Reducing pregnancy and induced abortion rates in China: family planning with husband participation.

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the effectiveness of a family planning intervention with and without husband's participation in reducing pregnancy and abortion rates in Shanghai, China. METHODS: In this 3-arm randomized trial among 1800 nonsterilized married women, educational interventions targeting both spouses and targeting the wife only were compared with usual family planning care. RESULTS: Among women not using intrauterine devices (IUDs), the intervention with husband's participation had an effect in reducing pregnancy rates (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.12, 1.1) and abortion rates (adjusted OR = 0.29, CI = 0.09, 0.94) compared with control subjects, and a significant effect in reducing pregnancy rates (adjusted OR = 0.29, CI = 0.10, 0.85) and abortion rates (adjusted OR = 0.24, CI = 0.07, 0.77) compared with wife-only subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Family planning interventions involving husbands may reduce pregnancy and abortion rates among non-IUD users.     

Modeling Factors Influencing Enrollment in Family-Focused Preventive Intervention Research

The reported study tests an extension of a previously supported model of family context and health belief predictors of parental inclination to enroll in preventive interventions. The extended model addresses limitations in the prior investigation; it examines the role of intervention-related beliefs and inclinations on actual enrollment in a skills training intervention research project. Model testing was conducted with a sample of 635 parents of 6th graders who completed a prospective participation factor survey and were recruited for an intervention research project 6 months later. The model fit was strong and all but one of the primary hypothesized effects were supported. Notably, both stated inclination to enroll in an intervention and in the research project had significant positive effects on actual project enrollment occurring 6 months later. Perceived intervention benefits and barriers had significant effects on both types of stated inclination to enroll. Examination of modification indices for the model suggested an additional path linking educational attainment with actual enrollment.     

Early intervention for young children at risk: The therapeutic family day care project

This essay discusses an early intervention program for infants, toddlers and preschoolers at risk of maltreatment that has been implemented by a state child protection agency, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. The Therapeutic Family Day Care Project offers quality out-of-home child care to young children at risk and support services to improve the caregiving skills of these children's mothers. This essay examines the identification and enrollment of project children, the recruitment, training and monitoring of family day care providers, the providers' caregiving and remediation of children's developmental delays, and the involvement of these children's mothers in the project.     

Worksite and family education for dietary change: the Treatwell 5-a-Day program.

The National Cancer Institute's '5-a-Day for Better Health Campaign is examining the efficacy of interventions in increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables to five or more servings a day. This paper presents the study design, intervention and baseline survey results of the Treatwell 5-a-Day project, a randomized, controlled worksite-based intervention study. Twenty-two community health centers were randomly assigned to either a Minimal Intervention, Worksite Intervention or Worksite Plus Family Intervention. The Worksite Intervention included participation of employee advisory boards, programs aimed at individual behavior change and programs aimed at changes in the worksite environment. The Worksite Plus Family Intervention incorporated family-focused interventions into the worksite program, including a learn-at-home program, family newsletter, family festival and materials mailings. A self-administered survey was conducted prior to randomization (mean response rate: 87%, n = 1359). Twenty-three percent reported consuming five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Consumption of fruits and vegetables was directly associated with level of household support for healthy eating. The Treatwell 5-a-Day intervention model has the potential to enhance existing worksite-based intervention through incorporation of its family focus, especially given the association of household support with individual eating habits.     

Early intervention for young children at risk: The therapeutic family day care project

This essay discusses an early intervention program for infants, toddlers and preschoolers at risk of maltreatment that has been implemented by a state child protection agency, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. The Therapeutic Family Day Care Project offers quality out-of-home child care to young children at risk and support services to improve the caregiving skills of these children's mothers. This essay examines the identification and enrollment of project children, the recruitment, training and monitoring of family day care providers, the providers’ caregiving and remediation of children's developmental delays, and the involvement of these children's mothers in the project.     

家庭干预对早产儿早期神经心理发育效果研究

目的 评估家庭干预对早产儿神经心理发育的效果,并探索干预效果的影响因素,为早产儿早期干预提供依据。方法 对786名早产儿进行家庭干预并随访,矫正胎龄6月龄时应用Bayley婴幼儿发育量表(BSID-I)对早产儿智力发育和运动发育进行评估,采用巢式病例对照研究,以多因素logistic回归计算干预效果,并根据早产儿的不同特征分层,计算每层中干预作用的大小。结果 家庭干预能降低早产儿智力发育异常的风险(OR=0.31,95%CI:0.11~0.84),分层分析结果显示干预对于男性早产儿、晚期早产儿、低出生体重早产儿、母亲年龄<30岁、父亲或母亲受教育程度为高中以上的早产儿效果显著(P<0.05)。家庭干预能降低低出生体重早产儿运动发育运动发育异常的风险(OR=0.24,95%CI:0.07~0.90)。结论 家庭干预能促进早产儿的智力发育和低出生体重早产儿的运动发育。早产儿的自身因素和家庭因素都能影响干预的效果。     

Tailoring dietary feedback to reduce fat intake: an intervention at the family level

In this study, we wished to investigate whether the use of tailored nutrition education letters addressed to each family member simultaneously at home could serve as a valuable strategy for nutrition education. Family quartets (both parents and two adolescents, all healthy individuals) were chosen to be the units of intervention. The first aim of our study was to investigate the impact of tailored versus standardized nutrition education on fat intake and on psychosocial determinants of fat intake in families, using a randomized dietary feedback study. Our second aim was to study the differential effect of the tailored nutrition education on different family members. Analyses were conducted among 18 experimental families (n = 72) and 17 control families (n = 68). The tailored intervention was more effective than the nontailored intervention in reducing total and saturated fat intake when all the family members were included (F = 4.0, P < 0.05 and F = 5.9, P < 0.05). However, follow-up analyses revealed that only mothers benefit from the tailored intervention (F = 6.4, P < 0.05 and F = 10.2, P < 0.005). For fathers and adolescents, both interventions resulted in a significant decrease in fat scores. Furthermore, tailored feedback resulted in stronger awareness of personal fat intake and awareness of fat intake of family members. Tailored advice has the potential to communicate the personal need to change. As differences in fat reduction between family members receiving general or tailored nutrition education letters were smaller than expected, future research will have to prove that family-based tailored interventions are more effective than standardized interventions and interventions focusing on a single person. It also needs to be clarified why mothers in particular benefit from tailored feedback.     

Training experts in family medicine teaching

Family medicine teachers require specific educational skills. A framework for their professional development is essential for future development of the discipline in Europe. EURACT developed a framework on educational expertise, and subsequently applied it in a curriculum of teaching-skills courses of various levels. The aim of this article is to describe the development of the teaching framework, and of an international three-level course programme for ‘teaching-the-teachers’. Furthermore, we describe our experiences and lessons learned, in particular with regard to the level-three programme for proficient teachers, which was new. We conclude that it is possible to develop a theoretical framework of family medicine teaching expertise and to apply it in an international high-level educational programme for future experts in family medicine education. Research evidence of the usefulness of this approach is needed, and the threats for its further development into a sustainable activity are its high teacher/student ratio associated with relatively high costs and difficulties in recruiting suitable participants.     

The use of the family APGAR in screening for family dysfunction in a family practice center

The Family APGAR questionnaire was used to determine the prevalence of self-reported family dysfunction present in patients who attended a family practice center, to determine whether knowledge of the Family APGAR score increased the frequency with which family physicians evaluated family functioning and diagnosed family dysfunction, and to determine whether certain psychosomatic complaints associated with family dysfunction were more common in a group of patients with a Family APGAR score of less than 6. To achieve these purposes, all patients entering the center were asked to fill out a Family APGAR questionnaire during the month of March 1984. Physicians learned of the results in a randomly selected one half of all cases. A chart review was conducted one month later. Twenty-four percent of patients reported family dysfunction (APGAR less than 6). Knowledge of the APGAR score did not increase the frequency with which physicians evaluated family function (20 percent known vs 17 percent unknown) or diagnosed family dysfunction (6.3 percent known vs 6.4 percent unknown). Patients with self-reported family dysfunction as defined by the Family APGAR did not have more psychosomatic complaints noted in their charts than patients without self-reported family dysfunction. Family dysfunction is a common problem in family practice patients, it is recorded infrequently in patients' charts, and knowledge of the results of a screening device does not increase the frequency with which family dysfunction is noticed.     

诱发儿童哮喘的家庭环境危险因素分析

目的:分析儿童哮喘发病家庭环境的危险因素。方法:选择2009年1月～2011年1月在医院门诊及住院诊断为哮喘患儿400例,以同时期来医院治疗的非呼吸道疾病患儿403例为对照,采用问卷调查法调查与儿童哮喘有关的因素。结果:单因素分析显示,家族哮喘史、家族过敏史、过敏性体质、饲养动物、被动吸烟、使用空调、接触花粉、父母的受教育程度、经常情绪低落的比例哮喘组明显高于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01)。多因素非条件Logisitc回归分析显示家族哮喘史、过敏史、父母的受教育程度、被动吸烟、饲养动物5个因素差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:家族哮喘史、过敏史、父母的受教育程度、被动吸烟、饲养动物是儿童哮喘的危险因素,提示平时及时控制纠正与哮喘发生或发作的相关危险因素对儿童哮喘的预防与控制具有重要的实际意义。     

A family support service for homeless children and parents: users' perspectives and characteristics

The objective of the present study was to establish the psychosocial characteristics and perspectives of 49 consecutive homeless families who received input from a new designated family support worker (FSW) post at a large statutory hostel for homeless parents and children. The FSW provided: assessment of social, educational and health needs; support and parent training; and liaison with and referral to specialist services. Measures included quantitative questionnaires (i.e. the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Parenting Daily Hassles Scale, the Eyberg Child Behaviour Inventory, and the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales for Children and Adolescents), and a qualitative (semistructured) interview on service experiences and satisfaction. The psychosocial measures indicated high rates of parenting difficulties, mental health and related needs among children and their parents. Parenting difficulties were associated with child behaviour problems. Parents expressed satisfaction with the service whilst they were residents at the hostel, but they were often not clear about the objectives of agencies and interventions. Family support interventions have a key role in service provision for homeless and other vulnerable families by providing direct parenting interventions and ensuring that specialist agencies are appropriately involved. Family support worker involvement needs to continue when families are re-housed in the community.     

Utilizing peer academic detailing to improve childhood immunization coverage levels

Interventions that utilize academic detailing to improve childhood immunization have been implemented across the country. This study evaluates the effectiveness of an academic detailing intervention to increase childhood immunization rates in pediatric and family medicine practices in a major metropolitan area. Educational teams of one physician, nurse, and office manager delivered 83 peer education sessions at practices in the intervention group. Postintervention immunization rates for children 12-23 months of age increased 1% in the intervention group and decreased 3% in the control group. Postintervention coverage levels for children 12-23 months of age did not differ between the intervention and control groups. Results indicated this office-based intervention was not sufficient to effect measurable changes in immunization coverage levels after 1 year of participation. Future interventions need to provide initial feedback regarding practice immunization coverage levels prior to the educational interventions and include multiple encounters.     

Short-term educational intervention improves family physicians' knowledge of depression

INTRODUCTION: Depression is frequently unrecognized and undertreated. Therefore, there is a need to increase the knowledge and skills of primary care physicians regarding management of depression. The aim of this study was to determine if a brief educational intervention can affect family physicians' knowledge of the diagnosis and treatment of depression. METHOD: Sixty-eight community-based, nonacademic family physicians completed the program, which was delivered using a mixed lecture-seminar format. Knowledge about depression was assessed pre- and post-program. Paired-sample t test and chi-square test were used to compare test scores. RESULTS: Although study physicians demonstrated high baseline knowledge of depression, 75% of them had better scores following the program. The increase in knowledge was statistically significant (p < .0001). DISCUSSION: Our study demonstrates that a simple and brief educational program can enhance family physicians' knowledge of depression; however, an increase in knowledge alone may not necessarily translate into practice behavior change.     

家庭沙盘游戏治疗儿童分离性焦虑障碍的效果分析

目的 研究家庭沙盘游戏治疗对学龄前儿童分离性焦虑障碍(SAD)的干预效果,为构建有效干预模式提供依据。方法 2019年1月1日—2020年12月30日在大连市妇女儿童医疗中心,从确诊SAD患儿中随机抽取60例患儿分为对照组(n=30)和治疗组(n=30),对照组进行家长SAD知识的教育,治疗组进行沙盘游戏治疗和SAD知识教育,每周1～2次,每次40 min。采用Spence学前儿童焦虑量表(中文版)于干预前、干预7次、14次、21次后进行测评,并记录治疗师个案治疗报告、家庭成员治疗感受。结果 家庭沙盘游戏治疗干预后,治疗组儿童广泛性焦虑、社交恐惧、强迫-冲动障碍、躯体伤害恐惧、分离焦虑及焦虑总分均降低(t=2.002、7.300、8.160、12.138、11.676、9.370,P<0.001)。干预前后,治疗组儿童广泛性焦虑、社交恐惧、强迫-冲动障碍、躯体伤害恐惧、分离焦虑得分及焦虑总分的差值显著高于对照组(t=6.758、3.953、3.478、5.471、7.027、6.012,P<0.001)。家庭沙盘游戏治疗14次、21次后,治疗组焦虑总分低于对照组,差异有统计...     

Improving presentation skills of family medicine residents: a randomized controlled study

A randomized controlled time series design was used to evaluate the influence of an educational intervention designed to improve the presentation skills of family medicine residents. Each resident gave three presentations, with the educational intervention occurring between the first and second presentations in the experimental group, and between the second and third presentations in the control group. The presentations were evaluated using a standardized format. The experimental group, in contrast to the control group, showed significant improvement in scores for all major criteria after receiving the educational intervention between presentations 1 and 2. This improvement continued with repetition between presentations 2 and 3. After receiving the educational intervention between presentations 2 and 3, the control group also demonstrated significant improvement in several key areas. We conclude that an educational intervention can improve the presentation skills of family medicine residents. Education coupled with repeated opportunities for presentation will produce a greater improvement in resident performance than repeated presentations alone.     

Impact of a patient education intervention on appropriate utilization of clinic services.

BACKGROUND: Patient education interventions have been identified as a means of decreasing the utilization of ambulatory services; however, research on the impact of self-care initiatives should also assess changes in the appropriateness of patient visits. METHODS: New patients to the Family Practice Clinic at a university medical center were randomized into control and experimental groups. Experimental patients received the Family Practice Clinic Patient Medical Advisor Booklet and an educational presentation. Controls received the booklet without the educational intervention. RESULTS: Over the subsequent year, there were no significant differences in the total number of visits or telephone calls to the Family Practice Clinic by either group. The total number of visits to other medical center clinics and the emergency department was also similar. The experimental group, however, showed a statistically higher percentage of appropriate Family Practice Clinic visits, and their telephone calls to the clinic for advice tended to be more appropriate. Finally, experimental group patients had a significantly higher percentage of appropriate visits to the emergency department than did control group patients. CONCLUSIONS: Although this educational intervention did not change the total number of patient visits or telephone calls, it did have an impact on the appropriateness of patient utilization of health care services.     

家庭因素对学龄前儿童挑食偏食行为的影响研究

目的 了解学龄前儿童挑食偏食行为现状及其家庭影响因素,为预防及改善学龄前儿童挑食偏食行为提供参考。 方法 采用分层随机整群抽样方法,抽取乌鲁木齐市7所幼儿园1 070名 3~6岁儿童,采用儿童家庭一般资料调查问卷、儿童饮食行为问题筛查评估问卷及3~6岁儿童家庭养育环境量表进行调查,采用秩和检验、 χ²检验及logstic回归进行影响因素分析。 结果 学龄前儿童挑食偏食行为检出率为31.40%。多因素分析显示,儿童年龄越低(OR=0.510,95%CI=0.430~0.603)及语言/认知信息(OR=0.959,95%CI=0.926~0.994)、家庭养育环境中社会适应/自理(OR=0.959,95%CI=0.924~0.996)、活动多样性/游戏参与(OR=0.873,95%CI=0.827~0.922)、环境气氛维度得分越高(OR=0.794,95%CI=0.736~0.856)是学龄前儿童挑食偏食行为的保护因素;儿童主要照顾者文化程度越低(OR=1.929,95%CI=1.656~2.247)、主干家庭(OR=1.796,95%CI=1.260~2.561)、家庭每月总收入呈高等及低等水平(OR=1.368,95%CI=1.028~1.820),家庭养育环境中忽视/干预/惩罚维度得分越高(OR=1.043,95%CI=1.008~1.079)是学龄前儿童挑食偏食行为的危险因素。 结论 应从小培养儿童饮食行为习惯,加大对文化程度较低的儿童主要照顾者、家庭每月收入水平呈低、高水平及主干家庭中儿童照顾者,关于儿童饮食行为培养方面的健康教育,积极改善家庭养育环境,以防止儿童挑食偏食行为的发生。     

Evaluating the impact of community-based interventions on schooling outcomes among orphans and vulnerable children in Lusaka,Zambia

In sub-Saharan Africa, an estimated 12 million children under the age of 18 have lost a parent to acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Despite this situation, the evidence regarding effectiveness of interventions targeting these children remains scant. This article contributes to the literature by evaluating the impact of a community-based program implemented by a Zambian non-governmental organization on educational outcomes among orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Lusaka, Zambia. These outcomes included school enrollment and being at the correct age-for-grade. Our study design included two rounds of post-intervention data collection in 2003 and 2006; 2302 children aged 6–19 years were interviewed in 2003, and 3105 children aged 8–22 years were interviewed in 2006. We used a subsample of 2922 OVC aged 8–19 years. The effectiveness of Bwafwano was evaluated first using the individual cross-sectional samples and then using a difference-in-differences model on the pooled sample. Both cross-sectional analyses found positive and statistically significant effects of the intervention on school enrollment, with marginal effects of 0.104 and 0.168, respectively. The difference-in-differences estimates for school enrollment were positive, but small and not statistically significant. For the estimations of the effects of Bwafwano on the outcome of appropriate age-for-grade, only the difference-in-differences models showed positive program effect, with participation in the program being associated with a 15.7% increase in appropriate age-for-grade for intervention children relative to control children. This study suggests that the Bwafwano program is a promising approach to improving educational outcomes among OVC in urban Zambia.     

The effects of family interventions for the patients with mental illness in health centers focusing on the relatives' own life

Recently, the burden on relatives of patients with mental illness has been recognized and the need for support to reduce such burden has increased. In Japan, family interventions have been conducted at Health Centers, most of them focusing on the family functioning as a caregiver. However, it is also important to focus on the relative's functioning to live their own life in family interventions. In this study, we executed a program focusing on relatives' life and health, and investigated the effects of this program on both family functioning. Family intervention programs were conducted at 10 Health Centers including both urban and rural areas in Japan. A total of 102 relatives responded to the self-administered questionnaire at the first and the last session of the family interventions. We measured functioning as a caregiver using the Support for the Disabled Score and Rejective Feeling Score, and functioning to live their own life by GHQ Distress in Daily life Score, Perceived Health Condition Score and Life Satisfaction Score. During interventions, GHQ score and Distress in Daily Life score which indicate the disfunction in living their own life decreased, and Support score increased in all sample. In the short-term illness group (n = 35), only the GHQ score decreased, while in long-term illness group (n = 44) Distress score decreased and Support Score increased. The intervention program focusing on relatives' life and health may improve both family functionings to give adequate care for patients, and to live their own daily life. Results suggested that the short-term illness group requires more intensive and personal advices, and the long-term illness group need continuous support focusing on the relative's own life. Expected roles of Health Centers are cooperation with family interventions provided at hospitals and coordination of the services in the community, as well as providing family interventions in terms of relatives' life.     

Three generations of family medicine: A comparison of social identities

Recent studies have shown that students and residents choosing Family Medicine career orientations have attained an academic parity with their counterparts in other specialties which was not demonstrated by their general practitioner predecessors. Similarly, the advent of Family Practice residencies and undergraduate course work has significantly altered the educational experience of today's medical students. This study adds to the literature by comparing a third element, the social character of Family Medicine oriented students, residents and practicing physicians.Three subgroups of Family Medicine oriented individuals; students, residents, and physicians, were surveyed through a mailed questionnaire. A study population of 768 individuals yielded a 73% response rate.The findings show that students and residents share a common pattern of identities and that this pattern is not shared with the physician subgroup. This results in rejection of the cohort replication theory. It also suggests a need for Family Practice training to provide role models from the new and emerging generation of family physicians.