Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Awareness”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 325 records · Page 18Linked to original sources
PubMed2006

Effects of audience awareness on procedural text writing.

Effects of audience awareness were examined. Some participants acted as writers and the others acted as readers. Writers wrote a text describing a geometrical figure. Readers read the text and tried to draw the figure according to the description. In Exp. 1, audience awareness was manipulated among undergraduate students, 11 men and 34 women. Writers in the high audience-awareness condition spent more time planning and writing texts than writers in the low audience-awareness condition. Texts in the high audience-awareness condition consisted of more letters and sentences with descriptions elaborating the texts. In Exp. 2, prototype texts were constructed based on the results of Exp. 1. Undergraduate students, 11 men and 47 women, who read the prototype text in the high audience-awareness condition could draw the figure more accurately. In Exp. 3, effects of feedback from readers were examined. Ninth-grade students, 22 boys and 34 girls, participated as writers and 7th-grade students, 22 boys and 34 girls, participated as readers. Merely being told to attend to an audience did not improve the quality of texts written by 9th-grade students. However, feedback from the readers who were 7th-grade students was effective. Writers could revise the texts appropriately according to feedback and improve the quality of texts. In addition, the experience of revising the text according to feedback transferred to later writing. Educational implications of the results are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Subjective awareness of abnormal involuntary movements in schizophrenia.

A wide majority of schizophrenic patients with Tardive dyskinesia, a neurological disorder produced by chronic neuroleptic therapy, lack awareness of their involuntary movements. This by contrast to patients with Parkinsonism who usually are aware of their abnormal movements. In the following communication we present a series of studies which are aimed at providing further insight into the issue of awareness of involuntary movements in schizophrenic patients with tardive dyskinesia. In addition, we investigated whether edentulosness, which may be a risk factor for orofacial dyskinesias in the elderly, is also a risk factor for neuroleptic-induced orofacial dyskinesias. We found that: (a) one's awareness of involuntary movements is related to some but not all muscle groups, (b) tardive dyskinesia may be associated with a significant distress, (c) lack of awareness may be a feature of frontal lobe dysfunction in schizophrenia, (d) patients who lack awareness of their involuntary movements have a higher prevalence of pineal calcification, and (e) edentulosness, which is related to deficits in the orofacial sensorimotor system, increases the risk for neuroleptic-induced orofacial dyskinesias.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Is awareness of morae a requisite for acquisition of kana reading?].

Awareness of morae, which is believed to be the most important requisite for acquisition of kana reading, was investigated with a mentally retarded child. It has been maintained that awareness of morae is a requisite for learning to name each kana character, but the author proposes that the former is not necessary for the latter, but is required for reading comprehension. To test the hypothesis, the subject, who named most of kana characters but could not understand written words, was trained to segment words into morae and identify each morae in order to raise the level of his awareness of morae; and then he was tested for the comprehension of written words. It was found that the subject was not aware of morae at first, but through the training of moraic awareness he was led to comprehend written words. Thus it was concluded that awareness of morae is a requisite for reading comprehension.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Decreased awareness of cognitive deficits in patients with mild dementia of the Alzheimer type.

OBJECTIVE: To study the unawareness of cognitive deficits in patients with mild dementia of Alzheimer type (DAT). DESIGN: Retrospective study. We surveyed the medical records of outpatients meeting the NINCDS-ADRDA criteria for probable DAT who were able to complete the Cognitive Difficulties Scale (CDS) and had a close informant relative (IR) who could complete the family form of the same questionnaire. SETTING: A department of neurology in a general teaching hospital. SUBJECTS: Eighty-eight patients, aged 73.2+/-8.6 years with a mean MMSE score of 22.5+/-3.2. Fifty-two of the 88 patients had a follow-up examination after a mean interval of 21 months. METHODS: Awareness of cognitive deficits was mainly assessed as the difference between the scores on the CDS completed by the IR and the patient (Index of Unawareness, IU). Two secondary assessments of unawareness were performed: (1) an assessment by the clinician on the basis of the patient's answers to questions probing the awareness of memory deficits; (2) an evaluation by the IR of the frequency of behavioural manifestations of unawareness in everyday life. SPECT was performed in 78 patients to study the relationship between unawareness and the topography of perfusion deficits. RESULTS: Awareness of the cognitive deficits varied greatly between patients, according to the assessment method used and the stage of progression of the disease. Most patients with mild DAT were cognitively aware of their cognitive deficits but failed to appraise their severity and their consequences in everyday life. Decreased awareness was positively correlated with age and perfusion deficits in the frontal regions and negatively with the anxious symptomatology. However, the main correlate of unawareness was apathy. CONCLUSION: The nature of unawareness of cognitive deficits appeared to be more dimensional than categorical. In patients with mild dementia, decreased awareness appeared to be more related to affective disturbances, especially to emotional deficit or apathy, than to cognitive deficits.

Affect↗
PubMed2001

[Prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in Japanese rural communities].

BACKGROUND: In Japan, a national survey indicated that only 7% of hypertensive patients had a blood pressure less than 140/90 mmHg. There have been no reports of studies investigating all of the prevalence of hypertension, the percentage of subjects who are aware of hypertension, the percentage being treated, and the percentage that are well-controlled (awareness, treatment and control, respectively) among hypertensives in the Japanese general population. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of hypertension, and awareness, treatment and control of hypertension among hypertensives in a Japanese rural population. DESIGN: A cross-sectional analysis of base-line data of the Jichi Medical School Cohort Study. SETTING: Twelve rural communities is 8 prefectures in Japan. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling people who participated in the health examination program in 1992-1995. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Blood pressure (BP) measured once in the sitting position after a 5-minute rest using oscillometric automatic BP monitors (BP203RV-II; Nippon Colin, Japan), and history of hypertension assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: We analyzed data from 11,302 subjects (4,415 men and 6,887 women). The mean (standard deviation) age was 55(12) years for men and 55(11) years for women. Mean systolic BP and diastolic BP levels were, respectively, 131(21) mmHg and 79(12) mmHg for men and 128(21) mmHg and 76(12) mmHg for women. Prevalence of hypertension (systolic BP > or = 140 mmHg or diastolic BP > or = 90 mmHg or on antihypertensive medication) was 37% for men and 33% for women. Percentages for awareness (on medication or present past history), treatment and control (both systolic BP < 140 mmHg and diastolic BP < 90 mmHg) were, respectively, 39%, 27% and 10% for men and 46%, 38% and 13% for women. CONCLUSIONS: About one third of the study popUlation were hypertensive, and awareness, treatment and control of hypertension among the hypertensives were 43%, 34% and 12%, respectively. Less than half of the hypertensives were well-controlled even when measurement bias was considered. In the rural Japanese population, improvements are required with regard to awareness, treatment and control of hypertension.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Lack of awareness and its impact in traumatic brain injury.

Research suggests that up to 45% of individuals with moderate to severe TBI demonstrate reduced awareness or complete lack of awareness of their deficits. We describe dimensions and distinctions within the concept of lack of awareness - including whether an individual has knowledge of a specific deficit, the emotional response an individual manifests to a specific deficit, the ability to comprehend the impact or consequences of the deficit on day to day life, and how an individual explains or accounts for any deficits - and various methods of assessing for lack of awareness in this population. Finally, a review of the literature studying lack of awareness in TBI, its relationship to injury severity, the impact of lack of awareness on outcome, and intervention approaches is presented.

Awareness↗
PubMed2003

Awareness of eye donation in an adult population of southern India. A pilot study.

PURPOSE: To determine "awareness of eye donation" and corneal transplantation in an adult population of southern India. METHODS: 507 participants chosen by systematic random sampling were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Participants were selected among patients attending two community outreach programmes at different sites, and from patients presenting directly to the hospital. RESULTS: 257 participants (50.69%) were aware of eye donations. The major source of awareness was publicity campaigns (n=105). Only 22 (4.34%) participants were aware that eye donation had to be done within 6 hours of death. Four hundred and three (79.50%) participants were not aware of corneal transplantation. Illiteracy and rural residence were more likely predictors of ignorance. CONCLUSION: Although multiple strategies are currently followed to increase awareness of eye donations and corneal transplants, more innovative strategies have to be developed, especially to target illiterate and rural populations.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Awareness and use of osteopathic physicians in the United States: results of the Second Osteopathic Survey of Health Care in America (OSTEOSURV-II).

The Second Osteopathic Survey of Health Care in America (OSTEOSURV-II), a national telephone survey conducted during 2000 using random-digit dialing, was used to address questions about public awareness of the osteopathic medical profession and use of osteopathic physicians. A total of 499 adult, noninstitutionalized, household respondents were surveyed. The main outcomes included prevalence of and multivariate factors associated with awareness and use of osteopathic physicians. The overall response rate was 64%. The prevalence of awareness, lifetime use, and current use of osteopathic physicians among unscreened respondents was 46%, 16%, and 7%, respectively. Among lifetime users, 84% received primary care; 52%, osteopathic manipulative treatment; and 25%, specialty care. The multivariate factors most strongly associated with awareness of osteopathic physicians were college education (rate ratio [RR], 1.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.43-2.40), 60 or more years of age (RR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.15-2.01), and Midwest residence (RR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.05-1.84). Nonwhites, including Hispanics, were less likely to be aware of osteopathic physicians (RR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.38-0.76). Respondents with college education (RR, 2.34; 95% CI, 1.44-3.79), respondents of intermediate age (RR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.12-2.61), and women (RR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.12-2.52) were more likely to report lifetime use of osteopathic physicians. Nonwhites were less likely to report lifetime use (RR, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.11-0.57). Greater promotional efforts are needed to increase awareness of osteopathic medicine and to remove barriers to using osteopathic physicians, particularly among nonwhites.

Awareness↗
PubMed2004

[Trends in prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in middle-aged Chinese population].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the trends in prevalence, awareness, treatment, control of hypertension among middle-aged Chinese. METHODS: The study comprised two cross-sectional surveys including urban and rural residents, manual workers, farmers and fishermen in different southern and northern parts of China. There were 13 populations under research with comparable data. 18 746 (in 1992 - 1994) and 13 504 (in 1998) participants, aged 35 through 59 years, equal number of men and women, were examined in each of the surveys, on blood pressure measurement, in 1992 - 1994 and in 1998. Hypertension was defined as systolic pressure >/= 140 mm Hg, and/or diastolic pressure >/= 90 mm Hg, and/or reported treatment with antihypertensive medications. Awareness and treatment on hypertension were assessed with standardized questions. Hypertension control was defined as measured blood pressure of less than 140/90 mm Hg. Awareness, treatment and control of hypertension were standardized according to the WHO world standard population. RESULTS: In 1998, 24.0% of participants had hypertension, an increase of 2.3% from 1992 - 1994. Prevalence of hypertension was higher in urban area (25.4%), increasing with age, and higher in men among the younger groups and lower in women among the older groups. Overall, in 1998, 42.6% were aware of their hypertensive status (increase of 5.3%), 31.3% were treated (increase of 3.8%), and the rate under control was 6.0% (increase of 2.6%). The rates of awareness, treatment and control, which tended to increase with age except those aged above 55 years, which were higher in urban areas and women compared with rural areas and men. For people with treated hypertension, the rates of those under control were ranged from 12.7% in 1992 - 1994, to 19.9% in 1998. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of hypertension was increasing in China, while the rates of control, although improving, continued to be low. This implied that effective public measures needed to be developed to enhance the awareness and rates of treatment.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Phonological awareness in child with attention deficit disorder without learning disabilities].

INTRODUCTION: Phonological awareness problems have been reported in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, other researches found that phonological awareness problem appear only in children with learning disabilities (LD). OBJECTIVE: To analyze the performance on phonological awareness tasks of children aged 7 to11 years with ADHD combined type (ADHD/+H), and inattentive type (ADHD/-H) compared with one control group. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A non-randomized sample consisting of 96 children of both genders was selected. Children were attending to school in Medellin, Colombia. The sample was classified into three groups of 32 participants: ADHD/+H, ADHD/-H and control. LD was excluded using a standardized questionnaire for teachers (CEPA). Groups were sorted using a T score (3) 60 for cases and T score pound 50 for controls on a standardized questionnaire with DSM-IV-ADHD criteria, and on an ADHD-DSM-IV checklist. The performances of the three groups on phonological awareness tasks, as auditory discrimination, visual recognition, sequential repetition, oral segmentation, syllable inversion, similar words reading and writing, and pseudo-words reading and writing, were compared. RESULTS: Differences between ADHD and control children on phonological awareness tasks scores were not found. CONCLUSION: Children with ADHD without LD performed similarly to controls on phonological awareness tasks.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗
PubMed2005

Awareness and knowledge of diabetes in Chennai--the Chennai Urban Rural Epidemiology Study [CURES-9].

BACKGROUND AND AIM: There are virtually no epidemiological studies from India assessing the level of awareness of diabetes in a whole population. The aim of the present study was to assess the awareness of diabetes in an urban south Indian population in Chennai. METHODS: The Chennai Urban Rural Epidemiology Study (CURES) is an ongoing population based study conducted using a systematic sampling method on a representative population (aged > or = 20 years - 26001 individuals) of Chennai [formerly Madras], the largest city in Southern India. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain information related to demography, education and medical history. The questionnaire included five questions on diabetes awareness. RESULTS: Of the total 26,001 individuals, only 75.5% (19642/26001) of the whole population reported that they knew about a condition called diabetes or conversely nearly 25% of the Chennai population was unaware of a condition called diabetes. 60.2% (15656/26001) of all participants and 76.7% (1173/1529) of the self reported diabetic subjects knew that the prevalence of diabetes was increasing in India. Only 22.2% (5764/ 26001) of the whole population and 41.0% (627/1529) of the known diabetic subjects were aware that diabetes could be prevented. Knowledge of the role of obesity and physical inactivity in producing diabetes was very low, with only 11.9% (3083/26001) of study subjects reporting these as risk factors for diabetes. Only 19.0% (4951/26001) of whole population knew that diabetes could cause complications. Even among the self reported diabetic subjects, only 40.6% (621/1529) were aware that diabetes could produce some complications. CONCLUSION: Awareness and knowledge regarding diabetes is still grossly inadequate in India. Massive diabetes education programmes are urgently needed both in urban and rural India.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Awareness of risks of overweight among rural Australians.

INTRODUCTION: Overweight and obesity are highly prevalent in rural areas and pose significant risks to health. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the rural public in central Queensland are aware of the health risks of overweight and to determine whether their perceptions of weight status and methods used to assess weight status correspond with those of health professionals. METHODS: Adults were randomly selected from shoppers in shopping centres in Central Queensland, Australia, to self-complete a questionnaire that assessed participants' understanding of the health risks of overweight, perception of current weight, methods used to assess current weight and understanding of the concepts of body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). Participants were also asked to provide demographic details and self-report their height and weight. RESULTS: The majority of participants were appropriately aware that, regardless of their degree of physical activity, overweight is associated with increased risk of heart disease (92%), type 2 diabetes (83%) and stroke (83%). A large proportion were also aware of the association of overweight with sleep apnoea (69%), fertility problems (68%) and arthritis (57%) but few were aware of the link with asthma (35%) and various types of cancer (14-32%). Knowledge of the health risks of overweight did not differ greatly across the BMI spectrum, with similar beliefs expressed by those who were classified overweight or obese (based on self-reported data) and those who were not. Women were more aware of the health risks of overweight for type 2 diabetes and fertility problems, less likely to be overweight, and to more accurately perceive their weight status compared with men. The majority of participants used subjective measures to assess weight status and few used or understood BMI or WHR. CONCLUSIONS: Rural people in central Queensland appear to be well aware of the health risks of overweight but many are unable to identify overweight in themselves and few understand how to accurately gauge their weight status. This exploratory study highlights the need to educate people in these communities about accurate and objective measures to assess overweight and obesity. Further studies are needed to assess how common misperception of weight status is among rural populations in Australia and to determine whether this contributes to a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity in rural communities compared with urban areas.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of sex on differences in awareness, treatment, and control of high blood pressure.

Our purpose was to explain the reasons for sex differentials in the awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension by identifying major social and behavioral predictors of these three sequential stages of high blood pressure control. We analyzed data on all 1,433 hypertensive subjects from the First Connecticut Blood Pressure Survey. Hypertensive women were more likely than hypertensive men to be aware of their high blood pressure (odds ratio = 1.40; confidence interval = 1.10-1.79) and to have controlled levels of blood pressure (odds ratio = 1.62; confidence interval = 1.08-2.44). Men and women who were aware of their hypertension were equally likely to be treated. Sex still explained differences in awareness and control of hypertension after adjusting for other significant variables. We conclude that sex is an important predictive covariate for adjustment in explaining differences in awareness and control of high blood pressure. Health care professionals should be aware of the differential role of sex when informing and treating hypertensive patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Self-reported awareness of the presence of product warning messages and signs by Hispanics in San Francisco.

This study investigated the self-reported awareness of the presence of product warning messages and signs among random samples of Hispanics in San Francisco surveyed in 1990 and in 1991. The messages that were tested related to cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, and other consumer products. A random sample of 1,204 Hispanics (43.5 percent males) were interviewed by telephone in 1990. The corresponding figure for the second survey in 1991 was 1,569 Hispanics (41.1 percent males). In general, respondents reported low levels of awareness of the presence of product warning messages and signs. The exception was warning messages on cigarette packets which approximately 70 percent of the respondents reported having seen within the 12 months before the survey. There was an increase from 1990 to 1991 in the reported awareness of warning messages for wine, beer, and cigarettes. Smokers and drinkers of alcoholic beverages reported the highest levels of awareness of the relevant warning messages and signs. Length of exposure to warning messages and multiplicity of sources (for example, advertisements and products) seem to produce greater levels of awareness of the presence of product warning messages. Less acculturated, Spanish-speaking Hispanics are less likely to report being aware of the warnings, particularly those that appear only in English (for example, alcoholic beverages).

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Peripheral arterial disease detection, awareness, and treatment in primary care.

CONTEXT: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a manifestation of systemic atherosclerosis that is common and is associated with an increased risk of death and ischemic events, yet may be underdiagnosed in primary care practice. OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility of detecting PAD in primary care clinics, patient and physician awareness of PAD, and intensity of risk factor treatment and use of antiplatelet therapies in primary care clinics. DESIGN AND SETTING: The PAD Awareness, Risk, and Treatment: New Resources for Survival (PARTNERS) program, a multicenter, cross-sectional study conducted at 27 sites in 25 cities and 350 primary care practices throughout the United States in June-October 1999. PATIENTS: A total of 6979 patients aged 70 years or older or aged 50 through 69 years with history of cigarette smoking or diabetes were evaluated by history and by measurement of the ankle-brachial index (ABI). PAD was considered present if the ABI was 0.90 or less, if it was documented in the medical record, or if there was a history of limb revascularization. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) was defined as a history of atherosclerotic coronary, cerebral, or abdominal aortic aneurysmal disease. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Frequency of detection of PAD; physician and patient awareness of PAD diagnosis; treatment intensity in PAD patients compared with treatment of other forms of CVD and with patients without clinical evidence of atherosclerosis. RESULTS: PAD was detected in 1865 patients (29%); 825 of these (44%) had PAD only, without evidence of CVD. Overall, 13% had PAD only, 16% had PAD and CVD, 24% had CVD only, and 47% had neither PAD nor CVD (the reference group). There were 457 patients (55%) with newly diagnosed PAD only and 366 (35%) with PAD and CVD who were newly diagnosed during the survey. Eighty-three percent of patients with prior PAD were aware of their diagnosis, but only 49% of physicians were aware of this diagnosis. Among patients with PAD, classic claudication was distinctly uncommon (11%). Patients with PAD had similar atherosclerosis risk factor profiles compared with those who had CVD. Smoking behavior was more frequently treated in patients with new (53%) and prior PAD (51%) only than in those with CVD only (35%; P <.001). Hypertension was treated less frequently in new (84%) and prior PAD (88%) only vs CVD only (95%; P <.001) and hyperlipidemia was treated less frequently in new (44%) and prior PAD (56%) only vs CVD only (73%, P<.001). Antiplatelet medications were prescribed less often in patients with new (33%) and prior PAD (54%) only vs CVD only (71%, P<.001). Treatment intensity for diabetes and use of hormone replacement therapy in women were similar across all groups. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of PAD in primary care practices is high, yet physician awareness of the PAD diagnosis is relatively low. A simple ABI measurement identified a large number of patients with previously unrecognized PAD. Atherosclerosis risk factors were very prevalent in PAD patients, but these patients received less intensive treatment for lipid disorders and hypertension and were prescribed antiplatelet therapy less frequently than were patients with CVD. These results demonstrate that underdiagnosis of PAD in primary care practice may be a barrier to effective secondary prevention of the high ischemic cardiovascular risk associated with PAD.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

The Glu23Lys polymorphism in KCNJ11 and impaired hypoglycaemia awareness in patients with type 1 diabetes.

Impaired awareness of hypoglycaemia affects approximately 25% of all patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Duration of diabetes and tight glycaemic control represent the main risk factors for hypoglycaemia unawareness. However, even among patients with good glycaemic control and longstanding T1D, awareness of hypoglycaemia may be intact. Genetic factors might explain some of this remaining variability, and genes involved in central glucose sensing should represent plausible candidates. Some evidence indicates that ventromedial hypothalamus glucose-responsive neurons require the potassium inward rectifier (KIR) 6.2 subunit of the K(ATP) channel to sense glucose. Therefore, the effects of the Glu23Lys polymorphism in the KCNJ11 (KIR6.2) gene (potassium inwardly rectifying channel, subfamily J, member 11) on impaired hypoglycaemia awareness in 217 patients with T1D were studied. Hypoglycaemia awareness status was determined using standardized questionnaires. Genotyping of the Glu23Lys in a cohort of T1D subjects was done using the TaqMan allelic discrimination assay (frequency of the Lys-allele = 0.35; P = 0.57 for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium). The study confirms that diabetes duration, C-peptide, and HbA(1c) represent risk factors for impaired hypoglycaemia awareness. However, no significant effect of the Glu23Lys polymorphism on impaired hypoglycaemia awareness was observed with or without adjustment for age, diabetes duration, C-peptide, and HbA(1c). Even though the study provides a relatively large dataset, it is possible that small differences may have been missed.

Adult↗
PubMed2007

Cultural awareness through medical student and refugee patient encounters.

PURPOSE: This paper presents findings from a qualitative investigation of cultural awareness that medical students developed in the context of providing medical care to refugees. Our evaluation question was: What kinds of cultural awareness and communication lessons do medical students derive from clinical encounters with refugee patients? METHODS: Thirty-eight semi-structured interviews were conducted to debrief a sample of 27 medical students. A multidisciplinary research team analyzed the debriefing texts following an interpretive "immersion-crystallization" approach. RESULTS: Three domains in cultural awareness training encompassed 13 key lessons or themes. Students reported enhanced awareness about the use of interpretation services and cross-cultural communication. A second set of lessons reflected awareness of the refugees' cultural background, and a third learning component involved experiences of cultural humility. The refugee plight prompted reflection on the students' own culture, and validated the rationale for empathetic care and patient empowerment. CONCLUSION: As medical school curricula incorporate more cultural diversity training, a patient-based learning approach with selected 'hands-on' experiences will create opportunities for students to increase their cultural sensitivity and competency. This program's experiential model indicates that after refugee medical encounters, these beginning medical students reported greater awareness of communication issues, and sensitivity toward religious values, family patterns, gender roles and ethnomedical treatments. It will be important to test these kinds of preceptor/apprenticeship models of cultural sensitivity training at later stages of medical training; in order to assess long-term effects.

Communication↗
PubMed2004

Emerging phonological awareness differentiates children with and without familial risk for dyslexia after controlling for general language skills.

Emerging phonological awareness was compared in two groups of 3.5-year-old children belonging to the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Dyslexia (JLD): children with familial risk of dyslexia (at-risk group n = 98) and children without such risk (control group n = 91). Four computer animated tasks were used: Word-level and Syllable-level Segment Identification, Synthesis, and Continuation of Phonological Units. The control group children manifested higher mastery than children in the at-risk group in phonological awareness, and the proportion of children with a low phonological awareness mean score was 2.5 times higher in the at-risk group than in the control group. In both groups, phonological awareness at 3.5 years was predicted by early language skills assessed between 14 and 26 months of age, and it was also associated with concurrent language. The difference between the at-risk and control group at 3.5-year in phonological awareness remained significant, even when the effect of other language skills such as productive and receptive vocabulary, and mastery of inflections, measured both at earlier ages and concurrently were controlled for. Our findings indicate that familial risk for dyslexia is reliably reflected in emerging phonological awareness already at this early age and it can be assessed independently of other language skills.

Articulation Disorders↗