bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Brief intervention on maternal smoking: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Yılmaz G. , Karacan C. , Yöney A. , Yılmaz T. 
Published: January 2006

AbstractObjectives To determine if mothers receiving a smoking cessation intervention emphasizing health risks of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) for their children have a higher quit rate than mothers who received routine smoking cessation advice, which focused on their own health, or a control group of mothers.Setting Tertiary referral centre.Methods Randomized control trial. A total of 363 mothers were randomly assigned to a smoking cessation intervention either aimed at their children's health (n = 111) or their own health (n = 131), or to a control group receiving no smoking cessation advice (n = 121).Results Provision to mothers of both groups of health risks of tobacco smoke resulted in significantly higher rate of cessation of smoking and smoking location change than those of the control group, with child intervention group having significantly higher rate of cessation of smoking and smoking location change than those of the maternal intervention group (P < 0.05). Post‐intervention knowledge scores differed significantly for all groups; however, child intervention group was the only significantly better group than the others (P < 0.05). According to the multivariate analysis results, intervention grouping and presence of smoking friends were independent factors determining smoking cessation (P < 0.05). Intervention grouping, post‐intervention knowledge, presence of other household members who smoked and family income were independent factors determining smoking location change (P < 0.05). Family income, intervention grouping and presence of smoking friends were significant independent factors influencing post‐intervention knowledge (P < 0.05).Conclusion Discussion during short paediatric visits on effects of smoking on child's or maternal health may result in a significant smoking cessation, smoking location change rate or knowledge change. Those who cannot give up smoking usually change their location of smoking. Provision of information on effects of smoking on child's health, rather than maternal, may result in more significant changes in behaviour or knowledge. Maternal education on smoking should include information on effects of smoking on both child's and maternal health, but should be especially focused on child's health.
How widely are personal child health records used and are they effective health education tools? A comparison of two records
Authors: Wright C. M. , Reynolds L. 
Published: January 2006

AbstractBackground Although the Personal Child Health Records (PCHR) has been in use for 15 years, its efficacy as a health education tool has not been evaluated. The phased introduction of a new, professionally designed record within a large cohort study provided the opportunity to compare parental rating and use of the different records and recall of health topics covered.Subjects and methods All babies born over a 15‐month period were eligible. Half (679) were born during study recruiting periods and received an expanded version of the new record; 30% (411) were born in non‐recruiting periods and received the old record and 20% (279) were born after the new record had been fully introduced. Parents completed a one‐page postal questionnaire when their child was aged 6–17 months.Results Parents rated both record types highly and the majority used them regularly to take to baby clinics and for information. Health visitors wrote frequently in the record, compared with only half of parents and less than a quarter of family doctors. Old format records were significantly more likely to be taken to and written in by the family doctor. Parents used new format records less as a source of information, but were no more likely to use other recommended information sources. Parents with new format records showed better recall of information found only, or more prominently in the new records, but the actual differences were small.Conclusions The PCHR remains popular with parents, but is still underused except by health visitors. Recall of health information in the record is fairly poor, but families make little use of other, better information sources. Professional redesign did not improve the efficacy of the record.
Health of caregivers in child care
Authors: Slack‐Smith L. M. , Read A. W. , Darby J. , Stanley F. J. 
Published: January 2006

AbstractBackground Child care workers play an important role in caring for children attending child care yet there is little research regarding their health.Methods The study consisted of focus groups with child care workers and a survey, conducted as part of a larger study known as the Healthy Child Care Study, which focused on children. The study investigated carers working in formal child care [long day care (LDC) and family day care (FDC)].Results Questionnaires to caregivers in centres showed that 86% had taken sick leave in the previous year and 75% of staff had taken leave for infectious illness. Carers in FDC reported that 24% had taken sick leave in the previous year and 12% of carers had taken leave for infectious illness. Of responding caregivers from centres, 22% were cigarette smokers while in FDC homes, 8% of carers smoked. In focus groups, carers reported that their major areas of health concern were stress, infectious illness and physical trauma such as lifting injuries.Conclusions Child care workers in LDC took more sick leave than those in FDC but this is not necessarily due to more illness. Child care workers are a diverse and important group that require further research.
Assessing services, supports and costs for young families under stress
Authors: Sleed M. , Beecham J. , Knapp M. , McAuley C. , McCurry N. 
Published: January 2006

AbstractBackground Despite the attention paid to family support services in legislation and guidance, there is still relatively little evidence on which to base the development of effective services, and even less on the costs and cost‐effectiveness of different models of support.Methods The study designed and examined the practical feasibility of a methodology for collecting service use data and other information on families. Unit costs of services were calculated and data were collected in interviews with 177 young families under stress in Northern Ireland and South‐East England. Service use patterns and costs were analysed.Results Comparisons showed that families made greater use than the general population of many services. There were marked variations within the sample in the patterns of service use and costs, to some extent reflecting differences in the needs of the young families.Discussion The methods developed for collecting service use data, calculating unit costs and estimating costs for families were feasible.
Deaf children identified through newborn hearing screening: parents’ experiences of the diagnostic process
Authors: Tattersall H. , Young A. 
Published: January 2006

AbstractBackground As part of the Department of Health funded evaluation of the first phase of the National Health Service Newborn Hearing Screening Programme in England, 45 parents/caregivers whose children were correctly identified as deaf through the screening programme were interviewed about their experiences.Methods The study took a qualitative descriptive approach and thus sought to privilege parents’ unique epistemological position, valuing their accounts as expert knowledge and allowing them to set the criteria for what should be counted as meaningful within their accounts. The sample of 45 parents/caregivers was diverse in terms of ethnicity and socio‐economic status. In addition, the children represented a diversity of degrees of deafness and additional needs. Data were analysed using QSR NUD*IST 4.Results The diagnostic period emerged as an important time for parents. This refers to the period of time that follows the referral from screen and starts with the first appointment at audiology for audiological assessment. The diagnostic process was found to be hugely variable for each family, both objectively, e.g. in terms of number of appointments they had to attend, and also attitudinally, e.g. some families perceived this period of time as a series of discrete events while others viewed it as part of a process that had started with the first screening event. Although it is reasonable to expect such factors to be the most influential in accounting for variations in parental satisfaction with the diagnostic process, it was in fact professional communication and manner that emerged as the most significant predictors of their experiences.Discussion The discussion concentrates on the question of whether early identification of deafness and the subsequent compressed time frame of events between birth and diagnosis create ‘new’ experiences for parents or whether in fact the new circumstances surrounding diagnosis make no difference to the way in which professionals approach their encounters with parents.
The psychological impact of genetic testing on parents
Authors: Dinc Leyla , Terzioglu Fusun 
Published: January 2006

Aim and objectives.  The aim of this descriptive study was to explore the psychological impact of genetic testing on parents whose children have been referred for genetic testing.Background.  Genetic tests enable individuals to be informed about their health status and to have the opportunity of early diagnosis and treatment of their diseases. However undergoing genetic testing and receiving a positive test result may also cause stress and anxiety.Study design and method.  This descriptive study was carried out at the genetic departments of two university hospitals in Ankara. The sample of this study consisted of 128 individuals whose children have been referred for chromosomal analysis. Data were collected through using a semi‐structured interview method with a data collection form and the anxiety inventory and analysed using the percentages and independent samples t‐test.Results.  The majority of our participants experienced distress before genetic testing. Their general trait anxiety score before receiving the test results was 47·38, and following the test results the state anxiety score was 50·65. Having a previous child with an abnormality, a positive test result, and being a mother elevated the anxiety of individuals.Conclusion.  This paper supports the findings of previous studies, which indicated that genetic test results might lead to anxiety in individuals and reveals the importance of genetic counselling.Relevance to clinical practice.  As the results of this study indicated, genetic testing causes distress and anxiety in individuals. Nurses can play an important role in minimizing anxiety of parents whose children undergo genetic testing by providing information about genetic testing and by taking part in the counselling process.
Information handling in the nursing discharge note
Authors: Hellesø Ragnhild 
Published: January 2006

Aims.  The aim of this paper is twofold. Firstly, it describes hospital nurses’ general use of the language function in the nursing discharge notes of patients who will require posthospital home health care. Secondly, it addresses the similarities and differences in completeness, structure and content between paper and electronic nursing discharge notes.Background.  Previous research has identified gaps in the accuracy and relevance of information communicated between nurses working at different organizational levels.Design and methods.  A descriptive design with a text analysis framework was used.Results.  The study shows that the text in the nursing discharge notes is information‐dense and characterized by technical terms, although the nurses contextualized and individualized the content of the terms to clarify the message. Both similarities and differences were found in range and detail of the information nurses exchanged when they used paper or electronic discharge notes.Conclusions.  The use of structured and standardized templates helped nurses improve the completeness, structure and content of the information in the nursing discharge notes.Relevance to clinical practice.  Whether paper or electronic documentation is used, the findings in this study highlight the challenges nurses encounter in ensuring continuity of care during patients’ trajectory through the health system. The findings may help clarify the appropriateness of the content and language nurses use in the nursing discharge note as a communication medium. This study may also be helpful to nurses planning to use EPRs, as it illustrates some of the issues which should be clarified before this is implemented.
The evolving role of community nurses for people with learning disabilities: changes over an 11‐year period
Authors: Barr Owen 
Published: January 2006

Aims and objectives.  To provide an overview of the changes in the caseload and working practices of community nurses for people with learning disabilities (CNLDs) over an 11‐year period within one region of the UK.Background.  Recent reviews of government policy within the UK and internationally have highlighted the need to promote inclusion and health facilitation for people with learning disabilities (intellectual disabilities). The CNLDs have been highlighted as having an integral role in achieving these objectives. However, little is known about the current role of community nurses and how this has evolved over the past decade.Designs and methods.  A survey design was used in which the total population of CNLDs within one region of the UK were asked to complete a postal questionnaire.Results.  Forty community nurses in Northern Ireland completed questionnaires. This provided information about 1559 people with learning disabilities on their current caseloads. Results showed less involvement with children, more focus on adults with physical and mental health needs and nurses often appeared to have a monitoring rather than an active clinical role. Data also identified an increasing caseload size and a pattern of referral largely from within learning disability services.Conclusions.  The role of CNLDs has altered in Northern Ireland over the past 11 years with some evidence of a reorientation towards a more health‐oriented focus. Further consideration needs to be given to how well this will meet the changing needs of people with learning disabilities and their families in light of the increasing emphasis on the provision of inclusive services.Relevance to clinical practice.  Community nurses need to review their current role, caseload management and links to primary and acute care if the policy objectives of inclusive services and health facilitation are to be achieved. It will also be necessary to revise their education preparation in light of the changing role of CNLDs.
Attitudes towards, and information needs in relation to, supplementary nurse prescribing in the UK: an empirical study
Authors: Berry Dianne , Courtenay Molly , Bersellini Elisabetta 
Published: January 2006

Aims and objectives.  The main aim of the study is to assess the views of people, who have not yet experienced nurse prescribing, to determine their level of confidence in nurse as opposed to doctor prescribing, effects on likely adherence and concerns that they might have. Additionally, the extent to which people would want nurses to provide an explanation for medicine choice and the type of information wanted was examined.Background.  Nurse prescribing has been successfully implemented in the UK in a number of healthcare settings. Existing research has not addressed effects on people's confidence and likely adherence, nor have people's information needs been established. However, we know that inadequate medicines information provision by health professionals is one of the largest causes of patient dissatisfaction.Methods.  A convenience sample of 74 members of the general population self‐completed a written questionnaire.Results.  In general, people would have confidence in the nurse having prescribed the best medicine and say that they would be very likely to take the medicine. Concerns identified did not specifically relate to the nurses’ status. Support is provided for the importance of nurses providing a full explanation about medicines, and some indication about which categories of information should be included. Information about medication side effects was most wanted by participants.Conclusions.  Independent and Supplementary Prescribing are pivotal to modernizing the NHS. The current study establishes people's initial views and concerns about nurse prescribing and assesses information needs. Support for initiating follow‐on studies with particular patient groups is also provided.Implications for clinical practice.  People who have not yet experienced nurse prescribing are, in general, positive about nurses adopting this role. It is important that nurses provide appropriate information about the prescribed medicines, in a form that can be understood. This should include information about medication side effects.
Verbal short‐term memory in individuals with congenital articulatory disorders: new empirical data and review of the literature
Authors: Carlesimo G. A. , Galloni F. , Bonanni R. , Sabbadini M. 
Published: January 2006

AbstractBackground  To investigate the nature of the articulatory rehearsal mechanism of the Articulatory Loop in Baddeley's Working Memory model, it seems particularly important to study individuals who developed a deficit (dysarthria) or total abolition (anarthria) of the ability to articulate language following a cerebral lesion.Method  In this study, a forced‐choice recognition procedure for word sequences of increasing length was used to evaluate verbal short‐term memory in nine individuals with severe congenital motor and verbal disabilities (seven anarthric and two severely dysarthric) and associated intellectual disability (ID) and 30 normal children of comparable mental age.Results  The normal children exhibited classical phonological similarity effects (better performance on acoustically dissimilar than on similar word lists), word length (greater accuracy on two‐syllable than on four‐syllable word lists) and frequency of occurrence (an advantage of high‐frequency over low‐frequency words). Instead, all of these effects were lacking in the experimental group.Conclusions  These data suggest that persons with congenital anarthria/dysarthria and ID present defective maturation at many levels of the Articulatory Loop and reduced contribution of semantic‐lexical processing in the temporary retention of phonological sequences. It is likely that in these individuals both communicative deficits and ID play a role in the impaired development of verbal short‐term memory abilities.
Phylogeography and population genetics of the maize stalk borer Busseola fusca (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) in sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: SEZONLIN M. , DUPAS S. , LE RÜ B. , LE GALL P. , MOYAL P. , CALATAYUD P.‐A. , GIFFARD I. , FAURE N. , SILVAIN J.‐F. 
Published: January 2006

AbstractThe population genetics and phylogeography of African phytophagous insects have received little attention. Some, such as the maize stalk borer Busseola fusca, display significant geographic differences in ecological preferences that may be congruent with patterns of molecular variation. To test this, we collected 307 individuals of this species from maize and cultivated sorghum at 52 localities in West, Central and East Africa during the growing season. For all collected individuals, we sequenced a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b. We tested hypotheses concerning the history and demographic structure of this species. Phylogenetic analyses and nested clade phylogeographic analyses (NCPA) separated the populations into three mitochondrial clades, one from West Africa, and two — Kenya I and Kenya II — from East and Central Africa. The similar nucleotide divergence between clades and nucleotide diversity within clades suggest that they became isolated at about the same time in three different refuges in sub‐Saharan Africa and have similar demographic histories. The results of mismatch distribution analyses were consistent with the demographic expansion of these clades. Analysis of molecular variance (amova) indicated a high level of geographic differentiation at different hierarchical levels. NCPA suggested that the observed distribution of haplotypes at several hierarchical levels within the three major clades is best accounted for by restricted gene flow with isolation by distance. The domestication of sorghum and the introduction of maize in Africa had no visible effect on the geographic patterns observed in the B. fusca mitochondrial genome.
Integrating biogeographic and genetic approaches to investigate the history of bioluminescent colour alleles in the Jamaican click beetle,Pyrophorus plagiophthalamus
Authors: VELEZ SEBASTIAN , FEDER JEFFREY L. 
Published: January 2006

AbstractBioluminescent colour in the Jamaican click beetle,Pyrophorus plagiophthalamus, is an ideal system for studies moving from gene to landscape to gain a holistic understanding of the molecular, ecological, and historical bases for adaptation. Previous studies have established the genetics of bioluminescent colour variation in the beetle to the level of the nucleotide base pair in the target geneluciferase. Three differentluciferasecolour alleles affecting ventral light organ colour [yellow‐green (vYG), yellow (vYE), and orange (vOR)] were found segregating inP. plagiophthalamuspopulations. These alleles differ from each other in a number of replacement mutations (14 total), the majority of which (11) have a measurable effect on colour. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a long‐term adaptive trend on Jamaica towards longer wavelength bioluminescence, culminating in the most recently derived vOR allele. Here, we further investigate the historical and geographic context of adaptive colour evolution by testing a vicariance model for the origins of the extant ventral light organ polymorphism: that the vOR allele arose and differentiated in an isolated deme on the east side of Jamaica before spreading westward. Comparisons of colour phenotypes,luciferasecoding sequences, the third intron of the gene, mtDNA, and microsatellite data provided evidence for past population subdivision on Jamaica and ongoing gene flow, as has been found for other island endemics. However, the pattern of differentiation supported the allopatric divergence of vYG and vYE alleles. The vOR gene appears to have arisen relatively recently from a vYE precursor and postdates the period of major biogeographic isolation.We discuss the implications of the results for discerning ecological causation in the adaptive sequence from nucleotide to landscape to population change for bioluminescent colour.
Canid immunity toEchinococcusspp.: impact on transmission
Authors: TORGERSON P. R. 
Published: January 2006

SUMMARYThe canid intestinal immune system recognizes the cestode parasiteEchinococcusfollowing infection, but it is still unclear the extent to which protection against reinfection occurs. An increasing number of studies have shown that there are convex age‐related abundance or prevalence rates in naturally infected populations of dogs withE. granulosusand foxes infected withE. multilocularis.Data from dogs naturally infected withE. granulosusgive a better fit to a model that incorporates herd immunity compared to competing models of age‐related changes in infection pressure. A theoretical framework suggests that such herd immunity will act as a stabilizing force forEchinococcuspopulations. Hence a decrease in infection pressure to dogs or foxes will not result in a corresponding decrease in infection pressure to intermediate hosts or to humans. In addition the age structure of the canid population could affect transmission.