scholarly journals An Integrated Control Plan in Primary Schools: Results of a Field Investigation on Nutritional and Hygienic Features in the Apulia Region (Southern Italy)

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 3006
Author(s):  
Vincenzo Marcotrigiano ◽  
Giacomo Domenico Stingi ◽  
Simona Fregnan ◽  
Pantaleo Magarelli ◽  
Pietro Pasquale ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Southern Italy ◽  
Great Part ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Student Sample ◽  
Control Plan ◽  
Apulia Region ◽  
Validated Questionnaire

Data concerning overweight and obesity in children and adolescent populations are alarming and represent one of the most serious public health problems of our time. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the school environment may play an important role in health promotion with regard to nutritional aspects. This article reports the results of a study conducted in the Apulia region (Southern Italy), aimed at providing an integrated surveillance of the behaviors related to nutrition habits in students and the hygienic and nutritional conditions of the school’s canteens attended by enrolled students. To this purpose, a sample of 501 students attending primary school (third class—children approximately eight years old) replied to a validated questionnaire, and official controls (OC), of both food and nutritional safety, were performed in 22 primary schools. A team of healthcare professionals carried out the study, and the implementation of all the prescribed improvement actions were subsequently verified through follow-up OC. The results of our study show a critical situation in the student sample, with 41.3% of children having a weight excess (overweight or obesity). With regard to the children’s behaviors, only 59.8% of children ate at least one fruit or had a fruit juice for breakfast, and 10.8% did not have breakfast at all. Overall, 40.1% of the total children played outdoors the afternoon before the survey and 45% reported going to school on foot or by bicycle. During the afternoon, 83.5% of the sample watched television or used video games/tablets/mobile phones, while 42.3% played sports. The schools had an internal canteen with on-site preparation of meals in 36.4%, the remaining 63.6% received meals from external food establishments. With regard to OC, for the hygienic–sanitary section, eleven prescriptions were issued, in the great part related to the structure and organization of the canteen. For the nutritional section, nine corrective actions were prescribed, mainly related to official documents and management. The follow-up OC showed that all prescriptions were subsequently addressed. Eating at school was less frequent among obese and overweight students compared with those with normal weight. Although this evidence needs to be further confirmed, it highlights the potential role that the school canteens may play in health promotion and prevention of nutritional disorders. On the other hand, in order to fulfill its health promotion task, the school canteens have to comply with official regulations and guidelines; therefore, OC during the management of the food service at school are needed.

Assessing Sexual Dysfunction, Part 1: Male Sexual Dysfunction

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 3-8
Author(s):  
Seth D. Cohen ◽  
Steven Mandel ◽  
David B. Samadi
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Dysfunction ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Laboratory Testing ◽  
Aging Male ◽  
Testosterone Deficiency ◽  
Subjective Complaint ◽  
Validated Questionnaire ◽  
Male Sexual Dysfunction ◽  
Multiple Health

Abstract To properly assess men and women with sexual dysfunction, evaluators should take a biopsychosocial approach that may require consultation with multiple health care professionals from various fields in order to get to the root of the sexual dysfunction; this multidisciplinary methodology offers the best chance of successful treatment. For males, this article focuses on erectile dysfunction (ED) and hypogonadism. The initial evaluation of ED involves a thorough case history, preferably taken from the patient and partner, physical examination, and proper laboratory and diagnostic tests, including an acknowledgment of the subjective complaint. The diagnosis is established on the basis of an individual's report of the consistent inability to attain and maintain an erection sufficient to permit satisfactory sexual intercourse. Initial workups for ED should entail a detailed history that can be obtained from a validated questionnaire such as the International Index of Erectile Function and the Sexual Health Inventory for Men. Hypogonadism is evaluated using the validated Androgen Deficiency in the Aging Male questionnaire and laboratory testing for testosterone deficiency. Treatments logically can begin with the least invasive and then progress to more invasive strategies after appropriate counseling. The last and most important treatment component when caring for men with sexual dysfunction—and, arguably, the least practiced—is close follow-up.

Knowledge and Attitude of Teachers in Selected Malaysian Primary School towards Dental Injuries

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
Syazwani Hassan ◽  
Nur Nabila Zulkifly ◽  
Annapurny Venkiteswaran ◽  
Rohaida Abdul Halim
Keyword(s):  
Primary School ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Primary School Teachers ◽  
Storage Media ◽  
Validated Questionnaire ◽  
First Aid Training ◽  
Level Of Knowledge ◽  
Knowledge And Attitude ◽  
Dental Injuries

To ascertain the level of knowledge among primary school teachers towards the management of traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) in school and to determine the preference among teachers regarding the education tools that can be used to increase awareness and knowledge among them. A total of 150 teachers from primary schools in three different districts were included in the study and they were given self-administered questionnaires to be filled. The validated questionnaire was distributed randomly in the selected schools. The questionnaire included two scenarios comprising of tooth fracture and avulsion. Questions regarding awareness and management of these scenarios were asked. All 150 participants answered the questionnaire; of these 74% were females 26% were males. 64% of the participants had received tertiary education. Although 70% of teachers had obtained first aid training, only 9.3% of them had received training regrading dental injuries. About 53% of participants knew the correct answer for the appropriate response to fractured tooth and only 35.3% managed to correctly answer the question related to appropriate response to an avulsed tooth. Only 38.7% knew about appropriate rinsing solution and a mere 4.7% were familiar with proper storage media. Even though the teachers have poor knowledge regarding management of dental injuries, it is reassuring to know that 93% of them are keen on further training and awareness. More educational programmes need to be introduced to empower the teachers with the relevant knowledge required to deal with dental emergencies.

Assessment of parental knowledge, attitude and practice towards antibiotic use in children

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-41
Author(s):  
Thejaswini Karanth ◽  
Someswar Deb ◽  
Lal Ruatpuii Zadeng ◽  
Rajeswari Ramasamy ◽  
Teena Nazeem ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parental Knowledge ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Case Report Form ◽  
Standard Case ◽  
Attitude And Practice ◽  
Validated Questionnaire ◽  
Antibiotics Use ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Knowledge Attitude And Practice

Objective to assess the impact of pharmacist assisted counselling in improving Parental Knowledge, Attitude and Practice [KAP] towards antibiotic use in children. A Prospective, Educational Interventional Study was conducted in 200 subjects, from the randomly chosen communities in Bangalore. The investigators did door to door visit. The primary demographics data of parents and their children were collected using standard Case Report Form (CRF), and the baseline towards antibiotic use in Children was obtained from parents using validated Questionnaire. In the presence of both parents, only one was supposed to answer the Questionnaire. Pharmacist assisted parent centred interventional counselling was provided with the help of Patient Information Leaflet1s (PIL). Follow-up and post interventional KAP assessment were done after two months from the baseline measurement. The changes in parental KAP towards antibiotics use in children were being assessed by comparing the Pretest and Posttest responses using statistical analysis. The knowledge of parents towards antibiotic use in children was medium to good in the baseline KAP assessment; however, in the majority of the participating parents it was not satisfactory in attitude and practice domains. A statistically significant improvement was seen in the KAP of parents towards antibiotic use in children after the pharmacist assisted interventional counselling. Thus, Investigators could bring excellent changes in the knowledge part; whereas the result for changes in the Attitude and Practice was good to medium respectively.

scholarly journals Caring for Overweight Children and Adolescents at a Reference Clinic in Nutrology: Habits and Attendance

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (01) ◽  
pp. 006-010
Author(s):  
Valeria Moro ◽  
Luiz Antonio Del Ciampo
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Soft Drinks ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Dropout Rates ◽  
Overweight Children ◽  
Obesity Epidemic ◽  
Study Population ◽  
Municipal Health

Abstract Introduction The global obesity epidemic has mobilized health services to offer care at all levels, with reference outpatient clinics playing a prominent role in cases of greater complexity. Objectives The present study aimed to identify soft drinks consumption and physical activity habits among children and adolescents diagnosed with overweight and obesity during the first visit at a secondary level nutrology outpatient clinic, and to verify attendance at follow-up visits in a 2-year period from the first visit. Materials and Methods This is a retrospective, descriptive study based on data collection from medical records of overweighted or obese patients receiving first care at the Nutrology Clinic of the Municipal Health Secretariat from Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil. The study population included children and adolescents aged between 2 and 18 years old cared for from January 2, 2013 to December 30, 2017. Age, weight, height, soft drinks consumption, physical activity, and attendance in scheduled follow-up visits during a 2-year period were analyzed. Results During the study period, 316 patients were registered, including 302 (95.5%) diagnosed with obesity. Of these, 112 (35.4%) were children and 204 (64.6%) were adolescents. Only 2.0% of the children and adolescents did not consume soft drinks, while 23.5 and 26.2% of the children and adolescents, respectively, consumed them daily. Physical inactivity was reported by 31.8% of the children and by 35.8% of the adolescents. Among those who practiced some type of physical activity, 81.3% of the children and 78.2% of the adolescents did not meet the recommendation of moderate to vigorous activity for 60 minutes per day. Dropout rates within the 1st year were of 41.9% for children and of 34.3% for adolescents, increasing to 76.9% and 73.8%, respectively, within the 2nd year. Conclusion There was a high consumption of soft drinks and low adherence to physical activity among patients who started outpatient follow-up. A small adherence to the follow-up program was also identified, with high dropout rates within the 2-year period following the first visit.

scholarly journals Body composition outcomes of Healthy Fit and the role of acculturation among low-income Hispanics on the US-Mexico border

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane I. Lopez ◽  
Lauren Chacon ◽  
Denise Vasquez ◽  
Louis D. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Body Composition ◽  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Foreign Born ◽  
Exercise Interventions ◽  
Mexico Border

Abstract Background Hispanic immigrants continue to experience higher rates of overweight and obesity compared to their non-Hispanic counterparts. Acculturation may contribute to unhealthy weight gain among immigrant populations by shifting dietary patterns from high fruit and vegetable consumption to unhealthier high fat diets. Healthy Fit, a culturally tailored community health worker (CHW) intervention, aims to reduce obesity related outcomes by providing physical activity and nutrition education and resources in a low-income Hispanic population. This study aims to evaluate outcomes of Healthy Fit participants and examine changes in body composition in relation to level of acculturation at baseline and follow-up. Method In this longitudinal observational study, CHWs recruited 514 participants from community events and agencies serving low-income Hispanic populations in El Paso, Texas from 2015 to 2016. Following an in-person health screening, eligible participants received nutrition and physical activity education guided by fotonovelas, comic-like educational books. Telephone follow-ups made at 1, 3, and 6 months by CHWs encouraged follow-through on referrals. 288 participants completed the screening again during the 12-month follow-up. Results The sample was predominantly Hispanic (96%), female (82%), uninsured (79%), had a household income of less than $19,999 (70%), foreign-born (79%), preferred Spanish (86%) and few rated themselves as good or excellent for English proficiency (27%). Overall, Healthy Fit participants significantly improved (i.e., decreased) BFP by 0.71% (t = 2.47, p = 0.01) but not BMI (b = .01, t = − 0.14, p = .89). Contrary to expectations, acculturation was not associated with lower BMI (b = 0.09, p = 0.84) or BFP (b = 0.13, p = 0.85) at baseline. However, acculturation predicted changes in both BMI (b = 0.30, p = 0.03) and BFP (b = 1.33, p = 0 .01) from baseline to follow-up. Specifically, the low acculturation group improved in body composition measures over time and the high acculturation group did not improve in either measure. Conclusion Findings suggest Healthy Fit was most effective among less acculturated individuals. The influence of acculturation on the efficacy of nutrition and exercise interventions suggests that Hispanics should not be treated as a homogenous subgroup.

scholarly journals Adiponectin Associates with Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk in Overweight and Obesity Independently of Other Adipokines

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (13) ◽  
pp. 2791
Author(s):  
Yuan Zhang ◽  
Linda Johansson ◽  
Johanna Andersson-Assarsson ◽  
Magdalena Taube ◽  
Markku Peltonen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Multivariable Analysis ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Northern Sweden ◽  
Case Control Studies ◽  
Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Obese Subjects ◽  
Nested Case Control

We recently reported that increased serum adiponectin was associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) risk in subjects with obesity. We hereby aim to determine if other adipokines associate with RA risk and if the association between adiponectin and RA is independent of other adipokines. Two nested-case control studies were performed in two different cohorts: 82 participants of the Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS) study who developed RA during follow-up matched with 410 controls, and 88 matched pairs from the Medical Biobank of Northern Sweden. Baseline levels of circulating adipokines were measured using ELISA. In a multivariable analysis in the SOS cohort, higher adiponectin was associated with an increased risk of RA independently of other adipokines (OR for RA risk: 1.06, 95% CI: 1.01–1.12, p = 0.02). No association between leptin, resistin, and visfatin levels and the risk of RA was detected. In the cohort from the Medical Biobank of Northern Sweden, higher adiponectin was associated with an increased risk of RA only in participants with overweight/obesity (OR: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.01−1.36, p = 0.03), independently of other adipokines. Our results show that in individuals with overweight/obesity, higher circulating levels of adiponectin, but not leptin, resistin, or visfatin, were associated with an increased RA risk.

Relationship between childhood obesity and socioeconomic status among primary school children in Costa Rica

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Tatiana Gamboa-Gamboa ◽  
Romain Fantin ◽  
Jeancarlo Cordoba ◽  
Ivannia Caravaca ◽  
Ingrid Gómez-Duarte
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Childhood Obesity ◽  
Costa Rica ◽  
Regression Model ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Logistic Regression Model ◽  
Mixed Effects ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Public And Private

Abstract Objective: This article analyzes the relationship between socioeconomic status and the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the primary school population in Costa Rica. Design: A National School Weight/Height Census was disseminated across Costa Rica in 2016. The percentage of children who were overweight or obese was calculated by sex, age, and socioeconomic indicators (type of institution: private, public, mix; type of geographic location: rural, urban; and the level of development of the district of residence: quartiles). A mixed effects multinomial logistic regression model and mixed effects logistic regression model were used to analyze the association between the prevalence of being overweight or obese and district socioeconomic status. Setting: The survey was carried out in public and private primary schools across Costa Rica in 2016. Participants: 347,366 students from 6 to 12 years old, enrolled in public and private primary schools. Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children was 34.0%. Children in private schools were more likely to be overweight or obese than students in public schools (OR=1.10 [1.07, 1.13]). Additionally, children were less likely to be overweight or obese if attending a school in a district of the lowest socioeconomic quartile compared to the highest socioeconomic quartile (OR=0.79 [0.75, 0.83]), and in a rural area compared to the urban area (OR=0.92 [0.87, 0.97]). Conclusions: Childhood obesity in Costa Rica continues to be a public health problem. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in children was associated with indicators of higher socioeconomic status.

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