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Lower Education Level (lower + education_level)
Selected AbstractsCommunicating breast cancer treatment complication risks: When words are likely to failASIA-PACIFIC JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY, Issue 3 2009Peter H GRAHAM Abstract Aim: The aim of the present study was to describe women's preferences for the quantification of the risk of a serious complication after regional nodal radiotherapy for breast cancer and women's interpretation of a range of descriptive terms. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted to elicit risk expression preferences and interpretation of words commonly used to describe the risk or frequency of a complication. Two hundred and sixty-two women who had experienced breast-only radiotherapy for early breast cancer at a Sydney teaching hospital were recruited for the survey. Results: The most preferred single method of expression of a risk is descriptive words, for example "uncommon" (52%), followed by percentages (27%) and numbers, for example 1 in 100 (21%). Lower education levels, more advanced cancer stage and older age increase the preference for descriptive words. When considering a serious complication of treatment, such as loss of the function of an arm, the modal interpretation of the descriptors "sometimes" was 1/100 (36% of women), "uncommon" was 1/1000 (35%), "very uncommon" was 1/10 000 (40%), "rare" was 1/10 000 (58%) and "very rare" was 1/10 000 (51%). However, the range of interpretations and the consistent assignment of extremely low frequencies of risk generally render descriptive words without numerical quantification inadequate for informed consent. Conclusion: Although risks of side-effects are often described in words such as common, uncommon and rare, qualification should be provided with numerical values to ensure better understanding of risk. [source] Established ways to keep donor's interest aliveISBT SCIENCE SERIES: THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTRACELLULAR TRANSPORT, Issue n1 2010J. Ringwald Background, The future demographic changes will be associated with an enhancement of the worldwide shortage of blood. The ageing of the population in developed countries is associated with a decrease in young individuals being potentially eligible to donate blood and an increase in older individuals who might be in the need of blood transfusion. Therefore, the retention of active blood donors (BD) is becoming more important. A substantial increase in blood donations could be achieved by a relatively small increase in BD return. It is the task of blood donation services (BDSs) to elaborate specific and adequate measures to increase the BD's likelihood to return. Successful BD retention programmes are viable to ensure a sufficient supply with blood and blood components at present and the upcoming years. Aims, To give recommendations for BD retention strategies based on a survey of potential and established measures how BD's interest could be kept alive. Methods, With focus on the last decade, literature about internal and external influences on BD's intention to regular blood donation and their actual return behaviour was reviewed. Furthermore, a special aspect was drawn on published articles about established or potential measures to increase BD's return-rate. Based on this information, different ways how BD's interest could be kept alive were suggested. Results, Overall, individuals of younger age (< 30,40 years), women, those with a lower education level are less likely to return to blood donation. External influences of friends, family or co-workers are import for starting a BD career. To become a committed BD, however, a high level of intrinsic motivation is needed. To keep BD's interest alive for a long time, BDSs should focus on the following to increase the satisfaction of the BD: Make blood donation a good experience and as convenient as possible, reduce adverse events and anxiety, and train and motivate your staff. This could be further supported by an intensive and active communication with the BDs right from the start, the application of loyalty builders to establish BD identity, and the appropriate use of incentives. Finally, temporarily deferred BDs should ask to return personally and advertisement programmes for repeat BDs should appeal on personal motivation and moral norms. However, BDS should always try to adapt their measures on their target population considering that people are different all around the world. Moreover, some promotion programmes should be even tailored for distinct subgroups of BDs to have a successful outcome. Conclusions, There is quite a number of ways to keep BDs interest alive and to start a career as a regular and committed BD. In this context, the self-identification as a BD is definitely of major importance. BDSs are challenged to support this developmental process. They have to make sure that blood donation is associated with a good experience for the BD, making him or her feeling good and happy. [source] Risk factors for non-syndromic holoprosencephaly in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study,,§AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS, Issue 1 2010Eric A. Miller¶ Abstract Holoprosencephaly (HPE) is a complex structural brain anomaly that results from incomplete cleavage of the forebrain. The prevalence of HPE at birth is low, and risk factors have been difficult to identify. Using data from a large multi-state population-based case-control study, we examined risk factors for non-syndromic HPE. Data from maternal telephone interviews were available for 74 infants with HPE and 5871 controls born between 1997 and 2004. Several characteristics and exposures were examined, including pregnancy history, medical history, maternal diet and use of nutritional supplements, medications, tobacco, alcohol, and illegal substances. We used ,2 -tests and logistic regression (excluding women with pre-existing diabetes) to examine associations with HPE. Except for diet (year before pregnancy) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (throughout pregnancy), most exposures were examined for the time period from the month before to the third month of pregnancy. HPE was found to be associated with pre-existing diabetes (,2,=,6.0; P,=,0.01), aspirin use [adjusted odds ratio (aOR),=,3.4; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6,6.9], lower education level (aOR,=,2.5; 95%CI 1.1,5.6), and use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) (crude OR,=,4.2; 95%CI 1.3,13.7). Consistent maternal folic acid use appeared to be protective (aOR,=,0.4; 95%CI 0.2,1.0), but the association was of borderline statistical significance. While some of these findings support previous observations, other potential risk factors identified warrant further study. Published 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Correlates of breast reconstruction,CANCER, Issue 11 2005Results from a population-based study Abstract BACKGROUND Immediate or early postmastectomy breast reconstruction is performed infrequently. To the authors' knowledge, little is known regarding surgeon or patient perspectives on reconstruction treatment decisions. The purpose of the current study was to identify patient attitudes and preferences associated with breast reconstruction, and whether these differed by race. METHODS A sample of women age , 79 years who were diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ and invasive breast carcinoma between December 2001 and January 2003 was identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registries of Detroit and Los Angeles. Eligible subjects completed a questionnaire at a mean of 7 months after diagnosis. The Wald chi-square test and logistic regression were used for data analysis. RESULTS Of the 1844 respondents, 646 underwent a mastectomy (35.0% of the total sample) and 245 of these patients received breast reconstruction (38.0%; of the mastectomy group). On multivariate analysis, younger patient age, higher educational levels, and earlier stage of disease were found to be significantly associated with breast reconstruction. Although 78.2% of women reported that breast reconstruction was discussed, only 11.2% correctly answered 3 basic knowledge questions regarding the procedure. The desire to avoid more surgery was the most common reason for not undergoing breast reconstruction. CONCLUSIONS The results of the current study found that the majority of women were aware of breast reconstruction but choose not to undergo the procedure. Lack of knowledge and a greater perception of barriers to the procedure were more common among African-American patients and women with a lower education level, suggesting a need for improved educational strategies. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society. [source] Pterygium in Tibetans: a population-based study in ChinaCLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL OPHTHALMOLOGY, Issue 9 2007Peng Lu MD Abstract Purpose:, To describe the prevalence and to identify associated risk factors for pterygium in a Tibetan population at high altitude in Zeku County, China. Methods:, A prospective population-based survey was conducted from October to December 2006. A stratified, clustered, randomized sampling procedure was used to select 2632 Tibetan people aged 40 years and older. Pterygium was diagnosed and graded clinically as grade 1 (transparent), 2 (intermediate) and 3 (opaque). Risks factors associated with pterygium were evaluated with logistic regression models. Results:, From a total of 2632 eligible subjects, 2229 (84.69%) were examined. There were 323 people with pterygium, equivalent to an overall prevalence of 14.49% (95% confidence interval [CI] 13.03,15.95). Pterygium was independently associated with increasing age for persons aged 70,79 years, compared with those aged 40,49 years (odds ratio [OR] 2.0; 95% CI 1.4,2.8), female gender (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.2,2.0), dry eye symptoms (OR 1.3; 95% CI 1.0,1.7), seldom use of sunglasses/crystal spectacles (OR 4.6; 95% CI 1.9,11.3) or hats (OR 3.6: 95% CI 2.4,5.4), lower education level (<3 years) (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.1,2.4) and low socioeconomic status (OR 1.9; 95% CI 1.5,2.4). Conclusions:, The prevalence of pterygium in a Tibetan population at high altitude is significantly high, particularly in certain at-risk groups. The primary causative factors are related to ocular sun exposure, which are easily preventable. Public health schemes to address this serious health issue are urgently needed. [source] Depression among mothers of children and adults with an intellectual disability in TurkeyINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING PRACTICE, Issue 3 2010Hatice Yildirim Sari PhD RN Yildirim Sari H, Ba,bakkal Z. International Journal of Nursing Practice 2010; 16: 248,253 Depression among mothers of children and adults with an intellectual disability in Turkey The aim of this study was to determine sociodemographic factors that play a role in depression among mothers of children and adult with an intellectual disability. The research was conducted in 24 special education and rehabilitation centres in Izmir (in Turkey) provincial centre in which intellectually disabled individuals are taught. A total of 355 mothers were reached in the research. Data were collected using face-to-face interviews. Two forms were used for data collection in the research: Family Description Questionnaire Form and Beck Depression Inventory. The mothers included in the study had mean depression scores of 16.7 ± 10.06 (minimum: 0, maximum: 49). There was a significant relation between depression scores of the mothers and education level of the mothers and their spouses and financial status of the families. Mothers with insufficient income and lower education levels were found to be at risk of depression. [source] | ||||||||||