Change in Nutrient Intakes, Number of Servings, and Contributions of Total Fat from Food Groups in 4- to 10-Year-Old Children Enrolled in a Nutrition Education Study

Objective To determine change in nutrient intakes, number of servings, and contributions of total fat from food groups in children who lowered their dietary fat intake.Design A research and demonstration study designed to lower plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level. There were four study groups: two intervention and two control groups. All children had hypercholesterolemia except for those in one control group. Three 24-hour dietary recalls were collected on randomly assigned days over a 2-week period at baseline and 3 months after the intervention.Subjects Three hundred three 4- to 10-year old children from suburbs north of Philadelphia, Pa.Interventions One intervention involved a home-based, parent-child autotutorial program (PCAT group) with audiotaped stories and print materials for the children and their families; the other intervention involved one face-to-face counseling session with a registered dietitian (counseling group).Outcome measures Change in mean nutrient intakes compared with the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA); change in number of servings and mean grams of total fat contributed from 10 different food groups.Statistical analyses performed Analyses of variance and χ² analyses.Results Children in every study group had mean intakes of all nutrients (except vitamin D) greater than 67% of the RDA 3 months after the baseline measurement. Several food groups (ie, meats, dairy products, fats/oils, and desserts) provided less total fat to the diets of children who reduced their dietary lipid intake after 3 months (ie, PCAT and counseling groups). These children also reduced the mean number of servings selected from these food groups. Within these same food groups, some children consumed fewer servings of higher fat foods and more servings of lower fat foods.Applications/conclusions Children who lowered their dietary fat intake after intervention reported both quantitative and qualitative changes in food choices from several food groups. These choices did not significantly reduce their nutrient intakes. J Am Diet Assoc. 1996; 96:865-873.     

Cultural Meanings of Childbirth

In no known culture in the world is childbearing treated with indifference. Cultural beliefs about and values associated with childbearing touch all aspects of social life in any given culture. Such beliefs and values lend perspective to the meaning of childbirth to the childbearing woman. Having the opportunity to share the woman's perceptions of the meaning of childbearing may foster the self-actualization, promote maternal role attainment, and improve her relationship with her significant other and enrich the family perspective. Nursing interventions across the childbearing year should be culturally sensitive to promote positive outcomes for the woman and her family.     

Vegetables, Fruit, and Cancer Prevention: A Review

In this review of the scientific literature on the relationship between vegetable and fruit consumption and risk of cancer, results from 206 human epidemiologic studies and 22 animal studies are summarized. The evidence for a protective effect of greater vegetable and fruit consumption is consistent for cancers of the stomach, esophagus, lung, oral cavity and pharynx, endometrium, pancreas, and colon. The types of vegetables or fruit that most often appear to be protective against cancer are raw vegetables, followed by allium vegetables, carrots, green vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, and tomatoes. Substances present in vegetables and fruit that may help protect against cancer, and their mechanisms, are also briefly reviewed; these include dithiolthiones, isothiocyanates, indole-3-carbinol, allium compounds, isoflavones, protease inhibitors, saponins, phytosterols, inositol hexaphosphate, vitamin C, D-limonene, lutein, folic acid, beta carotene, lycopene, selenium, vitamin E, flavonoids, and dietary fiber. Current US vegetable and fruit intake, which averages about 3.4 servings per day, is discussed, as are possible noncancer-related effects of increased vegetable and fruit consumption, including benefits against cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, obesity, diverticulosis, and cataracts. Suggestions for dietitians to use in counseling persons toward increasing vegetable and fruit intake are presented. J Am Diet Assoc. 1996; 96:1027-1039.     

Voices from different places: but why a medical school faculty?

Interdisciplinary collaboration between nursing and medicine is a valued goal, but one which is difficult to achieve. Two nurses who are faculty members in medical schools reflect on their unique roles and how these encompass interdisciplinary research, teaching, and practice.     

Patient-centred evaluation and rehabilitative care

The evaluation of health care outcomes is becoming increasingly important in today's health service The wide range of measures used to evaluate these outcomes often makes clinical audit difficult and the comparison of research papers almost impossible In this paper we will discuss some of the issues surrounding outcome measurement in rehabilitative care, examine one of the most commonly used outcome measures from this area (the Barthel Index) and consider Goal Attainment Scaling, a technique which offers both clinicians and researchers the opportunity to evaluate health care outcomes on the basis of patient-centred practice We have identified certain methodological problems that need to be addressed if Goal Attainment Scaling is to become an acceptable measure in the area of physical rehabilitative care     

A preliminary study into the dental health status of multiple sclerosis patients

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease of unknown etiology involving the central nervous system. Since MS affects the whole body, orofacial aspects of the disease must be expected, particularly since loss of muscular coordination may result in a diminished ability to maintain oral hygiene. This preliminary study examined the dental health status of 22 volunteer MS patients. A questionnaire collected data regarding medical and dental histories and socieo-demographic information. Extra- and intra-oral examinations were carried out on all subjects to determine the particular dental treatment needs of this special group. The DMFT and CPITN scores for this group did not indicate that MS patients were more susceptible to dental caries or periodontal disease. However, the prevalence of trigeminal neuralgia and symptoms of TMJ dysfunction in the group studied indicated that these conditions may be manifest in MS patients and warrant further investigations.