Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · Jun 2007
Controlled Clinical TrialEmergency Department education improves patient knowledge of coronary artery disease risk factors but not the accuracy of their own risk perception.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the single largest killer of both males and females in the United States. The Emergency Department (ED) represents a unique environment in which patient education may improve coronary artery disease risk factor knowledge and relative risk perception. ED patients' understanding of CAD risk factors is often limited. Patients' perception of their own risk is often not a reflection of their true risk. We hypothesized that an American Heart Association educational video intervention would improve patients' knowledge of coronary artery disease risk factors and personal risk awareness in the ED setting. ⋯ Simple educational intervention at a teachable moment (i.e. when a patient is experiencing chest pain in the ED) significantly improves patient's knowledge of CAD risk factors immediately post-intervention. This improvement in knowledge is not fully retained at 30-day follow-up, which suggests that patients may benefit from further educational intervention prior to 1 month follow-up. Patients overestimate their risk when compared to an objective measure of risk, regardless of whether they receive an educational intervention or not.
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Preventive medicine · Jun 2007
Prevalence and correlates of adolescent dating violence: baseline study of a cohort of 7,960 male and female Mexican public school students.
Factors correlated with adolescent dating violence have yet to be documented in most developing countries; this study assesses the prevalence and correlates of victimization with and perpetration of dating violence among Mexican youth. ⋯ Future research on adolescent dating violence in Mexico should further explore severity and frequency of violent behaviors, include a focus on severe dating violence and take into account the context and meaning of dating violence. A longitudinal design that allows determination of causality will also be needed in order to develop prevention strategies.
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Preventive medicine · Jun 2007
Obesity prevention in schools: current role and future practice of school nurses.
To determine responsibilities of school nurses in delivering obesity prevention services, assess opinions and beliefs about school-based obesity prevention and determine factors associated with school nurses supporting and providing obesity prevention services. ⋯ Our study suggests considerable support among school nurses for school-based obesity prevention efforts and a growing interest in providing primary and secondary preventive care services in the school setting. Study findings also speak to the need for preparation, time and support from the school and health provider community.
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Although tuberculosis has already become uncommon in industrialised countries, is a major burden in many developing countries, including India. This paper examines the association between smoking (mainly bidi smoking) and tuberculosis in Mumbai, India. ⋯ In India around 32% of tuberculosis deaths can be attributable to bidi smoking. Thus, bidi smoking seems to be an important cause of manifestation and death from tuberculosis.