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Impact of the 1994 expanded World Health Organization AIDS case definition on AIDS surveillance in university hospitals and tuberculosis centers in Côte d'Ivoire.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of the 1994 expanded World Health Organization (WHO) AIDS case definition on AIDS surveillance in Côte d'Ivoire. DESIGN: Prospective AIDS case surveillance. METHODS: From March 1994 through December 1996, passive AIDS case surveillance was conducted at the three university hospitals in Abidjan, and active AIDS case surveillance was conducted at the eight tuberculosis (TB) centers in Côte d'Ivoire. Standardized questionnaires were administered and blood samples for HIV serologic testing were collected from the patients evaluated. The numbers of persons who met the modified 1985 WHO clinical AIDS case definition (Bangui definition) and the 1994 expanded WHO AIDS case definition were determined, and the clinical characteristics of these patients were assessed. RESULTS: Of 8648 university hospital patients, 3658 (42.3%) met the clinical and/or the expanded case definition: 744 (20.3%) HIV-seropositive persons met only the expanded definition, 44 (1.2%) HIV-seropositive persons met only the clinical definition, 2334 (63.8%) HIV-seropositive persons met both definitions, and 536 (14.7%) HIV-seronegative persons met only the clinical definition. Of 18,661 TB center patients, 9664 (51.8%) met the clinical and/or the expanded definition: 5685 (58.8%) HIV-seropositive persons met only the expanded definition, none of the HIV-seropositive persons met only the clinical definition (by definition), 2625 (27.2%) HIV-seropositive persons met both definitions, and 1354 (14.0%) HIV-seronegative persons met only the clinical definition. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the inclusion of multiple severe HIV-related illnesses into the expanded definition, the number of reportable AIDS cases in HIV-seropositive patients increased 31.3% in the university hospitals, and 217% in the TB centers. The inclusion of HIV seropositivity as a criterion for the expanded definition also enhanced the specificity of AIDS case reporting, eliminating 536 cases in the university hospitals and 1354 cases in the TB centers in HIV-seronegative patients who had clinical signs of AIDS. The use of the 1994 expanded definition for surveillance purposes should be encouraged in areas of the developing world where HIV serologic testing is available.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

Nurses' compliance with universal precautions before and after implementation of OSHA regulations.

The principal objective of this study was to investigate whether or not nurses' compliance with universal precautions procedures improved after the mandatory Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations were implemented in 1992. Two random samples of registered nurses and licensed practical nurses registered in Tennessee responded to survey questionnaires measuring universal precautions compliance and practice barriers to compliance in 1991 and 1993 (n = 306). The 1993 sample of nurses reported significantly greater compliance with universal precautions (p < 0.001) than the 1991 sample. The most noteworthy improvement between the 1991 and the 1993 groups was a significant increase in compliance for patients described as HIV/HBV-status unknown and HIV/HBV-negative (p < 0.001). Practice barriers hindering compliance with universal precautions decreased significantly (p < 0.001) in the 1991-1993 time frame. Problematic practice barriers identified in both groups were needle recapping, preference for isolation door signs, and concerns about offending patients and visitors.

Adult↗

Impact of environment on state university hospital performance. An explanatory model.

This article, by means of a path model, shows the impact of environment on state university hospital performance. The state environment is shown to affect systematically the intensity of local competition, the reputation of the medical school, the financial independence of the parent university, the allocation of indigent care dollars, the nature of governance and management, and the performance of the hospital. Results show that while certain environments are predictably more supportive of universities and university hospitals, these environments tend also to attract health care competition. Competition is shown to pressure hospitals into greater efficiency, but competition is shown also to hurt viability. But a hospital management that pays attention to the hospital environment is shown to help both efficiency and viability. The model explains respectively 37% and 46% of the variance in hospital efficiency and viability.

Data Collection↗

Peak aerobic performance and left ventricular morphological characteristics in university students.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a relationship exists between left ventricular morphology and aerobic capacity in large numbers of male university students with a physically inactive and active life style. DESIGN: A prospective study. SETTING: Sports medicine research center. PARTICIPANTS: Eleven sedentary normal-weight university students, 17 sedentary overweight university students, and 215 university athletes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: After the echocardiographic examination, an incremental treadmill exercise test until exhaustion was performed to measure peak oxygen uptake (VO2). RESULTS: In sedentary students, absolute peak VO2 in the overweight students was slightly higher than that in normal-weight students (3,024 vs. 2.912 ml/min). Relative peak VO2 (ml/min/kg) was highly negatively correlated with body mass index (kg/m2) in a total of 28 sedentary students. The correlation between absolute peak VO2 and left ventricular dimension was weak in the sedentary overweight students; however, a correlation coefficient of 0.55 was obtained in athletic students. A stepwise multiple regression showed significant determinants of absolute peak VO2 in athletic students for body surface area (45%), left ventricular dimension (7%), and certain sports (6%). CONCLUSIONS: A physically active life style plays a role in increasing both aerobic capacity and left ventricular enlargement. Body size appeared to be a potent stimulus to left ventricular enlargement.

Adult↗

Concussions among university football and soccer players.

OBJECTIVE: A study to examine the incidence and characteristics of concussions among Canadian university athletes during 1 full year of football and soccer participation. DESIGN: Retrospective survey. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred eighty Canadian university football and 240 Canadian university soccer players reporting to 1999 fall training camp. Of these, 328 football and 201 soccer players returned a completed questionnaire. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Based on self-reported symptoms, calculations were made to determine the number of concussions experienced during the previous full year of football or soccer participation, the duration of symptoms, the time for return to play, and any associated risk factors for concussions. RESULTS: Of all the athletes who returned completed questionnaires, 70.4% of the football players and 62.7% of the soccer players had experienced symptoms of a concussion during the previous year. Only 23.4% of the concussed football players and 19.8% of the concussed soccer players realized they had suffered a concussion. More than one concussion was experienced by 84.6% of the concussed football players and 81.7% of the concussed soccer players. Examining symptom duration, 27.6% of all concussed football players and 18.8% of all concussed soccer players experienced symptoms for at least 1 day or longer. Tight end and defensive lineman were the positions most commonly affected in football, while goalies were the players most commonly affected in soccer. Variables that increased the odds of suffering a concussion during the previous year for football players included a history of a traumatic loss of consciousness or a recognized concussion in the past. Variables that increased the odds of suffering a concussion during the previous year for soccer players included a past history of a recognized concussion while playing soccer and being female. CONCLUSIONS: University football and soccer players seem to be experiencing a significant amount of concussions while participating in their respective sports. Variables that seem to increase the odds of suffering a concussion during the previous year for football and soccer players include a history of a recognized concussion. Despite being relatively common, symptoms of concussion may not be recognized by many players.

Adult↗

Ametropia and ocular biometry in a U.K. university student population.

PURPOSE: The prevalence of myopia is known to vary with age, ethnicity, level of education, and socioeconomic status, with a high prevalence reported in university students and in people from East Asian countries. This study determines the prevalence of ametropia in a mixed ethnicity U.K. university student population and compares associated ocular biometric measures. METHODS: Refractive error and related ocular component data were collected on 373 first-year U.K. undergraduate students (mean age = 19.55 years +/- 2.99, range = 17-30 years) at the start of the academic year at Aston University, Birmingham, and the University of Bradford, West Yorkshire. The ethnic variation of the students was as follows: white 38.9%, British Asian 58.2%, Chinese 2.1%, and black 0.8%. Noncycloplegic refractive error was measured with an infrared open-field autorefractor, the Shin-Nippon NVision-K 5001 (Shin Nippon, Ryusyo Industrial Co. Ltd, Osaka, Japan). Myopia was defined as a mean spherical equivalent (MSE) less than or equal to -0.50 D. Hyperopia was defined as an MSE greater than or equal to +0.50 D. Axial length, corneal curvature, and anterior chamber depth were measured using the Zeiss IOLMaster (Carl Zeiss, Jena, GmBH). RESULTS: The analysis was carried out only for white and British Asian groups. The overall distribution of refractive error exhibited leptokurtosis, and prevalence levels were similar for white and British Asian (the predominant ethnic group) students across each ametropic group: myopia (50% vs. 53.4%), hyperopia (18.8% vs. 17.3%), and emmetropia (31.2% vs. 29.3%). There were no significant differences in the distribution of ametropia and biometric components between white and British Asian samples. CONCLUSION: The absence of a significant difference in refractive error and ocular components between white and British Asian students exposed to the same educational system is of interest. However, it is clear that a further study incorporating formal epidemiologic methods of analysis is required to address adequately the recent proposal that juvenile myopia develops principally from "myopiagenic" environments and is relatively independent of ethnicity.

Adolescent↗

Health-promoting behaviors and psychosocial well-being of university students in Hong Kong.

The objective of this study was to examine health-promoting behaviors and psychosocial well-being of university students in Hong Kong. A cross-sectional study was conducted using convenience sample (n = 247) of students recruited at various locations on campus. The Chinese version of the Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP-II; S. Walker, K. Sechrist, & N. Pender, 1995) was given to students as a questionnaire. Relatively few university students had a sense of "health responsibility" (6.5-27.1%), engaged in any form of physical activity (31.2%), or exercised regularly (13.8%). Less than half ate fruits (35.2%) and vegetables (48.9%) every day. Positive personal growth was reported by 50.6% of the students; 42.5% used stress-management skills and 74.1% rated their interpersonal relationships as meaningful and fulfilling. Students' scores on the health responsibility, nutritional habits, spiritual growth, interpersonal relations, or stress-management subscales of the HPLP-II did not differ significantly by gender, but males scored better than females (p = 0.001) on the physical exercise subscale. This study provides information on gender differences and specific needs of students which can help university administrators, curriculum planners, and community health professionals design guidelines for structuring a healthier environment and developing health education programs that support healthy choices among university students.

Adult↗

Australian medical education in a time of change: a view from the University of Sydney.

In 1991, vigorous debate was regenerated in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Sydney about the desirability of changing the traditional 6-year undergraduate medical programme to a 4-year, graduate model. Similar discussion occurred at the same time largely independently in two other Australian medical schools (at Flinders University and the University of Queensland). After a year of active investigation and consideration, all three made the decision to proceed. Although the specific reasons driving each institution differed somewhat, some concerns were common to all three. I here review the history of the process of change, the strategies used to encourage discussion and the major issues for the Medical Faculty at the University of Sydney.

Adolescent↗

Sexual behavior survey and screening for chlamydia and gonorrhea in university students in South Korea.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the present study was to define the prevalence of genital Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections and status of sexual risk behavior among university students (18-25 years old) in the capital region of South Korea. METHODS: Participants filled out a self-administered questionnaire related to sexuality. First-void urine was analyzed for chlamydial and gonococcal infection by strand displacement amplification (BDProbTecET, BD Diagnostic Systems, MD). RESULTS: A total of 622 students from 15 colleges in three universities took part in the study. The median age was 21 and 39.1% of them reported having sexual intercourse at least once. The prevalence of C. trachomatis among sexually active men and women was 8.4% and 10.6%, respectively. Gonococcal infection was noted in one symptomatic male. Factors significantly associated with infection were the number of sexual partners during past year and lifetime and condom use. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening in university students in South Korea. Urine-based STI screening was both feasible and acceptable in university students in South Korea. It should be considered a routine part of programs to control STI nationally.

Adolescent↗

Universal precautions compliance and exposure frequency to patient body fluids in nurses employed by urban and rural health care agencies.

Previous studies have suggested that health care workers may differ with respect to universal precautions knowledge, compliance, practice setting barriers, or exposure to patient body fluids in rural and urban areas. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not there are rural/urban differences in the degree of precaution taken by health care workers to prevent the spread of blood borne pathogens, specifically human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV). A random sample of rural and urban registered and licensed practical nurses in Tennessee was surveyed. The respondents completed two instruments that assessed self-reported universal precautions knowledge, precautions, and practice barriers. No measurable differences in universal precautions knowledge, compliance, or barrier scores between the two groups were found; yet rural nurses were 2.7 times as likely to be exposed to patient body fluids than urban nurses (P < 0.005). The conclusion was that rural nurses were as experienced and as knowledgeable about universal precaution techniques as their urban peers, but their knowledge was not translated into practice to the same degree. Two possible explanations offered are (1) rural nurses are more likely to be acquainted with, and thus trusting of, their patients, and (2) the lower seroprevalence of human immunodefiency virus and hepatitis B virus in rural areas may lead to complacency.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Legislative and humanitarian impetus for development of alcohol and other drug policy at an Australian university.

The rationale for comprehensive alcohol and other drug policy at a tertiary institution is presented here as a health promotion strategy for educating University policy makers. Particular emphasis is placed on a discussion of humanitarian issues, that is, the right to a healthy environment, and the potential for legal liability in an environment where alcohol is readily available and other drugs are present. There is little attention paid to drug use related legal issues in the University, but at the same time drawing the attention of policy makers to the organisation's vulnerability to lawsuits has been reported to be a motivating force for adoption of drug use policy. Universities do experience problems related to alcohol and other drug use by staff and students. Problem reduction, and better management of problems, are the major goals of policy in this area. Local initiatives, for example at the organisational level, make important contributions to the overall drug prevention efforts of the nation. Well-developed policy and procedures and effective implementation constitute an important structural health promotion strategy. Such policy would comply with the immediate requirements of Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare legislation and provide some protection against wrongful dismissal claims and negligence lawsuits, as well as providing long-term educative effects. Situations for which policies are needed, range widely due to the University's unique environment and complex roles.

Adolescent↗

Undergraduate research, graduate mentoring, and the university's mission.

Undergraduate research and graduate mentoring have received a great deal of attention in recent times. What do these activities have in common? They both speak to the primary mission of the research university, which is not merely carrying out research but training students to do research. The knowledge-based global economy, with its wealth of information and opportunities, has increased undergraduate students' need for research skills as well as graduate students' desire for personal guidance. As the research university matures, the boundaries between graduate and undergraduate education are blurring. Indeed, if we focus on the learning process, we find not two but five levels of learning at the research university: lower division, upper division, master's, doctoral, and postdoctoral. All five levels form a continuum, a series of gradual steps. The mission of the university is to introduce students to research, to inspire in them a passion for discovery at each of these levels.

Curriculum↗

Industrial support of university research in biotechnology.

A 1984 study of biotechnology companies reveals that nearly one-half of all such firms fund research in universities. Industry may support as much as one-quarter of all biotechnology research in institutions of higher education. These investments seem to be yielding substantial benefits to involved firms. Per dollar invested, university research is generating more patent applications than is other company research. Research relationships do pose some risks to traditional university values such as openness of communication among scholars. These risks may be greater in relationships involving small firms. The data also reveal that government is now, and seems likely to remain, the principal source of support for university research in biotechnology.

Industry↗

Science and the universities.

The university system in Canada, as well as its method of funding, was built on the expectation of growth. It is now necessary to consider what effect the expected decline in enrollment may have on the ability of the university system to serve national needs. Neither the government nor the universities have had any experience that would fit them for carrying out effectively, humanly, and economically the kind of contraction that may be required, while still maintaining the quality of education. Such an adjustment is going to require the best efforts of the universities and the two senior levels of government working in concert, as well as the support of the public. Parallels are drawn with the situation in the United States.

Canada↗

Socioeconomic disparities in health care use: Does universal coverage reduce inequalities in health?

BACKGROUND: Despite enormous public sector expenditures, the effectiveness of universal coverage for health care in reducing socioeconomic disparities in health has received little attention. STUDY OBJECTIVE: s: To evaluate whether universal coverage for health care reduces socioeconomic disparities in health. DESIGN: Information on participants of the 1990 Nova Scotia Nutrition Survey was linked with eight years of administrative health services data and mortality. The authors first examined whether lower socioeconomic groups use more health services, as would be expected given their poorer health status. They then investigated to what extent differential use of health services modifies socioeconomic disparities in mortality. Finally, the authors evaluated health services use in the last years of life when health is poor regardless of a person's socioeconomic background. SETTING: The Canadian province of Nova Scotia, which provides universal health care coverage to all residents. PARTICIPANTS: 1816 non-institutionalised adults, aged 18-75 years, from a two stage cluster sample stratified by age, gender, and region. MAIN RESULTS: People with lower socioeconomic background used comparatively more family physician and hospital services, in such a way as to ameliorate the socioeconomic differences in mortality. In contrast, specialist services were comparatively underused by people in lower socioeconomic groups. In the last three years of life, use of specialist services was significantly higher in the highest income group. CONCLUSIONS: Universal coverage of family physician and hospital services ameliorate the socioeconomic differences in mortality. However, specialist services are underused in lower socioeconomic groups, bearing the potential to widen the socioeconomic gap in health.

Adolescent↗

Jewish medicine and the University of Padua: contribution of the Padua graduate Toviah Cohen to nephrology.

During the period of the 11th to 17th century, the access of Jews to European universities was restricted and even those who were fortunate enough to be admitted to a university were not awarded a degree at the end of their studies. An exception to this situation was the University of Padua that allowed Jewish students to study and awarded them degrees; indeed 229 physicians graduated from this university between 1409 and 1721. Among these physicians there were many luminaries such as Joseph Del Medigo, Salmon Congeliano and Toviah Cohen. The latter made many contributions to the field of nephrology. In this treatise Maaseh Toviah he discussed uroscopy, kidney function, body fluid homeostasis and obstructive uropathy.

Europe↗

Prevalence of bulimia in working and university women.

The authors determined the prevalence of binge eating and bulimia in samples of 139 working women and 234 women who were university students. Although binge eating was found in 57 (41%) of the working women and 161 (69%) of the university women, the syndrome of bulimia was found in only two (1%) of the working women and 12 (5%) of the university women. These findings, although significant, stand in sharp contrast to popular reports that one-half or more of young women suffer from eating disorders. Further, they reveal systematic differences in the prevalence of bulimic behaviors between working women and university women. Results are discussed in terms of factors that might be associated with bulimia in these two samples of women.

Adolescent↗

The BRIDGE project: bridging the gap between university and schools. Being Responsive to Individual Differences in General Education.

BRIDGE (Being Responsive to Individual Differences in General Education) is a partnership between university faculty and two elementary schools, focusing on the collaborative practices and programs in general and special education. University faculty have adopted new roles as facilitators, rather than "experts," in working side by side with teachers seeking to increase their sense of professional efficacy. Teachers at the two sites collaborate with university faculty and each other in acquiring new information and practices within four initiative areas. The four initiatives, designed generally to support professional development toward meeting the needs of struggling students, are (a) collaboration between special and general education, (b) family liaisons, (c) teacher research, and (d) teacher education. University student teachers at these two schools receive their clinical education in settings ripe with teacher inquiry, collaboration, and ongoing development of new and creative strategies.

Cooperative Behavior↗