The relationship between a short measure of health status and physical activity in a workplace population.

Many interventions promoting physical activity (PA) are effective in preventing disease onset, and although studies have found a positive relationship between health-related quality of life (HRQL) and PA, most of these studies have focused on older adults and those with chronic conditions. Less is known regarding the association between PA level and HRQL among healthy adults. Our objective was to analyse the relationship between PA level and HRQL among a sample of 573 employees aged 20-68 taking part in a workplace intervention to promote PA. Measures included HRQL (using a single item) and PA (i.e. Godin Leisure-Time Questionnaire). The Modified Canadian Aerobic Fitness Test (MCAFT) was also completed by 10% of the employees. MET-minute scores (assessing energy expenditure over one week) were compared across HRQL categories using ANOVA. A multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to further examine the relationship between HRQL and PA, controlling for potential covariates. Participants in the higher health status categories were found to report higher levels of energy expenditure (one-way ANOVA, p < 0.001). In the multiple linear regression model, each unit increase in health status level translated in a mean increase of 356 MET-minutes in energy expenditure (p < 0.001). This single-item assessment of health status explained six percent of the variance in energy expenditure. The study concludes that higher energy expenditure through PA among an adult workplace population is positively associated with increased health status, and it also suggests that a single-item HRQL measure is suitable for community- and population-based studies, reducing response burden and research costs.

Comparability of health care responsiveness in Europe

The aim of this paper is to measure and to correct for the potential incomparability of responses to the SHARE survey on health care responsiveness. A parametric approach based on the use of anchoring vignettes is applied to cross-sectional data (2006-2007) in eleven European countries. More than 7,000 respondents aged 50 years old and over were asked to assess the quality of health care responsiveness in three domains: waiting time for medical treatment, quality of the conditions in visited health facilities, and communication and involvement in decisions about the treatment. Our results suggest that there is reporting heterogeneity across countries and across individuals within countries, and the degree of heterogeneity varies with the health care domain. Although leading countries in terms of health care responsiveness remain among the most successful even after correction for reporting heterogeneity, one may acknowledge many shifts in the ranking of the other countries.

Report on the Local Public Health Services Grant administered by the Bureau of Local Public Health Services, a division of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention of the Iowa Department of Public Health for the period July 1, 2006 through June 30, 2008

Report on the Local Public Health Services Grant administered by the Bureau of Local Public Health Services, a division of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention of the Iowa Department of Public Health for the period July 1, 2006 through June 30, 2008

Brief DISCERN, six questions for the evaluation of evidence-based content of health-related websites.

OBJECTIVE: To extract and to validate a brief version of the DISCERN which could identify mental health-related websites with good content quality. METHOD: The present study is based on the analysis of data issued from six previous studies which used DISCERN and a standardized tool for the evaluation of content quality (evidence-based health information) of 388 mental health-related websites. After extracting the Brief DISCERN, several psychometric properties (content validity through a Factor analysis, internal consistency by the Cronbach's alpha index, predictive validity through the diagnostic tests, concurrent validity by the strength of association between the Brief DISCERN and the original DISCERN scores) were investigated to ascertain its general applicability. RESULTS: A Brief DISCERN composed of two factors and six items was extracted from the original 16 items version of the DISCERN. Cronbach's alpha coefficients were more than acceptable for the complete questionnaire (alpha=0.74) and for the two distinct domains: treatments information (alpha=0.87) and reliability (alpha=0.83). Sensibility and specificity of the Brief DISCERN cut-off score > or =16 in the detection of good content quality websites were 0.357 and 0.945, respectively. Its predictive positive and negative values were 0.98 and 0.83, respectively. A statistically significant linear correlation was found between the total scores of the Brief DISCERN and those of the original DISCERN (r=0.84 and p<0.0005). CONCLUSION: The Brief DISCERN seems to be a reliable and valid instrument able to discriminate between websites with good and poor content quality. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The Brief DISCERN is a simple tool which could facilitate the identification of good information on the web by patients and general consumers.

Contribution of modern biotechnology of lactic acid bacteria to development of health-promoting foods

Selostus: Terveysvaikutteisten elintarvikkeiden tuottamista edesauttavat maitohappobakteerien molekyyligeneettiset tutkimukset

The Patientʼs Perception of Eosinophilic Esophagitis Related Symptoms: a Qualitative Content Analysis

Background and Aims: The international EEsAI study group is currently developing an activity index for Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE). A potential discrepancy between patient and physician reported EoE symptoms has not been assessed yet. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate patient reported items describing their EoE activity and to compare these with the physicianʼs perception. Methods: A questionnaire was sent to 100 EoE patients in Switzerland. EoE-related symptoms dependent and independent of food intake were reported by patients. Results were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis and compared with symptoms reported by international EoE experts in Delphi rounds. Results: The questionnaire response rate was 64/100. The following items were developed by combining categories based on patients answers: food-consistency related dysphagia, frequency and severity of dysphagia, food impaction, strategies to avoid food impaction, food allergy, drinking-related retrosternal pain. The following food categories associated with dysphagia were identified: meat, rice, dry bread, French fries, raw, fibrous foods, others. Sports and psychological stress were identified as triggers for non-food intake related EoE symptoms. A good correlation was found between patient and physicianʼs reported EoE related symptoms. Conclusions: There is a good correlation between patient reported symptoms and the physicianʼs perception of clinical items as reported by international EoE experts. These patient reported outcomes will now be incorporated into the EEsAI questionnaire that measures EoE activity.

Workers' perception of workplace bullying: a cross-cultural study

This study is one of the first studies to approach workplace bullying cross-culturally. It sought to compare employees' understanding of workplace bullying in two different world regions: Central America and Southern Europe, regarding three aspects of workplace bullying: psychological vs. physical harassment, hierarchical vs. horizontal bullying, and direct vs. indirect aggression. A convenience sample of 246 workers provided their own definition of workplace bullying through a single, open-ended question. The results showed that employees from Central America emphasized the physical component of workplace bullying more than the Southern European employees. However, similarities in the conceptualization of workplace bullying across both cultures were found as well. Both Southern European and Central American employees defined workplace bullying mainly as a hierarchical phenomenon, where the aggression took the form of direct strategies. Such differences and similarities bring to the field some positive inputs for the development and implementation of different strategies for dealing effectively with this phenomenon.

Workers' perception of workplace bullying: a cross-cultural study

This study is one of the first studies to approach workplace bullying cross-culturally. It sought to compare employees' understanding of workplace bullying in two different world regions: Central America and Southern Europe, regarding three aspects of workplace bullying: psychological vs. physical harassment, hierarchical vs. horizontal bullying, and direct vs. indirect aggression. A convenience sample of 246 workers provided their own definition of workplace bullying through a single, open-ended question. The results showed that employees from Central America emphasized the physical component of workplace bullying more than the Southern European employees. However, similarities in the conceptualization of workplace bullying across both cultures were found as well. Both Southern European and Central American employees defined workplace bullying mainly as a hierarchical phenomenon, where the aggression took the form of direct strategies. Such differences and similarities bring to the field some positive inputs for the development and implementation of different strategies for dealing effectively with this phenomenon.