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Studies Report (studies + report)
Selected AbstractsA study of twentieth-century extreme rainfall events in the United Kingdom with implications for forecastingMETEOROLOGICAL APPLICATIONS, Issue 1 2004William H. Hand Rainfall events in the United Kingdom during the twentieth century have been surveyed and those identified as extreme by the Flood Studies Report (1975) standards have been examined for common features. Events of duration up to 60 hours were considered in order to investigate those that could cause flash floods. More than half of the 50 events identified were short-period convective storms. The rainfall events were classified by meteorological situation, location and season, allowing the identification of conditions under which extreme rainfall occurred. Suitable conditions for extreme rainfall were split into three categories: orographic, frontal and convective. The frontal and convective classes were then divided into two sub-classes according to whether significant embedded instability was present in the frontal cases and the nature of the convection in the convective cases. The study revealed a lot of commonality between the cases. For example, all of the orographic events occurred in winter in moist west to southwest airflows, and 80% of the frontal cases involved a slow-moving depression to the south or east and also a slow moving frontal system. A conceptual airflow diagram has been developed for some of the frontal cases. The key result, however, was the discovery that each category of meteorological situation occupied a unique space in a rainfall amount versus duration diagram for each extreme event. This offers exciting opportunities for applying the results of this study and a framework for studying future events. Copyright © 2004 Royal Meteorological Society. [source] Obesity in adults with Down syndrome: a case,control studyJOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH, Issue 2 2005C. A. Melville Abstract Background Obesity has a negative impact upon mortality and morbidity. Studies report that obesity is more prevalent in individuals with Down syndrome than individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) not associated with Down syndrome. However, there have been no studies using a methodology of matched comparison groups and findings from previous studies are contradictory. Methods A detailed method was used to identify all adults with ID in Leicestershire. Individuals were invited to participate in a medical examination , that included measurement of their height and weight, from which body mass index (BMI) was calculated. For each person with Down syndrome, an individual matched for gender, age and accommodation type was identified, from the Leicestershire ID database. Results The data for 247 matched pairs is reported. Women with Down syndrome had lower mean height and weight, but greater mean BMI than the matched pairs. Men with Down syndrome had a lower mean height and weight but there was no statistical difference in BMI compared to the matched pairs. Using World Health Organization categories of BMI, women with Down syndrome were more likely to be overweight or obese than their matched pairs (odds ratio = 2.17). Men with Down syndrome were more likely to be in the overweight category than their matched pairs but were less likely to be obese (odds ratio = 0.85). Conclusions This study demonstrates that, compared to a matched sample, there is a greater prevalence of obesity amongst women with Down syndrome but not men. As the impact on the health of people with Down syndrome of being overweight or obese is uncertain, this is an area that requires further study. [source] Do Individuals with ADHD Self-Medicate with Cigarettes and Substances of Abuse?THE AMERICAN JOURNAL ON ADDICTIONS, Issue 2007Results from a Controlled Family Study of ADHD Studies report increased rates of cigarette and substance use in youths with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), though the mechanism of risk remains unclear. The present study tests the hypothesis that ADHD individuals "self-medicate" with cigarettes and substances of abuse. As part of five- and ten-year case-control longitudinal family studies of ADHD, responses to the Drug Use Screening Inventory (DUSI) were examined for evidence of self-medication. DUSI data from 90 ADHD probands and 96 control probands were obtained. Thirty-six percent of subjects reported self-medication, 25% used to get high, and 39% had unknown motivation. No significant differences were found between ADHD and controls in motivation. ADHD symptoms did not differ between self-medicators and subjects using to get high. DUSI problem scores were higher in ADHD (versus controls), those using to get high (versus self-medicators), and subjects using alcohol (versus other substances). More than one-third of adolescents and young adults endorsed using cigarettes and substances for self-medication. Studies clarifying the role of self-medication in substance use disorders are necessary. [source] Patient and Physician Determinants of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator Use in the Heart Failure PopulationCONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE, Issue 4 2010Sanders H. Chae MD Recent studies report surprisingly low rates of implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) placement for primary prevention against sudden cardiac death among patients with heart failure and left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Reasons for the low rates of utilization are not well understood. The authors examined ICD implantation rates at a university-based tertiary care center and used multivariable analysis to identify independent factors associated with ICD utilization. The ICD implantation rate for 850 eligible patients was 70%. Forty-seven (18%) patients refused implantation; women were twice as likely to refuse compared to men (8% vs 4%, P=.013). Race was not associated with utilization. On multivariable analysis, independent predictors of implantation included having a heart failure specialist (odds ratio [OR], 8.13; P<.001) or general cardiologist (OR, 2.23; P=.13) managing care, age range 70 to 79 (OR, 0.55; P<.001) or 80 and older (OR, 0.26; P<.001), female sex (OR, 0.49; P<.001), QRS interval (OR, 1.016; P<.001), diastolic blood pressure (OR, 0.979; P=.011), cerebrovascular disease (OR, 0.44; P=.007), and dementia (OR, 0.13; P=.002). Our registry of patients with cardiomyopathy and heart failure reveals that high rates of utilization are possible. Factors closely associated with ICD utilization include type of physician coordinating care, age, and comorbidities. Congest Heart Fail. 2010;16:141,146. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Regulation of skeletal muscle mitochondrial function: genes to proteinsACTA PHYSIOLOGICA, Issue 4 2010I. R. Lanza Abstract The impact of ageing on mitochondrial function and the deterministic role of mitochondria on senescence continue to be topics of vigorous debate. Many studies report that skeletal muscle mitochondrial content and function are reduced with ageing and metabolic diseases associated with insulin resistance. However, an accumulating body of literature suggests that physical inactivity typical of ageing may be a more important determinant of mitochondrial function than chronological age, per se. Reports of age-related declines in mitochondrial function have spawned a vast body of literature devoted to understanding the underlying mechanisms. These mechanisms include decreased abundance of mtDNA, reduced mRNA levels, as well as decreased synthesis and expression of mitochondrial proteins, ultimately resulting in decreased function of the whole organelle. Effective therapies to prevent, reverse or delay the onset of the aforementioned mitochondrial changes, regardless of their inevitability or precise underlying causes, require an intimate understanding of the processes that regulate mitochondrial biogenesis, which necessitates the coordinated regulation of nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. Herein we review the current thinking on regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis by transcription factors and transcriptional co-activators and the role of hormones and exercise in initiating this process. We review how exercise may help preserve mitochondrial content and functionality across the lifespan, and how physical inactivity is emerging as a major determinant of many age-associated changes at the level of the mitochondrion. We also review evidence that some mitochondrial changes with ageing are independent of exercise or physical activity and appear to be inevitable consequences of old age. [source] Calmodulin kinase II initiates arrhythmogenicity during metabolic acidification in murine heartsACTA PHYSIOLOGICA, Issue 1 2009T. H. Pedersen Abstract Aim:, The multifunctional signal molecule calmodulin kinase II (CaMKII) has been associated with cardiac arrhythmogenesis under conditions where its activity is chronically elevated. Recent studies report that its activity is also acutely elevated during acidosis. We test a hypothesis implicating CaMKII in the arrhythmogenesis accompanying metabolic acidification. Methods:, We obtained monophasic action potential recordings from Langendorff-perfused whole heart preparations and single cell action potentials (AP) using whole-cell patch-clamped ventricular myocytes. Spontaneous sarcoplasmic reticular (SR) Ca2+release events during metabolic acidification were investigated using confocal microscope imaging of Fluo-4-loaded ventricular myocytes. Results:, In Langendorff-perfused murine hearts, introduction of lactic acid into the Krebs-Henseleit perfusate resulted in abnormal electrical activity and ventricular tachycardia. The CaMKII inhibitor, KN-93 (2 ,m), reversibly suppressed this spontaneous arrhythmogenesis during intrinsic rhythm and regular 8 Hz pacing. However, it failed to suppress arrhythmia evoked by programmed electrical stimulation. These findings paralleled a CaMKII-independent reduction in the transmural repolarization gradients during acidosis, which previously has been associated with the re-entrant substrate under other conditions. Similar acidification produced spontaneous AP firing and membrane potential oscillations in patch-clamped isolated ventricular myocytes when pipette solutions permitted cytosolic Ca2+ to increase following acidification. However, these were abolished by both KN-93 and use of pipette solutions that held cytosolic Ca2+ constant during acidosis. Acidosis also induced spontaneous Ca2+ waves in isolated intact Fluo-4-loaded myocytes studied using confocal microscopy that were abolished by KN-93. Conclusion:, These findings together implicate CaMKII-dependent SR Ca2+ waves in spontaneous arrhythmic events during metabolic acidification. [source] Adolescent stress and neural plasticity in hamsters: a vasopressin-serotonin model of inappropriate aggressive behaviourEXPERIMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 2000Craig F. Ferris Animal studies show that arginine vasopressin facilitates aggression, while serotonin (5-HT) inhibits aggression by blocking the activity of the vasopressin system. Clinical studies report that subjects with a history of ,fighting and assault' show a significant positive correlation between cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of vasopressin and aggression in the presence of a hyporeactive 5-HT system. Thus, in animals and humans, a hyporeactive 5-HT system may result in enhanced vasopressin activity and increased aggression. Can the stress of emotional and physical insult, i.e. threat and attack, during adolescence affect the development of the vasopressin and 5-HT systems and alter normal aggressive behaviour in early adulthood? Adolescent male golden hamsters were weaned at postnatal day 25, and stressed for 2 weeks by daily 1 h bouts of threat and attack by adult hamsters. Male littermates were run in a parallel stress study using daily 1 h trials of isolation in a novel environment. During early adulthood, on postnatal day 45, 3 days after the cessation of stress trials, animals were tested for aggression in a resident: intruder model. The results show a context-dependent change in aggression. Animals with a history of abuse show exaggerated attack behaviour toward smaller males compared to littermates with a history of isolation stress. Conversely, when confronted by males of equal size, animals with a history of abuse show diminished aggression and increased submission compared to controls. It was determined that the density of vasopressin fibres and neurones in the hypothalamus is lower in abused animals compared to controls. In contrast, the number of 5-HT terminals within the hypothalamus is higher in abused animals compared to controls. These results provide evidence in an animal model that stress in the form of threat and attack during adolescence can alter the balance between vasopressin and 5-HT in the brain, resulting in inappropriate aggressive behaviour in early adulthood. [source] Redox Cycling of Ni-Based Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Anodes: A ReviewFUEL CELLS, Issue 3 2007D. Sarantaridis Abstract The published literature relating to damage to SOFCs caused by redox cycling of Ni-based anodes is reviewed. The review covers the kinetics of Ni oxidation and NiO reduction (as single phases and as constituents of composites with yttria-stabilised zirconia, YSZ), the dimensional changes associated with redox cycling and the effect of this on the mechanical integrity and electrical performance of cells and stacks. A critical parameter is the expansion strain that is caused by oxidation. Several studies report that the first complete oxidation of a Ni/YSZ composite causes a linear expansion of the order of 1%, but the actual values vary substantially between different investigations. The oxidation strain is the result of microstructural irreversibility during the redox process and leads to strain accumulation over several redox cycles. This can cause mechanical disruption to an anode, anode support or other cell components attached to the anode. A simplified mechanical model of the stress and damage that are likely to be caused by anode expansion is proposed and applied to anode-supported, electrolyte-supported and inert substrate-supported cell configurations. This allows the maximum oxidation strain to avoid damage in each configuration to be estimated. [source] Do researchers use pharmacists' communication as an outcome measure?INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACY PRACTICE, Issue 4 2010A scoping review of pharmacist involvement in diabetes care Abstract Objectives, Pharmacy practice increasingly revolves around obtaining and interpreting information. We investigated whether and how pharmacy practice researchers design their studies in ways that acknowledge verbal communication between pharmacists and patients with diabetes. Methods, We conducted a scoping review of pharmacists' interventions with patients previously diagnosed as having diabetes with the aim of assessing how many used communication (quality and quantity) as an outcome measure. A scoping review identifies gaps in the literature and draws conclusions regarding the overall state of a research programme, but does not necessarily identify gaps in the quality of the studies reviewed. Quality assessment, therefore, was not conducted. MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts were searched from 2003 to 2008 to identify relevant studies published in English. Reference lists of key studies were also scanned to identify additional studies. Randomized controlled trials and related studies of pharmacists verbal communication with diabetic patients were included. Key findings, Some 413 abstracts were identified through database and reference searching. Of these, 65 studies met abstract inclusion criteria and 16 studies met full-text inclusion criteria necessary for this review. The majority of included studies report on patients' health outcomes, beliefs about drugs, self-reported health-related quality-of-life scales or some combination of these measures as indicators of pharmacists' interventions. Nine studies included information on the duration of the initial interaction between pharmacists and patients with diabetes; 13 reported on the number of follow-up contacts with pharmacists, and seven studies indicated that pharmacists participating in interventions had received training in diabetes management or in patient-centred care. No studies included or evaluated transcripts of pharmacist,patient interactions. Summary, Results reveal a gap in the existing literature. In studies of diabetes, pharmacy practice researchers do not appear to consider the influence of pharmacists' communication skills on health outcomes. Future studies should be designed to incorporate a communication research component. [source] Left Ventricular Lead Proximity to an Akinetic Segment and Impact on Outcome of Cardiac Resynchronization TherapyJOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 6 2006DANIEL ARZOLA-CASTANER M.D. Background: Previous studies report that the optimal pacing site for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is along the left ventricular (LV) lateral and postero-lateral (PL) wall. However, little is known regarding whether pacing over an akinetic site impacts the contractile response and long-term outcome from CRT. Methods and Results: A total of 38 patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy were studied for their acute hemodynamic and 12-month clinical response to CRT. The intraindividual percentage change in dP/dt (%,dP/dt), over baseline, was derived from the mitral regurgitation (MR) Doppler profile with CRT on versus off. Two-dimensional echocardiography was used for myocardial segmentation and determinination of akinetic sites. LV lead implant site was determined using angiographic and radiographic data and categorized as being "on" (group 1) or "off" (group 2) an akinetic site. Long-term response was measured as a combined endpoint of hospitalization for heart failure and/or all cause mortality at 12 months. Time to primary endpoint was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Clinical characteristics and acute hemodynamic response was similar in both (group 1 [n = 14]; %,dP/dt 48.8 ± 67.4% vs group 2 [n = 24]; %,dP/dt 32.2 ± 40.1%, P = 0.92). No difference in long-term outcome was observed (P = 0.59). In contrast, lead placement in PL or mid-lateral (ML) positions was associated with a better acute hemodynamic response when compared to antero-lateral (AL) positions (PL, %,dP/dt 45.7 ± 50.7% and ML, %,dP/dt 45.1 ± 58.8% vs AL, %,dP/dt 2.9 ± 30.9%, respectively, P = 0.014). Conclusion: LV lead proximity to an akinetic segment does not impact acute hemodynamic or 12-month clinical response to CRT. [source] Criminal attitudes to violence: Development and preliminary validation of a scale for male prisonersAGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, Issue 6 2004Devon L.L. Polaschek Abstract Two studies report on the development and preliminary psychometric properties of a new scale measuring criminal attitudes to violence. In Study 1, the responses of a mixed sample of male prisoners were used to select 20 scale items from a larger pool. The final scale (the Criminal Attitudes to Violence Scale; CAVS) was designed so that it had a single-factor structure and was uncorrelated with a measure of social desirability bias. It demonstrated high internal reliability, and a strong relationship to a self-report measure of physical aggression. Significant differences were found in CAVS mean scores for various offence history comparisons, such as whether or not the offender was currently on sentence for a violent conviction. In the second study, most results from the first study were replicated with an independent sample of male prisoners. Further, compared to another scale measuring attitudes to aggression [the EXPAGG Instrumental subscale; Archer and Haigh, 1997b], the CAVS was a better predictor of general attitudes to crime. Mean CAVS scores were again significantly higher for current violent offenders than those on sentence for other types of offences. Lastly, the CAVS was moderately predictive of estimated risk of reconviction and re-imprisonment. Overall these results suggest that this scale measures the construct of attitudes to criminal violence, which partially overlaps two other constructs: attitudes to aggression and attitudes to crime. Aggr. Behav. 30:484,503, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The effect of questioning on concept learning within a hypertext systemJOURNAL OF COMPUTER ASSISTED LEARNING, Issue 1 2002P.A. Howard-Jones Abstract Two studies report upon the effect of asking learners to answer questions when learning in a hypertext environment, even when no immediate feedback is given to learners about the appropriateness of their responses. Such questions may be useful as a means to induce responses that can be used to monitor learning, but here the hypothesis was investigated that their inclusion would also improve learning directly. In the first study, 80 student teachers answered embedded multiple-choice questions that encouraged analysis of examples. Concept learning achieved using this environment was significantly reduced when compared with an environment requiring no such responses. In the second study, a cohort of 68 students were asked to summarise the information illustrated by the examples. Here, learning was significantly improved as compared with the no-response condition. [source] Effects of Alcohol on Performance on a Distraction Task During Simulated DrivingALCOHOLISM, Issue 4 2009Allyssa J. Allen Background:, Prior studies report that accidents involving intoxicated drivers are more likely to occur during performance of secondary tasks. We studied this phenomenon, using a dual-task paradigm, involving performance of a visual oddball (VO) task while driving in an alcohol challenge paradigm. Previous functional MRI (fMRI) studies of the VO task have shown activation in the anterior cingulate, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex. Thus, we predicted dose-dependent decreases in activation of these areas during VO performance. Methods:, Forty healthy social drinkers were administered 3 different doses of alcohol, individually tailored to their gender and weight. Participants performed a VO task while operating a virtual reality driving simulator in a 3T fMRI scanner. Results:, Analysis showed a dose-dependent linear decrease in Blood Oxygen Level Dependent activation during task performance, primarily in hippocampus, anterior cingulate, and dorsolateral prefrontal areas, with the least activation occurring during the high dose. Behavioral analysis showed a dose-dependent linear increase in reaction time, with no effects associated with either correct hits or false alarms. In all dose conditions, driving speed decreased significantly after a VO stimulus. However, at the high dose this decrease was significantly less. Passenger-side line crossings significantly increased at the high dose. Conclusions:, These results suggest that driving impairment during secondary task performance may be associated with alcohol-related effects on the above brain regions, which are involved with attentional processing/decision-making. Drivers with high blood alcohol concentrations may be less able to orient or detect novel or sudden stimuli during driving. [source] Does being an orphan decrease the nutritional status of Luo children?AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2009Amy M. Zidron The HIV/AIDS pandemic is creating a generation of orphaned children in Africa. The number of orphans will continue to increase long after the HIV/AIDS crisis has peaked; therefore, it is important to determine how best to assist these children. Current studies investigating the impact of orphanhood have conflicting results and conclusions. Several studies report that orphans are at a disadvantage and are more likely to suffer from malnutrition, whereas other studies report no difference between the nutritional status of orphans and nonorphans. Four hundred eleven Luo children (mean age 9 ± 1 years) were recruited to participate in a study investigating the impact of orphanhood on nutritional status. Participants underwent an interview, anthropometric measurements, testing for anemia, a clinical history, and a physical exam. Anthropometric variables and hemoglobin level were compared across groups using a t -test. The reference population used for comparison of anthropometric variables is the 2000 CDC growth reference data. All analyses were gender specific, and the effect of length of orphanhood was also investigated. The data presented here suggest that there is no significant difference between the nutritional status of orphaned and nonorphaned Luo children. This study supports research indicating there is little, if any, difference in nutritional indicators between orphans and nonorphans. Orphans may live in households with higher socioeconomic statuses than nonorphans. Luo orphans may not be at higher risk for poor nutritional status than nonorphans; therefore, interventions targeted at this age group should include both orphaned and nonorphaned children. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] False resurrections: Distinguishing regenerated from spared axons in the injured central nervous systemTHE JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE NEUROLOGY, Issue 1 2003Oswald Steward Abstract Several recent studies report that axon regeneration can be induced in the mature mammalian nervous system by novel treatments or genetic manipulations. In assessing these reports, it is important to be mindful of the history of regeneration research, which is littered with the corpses of studies that reported regeneration that later proved incorrect. One important reason is the "spared axon conundrum," in which axons that survive a lesion are mistakenly identified as having regenerated. Here, we illustrate the problem and propose criteria that may be used to identify regenerated vs. spared axons, focusing on the injured spinal cord. J. Comp. Neurol. 459:1,8, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Role of mitogen-activated protein kinases, nuclear factor-,B, and interferon regulatory factor 3 in Toll-like receptor 4-mediated activation of HIV long terminal repeatAPMIS, Issue 2 2009RANDI S. BERG Monocytes/macrophages are known to represent a potential reservoir of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), which ensures continuous replication of the virus in patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Infected macrophages are a highly productive source of HIV-1 during infections with common opportunistic pathogens. Previous studies report that toll like receptors (TLR)s play a role in HIV-1 replication in macrophages. Here, we investigate the three main pathways activated through TLR4 and the interactions with the HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR), using human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells expressing TLR4 and transfected with a luciferase reporter under the control of the HIV-1 LTR. Here, we demonstrate, that TLR4-mediated activation of HIV-LTR is largely governed by the nuclear factor-,B pathway. Neither of the mitogen-activated protein kinases ERK1/2, JNK, or p38 nor the transcription factor interferon regulatory factor 3 were involved in the direct transactivation of HIV-LTR through stimulation of TLR4. [source] Association between leptin receptor gene polymorphisms and early-onset prostate cancerBJU INTERNATIONAL, Issue 1 2003Z. Kote-Jarai Significant tissue loss is a consistent feature of ureteric obstruction with, most studies showing increased programmed cell death or apoptosis of kidney epithelial cells. The study by Chuang et al. showed that there is also muscular damage during obstruction, specifically of the ureteric myocytes. More importantly they show for the first time that this induction of cell death is associated with the increased expression of cytochrome c and the caspases, key proteins that drive the induction of apoptosis. Admittedly they do not show whether cytochrome c is released from the mitochondria or that the caspases are truly activated, important events in the cell death pathway, but an increase in their expression does indicate their role in this process. Understanding the pathways leading to tissue loss during ureteric obstruction has important implications in the development of novel treatments for this condition. OBJECTIVE To report a case-control study examining the relationship between polymorphisms in the leptin receptor (OBR) gene and the development of young-onset prostate cancer, because epidemiological studies report that prostate cancer risk is associated with animal fat intake, and thus we investigated if this association occurs via this genetic mechanism. PATIENTS, SUBJECTS AND METHODS The Lys109Arg (OBR1) and Gln223Arg (OBR2) polymorphisms in the coding region of OBR were studied in blood DNA from 271 patients with prostate cancer aged < 56 years at diagnosis and 277 geographically matched control subjects. Cases were collected through the Cancer Research UK/British Prostate Group Familial Prostate Cancer Study. Blood DNA was genotyped using the polymerase chain reaction and a restriction enzyme digest. RESULTS There was no statistically significant association between the OBR genotype and prostate cancer risk; men homozygous for 109Arg genotype had a slightly increased risk for prostate cancer, with a relative risk (95% confidence interval) of 1.36 (0.65,2.85), and those homozygous for the 223Arg allele had some reduction in prostate cancer risk, at 0.82 (0.58,1.26), but neither was statistically significant. CONCLUSION This case-control study showed no significant association between leptin receptor gene polymorphisms and the risk of young-onset prostate cancer, suggesting that genetic variations in OBR are unlikely to have a major role in the development of early-onset prostate cancer in the UK. [source] Variation in how mothers, health visitors and general practitioners use the personal child health recordCHILD: CARE, HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 4 2004A. J. Hampshire Abstract Background, In the UK, a national personal child health record (PCHR) with local adaptations is in widespread use. Previous studies report that parents find the PCHR useful and that health visitors use it more than other health professionals. This study was carried out in Nottingham, where the local PCHR is similar to the national PCHR. Objectives, To explore variation in use of the PCHR made by mothers with differing social characteristics, to compare heath visitors' and general practitioners' (GPs') use of the PCHR, and to compare health visitors' and GPs' perceptions of the PCHR with those of mothers for whose children they provide care. Methods, Questionnaires to 534 parents registered with 28 general practices and interviews with a health visitor and GP at each practice. A score per mother for perceived usefulness of the PCHR was developed from the questionnaire, and variation in the score was investigated by linear regression adjusted for clustering. Results, Four hundred and one (75%) questionnaires were returned. Three hundred and twenty-five (82%) mothers thought the PCHR was very good or good. Higher scores for usage of the PCHR were significantly associated with teenage and first-time mothers, but no association was found with mother's social class, education or being a single parent. There was no association between variation in the score and practice, health visitor or GP characteristics. Mothers, health visitors and GPs reported that mothers took the PCHR to baby clinic more frequently than when seeing their GP, and that health visitors wrote in the PCHR more frequently than GPs. Eighteen (67%) health visitors and 20 (71%) GPs said they had difficulty recording information in the PCHR. Conclusion, The PCHR is used by most mothers and is important for providing health promotion material to all families with young children. It may be particularly useful for first-time and teenage mothers. [source] | ||||||||||||||||