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Self-reported Questionnaire (self-reported + questionnaire)
Selected AbstractsHigh HDL-cholesterol in women with rheumatoid arthritis on low-dose glucocorticoid therapyEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION, Issue 9 2008C. García-Gómez ABSTRACT Background, Dyslipidaemia has been described in non-treated rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and improves after therapy with disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs or glucocorticoids; however, it has generally been perceived that glucocorticoids adversely affect lipid metabolism. The association of low dose glucocorticoid therapy with plasma lipid levels was evaluated in female RA patients. Materials and methods, A cross-sectional study was conducted in 78 female RA patients [mean age: 60 (12) years; mean disease duration: 13 (9) years]. Sixty-five (83%) were on glucocorticoid therapy [total equivalent mean prednisone dose: 5·1 (1·7) mg d,1]. Each patient was assessed through a self-reported questionnaire, structured interview and physical examination. Blood samples were obtained for routine biochemistry, lipid profile and haematological tests. Lipid profiles of RA patients who were and were not on glucocorticoid therapy were compared. Results, Clinical and laboratory features of the two groups of patients were similar, except for the Health Assessment Questionnaire and body mass index, which were significantly higher in the patients on glucocorticoid therapy. These patients had 14·7% higher serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) levels than untreated patients (P = 0·043), mainly at the expense of HDL2 subfraction, which was 24·4% higher (P < 0·039), whereas HDL3-c was only 7·4% higher (P = 0·219). Serum levels of glucose and total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL -c), very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoproteins A-I and B were not increased in patients on glucocorticoid therapy. Conclusions, Low dose glucocorticoid therapy in RA patients is associated with an increase in HDL-c, without increasing LDL-c or triglyceride. These lipid changes may overall be considered favourable. [source] Is self-reported alcohol consumption associated with osteoporotic mandibular bone loss in women?EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORAL SCIENCES, Issue 1 2009Olivia Nackaerts The aim of this study was to determine whether alcohol consumption would predict mandibular bone quality and quantity in a large European female population. In total, 672 middle-aged and elderly women (45,70 yr of age; standard deviation = 6) were recruited in the study. Alcohol consumption was recorded through a self-reported questionnaire. Mandibular cortical width was measured, by five observers, in the mental foramen region on panoramic radiographs. Mandibular bone density, expressed as aluminium thickness, was recorded on intra-oral radiographs. Alcohol consumption was associated with a reduction of mandibular bone density and cortical width. This association was higher in subjects with excessive alcohol consumption, defined in the present study as > 14 units consumed per week. This study showed reduced jaw-bone quality in older individuals and in those with increased alcohol consumption. [source] Evaluation of the relationship between smoking during pregnancy and subgingival microbiotaJOURNAL OF CLINICAL PERIODONTOLOGY, Issue 1 2005Nurcan Buduneli Abstract Background: Numerous studies have shown that smoking negatively affects periodontal health. Hormonal changes, which occur during pregnancy have also been reported to have adverse effects on the periodontal tissues or indirectly through alterations in the subgingival bacterial flora. At present, no knowledge exists concerning possible effects of smoking on the composition of subgingival plaque in pregnancy. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of smoking during pregnancy on the subgingival plaque bacteria most commonly associated with periodontal disease. Methods: A total number of 181 women were examined within 72 h post-partum. Smoking status was recorded by means of a self-reported questionnaire and the study population was divided into three groups; non-smokers, light smokers, and heavy smokers. In each woman, two subgingival plaque samples were obtained from mesio- or disto-buccal aspect of randomly selected one molar and one incisor tooth by sterile paperpoints. Clinical periodontal recordings comprising presence of dental plaque, bleeding on probing (BOP), and probing pocket depth (PPD) were performed at six sites per each tooth at all teeth. Plaque samples were analysed by checkerboard DNA,DNA hybridization with respect to 12 bacterial species. In all analyses, the individual subject was the computational unit. Thus, mean values for all clinical parameters were calculated and bacterial scores from each individual sample were averaged. Statistical methods included ,2 test, Kruskal,Wallis test and Mann,Whitney U -test. Results: Mean ages were similar in the study groups. Plaque, BOP and PPD recordings were lower in the heavy-smoker group, but the differences were not statistically significant (p>0.05). The detection rates and bacterial loads of the specific subgingival bacteria exhibited no significant differences between the groups. No correlation could be found between smoking status and detection rates and bacterial loads of various bacterial species. Conclusion: The present findings suggest that smoking during pregnancy does not have a significant effect on the composition of subgingival plaque bacteria. [source] Factors associated with resilience of school age children with cancerJOURNAL OF PAEDIATRICS AND CHILD HEALTH, Issue 7-8 2010Dong H Kim Aim: To identify factors associated with resilience of school age children with cancer. Methods: The participants were 74 children, 10,15 years old who were diagnosed with cancer at least 6 months prior to data collection. The instruments used were; a self-reported questionnaire on resilience, Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale III, measurements of relationship with friends and teachers. Descriptive, Pearson correlation and multiple regression analyses were used to analyse the data. Results: The average score for resilience was 98.49 (range: 32,128). There was no statistically significant relationship with resilience for age, gender, religion, existence of siblings, mother's age, academic performance, duration of illness or type of cancer. In bivariate analysis, family adaptability and cohesion (r= 0.535, P < 0.001), relationship with friends (r= 0.520, P < 0.001) and teachers (r= 0.318, P < 0.01) were significantly related to resilience. However, the results of multiple regression analysis showed that only family function (,= 0.257, P < 0.05) and relationship with friends (,= 0.581, P < 0.01) were significantly associated with resilience. Conclusions: School age children with cancer who reported higher family function and positive relationships with friends showed higher resiliency than their counterparts. Thus, it is important to help the families of children with cancer to enhance family function and help children to adjust to school re-entry by maintaining ties with school friends and teachers during treatment. Development of counselling programmes for parents to promote family adaptation and cohesion and educational programmes for classmates and teachers are recommended. [source] Awareness of early warning signs and help-seeking behaviours among patients with schizophrenia who utilize social rehabilitation facilities in JapanJOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 8 2009R. KOICHI rn phn ms Accessible summary ,,Schizophrenia is characterized by the occurrence of psychotic relapses. When this happens, early warning signs such as delusions, hallucinations, thought incoherencies and serious chaotic behaviours occur. ,,In this study, 56.5% of participants who had a history at least one early help-seeking behaviour when they deteriorated was recognized from the following signs: sleep disorders, depression, hallucinations, nervousness, anxiety, fatigue, delusions, illusions and suicidal ideation. ,,Early help-seeking behaviours were related to the following factors: recognition of early warning signs during deterioration, consultation with non-professional and professional support persons during deterioration; consulting with public mental health workers; and living with family. Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between early warning signs (EWS) and early help-seeking behaviours (HSB) and to identify the characteristics of patients with schizophrenia who sought early help. A cross-sectional study was carried out in 2004 using a self-reported questionnaire. Participants were recruited from social rehabilitation facilities for the mentally ill; 224 subjects participated, 170 of whom had schizophrenia. The survey included questions about demographic characteristics, self-care behaviours (HSB, recognition of EWS and others) and current service utilization and satisfaction. Fisher's exact test and Student's t -test were used to compare the characteristics of study participants. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between recognition of EWS and early HSB. We found that 96 (56.5%) of 170 patients with schizophrenia reported at least one occasion of early HSB during their deterioration. Early HSB were related to the following factors: recognition of EWS, consultation with non-professional and professional support persons during deterioration, consulting with public mental health workers and living with family. Care and support should be offered to patients with schizophrenia to enable them to recognize their own mental deterioration. [source] Expatriates in High,UV Index and Tropical Countries: Sun Exposure and Protection Behavior in 9,416 French AdultsJOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE, Issue 2 2007Khaled Ezzedine MD Background Overexposure to sunlight during long stays in tropical countries can reveal short- and long-term harmful effects on the skin of Caucasian residents, especially for fair-skinned subjects. The aim of this study was to describe sun exposure and sun protection behaviors during lifetime among French adults who declared having experienced at least one expatriation period in tropical or high,sun index areas for a duration of more than three consecutive months. Methods A self-reported questionnaire on sun exposure behavior was addressed two times, in 1997 and 2001, to the 12,741 French adult volunteers enrolled in the SU.VI.MAX cohort. A total of 8,084 subjects answered to the first survey and 1,332 additional responders answered to the second. Among the 9,416 individuals, 1,594 (652 women and 942 men) corresponded to expatriates and the remaining 7,822 to nonexpatriates (4,972 women and 2,850 men). A descriptive analysis of sun exposure and sun protection behaviors during lifetime of expatriates and nonexpatriates was performed by gender. Results Among women, 39% of expatriates belonged to the 50 to 60 class of age at inclusion, versus 33% in nonexpatriates (72 and 55% in men, respectively). In women, expatriates declared more frequently having during lifetime exposed voluntarily their skin to the sun, practiced tanning between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., less gradually exposed their skin, experienced intensive sun exposure, and exposed their skin during nautical sports and practiced naturism. In men, expatriates declared more frequently having experienced intensive sun exposure and exposed their skin during outdoor occupations and during nautical and mountain sports. Conclusions Although expatriates are aware of travel health advices concerning the countries where they planned to stay, they are usually poorly informed about sun exposure risk factors. Such individuals who planned to expatriate in countries with a high ultraviolet index should benefit from a visit to a travel clinic including specific health care information for risk related to sun exposure, ie, skin cancers and photoaging. [source] Adolescent quality of life: A school-based cohort study in Western AustraliaPEDIATRICS INTERNATIONAL, Issue 6 2003Lynn B. Meuleners AbstractBackground:,Quality of life (QOL) has received increasing attention in pediatrics medicine recently. Improving QOL is the primary justification for many interventions, medications and therapies. The present study is a school-based longitudinal study which aims to investigate the factors affecting QOL of adolescents in Western Australia over a 6-month period. Methods:,A generic self-reported questionnaire was administered twice to participants from 20 schools in Perth at 6 months apart. In addition to QOL scores and physical health status, demographic and other information was also collected. For the cohort of 363 students who participated in the initial survey, 300 of them completed the second questionnaire. Results:,A significant change in QOL score between baseline and 6 months was observed. Results from fitting a hierarchical mixed regression model indicated that 55% of the variation in QOL was due to differences between individuals, and was significantly associated with age, control, opportunities and perceptions of physical health, while the remaining variance component could be attributed to within-individual changes. Improved control and opportunities appeared to have a significant positive impact on QOL, whereas increasing age and deterioration in physical health had the opposite effect. Conclusions:,The hierarchical regression analysis has enabled valid inferences to be made based on the observed longitudinal data. Perceptions of physical health, age, control and opportunities available are related to adolescent QOL. The findings have implications on evidence-based practices and childhood health issues. [source] Association between psychosocial factors and musculoskeletal symptoms among Iranian nursesAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 10 2010Ramin Mehrdad MD Abstract Background While psychosocial factors have been associated with musculoskeletal symptoms among nurses in some countries, previous studies of Iranian nurses show little association using a demand and control questionnaire. The aim of this study is to assess and evaluate the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms and to assess their relationships with psychosocial factors among nurses in Iran. Methods In a cross-sectional study, 347 hospital nurses completed a self-reported questionnaire containing the Standardized Nordic questionnaire for musculoskeletal symptoms and the General Nordic questionnaire for Psychological and Social factors at work (QPS Nordic 34+ Questionnaire). Results Prevalence of low back pain, knee pain, shoulder pain, and neck pain were 73.2%, 68.7%, 48.6%, and 46.3%, respectively. Middle and high stress groups had higher crude and adjusted odds than the low stress group for all body sites. The association for neck, wrist/hand, and upper back and ankle/foot reports (adjusted odds ratio for high stress ranging from 2.4 to 3.0) were statistically significant. Conclusions We observed a high prevalence of self-reported musculoskeletal symptoms at a number of body sites, which were associated with psychosocial factors and specifically stress as defined by the QPS Nordic 34+ Questionnaire. Am. J. Ind. Med. 53:1032,1039, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Child-rearing Anxiety and Its Correlates Among Japanese Mothers Screened at 18-Month Infant Health CheckupsPUBLIC HEALTH NURSING, Issue 2 2007Azusa Arimoto ABSTRACT Objective: To examine the level of child-rearing anxiety and to explore the variables correlated with child-rearing anxiety in a city in Japan. Design: Cross-sectional study. Sample: From July to September 2003, 371 mothers who visited community health centers in a city in Tokyo Metropolis for their child's 18-month health checkups. Measurements: Child-rearing anxiety was measured by the child-rearing anxiety scale. Questions in a self-reported questionnaire were on maternal variables, including maternal background information, child variables, and family system variables such as the presence of social support, and utilization of parenting support services. Also included within the questionnaire was the General Health Questionnaire-12. Results: Hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis revealed that mothers with higher child-rearing anxiety had less childcare satisfaction, more depressive symptoms, more worries about the child, less support from the husband, and less social support. Conclusion: To identify mothers with high child-rearing anxiety in Japan, the infant health checkups should be utilized as an opportunity for screening, focusing on variables regarding mothers. Public health nurses can provide the necessary support after gaining an understanding of issues confronting mothers to prevent child-rearing anxiety and child abuse. [source] Sociocultural Perceptions and Patterns of Cigarette and Alcohol Use among College Students in VietnamASIAN SOCIAL WORK AND POLICY REVIEW, Issue 3 2008Paul DuongTran This empirical study was conducted in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to investigate cross-sectionally the influences of sociocultural contexts on the patterns of addictive substance use cigarette, alcohol, and illicit drugs. A sample of 202 monolingual adults who were enrolled in college courses at the University of Hanoi in Vietnam responded to a self-reported questionnaire in their native language on the frequency, quantity, and occasions of addictive behavior. The project staff were fluent in English and Vietnamese. The questionnaire was critically reviewed for its face validity and cultural appropriateness before being translated into Vietnamese. In addition to patterns of use, this research explored the central role of drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes in peer socialization among college adults. Vietnam, like other Asian cultures, emphasizes initiation and conformity to social traditions and norms. The empirical findings provide invaluable knowledge of the complex roles of cigarette and alcohol in the social processes and relationship-building among college adults in Vietnam. Further knowledge will assist in identifying intervention approaches and health prevention that is more focused and congruent with cultural and social beliefs about this behavior and these substances. Its implications for research into culturally appropriate intervention and prevention are also discussed. [source] Correlation between attenuated psychotic experiences and depressive symptoms among Japanese studentsEARLY INTERVENTION IN PSYCHIATRY, Issue 3 2010Hiroyuki Kobayashi Abstract Aims: To examine the emergence of attenuated psychotic experiences, self-disturbance or affective symptoms among younger subjects in the general population and to investigate the intergroup differences on each symptom between adolescents and post-adolescents. Methods: A total of 781 participants, 496 university students (mean age: 19.3 ± 1.1 years) and 285 high school students (mean age: 16.0 ± 0.3 years), were administered self-reported questionnaires. Psychotic prodromal symptoms were evaluated using the PRIME Screen-Revised (PS-R), a 12-item self-reported questionnaire. To measure the cognitive, emotional and physical symptoms associated with depression, the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale (ZSDS), a 20-item self-reported questionnaire, was administered. Results: There were no intergroup differences on the factor score of the PS-R, except the self-demarcation factor (post-adolescents > adolescents), whereas there were significant differences in the factor score of the ZSDS, except for the anxiety factor. Among the post-adolescents, the factors of the PS-R showed a moderate correlation to the cognitive factor on the ZSDS; among the adolescents, the PS-R factors showed a greater correlation to the anxiety factor on the ZSDS than other factors. There were no differences in the distribution of each item of the PS-R between the two groups. Conclusions: The disturbance of self results in difficulty to precisely objectify, especially among adolescents, which would induce more primitive reactions such as agitation, irritability or anxiety; probably, the self disturbance would become an explicit symptom from an implicit experience with advancing age of the subject. Although these data are only preliminary, they could explain the pathway of progression prior to the onset of psychosis, from disturbance within the self to exaggerated self-absorption. [source] The development of the family alliance from pregnancy to toddlerhood and children outcomes at 18 monthsINFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 1 2006N. Favez Abstract This paper presents a longitudinal study of the development of family interactions from pregnancy to toddlerhood. Family interactions are increasingly acknowledged as a predictive factor for children's psychopathological outcomes. We used an observational setting, the Lausanne Trilogue Play, to evaluate the ,family alliance', namely, the quality of interactive coordination between family members. Families participated at the 5th month of pregnancy, and at 3- and 18-months after birth. The sample (N=39) consisted of non-referred primiparous families. Results show that (i) family alliance is stable during the first two years for most families: the quality of prenatal interactions between parents and a baby doll is thus predictive of the subsequent interactions with the actual child; (ii) there are links, but only a few, between family interactions and children outcomes reported by parents. Methodological issues (observation versus self-reported questionnaires) are discussed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Chronic pain in Parkinson's disease: The cross-sectional French DoPaMiP surveyMOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue 10 2008Laurence Nègre-Pagès PhD Abstract Pain is a frequent, but poorly studied symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD). DoPaMiP survey aimed to assess the prevalence of chronic pain in PD, to describe PD patients with chronic pain, and to record analgesic consumption. About 450 parkinsonian patients underwent structured standardized clinical examination and completed self-reported questionnaires in a cross sectional survey. Pains related or unrelated to PD were identified according to predefined criteria. About 98 patients with other chronic disorders than PD were examined to assess if pain was more frequent in PD than in this population. Two thirds parkinsonian patients (278 of 450) had chronic pain. Twenty-five patients with non-chronic pain (<3-month duration) were excluded from subsequent analysis. Twenty six percent (111 of 425) parkinsonian patients had pain unrelated to PD ("non-PD-pain", caused mainly by osteoarthritis), while 39.3% (167 of 425) had chronic pain related to PD ("PD-pain"). In this last group, PD was the sole cause of pain in 103 and indirectly aggravated pain of another origin (mainly osteoarthritis) in 64. Parkinsonian patients with "PD-pain" were younger at PD onset, had more motor complications, more severe depressive symptoms than those without pain or with "non-PD pain." "PD-pain" was more intense (P = 0.03), but was less frequently reported to doctors (P = 0.02), and was associated with less frequent analgesic consumption than "non-PD-pain." Pain was twice more frequent in PD patients than in patients without PD after adjustment for osteo-articular comorbidities (OR = 1.9; 95% CI 1.2,3.2). Chronic pain is frequent but underreported in PD. Awareness of this problem should be increased and the assessment of analgesic strategies improved. © 2008 Movement Disorder Society [source] A novel approach to treating eating disorders in a day-hospital treatment programNUTRITION & DIETETICS, Issue 3 2010Mellisa ASHLEY Abstract Aim:, The aim of the present study was to evaluate the short-term effectiveness of an adult day-hospital program that uses a novel approach to delivering nutritional interventions. Methods:, Fifty-six adult eating disorder patients of the Sydney West Area Eating Disorders Day Treatment Program participated in the study. Participants completed standardised self-reported questionnaires designed to measure eating disorder symptoms, at the commencement of treatment and after 12 weeks. Results:, Participation in day-hospital treatment was associated with increases in weight, reductions in number of binge-eating and purging episodes, and frequency of exercise sessions. Participants also experienced improvements in their eating attitudes, drive for thinness, bulimia, depression and anxiety symptoms. Conclusion:, These findings add to the growing body of literature supporting the use of day-hospital programs in the treatment of eating disorders. A number of strategies are suggested for the effective delivery of nutritional interventions in day-hospital programs, such as methods that assist with integrating new information, having an experiential focus and the use of collaborative education processes. [source] Remembering childhood atopic dermatitis as an adult: factors that influence recollectionBRITISH JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 3 2006C. Moberg Summary Background, Atopic dermatitis (AD) is common in the population, and studies have shown that the disease is on the increase. Studies based on hospital records reflect selected populations and may miss less severe cases of AD, and the use of self-reported questionnaires has the drawback of recall bias. Objectives, To investigate some possible factors influencing recall bias when questionnaires are used to establish the prevalence of childhood eczema in an adult population. Methods, A questionnaire regarding past and present eczema was sent to 557 cases (with signs suggesting the diagnosis AD) and 554 matched controls (subjects lacking signs of AD) born during 1960,1969 and identified in school health medical records. Cases and controls were aged 31,42 years at the time of the study and 70·5% returned the questionnaire. Results, Of 403 cases, 29% did not report childhood eczema in the questionnaire. There was a difference between those who did recall their childhood AD (remembering group, RG), and those who did not (forgetful group, FG) in who had documented the diagnostic signs in the school health records. In the RG the signs were reported by both parents and school health personnel in 51% of cases, and in the FG this was true of only 16%. The RG had a higher prevalence of eczema after 15 years of age and of hand eczema. The RG also reported more visits to physicians after the age of 15 years and more time taken as sick leave due to eczema. Conclusions, Several factors influence how well people remember their AD in childhood. These factors include disease activity in adult life, disease severity, and who noticed the eczema in childhood. [source] | ||||||||||