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Biomedical subjects

D Schaaf

Publications and source records attributed to D Schaaf.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Short-term repeatability of a food frequency questionnaire in New Zealand children aged 1-14 y.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the repeatability of a children's food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) by gender, ethnicity, and age group. DESIGN: A 117-item FFQ asking about food intake patterns over the past 4 weeks was developed using food records from 428 children (204 boys and 224 girls) and the reproducibility on average 13 days apart was tested in 130 children (78 boys and 52 girls). Children were recruited using clustered probability sampling (n=103), and a convenience sample of 25 Maori children. SETTING: Children aged 1-14 y from Auckland, Feilding and Shannon, New Zealand. SUBJECTS: There were 71 Maori, 20 Pacific, and 39 Other children. RESULTS: Spearman correlations between the two FFQs ranged from 0.50 for bread to 0.82 for fruit, with a median of 0.76 for spreads and nonmilk drinks, and Cronbach's coefficient alpha's ranged from 0.59 for bread to 0.92 for nonmilk drinks, with a median of 0.85 for mixed meat dishes. There were no significant differences between the two administrations, apart from reporting higher intakes of vegetables and snacks & sweets in the first FFQ. Correlation coefficients tended to be slightly higher in boys than in girls, and in Other ethnic groups compared to Maori and Pacific children. Correlations were slightly higher for the 1-4 y age group, intermediate in the 10-14 y age group, and lowest in the 5-9 y-old age group. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the FFQ described here shows similar or better repeatability in New Zealand children of all major ethnic groups compared to other child or adolescent FFQs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Prevalence of iron deficiency in Auckland high school students.

AIMS: To determine the frequency of iron deficiency and anaemia in high school students. METHOD: The survey was carried out at eight Auckland high schools with a high proportion (> or =15%) of Pacific Islands students. All students in Forms 5-7 at these schools were invited to participate, and 1644 students (Pacific Island 765, Asian 350, European 295, Maori 234) had iron assessments (response rate 61%). Iron deficiency was defined as any two (or more) of the following, three: serum ferritin <12 microg/L, iron saturation <14%, or red cell distribution width >14.5%. Anaemia was defined as haemoglobin <120 g/L for females and <130 g/L for males. RESULTS: Iron deficiency and anaemia were each ten times more common in girls (18.3% and 11.5%, respectively) than boys (1.5% and 1.4%). In females, iron deficiency was two to three times more common in Maori (25.6%), Pacific Islanders (20.9%) and Asians (15.4%) compared with Europeans (8.3 %), while anaemia was three to four times more common in Asians (15.9%), Pacific Islanders (12.1%) and Maori (11.2%) compared with Europeans (4.2%). Iron deficiency and anaemia prevalences were inversely associated with aerobic fitness, but not with age or years since menarche. CONCLUSION: Prevalences of iron deficiency and anaemia are high in non-European female adolescents in Auckland, for reasons currently unknown.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Cardiovascular risk factors levels of Pacific people in a New Zealand multicultural workforce.

AIMS: To compare cardiovascular risk factors among the major Pacific Island communities participating in a New Zealand multicultural workforce survey. METHOD: There were 650 employed Pacific Island participants (Samoan 357, Cook Islands 177, Tongan 71, Niuean 45), aged 40-65 years, who were interviewed in a work-based, cross-sectional survey. During an oral glucose tolerance test, blood samples were collected for determination of blood glucose and serum lipids. Participants provided information on smoking and leisure time physical activity. Blood pressure, weight and height were measured and body mass index calculated. Ten-year risk of cardiovascular disease was calculated using equations from the Framingham study. RESULTS: Among men, their ten-year risk of a cardiovascular event was similar for the four communities compared (range 11.5% to 13.2%). However, individual risk factors did vary between the ethnic groups with Cook Island men having significantly higher total cholesterol, blood pressure and urinary microalbumin than other Pacific Island ethnic groups, while Tongan men were more likely to smoke and had lower HDL levels than other groups. Among women, Samoan and Cook Island participants had significantly higher ten-year cardiovascular risk scores (5.7%) than Niuean (4.4%) and Tongan (3.7%), due primarily to elevated total cholesterol levels. CONCLUSION: Cardiovascular risk factor levels vary between Pacific Islands communities in New Zealand. Targeted interventions to specific Pacific communities may be more beneficial than the current homogeneous prevention strategy applied to all communities.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Monitoring antihypertensive therapy through blood pressure measurements taken casually, at rest, during exercise, and under outpatient conditions.

To ensure a high degree of patient compliance, and thus, therapeutic safety also, an antihypertensive agent should lower blood pressure for 24 h when taken once a day. A placebo-controlled investigation was carried out in 22 patients with essential arterial hypertension, to ascertain whether this was the case with once daily administration of ramipril. Blood pressure was measured at rest, during exercise, and under outpatient conditions (ambulant blood pressure measurement-ABPM). In our study, ramipril had an excellent 24-h effect and was found to be suitable for administration once a day. ABPM represents the most comprehensive and reliable means of monitoring antihypertensive treatment, particularly since it also provides data about nocturnal blood pressure behavior and additionally enables the most distinctive determination of the trough to peak-ratio.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Use of internal fixator in injuries of the thoracic and lumbar spine].

Between 1984 and 1989 51 patients with spinal traumata received surgical treatment by means of Fixateur interne. The results of patients' postsurgical check-up were as follows: Cases with incomplete neurological dysfunctions (levels Frankel B-D)-especially lumbar-showed improvements of neurological deficiencies up to three levels Frankel after emergency decompression and stabilization. The majority of cases with complete paraplegia-especially thoracic-did not subside. This holds true even for the results of a second check-up after about three years. A correlation between the degree of stenosis of the spinal canal and the neurological dysfunctions could not be established. The results of segmental stabilization by means of internal fixator and of definitive spondylodesis by means of autogenous spongiosa were positive, as was the spine proof and the patients' postsurgical function.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

[I.V. preparations in practice: a study].

In 10 hospitals a study was made about the practice of preparing i.v. admixtures. The results are presented and discussed. Improvements in drug safety are possible in closer cooperation with pharmaceutical staff.

Accident Prevention↗