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An educational intervention on promotion of breast feeding complemented by continuing support.

The study, aiming to document the effect of continued support for mothers on frequency of exclusive breast feeding, was carried out by inclusion of breast feeding counselling in the context of well-baby care. One hundred and forty-six mothers who had been exposed to two educational sessions on breast feeding after delivery were given appointments to bring their baby to the paediatric hospital for well-baby care. The mother-infant pairs were followed by the same two residents for 4 months. Mean number of visits was six. A conscious effort was made during all visits to influence the mothers and their close relatives towards exclusive breast feeding. It was observed that in a large proportion of the infants, breast milk was being supplemented with water at the time of the first visit and no further effort was made to change this traditional behaviour. Comparison of the results with a group of mothers who had been exposed to similar educational sessions after delivery but without further support showed a striking increase in frequency of exclusive breast feeding (breast milk and water) in the supported group.

Adult↗

Use of health care services in two rural communities in Tanzania.

This study was undertaken to investigate the pattern of utilization of medical and dental health care services in rural Tanzania. Two hundred adults, 91 men and 109 women aged 20 or over, were interviewed. Nearly all subjects reported using modern dental and medical health care services. Home remedy was the only indigenous method of treatment used for dental problems while for medical problems a traditional healer was the most commonly used indigenous alternative. The use of both indigenous and modern health care services was significantly lower for dental than for medical problems (P < 0.05). It seems that the pattern of utilization of health care services differs for medical and dental problems. This should be taken into account when planning comprehensive health care services for rural African societies.

Adult↗

Clinical color match of porcelain visual shade-matching systems.

BACKGROUND: Accuracy of the total color replication process has not been clinically evaluated for various porcelain visual shade-matching systems. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the final color replication process of three porcelain visual shade-matching systems. Subjects' natural dentition was compared with laboratory-fabricated individualized porcelain shade tabs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Shade matches of 10 subjects' incisors were obtained using three different porcelain visual shade-matching systems. Commercial laboratories fabricated one corresponding individualized porcelain shade tab for each incisor per visual shade-matching system selection. Color-match evaluations of the fabricated individualized porcelain shade tabs to the corresponding teeth were completed by prosthodontists' consensus and by subjects' self-evaluation using the US Public Health Service criteria. Statistical analysis was carried out on the combined evaluations with logistic regression and the Generalized Estimating Equation for repeated measures. RESULTS: The Vitapan 3D Master/Omega 900 system (Vident Inc., Brea, CA, USA) was significantly more likely than the Vita Lumin Vacuum/VMK 68 system (Vident Inc.) to obtain a clinically acceptable color match (odds ratio [OR]=6.31; 95% CI=1.24-32.07). The likelihood of obtaining a clinically acceptable color match through subjects' self-evaluation was found to be significantly higher compared with prosthodontists' consensus (OR=2.75; 95% CI=1.27-5.94). CONCLUSIONS: Within the limits of this preliminary study, significant differences in clinical acceptability were seen between the color matches of the fabricated individualized porcelain shade tabs from different systems and subjects' central incisors. Subjects' range of acceptability was much broader compared with that of the prosthodontists in assessing the color match of the fabricated porcelain shade tabs. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The use of certain porcelain visual shade-matching systems may result in a clinically acceptable color match of the final restoration more readily than the use of other systems. Color-match evaluation of final restorations should be accomplished through a consensus between prosthodontists and patients, given the difference in thresholds of acceptability.

Adult↗

A school-linked health service for adolescents in Jerusalem.

This paper describes the Adolescent Health Service (AHS) and its multidisciplinary, school-linked, community-based adolescent health clinic located in a western neighborhood of Jerusalem. Files of the first 134 adolescents who completed or discontinued treatment in the clinic during the first two years of operation were reviewed for demographic data, referral source, number of visits, health concerns and clinical impressions. The clinic population included Jewish Jerusalem residents, ages 12-18, 75% of whom were female. Most referrals came from schools. The average number of visits per patient was five (range 1-20). The most frequent presenting concerns as well as the most frequent clinical impressions were in the psychosocial and nutritional domains. Concordance between presenting concern and clinical impression was 61% (k = 0.47). Health problems of Israeli high school students attending the clinic mainly were psychosocial and nutritional. The school-linked health service applied a comprehensive approach to the biopsychosocial needs of adolescents, not addressed at other health services.

Adolescent↗

Evaluation of a third grade sexual abuse curriculum.

This paper presents results from a third grade sexual abuse prevention program. A 24-item questionnaire was administered as a pretest and post-test to an experimental group (n = 236) and a control group (n = 195) of third grade students. Those receiving the sexual abuse prevention program significantly increased their sexual abuse knowledge scores from pretest to post-test. In addition, differences in knowledge were significantly higher in the experimental compared to the control group. Students who received the sexual abuse curriculum significantly improved from pretest to post-test on their behavioral intention scores. Results from this evaluation indicated a modest improvement can be obtained through use of this two-hour sexual abuse prevention curriculum.

Child↗

Productive efficiency of rural health clinics: the Midwest experience.

This article identifies the characteristics of efficient and inefficient rural clinics in the Midwest, using 1994 Medicare cost reports. Rural health clinics are compared on the basis of productive efficiency by estimating a nonparametric frontier. Six inputs and five output categories were employed to estimate an efficient frontier. The results show that an efficient clinic, on average, employs approximately 1.5 more physicians than an inefficient clinic and incurs capital expenses more than twice those of the inefficient clinic. Future rural clinics are expected to be larger, employing more capital and labor to take advantage of scale economies. However, given the steady (or decreasing) population of rural communities, the expansion of relatively small rural clinics could involve forming rural health care systems and/or networks in close proximity to create synergies from scale economies, staff recruitment, easier access to capital, shared information systems, improved mobility of physicians among several clinics and savings from management costs.

Aged↗

The reported value of rural internal medicine residency electives and factors that influence rural career choice.

This study examines how rural electives affect medical residents' opinions about rural practice and which factors encourage or discourage choice of rural practice. Participants in a one- to two-month rural elective and a matched group of randomly selected nonparticipants were surveyed. Seventy percent of the elective participants (n = 58) and 61% of the matched nonparticipants (n = 51) completed the questionnaire. The groups' responses to scaled response measures and open-ended questions were analyzed using t , chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests. A majority of participants stated that the elective was a beneficial experience (n = 36), and participants' interest in rural practice increased significantly after the elective. Elective participants were more likely than nonparticipants to see breadth of practice, continuity of care, quality of life in rural areas, and experiences with mentors as encouraging rural practice. Elective participation did not demonstrably increase rural career choice, although this finding may be attributable to small sample size. Respondents identified means to encourage rural practice, as well as barriers to rural practice: Elective participants suggested that electives may be more effective if they occurred earlier in medical training, lasted for longer periods of time, and addressed the needs of spouses or partners. Generalizability is limited by several factors, including small sample size and the possibility of pre-existing differences between elective participants and nonparticipants.

Career Choice↗

Managed care in dental markets: is the experience of medicine relevant?

OBJECTIVE: This paper reports on factors that predict the market penetration and growth into the market of both medical and dental managed care, and the relationship between the two. METHODS: Using data from the National Association of Dental Plans, the Interstudy Competitive Edge HMO Census, and the Area Resource File from 1987-95, we created an analytic data base covering the dental HMO market, the medical HMO market, dentist and physician supply, and regional market characteristics. Simple correlation analysis and multivariate linear regression using ordinary least-squares techniques were used to predict medical HMO penetration and dental HMO penetration in each state during 1994 and 1995. RESULTS: The results show that although the penetration of dental HMOs has been modest when compared to medicine, its growth is predictable by the same factors, and closely follows the pattern found in medical markets. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the observed relationship between medical and dental HMO penetration rates, there are potential barriers to managed care in the case of dentistry that may explain the slower growth to date, and that may ultimately decide the extent of managed care penetration into the dental market.

Dental Care↗

Response and nonresponse bias in oral health surveys.

Oral health surveys are undertaken to provide estimates of the dental health and behaviors of populations or population subgroups. However, the integrity of the data from sample surveys may be compromised by one or more sources of sampling and nonsampling error. An important source of nonsampling error is the failure to collect data from some of the individuals comprising the sample. Consequently, the response to a sample survey, and the direction and magnitude of bias induced by nonresponse, need to be taken into account when using estimates derived from sample surveys. Although the response rate to a survey is usually used as an indicator of the quality of the data it provides, nonresponse error is a function of nonresponse and the extent of differences in the characteristics of responders and nonresponders. Nonresponse may be managed in two ways. The first is to reduce nonresponse to a minimum using response-enhancement strategies. The second is the post-survey adjustment of data using weighting or imputation techniques to produce estimates that correct for nonresponse. This paper discusses issues concerning response and nonresponse bias in oral health surveys and provides guidelines on the management and reporting of nonresponse. It describes response-enhancement strategies to reduce noncontacts and refusals, sources of data to facilitate the comparison of responders and nonresponders, methods of assessing the degree of bias induced by nonresponse, techniques for producing adjusted survey estimates, and the assumptions on which these procedures and processes are based.

Bias↗

Promotion by the British pharmaceutical industry, 1983-8: a critical analysis of self regulation.

Since 1958 the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has attempted to regulate the promotion of prescription medicines through its code of practice. This regulation is described and analysed for the six years 1983-8 using the reports on 302 complaints considered by its code of practice committee and annual reports. The complaints came mainly from doctors (143, 48%) and competing companies (103, 33%). The committee found a total of 379 breaches of the code in 192 (63%) of the complaints. Additional breaches were detected by informational scrutiny of advertisements by the ABPI secretariat. Analysis showed that 270 (71%) of these breaches involved possible breaches of the Medicines Act. The rules that forbid misleading or unsubstantiated information and misleading claims or comparisons were broken most often. The committee found the most frequent offenders to be Organon (32 breaches), Smith Kline and French (23), Glaxo (21), A H Robins (18), Bayer (17), Merck Sharp and Dohme (17), and Lederle (16). Often the promotion of one product led to several breaches. The promotional wars over histamine H2 receptor antagonists accounted for 33 breaches. It is estimated that in 1983-8 about 100 breaches of the code were detected a year. In the 18 years 1972-88 the Medicines Act was breached probably over 1200 times. Health ministers, by not enforcing the regulations controlling promotion, have abrogated their responsibility to the ABPI, but the evidence suggests that the code has failed to deter promotional excesses. The ABPI's wish to secure compliance with the code seems weaker than its wish to pre-empt outside criticism and action: its self regulation seems to be a service to itself rather than to the public. It is suggested that the code of practice committee should become publicly accountable, that the majority of its members should represent the health professions and the public, and that effective sanctions are needed.

Advertising↗

Immunisation in a curative setting.

OBJECTIVE: To study the uptake of vaccination offered to women and children attending a curative health facility. DESIGN: Prospective survey over eight months of the uptake of vaccination offered to unimmunised women and children attending a diarrhoeal treatment centre as patients or attendants. SETTING: The International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh. SUBJECTS: An estimated 19,349 unimmunised women aged 15 to 45 and 17,372 children attending the centre for treatment or accompanying patients between 1 January and 31 August 1989. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The number of women and children who were unimmunised or incompletely immunised was calculated and the percentage of this target population accepting vaccination was recorded. RESULTS: 7530 (84.2%) Of 8944 eligible children and 7730 (40.4%) of 19,138 eligible women were vaccinated. Of the children, 63.8% were boys, 75.9% were aged under 1 year, and 23.0% were aged 1 to 2 years. The estimated number of missed opportunities for vaccination was 716 among the children (8.0% of the target population) and 11,408 among the women (59.6% of those eligible). CONCLUSION: It is possible to establish immunisation services at a health facility treating acutely ill patients.

Bangladesh↗