Exercise deficit disorder in youth: an emergent health concern for school nurses

Although the benefits of regular physical activity are widely acknowledged, recent findings indicate that a growing number of youth are not as active as they should be. The impact of a sedentary lifestyle during childhood on lifelong pathological processes and associated health care costs have created a need for immediate action to manage, if not prevent, unhealthy behaviors during this vulnerable period of life. The concept of identifying children with exercise deficit disorder early in life and prescribing effective interventions to prevent the cascade of adverse health outcomes later in life is needed to raise public awareness, focus on primary prevention, and impact the collective behaviors of health care providers and public health agencies. School nurses are in a unique position to take advantage of well-child visits as an ideal opportunity to assess physical activity habits and encourage daily participation in play, recess, sports, planned exercise, and physical education.     

A comparison of hospital- and community-based mental health nurses: perceptions of their work environment and psychological health

This study compares hospital- (n=67) and community-based (n=55) mental health nurses in relation to their perceptions of the work environment and also their psychological health. Measures include: the General Health Questionnaire, the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Work Environment Scale. The data, obtained from self-returned questionnaires, show that community nurses rated their work environments higher for the dimensions of Involvement, Supervisor Support, Autonomy, Innovation and Work Pressure. Hospital nurses saw their environments as being higher in (managerial) Control. There were no differences between the groups for the dimensions of Peer Cohesion, Task Orientation, Clarity or (physical) Comfort. Furthermore, there were no overall differences between the two groups in relation to psychological health, although the pattern of factors associated with emotional well-being differed. Finally, analyses of the Community data revealed that those nurses with 'flexitime' arrangements evaluated their work environments less positively and showed higher levels of psychological strain than did those working 'fixed-time' schedules. The findings suggest that the hospital and community environments make different demands on nursing staff, and that this should be considered when organizing nursing services if stress is to be avoided.     

护士身心健康与医院环境

医院环境既影响病人疾病的康复和转归，也影响护理人员自身的健康。本文就医院环境对护士身心健康的影响以及相关对策简要的谈一些认识和体会。     

护士身心健康与医院环境

医院环境既影响病人疾病的康复和转归,也影响护理人员自身的健康。本文就医院环境对护士身心健康的影响以及相关对策简要的谈一些认识和体会。1医院环境对护士身心健康的影响1.1长期与病人密切接触,职业性感染几率高护士在治疗、护理工作中经常与病人有近距离的接触,并且在治疗     

A community health concern: respiratory syncytial virus and children

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a significant health issue. Nearly all children contract RSV by 3 years of age. This virus causes mild cold-like symptoms in older children and adults. However, in infants and toddlers, it causes serious lower respiratory tract infections. Recovery from RSV can be lengthy, and caring for an unwell child can become a burden for a family. Prevention plans for those children that are at highest risk have been helpful in reducing the incidence of RSV. The American Academy of Pediatrics outlines the use of Palivizumab as part of its RSV prevention guidelines.     

Lifestyle practices and the health promoting environment of hospital nurses

This paper examined the lifestyle practices of hospital nurses and the impact of specific interventions in the hospital environment. The perception of nurse as health promoter and as carer of AIDS patients was also examined. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data at two different time periods. The sample represented 729 nurses (at pre- and post-time periods), both qualified and student nurses. Qualified nurses reported the highest stress levels while student nurses reported more negative lifestyle practices such as smoking, alcohol consumption and drug use. A greater number of current smokers (29%) consumed alcohol and used drugs than non-smokers. The impact of intervention strategies around compliance with smoking policy and work-site walk routes reduced exposure to passive smoking at work for qualified nurses and increased exercise participation for both groups of nurses. Workplace was identified as the main source of stress which included relationships at work and demands of the job. Hospital nurses experiencing high work stress were more likely to use professional support and personal coping (discuss problems with friends/family, have a good cry and eat more) than others. Nurses believed in the importance of health promotion as part of their work; however, qualified nurses felt more confident and gave more health related information than student nurses. Student nurses perceived a lower risk of contacting AIDS through work and a higher concern/worry in caring for AIDS patients than qualified nurses.     

Global warming: a public health concern

Over the last 100 years the average temperature on the Earth has risen approximately 1oFahrenheit (F), increasing at a rate twice as fast as has been noted for any period in the last 1,000 years. The Arctic ice cap is shrinking, glaciers are melting, and the Arctic permafrost is thawing. There is mounting evidence that these global climate changes are already affecting human health. This article provides a brief overview of global warming and climate changes, discusses effects of climate change on health, considers the factors which contribute to climate changes, and reviews individual and collective efforts related to reducing global warming.     

Men's health: a cause for concern

The state of men's health is a cause for concern; men are less likely to seek medical help than women even though they are more likely to die at a younger age. Andrew Barton looks at the issues surrounding men's health by focusing on prostate and testicular cancer.     

The female athlete triad. A growing health concern

The number of female athletes participating at the high school, collegiate, and elite levels has increased nearly 10-fold since the passage of Title IX. President Nixon signed title IX into law in 1972. It required that all schools receiving federal funding provide equal opportunities for men and women. With this large increase in high-level female athletes comes a special set of medical and orthopaedic issues. One of the most important is the female athlete triad. The triad consists of disordered eating, amenorrhea, and premature osteoporosis. Currently, this problem is largely unrecognized. The purpose of this article is to help to educate orthopaedic nurses about this important issue so that we can detect the triad early and help address this growing national health issue.