A nationally representative survey of hospital malnutrition: the Italian PIMAI (Project: Iatrogenic MAlnutrition in Italy) study

Aim and methods  Nutrition, unhealthy lifestyles and cancer appear to be strictly related, but few authors have analysed the interest in dietary information of cancer patients and their families. This survey was conducted in the Veneto area (Italy) to investigate the concern of cancer patients and their family members about diet as a health tool before and after diagnosis of cancer. Results  Seven hundred and four questionnaires were collected: 380 from cancer patients and 324 from family members of cancer subjects. Breast cancer (BC) was the most frequent disease for patients (61.8%) as well as families (26.5%). Generally, the importance of having precise diet information after diagnosis is recognised by 40.3% of patients, with significant differences between the various types of cancer: gastric and colon/rectum cancer (GCC) patients were more concerned than BC women about precise information concerning a diet to follow immediately after diagnosis (p = 0.000, ODs = 3.10, CI 1.68–5.71) or during treatments (p = 0.001, ODs = 2.67, CI 1.46–4.89). The nutritional information is supplied to patients in 34% of cases and to relatives in 30.3%, often from non-medical sources. In total healthcare workers (family doctor, oncologist, surgeon, dietician) represented the exclusive source of dietary information for 24.9% of patients and 22.9% of family members. Diet after diagnosis changes in 69.1% of GCC patients and in 39.2% of BC women. Relatives, particularly women, report difficulties preparing patients’ meals in 30.7% of cases, changes in the eating habits of the entire family in 29.9% and discontent connected with patients diet in 13.9%. The concern about proper nutrition after diagnosis increases more in GCC subjects (p < 0.025) when compared to BC subjects and in patients with more recent diagnosis (p < 0.041) when compared with patients with diagnosis >5 years ago, while in family members the interest in diet after diagnosis increases more in women than in men (p < 0.030) without other differences regarding the degree of relationship, type of cancer or diagnosis time. Relatives (92.7%) have more interest in nutritional education than patients (74.9%). Cancer patients <65 years were more interested in educational initiatives concerning nutrition (p = 0.000, ODs = 4.46, CI 2.6–7.4) than older patients (>65 years) and female subjects were more concerned than male patients (p = 0.008, ODs = 2.11, CI 1.2–3.6). Conclusions  The interest in the dietary knowledge and in educational initiatives concerning nutrition is high in cancer patients and their relatives, although it decreases with the age. The poor attention paid to nutrition of cancer patients by various healthcare workers deserves consideration, since the psychophysical wellbeing and perhaps also survival of cancer patients can be improved by correct dietary management, as well as, naturally, by the principal treatments themselves.     

Children's categorisation of play and learning based on social context

While much time has been spent deliberating about the definition of play, little emphasis has been placed on what children themselves perceive as play. The aim of the present study was to examine social context as a cue for children's perceptions of play and learning. Ninety-two children aged between four and six years (mean four years nine months) participated in the study and completed the Activity Apperception Story Procedure. Children were asked to sort photographic stimuli into those they believed depicted play/not play and learning/not learning. Each of the stimuli were identified by independent raters as containing one of the following social cues; teacher absence (solitary activity, parallel activity or cooperative activity) or teacher presence (teacher involved activity or teacher directed activity). Findings revealed that children associated teacher absence with play. More specifically, children made links between play and the presence of peers (parallel and cooperative activity). Findings are discussed in relation to play in the early years curriculum, differences in children's early educational experiences and the importance of understanding children's perceptions of play.     

Iowa's High School High Tech Goes to College Program: Preparing Students with Mild Disabilities for Careers in Technology

This paper describes an innovative approach to preparing high school students with mild disabilities for challenging careers in high tech industries, called High School High Tech (HSHT). Iowa's HSHT Goes to College program has three central elements, each of which is discussed in this paper: High School Preparation—assisting students in identifying a suitable high tech career goal; Higher Education Preparation and Supports—assisting students in selecting college/training programs that match their career goal, and in successfully completing their postsecondary programs; Workforce Entry Assistance—linking students with employers and launching their high tech careers. The paper concludes with a presentation of outcomes to date and recommendations for program enhancements. The information presented here is intended to assist education and rehabilitation professionals interested in establishing similar efforts across the nation.     

我院护士在职教育的体会

本文针对不同层次护理人员制定不同的培训目标和计划,采取岗前培训,岗位培训(专科培训、在职分层培训、护理人才培训),自学等形式,开展护士在职教育,不断扩充更新知识,以适应现代护理工作要求。     

医院图书馆与医务人员卫生法学教育

为了改变卫生人员和医学生的知识结构,自觉执行卫生法,培养适应新时代有道德、有文化、守纪律、高素质的卫生人员,必须要加强学习卫生法学教育。文章阐述了卫生法的概念,及其教育的意义,卫生法学在医疗实践中的作用;同时提出了图书馆如何配合医院开展卫生法学教育的措施,扩大藏书内容,开办法律讲座学习班,做好法律知识宣传工作,坚持以医教研为中心,深化服务质量。     

Visiting experiences in Nursing School of Hong Kong PolytechnicUniversity

I was honored to study the undergraduate course in Hong Kong Polytechnic University for 4 months in 2006, experienced the characteristic and teaching mode of Hong Kong nursing education on undergraduate course personally. Make an introduction from respects such as course offered, teaching method, educational idea, examination way, etc. now, and compare with domestic nursing education.     

张謇的教育思想与实践

张謇的教育思想十分丰富 ,并且具有鲜明的时代特点。他在江苏南通的教育实践成就卓著 ,极富特色。他较早地提出了教育为地方经济社会发展服务的思想 ,创造了“以实业辅助教育 ,以教育促进实业”的成功模式 ,反映了教育从边缘走向经济中心这一历史发展的趋势。张謇的教育思想与实践在近代中国教育史上有重要地位     

Time and cost involved in the care of newly registered patients with diabetes mellitus and other lifestyle diseases at diabetes clinics in Japan (JDDM 4).

AIMS: To study the time and cost involved in the care of newly registered outpatients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), compared with patients with hypertension and/or hyperlipidaemia (HTL). METHODS: A total of 313 patients with DM and 58 patients with HTL without diabetes were registered on their first visits to 11 diabetes clinics across Japan. The time and cost involved in their care was recorded over the following 5 months. RESULTS: In the first 3 months, there was an extensive time commitment to both groups. The time spent by physicians was 1.5 times longer for DM than for HTL. The total care time spent by all the care providers for DM was twice that for HTL. The cost of DM care was twice that for HTL, with the cost of medicines excluded. However, half of the cost for DM was for laboratory tests. When these were excluded, and the remaining cost divided by the time spent, the amount for DM was half of that for HTL. Over the 5 months, mean glycated haemoglobin (HbA(1c)) in DM patients improved from 8.0% to 6.5%, and 72% of DM patients achieved the glycaemic target of HbA(1c) < or = 6.5%. CONCLUSIONS: DM care in a diabetes clinic requires a great deal more time and resources than HTL to achieve the best outcome. An educational system for self care, presently lacking in the primary care setting in Japan, would improve glycaemic control for DM patients in the community.     

社区人群糖尿病知识知晓率的描述性及分析性研究

目的了解社区人群对糖尿病知识知晓情况,为城镇居民进行糖尿病干预研究提供依据.方法对广州市荔湾区25岁以上常住居民进行随机抽样问卷,对资料作描述性和分析性研究.结果糖尿病知识知晓情况在年龄、性别、文化程度、糖尿病家族史、糖尿病患病史分布上有显著性差异.多因素分析显示:性别、年龄、文化程度、糖尿病家族史、糖尿病患病史、体力劳动强度、脑力劳动强度、收缩压与糖尿病知识知晓率密切相关,其比值比分别为1.239,0.990,1.223,2.752,1.897,1.373,0.916,0.884和0.996.结论该地区人群的糖尿病知识知晓率较低,要广泛开展全民特别是老年人、男性和文化程度较低人群的糖尿病知识宣传教育.