. The respondents who reported greater knowledge or value of mental health preparedness also indicated significantly higher ability levels in nationally recognized bioterrorism competencies (p < 0.001). These results support the need for mental health components to be incorporated into terrorism preparedness training. Further studies to determine the most effective mental health preparedness training content and instruction modalities are needed.

Of Fur, Feather, and Fin: Human's Use and Concern for Non-Human Species.

PubMed

Byrd, Elizabeth; Widmar, Nicole Olynk; Fulton, Joan

2017-03-09

The public's concern for animal welfare is evolving and it is important to consider factors that are related to concern for animals and their use by humans. An online survey of 825 U.S. residents was conducted. Relationships between approval of animal uses and stated concern for animal welfare were examined. More than 90% of respondents reported that using animals for egg production, service or therapy, pets, and milk production was acceptable to them. Respondents who were younger or reported being female less frequently found most uses acceptable than older or male respondents. Half of respondents reported concern for the welfare of bison while 40% or more stated concern for the welfare of elk, beef cattle, and dairy cattle. Respondents who stated they were concerned for the welfare of dairy cattle less frequently reported accepting using animals for meat production, livestock shows, and hunting. Thus, self-reported concern for animal species and acceptance of the use of animals were related in some instances. A better understanding of the factors related to acceptance of animal uses and concern for animal welfare will help animal-related industries and wildlife agencies develop practices that are consistent with public attitudes.

Self-reported preparedness of New Zealand acute care providers to mass emergencies before the Canterbury Earthquakes: a national survey.

PubMed

Al-Shaqsi, Sultan; Gauld, Robin; McBride, David; Al-Kashmiri, Ammar; Al-Harthy, Abdullah

2015-02-01

Disasters occur more frequently. Acute care providers are the first to respond to mass emergencies from the healthcare sector. The preparedness of acute care providers in New Zealand to respond to mass emergencies has not been previously studied. To assess the self-reported training and experience of New Zealand acute care providers to respond to mass emergencies and the factors associated with strong preparedness. A cross-sectional national survey of 1500 acute care providers in New Zealand carried out between 2009 and 2010. The survey assessed experience, training and self-reported preparedness. It also determined the factors associated with strong perceived preparedness. The response rate to this survey was 60.7%. Nurses had a higher response rate than doctors or paramedics. Only 29.2% of acute care providers reported responding to a previous mass emergency event. There were 53.5% of acute care providers who reported having formal training in how to deal with mass emergencies, whereas 58.1% of participants reported that they were aware of their role during a healthcare mass emergency response. The factors associated with self-reported strong preparedness to deal with mass emergencies included: being a paramedic, previous training, participation in a drill, willingness to report to work during an infection or man-made emergency, ability to triage and general awareness of the role during a mass emergency. Almost half of New Zealand acute healthcare providers have no training in dealing with mass emergency events. Training and general awareness of the role during a mass emergency response were the main factors associated with strong self-reported preparedness of acute care providers. The apparent efficacy of training allied to lack of availability means that it should be a national priority. © 2015 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

Backstage at Broadway: a demographic study.

PubMed

Gehling, Drew; Sridharan, Shaum; Fritz, Mark; Friedmann, David R; Fang, Yixin; Amin, Milan R; Branski, Ryan C

2014-05-01

To provide insight into the demographics and vocal habits of current Broadway musical theater performers. Prospective, Questionnaire. Adult musical theater performers in Broadway Productions as defined by the League of American Theater Producers and the Actors' Equity Association were asked to complete a survey collecting demographic information, vocal health and habits, alcohol, tobacco, and drug use and information regarding their level of vocal comfort and threshold to miss performances based on their voice. Data were subjected to descriptive and statistical analysis based on sex and role type (lead vs. ensemble). One hundred thirty-five performers completed the survey from seven actively running shows. Ensemble members were younger and had not been in the business as long as performers in lead roles. Over 25% of respondents had been diagnosed with a vocal injury, yet the number of days missed per year due to voice problems was relatively low (1.7-4.7). Across all respondents, only approximately 54.8% reported consistently warming up before a performance and 7.4% reported consistently cooling down afterward. Nearly 91% of respondents reported regular alcohol consumption and tobacco use was 10.4%; 23.0% reported illicit drug use. This study marks the first time that vocal health has been addressed in this elite group of vocal professionals. The performer's low self-reported numbers of missed days is interesting particularly given that they appear to participate in harmful vocal health activities at the same rate as the general public. Copyright © 2014 The Voice Foundation. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Alcohol and drug use among staff at licensed premises in Norway.

PubMed

Buvik, Kristin; Bye, Elin K; Gripenberg, Johanna

2018-03-01

There is increased concern about the use of alcohol and illicit drugs in nightlife settings. Most studies of substance use in nightlife settings are from the patrons' perspective, which leaves an understudied population - the nightclub staff. The aim of this paper is to study self-reported alcohol and substance use among staff at licensed premises in Norway: types of illicit drugs used, attitudes towards drugs, and observed drug use among patrons. A survey was conducted at server-training courses in 20 different cities in Norway during 2015. The survey included: demographics, respondents' own alcohol and drug experience, attitudes towards drug use, and observed drug use among patrons at licensed premises. Data were collected from 912 staff working at licensed premises. A majority reported alcohol use in the past year, and 61% reported alcohol use two or more times a month. Overall, 45% of the respondents reported ever-used of illicit drugs. The four most commonly used drugs among staff were cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy/MDMA, and amphetamine. The majority of respondents supported Norway's strict drug laws, and 63% reported observing drug-intoxicated patrons at licensed premises during the past six months. The proportion of frequent drinkers and heavy episodic drinking among staff at licensed premises was high, and the prevalence of illicit drug use was much higher compared with the general population. Thus, staff at licensed premises can be considered a risk-group for alcohol and illicit drug use and therefore represent an important target population in club drug-prevention programmes.

Widowhood and Depression Among Older Europeans—The Role of Gender, Caregiving, Marital Quality, and Regional Context

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Objectives. This study investigates the role of gender, caregiving, and marital quality in the correlation between widowhood and depression among older people within a European context by applying the theory of Social Production Functions as a theoretical framework. Method. Fixed-effects linear regression models are estimated using the first 2 waves (2004, 2006) of “The Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe” (SHARE). A subsample of 7,844 respondents aged 50 and older in 11 countries, who were married at baseline and are either continuously married or widowed at follow-up, is analyzed. Results. Respondents who experienced widowhood between the 2 waves report significantly more depressive symptoms than those continuously married, with respondents living in Denmark and Sweden reporting a lower increase in depressive symptoms than those living in Greece, Spain, or Italy. There is no statistically significant interaction between gender and widowhood. Widowed persons who report higher marital quality at baseline show a larger increase in the number of symptoms of depression than those with low marital quality; widowed persons who report being a caregiver for their partner at baseline report smaller increase in the symptoms of depression compared with widowed noncaregivers. Discussion. The results support the results of previous studies using longitudinal data. Furthermore, the effect of widowhood varies among the 11 countries in the subsample although only a small amount of the variation in the increase of depressive symptoms after becoming widowed can be explained by such contextual factors. PMID:23591571

Turning Electromyography Reports Upside Down: A Pilot Study Surveying Referring Providers

PubMed Central

Shenoy, Anant M.; Baquis, Kate G.; Baquis, George D.

2016-01-01

Providers are expressing a desire for more efficient ways to retrieve relevant clinical data from the Electronic Health Record. In an effort to improve our Electromyography and Nerve Conduction Study reports, we surveyed referring providers on the effects of having the IMPRESSION at the start of the report. Our survey respondents felt that using this format for an Electromyography and Nerve Conduction Study report significantly improved the quality of the report while saving them time and/or mouse clicks when interpreting the report. Electro diagnosticians might consider using this format for their Electromyography and Nerve Conduction Study reports to improve referring provider satisfaction. PMID:27708744

[Perception of health and safety risks among workers pathology laboratories].

PubMed

Alvarado-Cabrero, Isabel; Valencia-Cedillo, Raquel

2015-01-01

Health care workers are experiencing increasing numbers of occupational illnesses. Safety practices in anatomical pathology laboratories (APL) are crucial to prevent unnecessary exposures to both chemical and biological agents. The main goal of this study was to determine if pathologists perceptions and actual practice mirror regulatory guidelines. Current available recommendations for APL were reviewed and used to construct an online survey distributed to pathologists. The survey was completed by 121 participants. Eighty-seven (72 %) of respondents reported receiving inadequate safety training. Most pathologists (82 %) were not well-informed about biosafety practices. Sixty-three (52 %) participants felt that the risks of chemical and infectious disease exposures in the APL were low. Most respondents reported having a needle stick or cut (71 %). Eighty-six (71 %) of participants reported musculo skeletal problems. This study indicated that there is a need for improving training in anatomical pathology safety practices in Mexican laboratories as daily practices do not reflected current guidelines.

Participation in Heart-Healthy Behaviors: A Secondary Analysis of the American Heart Association Go Red Heart Match Data.

PubMed

Arslanian-Engoren, Cynthia; Eastwood, Jo-Ann; De Jong, Marla J; Berra, Kathy

2015-01-01

The American Heart Association created Go Red Heart Match, a free and secure online program that enables women to connect with each other to fight heart disease either personally or as a caregiver for someone with heart disease. Through these connections, participants have an opportunity to develop a personal, private, and supportive relationship with other women; share common experiences; and motivate and encourage each other to follow a heart-healthy lifestyle. The aims of this study were to describe the demographic characteristics of the Go Red Heart Match responders and to determine whether participation in the program prompted participants to engage in heart-healthy behaviors. A secondary analysis of data collected as part of a needs assessment survey from the American Heart Association Go Red Heart Match was conducted. A total of 117 (35%) of the 334 invited women completed the survey. Most responders were female, married, and college educated. A total of 105 (90%) responders were diagnosed with a type of heart disease or stroke and 77 (73%) responders had undergone treatment. As a result of participating in the program, 75% of the responders reported the following improvements in heart-healthy behaviors: eating a more heart-healthy diet (54%), exercising more frequently (53%), losing weight (47%), and quitting smoking (10%). Responders who had a diagnosis of heart attack (n = 48) were more likely (P = .003) to quit smoking than were those with other diagnoses (n = 69). Notably, 48% of responders reported encouraging someone else in their life to speak to their doctor about their risk for heart disease. Most women who participated in Heart Match reported engaging in new heart-healthy behaviors. The findings support expanding the existing program in a more diverse population as a potentially important way to reach women and encourage cardiovascular disease risk reduction for those with heart disease and stroke.

Analysis of Industry Responses to Federal Regulations in Safety Requirements for New Automobiles

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1978-03-01

This report presents findings of an initial study of how the automobile industry has responded to the promulgation of motor vehicle standards by the U.S. goverment. The report examines three safety standards as evaluative cases: MVS 203--Steering col...

Loneliness among Senior Citizens: An Empirical Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

And Others; Perlman, Daniel

1978-01-01

This article reports an empirical study of loneliness among 158 senior citizens living in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Respondents each completed a self-administered questionnaire. Greater loneliness was associated with less friendship contact, fewer close friends, social anxiety, ineffectiveness in influencing others, low marital satisfaction, and low…

Long-term evaluation of a Canadian back pain mass media campaign.

PubMed

Suman, Arnela; Bostick, Geoffrey P; Schopflocher, Donald; Russell, Anthony S; Ferrari, Robert; Battié, Michele C; Hu, Richard; Buchbinder, Rachelle; Gross, Douglas P

2017-09-01

This paper evaluates the long-term impact of a Canadian mass media campaign on general public beliefs about staying active when experiencing low back pain (LBP). Changes in beliefs about staying active during an episode of LBP were studied using telephone and web-based surveys. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate changes in beliefs over time and the effect of exposure to campaign messaging. The percentage of survey respondents agreeing that they should stay active through LBP increased annually from 58.9 to ~72.0%. Respondents reporting exposure to campaign messaging were statistically significantly more likely to agree with staying active than respondents who did not report exposure to campaign messaging (adjusted OR, 95% CI = 1.96, 1.73-2.21). The mass media campaign had continued impact on public LBP beliefs over the course of 7 years. Improvements over time were associated with exposure to campaign messaging.

Compliance of middle school-aged babysitters in central Pennsylvania with national recommendations for emergency preparedness and safety practices.

PubMed

Hackman, Nicole M; Cass, Katie; Olympia, Robert P

2012-06-01

To determine the compliance of middle school-aged babysitters with national recommendations for emergency preparedness and safety practices. A prospective, self-administered questionnaire-based study was conducted at 3 middle schools in central Pennsylvania. A total of 1364 questionnaires were available for analysis. Responding babysitters (n = 890) reported previous training that included babysitter (21%), first aid (64%), and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (59%) training. Reported unsafe babysitter practices were leaving a child unattended (36%) and opening the door to a stranger (24%). The most common emergency experience encountered by responding babysitters included cut or scrape (83%), burns (28%), and choking (14%). Ten percent of responding babysitters have activated the 911 system. Middle school-aged babysitters will likely encounter common household emergencies and therefore benefit from first aid training; however, very little difference in safety knowledge was found between trained and untrained babysitters, suggesting modifications in babysitter training programs may be required.

Measurement of Fall Prevention Awareness and Behaviours among Older Adults at Home.

PubMed

Russell, Katherine; Taing, Darcie; Roy, Jacqueline

2017-12-01

This study surveyed awareness of, and adherence to, six national fall prevention recommendations among community-dwelling older adults (n = 1050) in Ottawa. Although 76 per cent of respondents agreed falling is a concern and preventable, fewer perceived susceptibility to falling (63%). Respondents had high awareness that home modifications and physical activity can prevent falls. Reported modifications included grab bars (50%), night lights (44%), and raised toilet seats (19%). Half met aerobic activity recommendations; 38 per cent met strength recommendations. Respondents had lower awareness that an annual medication review, annual eye and physical examination, and daily vitamin D supplementation could reduce fall risk. However, reported annual medication review (79%) and eye examination (75%) was high. Nearly half met recommendations for vitamin D intake. These findings suggest a gap in knowledge of awareness and adherence to national recommendations, highlighting the ones that may require attention from those who work to prevent falls.

Is loneliness in later life a self-fulfilling prophecy?

PubMed Central

Pikhartova, Jitka; Bowling, Ann; Victor, Christina

2016-01-01

Objectives: There are many stereotypes about ageing and later life. We looked at the association between expectations and stereotyping of loneliness in old age and actual self-reported loneliness status 8 years later in English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). Method: Data from 4465 ELSA core members aged over 50 who responded to Waves 2 (2004) did not report loneliness in Wave 2, and responded to loneliness questions at least once between Waves 3 and 6 (2006–2012) were used in multivariable repeated measures logit regression analysis to estimate relationship between perceived stereotypes and expectation of loneliness in older age and actual loneliness reported within 8 years of follow-up. Results: Twenty-four per cent of respondents from the analytical sample agreed at Wave 2 that old age is time of loneliness and 33% expected to be lonely in old age. Loneliness was reported by 11.5% of respondents at Waves 3–6. Both stereotypes and expectation were significantly associated with later reported loneliness (OR 2.65 (95% CI 2.05–3.42) for stereotypes and 2.98 (95% CI 2.33–3.75) for expectations in age-sex adjusted analysis). Both variables significantly predicted future loneliness even when socio-demographic circumstances were taken into account and both variables were mutually adjusted although the effect was reduced (OR's 1.53 (95% CI 1.16–2.01) for stereotypes and 2.38 (95% CI 1.84–3.07) for expectations). Conclusions: Stereotypes and expectations related to loneliness in the old age were significantly associated with reported loneliness 8 years later. Interventions aimed at changing age-related stereotypes in population may have more impact on reducing loneliness than individually based services. PMID:25806794

Self-Other Differences in Student Drinking Norms Research: The Role of Impression Management, Self-Deception, and Measurement Methodology.

PubMed

Melson, Ambrose J; Monk, Rebecca Louise; Heim, Derek

2016-12-01

Data-driven student drinking norms interventions are based on reported normative overestimation of the extent and approval of an average student's drinking. Self-reported differences between personal and perceived normative drinking behaviors and attitudes are taken at face value as evidence of actual levels of overestimation. This study investigates whether commonly used data collection methods and socially desirable responding (SDR) may inadvertently impede establishing "objective" drinking norms. U.K. students (N = 421; 69% female; mean age 20.22 years [SD = 2.5]) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 versions of a drinking norms questionnaire: The standard multi-target questionnaire assessed respondents' drinking attitudes and behaviors (frequency of consumption, heavy drinking, units on a typical occasion) as well as drinking attitudes and behaviors for an "average student." Two deconstructed versions of this questionnaire assessed identical behaviors and attitudes for participants themselves or an "average student." The Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding was also administered. Students who answered questions about themselves and peers reported more extreme perceived drinking attitudes for the average student compared with those reporting solely on the "average student." Personal and perceived reports of drinking behaviors did not differ between multitarget and single-target versions of the questionnaire. Among those who completed the multitarget questionnaire, after controlling for demographics and weekly drinking, SDR was related positively with the magnitude of difference between students' own reported behaviors/attitudes and those perceived for the average student. Standard methodological practices and socially desirable responding may be sources of bias in peer norm overestimation research. Copyright © 2016 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Impact of integrated gastrointestinal nematode management training for U.S. goat and sheep producers.

PubMed

Whitley, N C; Oh, S-H; Lee, S J; Schoenian, S; Kaplan, R M; Storey, B; Terrill, T H; Mobini, S; Burke, J M; Miller, J E; Perdue, M A

2014-03-01

The objective of this study was to determine the impact of integrated parasite management (IPM) training, including FAMACHA(©) eyelid color scoring, on the ability of U.S. sheep and goat producers to control gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) on their farms. A survey was developed and provided to over 2000 producers trained from 2004 to 2008 in IPM with questions involving farm size (number of sheep/goats), location (U.S. state), impact of training on parasite control efforts and parasite problems on farm, and IPM practices used. Responses were divided into U.S. Census regions of the U.S. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to describe results. Most of the 729 respondents were from the southern region of the U.S. (54.3%) and were small-scale producers (50 or less animals; 64.8%). Nearly all of the respondents (95.1%) agreed that IPM workshop attendance made a difference in their ability to control and monitor parasitism in their herd or flock and employed IPM practices to control GIN (96.3%). The most popular practices respondents used were rotational grazing (71.2%), genetic selection (choosing a parasite resistant breed and/or culling susceptible animals; 52.7%), grain supplementation on pasture to improve nutrition (44.0%), and increased height of plants being grazed (41.8%). Although reporting using a practice decreased (P<0.05) the likelihood of reporting fewer problems, for each 1-point increase in the number of practices which producers employed to control internal parasitism in their herd or flock, they were 16% more likely to report fewer GIN problems (P<0.05). Approximately 75% of respondents indicated an economic benefit of IPM on their farm (P<0.05), and those reporting savings of over $80 were more likely to report fewer problems (P<0.05) with parasites after the training while those reporting no economic benefit were less likely to report fewer problems with GIN (P<0.001). Overall, IPM training resulted in positive impacts for producers responding to the survey and should continue. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Problems experienced by people with arthritis when using a computer.

PubMed

Baker, Nancy A; Rogers, Joan C; Rubinstein, Elaine N; Allaire, Saralynn H; Wasko, Mary Chester

2009-05-15

To describe the prevalence of computer use problems experienced by a sample of people with arthritis, and to determine differences in the magnitude of these problems among people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoarthritis (OA), and fibromyalgia (FM). Subjects were recruited from the Arthritis Network Disease Registry and asked to complete a survey, the Computer Problems Survey, which was developed for this study. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the total sample and the 3 diagnostic subgroups. Ordinal regressions were used to determine differences between the diagnostic subgroups with respect to each equipment item while controlling for confounding demographic variables. A total of 359 respondents completed a survey. Of the 315 respondents who reported using a computer, 84% reported a problem with computer use attributed to their underlying disorder, and approximately 77% reported some discomfort related to computer use. Equipment items most likely to account for problems and discomfort were the chair, keyboard, mouse, and monitor. Of the 3 subgroups, significantly more respondents with FM reported more severe discomfort, more problems, and greater limitations related to computer use than those with RA or OA for all 4 equipment items. Computer use is significantly affected by arthritis. This could limit the ability of a person with arthritis to participate in work and home activities. Further study is warranted to delineate disease-related limitations and develop interventions to reduce them.

More than meets the eye: social, economic, and emotional impacts of work-related injury and illness.

PubMed

Lax, Michael B; Klein, Rosemary

2008-01-01

The impact of an occupational illness or injury on an injured worker can be severe. This study assessed several dimensions of the impact on a group of 50 injured workers, all patients at an Occupational Health Center. The dimensions assessed included aspects of access to health care, support from treating physicians in obtaining Workers' Compensation benefits, financial impacts, the role of attorneys and "Independent Medical Examiners," and the impact on mental health. Many reported that their treating physician did not want to become involved in Workers' Compensation, despite indicating a belief that the health condition was work-related. The financial impacts of a work-related diagnosis were particularly striking, with respondents reporting that they were burdened both with costs directly related to the medical care of their condition, and with coping with ongoing general expenses on a reduced income. Many respondents reported depleting savings, borrowing money, taking out retirement funds, and declaring bankruptcy in efforts to cope. Emotionally, respondents almost universally reported their diagnosis and related issues were associated with depression, anxiety, and loss of identity and self-worth. This study demonstrates how a work-related injury or illness can extend far beyond the physical impact for injured workers. Existing systems fail to adequately compensate or rehabilitate injured workers, leaving them to their own devices to deal with their losses, medical or otherwise.

Malaysian and Thai smokers' beliefs about the harmfulness of 'light' and menthol cigarettes.

PubMed

King, B; Yong, H-H; Borland, R; Omar, M; Ahmad, A A; Sirirassamee, B; Hamann, S; O'Connor, R J; Bansal-Travers, M; Elton-Marshall, T; Lee, W B; Hammond, D; Thrasher, J

2010-12-01

This study explored the extent to which Malaysian and Thai smokers believe "light" and menthol cigarettes are less harmful than "regular" cigarettes and the correlates of these beliefs. The study used data from wave 1 of the International Tobacco Control Southeast Asia Survey. 2006 adult smokers (95.3% male) from Malaysia and 2000 adult smokers (94.5% male) from Thailand were interviewed face to face in 2005. 29% of Malaysian respondents reported currently smoking light cigarettes and 14% menthols, with 19% agreeing that lights are less harmful and 16% agreeing that menthols are less harmful. 38% of Thai respondents reported currently smoking light cigarettes and 19% menthols, with 46% agreeing that lights are less harmful and 35% agreeing that menthols are less harmful. Malaysian smokers reporting current use of light or menthol cigarettes were more likely to believe that they are less harmful. Reported use of lights did not relate to beliefs for Thai respondents. The belief that light and/or menthol cigarettes are less harmful was strongly related to the belief that they have smoother smoke. The experience of smoother smoke is likely to produce some level of belief in reduced harm, regardless of how brands are labelled and whether or not Federal Trade Commission FTC/International Organisation for Standardisation tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide yield figures are used.

Malaysian and Thai smokers’ beliefs about the harmfulness of ‘light’ and menthol cigarettes

PubMed Central

King, B; Yong, H-H; Borland, R; Omar, M; Ahmad, A A; Sirirassamee, B; Hamann, S; O’Connor, R J; Bansal-Travers, M; Elton-Marshall, T; Lee, W B; Hammond, D; Thrasher, J

2015-01-01

Objective This study explored the extent to which Malaysian and Thai smokers believe “light” and menthol cigarettes are less harmful than “regular” cigarettes and the correlates of these beliefs. Methods The study used data from wave 1 of the International Tobacco Control Southeast Asia Survey. 2006 adult smokers (95.3% male) from Malaysia and 2000 adult smokers (94.5% male) from Thailand were interviewed face to face in 2005. Results 29% of Malaysian respondents reported currently smoking light cigarettes and 14% menthols, with 19% agreeing that lights are less harmful and 16% agreeing that menthols are less harmful. 38% of Thai respondents reported currently smoking light cigarettes and 19% menthols, with 46% agreeing that lights are less harmful and 35% agreeing that menthols are less harmful. Malaysian smokers reporting current use of light or menthol cigarettes were more likely to believe that they are less harmful. Reported use of lights did not relate to beliefs for Thai respondents. The belief that light and/or menthol cigarettes are less harmful was strongly related to the belief that they have smoother smoke. Conclusions The experience of smoother smoke is likely to produce some level of belief in reduced harm, regardless of how brands are labelled and whether or not Federal Trade Commission FTC/International Organisation for Standardisation tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide yield figures are used. PMID:20852322

Stigma in Male Depression and Suicide: A Canadian Sex Comparison Study.

PubMed

Oliffe, John L; Ogrodniczuk, John S; Gordon, Susan J; Creighton, Genevieve; Kelly, Mary T; Black, Nick; Mackenzie, Corey

2016-04-01

Stigma in men's depression and suicide can restrict help-seeking, reduce treatment compliance and deter individuals from confiding in friends and family. In this article we report sex comparison findings from a national survey of English-speaking adult Canadians about stigmatized beliefs concerning male depression and suicide. Among respondents without direct experience of depression or suicide (n = 541) more than a third endorsed the view that men with depression are unpredictable. Overall, a greater proportion of males endorsed stigmatizing views about male depression compared to female respondents. A greater proportion of female respondents endorsed items indicating that men who suicide are disconnected, lost and lonely. Male and female respondents with direct personal experience of depression or suicide (n = 360) strongly endorsed stigmatizing attitudes toward themselves and a greater proportion of male respondents indicated that they would be embarrassed about seeking help for depression.

High School Students' Self-Reported Use of School Clinics and Nurses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harper, Christopher R.; Liddon, Nicole; Dunville, Richard; Habel, Melissa A.

2016-01-01

Access to school health clinics and nurses has been linked with improved student achievement and health. Unfortunately, no studies have examined how many students report using school clinics or nurses and for which services. This study addressed this gap with data from a nationally representative sample of 15- to 25-year-olds. Respondents who…

Feasibility of Momentary Sampling Assessment of Cannabis Use in Adolescents and Young Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Black, Shimrit K.; de Moor, Carl; Kendall, Ashley D.; Shrier, Lydia A.

2014-01-01

This study examines the feasibility of recruiting and retaining adolescents and young adults with frequent cannabis use for a 2-week momentary sampling study of cannabis use. Participants responded to random signals on a handheld computer with reports of their use. Participants also initiated reports pre- and post-cannabis use. Participants had…

A survey of university students' perceptions of learning management systems in a low-resource setting using a technology acceptance model.

PubMed

Chipps, Jennifer; Kerr, Jane; Brysiewicz, Petra; Walters, Fiona

2015-02-01

Learning management systems have been widely advocated for the support of distance learning. In low-resource settings, the uptake of these systems by students has been mixed. This study aimed to identify, through the use of the Technology Acceptance Model, the individual, organizational, and technological factors that could be influencing the use of learning management systems. A simple quantitative descriptive survey was conducted of nursing and health science students at a university in South Africa as part of their first exposure to a learning management system. A total of 274 respondents (56.7%) completed the survey questionnaire, made up of 213 nursing respondents (87.7%) and 61 health sciences respondents (25%). Overall, the respondents found the learning management system easy to use and useful for learning. There were significant differences between the two groups of respondents, with the respondents from health sciences being both younger and more computer literate. The nursing respondents, who received more support and orientations, reported finding the learning management system more useful. Recommendations are made for training and support to ensure uptake.

Management of orthodontic emergencies in primary care - self-reported confidence of general dental practitioners.

PubMed

Popat, H; Thomas, K; Farnell, D J J

2016-07-08

Objective To determine general dental practitioners' (GDPs) confidence in managing orthodontic emergencies.Design Cross-sectional study.Setting Primary dental care.Subjects and methods An online survey was distributed to dentists practicing in Wales. The survey collected basic demographic information and included descriptions of ten common orthodontic emergency scenarios.Main outcome measure Respondents' self-reported confidence in managing the orthodontic emergency scenarios on a 5-point Likert scale. Differences between the Likert responses and the demographic variables were investigated using chi-squared tests.Results The median number of orthodontic emergencies encountered by respondents over the previous six months was 1. Overall, the self-reported confidence of respondents was high with 7 of the 10 scenarios presented scoring a median of 4 indicating that GDPs were 'confident' in their management. Statistical analysis revealed that GDPs who saw more orthodontic emergencies in the previous six months were more confident when managing the presented scenarios. Other variables such as age, gender, geographic location of practice and number of years practising dentistry were not associated with self-reported confidence.Conclusions Despite GDPs encountering very few orthodontic emergencies in primary care, they appear to be confident in dealing with commonly arising orthodontic emergency situations.

Parents who report using illicit drugs: findings and implications from the DRUGNET study.

PubMed

Nicholson, T; White, J; Cline, R; Minors, P; Duncan, D

2001-02-01

In recent years, a national discussion has emerged concerning what parents should tell their children about their own past drug use. DRUGNET is an ongoing, on-line survey of successful, healthy, adults who occasionally use illicit drugs. This paper reviews data from a subset of this survey, namely, those respondents who were parents with self-reported use of at least one illicit drug. The sample (n = 325) was predominantly white men who reported having above average education and household incomes. Their mental health as measured by the General Well-being Schedule was similar to the national norm. Respondents reported using drugs to manage parental stress and expressed concerns over how to communicate with their children and legal risks related to their own drug use. The limitations and the implications of these data are discussed.

Perceptions of intentional wrongdoing and peer reporting behavior among registered nurses.

PubMed

King, G

2001-11-01

How a person perceives a wrongdoing being committed by a coworker will affect whether the incident is reported within the organization. A significant factor that may influence the decision to report a wrongdoing is the perceived intentionality of the wrongdoer. This study sought to examine if differences in perceptions of a wrongdoing could affect the disclosure of unethical behavior. Three hundred seventy-two registered nurses (N=372) responded to a survey consisting of both intentional and unintentional wrongdoings that could occur by a nurse. Results of a paired t-test were as predicted. More wide ranging revelations found that respondents were more likely to discuss the unintentional wrongdoings with the wrongdoer in lieu of officially reporting to an immediate supervisor, or a member of upper management. Discussion, limitations, and suggestions for future research are provided.

Effectiveness of the gluten-free, casein-free diet for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder: based on parental report.

PubMed

Pennesi, Christine M; Klein, Laura Cousino

2012-03-01

Studies on the gluten-free and/or casein-free (GFCF) dietary intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) suggest that some children may positively respond to implementation of the dietary intervention. Other research suggests that children diagnosed with ASD can be classified into subpopulations based on various factors, including gastrointestinal (GI) abnormalities and immune function. This study analyzes parental report data collected using a 90-item online questionnaire from 387 parents or primary caregivers of children diagnosed with ASD on the efficacy of the GFCF diet. Parents reported on their child's GI symptoms, food allergy diagnoses, and suspected food sensitivities, as well as the degree and length of their diet implementation. Overall, diet efficacy among children whose parents reported the presence of GI symptoms, food allergy diagnoses, and suspected food sensitivities included greater improvement in ASD behaviors, physiological symptoms, and social behaviors compared with children whose parents reported none of these symptoms, diagnoses, or sensitivities (P < 0.05). Parental report of strict diet implementation, indicated by complete gluten/casein elimination and infrequent diet errors during and outside of parental care, also corresponded to improvement in ASD behaviors, physiological symptoms, and social behaviors (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that various intricacies related to diet implementation and GI and immune factors may play a role in differentiating diet responders from diet non-responders and substantiate the importance of further investigations into the various, nuanced factors that influence efficacy of the intervention among children with ASDs.

Interaction in the Research Interview and Drug-Related Disclosures among Respondents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myers, Vincent

1979-01-01

Interviewers and respondents judged interview interactions during a survey of drug-related sentiments. Pronounced variability in interviewer-respondent judgements occurred in unanticipated ways related to gender, role, and ethnicity of participants. Positive interaction yielded different respondent cognitions and reports of illicit drug ingestion…

Intentions to donate to a biobank in a national sample of African Americans.

PubMed

McDonald, Jasmine A; Vadaparampil, Susan; Bowen, Deborah; Magwood, Gayenell; Obeid, Jihad S; Jefferson, Melanie; Drake, Richard; Gebregziabher, Mulugeta; Hughes Halbert, Chanita

2014-01-01

Despite the investments being made to develop biobanks, African Americans are under-represented in genomic studies. We identified factors having significant independent associations with intentions to donate personal health information and blood and/or tissue samples to a biobank in a national random sample of African Americans (n = 1,033). We conducted a national survey from October 2010 through February 2011. Twenty-three percent of respondents reported that it was not at all likely that they would donate to a biobank, 18% reported it was a little likely, 36% reported it was somewhat likely, and 23% reported it was very likely. Respondents who were likely to donate to a biobank had greater positive expectations about participating in cancer genetics research and reported more participation facilitators relative to barriers. Respondents who were distrustful of researchers had a significantly lower likelihood of being willing to donate to a biobank compared to those who were less distrustful. African Americans have diverse attitudes about participating in genetics research, and many are likely to donate to a biobank based on expectations of positive outcomes. It may be important to address attitudes about genetics research as part of recruitment to enhance the quality of informed consent for participation in biobanks among African Americans. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Intentions to Donate to a Biobank in a National Sample of African Americans

PubMed Central

McDonald, Jasmine A.; Vadaparampil, Susan; Bowen, Deborah; Magwood, Gayenell; Obeid, Jihad S.; Jefferson, Melanie; Drake, Richard; Gebregziabher, Mulugeta; Halbert, Chanita Hughes

2015-01-01

Background/Aims Despite the investments being made to develop biobanks, African Americans are under-represented in genomic studies. We identified factors having significant independent associations with intentions to donate personal health information and blood and/or tissue samples to a biobank in a national, random sample of African Americans (n=1,033). Methods National survey conducted from October 2010 through February 2011. Results 23% of respondents reported that it was not at all likely that they would donate to a biobank, 18% reported a little likely, 36% reported somewhat likely, and 23% reported very likely. Respondents who were likely to donate to a biobank had greater positive expectations about participating in cancer genetics research and reported more participation facilitators relative to barriers. Respondents who were distrustful of researchers had a significantly lower likelihood of being willing to donate to a biobank compared to those who were less distrustful. Conclusions African Americans have diverse attitudes about participating in genetics research and many are likely to donate to a biobank based on expectations of positive outcomes. It may be important to address attitudes about genetics research as part of recruitment to enhance the quality of informed consent for participation in biobanks among African Americans. PMID:24942180

Treatment of Early-Age Mania: Outcomes for Partial and Nonresponders to Initial Treatment.

PubMed

Walkup, John T; Wagner, Karen Dineen; Miller, Leslie; Yenokyan, Gayane; Luby, Joan L; Joshi, Paramjit T; Axelson, David A; Robb, Adelaide; Salpekar, Jay A; Wolf, Dwight; Sanyal, Abanti; Birmaher, Boris; Vitiello, Benedetto; Riddle, Mark A

2015-12-01

The Treatment of Early Age Mania (TEAM) study evaluated lithium, risperidone, and divalproex sodium (divalproex) in children with bipolar I disorder who were naive to antimanic medication, or were partial or nonresponders to 1 of 3 study medications. This report evaluates the benefit of either an add-on or a switch of antimanic medications for an 8-week trial period in partial responders and nonresponders, respectively. TEAM is a randomized, controlled trial of individuals (N = 379) aged 6 to 15 years (mean ± SD = 10.2 ± 2.7 years) with DSM-IV bipolar I disorder (mixed or manic phase). Participants (n = 154) in this report were either nonresponders or partial responders to 1 of the 3 study medications. Nonresponders (n = 89) were randomly assigned to 1 of the other 2 antimanic medications and cross-tapered. Partial responders (n = 65) were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 other antimanic medications as an add-on to their initial medication. Adverse event (AE) rates are reported only for the add-on group. Response rate for children switched to risperidone (47.6%) was higher than for those switched to either lithium (12.8%; p = .005; number needed to treat [NNT] = 3; 95% CI = 1.71-9.09) or divalproex (17.2%; p = .03; NNT = 3; 95% CI = 1.79-20.10); response rate for partial responders who added risperidone (53.3%) was higher than for those who added divalproex (0%; p = .0002; NNT = 2; 95% CI = 1.27-3.56) and trended higher for lithium (26.7%; p = .07; NNT = 4). Reported AEs in the add-on group were largely consistent with the known AE profile for the second medication. Weight gain (kg) was observed for all add-on medications: lithium add-on (n = 29 of 30) = 1.66 ± 1.97; risperidone add-on (n = 15 of 15) = 2.8 ± 1.34; divalproex add-on (n = 19 of 20) = 1.42 ± 1.96. There was no evidence at the 5% significance level that the average weight gain was different by study medication for partial responders (p = .07, 1-way analysis of variance). Risperidone appears to be more useful than lithium or divalproex for children with bipolar I disorder and other comorbid conditions who are nonresponders or partial responders to an initial antimanic medication trial. Clinical trial registration information-Study of Outcome and Safety of Lithium, Divalproex and Risperidone for Mania in Children and Adolescents (TEAM); http://clinicaltrials.gov/; NCT00057681. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Simulation Activity in Otolaryngology Residencies.

PubMed

Deutsch, Ellen S; Wiet, Gregory J; Seidman, Michael; Hussey, Heather M; Malekzadeh, Sonya; Fried, Marvin P

2015-08-01

Simulation has become a valuable tool in medical education, and several specialties accept or require simulation as a resource for resident training or assessment as well as for board certification or maintenance of certification. This study investigates current simulation resources and activities in US otolaryngology residency programs and examines interest in advancing simulation training and assessment within the specialty. Web-based survey. US otolaryngology residency training programs. An electronic web-based survey was disseminated to all US otolaryngology program directors to determine their respective institutional and departmental simulation resources, existing simulation activities, and interest in further simulation initiatives. Descriptive results are reported. Responses were received from 43 of 104 (43%) residency programs. Simulation capabilities and resources are available in most respondents' institutions (78.6% report onsite resources; 73.8% report availability of models, manikins, and devices). Most respondents (61%) report limited simulation activity within otolaryngology. Areas of simulation are broad, addressing technical and nontechnical skills related to clinical training (94%). Simulation is infrequently used for research, credentialing, or systems improvement. The majority of respondents (83.8%) expressed interest in participating in multicenter trials of simulation initiatives. Most respondents from otolaryngology residency programs have incorporated some simulation into their curriculum. Interest among program directors to participate in future multicenter trials appears high. Future research efforts in this area should aim to determine optimal simulators and simulation activities for training and assessment as well as how to best incorporate simulation into otolaryngology residency training programs. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2015.

Recruitment of house staff into anesthesiology: a longitudinal evaluation of factors responsible for selecting a career in anesthesiology and an individual training program.

PubMed

Augustin, Ian D; Long, Timothy R; Rose, Steven H; Wass, C Thomas

2014-03-01

To re-evaluate factors responsible for selecting a career in anesthesiology and for selecting an anesthesiology training program. The perceptions of anesthesiology residents about employment opportunities and future job security were also re-examined. Novel data on the impact of duty hour restrictions on residency training were obtained. Survey instrument. Academic medical center. 63 residents enrolled in the anesthesiology residency at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN (clinical base year and clinical anesthesia years 1-3) during the 2010-11 academic year. All responses were anonymous. Current study data were compared to data from two similar studies published by the authors (1995-96 and 2000-01) using an f-exact test. A P-value ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. 55 of 63 (87%) residents responded to the survey. The most frequently cited reasons for selecting a career in anesthesiology were: anesthesiology is a "hands-on" specialty (49%), critical care medicine is included in the scope of training/practice (33%), anesthesiology provides opportunities to perform invasive procedures (31%), and the work is immediately gratifying (31%). When current data were compared with data from the 1995-96 survey, respondents reported significant decreases in interest in physiology/pharmacology (42% vs 21%; P = 0.03), opportunities to conduct research (13% vs 2%; P = 0.05) and opportunities to train in pain medicine (13% vs 0%; P = 0.01) as reasons for selecting anesthesiology. When current data were compared with data from the 2000-2001 survey, respondents reported a significant increase in critical care medicine (7% vs 33%, P = 0.01), significant decreases in time off (36% vs 11%; P = 0.01) and work time mostly devoted to patient care (20% vs 2%; P = 0.01) as factors in selecting anesthesiology as a career. Nearly all (94%) respondents reported a high level of satisfaction with their specialty choice and would choose anesthesiology again if currently graduating medical school. When current data were compared with those from the 2000-2001 survey, a significant increase in respondents who anticipated difficulty securing employment (0% vs 14%; P = 0.01) was noted. However, anticipation of difficulty in securing employment remained significantly lower than what was reported on the 1995-96 survey (54% vs 14%; P = 0.01). Thirty-eight percent of residents reported that implementation of duty hour restrictions had a positive impact on resident education, and 43% of residents reported that duty hour restrictions improved their quality of life. However, most respondents (69%) did not support further duty hour restrictions, and many (43%) expected to work longer hours after graduation. Residents in this study remain highly satisfied with anesthesiology as a career choice and with their training program. However, a resurgence of concern about employment after program completion and about future job security is apparent. The impact of critical care medicine training has significantly increased as a factor in selecting anesthesiology as a career, and the impact of training in pain medicine has significantly decreased. Although work hour restrictions were viewed as having a positive impact on training and well-being by 48% of residents, a majority of respondents in this study (76%) disagreed with further duty hour restrictions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Integrity of the National Resident Matching Program for Radiation Oncology: National Survey of Applicant Experiences

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Holliday, Emma B.; Thomas, Charles R., E-mail: thomasch@ohsu.edu; Kusano, Aaron S.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the experiences of radiation oncology applicants and to evaluate the prevalence of behaviors that may be in conflict with established ethical standards. Methods and Materials: An anonymous survey was sent to all 2013 applicants to a single domestic radiation oncology residency program through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). Questions included demographics, survey of observed behaviors, and opinions regarding the interview and matching process. Descriptive statistics were presented. Characteristics and experiences of respondents who matched were compared with those who did not match. Results: Questionnaires were returned by 87 of 171more » applicants for a 51% response rate. Eighty-two questionnaires were complete and included for analysis. Seventy-eight respondents (95.1%) reported being asked at least 1 question in conflict with the NRMP code of conduct. When asked where else they were interviewing, 64% stated that this query made them uncomfortable. Forty-five respondents (54.9%) reported unsolicited post-interview contact by programs, and 31 (37.8%) felt pressured to give assurances. Fifteen respondents (18.3%) reported being told their rank position or that they were “ranked to match” prior to Match day, with 27% of those individuals indicating this information influenced how they ranked programs. Half of respondents felt applicants often made dishonest or misleading assurances, one-third reported that they believed their desired match outcome could be improved by deliberately misleading programs, and more than two-thirds felt their rank position could be improved by having faculty from their home institutions directly contact programs on their behalf. Conclusions: Radiation oncology applicants report a high prevalence of behaviors in conflict with written NRMP policies. Post-interview communication should be discouraged in order to enhance fairness and support the professional development of future radiation oncologists.« less

Trust in One’s Physician: The Role of Ethnic Match, Autonomy, Acculturation, and Religiosity Among Japanese and Japanese Americans

PubMed Central

Tarn, Derjung M.; Meredith, Lisa S.; Kagawa-Singer, Marjorie; Matsumura, Shinji; Bito, Seiji; Oye, Robert K.; Liu, Honghu; Kahn, Katherine L.; Fukuhara, Shunichi; Wenger, Neil S.

2005-01-01

PURPOSE Trust is a cornerstone of the physician-patient relationship. We investigated the relation of patient characteristics, religiosity, acculturation, physician ethnicity, and insurance-mandated physician change to levels of trust in Japanese American and Japanese patients. METHODS A self-administered, cross-sectional questionnaire in English and Japanese (completed in the language of their choice) was given to community-based samples of 539 English-speaking Japanese Americans, 340 Japanese-speaking Japanese Americans, and 304 Japanese living in Japan. RESULTS Eighty-seven percent of English-speaking Japanese Americans, 93% of Japanese-speaking Japanese Americans, and 58% of Japanese living in Japan responded to trust items and reported mean trust scores of 83, 80, and 68, respectively, on a scale ranging from 0 to 100. In multivariate analyses, English-speaking and Japanese-speaking Japanese American respondents reported more trust than Japanese respondents living in Japan (P values <.001). Greater religiosity (P <.001), less desire for autonomy (P <.001), and physician-patient relationships of longer duration (P <.001) were related to increased trust. Among Japanese Americans, more acculturated respondents reported more trust (P <.001), and Japanese physicians were trusted more than physicians of another ethnicity. Among respondents prompted to change physicians because of insurance coverage, the 48% who did not want to switch reported less trust in their current physician than in their former physician (mean score of 82 vs 89, P <.001). CONCLUSIONS Religiosity, autonomy preference, and acculturation were strongly related to trust in one’s physician among the Japanese American and Japanese samples studied and may provide avenues to enhance the physician-patient relationship. The strong relationship of trust with patient-physician ethnic match and the loss of trust when patients, in retrospect, report leaving a preferred physician suggest unintended consequences to patients not able to continue with their preferred physicians. PMID:16046567

The policy and practices of New South Wales drug treatment providers in responding to the possession of illicit substances on premises.

PubMed

Stirling, Robert; Day, Carolyn

2016-09-01

Responding to possession of illicit substances on the premises of drug treatment services is a complex issue. Providers are challenged by balancing duty-of-care and staff safety while attempting to provide a therapeutic environment. This study assessed the current policy and practice of non-government drug treatment services in New South Wales, Australia in responding to possession of illicit substances on their premises. Non-government drug treatment services were invited to participate in a survey that aimed to elicit information about existing policy and practices and how often it occurred. Analysis explored the differences between services that had a written policy and those that did not against service setting, accreditation status, reporting of an illicit drug possession in the last 12 months and having a sharps disposal unit. Fifty-one responses were included in the analysis, 29 (57%) of which reported having a policy and/or procedure. There was no statistically discernible difference between inpatient and outpatient settings, accreditation status of services or availability of a sharps disposal unit on the premises. However, services that reported a possession incident in the previous 12 months were more likely to report having a written policy than those that did not (37% vs. 12%; odds ratio: 4.75, 95% confidence interval 1.32-17.11, P = 0.014). The policy and practice in these settings vary greatly, with many services reporting no documented policy to guide staff. The findings suggest the need to develop organisational policy to support service providers in responding to possession of illicit substances on premises. [Stirling R, Day C. The policy and practices of New South Wales drug treatment providers in responding to the possession of illicit substances on premises. Drug Alcohol Rev 2016;35:644-649]. © 2016 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Chronic blockade or constitutive deletion of the serotonin transporter reduces operant responding for food reward.

PubMed

Sanders, Amy Cecilia; Hussain, Ali J; Hen, René; Zhuang, Xiaoxi

2007-11-01

The therapeutic effects of chronic selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are well documented, yet the elementary behavioral processes that are affected by such treatment have not been fully investigated. We report here the effects of chronic fluoxetine treatment and genetic deletion of the serotonin transporter (SERT) on food reinforced behavior in three paradigms: the progressive ratio operant task, the concurrent choice operant task, and the Pavlovian-to-Instrumental transfer task. We consistently find that chronic pharmacological blockade or genetic deletion of SERT result in similar behavioral consequences: reduced operant responding for natural reward. This is in line with previous studies reporting declines in operant responding for drugs and intracranial self-stimulation with fluoxetine treatment, suggesting that the effect of SERT blockade can be generalized to different reward types. Detailed analyses of behavioral parameters indicate that this reduction in operant responding affect both goal-directed and non-goal-directed behaviors without affecting the Pavlovian cue-triggered excessive operant responding. In addition, both pharmacological and genetic manipulations reduce locomotor activity in the open field novel environment. Our data contrast with the effect of dopamine in increasing operant responding for natural reward specifically in goal-directed behaviors and in increasing Pavlovian cue-triggered excessive operant responding. Serotonin and dopamine have been proposed to serve opposing functions in motivational processes. Our data suggest that their interactions do not result in simple opponency. The fact that pharmacological blockade and genetic deletion of SERT have similar behavioral consequences reinforces the utility of the SERT null mice for investigation of the mechanisms underlying chronic SSRIs treatment.

A study of the work and home domain characteristics of anaesthetists in Nigeria.

PubMed

Adudu, O P; Amadasun, F E

2008-03-01

To examine the work and home domain characteristics of anaesthetists in Nigeria, and the impact of these on work and family life. A total of 200 self-administered questionnaires were distributed to anaesthetists in various health institutions in Nigeria. Of these, 114 (57%) were returned. Information contained in the questionnaire included demographic characteristics, qualification, rank and years spent in the specialty, spouse occupation and details of work and family life. The 114 respondents consisted of 86 males (77%) and 28 females (22.8%), aged between 30 and 59 years. The average weekly working hours were 58.4 hours. About half of the respondents could study anaesthesia at home sometimes, while 25% each could do so always or not at all. About 41% of the respondents could respond to emergencies at home immediately, while 45% could only do so after first reporting to work. Respondents' recommendation to enhance work and family life included reduced work load, more flexible work schedule, accommodation close to place of work, among others. Positive impact on service output as well as enhanced job satisfaction will ensue if the recommendations in this study are implemented by the relevant authorities.

[Perception of body weight by pharmacists and pharmaceutical laboratory assistants in Slovakia I].

PubMed

Kolář, Jozef; Zabolyová, Stefánia

2013-10-01

The paper presents the results of a questionnaire poll carried out in the workers in pharmacies in the Slovak Republic in the year 2012. Altogether 1,884 questionnaires were distributed, of which 492 (26.1%) were returned. The poll aimed to find the perception of and attitudes to overweight and obesity in pharmacists and pharmaceutical laboratory assistants. The average BMI values in pharmacists were 25.08, in pharmaceutical laboratory assistants 24.86. Overweight and/or obesity were recorded in 36.6% of respondents, BMI 25 was found in 5.2 % men and 33.7% women. An absence of a chronic disease was reported in 61.8% of respondents, and 38.8% of respondents reported medication - most frequently administration of antihistamines, hormones of the thyroid gland, and antihypertensive drugs. In 220 (44.7%) of respondents, overweight/obesity existed in the family. Physical exercise carried out more than 3 times a week was reported by 9.6% of respondents. Drinking regime was evaluated as good in 52.1% of respondents, and 14.6% of participants compensated stress with food.

The relationship between interviewer-respondent race match and reporting of energy intake using food frequency questionnaires in the rural South United States

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The purpose of the observational study was to determine whether interviewer race influences food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) reporting accuracy in a Deep South, largely African American cohort. A secondary analysis was conducted to investigate the influence of interviewer race on energy reporting ...

Emergency physicians' knowledge and attitudes of clinical decision support in the electronic health record: a survey-based study.

PubMed

Ballard, Dustin W; Rauchwerger, Adina S; Reed, Mary E; Vinson, David R; Mark, Dustin G; Offerman, Steven R; Chettipally, Uli K; Graetz, Ilana; Dayan, Peter; Kuppermann, Nathan

2013-04-01

The objective was to investigate clinician knowledge of and attitudes toward clinical decision support (CDS) and its incorporation into the electronic health record (EHR). This was an electronic survey of emergency physicians (EPs) within an integrated health care delivery system that uses a complete EHR. Randomly assigned respondents completed one of two questionnaires, both including a hypothetical vignette and self-reported knowledge of and attitudes about CDS. One vignette version included CDS, and the other did not (NCDS). The vignette described a scenario in which a cranial computed tomography (CCT) is not recommended by validated prediction rules (the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network [PECARN] rules). In both survey versions, subjects responded first with their likely approach to evaluation and then again after receiving either CDS (the PECARN prediction rules) or no additional support. Descriptive statistics were used for self-reported responses and multivariate logistic regression was used to identify predictors of self-reported knowledge and use of the PECARN rules, as well as use of vignette responses. There were 339 respondents (68% response rate), with 172 of 339 (51%) randomized to the CDS version. Initially, 25% of respondents to each version indicated they would order CCTs. After CDS, 30 of 43 (70%) of respondents who initially would order CCTs changed their management decisions to no CCT versus two of 41 (5%) with the NCDS version (chi-square, p = 0.003). In response to self-report questions, 81 of 338 respondents (24%) reported having never heard of the PECARN prediction rules, 122 of 338 (36%) were aware of the rules but not their specifics, and 135 of 338 (40%) reported knowing the rules and their specifics. Respondents agreed with favorable statements about CDS (75% to 96% agreement across seven statements) and approaches to its implementation into the EHR (60% to 93% agreement across seven statements). In multivariable analyses, EPs with tenure of 5 to 14 years (odds ratio [AOR] = 0.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.30 to 0.86) and for 15 years or more (AOR = 0.37, 95% CI = 0.20 to 0.70) were significantly less likely to report knowing the specifics of the PECARN prediction rules compared with EPs who practiced for fewer than 5 years. In addition, in the initial vignette responses (across both versions), physicians with ≥15 years of ED tenure compared to those with fewer than 5 years of experience (AOR = 0.30, 95% CI = 0.13 to 0.69), and those reporting knowing the specifics of the PECARN prediction rules were less likely to order CCTs (AOR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.30 to 0.92). EPs incorporated pediatric head trauma CDS via the EHR into their clinical judgment in a hypothetical scenario and reported favorable opinions of CDS in general and their inclusion into the EHR. © 2013 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

Phenotypic factors influencing the variation in response of circulating cholesterol level to personalised dietary advice in the Food4Me study.

PubMed

Kirwan, Laura; Walsh, Marianne C; Celis-Morales, Carlos; Marsaux, Cyril F M; Livingstone, Katherine M; Navas-Carretero, Santiago; Fallaize, Rosalind; O'Donovan, Clare B; Woolhead, Clara; Forster, Hannah; Kolossa, Silvia; Daniel, Hannelore; Moschonis, George; Manios, Yannis; Surwillo, Agnieszka; Godlewska, Magdalena; Traczyk, Iwona; Drevon, Christian A; Gibney, Mike J; Lovegrove, Julie A; Martinez, J Alfredo; Saris, Wim H M; Mathers, John C; Gibney, Eileen R; Brennan, Lorraine

2016-12-01

Individual response to dietary interventions can be highly variable. The phenotypic characteristics of those who will respond positively to personalised dietary advice are largely unknown. The objective of this study was to compare the phenotypic profiles of differential responders to personalised dietary intervention, with a focus on total circulating cholesterol. Subjects from the Food4Me multi-centre study were classified as responders or non-responders to dietary advice on the basis of the change in cholesterol level from baseline to month 6, with lower and upper quartiles defined as responder and non-responder groups, respectively. There were no significant differences between demographic and anthropometric profiles of the groups. Furthermore, with the exception of alcohol, there was no significant difference in reported dietary intake, at baseline. However, there were marked differences in baseline fatty acid profiles. The responder group had significantly higher levels of stearic acid (18 : 0, P=0·034) and lower levels of palmitic acid (16 : 0, P=0·009). Total MUFA (P=0·016) and total PUFA (P=0·008) also differed between the groups. In a step-wise logistic regression model, age, baseline total cholesterol, glucose, five fatty acids and alcohol intakes were selected as factors that successfully discriminated responders from non-responders, with sensitivity of 82 % and specificity of 83 %. The successful delivery of personalised dietary advice may depend on our ability to identify phenotypes that are responsive. The results demonstrate the potential use of metabolic profiles in identifying response to an intervention and could play an important role in the development of precision nutrition.

A pilot study of complementary and alternative medicine use in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome

PubMed Central

Wall, Geoffrey C.; Krypel, Linda L.; Miller, Michael J.; Rees, Derek M.

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a complex disorder, with primary symptoms of sleep disturbances, pain, and fatigue. FMS is one of the most common reasons for patient visits to a rheumatologist. Previous studies have suggested that complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in patients with rheumatic diseases is common, but such data specific to FMS patients is limited. Objective The following study sought to describe the prevalence of CAM use in a primary care practice of patients with FMS and assess whether these patients discuss CAM use with their physician, physician-extender, and/or pharmacist. Methods A one-group cross-sectional survey design was implemented in a large, community-based, private physician practice of patients diagnosed with FMS. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed during clinic visits. It solicited information related to demographic characteristics; FMS-specific health background; whether CAM use had been discussed with a health care provider; and the “ever-use” of common types of CAM. Respondents returned the questionnaire via US mail in a postage-paid, self-addressed envelope. Results A total of 115 surveys were distributed with 54 returned for analysis (47% completion rate). The sample was predominantly female, well educated and had a mean age of 55.6 years. All respondents were White. Most respondents (92.6%) reported using some type of CAM. Exercise (92.2%), chiropractic treatment (48.1%), lifestyle and diet (45.8%), relaxation therapy (44.9%), and dietary and herbal supplements (36.5%) were most commonly reported CAM therapies “ever-used” by respondents. Dietary and herbal supplements with the highest prevalence of “ever-use” were magnesium (19.2%), guaifenesin (11.5%), and methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) (9.6%). Respondents most commonly discussed CAM with the clinic rheumatologist and the primary care physician (53.7% and 38.9%, respectively). Only 14.8% of respondents discussed CAM with a pharmacist. However, a significantly higher proportion of respondents who “ever-used” dietary and herbal supplements discussed CAM with a pharmacist compared to those who never used dietary and herbal supplements [chi square=6.03, p=0.014]. Conclusion This pilot study suggests that CAM use is common in patients diagnosed with FMS. Compared to other healthcare providers, respondents were least likely to discuss CAM with a pharmacist. However, respondents who used dietary and herbal supplements were more likely to discuss CAM with a pharmacist compared to those who did not, suggesting the potential influence of pharmacist intervention. PMID:25170357

Responses to discrimination and psychiatric disorders among Black, Hispanic, female, and lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals.

PubMed

McLaughlin, Katie A; Hatzenbuehler, Mark L; Keyes, Katherine M

2010-08-01

We examined associations between perceived discrimination due to race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender; responses to discrimination experiences; and psychiatric disorders. The sample included respondents in the 2004-2005 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (n = 34 653). We analyzed the associations between self-reported past-year discrimination and past-year psychiatric disorders as assessed with structured diagnostic interviews among Black (n = 6587); Hispanic (n = 6359); lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB; n = 577); and female (n = 20 089) respondents. Black respondents reported the highest levels of past-year discrimination, followed by LGB, Hispanic, and female respondents. Across groups, discrimination was associated with 12-month mood (odds ratio [ORs] = 2.1-3.1), anxiety (ORs = 1.8-3.3), and substance use (ORs = 1.6-3.5) disorders. Respondents who reported not accepting discrimination and not discussing it with others had higher odds of psychiatric disorders (ORs = 2.9-3.9) than did those who did not accept discrimination but did discuss it with others. Black respondents and women who accepted discrimination and did not talk about it with others had elevated rates of mood and anxiety disorders, respectively. Psychiatric disorders are more prevalent among individuals reporting past-year discrimination experiences. Certain responses to discrimination, particularly not disclosing it, are associated with psychiatric morbidity.

Norm compliance and self-reported health among Swedish adolescents.

PubMed

Nygren, Karina; Janlert, Urban; Nygren, Lennart

2011-02-01

This study examines the relationship between norm compliance and self-reported health in adolescents, and how this differs between genders. Our specific aim was to investigate if extremely high norm compliance revealed any particular health patterns. This empirical study used a web-based survey from 2005, which was distributed to all students (n = 5,066) in years 7-9 of compulsory school within six municipalities in northern Sweden. The respondents answered questions about their general health as well as specific health problems such as headaches, stomach ache, sleeping difficulties and stress. Compliance was measured according to different norm-related behaviour, such as truancy, crime and use of tobacco, alcohol and narcotics. The majority of respondents reported good health and norm-compliant behaviour. Girls reported more health problems than boys, a difference that increased with age. Those who were more norm compliant reported better health, fewer somatic complaints and less stress, which goes against our initial hypothesis that extremely high norm compliance and self-reported ill-health are related. There seemed to be a stronger relationship between self-reported health and norm compliance for girls than boys, in absolute terms. The results clearly show a relationship between norm compliance and health, and suggest inequalities between genders.

Self-reported depression and anxiety symptoms and usage of computers and mobile phones among working-age Finns.

PubMed

Korpinen, Leena; Pääkkönen, Rauno

2015-01-01

The aim of the work is to study self-reported depression and anxiety symptoms among working-age Finns using logistical regression models. The study was carried out as a cross-sectional study by posting a questionnaire to 15,000 working-age persons. The responses (6121) revealed that 101 (1.7%) Finnish working-age persons suffered depression very often and 77 (1.3%) suffered anxiety very often during the last 12 months. Symptoms uncovered in the comparative analysis of respondents who had quite often or more often depression to respondents who had less depression showed differentiation. The same result was obtained in the analysis of self-reported anxiety symptoms. With the logistical regression models (from depression and anxiety), we found associations between physical symptoms (in shoulder) and depression and between different mental symptoms and anxiety or depression. In the future, it is important to take into accout that persons with physical symptoms can also have mental symptoms (depression or anxiety).

2015 QuickCompass of Sexual Assult-Related Responders: Statistical Methodology Report

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-02-01

2015 QuickCompass of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response- Related Responders Statistical Methodology Report Additional copies of this report...from: http://www.dtic.mil/ Ask for report by ADA630235 DMDC Report No. 2015-039 February 2016 2015 QUICKCOMPASS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT PREVENTION...Defense Research, Surveys, and Statistics Center (RSSC) 4800 Mark Center Drive , Suite 04E25-01, Alexandria, VA 22350-4000 ii Acknowledgments

28 CFR 115.64 - Staff first responder duties.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Staff first responder duties. 115.64....64 Staff first responder duties. (a) Upon learning of an allegation that an inmate was sexually abused, the first security staff member to respond to the report shall be required to: (1) Separate the...

28 CFR 115.364 - Staff first responder duties.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Staff first responder duties. 115.364....364 Staff first responder duties. (a) Upon learning of an allegation that a resident was sexually abused, the first staff member to respond to the report shall be required to: (1) Separate the alleged...

28 CFR 115.64 - Staff first responder duties.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Staff first responder duties. 115.64....64 Staff first responder duties. (a) Upon learning of an allegation that an inmate was sexually abused, the first security staff member to respond to the report shall be required to: (1) Separate the...

28 CFR 115.64 - Staff first responder duties.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Staff first responder duties. 115.64....64 Staff first responder duties. (a) Upon learning of an allegation that an inmate was sexually abused, the first security staff member to respond to the report shall be required to: (1) Separate the...

28 CFR 115.364 - Staff first responder duties.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Staff first responder duties. 115.364....364 Staff first responder duties. (a) Upon learning of an allegation that a resident was sexually abused, the first staff member to respond to the report shall be required to: (1) Separate the alleged...

28 CFR 115.364 - Staff first responder duties.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Staff first responder duties. 115.364....364 Staff first responder duties. (a) Upon learning of an allegation that a resident was sexually abused, the first staff member to respond to the report shall be required to: (1) Separate the alleged...

Prevalence of internalized homophobia and HIV associated risks among men who have sex with men in Nigeria.

PubMed

Adebajo, Sylvia B; Eluwa, George I; Allman, Dan; Myers, Ted; Ahonsi, Babatunde A

2012-12-01

This study assessed the level of internalized homophobia and associated factors among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Nigeria. Using respondent driven sampling, MSM were recruited in Lagos and Ibadan between July and September, 2006. Internalized homophobia was assessed as a negative composite score using an 11-item scale. A total of 1,125 MSM were interviewed. About 44.4% self-identified as homosexual or gay while 55% regarded themselves as bisexual. About a third of the respondents reported internalized homophobia. With homosexual/gay men as reference, respondents who self-identified as bisexual were two times more likely [AOR 2.1; 95 CI: 1.6 - 2.9, p < 0.001] to report internalized homophobia. Those who were HIV positive were also twice as likely to report internalized homophobia compared to those who were HIV negative [AOR 1.8; 95% CI: 1.2 - 2.7, p = 0.004]. As internalized homophobia impedes acceptance of HIV prevention programming, identifying MSM who experience internalized homophobia is integral to the success of HIV prevention programming in Nigeria.

Frequency and predictors of anxiety and depression among pregnant women attending tertiary healthcare institutes of Quetta City, Pakistan.

PubMed

Ghaffar, Rahila; Iqbal, Qaiser; Khalid, Adnan; Saleem, Fahad; Hassali, Mohamed Azmi; Baloch, Nosheen Sikandar; Ahmad, Fiaz Ud Din; Bashir, Sajid; Haider, Sajjad; Bashaar, Mohammad

2017-07-25

Anxiety and depression (A&D) are commonly reported among pregnant women from all over the world; however, there is a paucity of workable data from the developing countries including Pakistan. The current study, therefore, aims to find out the frequency and predictors of A&D among pregnant women attending a tertiary healthcare institutes in the city of Quetta, in the Balochistan province, Pakistan. A questionnaire based, cross-sectional survey was conducted. The pre-validated Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were used to assess the frequency of A&D among study respondents. Anxiety and depression scores were calculated via standard scoring procedures while logistic regression was used to identify the predictors of A&D. SPSS v. 20 was used for data analysis and p < 0.05 was taken as significant. Seven hundred and fifty pregnant women responded to the survey. The majority of the respondents belonged to age group of 26-35 year (424, 56.4%) and had no formal education (283, 37.6%). Furthermore, 612 (81.4%) of the respondents were unemployed and had urban residencies (651, 86.6%). The mean anxiety score was 10.08 ± 2.52; the mean depression score was 9.51 ± 2.55 and the total HADS score was 19.23 ± 3.91 indicating moderate A&D among the current cohort. Logistic regression analysis reported significant goodness of fit (Chi square = 17.63, p = 0.030, DF = 3), indicating that the model was advisable. Among all variables, age had a significant association when compared with HADS scores [adjusted OR (odds ratios) = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.13-1.62, p < 0.001]. Moderate A&D was reported among the study respondents. Furthermore, age was highlighted as a predictor of A&D. The evidence from this study provides a motion of support programs for anxious and depressed pregnant women. The benefits of implementing good mental health in antenatal care have long-lasting benefits for both mother and infant. Therefore, there is a need to incorporate A&D screening in the existing antenatal programs.

It's a Rave New World: Estimating the Prevalence and Perceived Harm of Ecstasy and Other Drug Use among Club Rave Attendees.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yacoubian, George S., Jr.; Boyle, Cynthia; Harding, Christine A.; Loftus, Elizabeth A.

2003-01-01

This study collected self-report drug use information from 70 adult "club rave" attendees. Eighty-six percent of the respondents reported lifetime ecstasy use, 51 percent reported 30-day use, and 30 percent reported using ecstasy within the two days preceding the interview. Findings suggest that rave attendees may be an important…

Assessing the interrelatedness of multiple types of adverse childhood experiences and odds for poor health in South Carolina adults.

PubMed

Crouch, Elizabeth; Strompolis, Melissa; Bennett, Kevin J; Morse, Melanie; Radcliff, Elizabeth

2017-03-01

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been linked to negative health outcomes in adulthood, but little research has been done on the effect of ACEs on the health and well-being of adults in South Carolina (SC). This study analyzed a sample of 9744 respondents who participated in the 2014 South Carolina Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to examine the relationship among childhood experiences of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, as well as witnessing household violence, on mental and physical health outcomes in adulthood among SC residents. Twenty-two percent of survey respondents reported poor general health (22.1%), and a smaller proportion reported high frequent mental distress in the past month (13.1%). Each category of childhood experiences was associated with an increase in the risk of poor general health. Individuals reporting three or more types of experiences were more likely to report poor health (aOR 2.89; 95% CI 2.86-2.92) than adults without such experiences. Respondents reporting three or more types of childhood adverse experiences were more likely to report frequent mental distress (aOR 3.29; 95% CI 3.26-3.33) compared to adults who did not report three or more types of adversity. Findings from the SC BRFSS highlight a connection between ACEs and negative health outcomes later in life. Given that results of this study also demonstrated that increased exposure to ACEs was associated with greater odds of negative health in adulthood, preventing adverse events such as experiencing abuse or witnessing domestic violence in childhood will have significant effects on later adult health. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Behaviours and beliefs about pain and treatment among Chinese immigrants and New Zealand Europeans.

PubMed

Ho, Ping Carolyn; Johnson, Malcolm H

2013-03-01

To investigate how pain is construed and managed across Western and Chinese cultures. Adults from the general public completed an anonymous survey developed for this study. Participants responded to recruitment posters and handouts that were distributed to Auckland community centres, libraries and relevant social organisations. 165 participants were recruited with slightly more Chinese respondents (57.0%). 128 participants (77.5%) reported having experienced persistent pain which did not recover within expected periods in the last 5 years, and occurred more among Chinese (60.2%) than New Zealand Europeans (39.8%). Pain behaviours and coping strategies were found to be significantly different between Europeans and Chinese. However, differences in perceptions regarding pain and treatment were not substantial. Interestingly, for both cultures some participants reported behaving differently than expected according to their perceptions. Acculturation levels, however, did not show any great impact on Chinese immigrants. The high incidence of persistent pain reported in the study compared to random population surveys suggest individuals who had pain experiences were more likely to respond to the study. It is evident that culture plays an important role in determining various aspects of pain experience and response, although further investigation using randomised samples instead of self-selected survey populations is required to clarify the picture. The effect of acculturation levels particularly should be further investigated.

Investigation into the Value of Trained Glycaemia Alert Dogs to Clients with Type I Diabetes

PubMed Central

Rooney, Nicola J.; Morant, Steve; Guest, Claire

2013-01-01

Previous studies have suggested that some pet dogs respond to their owners’ hypoglycaemic state. Here, we show that trained glycaemia alert dogs placed with clients living with diabetes afford significant improvements to owner well-being. We investigated whether trained dogs reliably respond to their owners’ hypoglycaemic state, and whether owners experience facilitated tightened glycaemic control, and wider psychosocial benefits. Since obtaining their dog, all seventeen clients studied reported positive effects including reduced paramedic call outs, decreased unconscious episodes and improved independence. Owner-recorded data showed that dogs alerted their owners, with significant, though variable, accuracy at times of low and high blood sugar. Eight out of the ten dogs (for which owners provided adequate records) responded consistently more often when their owner’s blood sugars were reported to be outside, than within, target range. Comparison of nine clients’ routine records showed significant overall change after obtaining their dogs, with seven clients recording a significantly higher proportion of routine tests within target range after obtaining a dog. HbA1C showed a small, non significant reduction after dog allocation. Based on owner-reported data we have shown, for the first time, that trained detection dogs perform above chance level. This study points to the potential value of alert dogs, for increasing glycaemic control, client independence and consequent quality of life and even reducing the costs of long-term health care. PMID:23950905

Awareness of pro-tobacco advertising and promotion and beliefs about tobacco use: findings from the Tobacco Control Policy (TCP) India Pilot Survey.

PubMed

Bansal-Travers, Maansi; Fong, Geoffrey T; Quah, Anne C K; Sansone, Genevieve; Pednekar, Mangesh S; Gupta, Prakash C; Sinha, Dhirendra N

2014-12-01

Tobacco companies are utilizing similar strategies to advertise and promote their products in developing countries as they have used successfully for over 50 years in developed countries. The present study describes how adult smokers, smokeless tobacco users, and non-users of tobacco from the Tobacco Control Project (TCP) India Pilot Survey, conducted in 2006, responded to questions regarding their perceptions and observations of pro-tobacco advertising and promotion and beliefs about tobacco use. Analyses found that 74% (n=562) of respondents reported seeing some form of pro-tobacco advertising in the last six months, with no differences observed between smokers (74%), smokeless tobacco users (74%), and nonsmokers (73%). More than half of respondents reported seeing pro-tobacco advertising on store windows or inside shops. Overall, this study found that a significant percentage of tobacco users and non-users in India report seeing some form of pro-tobacco advertising and promotion messages. Additional analyses found that smokers were more likely to perceive tobacco use as harmful to their health compared with smokeless tobacco users and non-users (p<0.01). The findings from this study reiterate the need for stronger legislation and strict enforcement of bans on direct and indirect advertising and promotion of tobacco products in India. Copyright © 2014 Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

77 FR 69487 - Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-19

... respondents respondent response hours ACF-696T CCDF Financial Reporting Form for 272 1 6 1,632 Tribes... Annual Financial Report (ACF-696T) for Tribes. OMB No.: 0970-0195. Description: Tribes use the Financial... of 1990, as revised. In addition to the Program Reporting Requirements set forth in 45 CFR Part 98...

Premarital Sexual Behavior and Attitudes Toward Marriage and Divorce among Young Women as a Function of Their Mothers' Marital Status.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kinnaird, Keri L.; Gerrard, Meg

1986-01-01

Investigated attitudes and sexual activity of young unmarried women from different family structures. Intact family respondents reported most positive attitudes toward marriage; reconstituted family respondents reported most accepting attitudes toward divorce. Divorced and reconstituted family subjects reported significantly more sexual experience…

The prevalence of self-reported vision difficulty in economically disadvantaged regions of South Africa

PubMed Central

Naidoo, Kovin S.; Ramson, Prasidh; Chinanayi, Farai; Zhuwau, Tom; Øverland, Lene

2015-01-01

Background Vision impairment, resulting in vision difficulties, is a leading cause of disability, and hence one of the key barriers for people to access education and employment, which may force them into poverty. Objectives The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of self-reported vision difficulties as an indicator of vision impairment in economically disadvantaged regions in South Africa, and to examine the relationship between self-reported vision difficulties and socio-economic markers of poverty, namely, income, education and health service needs. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in economically disadvantaged districts to collect data from households on poverty and health, including vision difficulty. As visual acuity measurements were not conducted, the researchers used the term vision difficulty as an indicator of vision impairment. Data were collected from 27 districts (74 901 respondents). Logistic regression analysis and chi-square tests were used to determine bivariate relationships between variables and self-reported vision difficulty. Kernel density estimators were used for age, categorised by self-reported and not reported vision difficulty. Results Prevalence of self-reported vision difficulty was 11.2% (95% CI, 8.7% – 13.7%). More women (12.7%) compared to men (9.5%) self-reported vision difficulty (p < 0.01). Self-reported vision difficulty was higher (14.2%) for respondents that do not spend any money. A statistically significant relationship was found between the highest level of education and self-reporting of vision difficulty; as completed highest level of education increased, self-reporting of vision difficulty became lower (p < 0.01). A significantly higher prevalence of self-reported vision difficulty was found in respondents who are employed (p < 0.01), 17% (95% CI: 12.8% – 21.1%). Conclusion The evidence from this study suggests associations between socio-economic factors and vision difficulties that have a two-fold relationship (some factors such as education, and access to eye health services are associated with vision difficulty whilst vision difficulty may trap people in their current poverty or deepen their poverty status). The results are thus indicative of the need for further research in South Africa. PMID:28730022

A randomized trial of mailed questionnaires versus telephone interviews: Response patterns in a survey

PubMed Central

Feveile, Helene; Olsen, Ole; Hogh, Annie

2007-01-01

Background Data for health surveys are often collected using either mailed questionnaires, telephone interviews or a combination. Mode of data collection can affect the propensity to refuse to respond and result in different patterns of responses. The objective of this paper is to examine and quantify effects of mode of data collection in health surveys. Methods A stratified sample of 4,000 adults residing in Denmark was randomised to mailed questionnaires or computer-assisted telephone interviews. 45 health-related items were analyzed; four concerning behaviour and 41 concerning self assessment. Odds ratios for more positive answers and more frequent use of extreme response categories (both positive and negative) among telephone respondents compared to questionnaire respondents were estimated. Tests were Bonferroni corrected. Results For the four health behaviour items there were no significant differences in the response patterns. For 32 of the 41 health self assessment items the response pattern was statistically significantly different and extreme response categories were used more frequently among telephone respondents (Median estimated odds ratio: 1.67). For a majority of these mode sensitive items (26/32), a more positive reporting was observed among telephone respondents (Median estimated odds ratio: 1.73). The overall response rate was similar among persons randomly assigned to questionnaires (58.1%) and to telephone interviews (56.2%). A differential nonresponse bias for age and gender was observed. The rate of missing responses was higher for questionnaires (0.73 – 6.00%) than for telephone interviews (0 – 0.51%). The "don't know" option was used more often by mail respondents (10 – 24%) than by telephone respondents (2 – 4%). Conclusion The mode of data collection affects the reporting of self assessed health items substantially. In epidemiological studies, the method effect may be as large as the effects under investigation. Caution is needed when comparing prevalences across surveys or when studying time trends. PMID:17592653

Does where you live matter to your health? Investigating factors that influence the self-rated health of urban and rural Chinese residents: evidence drawn from Chinese General Social Survey data.

PubMed

Chen, Hongsheng; Liu, Ye; Zhu, Zhenjun; Li, Zhigang

2017-04-21

China's rapid urbanization over the past decades has exacerbated the problems of environmental degradation and health disparities. However, few studies have analysed the differences between urban and rural residents in relation to how environmental quality impacts health outcomes. This study examines the associations between Chinese people's perceptions of environmental quality and their self-rated health, particularly focusing on differences between rural and urban residents in environment-health relationships. Using a logistic regression model and data from the 2013 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS), a representative sample of data for 3,402 urban residents (46 ± 16 years) and 2,439 rural residents (48 ± 15 years) was analysed. The dependent variable used for the logistic regressions was whether or not respondents reported being healthy. Independent variables included respondents' evaluations of the living environment, and how frequently they participated in physical activities. Interaction terms were employed to measure the moderating effects of physical exercise on the relationship between perceived environmental quality and health. The percentage of healthy urban residents was significantly larger than that of healthy rural respondents (70.87% versus 62.87%). Urban respondents living in areas with sufficient green space were more likely to report good health (OR = 0.749, CI = [0.628, 0.895]), while rural respondents without reliable access to fresh water were more likely to report poor health (OR = 0.762, CI = [0.612, 0.949]). Urban respondents who were exposed to green spaces and exercised frequently were 21.6 per cent more likely to report good health than those who exercised infrequently (OR = 1.216, CI = [1.047, 1.413]). Those who lived in areas with insufficient green space and exercised frequently were 19.1 per cent less likely to report good health than those who exercised infrequently (OR = 0.805, CI = [0.469, 1.381]). No evidence suggested that physical exercise exerted a moderating effect on the relationship between exposure to air pollution and health. On average, urban residents have better health than rural residents. Among four indicators for low environmental quality (air pollution, lack of green spaces, water pollution, uncertain access to freshwater resources), green space was an important determinant of urban residents' health status, while unreliable access to fresh water harmed rural residents' health. Physical exercise moderated the effects of exposure to green spaces on urban residents' health.

Brief communication: Self-reported health and activity habits and attitudes in saturation divers.

PubMed

Dolan, Eimear; Deb, Sanjoy; Stephen, Graeme; Swinton, Paul

2016-01-01

Exposure to the confined hyperbaric, hyperoxic environment of the saturation chamber poses a number of unique physiological challenges to divers. Appropriately tailored training, nutrition and health programs may help support the body to cope with and overcome these challenges. To describe the self-reported habits and attitudes of saturation divers toward issues related to health, lifestyle, nutrition and physical activity. A questionnaire was developed to elicit information related to four key areas: 1) respondent demographics; 2) physical activity habits and attitudes; 3) nutritional attitudes; and 4) general lifestyle and health information. Respondents (n = 89/45%) reported a generally healthy lifestyle, including high physical activity levels while onshore, low tobacco use and alcohol intakes within U.K.-recommended guidelines. Responses to in-chamber items demonstrated reduced physical activity, disrupted sleep and distorted taste and smell perception. In addition, lethargy, headaches and musculoskeletal stiffness/soreness were reported as frequent symptoms following a period of time spent in saturation. Results of this study provide an in-sight into the self-reported practices and attitudes of saturation divers and appear to indicate a generally healthy lifestyle in the respondents. Some themes emerged which may impact on diver health and performance while in saturation. The results of this report may help provide a platform to generate hypotheses for further research and facilitate development of appropriately tailored nutrition and training-based strategies for saturation divers.

Adverse effects as a consequence of being the subject of orthopaedic manual therapy training, a worldwide retrospective survey.

PubMed

Thoomes-de Graaf, M; Thoomes, E; Carlesso, L; Kerry, R; Rushton, A

2017-06-01

Physical therapists (PTs) use a range of manual therapy techniques developed to an advanced level through postgraduate orthopaedic manipulative physical therapy (OMPT) programmes. The aim of this study was to describe the adverse effects experienced by students after having techniques performed on them as part of their OMPT training. A descriptive online survey of current students and recent graduates (≤5 years)m of OMPT programmes across the 22 Member Organisations of the International Federation of Orthopaedic Manipulative Physical Therapists. The questionnaire was completed by 1640 respondents across 22 countries (1263 graduates, 377 students. Some 60% of respondents reported never having experienced adverse effects during their manual therapy training. Of the 40% who did, 66.4% reported neck pain, 50.9% headache and 32% low back pain. Most reports of neck pain started after a manipulation and/or mobilisation, of which 53.4% lasted ≤24 h, 38.1% > 24 h but <3 months and 13.7% still experienced neck pain to date. A small percentage of respondents (3.3%) reported knowing of a fellow student experiencing a major adverse effect. Mild to moderate adverse effects after practising manual therapy techniques are commonly reported, but usually resolve within 24 h. However, this survey has identified the reported occurrence of major adverse effects that warrant further investigation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Risk behavior and access to HIV/AIDS prevention services in a community sample of homeless persons entering permanent supportive housing.

PubMed

Wenzel, Suzanne L; Rhoades, Harmony; Harris, Taylor; Winetrobe, Hailey; Rice, Eric; Henwood, Ben

2017-05-01

Homeless persons suffer disproportionately high rates of HIV infection, and moving into permanent supportive housing (PSH) can provide a stable base from which to access needed prevention services. However, little is known about HIV risk or prevention behavior during this critical time of transition. The current study investigated STI and HIV risk and prevention behavior and recent use of prevention and treatment services (i.e., education, testing, medication) among homeless persons preparing to move into PSH. Data come from interviews with 421 homeless adults before they moved into PSH. Thirty-seven percent of the respondents were sexually active; of those, 75.7% reported unprotected sex. Nearly two-thirds (64%) reported past year HIV testing and 40% reported testing for another STI. Fewer than one-third (31%) of respondents reported receiving posttest counseling at their last HIV test. HIV seropositivity was self-reported by 10%. Among those persons who were HIV-positive, 57.1% reported less than 100% antiretroviral (ARV) adherence. Among HIV-negative respondents, less than 1% had been prescribed preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Less than half (46.4%) of the sample reported any HIV prevention education in the past year. This population of homeless adults about to move into PSH report high rates of HIV risk behavior, but low rates of HIV prevention education and very little PrEP utilization. Further, low rates of ARV adherence among HIV-positive respondents indicate significant risk for HIV transmission and acquisition. Entering PSH is a period of transition for homeless persons when integrated care is critically important to ensure positive health outcomes, but these data suggest that PrEP and other HIV prevention services are poorly accessed among this population. As such, multipronged services that integrate PrEP and other HIV prevention services are needed to prevent transmission and acquisition of HIV in this high-risk, vulnerable population and ensure the health and wellbeing of PSH residents.

Comparative study of adverse events after yellow fever vaccination between elderly and non-elderly travellers: questionnaire survey in Japan over a 1-year period.

PubMed

Tanizaki, Ryutaro; Ujiie, Mugen; Hori, Narumi; Kanagawa, Shuzo; Kutsuna, Satoshi; Takeshita, Nozomi; Hayakawa, Kayoko; Kato, Yasuyuki; Ohmagari, Norio

2016-03-01

A live attenuated yellow fever (YF) vaccination is required of all travellers visiting countries where YF virus is endemic. Although the risk of serious adverse events (AEs) after YF vaccination is known to be greater in elderly people than in younger people, information about other AEs among elderly travellers is lacking. A prospective observational questionnaire study was conducted to investigate the occurrence of AEs after YF vaccination in travellers who attended a designated YF vaccination centre in Tokyo, Japan, from 1 November 2011 to 31 October 2012. A questionnaire enquiring about any AEs experienced in the 2 weeks following YF vaccination was distributed to all vaccinees enrolled in this study, and responses were collected subsequently by mail or phone. For child vaccinees, their parents were allowed to respond in their stead. Of the 1298 vaccinees who received the YF vaccine, 1044 (80.4%) were enrolled in the present study and 666 (63.8%) responded to the questionnaire. Of these 666 respondents, 370 (55.6%) reported AEs, of which 258 (38.7%) were systemic and 230 (34.5%) were local. No severe AEs associated with YF vaccination were reported. Elderly vaccinees (aged ≥60 years) reported fewer total AEs than those aged <60 years (42.9% vs 60.3%;P < 0.001). Our study showed that fewer general AEs after yellow vaccination reported among elderly vaccinees than among non-elderly vaccinees. These results could provide supplementary information for judging the adaptation of vaccination in elderly travellers. © International Society of Travel Medicine, 2016. All rights reserved. Published by Oxford University Press. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Sexual Assault Victimization Among Female Undergraduates During Study Abroad: A Single Campus Survey Study.

PubMed

Flack, William F; Kimble, Matthew O; Campbell, Brooke E; Hopper, Allyson B; Petercă, Oana; Heller, Emily J

2015-12-01

Almost all research on sexual assault victimization among undergraduate university students pertains to incidents that occur on domestic college and university campuses. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of sexual assault victimization and related factors among undergraduates in the context of study-abroad programs. Two hundred eight female students (52% response rate) from a small university in the northeastern United States who had recently studied abroad responded to an online survey containing measures of sexual assault, posttraumatic stress responses (PSR), and alcohol consumption. Almost 19% of the respondents indicated one or more types of sexual assault victimization. Approximately 17% reported non-consensual sexual touching, 7% attempted rape, 4% rape, with 9% reporting attempted rape or rape. As in domestic studies, victimization in this sample was related positively to alcohol consumption and PSR. Use of force was the most frequently reported perpetrator tactic. In sum, the high rates of sexual assault victimization reported by this sample during study abroad replicate previous findings. This context requires further attention from sexual assault researchers, especially given the increasing numbers of university students engaging in study abroad, and from campus support personnel who may be unaware of the likelihood of assault in this context. © The Author(s) 2014.

Competitiveness Implications of Environmental Regulations: Case Studies (1992- 1997)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This collection of reports is part of a series of case studies designed to examine Michael Porter’s hypothesis that innovative companies responding to environmental regulation can create competitive advantage through lower costs or higher sales.

The Dresden Predictor Study of anxiety and depression: objectives, design, and methods.

PubMed

Trumpf, Julia; Vriends, Noortje; Meyer, Andrea H; Becker, Eni S; Neumer, Simon-Peter; Margraf, Jürgen

2010-09-01

The present report describes the objectives, design, and methods of the Dresden Predictor Study (DPS) of anxiety and depression, a prospective epidemiological study investigating anxiety disorders and depression in 3,065 young German women (18-25 years of age). The DPS consists of a baseline and one follow-up investigation separated by approximately 17 months. At both time points, respondents were diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) using an extended German version of the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule (ADIS-IV-L). In addition to diagnostic assessment, respondents completed a battery of self-report questionnaires that provided detailed information about potential predictors of disorders and a comprehensive dimensional assessment of psychopathology. Results on both response bias in the baseline investigation and effects of dropout at follow-up are presented, and strengths and limitations of the study design are discussed.

Cheating among University of Transkei students.

PubMed

Mwamwenda, T S; Monyooe, L A

2000-08-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which cheating in academic work occurs at this university. 58 participants registered for a postgraduate diploma in education responded to a questionnaire on cheating. Some students admitted engaging in every behaviour; however, the percentage of students so engaged was much lower than those reported among British and American institutions of higher learning. This may partly be attributed to respondents being reluctant to divulge their dishonesty.

A Population-Based Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study on Preventive Health Services Utilization in Portugal—What Services (and Frequencies) Are Deemed Necessary by Patients?

PubMed Central

Martins, Carlos; Azevedo, Luís F.; Ribeiro, Orquídea; Sá, Luísa; Santos, Paulo; Couto, Luciana; Costa-Pereira, Altamiro; Hespanhol, Alberto P.

2013-01-01

Background Most of the strategies to induce a more rational use of preventive health services are oriented to the medical side of the doctor-patient relationship. However, the consultation model has changed, and patients now have a more important role in medical consultation. The aim of this study was to assess which healthcare services are deemed necessary, and with what frequency, by adults from the general Portuguese population. Methods Design: Population-based nationwide cross-sectional study Setting: Portuguese population Participants: One thousand Portuguese adults, surveyed by computer-assisted telephone interviewing and selected by a stratified cluster sampling design. Measurements: Proportions and population prevalence estimates were determined for each healthcare service, taking into account whether respondents considered them necessary, and with what frequency. Results Respondent ages ranged between 18 and 97 years, and 520 of 1000 (52%) respondents were women. Among Portuguese adults, 99.2% (95% confidence interval (CI): 98.5 to 99.6) believe that they should undergo general routine blood and urine tests, to be repeated every 12.0 months on average (95% CI: 11.4 to 12.6); 87.4% (95% CI: 85.3 to 89.3) of the respondents reported having actually performed these tests. Of the 15 services surveyed, 14 were considered periodically necessary by more than 60% of respondents. Among the respondents, 37.7% (95% CI: 34.5 to 41.1) reported using healthcare services by their own initiative. Conclusions The majority of Portuguese adults believe that they should utilize a great number of healthcare services, on a nearly annual basis; most actually follow this schedule. Our findings indicate a tendency towards the overuse of resources. Adequate patient-oriented strategies regarding the use of medical tests and preventive interventions—with appropriate information and discussion of risks and harms—are urgently needed, and crucial for achieving a more rational use of healthcare services and for preventing the consequences of over-testing. PMID:24278405