A cross-cultural shortened form of the ZKPQ (ZKPQ-50-CC) adapted to English, French, German, and Spanish languages.

The aim of the present study was to develop a short form of the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire (ZKPQ) with acceptable psychometric properties in four languages: English (United States), French (Switzerland), German (Germany), and Spanish (Spain). The total sample (N = 4,621) was randomly divided into calibration and validation samples. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted in the calibration sample. Eighty items, with loadings equal or higher than 0.30 on their own factor and lower on the remaining factors, were retained. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed over the survival items in the validation sample in order to select the best 10 items for each scale. This short version (named ZKPQ-50-CC) presents psychometric properties strongly similar to the original version in the four countries. Moreover, the factor structure are near equivalent across the four countries since the congruence indices were all higher than 0.90. It is concluded that the ZKPQ-50-CC presented a high cross-language replicability, and it could be an useful questionnaire that may be used for personality research.

Bladder cancer documentation of causes: multilingual questionnaire, 'bladder cancer doc'

There is a considerable discrepancy between the number of identified occupational-related bladder cancer cases and the estimated numbers particularly in emerging nations or less developed countries where suitable approaches are less or even not known. Thus, within a project of the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centres in Occupational Health, a questionnaire of the Dortmund group, applied in different studies, was translated into more than 30 languages (Afrikaans, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Czech, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Georgian, German, Greek, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Kannada, Kazakh, Kirghiz, Korean, Latvian, Malay, Persian (Farsi), Polish, Portuguese, Portuguese/Brazilian, Romanian, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Slovak, Spanish, Spanish/Mexican, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese). The bipartite questionnaire asks for relevant medical information in the physician's part and for the occupational history since leaving school in the patient's part. Furthermore, this questionnaire is asking for intensity and frequency of certain occupational and non-occupational risk factors. The literature regarding occupations like painter, hairdresser or miner and exposures like carcinogenic aromatic amines, azo dyes, or combustion products is highlighted. The questionnaire is available on www.ifado.de/BladderCancerDoc.

Physical activity, bodyweight, health and fear of negative evaluation in primary school children.

Fear of negative evaluation (FNE) is regarded as being the core feature of social anxiety. The present study examined how FNE is associated with physical activity (PA), body mass index (BMI) and perceived physical health (PPH) in children. Data were collected in a sample of 502 primary school children in first and fifth grades taking part in a randomized-controlled trial ("Kinder-Sportstudie KISS") aimed at increasing PA and health. PA was assessed by accelerometry over 7 days, PPH by the Child Health Questionnaire and FNE by the Social Anxiety Scale for Children--Revised. BMI z-scores were calculated based on Swiss norms. Cross-sectional analyses indicated that children high in FNE exercised less, reported lower levels of PPH and had higher BMI z-scores (P<0.01). Using mixed linear models, the school-based PA intervention did not manage to reduce FNE scores. Overweight children demonstrated a greater increase in FNE (P<0.05) indicating that enhanced weight may be a risk factor for FNE. In conclusion, the associations among high FNE, low PA and increased BMI should be considered when promoting an active lifestyle in children.

Prevalence of methylphenidate prescription among school-aged children in a Swiss population: increase in the number of prescriptions in the Swiss Canton of Vaud, from 2002 to 2005, and changes in patient demographics.

OBJECTIVE: Methylphenidate is prescribed for children and adolescents to treat ADHD. As in many Western countries, the increase in methylphenidate consumption is a public concern in Switzerland. The article discusses the authors' assessment of prescription prevalence in 2002 and 2005 for school-aged children in the canton of Vaud. METHOD: Pharmacy prescription information is available from the regional public health authority. Descriptive analyses are conducted on an anonymized database of the years 2002 and 2005. Data for each year are compared to assess trends in methylphenidate prescription prevalence. RESULTS: The findings show an increase from 0.74% to 1.02% in the number of prescriptions for 5- to 14-year-old children, particularly in prescriptions for girls. Data also show important geographical differences in prescription. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of methylphenidate prescription is lower in Switzerland than other Western countries, particularly the United States. However, some aspects of prevalence are similar, including the increase per year, demographics, and geographic characteristics.

Determinants of school efficiency : The case of primary schools in the State of Geneva, Switzerland

The public primary school system in the State of Geneva, Switzerland, is characterized by centrally evaluated pupil performance measured with the use of standardized tests. As a result, consistent data are collected among the system. The 2010-2011 dataset is used to develop a two-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) of school efficiency. In the first stage, DEA is employed to calculate an individual efficiency score for each school. It shows that, on average, each school could reduce its inputs by 7% whilst maintaining the same quality of pupil performance. The cause of inefficiency lies in perfectible management. In the second stage, efficiency is regressed on school characteristics and environmental variables;external factors outside of the control of headteachers. The model is tested for multicollinearity, heteroskedasticity and endogeneity. Four variables are identified as statistically significant. School efficiency is negatively influenced by (1) the provision of special education, (2) the proportion of disadvantaged pupils enrolled at the school and (3) operations being held on multiple sites, but positively influenced by school size (captured by the number of pupils). The proportion of allophone pupils; schools located in urban areas and the provision of reception classes for immigrant pupils are not significant. Although the significant variables influencing school efficiency are outside of the control of headteachers, it is still possible to either boost the positive impact or curb the negative impact. Dans le canton de Genève (Suisse), les écoles publiques primaires sont caractérisées par un financement assuré par les collectivités publiques (canton et communes) et par une évaluation des élèves à l'aide d'épreuves standardisées à trois moments distincts de leur scolarité. Cela permet de réunir des informations statistiques consistantes. La base de données de l'année 2010-2011 est utilisée dans une analyse en deux étapes de l'efficience des écoles. Dans une première étape, la méthode d'analyse des données par enveloppement (DEA) est utilisée pour calculer un score d'efficience pour chaque école. Cette analyse démontre que l'efficience moyenne des écoles s'élève à 93%. Chaque école pourrait, en moyenne, réduire ses ressources de 7% tout en conservant constants les résultats des élèves aux épreuves standardisées. La source de l'inefficience réside dans un management des écoles perfectible. Dans une seconde étape, les scores d'efficience sont régressés sur les caractéristiques des écoles et sur des variables environnementales. Ces variables ne sont pas sous le contrôle (ou l'influence) des directeurs d'école. Le modèle est testé pour la multicolinéartié, l'hétéroscédasticité et l'endogénéité. Quatre variables sont statistiquement significatives. L'efficience des écoles est influencée négativement par (1) le fait d'offrir un enseignement spécialisé en classe séparée, (2) la proporition d'élèves défavorisés et (3) le fait d'opérer sur plusieurs sites différents. L'efficience des écoles est influencée positivement par la taille de l'école, mesurée par le nombre d'élèves. La proporition d'élèves allophones, le fait d'être situé dans une zone urbaine et d'offrir des classes d'accueil pour les élèves immigrants constituent autant de variables non significatives. Le fait que les variables qui influencent l'efficience des écoles ne soient pas sous le contrôle des directeurs ne signifie pas qu'il faille céder au fatalisme. Différentes pistes sont proposées pour permettre soit de réduire l'impact négatif soit de tirer parti de l'impact positif des variables significatives.

Prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents in Seychelles : results of the School Screening Program in 2013

Results related to overweight and obesity in 2013: Participation to the school screening program was satisfactory in 2013, but a bit less than in previous years (4220 children seen out of a total of approximately 6000 eligible ones). Less than maximal participation to the screening program can relate to different factors, e.g.; a trend for obese children to decline participation; lack of time of school nurses to complete the screening program due to competing duties at health centre level. Good organization by the school nurses and adequate facilities for screening are also important factors for a good conduct of the screening program.

Adaptation en français et en allemand d'une échelle de pression des pairs pour jeunes adultes : le Peer Pressure Inventory [Adaptation of a peer pressure scale in French and German: the Peer Pressure Inventory].

BACKGROUND: Peer pressure is regarded as an important determinant of substance use, sexual behavior and juvenile delinquency. However, few peer pressure scales are validated, especially in French or German. Little is known about the factor structure of such scales or the kind of scale needed: some scales takes into account both peer pressure to do and peer pressure not to do, while others consider only peer pressure to do. The aim of the present study was to adapt French and German versions of the Peer Pressure Inventory, which is one of the most widely used scales in this field. We considered its factor structure and concurrent validity. METHODS: Five thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven young Swiss men filled in a questionnaire on peer pressure, substance use, and other variables (conformity, involvement) in a cohort study. RESULTS: We identified a four-factor structure, with the three factors of the initial Peer Pressure Inventory (involvement, conformity, misconduct) and adding a new one (relationship with girls). A non-valued scale (from no peer pressure to peer pressure to do only) showed stronger psychometric qualities than a valued scale (from peer pressure not to do to peer pressure to do). Concurrent validity was also good. Each behavior or attitude was significantly associated with peer pressure. CONCLUSION: Peer pressure seems to be a multidimensional concept. In this study, peer pressure to do showed the strongest influence on participants. Indeed, peer pressure not to do did not add anything useful. Only peer pressure to do affected young Swiss men's behaviors and attitudes and was reliable.

Prescribing practices in German and Swiss psychiatric university and in non-university hospitals : national differences

RÉSUMÉ Il existe dans la pratique de prescription des médicaments de grandes variations entre les hôpitaux. Ces variations sont d'origines multifactorielles, comme par exemple des traditions de prescriptions locales, des considérations pharmato-économiques, la disponibilité d'un médicament, des différences de population, la prévalence d'une maladie, etc. Les études disponibles sur les pratiques de prescription sont souvent réduites à un centre unique, à une région ou à un pays. L'emploi de méthodes et de définitions particulières a jusqu'à pressent limité des comparaisons plus étendues entre les pays et régions. Le but de cette étude est de comparer la pratique de prescription de nouveaux médicaments psychotropes dans des cliniques suisses et allemandes. Cinq hôpitaux psychiatriques ont été sélectionnés, faisant tous partie du projet AMSP, et représentant des cliniques suisses, allemandes, de niveau universitaire ou non. Des données sur 572 patients et 1745 prescriptions ont été collectées durant un jour précis. Les comparaisons ont été ajustées pour l'âge et le sexe. Une différence significative (p <0.001) a été trouvée dans la prescription de nouveaux médicaments antidépresseurs, les cliniciens suisses en donnant en moyenne plus (65.2%) que les allemands (48.3%). Aucune différence significative n'a été démontrée dans la prescription des nouveaux médicaments antipsychotiques atypiques. Il semble en conséquence que les psychiatres suisses ont une propension plus élevée à prescrire des nouveaux médicaments antidépresseurs. Cela semble être dû à des différences de traditions de prescriptions nationales ou régionales. D'autres études sont nécessaires pour investiguer les influences économiques sur la pratique de prescription dans des cliniques suisses et allemandes. SUMMARY Obiective: There are great variations between hospitals in the way drugs are prescribed and these variations may be due to multiple factors such as local prescribing traditions, pharmacoeconomic considerations, drug availability; regional differences of population, disease prevalence etc. Available studies on prescribing habits have, besides studies performed in a unique centre, until now often been restricted to single countries or regions and the comparisons across countries or regions have often been limited by the use of diverse methodologies and definitions. The aim of the present study was to compare drug prescriptions between German and Swiss psychiatric services with regard to their preference of newer psychotropics. Material, method: Five psychiatric hospitals, associated to the AMSP-project, were chosen to represent Swiss and German clinics, university and non-university settings. Data were available from one index day on 572 patients and 1745 prescriptions. The comparisons were adjusted for age and gender. Results: There was a significant difference (p < 0.001) with regard to the prescription of newer antidepressants (NAD), Swiss clinicians giving proportionally more (65.2 %) than the German psychiatrists (48.3 %). No significant difference was, on the other hand, found as to the proportion of atypical antipsychotics, the lack of difference being due to the higher proportion of clozapine among the atypical antipsychotics in Germany. Conclusion: There seems therefore to be a higher propensity for Swiss hospital psychiatrists to prescribe newer antidepressants. This seems to be due to national or regional prescribing traditions. Further studies are needed to investigate the economical influences on antidepressant prescribing in Swiss and German clinics.)