Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Follow-up Survey (follow-up + survey)
Selected AbstractsA Follow-up Survey on Seizures Induced by Animated Cartoon TV Program "Pocket Monster"EPILEPSIA, Issue 4 2004Yoshiko Ishiguro Summary: Purpose: To identify the short-term outcome of patients who had seizures while watching an animated cartoon TV program, "Pocket Monster," on December 16, 1997. Methods: One and three years after the incident, questionnaires were sent to physicians of each patient about seizure recurrence, EEGs, and medication. Results: Among 103 patients in whom epileptic seizures occurred during the TV program and information on the outcomes was available, 25 (24%) patients had a history of unprovoked seizures before the incident (Epilepsy Group), and 78 (76%) did not (Non-Epilepsy Group). Twenty-three (22%) patients were reported to have seizures after the incident, and 15 of them had visually induced seizures. Patients of the Epilepsy Group had more seizure recurrence than did those of the Non-Epilepsy Group (56% vs. 9%; p < 0.0001), either for unprovoked (44% vs. 4%; p < 0.0001) or visually induced seizures (28% vs. 9%; p < 0.05). Of nine patients of the Non-Epilepsy Group who had seizures after the incident, only three developed recurrent unprovoked seizures. In the Non-Epilepsy Group, no difference was found in seizure recurrence between patients in whom valproate (VPA) was prescribed immediately after the incident and in those without medication (one of five (20%) vs. seven of 73 (10%); p > 0.05). EEG was performed at least once in 98 patients after the incident. Photoparoxysmal response (PPR) was present in 45 (46%) patients, and spontaneous epileptiform discharges, in 49 (50%). PPR did not have any correlation with recurrence of seizures, neither spontaneous nor visually induced seizures, whereas spontaneous epileptiform discharges showed a good correlation with seizure recurrence (34% vs. 8%; p < 0.01), including visually induced seizures (24% vs. 2%; p < 0.01). Conclusions: Short-term outcomes showed that 70 (68%) of 103 patients who had a seizure during the incident had no seizures before and during ,3 years of follow-up. [source] Children's participation in home, school and community life after acquired brain injuryAUSTRALIAN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY JOURNAL, Issue 2 2010Jane Galvin Aims:,This study aimed to describe participation at home, school and in the community of Australian children who had sustained an acquired brain injury (ABI). Parent ratings regarding the impact of cognitive, motor and behavioural impairments on participation were obtained. In addition, the influence of environmental factors on participation was investigated. Methodology:,This study used a cross-sectional design with convenience sampling to recruit 20 children who attended a rehabilitation review clinic between September 2006 and September 2007. Participants completed the Child and Family Follow-up Survey (Bedell, 2004) to describe the participation of their children in home, school and community settings. The CFFS was developed based on the International Classification of Function, and uses parent report to measure the impact of impairments and environmental factors on children's participation in home, school and community life. Results:,The children were reported to have the greatest participation restrictions for structured events in the community, and social, play or leisure activities with peers either at school or in the community. Children were least restricted moving about in and around their own homes. Conclusions:,This research describes difficulties encountered by Australian children with ABI in participating in community-based activities with their same aged peers. This study adds to the current literature describing patterns of participation of United States children who have sustained brain injuries, and provides useful information for Australian therapists to consider when addressing children's return to school and engagement with their peers following brain injury. [source] Socio-demographic risk factors for alcohol and drug dependence: the 10-year follow-up of the national comorbidity surveyADDICTION, Issue 8 2009Joel Swendsen ABSTRACT Aims Continued progress in etiological research and prevention science requires more precise information concerning the specific stages at which socio-demographic variables are implicated most strongly in transition from initial substance use to dependence. The present study examines prospective associations between socio-demographic variables and the subsequent onset of alcohol and drug dependence using data from the National Comorbidity Survey (NCS) and the NCS Follow-up survey (NCS-2). Design The NCS was a nationally representative survey of the prevalence and correlates of DSM-III-R mental and substance disorders in the United States carried out in 1990,2002. The NCS-2 re-interviewed a probability subsample of NCS respondents a decade after the baseline survey. Baseline NCS socio-demographic characteristics and substance use history were examined as predictors of the first onset of DSM-IV alcohol and drug dependence in the NCS-2. Participants A total of 5001 NCS respondents were re-interviewed in the NCS-2 (87.6% of baseline sample). Findings Aggregate analyses demonstrated significant associations between some baseline socio-demographic variables (young age, low education, non-white ethnicity, occupational status) but not others (sex, number of children, residential area) and the subsequent onset of DSM-IV alcohol or drug dependence. However, conditional models showed that these risk factors were limited to specific stages of baseline use. Moreover, many socio-demographic variables that were not significant in the aggregate analyses were significant predictors of dependence when examined by stage of use. Conclusions The findings underscore the potential for socio-demographic risk factors to have highly specific associations with different stages of the substance use trajectory. [source] Smoking cessation patterns and predictors of quitting smoking among the Japanese general population: a 1-year follow-up studyADDICTION, Issue 1 2010Akiko Hagimoto ABSTRACT Aim To examine the percentage of Japanese adult smokers who make quit attempts and succeed in smoking cessation over a 1-year period, and to identify predictors of attempts to stop and successful smoking cessation. Design and setting This study used Ipsos JSR Company's access panel, whose sampling framework is based on the Basic Resident Register in Japan. We tracked and monitored a selected sample of smokers who were at least 20 years of age through a baseline postal questionnaire survey in 2005 and a follow-up survey 1 year later. Participants The original response rate was 72.1% (1874 of 2600 smokers). There were 1627 current smokers in the baseline survey, and of those, 1358 were followed-up 1 year later. Findings Among the current smokers, 23.0% reported that they had attempted to quit smoking at least once in the past year. Of those who made quit attempts, 25.6% had achieved 1-week abstinence successfully and 13.5% reported having achieved sustained 6-month abstinence successfully at the time of the follow-up survey. The predictors associated with quit attempts were non-daily smoker, higher motivation to quit and previous attempts to stop smoking. Among smokers who made quit attempts, only 13.5% used nicotine replacement therapy. Higher nicotine dependence was associated with lower probability of success in quitting. Conclusions Japanese smokers attempt to quit at a lower rate than smokers in the United Kingdom and United States, but factors that predict attempts (primarily markers of motivation) and success of attempts (primarily dependence) are similar to those found in western samples. [source] Sledding Injuries in Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department in a Northern CityACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 6 2001Donald C. Voaklander PhD Abstract. Objectives: Sledding is a common recreational activity in northern communities. The objective of this study was to examine the frequency and nature of sledding injuries (SIs) in patients presenting to emergency departments (EDs). Methods: The data were derived from a cohort of patients treated at all five EDs in an urban Canadian health region over a two-year period. Following chart review, consenting patients were interviewed by telephone about their sledding activities and the circumstances surrounding the injury. Results: Three hundred twenty-eight patients were correctly coded as having SIs, with 212 patients (65%) reached during the follow-up survey. The median age of those with SIs was 12 years (IQR = 8, 21), and 206 (59%) were male. Injury rates peaked in the 10-14-year age group (87/100,000) for boys and in the 5-9-year age group (75/100,000) for girls. Most patients stated they were drivers (75%), fewer than half were thrown from the sled (42%), and fewer than half (44%) were sledding on community-designated sledding hills at the time of injury. Injuries to the lower extremity (32%), upper extremity (31%), and head (13%) were most common. Thirty-seven (11%) patients with SIs were admitted to hospital vs 4% of patients with other sports/recreation injuries (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Sledding injuries are common and potentially serious wintertime injuries in northern communities, involving primarily younger patients, with a large pre-adolescent group. However, older sledders (>20 years) have poorer outcomes (hospitalization, lost time from work/school) than their younger counterparts. The SIs treated in the ED appear to lead to hospitalization more frequently than other types of sport/recreation injury, and injury prevention strategies appear warranted. [source] Diversity and Inclusion of Sociopolitical Issues in Foreign Language Classrooms: An Exploratory SurveyFOREIGN LANGUAGE ANNALS, Issue 1 2003Ryuko Kubota ABSTRACT: One aim of foreign language teaching is to broaden learners' worldviews and promote intercultural communication. Less discussed, however, are domestic diversity and sociopolitical issues. Through a survey of university students of Japanese, Spanish, and Swahili, the authors of this study investigated diversity in the classroom, students' backgrounds and learning experiences, and their perceptions about the relationship between foreign language learning and issues of race, gender, class, and social justice. The study found more racial diversity in Japanese and Swahili than in Spanish classes and in beginning Spanish classes than in advanced Spanish classes. Beginning Spanish students related foreign language learning with social justice issues less frequently than did advanced students. A follow-up survey revealed stigmatized experiences and detachment from ethnic identity among some minority students. [source] Brief screening tool for mild cognitive impairment in older Japanese: Validation of the Japanese version of the Montreal Cognitive AssessmentGERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 3 2010Yoshinori Fujiwara Aim: The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), developed by Dr Nasreddine (Nasreddine et al. 2005), is a brief cognitive screening tool for detecting older people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We examined the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the MoCA (MoCA-J) in older Japanese subjects. Methods: Subjects were recruited from the outpatient memory clinic of Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital or community-based medical health check-ups in 2008. The MoCA-J, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the revised version of Hasegawa's Dementia Scale (HDS-R), Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale, and routine neuropsychological batteries were conducted on 96 older subjects. Mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) was found in 30 subjects and MCI in 30, with 36 normal controls. Results: The Cronbach's alpha of MoCA-J as an index of internal consistency was 0.74. The test,retest reliability of MoCA, using intraclass correlation coefficient between the scores at baseline survey and follow-up survey 8 weeks later was 0.88 (P < 0.001). MoCA-J score was highly correlated with MMSE (r = 0.83, P < 0.001), HDS-R (r = 0.79, P < 0.001) and CDR (r = ,0.79, P < 0.001) scores. The areas under receiver,operator curves (AUC) for predicting MCI and AD groups by the MoCA-J were 0.95 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.90,1.00) and 0.99 (95% CI = 0.00,1.00), respectively. The corresponding values for MMSE and HDS-R were 0.85 (95% CI = 0.75,0.95) and 0.97 (95% CI = 0.00,1.00), and 0.86 (95% CI = 0.76,0.95) and 0.97 (95% CI = 0.00,1.00), respectively. Using a cut-off point of 25/26, the MoCA-J demonstrated a sensitivity of 93.0% and a specificity of 87.0% in screening MCI. Conclusion: The MoCA-J could be a useful cognitive test for screening MCI, and could be recommended in a primary clinical setting and for geriatric health screening in the community. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2010; 10: 225,232. [source] How Children and Parents Evaluate the Headache Centre's InterventionHEADACHE, Issue 2 2009Anna Ferrari MD Background., While adult headache patients' satisfaction with treatments has been widely investigated, less attention has been paid to children and adolescent headache patients' opinions and their parents' views. Objective., The aim of our follow-up survey was to analyze the outcomes of the Headache Centre's intervention and the evolution of headache according to patients until the age of 16 and their parents. Methods., We studied all outpatients suffering from episodic primary headache according to International Classification of Headache Disorders 2nd edition criteria, seen for the first time in 2005-2006 at the Headache Centre of the University Hospital of Modena (Italy), and at least one of their parents. The duration of the follow-up ranged from 1 to 3 years. For the purpose of the study, a specific questionnaire was created and administered by a telephone interview. Results., We enrolled 84 patients (38 females, 45%; 46 males, 55%; mean age ± SD: 12.9 ± 2.9 years) with primary headache: migraine without aura 66%, episodic tension-type headache 23%, migraine with aura 11%. At the follow-up, 70% of the patients reported that headache had improved; frequency had decreased significantly more than severity (P = .000, Fisher's exact test), both in those who had followed a prophylactic treatment and in those who had not. A high percentage of the children and parents could precisely indicate trigger factors for headache: especially excessive worrying and studying. The patients reporting an improvement attributed it to pharmacological prophylactic treatment, but also to other factors: first of all, better school results and more happiness than before. Seventy-seven percent of the parents thought that the Headache Centre's intervention had helped them to better understand and manage their children's headache. Conclusions., Children's and adolescents' headache has in most cases a favorable prognosis; the Headache Centre's intervention is considered effective by most parents. We must increase and focus therapeutic efforts addressed to the few patients with worsening headaches in spite of treatment, since these children's/adolescents' headache also is at risk to progress in the adult age. [source] Non-pecuniary returns to higher education: the effect on smoking intensity in the UKHEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 8 2010Massimiliano Bratti Abstract This paper investigates whether higher education (HE) produces non-pecuniary returns via a reduction in the intensity of consumption of health-damaging substances. In particular, it focuses on current smoking intensity of the British individuals sampled in the 29-year follow-up survey of the 1970 British Cohort Study. We estimate endogenous dummy ordinal response models for cigarette consumption and show that HE is endogenous with respect to smoking intensity and that even when endogeneity is accounted for, HE is found to have a strong negative effect on smoking intensity. Moreover, pecuniary channels, such as occupation and income, mediate only a minor part of the effect of HE. Our results are robust to modelling individual self-selection into current smoking participation (at age 29) and to estimating a dynamic model in which past smoking levels affect current smoking levels. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Imputation of SF-12 Health Scores for Respondents with Partially Missing DataHEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH, Issue 3 2005Honghu Liu Objective. To create an efficient imputation algorithm for imputing the SF-12 physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores when patients have one to eleven SF-12 items missing. Study Setting. Primary data collection was performed between 1996 and 1998. Study Design. Multi-pattern regression was conducted to impute the scores using only available SF-12 items (simple model), and then supplemented by demographics, smoking status and comorbidity (enhanced model) to increase the accuracy. A cut point of missing SF-12 items was determined for using the simple or the enhanced model. The algorithm was validated through simulation. Data Collection. Thirty-thousand-three-hundred and eight patients from 63 physician groups were surveyed for a quality of care study in 1996, which collected the SF-12 and other information. The patients were classified as "chronic" patients if they reported that they had diabetes, heart disease, asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or low back pain. A follow-up survey was conducted in 1998. Principal Findings. Thirty-one percent of the patients missed at least one SF-12 item. Means of variance of prediction and standard errors of the mean imputed scores increased with the number of missing SF-12 items. Correlations between the observed and the imputed scores derived from the enhanced models were consistently higher than those derived from the simple model and the increments were significant for patients with ,6 missing SF-12 items (p<.03). Conclusion. Missing SF-12 items are prevalent and lead to reduced analytical power. Regression-based multi-pattern imputation using the available SF-12 items is efficient and can produce good estimates of the scores. The enhancement from the additional patient information can significantly improve the accuracy of the imputed scores for patients with ,6 items missing, leading to estimated scores that are as accurate as that of patients with <6 missing items. [source] Early diagnosis of dementia in primary care: a representative eight-year follow-up study in Lower Saxony, GermanyINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 1 2007Lienhard Maeck Abstract Objective To investigate whether primary care competency in early diagnosis of dementia might have changed during 1993 and 2001. Method By means of a representative follow-up survey 122 out of 170 (71.8%) family physicians (FPs) in Lower Saxony, Germany, were randomly assigned to two written case samples presenting a patient with mild cognitive impairment (case 1a vs. 1b: female vs. male patient) and moderate dementia (case 2a vs 2b: vascular type (VD) vs Alzheimer's disease (DAT)), respectively. By means of a structured face-to-face interview, they were asked for their diagnostic considerations. Results In comparison to 1993, dementia was significantly more frequently considered. However, there was a striking tendency in overestimating vascular aetiology and under-diagnosing probable DAT (case 1a/1b: DAT: 11.0% in 1993 vs 26.2% in 2001; VD: 2.1% in 1993 vs 17.2% in 2001). As a possible contributor to a dementia syndrome, concomitant medication was considered only exceptionally (case 2a/2b: 4.4% in 1993 vs 2.5% in 2001). Physicians above 50 years of age showed a significantly lower early diagnostic awareness. At follow-up, the presumed interest in geriatric (psychiatric) topics dramatically faded from 66.9% to 35.2%. Conclusions Our results demonstrate a persistent need of training efforts aiming at the early recognition of dementia, especially of DAT, in primary care. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Testing the Long-Term Effects of the Go Sun Smart Worksite Health Communication Campaign: A Group-Randomized Experimental StudyJOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION, Issue 3 2008Peter A. Andersen This study examined the long-term effects of the Go Sun Smart (GSS) campaign, a large-scale health communication intervention designed to promote sun safety to employees at 26 ski areas in western North America. Employees were enrolled in a pair-matched group-randomized pretest,posttest controlled design with 2 follow-up surveys. Half of the ski areas were randomly assigned to implement GSS in the winter. This article reports analyses of a hierarchical linear design with responses from 1,463 employees who completed the second follow-up survey at the end of the following summer (69% of those who completed the first posttest). GSS continued to have positive effects on employees who worked at intervention ski areas into the summer. Employees exposed to GSS reported less sunburning, engaged in more sun safety behaviors, were more aware of the program, and had more discussions of sun safety at home than employees at matched control group resorts. The long-term effects of GSS support recommending that sun protection programs be implemented at workplaces, but such programs should be implemented with high fidelity to achieve maximum benefits. Despite limitations due to nonresponse, geography, measurement, and ethnicity, the hierarchical clustered design improved the internal validity and generalizability of the findings. [source] A Methodology for Assessing Organizational Core Values*JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES, Issue 2 2006Johan Van Rekom abstract The goal of this study is to offer a methodology for empirically assessing the core values of an organization. It uses means,end analysis in order to determine those values that organization members manifest in their daily behaviour, and which are not just espoused ,truisms'. The method is based on the sense members of an organization make of what they do. Sensemaking follows a means,end pattern, through which individual actions converge into central values. The values most central in this means,end structure are the core values that effectively motivate organization members in their job. Our method works in two steps: first, exploratory interviews using the laddering-technique establish the values potentially most central to the organization; then, a follow-up survey assesses the complete pattern of means,end relations among the potential values. Validity tests show that the most central values derived from this survey data are the most important to organization members. These values are also the most stable over time. We make a comparison of this method with traditional value surveys and we discuss its implications for the study of organizational behaviour. [source] Relationship between dental care and oral health in institutionalized elderly people in JapanJOURNAL OF ORAL REHABILITATION, Issue 9 2004Y. Shimazaki summary, This study examined the relationship between dental care and dental health status in institutionalized elderly people in Japan through a 6-year prospective cohort study. All the 719 subjects received both baseline and follow-up surveys. The uptake of dental care was examined at the follow-up survey. We examined the relationship between baseline variables and the provision of dental care, and the relationship between dental care and change of oral health status. About 47% of the subjects and about 60% of the baseline dentate subjects received some dental treatment during the 6-year follow-up period. The subjects who were in better systemic and dental health at baseline used dental services frequently. The number of teeth needing extraction decreased in the subjects who received dental treatment, and increased in the untreated subjects. Denture status was better in the treated subjects than in the untreated subjects. Dental care appears to be an important factor in maintaining a healthy oral status for the institutionalized elderly. [source] Reduction in Medication Costs for Patients with Chronic Nonmalignant Pain Completing a Pain Rehabilitation Program: A Prospective Analysis of Admission, Discharge, and 6-Month Follow-Up Medication CostsPAIN MEDICINE, Issue 5 2009Julie L. Cunningham PharmD ABSTRACT Objective., Chronic nonmalignant pain (CNMP) is both a prevalent and a costly health problem in our society. Pain rehabilitation programs have been shown to provide cost-effective treatment. A treatment goal for some rehabilitation programs is reduction in the use of pain-related medication. Medication costs savings from pain rehabilitation programs have not been analyzed in previous studies. Design., This prospective cohort study of 186 patients with CNMP addresses the costs of medications at admission to a 3-week outpatient pain rehabilitation program, at discharge, and at 6-month follow-up. Medication use was determined through a detailed pharmacist interview with patients at admission and discharge. Patients were sent questionnaires 6 months after program completion, which obtained current medication information. Results., Statistically significant medication cost savings were seen for program completers at discharge and at 6-month follow-up (P < 0.05). The mean (standard deviation) daily prescription medication cost reduction from admission to discharge was $9.31 ($12.70) using the average wholesale price of medications. From the original study cohort, 121 patients completed the 6-month follow-up survey. The mean daily prescription medication cost savings from admission to 6-month follow-up was $6.68 ($14.40). Conclusion., Patients benefited from significant medication cost savings at the completion of the 3-week outpatient pain rehabilitation program and maintained significant savings after 6 months. This study adds to the current literature on the economic value of comprehensive pain rehabilitation programs. [source] Perspectives on research evidence and clinical practice: a survey of Australian physiotherapistsPHYSIOTHERAPY RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL, Issue 3 2007Karen Grimmer-Somers Abstract Background and Purpose.,Physiotherapists' use of research evidence with clinical decision-making has interested researchers world-wide since 1980; however, little is known about such practices in Australia. The present survey sought information on Australian physiotherapists' perceptions of the importance of research, and barriers to uptake of evidence in clinical practice, when compared with an international cohort from 2001.,Method.,An Australian-relevant version of an English (UK) National Health Service (NHS) survey instrument was used to canvass 453 physiotherapists, randomly selected from the South Australian Physiotherapy Registration Board 2004,2005 records. The first survey was mailed in August 2005, a reminder was sent two weeks later to non-responders and a follow-up survey was sent in April 2006 to non-responders whose addresses had changed since 2005.,Results.,There was a 51% response rate. Of the non-responders, 12% were not contactable at their listed address, highlighting the mobility of Australian physiotherapists. Most respondents had undertaken research as students (59.5%) or as students and clinicians (11.5%). Of these, 37.1% were encouraged to embark on more research, and 20.5% were discouraged. The significant predictors of positive perceived importance of research were: previous research experience; being positive about undertaking further research; working in hospitals and holding a postgraduate degree. Clinicians working privately were significantly less likely than managers to be positive about research importance. The only significant predictor for not perceiving barriers to uptake of evidence was being positive about undertaking future research.,Conclusions.,The study identified constraints on uptake of evidence into practice that were related to accessing, reading and interpreting published research, and implementing findings. Found consistently across employment categories were barriers relating to lack of time, uncertainty about what the research reported, scepticism about the value of research and being isolated from peer support and literature sources. The responses indicated a positive shift towards evidence uptake since the 2001 NHS survey, suggesting an influence of increased exposure to information on evidence-based practice. A greater focus on research whilst training, the application of educational strategies for empowerment, better knowledge transfer and upskilling within the workplace, and ensuring dedicated time and organizational support for research activities are indicated. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Job strain and the risk for occupational injury in small- to medium-sized manufacturing enterprises: A prospective study of 1,209 Korean employeesAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 4 2009Hwan-Cheol Kim MD Abstract Background The aim of this study was to investigate whether job strain had an effect on the risk of occupational injury of workers at small- to medium-sized manufacturing companies. Methods We conducted a prospective follow-up survey and finally 1,209 workers in South Korea were included in this study. At time X1, we measured job stress with the Job Demand and Decision Latitude Questionnaire; and at time X2 (after 6 months), we evaluated occupational injuries through a single question. Occupational injuries were assessed using the question "Have you ever been injured at work, including minor scratches and cuts, in the previous four-month period" by self-reporting in the previous 4-month period. Results For men, the high job-demand group (OR,=,1.71, 95% CI,=,1.13,2.59) and high strain group (OR,=,1.79, 95% CI,=,1.02,3.14) showed the increased risk of occupational injury. For women, high job-demand (OR,=,2.11, 95% CI,=,1.18,3.78), low job control (OR,=,1.80, 95% CI,=,1.02,3.17), and high job strain (OR,=,3.57, 95% CI,=,1.62,7.86) were significantly associated with occupational injury. Conclusion Workers under high job strain showed higher risk for occupational injury. The efforts to minimize stress-related occupational injuries should be required. Am. J. Ind. Med. 52:322,330, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] A scale for measuring store personalityPSYCHOLOGY & MARKETING, Issue 5 2003Alain d'Astous The objective of this research study was to develop a scale for measuring store personality and to assess its psychometric properties. A preliminary study showed that store personality comprised five dimensions, termed sophistication, solidity, genuineness, enthusiasm, and unpleasantness. A follow-up survey with 226 adult consumers confirmed the stability of the factorial structure of the 34-item store-personality scale as well as the reliability of each composite dimension. Some empirical evidence was gathered with respect to the scale's construct validity, because the proposed store-personality scale was shown to behave in a manner consistent with self-image congruence theory. Additional analyses revealed that a reduced scale including 20 items exhibited factorial stability and resulted in reliable measures of the five store-personality dimensions. Finally, some empirical support was obtained in favor of using the proposed scale across different retail settings. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Changes in biological anthropology: Results of the 1998 American Association of Physical Anthropology Membership SurveyAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 2 2002Trudy R. Turner Abstract In response to the results of the 1996 survey of the membership of the American Association of Physical Anthropology (AAPA), the Executive Committee of the Association sponsored a follow-up survey designed to assess gender and specialty differences in training, employment, academic status, mentoring, and research support. A total of 993 questionnaires was analyzed, representing approximately 62% of the 1998 membership of the Association. There has been a marked shift in the number of males and females in the discipline from the 1960s to the 1990s. While 51.2% of all respondents are female and 48.8% are male, 70% of the students are female. Chi-square tests indicate significant differences between males and females by highest degree, age, status, obtaining a tenure-track position, receiving tenure, and taking nontenure-track employment before receiving a tenure-track position. In recent years, there has been an increasing number of females in the ranks of assistant and associate professors; however, this is not true for the rank of professor. There are also significant differences between males and females by specialty within the discipline: researchers in primatology, human biological variation, skeletal biology, and paleopathology are primarily female, while researchers in human and primate evolution are increasingly female. Am J Phys Anthropol 118:111,116, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Market Orientation and R&D Effectiveness in High-Technology Firms: An Empirical Investigation in the Biotechnology Industry,THE JOURNAL OF PRODUCT INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2010Luigi M. De Luca There seems to be lack of consensus among informed scholars about the importance a of market orientation for high-technology firms. This paper gives a comprehensive review of existing empirical studies on the relationship between market orientation and innovation performance and pinpoints two limitations in this research stream that might be at the origin of such controversy. First, extant research often overlooked key innovation outcomes for high-technology firms, such as those related to research and development (R&D) performance. Second, organizational conditions that can ensure an optimal integration of market knowledge in the innovation process have been less analyzed in the case of these firms. Against this background, the present study contributes to the literature by providing a test of the effect of market orientation on R&D effectiveness and the moderating role of knowledge integration in this relationship, using a sample of Italian biotechnology firms. The study's objectives are addressed in two steps. The first one consists of an in-depth qualitative study based on semistructured interviews in five biotechnology firms. The second step consists of a follow-up survey of 50 biotechnology firms. Results from hierarchical multiple regression analysis show that the different dimensions of a market orientation have diverse effects on R&D effectiveness of high-technology firms: whereas interfunctional coordination has a positive main effect, the effect of customer orientation is moderated by knowledge integration, and competitor orientation has no effect on R&D effectiveness. Post hoc analyses also show two additional results involving a broader set of dependent variables. First, R&D effectiveness mediates the effects of customer orientation and interfunctional coordination on organizational performance. Second, market orientation does not appear to significantly affect R&D efficiency. The present study contributes to current literature in two main respects. First, it adds to previous work on market orientation and innovation by proposing a new dependent variable,R&D effectiveness,which offers a better perspective to understand the impact of market orientation on innovation performance in high-technology contexts. Second, while part of the current debate on the role of market orientation in high-tech markets seems to be polarized by positions that sustain its potential drawbacks or, on the contrary, its advantages, this study's findings on the moderating role of knowledge integration shed light on important contingency factors, such as organizational capabilities. The authors discuss the study's limitations and provide directions for future research. [source] Continuous peripheral nerve infusion: a follow-up surveyANAESTHESIA, Issue 11 2001I. D. B. Sutherland First page of article [source] Demographic, migration status, and work-related changes in Asian female sex workers surveyed in Sydney, 1993 and 2003AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 2 2006C. Pell Objective: To compare demography, sexual health awareness, migration and workplace conditions of Asian female sex workers in Sydney in 1993 and 2003. Method: A Chinese interpreter and a Thaispeaking health education officer (HEO) were used to administer a questionnaire survey to Thai- and Chinese-speaking sex workers attending sexual health clinics in 1993. A follow-up survey, which included some women contacted at work as well as clinic attenders, was administered by Thai-and Chinese-speaking HEOs in 2003. Results: Ninety-one female sex workers were surveyed in 1993 and 165 in 2003. Median age increased (26 years vs. 33 years, p=0.000), as did numbers of Chinese- versus Thai-speakers (1993, 25.3% Chinese vs. 2003, 58.2% Chinese, p=0.000). In 2003, the women reported more years of schooling and better English skills. Fewer reported previous sex work (48.4% vs. 17.6%, p=0.000). Numbers currently or ever on a contract decreased sharply (27.5% vs. 9.1%, p=0.000) and the majority were apparently working legally. Condom use at work for vaginal (51.6% vs. 84.8%) and oral sex (39.6% vs. 66.1%) increased significantly (p=0.001). Chinese-speaking sex workers were less informed about HIV transmission and safer sex practices than were Thai sex workers. Drug and alcohol use was low. Conclusions and Implications: Positive changes have occurred in the conditions of Asian female sex workers surveyed over 10 years in Sydney. Maintaining current levels of health service delivery will ensure continued improvements in health and workplace conditions and address inequalities between language groups. [source] Calling all citizens: The challenges of public consultationCANADIAN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION/ADMINISTRATION PUBLIQUE DU CANADA, Issue 1 2004Keith Culver This article provides a case study of one such consultation. In the fall of 2002, the City of Saint John, faced with a sizeable budget deficit, sought public input on important fiscal decisions that had to be made before year's end. Citizens could provide their views in a traditional way - by mailing in a questionnaire to city hall - or they could submit their views electronically via the City of Saint John web site. Drawing on a wide variety of data sources, including interviews with city officials and a follow-up survey of consultation participants, the authors assess the success of this particular exercise in achieving several interrelated objectives: facilitating citizen participation in public affairs, enhancing citizens' sense of their political efficacy, providing public officials with insight into public opinion, and shaping public policy. Taking into account both consultation outcomes and the expectations of citizens and officials, the authors identity key shortfalls of the Saint John consultation, as well as avenues for constructive change in future exercises. Sommaire: L'une des maniéres dont les gouvernements ont réagi au méontentement démocratique exacerbé. qui s'est manifesté ces derniéres années a été d'accroitre la participation des citoyens au processus d'éaboration de politiques en organisant des consultations publiques à grande échelle. Le présent article ést une étude de cas portant sur une de ces consultations. À L'automne de 2002, la ville de Saint-John, faisant face à un gros déficit budgétairc, a cherchéà obtenir L'avis du public sur d'impor-tantes décisions financiéres qui devaient être prises avant la fin de L'annee. Les cito-yens avaient la possibilité de faire connaître leur opinion d'une façon traditionnelle en renvoyant un questionnaire par la poste à L'Hôtel de Ville, ou bien ils pouvaient soumettre leurs commentaires par voie électronique par L'intermédiaire du site Web de la Ville de Saint-John. À partir d'une grande variété de sources de données, y compris des entrcvues avec des responsables municipaux et un sondage de suivi auprés dcs participants a la consultation, f'étude de cas évalue le succés de cet exer-cice particulier à atteindre plusieurs objectifs interdépendants:faciliter la participation des citoyens aux affaires publiques, améliorer le sentiment d'efficacité politiquc chez les citoyens, permettre aux fonctionnaires de se faire une meilleure idée de L'opinion publiquc et façonner la politique publique. En tenant compte à la fois des résultats des consultations et des attentes des citoyens et des fonctionnaircs, nous identifions les principales lacunes de la consultation de Saint-John ainsi que les moyens d'apporter des changements constructifs aux exercices futurs. [source] Cross-sectional and longitudinal comparisons of health-related quality of life between patients with prostate carcinoma and matched controls,,§CANCER, Issue 9 2004M.P.H., Richard M. Hoffman M.D. Abstract BACKGROUND Prostate carcinoma and treatments affect health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The authors prospectively compared prostate and general HRQOL between prostate carcinoma cases and an age-matched and ethnicity-matched control group. METHODS The case cohort consisted of 293 men with localized prostate carcinoma who were selected randomly from the population-based New Mexico Tumor Registry, and the control cohort consisted of 618 men who were selected randomly from administrative databases and matched for age and ethnicity. Subjects completed a baseline survey of demographics, socioeconomic status, comorbidity, and prostate and general HRQOL. Also, 210 cases (71.7%) and 421 controls (67.8%) completed a follow-up survey 5 years later. Multinomial logistic regression models compared baseline characteristics as well as 5-year general HRQOL outcomes measured by selected domains of the Medical Outcomes Study SF-36. The authors used a mixed-model repeated-measures analysis of variance and multinomial regression analyses to compare longitudinal changes in urinary, bowel, and sexual function between groups. RESULTS At baseline, patients with prostate carcinoma had better urinary control and sexual function than controls. Over 5 years, sexual function declined significantly among controls, although urinary function remained stable. However, patients with cancer subsequently reported significant declines in both domains and were left with much worse function and more bother than controls. Bowel function and general HRQOL were similar for both groups at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Prostate carcinoma treatment led to significant 5-year declines in urinary and sexual function that far exceeded age-related changes in controls. Patients with cancer had significantly worse function and more bother than controls for these disease-specific domains of HRQOL. Bowel function and general HRQOL were not affected by cancer status. Cancer 2004. Published 2004 American Cancer Society. [source] Beta lactam allergy and resensitization in children with suspected beta lactam allergyCLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY, Issue 5 2009J. Hershkovich Summary Background In patients who were clinically diagnosed as having beta lactam allergy and had negative skin tests, the rates of reported resensitization to beta lactams after subsequent exposures, vary significantly. Some allergists advocate skin testing before every exposure to beta lactams. Objective We sought to determine the true rate of beta lactam allergy and of resensitization in children with a positive history for suspected beta lactam allergy. Methods The study was conducted from July 1998 to May 2004, with follow-up during 2007. Beta lactam allergy tests with the major determinant and freshly prepared minor determinant mixtures were offered to history positive children. Negative skin tests were followed by oral challenge. The tests were performed again 1,5 months later in order to address the possibility of resensitization. Results Tests were performed on 166 children: 150 for penicillins alone, 14 for penicillin in combination with cephalosporins, and an additional 2 patients solely for cephalosporins. Only 10 children (6%) were positive in the initial evaluation, four by skin test and six by oral challenge. A second set of tests was performed in 98 children with a negative initial evaluation; only two children (2%) were resensitized. On a follow-up survey of 71 of the 96 patients, 59 (83%) had received beta lactams; only one had developed a minor rash after subsequent exposure to amoxicillin. Conclusions Most children with suspected beta lactam allergy were not allergic to beta lactams. Resensitization to beta lactam antibiotics in children in this study was infrequent. In children with a clinical diagnosis of beta lactam allergy and negative skin tests, repeated skin testing before every exposure is usually unnecessary. [source] Healthy weight control and dissonance-based eating disorder prevention programs: Results from a controlled trialINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EATING DISORDERS, Issue 1 2003Eric Stice Abstract Objective Because universal psychoeducational eating disorder prevention programs have had little success, we developed and evaluated two interventions for high-risk populations: a healthy weight control intervention and a dissonance-based intervention. Method Adolescent girls (N = 148) with body image concerns were randomized to one of these interventions or to a waitlist control group. Participants completed baseline, termination, and 1, 3, and 6-month follow-up surveys. Results Participants in both interventions reported decreased thin-ideal internalization, negative affect, and bulimic symptoms at termination and follow-up relative to controls. However, no effects were observed for body dissatisfaction or dieting and effects diminished over time. Discussion Results provide evidence that both interventions effectively reduce bulimic pathology and risk factors for eating disturbances. © 2002 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 33: 10,21, 2003. [source] Impact of Recent Fracture on Health-Related Quality of Life in Postmenopausal Women,,JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Issue 6 2006Susan K Brenneman PT Abstract The effect of fractures other than hip and spine on HRQoL in younger and older women has not been extensively studied. In a cohort of 86,128 postmenopausal women, we found the impact of recent osteoporosis-related fractures on HRQoL to be similar between women <65 compared with those ,65 years of age. The impact of spine, hip, or rib fractures was greater than that of wrist fractures in both age groups. Introduction: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after vertebral and hip fractures has been well studied. Less is known about HRQoL after fractures at other sites. We studied the effect of recent clinical fractures on HRQoL, using Short Form-12 (SF-12). Materials and Methods: This study included 86,128 postmenopausal participants in the National Osteoporosis Risk Assessment (NORA) who responded to two follow-up surveys during a 2-year interval. At each survey, they completed the SF-12 HRQoL questionnaire and reported new fractures of the hip, spine, wrist, and rib. The effect of recent fracture on HRQoL was assessed by comparing Physical Component Score (PCS) and Mental Component Score (MCS) means for women with and without new fractures at the second survey. Analyses were by fracture type and by age group (50,64 and 65,99) and were adjusted for PCS and MCS at the first survey. Results: New fractures (320 hip, 445 vertebral, 657 rib, 835 wrist) occurring during the interval between the first and second follow-up surveys were reported by 2257 women. The PCS was poorer in both older and younger women who had fractured the hip, spine, or rib (p , 0.001). Wrist fractures had an impact on PCS in women ,65 years of age (p < 0.001), but not older women (p > 0.10). These differences in PCS by fracture status were similar to those reported for other chronic diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and osteoarthritis. MCS was less consistently changed by fracture status, but younger and older women with vertebral fracture (p < 0.004), older women with hip fracture (p < 0.004), and younger women with rib fracture (p < 0.004) had poorer MCS compared with those who did not fracture within their age cohort. Conclusions: Recent osteoporosis-related fractures have significant impact on HRQoL as measured by SF-12. The impact of recent fracture on HRQoL was similar for older and younger postmenopausal women. Fracture prevention and postfracture interventions that target the subsequent symptoms are needed for postmenopausal women of any age. [source] Testing the Long-Term Effects of the Go Sun Smart Worksite Health Communication Campaign: A Group-Randomized Experimental StudyJOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION, Issue 3 2008Peter A. Andersen This study examined the long-term effects of the Go Sun Smart (GSS) campaign, a large-scale health communication intervention designed to promote sun safety to employees at 26 ski areas in western North America. Employees were enrolled in a pair-matched group-randomized pretest,posttest controlled design with 2 follow-up surveys. Half of the ski areas were randomly assigned to implement GSS in the winter. This article reports analyses of a hierarchical linear design with responses from 1,463 employees who completed the second follow-up survey at the end of the following summer (69% of those who completed the first posttest). GSS continued to have positive effects on employees who worked at intervention ski areas into the summer. Employees exposed to GSS reported less sunburning, engaged in more sun safety behaviors, were more aware of the program, and had more discussions of sun safety at home than employees at matched control group resorts. The long-term effects of GSS support recommending that sun protection programs be implemented at workplaces, but such programs should be implemented with high fidelity to achieve maximum benefits. Despite limitations due to nonresponse, geography, measurement, and ethnicity, the hierarchical clustered design improved the internal validity and generalizability of the findings. [source] Relationship between dental care and oral health in institutionalized elderly people in JapanJOURNAL OF ORAL REHABILITATION, Issue 9 2004Y. Shimazaki summary, This study examined the relationship between dental care and dental health status in institutionalized elderly people in Japan through a 6-year prospective cohort study. All the 719 subjects received both baseline and follow-up surveys. The uptake of dental care was examined at the follow-up survey. We examined the relationship between baseline variables and the provision of dental care, and the relationship between dental care and change of oral health status. About 47% of the subjects and about 60% of the baseline dentate subjects received some dental treatment during the 6-year follow-up period. The subjects who were in better systemic and dental health at baseline used dental services frequently. The number of teeth needing extraction decreased in the subjects who received dental treatment, and increased in the untreated subjects. Denture status was better in the treated subjects than in the untreated subjects. Dental care appears to be an important factor in maintaining a healthy oral status for the institutionalized elderly. [source] Long-term follow-up of a 10-month programme in curriculum development for medical educators: a cohort studyMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 7 2008Aysegul Gozu Context, There is an ongoing need for curriculum development (CD) in medical education. However, only a minority of medical teaching institutions provide faculty development in CD. This study evaluates the long-term impact of a longitudinal programme in curriculum development. Methods, We surveyed eight cohorts of participants (n = 64) and non-participants (n = 64) from 1988 to 1996 at baseline and at 6,13 years after completion of a 10-month, one half-day per week programme offered annually, which included a mentored CD project, workshops on CD steps, a final paper and a presentation. Results, Fifty-eight participants (91%) and 50 non-participants (78%) returned completed follow-up surveys. In analyses, controlling for background characteristics and baseline self-rated proficiencies, participants were more likely than non-participants at follow-up to report having developed and implemented curricula in the past 5 years (65.5% versus 43.7%; odds ratio [OR] 2.41, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03,5.66), to report having performed needs assessment when planning a curriculum (86.1% versus 58.8%; OR 5.59, 95% CI 1.20,25.92), and to rate themselves highly in developing (OR 3.57, 95% CI 1.36,9.39), implementing (OR 3.04, 95% CI 1.16,7.93) and evaluating (OR 2.74, 95% CI 1.10,6.84) curricula. At follow-up, 86.2% of participants reported that the CD programme had made a moderate or great impact on their professional careers. Responses to an open-ended question on the impact confirmed continued involvement in CD work, confidence in CD skills, application of CD skills and knowledge beyond CD, improved time management, and lasting relationships formed because of the programme. Conclusions, Our results suggest that a longitudinal faculty development programme that engages and supports faculty in real CD work can have long-lasting impact. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||