Individual differences in effects of child care quality: The role of child affective self-regulation and gender.

Science.gov (United States)

Broekhuizen, Martine L; Aken, Marcel A G van; Dubas, Judith S; Mulder, Hanna; Leseman, Paul P M

2015-08-01

The current study investigated whether the relation between child care quality and children's socio-emotional behavior depended on children's affective self-regulation skills and gender. Participants were 545 children (Mage=27 months) from 60 center-based child care centers in the Netherlands. Multi-level analyses showed that children with low affective self-regulation skills or who were male demonstrated less teacher-rated social competence when exposed to relatively low quality child care. In addition, children with low affective self-regulation skills also showed more social competence in the case of relatively high quality child care, suggesting mechanisms of differential susceptibility. No main effects of child care quality or interactions were found for teacher- and parent-rated externalizing behavior. These findings emphasize the importance of considering children's affective self-regulation skills and gender in understanding the effects of child care quality. High quality child care can be a means to strengthen children's social development. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cultural Perspectives on Peer Conflicts in Multicultural Dutch Child Care Centres

Science.gov (United States)

Rourou, Amina; Singer, Elly; Bekkema, Nienke; De Haan, Dorian

2006-01-01

In this paper we discuss a study of cultural perspectives on peer conflicts in multicultural child care centres. On the level of child behaviour we did not find differences between native Dutch. Moroccan-Dutch and Antillean-Dutch children with regard to occurrence, duration and actions to solve peer conflicts. On the level of mother' opinions…

Screening for congenital heart malformations in child health centres

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R.E. Juttmann (Rikard)

1999-01-01

textabstractThe objective of this thesis is to clarify the effectiveness and the efficiency of screening for congenital heart malformations in Dutch child health centres and the possibilities to optimise this prevention programme. To this end the following main questions will be addressed. 1. Does

Can You Hear Me Now? Staff-Parent Communication in Child Care Centres

Science.gov (United States)

Reedy, Cindy Kennedy; McGrath, Wendy Hobbins

2010-01-01

Supporting the growth and development of young children through effective communication with parents is one of the greatest challenges of the twenty-first century facing early childhood and special educators. This article examines adult communication in child care centres through data gathered via a mixed-method study of child care directors'…

Quality Early Education and Child Care From Birth to Kindergarten.

Science.gov (United States)

Donoghue, Elaine A

2017-08-01

High-quality early education and child care for young children improves physical and cognitive outcomes for the children and can result in enhanced school readiness. Preschool education can be viewed as an investment (especially for at-risk children), and studies show a positive return on that investment. Barriers to high-quality early childhood education include inadequate funding and staff education as well as variable regulation and enforcement. Steps that have been taken to improve the quality of early education and child care include creating multidisciplinary, evidence-based child care practice standards; establishing state quality rating and improvement systems; improving federal and state regulations; providing child care health consultation; as well as initiating other innovative partnerships. Pediatricians have a role in promoting quality early education and child care for all children not only in the medical home but also at the community, state, and national levels. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

A person-centred analysis of teacher-child relationships in early childhood.

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, Kathleen; Bullock, Amanda; Coplan, Robert J

2014-06-01

Previously, the nature of teacher-child relationships (TCRs) has been explored through dimensions of close, conflicted, and dependent. However, this variable-centred approach is limited, as many relationships can be characterized by more than one characteristic or trait. A person-centred approach would allow for a greater understanding of the types of relationships that are formed and improved interpretation of the students' socio-emotional outcomes associated with that relationship. The primary goal of this study was to examine the socio-emotional functioning of young children who formed distinct types of TCRs. Participants were n = 202 kindergarten children (98 girls, 104 boys, Mage = 64.12 months, SD = 4.86). Multi-source assessment was employed with data collected from parent ratings, teacher reports, child interviews, and naturalistic observations in the classroom. Using quartile cut-offs, we identified children who formed conflicted, dependent, and 'combined' (conflicted and dependent) TCRs. Results indicated distinct patterns of socio-emotional functioning for each TCR group. For example, whereas children in conflicted TCRs evidenced greater externalizing difficulties, children with dependent TCRs had greater internalizing difficulties. Children who evidenced high levels of both conflicted and dependent TCRs displayed the most pervasive socio-emotional difficulties. Children who form TCRs characterized by high levels of both conflict and dependency displayed the most pervasive adjustment difficulties. Further investigation is needed to improve our understanding of this group and to assess the plausibility of early intervention strategies. © 2013 The British Psychological Society.

Enhancing Social Competence and the Child-Teacher Relationship Using a Child-Centred Play Training Model in Hong Kong Preschools

Science.gov (United States)

Leung, Chi-hung

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine whether a child-centred play training model, filial play therapy, enhances child-teacher relationship and thereby reduces children's internalising problems (such as anxiety/depression and withdrawal) and externalising problems (such as aggressive and destructive behaviour). Sixty teachers (n = 60) and 60…

Pedagogy and Quality in Indian Slum School Settings: A Bernsteinian Analysis of Visual Representations in the Integrated Child Development Service

Science.gov (United States)

Chawla-Duggan, Rita

2016-01-01

This paper focuses upon the micro level of the pre-school classroom, taking the example of the Indian Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS), and the discourse of "child-centred" pedagogy that is often associated with quality pre-schooling. Through an analysis of visual data, semi-structured and film elicitation interviews drawn…

Investigating social functioning after early mild TBI: the quality of parent-child interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Lalonde, Gabrielle; Bernier, Annie; Beaudoin, Cindy; Gravel, Jocelyn; Beauchamp, Miriam H

2018-03-01

The young brain is particularly vulnerable to injury due to inherent physiological and developmental factors, and even mild forms of traumatic brain injury (mTBI) can sometimes result in cognitive and behavioural difficulties. Despite the high prevalence of paediatric mTBI, little is known of its impact on children's social functioning. Parent-child relationships represent the centre of young children's social environments and are therefore ideal contexts for studying the potential effects of mTBI on children's social functioning. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of parent-child interactions after mTBI using observational assessment methods and parental report. The sample included 130 children (18-60 months at recruitment) divided into three groups: children with uncomplicated mTBI (n = 47), children with orthopaedic injury (OI, n = 27), and non-injured children (NI, n = 56). The quality of parent-child interactions was assessed 6 months post-injury using the Mutually Responsive Orientation (MRO) scale, an observational measure which focuses on the dyadic nature of parent-child exchanges, and the Parental Stress Index questionnaire (Parent-Child Dysfunctional Interaction (PCDI) domain). Significant differences with medium effect sizes were found between the mTBI group and the NI group on the MRO, but not between the OI group and the other two groups. PCDI scores did not differ across groups, suggesting that observational measures may be more sensitive to changes in parent-child interactions after TBI. The current findings have implications for children's post-injury social development and highlight the importance of monitoring social outcomes even after minor head injuries. © 2016 The British Psychological Society.

Competition for a better future? Effects of competition on child care quality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Akgündüz, Y.E.; Plantenga, J.

2013-01-01

Little is known about how competition affects child care centers’ quality. This paper examines the impact of competition on the quality of Dutch child care centers. The results show that high density of child care centers in an area improves scores in quality assessment measures. The positive

Child-Centred Education: Preschool Teachers' Beliefs and Self-Reported Practices

Science.gov (United States)

Sak, Ramazan; Erden, Feyza Tantekin; Morrison, George S.

2016-01-01

This study analyses the beliefs and self-reported practices of preschool teachers with regard to the concept of child-centred education, as well as the consistency between these beliefs and practices. Data were collected via interviews with 20 female teachers employed in public preschools in Ankara, Turkey. The results indicated that the…

["... so that Theo knows what he should do better". Client orientation in social-therapeutic child group work--an experiential report of quality management at a child guidance clinic].

Science.gov (United States)

Bobzien, Monika; Hausmann, Verena; Kornder, Theo; Manz-Gill, Brigitte

2004-09-01

Within the framework of internal evaluation and self-evaluation activities in a child guidance clinic, measures of success have to date been based primarily on the degree to which the delegating organisations are satisfied with the results of the counselling. The orientation of the success of counselling towards the results stems from the fact that the process of helping is not generally manifest to parents, schools, and education staff. It takes place in the context of direct contact between therapists and children, the immediate addresses of help, and therefore often remains "hidden". Since the children's perspective--their impressions and appraisals--has often been neglected in past assessment methods, it hardly plays any role at all in the discussion of quality at counselling centres. This made it all the more stimulating for all those involved to initiate improvement measures within the framework of quality management on the basis of a client survey and in this way to launch a shared learning process as to how client orientation can flow directly into everyday practice. This is certainly the first attempt of its kind in the work of child guidance clinics to develop an understanding of client orientation in line with the expectations of parents and children and to link this to the quality development of the service. In the first part of this experiential report, the external process coach provides a brief summary of the assessment method employed in connection with the introduction of internal quality management at the counselling centre. This is followed by the centre's own description of the concrete performance of the client survey with children using the example of social-therapeutic child group work. The study concludes with a discussion of the benefit drawn from this process for the improvement of this pedagogical project.

Communicating with children and parents: recommendations for a child-parent-centred approach for paediatric dentistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Freeman, R

2008-02-01

The European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry has called for a series of evidence-based statements to inform their guidelines on the behavioural management of the child patient. Communication between dentist, parent and child based upon scientifically robust research evidence was felt to be central to this request in order to provide empathetic and child-centred care for children and their parents attending for dental health care. Shekelle and colleagues [1999] devised a series of steps to develop an evidence-based clinical guideline. This framework allows first, the identification and refinement of the subject area and secondly, the identification and assessment of the evidence-base. Four areas of communication were identified as being of central importance. These were identification of the mother-child dyad; affective communication skills; problem solving and negotiation skills. It was recommended that paediatric dentists should become knowledgeable and competent in these skills in order to provide patient-centred care for the children and parents attending their clinics for dental treatment.

Quality of Health Assistants in primary Health centres in Rural Maharashtra, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Enakshi Ganguly

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction Health assistants are important functionaries of the primary health care system in India. Their role is supervision of field-based services among other things. A quality assurance mechanism for these health assistants is lacking. The present study was undertaken with the objectives of developing a tool to assess the quality of health assistants in primary health centres (PHCs and to assess their quality using this tool. Methodology Health assistants from three PHCs in the Wardha district of India were observed for a year using a tool developed from primary health care management Aavancement program modules. Data was collected by direct observation, interview, and review of records for quality of activities. Results Staff strength of health assistants was 87.5%. None of the health assistants were clear about their job descriptions. A supervisory schedule for providing supportive supervision to auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs was absent; most field activities pertaining to maternal and child health received poor focus. Monthly meetings lacked a clear agenda, and comments on quality improvement of services provided by the ANMs were missing. Conclusion Continuous training with sensitization on quality issues is required to improve the unsatisfactory quality.

Parental and Child Psychopathology: Moderated Mediation by Gender and Parent-Child Relationship Quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Franz, Annabel O; McKinney, Cliff

2018-03-26

Previous literature has not examined the processes underlying the relations among parent-child relationship quality, parental psychopathology, and child psychopathology in the context of gender. Further, research examining these variables in emerging adulthood is lacking. The current study examined whether parent-child relationship quality would mediate the relation between parental and child psychopathology, and whether gender moderated these associations. Participants were emerging adults (N = 665) who reported on perceptions of their parents' and their own psychological problems as well as their parent-child relationship quality. Results indicated that the relation between parental internalizing problems and parent-child relationship quality was positive for males, and that mother-child relationship quality was related positively to psychological problems in males. This suggests that sons may grow closer to their parents (particularly their mother) who are exhibiting internalizing problems; in turn, this enmeshed relationship may facilitate transmission of psychopathology. Mediational paths were conditional upon gender, suggesting moderated mediation. Overall, the current study emphasizes that the complexities of parenting must be understood in the context of gender. Further, the mother-son dyad may particularly warrant further attention.

New Mexico Look for the STARS--AIM HIGH: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Child Trends, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper presents a profile of New Mexico's Look for the STARS--AIM HIGH prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4)…

Differential susceptibility to parenting and quality child care.

Science.gov (United States)

Pluess, Michael; Belsky, Jay

2010-03-01

Research on differential susceptibility to rearing suggests that infants with difficult temperaments are disproportionately affected by parenting and child care quality, but a major U.S. child care study raises questions as to whether quality of care influences social adjustment. One thousand three hundred sixty-four American children from reasonably diverse backgrounds were followed from 1 month to 11 years with repeated observational assessments of parenting and child care quality, as well as teacher report and standardized assessments of children's cognitive-academic and social functioning, to determine whether those with histories of difficult temperament proved more susceptible to early rearing effects at ages 10 and 11. Evidence for such differential susceptibility emerges in the case of both parenting and child care quality and with respect to both cognitive-academic and social functioning. Differential susceptibility to parenting and child care quality extends to late middle childhood. J. Belsky, D. L. Vandell, et al.'s (2007) failure to consider such temperament-moderated rearing effects in their evaluation of long-term child care effects misestimates effects of child care quality on social adjustment.

Setting up a child eye care centre: the Mercy Eye Hospital, Abak ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Aim: To document and share our experience in setting up a Child Eye Care Centre within a rural mission eye hospital and document subsequent development of services. Method: The location of the project was Mercy Eye Hospital (MEH) Abak, Akwa Ibom State in the South South zone of Nigeria). Consent to commence ...

Carefree in child care ?: child wellbeing, caregiving quality, and intervention programs in center-based child care

OpenAIRE

Werner, Claudia Denise

2014-01-01

The use of center child care in Western countries has increased over the last three decades and is nowadays the most frequently used type of non-parental care for children aged zero to four (OECD, 2013). The aim of the current dissertation is to shed more light on indicators of child care quality in center child care and to answer the question whether narrow-focused caregiver interventions are effective in improving child care quality. The reported meta-analysis shows that narrow-focus interv...

Organizational characteristics and processes are important in the adoption of the Alberta Nutrition Guidelines for Children and Youth in child-care centres.

Science.gov (United States)

Farmer, Anna P; Nikolopoulos, Hara; McCargar, Linda; Berry, Tanya; Mager, Diana

2015-06-01

The objective of the present study was to gain an understanding of the organizational characteristics and processes in two child-care centres that may influence adoption of the Alberta Nutrition Guidelines for Children and Youth (ANGCY). In-depth qualitative case studies. Data were collected through direct observations, key informant interviews and field notes. Diffusion of Innovations theory guided the evaluation and intrinsic case analysis. Two urban child-care centres in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada identified as exemplary early adopter cases. Ten key informants comprised of directors, junior and senior staff members participated in interviews. Organizational processes such as leadership, networking and knowledge brokering, health champions and organizational culture positively influenced adoption behaviour in child-care centres. A key determinant influencing organizational behaviour within both centres was the directors' strong leadership. Acceptance of and adherence to the guidelines were facilitated by organizational factors, such as degree of centralization, formalization and complexity, level of staff training and education. Knowledge brokering by directors was important for transferring and exchanging information across the centre. All child-care staff embraced their informal role as health champions as essential to supporting guideline adherence and encouraging healthy food and eating environments. Organizational processes and characteristics such as leadership, knowledge brokering and networking, organizational culture and health champions played an important role in the adoption of nutrition guidelines in child-care centres. The complex interplay of decision making, organization of work and specialization of roles influenced the extent to which nutrition guidelines were adopted.

Non-cognitive Child Outcomes and Universal High Quality Child Care

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Datta Gupta, Nabanita; Simonsen, Marianne

2010-01-01

universal preschool programs and family day care vis-à-vis home care. We find that, compared to home care, being enrolled in preschool at age three does not lead to significant differences in child outcomes at age seven no matter the gender or the mother's level of education. Family day care, on the other...... hand, seems to significantly deteriorate outcomes for boys whose mothers have a lower level of education. Finally, longer hours in non-parental care lead to poorer child outcomes.......Exploiting a rich panel data child survey merged with administrative records along with a pseudoexperiment generating variation in the take-up of preschool across municipalities, we provide evidence of the effects on non-cognitive child outcomes of participating in large scale publicly provided...

Predictors of mother-child interaction quality and child attachment security in at-risk families.

Science.gov (United States)

De Falco, Simona; Emer, Alessandra; Martini, Laura; Rigo, Paola; Pruner, Sonia; Venuti, Paola

2014-01-01

Child healthy development is largely influenced by parent-child interaction and a secure parent-child attachment is predictively associated with positive outcomes in numerous domains of child development. However, the parent-child relationship can be affected by several psychosocial and socio-demographic risk factors that undermine its quality and in turn play a negative role in short and long term child psychological health. Prevention and intervention programs that support parenting skills in at-risk families can efficiently reduce the impact of risk factors on mother and child psychological health. This study examines predictors of mother-child interaction quality and child attachment security in a sample of first-time mothers with psychosocial and/or socio-demographic risk factors. Forty primiparous women satisfying specific risk criteria participated in a longitudinal study with their children from pregnancy until 18 month of child age. A multiple psychological and socioeconomic assessment was performed. The Emotional Availability Scales were used to measure the quality of emotional exchanges between mother and child at 12 months and the Attachment Q-Sort served as a measure of child attachment security at 18 months. Results highlight both the effect of specific single factors, considered at a continuous level, and the cumulative risk effect of different co-occurring factors, considered at binary level, on mother-child interaction quality and child attachment security. Implication for the selection of inclusion criteria of intervention programs that support parenting skills in at-risk families are discussed.

Predictors of mother-child interaction quality and child attachment security in at-risk families

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simona eDe Falco

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Child healthy development is largely influenced by parent-child interaction and a secure parent-child attachment is predictively associated with positive outcomes in numerous domains of child development. However, the parent-child relationship can be affected by several psychosocial and socio-demographic risk factors that undermine its quality and in turn play a negative role in short and long term child psychological health. Prevention and intervention programs that support parenting skills in at-risk families can efficiently reduce the impact of risk factors on mother and child psychological health. This study examines predictors of mother-child interaction quality and child attachment security in a sample of first-time mothers with psychosocial and/or socio-demographic risk factors. Forty primiparous women satisfying specific risk criteria participated in a longitudinal study with their children from pregnancy until 18 month of child age. A multiple psychological and socioeconomic assessment was performed. The Emotional Availability Scales were used to measure the quality of emotional exchanges between mother and child at 12 months and the Attachment Q-Sort served as a measure of child attachment security at 18 months. Results highlight both the effect of specific single factors, considered at a continuous level, and the cumulative risk effect of different co-occurring factors, considered at binary level, on mother-child interaction quality and child attachment security. Implication for the selection of inclusion criteria of intervention programs that support parenting skills in at-risk families are discussed.

Cost of assessing a child for possible autism spectrum disorder? An observational study of current practice in child development centres in the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Galliver, Mark; Gowling, Emma; Farr, William; Gain, Aaron; Male, Ian

2017-01-01

UK guidelines recommend that diagnosis of autism in children requires assessment by a multidisciplinary team. With growing numbers of referrals for assessment, diagnostic services have been under increasing pressure to meet the level of need. This study aimed to explore the number of hours of professional time required to complete such an assessment based on current practice in secondary care child development centres across the UK, and from this we calculate the cost of assessment. An online questionnaire, using SurveyMonkey.com, was sent to 20 child development centres asking them to retrospectively record team members involved at each stage of assessment and time taken, including report writing and administration for a typical assessment. Costs were estimated based on the hourly rate for each team member, including salary, on-costs and trust overheads. 12 questionnaires (60%) were returned. 10 centres adopted a two-stage approach to assessment with an initial 'screening' clinic determining whether the child needed to proceed to full multidisciplinary assessment. Median professional time involved was 13 hours (IQR 9.6-15.5 hours). This resulted in a median cost of £809 ($1213, based on conversion rate £1 equal to US$1.5 (November 2015)), (IQR £684-£925) ($1026-$1388)). This study confirms that multidisciplinary diagnostic assessment of a child with possible autism requires significant professional time, with staff costs of approximately £800 ($1200) per child. This does not include costs of intervention, parent psychological education, investigation and assessment and management of comorbidities. If growing waiting times for diagnostic assessment are to be avoided, funding for diagnostic services needs to reflect the human resources required and the resulting costs of that assessment.

Multidisciplinary breast centres in Germany: a review and update of quality assurance through benchmarking and certification.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallwiener, Markus; Brucker, Sara Y; Wallwiener, Diethelm

2012-06-01

This review summarizes the rationale for the creation of breast centres and discusses the studies conducted in Germany to obtain proof of principle for a voluntary, external benchmarking programme and proof of concept for third-party dual certification of breast centres and their mandatory quality management systems to the German Cancer Society (DKG) and German Society of Senology (DGS) Requirements of Breast Centres and ISO 9001 or similar. In addition, we report the most recent data on benchmarking and certification of breast centres in Germany. Review and summary of pertinent publications. Literature searches to identify additional relevant studies. Updates from the DKG/DGS programmes. Improvements in surrogate parameters as represented by structural and process quality indicators suggest that outcome quality is improving. The voluntary benchmarking programme has gained wide acceptance among DKG/DGS-certified breast centres. This is evidenced by early results from one of the largest studies in multidisciplinary cancer services research, initiated by the DKG and DGS to implement certified breast centres. The goal of establishing a nationwide network of certified breast centres in Germany can be considered largely achieved. Nonetheless the network still needs to be improved, and there is potential for optimization along the chain of care from mammography screening, interventional diagnosis and treatment through to follow-up. Specialization, guideline-concordant procedures as well as certification and recertification of breast centres remain essential to achieve further improvements in quality of breast cancer care and to stabilize and enhance the nationwide provision of high-quality breast cancer care.

Oral health-related quality of life in Brazilian child abuse victims: A comparative study.

Science.gov (United States)

da Silva-Júnior, Ivam Freire; Hartwig, Andréia Drawanz; Stüermer, Vanessa Müller; Demarco, Giulia Tarquínio; Goettems, Marília Leão; Azevedo, Marina Sousa

2018-02-01

This study aims to assess and compare Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) in child abuse victims and non-abused children in a Southern Brazilian city. The study compared two independent samples of children aged 8-10 years: 48 child abuse victims recruited from a centre for Child and Adolescent Psychological Support (NACA) for abused children, and 144 public and private school students. Data collection consisted of administration of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire 8-10 (CPQ 8-10 ) to measure OHRQoL (dependent variable), clinical examination (dental caries), and collection of socioeconomic and demographic information (age, sex, skin colour, family income, and type of school). Multiple linear regression models were used to assess the association between presence of abuse and OHRQoL and subscales. After adjustment for clinical and sociodemographic variables, child abuse victims were found to exhibit higher CPQ scores on the overall scale and on the oral symptoms and functional limitations subscales. In conclusion, child abuse victims have a higher impact on OHRQoL. Based on the results, it is possible to suggest that greater care should be taken of these children, not only in providing treatment for oral disorders, but also in providing interdisciplinary care. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Infection Control in Child Day Care Centres : Development and evaluation of a hand hygiene intervention

NARCIS (Netherlands)

T.P. Zomer (Tizza)

2015-01-01

markdownabstract__Abstract__ Children attending child day care centres are at increased risk of acquiring gastrointestinal and respiratory infections compared to children cared for at home. Hand hygiene is known to be an effective measure to prevent infections. However, compliance with hand

Pornography, Religion, and Parent-Child Relationship Quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Perry, Samuel L; Snawder, Kara J

2017-08-01

Frequent pornography use is often negatively associated with marital quality. Recent research has argued that this negative association is particularly strong for those who are embedded in religious communities, likely due to the greater stigma and shame associated with viewing pornography. In order to test and extend this theory, the current study examined how religious service attendance moderates the link between parents' pornography consumption and four measures of parent-child relationship quality. Analyses of 2006 Portraits of American Life Study data (N = 2610) revealed that greater pornography viewing predicted negative outcomes on two out of four measures of parent-child relationship quality, while religious service attendance was associated with more positive parent-child relationship outcomes. Interaction effects, however, affirmed that the negative association between porn viewing frequency and three parent-child relationship outcomes was stronger for participants who attended religious services more often. Analyzing fathers (N = 771) and mothers (N = 904) separately revealed that the observed relationships held more consistently for fathers than mothers. Evidence for directionality was presented by incorporating re-interview data from 2012. While pornography use may be negatively associated with some aspects of parent-child relationship quality, this association was particularly strong for those embedded within religious communities, possibly owing to greater attendant guilt and shame.

Spillover between Marital Quality and Parent-child Relationship Quality: Parental Depressive Symptoms as Moderators

Science.gov (United States)

Kouros, Chrystyna D.; Papp, Lauren M.; Goeke-Morey, Marcie C.; Cummings, E. Mark

2015-01-01

Using a daily diary method, this study examined concurrent and time-lagged relations between marital and parent-child relationship qualities, providing a test of the spillover and compensatory hypotheses. Additionally, this study tested both mothers’ and fathers’ depressive symptoms as moderators of these daily linkages. Participants were 203 families, in which mothers and fathers completed daily diaries for 15 days. At the end of each reporting day, parents independently rated the emotional quality of their relationship with their spouse and with their child that day. Controlling for global levels of marital satisfaction, marital conflict, and parenting, a positive association was found between mothers’ and fathers’ daily ratings of marital quality and their ratings of parent-child relationship quality, supporting the spillover hypothesis. When considering time-lagged relations, support was found for the compensatory hypothesis for mothers: lower levels of marital quality were related to increases in mother-child relationship quality from one day to the next. Further, both maternal and paternal depressive symptoms moderated the link between marital quality and the other parent’s relationship quality with their child. Whereas maternal depressive symptoms strengthened spillover relations for fathers on the next day, paternal depression was related to less spillover for mothers on the same day. Alternative models did not find evidence for parent-child relationship quality as a predictor of changes in marital quality on the next day. The findings underscore the importance of the quality of the marital relationship for predicting the quality of other family relationships. PMID:24821519

A cost function analysis of child health services in four districts in Malawi.

Science.gov (United States)

Johns, Benjamin; Munthali, Spy; Walker, Damian G; Masanjala, Winford; Bishai, David

2013-05-10

Recent analyses show that donor funding for child health is increasing, but little information is available on actual costs to deliver child health care services. Understanding how unit costs scale with service volume in Malawi can help planners allocate budgets as health services expand. Data on facility level inputs and outputs were collected at 24 health centres in four districts of Malawi visiting a random sample of government and a convenience sample of Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM) health centres. In the cost function, total outputs, quality, facility ownership, average salaries and case mix are used to predict total cost. Regression analysis identifies marginal cost as the coefficient relating cost to service volume intensity. The marginal cost per patient seen for all health centres surveyed was US$ 0.82 per additional patient visit. Average cost was US$ 7.16 (95% CI: 5.24 to 9.08) at government facilities and US$ 10.36 (95% CI: 4.92 to 15.80) at CHAM facilities per child seen for any service. The first-line anti-malarial drug accounted for over 30% of costs, on average, at government health centres. Donors directly financed 40% and 21% of costs at government and CHAM health centres, respectively. The regression models indicate higher total costs are associated with a greater number of outpatient visits but that many health centres are not providing services at optimal volume given their inputs. They also indicate that CHAM facilities have higher costs than government facilities for similar levels of utilization. We conclude by discussing ways in which efficiency may be improved at health centres. The first option, increasing the total number of patients seen, appears difficult given existing high levels of child utilization; increasing the volume of adult patients may help spread fixed and semi-fixed costs. A second option, improving the quality of services, also presents difficulties but could also usefully improve performance.

Stability of maternal discipline practices and the quality of mother–child interaction during toddlerhood✩

OpenAIRE

Huang, Keng-Yen; Caughy, Margaret O'Brien; Lee, Li-Ching; Miller, Therese; Genevro, Janice

2009-01-01

This study examined the stability of maternal punitive/high-power discipline (PD) and inductive/authoritative discipline (ID) over the second and third years of life and the effect of maternal discipline on quality of mother–child interactions. Data from a longitudinal sample with 179 mother–toddler dyads were analyzed, and selected factors (i.e., child sex, temperament) that might moderate the association between maternal discipline and quality of mother–child interactions were also examined...

Teaching Reading and Writing in Local Language Using the Child-Centred Pedagogy in Uganda

Science.gov (United States)

Akello, Dora Lucy; Timmerman, Greetje; Namusisi, Speranza

2016-01-01

Uganda introduced the use of mother tongue as medium of instruction in primary schools in 2007. This was meant to promote interaction and participation in the learning process and improve children's proficiency in reading and writing. Drawing elements of interaction and participation from the socio-cultural theory, the child-centred pedagogy was…

The Family Courts and parentage of children conceived through overseas commercial surrogacy arrangements: A child-centred approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Sifris, Adiva

2015-12-01

This article adopts a child-centred approach to the vexed issue of commercial surrogacy. These arrangements are prohibited throughout Australia. Nevertheless, Australians are travelling overseas and entering into commercial surrogacy arrangements. This article addresses the dilemma confronting the Family Courts when the commissioning parents and the child return to Australia. Should the Family Courts make parenting orders enabling the commissioning parents to raise the child? Alternatively, should they make parentage orders legally recognising the commissioning parents as the child's parents? After exploring the existing legislative structure and its application, the interest theory of children's rights is utilised to justify changes to the law so that the commissioning parents are regarded as the child's legal parents.

Trauma patient discharge and care transition experiences: Identifying opportunities for quality improvement in trauma centres.

Science.gov (United States)

Gotlib Conn, Lesley; Zwaiman, Ashley; DasGupta, Tracey; Hales, Brigette; Watamaniuk, Aaron; Nathens, Avery B

2018-01-01

Challenges delivering quality care are especially salient during hospital discharge and care transitions. Severely injured patients discharged from a trauma centre will go either home, to rehabilitation or another acute care hospital with complex management needs. This purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of trauma patients and families treated in a regional academic trauma centre to better understand and improve their discharge and care transition experiences. A qualitative study using inductive thematic analysis was conducted between March and October 2016. Telephone interviews were conducted with trauma patients and/or a family member after discharge from the trauma centre. Data collection and analysis were completed inductively and iteratively consistent with a qualitative approach. Twenty-four interviews included 19 patients and 7 family members. Participants' experiences drew attention to discharge and transfer processes that either (1) Fostered quality discharge or (2) Impeded quality discharge. Fostering quality discharge was ward staff preparation efforts; establishing effective care continuity; and, adequate emotional support. Impeding discharge quality was perceived pressure to leave the hospital; imposed transfer decisions; and, sub-optimal communication and coordination around discharge. Patient-provider communication was viewed to be driven by system, rather than patient need. Inter-facility information gaps raised concern about receiving facilities' ability to care for injured patients. The quality of trauma patient discharge and transition experiences is undermined by system- and ward-level processes that compete, rather than align, in producing high quality patient-centred discharge. Local improvement solutions focused on modifiable factors within the trauma centre include patient-oriented discharge education and patient navigation; however, these approaches alone may be insufficient to enhance patient experiences. Trauma patients

Biases in Quality Attribution to Mother-Child and Caregiver-Child Interaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Shpancer, Noam; Britner, Preston A.

1995-01-01

Examined the possible existence, direction, and nature of subconscious, cognitive biases in participants' quality attributions to maternal and nonmaternal child-care interactions, the relationship of such biases to subject's background, and their attitudes toward child care and maternal employment. Potential explanations for the biases and the…

Non-cognitive Child Outcomes and Universal High Quality Child Care

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Datta Gupta, Nabanita; Simonsen, Århus Universitet, Marianne

universal pre-school programs and family day care vis-à-vis home care. We find that, compared to home care, being enrolled in pre-school at age three does not lead to significant differences in child outcomes at age seven no matter the gender or mother’s level of education. Family day care, on the other......Exploiting a rich panel data child survey merged with administrative records along with a pseudo-experiment generating variation in the take-up of pre-school across municipalities, we provide evidence of the effects on non-cognitive child outcomes of participating in large scale publicly provided...... hand, seems to significantly deteriorate outcomes for boys whose mothers have a lower level of education. Finally, increasing hours in family day care from 30-40 hours per week to 40-50 hours per week and hours in pre-school from 20-30 hours per week to 30-40 hours per week leads to significantly...

Non-cognitive Child Outcomes and Universal High Quality Child Care

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Datta Gupta, Nabanita; Simonsen, Marianne

universal pre-school programs and family day care vis-à-vis home care. We find that, compared to home care, being enrolled in pre-school at age three does not lead to significant differences in child outcomes at age seven no matter the gender or mother's level of education. Family day care, on the other......Exploiting a rich panel data child survey merged with administrative records along with a pseudo-experiment generating variation in the take-up of pre-school across municipalities, we provide evidence of the effects on non-cognitive child outcomes of participating in large scale publicly provided...... hand, seems to significantly deteriorate outcomes for boys whose mothers have a lower level of education. Finally, increasing hours in family day care from 30-40 hours per week to 40-50 hours per week and hours in pre-school from 20-30 hours per week to 30-40 hours per week leads to significantly...

Quality-Adjusted Cost Functions for Child-Care Centers.

OpenAIRE

Mocan, H Naci

1995-01-01

Using a newly compiled data set, this paper estimates multi- product translog cost functions for 399 child care centers from California, Colorado, Connecticut, and North Carolina. Quality of child care is controlled by a quality index, which has been shown to be positively related to child outcomes by previous research. Nonprofit centers that receive public money, either from the state or federal government, (which is tied to higher standards), have total variable costs that are 18 percent hi...

Differential Susceptibility to Parenting and Quality Child Care

Science.gov (United States)

Pluess, Michael; Belsky, Jay

2010-01-01

Research on differential susceptibility to rearing suggests that infants with difficult temperaments are disproportionately affected by parenting and child care quality, but a major U.S. child care study raises questions as to whether quality of care influences social adjustment. One thousand three hundred sixty-four American children from…

Providing High-Quality Support Services to Home-Based Child Care: A Conceptual Model and Literature Review

Science.gov (United States)

Bromer, Juliet; Korfmacher, Jon

2017-01-01

Research Findings: Home-based child care accounts for a significant proportion of nonparental child care arrangements for young children in the United States. Yet the early care and education field lacks clear models or pathways for how to improve quality in these settings. The conceptual model presented here articulates the components of…

Providing High Quality Care in Low-Income Areas of Maryland: Definitions, Resources, and Challenges from Parents and Child Care Providers' Perspectives. Publication #2012-45

Science.gov (United States)

Forry, Nicole; Simkin, Shana; Wessel, Julia; Rodrigues, Katherine

2012-01-01

Early life experiences are critical to a child's development. Research has shown that, for a variety of reasons, children born into low-income families are at a disadvantage when compared to their higher-income peers. Fortunately, research has also shown a positive association between high quality child care and the academic and social-emotional…

A Child Development Centre (C.D.C.) Based on the World of Work and Everyday Life: A Case of Quality Education Provision for 2.5-5 Year Old Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Frangos, Christos

1993-01-01

Outlines the organization and activities of the Child Development Centre (CDC) of Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, which operates as a model preschool and kindergarten for over 300 similar institutions throughout Greece. The CDC utilizes art, music, visits to workplaces, movement activities, foreign languages and customs, computers,and free…

Quality in South African early learning centres: Mothers’ and teachers’ views and understanding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Judy Van Heerden

2016-11-01

Full Text Available This study investigated how quality in early learning centres (preschools in South Africa was experienced and perceived by mothers and teachers. A theoretical framework, based on a model of quality development by Woodhead (1996, informed the study. This framework that consists of input (structural, process and outcome quality indicators is a well-established model for quality development, which has been used in developing countries. The findings generated from a thematical analysis of interview data showed that aspects perceived by mothers and teachers as quality indicators in early learning centres were predominantly process indicators and hard to ‘measure’ in a quantitative way. For mothers and teachers, children’s social-emotional well-being, holistic development, a normative foundation for values and respect, effective infrastructure and accountable learning indicated quality. A quality school climate enhances emotional and social well-being, and the findings suggest that for mothers and teachers quality concerns were not about that which the early learning centres have provided in terms of facilities (input indicators, but rather about the process indicators where centres promote children’s holistic well-being. The only outcome indicator that was regarded as extremely important by mothers and important, but not to the same extent, by teachers, is whether children are happy and content and enjoying school.

Analysing Maternal Employment and Child Care Quality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Akgündüz, Yusuf

2014-01-01

The contributions in this thesis revolve around mothers' employment and child care quality. The first topic of interest is how mothers' employment is affected by modern child care services and parental leave entitlements. There is already an extensive literature on the effects of modern social

[Implementation of good quality and safety practices. Descriptive study in a occupational mutual health centre].

Science.gov (United States)

Manzanera, R; Plana, M; Moya, D; Ortner, J; Mira, J J

2016-01-01

To describe the level of implementation of quality and safety good practice elements in a Mutual Society health centre. A Cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the level of implementation of good practices using a questionnaire. Some quality dimensions were also assessed (scale 0 to 10) by a set of 87 quality coordinators of health centres and a random sample of 54 healthcare professionals working in small centres. Seventy quality coordinators and 27 professionals replied (response rates 80% and 50%, respectively. There were no differences in the assessment of quality attributes between both groups. They identified as areas for improvement: use of practice guidelines (7.6/10), scientific and technical skills (7.5/10), and patient satisfaction (7.7/10). Availability and accessibility to clinical reports, informed consent, availability of hydro-alcoholic solution, and to record allergies, were considered of high importance to be implemented, with training and research, improvements in equipment and technology plans, adherence to clinical practice guidelines and the preparation of risk maps, being of less importance. The good practices related to equipment and resources have a higher likelihood to be implemented, meanwhile those related to quality and safety attitudes have more barriers before being implemented. The mutual has a similar behaviour than other healthcare institutions. Copyright © 2015 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Service quality perceptions in primary health care centres in Greece

Science.gov (United States)

Papanikolaou, Vicky; Zygiaris, Sotiris

2012-01-01

Abstract Context  The paper refers to the increased competition between health care providers and the need for patient‐centred services in Greece. Using service quality methodology, this paper investigates service quality perceptions of patients in Greek public primary health centres. Objective  To test the internal consistency and applicability of SERVQUAL in primary health care centres in Greece. Strategy  SERVQUAL was used to examine whether patients have different expectations from health care providers and whether different groups of patients may consider some dimensions of care more important than others. Results  The analysis showed that there were gaps in all dimensions measured by SERVQUAL. The largest gap was detected in empathy. Further analysis showed that there were also differences depending on gender, age and education levels. A separate analysis of expectations and perceptions revealed that this gap was because of differences in patients’ perceptions rather than expectations. Discussion and conclusions  This paper raises a number of issues that concern the applicability of SERVQUAL in health care services and could enhance current discussions about SERVQUAL improvement. Quality of health care needs to be redefined by encompassing multiple dimensions. Beyond a simple expectations–perceptions gap, people may hold different understandings of health care that, in turn, influence their perception of the quality of services. PMID:22296402

Service quality perceptions in primary health care centres in Greece.

Science.gov (United States)

Papanikolaou, Vicky; Zygiaris, Sotiris

2014-04-01

The paper refers to the increased competition between health care providers and the need for patient-centred services in Greece. Using service quality methodology, this paper investigates service quality perceptions of patients in Greek public primary health centres. To test the internal consistency and applicability of SERVQUAL in primary health care centres in Greece. SERVQUAL was used to examine whether patients have different expectations from health care providers and whether different groups of patients may consider some dimensions of care more important than others. The analysis showed that there were gaps in all dimensions measured by SERVQUAL. The largest gap was detected in empathy. Further analysis showed that there were also differences depending on gender, age and education levels. A separate analysis of expectations and perceptions revealed that this gap was because of differences in patients' perceptions rather than expectations. THIS paper raises a number of issues that concern the applicability of SERVQUAL in health care services and could enhance current discussions about SERVQUAL improvement. Quality of health care needs to be redefined by encompassing multiple dimensions. Beyond a simple expectations-perceptions gap, people may hold different understandings of health care that, in turn, influence their perception of the quality of services. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Systematic Quality Development Work in a Swedish Leisure-Time Centre

Science.gov (United States)

Lager, Karin; Sheridan, Sonja; Gustafsson, Jan

2016-01-01

There is increasing activity in the area of quality issues in education in Europe. Diverse discourses of policy for quality are encountered in daily practice. This article explores systematic quality development work in a Swedish educational setting: the leisure-time centre. By following 2 teachers' enactments of policy in planning, organising,…

Carefree in child care ? : child wellbeing, caregiving quality, and intervention programs in center-based child care

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Werner, Claudia Denise

2014-01-01

The use of center child care in Western countries has increased over the last three decades and is nowadays the most frequently used type of non-parental care for children aged zero to four (OECD, 2013). The aim of the current dissertation is to shed more light on indicators of child care quality in

Perceptions of the characteristics of the Alberta Nutrition Guidelines for Children and Youth by child care providers may influence early adoption of nutrition guidelines in child care centres.

Science.gov (United States)

Nikolopoulos, Hara; Farmer, Anna; Berry, Tanya R; McCargar, Linda J; Mager, Diana R

2015-04-01

In 2008, the Alberta government released the Alberta Nutrition Guidelines for Children and Youth (ANGCY) as a resource for child care facilities to translate nutrition recommendations into practical food choices. Using a multiple case study method, early adoption of the guidelines was examined in two child care centres in Alberta, Canada. Key constructs from the Diffusion of Innovations framework were used to develop an interview protocol based on the perceived characteristics of the guidelines (relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability and observability) by child care providers. Analysis of the ANGCY was conducted by a trained qualitative researcher and validated by an external qualitative researcher. This entailed reviewing guideline content, layout, organisation, presentation, format, comprehensiveness and dissemination to understand whether characteristics of the guidelines affect the adoption process. Data were collected through direct observation, key informant interviews and documentation of field notes. Qualitative data were analysed using content analysis. Overall, the guidelines were perceived positively by child care providers. Child care providers found the guidelines to have a high relative advantage, be compatible with current practice, have a low level of complexity, easy to try and easy to observe changes. It is valuable to understand how child care providers perceive characteristics of guidelines as this is the first step in identifying the needs of child care providers with respect to early adoption and identifying potential educational strategies important for dissemination. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Child Reactivity Moderates the Over-Time Association between Mother-Child Conflict Quality and Externalizing Problems

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Jackie A.

2015-01-01

Constructive parent-child conflict interactions that teach children to problem-solve and negotiate can enhance children's social adjustment. This paper identifies constructive and destructive qualities of mother-child conflict and explores whether child temperament moderated associations with changes in externalizing problems over time. One…

Assessing decision quality in patient-centred care requires a preference-sensitive measure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kaltoft, Mette Kjer; Cunich, Michelle; Salkeld, Glenn

2014-01-01

A theory-based instrument for measuring the quality of decisions made using any form of decision technology, including both decision-aided and unaided clinical consultations is required to enable person- and patient-centred care and to respond positively to individual heterogeneity in the value...... aspects of decision making. Current instruments using the term 'decision quality' have adopted a decision- and thus condition-specific approach. We argue that patient-centred care requires decision quality to be regarded as both preference-sensitive across multiple relevant criteria and generic across all...

The Quality of Toddler Child Care and Cognitive Skills at 24 Months: Propensity Score Analysis Results from the ECLS-B

Science.gov (United States)

Ruzek, Erik; Burchinal, Margaret; Farkas, George; Duncan, Greg J.

2013-01-01

Over half of the toddlers in the U.S. experience routine nonparental care, but much less is known about early care than about preschool care. This study analyzed 2-year-old child care and child outcome data from the nationally representative ECLS-B sample of children born in 2001. At two-years of age, 51% of children experienced exclusive parental care, 18% relative care, 15% family child care, and 16% center care. More children in nonparental care were in medium quality care (61%) than in high quality (26%) or low quality (13%) care. Low-income children were more likely than non-low income children to be cared for by their parents and, when in care, were more often in lower quality care. The impact of toddler care quality on cognitive skills was estimated using propensity score adjustments to account for potential selection confounds due to family and child characteristics. Children’s cognitive scores were higher in high or medium quality care than in low quality care, but no evidence emerged suggesting that poverty moderated the quality effects. Nevertheless, this suggests that increasing the proportion of low-income children in high quality care could reduce the achievement gap because low-income children are very unlikely to experience high quality care. PMID:24347815

Health-related quality of life in children with high-functioning autism.

Science.gov (United States)

Potvin, Marie-Christine; Snider, Laurie; Prelock, Patricia A; Wood-Dauphinee, Sharon; Kehayia, Eva

2015-01-01

The health-related quality of life of school-aged children with high-functioning autism is poorly understood. The objectives of this study were to compare the health-related quality of life of children with high-functioning autism to that of typically developing peers and to compare child-self and parent-proxy reports of health-related quality of life of children. A cross-sectional study of children with high-functioning autism (n = 30) and peers (n = 31) was conducted using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 Generic Core Scales. Children with high-functioning autism had significantly poorer health-related quality of life than peers whether reported by themselves (p children and parental scores suggested variance in points of view. This study specifically investigated health-related quality of life in children with high-functioning autism as compared to a sample of peers, from the child's perspective. It strengthens earlier findings that children with high-functioning autism experience poorer health-related quality of life than those without this disorder and points to the importance of clinicians working with families to identify areas in a child's life that promote or hinder their sense of well-being. © The Author(s) 2013.

The Demand for Child Care Quality. An Hedonic Price Theory Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Hagy, Alison P.

1998-01-01

An implicit price for child care staff-to-child ratio was used to study demand for child care quality. Direct purchase-of-service contracts or vouchers, which subsidize only providers meeting state regulations, effectively lower implicit price and have little influence on the demand for quality. (Author/SK)

Mediators of maternal depression and family structure on child BMI: parenting quality and risk factors for child overweight.

Science.gov (United States)

McConley, Regina L; Mrug, Sylvie; Gilliland, M Janice; Lowry, Richard; Elliott, Marc N; Schuster, Mark A; Bogart, Laura M; Franzini, Luisa; Escobar-Chaves, Soledad L; Franklin, Frank A

2011-02-01

Risk factors for child obesity may be influenced by family environment, including maternal depression, family structure, and parenting quality. We tested a path model in which maternal depression and single parent status are associated with parenting quality, which relates to three risk factors for child obesity: diet, leisure, and sedentary behavior. Participants included 4,601 5th-grade children and their primary caregivers who participated in the Healthy Passages study. Results showed that associations of maternal depression and single parenthood with child BMI are mediated by parenting quality and its relation to children's leisure activity and sedentary behavior. Interventions for child obesity may be more successful if they target family environment, particularly parenting quality and its impact on children's active and sedentary behaviors.

The use of quality metrics in service centres

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Petkova, V.T.; Sander, P.C.; Brombacher, A.C.

2000-01-01

In industry it is not well realised that a service centre is potentially one of the major contributors to quality improvement. Service is able to collect vital information about the field behaviour of products in interaction with customers. If this information is well analysed and communicated, the

Effects of Quality Improvement System for Child Care Centers

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Xin; Shen, Jianping; Kavanaugh, Amy; Lu, Xuejin; Brandi, Karen; Goodman, Jeff; Till, Lance; Watson, Grace

2011-01-01

Using multiple years of data collected from about 100 child care centers in Palm Beach County, Florida, the authors studied whether the Quality Improvement System (QIS) made a significant impact on quality of child care centers. Based on a pre- and postresearch design spanning a period of 13 months, QIS appeared to be effective in improving…

Parent-Child Quality Time: Does Birth Order Matter?

Science.gov (United States)

Price, Joseph

2008-01-01

Using data from the American Time Use Survey, I find that a first-born child receives 20-30 more minutes of quality time each day with his or her parent than a second-born child of the same age from a similar family. The birth-order difference results from parents giving roughly equal time to each child at any point in time while the amount of…

Measuring health-related quality of life for child maltreatment: a systematic literature review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prosser Lisa A

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Child maltreatment causes substantial morbidity and mortality in the U.S. Morbidity associated with child maltreatment can reduce health-related quality of life. Accurately measuring the reduction in quality of life associated with child maltreatment is essential to the economic evaluation of educational programs and interventions to reduce the incidence of child maltreatment. The objective of this study was to review the literature for existing approaches and instruments for measuring quality-of-life for child maltreatment outcomes. Methods We reviewed the current literature to identify current approaches to valuing child maltreatment outcomes for economic evaluations. We also reviewed available preference-based generic QOL instruments (EQ-5D, HUI, QWB, SF-6D for appropriateness in measuring change in quality of life due to child maltreatment. Results We did not identify any studies that directly evaluated quality-of-life in maltreated children. We identified 4 studies that evaluated quality of life for adult survivors of child maltreatment and 8 studies that measured quality-of-life for pediatric injury not related to child maltreatment. No study reported quality-of-life values for children younger than age 3. Currently available preference-based QOL instruments (EQ-5D, HUI, QWB, SF-6D have been developed primarily for adults with the exception of the Health Utilities Index. These instruments do not include many of the domains identified as being important in capturing changes in quality of life for child maltreatment, such as potential for growth and development or psychological sequelae specific to maltreatment. Conclusion Recommendations for valuing preference-based quality-of-life for child maltreatment will vary by developmental level and type of maltreatment. In the short-term, available multi-attribute utility instruments should be considered in the context of the type of child maltreatment being measured. However

Evaluating quality of health services in health centres of Zanjan district of Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammadi, Ali; Mohammadi, Jamshid

2012-01-01

To assess quality of health services in Zanjan health centres based on clients' expectations and perceptions. The study was conducted by using service quality (SERVQUAL) scale on a sample of 300 females, clients of health care centres in the district of Zanjan, selected by cluster sampling. The results indicated that there were negative quality gaps at five SERVQUAL dimensions. The most and least negative quality gap mean scores were in reliability dimension (-2.1) and tangible (-1.13) respectively. There was statistically significant difference between clients' perceptions and expectations mean scores at all of the five service quality dimensions (P<0.001). The negative quality gap level in health service dimensions can be used as a guideline for redistribution of resources and managerial attempts to reduce quality gaps and improvement of health care quality.

Beliefs Associated with Support for Child-Centred Learning Environment among Hong Kong Pre-Service Early Childhood Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Cheung, Sum Kwing; Ling, Elsa Ka-wei; Leung, Suzannie Kit Ying

2017-01-01

The physical, social and temporal dimensions of the classroom environment have an important role in children's learning. This study examines the level of support for child-centred learning, and its associated beliefs, that is provided by Hong Kong's pre-service early childhood teachers. Two hundred and seventy-five students from a pre-service…

Depression among Migrant and Left-Behind Children in China in Relation to the Quality of Parent-Child and Teacher-Child Relationships

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiaohua; Qu, Zhiyong; Zhou, Qianyun; Ran, Chun; Wang, Xia; Hu, Juan

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to examine rates of depression among migrant children (MC) and left-behind children (LBC) as compared to non-left-behind children (NLBC) and also to examine the relationship between depression among these children and the quality of their parent-child and teacher-child relationships. This study collected data from a large sample of 3,759 children aged from 8 to 17 years, including 824 who had been left behind by one parent (LBCO), 423 who had been left behind by both parents (LBCB), 568 MC and 1944 NLBC. Children’s Depression Inventory–Short Form was used to measure child depression. Parent-Child Relationship Scale (PCRS) and Teacher-Child Relationship Scale (TCRS) were used to measure the quality of parent-child and teacher-child relationships, respectively. The results showed that the prevalence of depression was 10.5% among NLBC, 13.1% among LBCO, 16.1% among LBCB, and 20.1% among MC. Depression was related to parent-child relationship quality and teacher-child relationship quality. Negative parent-child relationship was more relevant to depression than negative teacher-child relationship among LBCB, while negative teacher-child relationship was the most correlated with depression among MC. PMID:26719895

Assessment and determinants of airborne bacterial and fungal concentrations in different indoor environments: Homes, child day-care centres, primary schools and elderly care centres

Science.gov (United States)

Madureira, Joana; Paciência, Inês; Rufo, João Cavaleiro; Pereira, Cristiana; Teixeira, João Paulo; de Oliveira Fernandes, Eduardo

2015-05-01

Until now the influence of risk factors resulting from exposure to biological agents in indoor air has been far less studied than outdoor pollution; therefore the uncertainty of health risks, and how to effectively prevent these, remains. This study aimed (i) to quantify airborne cultivable bacterial and fungal concentrations in four different types of indoor environment as well as to identify the recovered fungi; (ii) to assess the impact of outdoor bacterial and fungal concentrations on indoor air; (iii) to investigate the influence of carbon dioxide (CO2), temperature and relative humidity on bacterial and fungal concentrations; and (iv) to estimate bacterial and fungal dose rate for children (3-5 years old and 8-10 years old) in comparison with the elderly. Air samples were collected in 68 homes, 9 child day-care centres, 20 primary schools and 22 elderly care centres, in a total of 264 rooms with a microbiological air sampler and using tryptic soy agar and malt extract agar culture media for bacteria and fungi growth, respectively. For each building, one outdoor representative location were identified and simultaneously studied. The results showed that child day-care centres were the indoor microenvironment with the highest median bacterial and fungal concentrations (3870 CFU/m3 and 415 CFU/m3, respectively), whereas the lowest median concentrations were observed in elderly care centres (222 CFU/m3 and 180 CFU/m3, respectively). Indoor bacterial concentrations were significantly higher than outdoor concentrations (p < 0.05); whereas the indoor/outdoor ratios for the obtained fungal concentrations were approximately around the unit. Indoor CO2 levels were associated with the bacterial concentration, probably due to occupancy and insufficient ventilation. Penicillium and Cladosporium were the most frequently occurring fungi. Children's had two times higher dose rate to biological pollutants when compared to adult individuals. Thus, due to children

Quality audits of radiotherapy centres in Latin America: a pilot experience of the International Atomic Energy Agency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosenblatt, Eduardo; Zubizarreta, Eduardo; Izewska, Joanna; Binia, Sergio; Garcia-Yip, Fernando; Jimenez, Pablo

2015-01-01

In Latin America radiotherapy quality varies significantly among hospitals, where highly equipped academic centers coexist with others not meeting minimal requirements. In 2007, the International Atomic Energy Agency published guidelines for auditing radiotherapy centers, known as the “Quality Assurance Team for Radiation Oncology” (QUATRO) audits. The present report summarizes a pilot experience with QUATRO audits to 12 radiotherapy centres. The findings from QUATRO audits conducted in 12 radiotherapy centres in Latin America between 2008 and 2013 were analysed. Events representing weaknesses or gaps in the process of radiotherapy were recorded. Relevant data for estimating human and technological needs of visited centres were processed. The main difficulties and strengths faced by institutions were also documented. All 12 radiotherapy centres were successfully audited following the QUATRO method. IAEA provided a dosimetry kit for quality control. Forty percent of audited institutions were immersed in a health system that did not recognize cancer as a public health priority problem. With few exceptions, local training programs for physicists and technologists were scarce and research was not an activity of interest among physicians. Centres were provided with sufficient staff to meet the local demand, both in the case of radiation oncologists, physicists and radiation therapists. Three centres lacking the minimum infrastructure were identified. Three institutions did not perform gynaecological brachytherapy, and one installation delivered around 900 teletherapy treatments annually without simulation, planning or dosimetry equipment for that purpose. Recommendations to centres were classified as related to personnel, infrastructure, processes and institutional organizational aspects. Many recommendations warned governments about the evident need for allocating more budgetary resources to radiotherapy. Most recommendations pointed out different aspects related

The burden of endometriosis: costs and quality of life of women with endometriosis and treated in referral centres.

Science.gov (United States)

Simoens, Steven; Dunselman, Gerard; Dirksen, Carmen; Hummelshoj, Lone; Bokor, Attila; Brandes, Iris; Brodszky, Valentin; Canis, Michel; Colombo, Giorgio Lorenzo; DeLeire, Thomas; Falcone, Tommaso; Graham, Barbara; Halis, Gülden; Horne, Andrew; Kanj, Omar; Kjer, Jens Jørgen; Kristensen, Jens; Lebovic, Dan; Mueller, Michael; Vigano, Paola; Wullschleger, Marcel; D'Hooghe, Thomas

2012-05-01

This study aimed to calculate costs and health-related quality of life of women with endometriosis-associated symptoms treated in referral centres. A prospective, multi-centre, questionnaire-based survey measured costs and quality of life in ambulatory care and in 12 tertiary care centres in 10 countries. The study enrolled women with a diagnosis of endometriosis and with at least one centre-specific contact related to endometriosis-associated symptoms in 2008. The main outcome measures were health care costs, costs of productivity loss, total costs and quality-adjusted life years. Predictors of costs were identified using regression analysis. Data analysis of 909 women demonstrated that the average annual total cost per woman was €9579 (95% confidence interval €8559-€10 599). Costs of productivity loss of €6298 per woman were double the health care costs of €3113 per woman. Health care costs were mainly due to surgery (29%), monitoring tests (19%) and hospitalization (18%) and physician visits (16%). Endometriosis-associated symptoms generated 0.809 quality-adjusted life years per woman. Decreased quality of life was the most important predictor of direct health care and total costs. Costs were greater with increasing severity of endometriosis, presence of pelvic pain, presence of infertility and a higher number of years since diagnosis. Our study invited women to report resource use based on endometriosis-associated symptoms only, rather than drawing on a control population of women without endometriosis. Our study showed that the economic burden associated with endometriosis treated in referral centres is high and is similar to other chronic diseases (diabetes, Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis). It arises predominantly from productivity loss, and is predicted by decreased quality of life.

How Do Quality Practices Affect the Results?: The Experience of Thalassotherapy Centres in Spain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Álvarez-García

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Most thalassotherapy centres in Spain do not have any quality certification but they are carrying out several actions of quality management in an attempt to obtain better results. Consequently, the aim of this research is to study if the implementation of quality practices on thalassotherapy centres has the same impact on companies’ results as on the results of those companies that got the quality certifications. In addition, the relationships between different factors considered are going to be studied. Our sample is composed of Spanish thalassotherapy centres, and the statistical technique used is based on structural equation modelling, in particular partial least squares (PLS regression. The data were provided by the answers given by 31 managers (70.45% of the selected sample to a structured questionnaire based on previous research and statistically validated. The results of this research allow us to conclude that these kinds of organizations have implemented informal practices to improve the quality of the service in terms of leadership, personnel management, alliances, and resources and show that the practices that have been carried out by these centres to enhance the quality of the service have an impact on companies’ results. Managers of these kinds of establishments that want to improve customer results should focus their efforts on continuous improvement, whereas, if they are pursuing enhancement of other results, their efforts should be focused on process management.

Trauma-related symptoms in neglected preschoolers and affective quality of mother-child communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Milot, Tristan; St-Laurent, Diane; Ethier, Louise S; Provost, Marc A

2010-11-01

This study (a) assessed whether child neglect is associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and dissociative symptoms in the preschool period and (b) examined the role of quality of mother-child affective communication in the development of trauma-related symptoms among neglected children. Participants were 33 neglected and 72 non-neglected preschoolers (mean age = 60 months). Neglected children were recruited from the Child Protection Agencies. Neglected and non-neglected children victims of other form of abuse were excluded from the study. Trauma symptoms were evaluated through mother and preschool teacher reports. Quality of mother-child affective communication was assessed in a lab visit during an unstructured task. According to teachers, neglected children displayed more PTSD and dissociative symptoms than non-neglected children. Quality of mother-child communication was lower in neglected dyads. Mother-child affective communication predicted teacher-reported child trauma symptomatology, over and above child neglect. Discussion focuses on the traumatic nature of child neglect and the underlying parent-child relational processes.

Leading Highly Performing Children's Centres: Supporting the Development of the "Accidental Leaders"

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Coleman, Andy; Sharp, Caroline; Handscomb, Graham

2016-01-01

There is wide recognition that early childhood experiences are critical to a child's development and their subsequent life chances. However, little research has been undertaken into leadership in early years settings, which is so influential in this regard. This article summarizes research into the leadership of Sure Start Children's Centres,…

THE QUALITY OF FATHER-CHILD ROUGH-AND-TUMBLE PLAY AND TODDLERS' AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR IN CHINA.

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Anderson, Sheila; Qiu, Wei; Wheeler, Shanalyn J

2017-11-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of the quality of early father-child rough-and-tumble play (RTP) on toddler aggressive behaviors and more fully understand how child, mother, and father characteristics were associated with higher quality father-child RTP among contemporary urban Chinese families. Participants included 42 families in Changsha, China. Play observations of fathers and their children were coded for RTP quality. The specific RTP quality of father-child reciprocity of dominance was associated with fewer toddler aggressive behaviors, as rated by both fathers and mothers. Mothers' democratic parenting attitudes were associated with higher quality father-child RTP. These findings suggest that higher quality father-child RTP may be one way in which some fathers influence children's expression of aggressive behaviors, and the quality of father-child RTP may be influenced by the broader family, social, and cultural contexts. © 2017 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Effects of parent-child affective quality during high school years on subsequent substance use.

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Ekaterina S. Ralston

2012-04-01

Full Text Available The literature indicates that the quality of affective relationships between youth and parents is associated with lower levels of a range of problem behaviors during childhood, early and late adolescence. While the protective effect of parental monitoring on substance use in the high school and post high school years has been demonstrated, there is a knowledge gap concerning effects of parent-child affective quality (PCAQ during the same periods. We tested a conceptual theoretical model to examine the effects of PCAQ on substance use following high school. The sample was from a RCT that assessed adolescents in rural Iowa from the seventh grade through two years after high school (N=456. We specified direct effects of PCAQ in 12th grade on drunkenness, smoking and illicit drug use during the two years immediately following high school graduation. We also specified the effects of early substance use initiation (alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use reported at baseline on later use. The direct effect of PCAQ in 12th grade on substance use was significant for all substances during at least one of the two years past graduation (ypg. Results were: drunkenness 1 ypg, β=-.126, p<.05; smoking 1 ypg, β=-.119, p<.05; 2 ypg, β=-.146, p<.05; illicit drug use 2 ypg, β=-.165, p<.05. Some significant indirect effects of PCAQ at baseline, via PCAQ at 12th grade, were found. Results also indicated significant direct effects of early initiation on two of the three substances, albeit with a different pattern of effects over time for each substance by years post high school. Importantly, while early initiation remains the strongest predictor of long-term tobacco and illicit drug use, results show how PCAQ might reduce its harmful effects.

Promoting High Quality Teacher-Child Interactions: Examining the Role of Teachers' Depression, Perceptions of Children's Peer Relationships, and Contextual Factors

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Granger, Kristen

2017-01-01

The overall goal of this dissertation was to examine teacher characteristics, teachers' beliefs, and contextual factors that may motivate teachers' decisions to engage in high quality teacher-child interactions. I use two complementary studies to meet this goal. These two studies provide insight into several aspects of early childhood teachers'…

Total Quality Management – A Way to Manage Organizations Centred on Quality

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Vasile Dinu

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Following the consolidation and maturation of quality management, the evolution of this concept has demonstrated that its most advanced form has become Total Quality Management (TQM. Total Quality Management is a way of leading quality-centred organizations, as this is the main driving force that can direct the organization on the way to excellence in business. At the same time, it is based on the participation of all members, pursuing the efficiency of the long-term activity, leading to the effective satisfaction of the client, as well as to the benefits for all members of organization and for society. Total Quality Management is an approach that aims to continuously improve quality and performance to meet or exceed customer expectations. This can be accomplished by integrating all the functions and performance-related processes in a company. TQM targets all the quality improvement measures used by a company, including quality design and development, control, management, continuous improvement and quality assurance. In other words, TQM considers all quality measures at all levels and compartments that involve all employees in order to obtain long-term benefits

The High Cost of Child Care Puts Quality Care out of Reach for Many Families. Issue Brief.

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Schulman, Karen

This issue brief presents data on the cost of child care, collected from local child care resource and referral agencies (CCR&Rs) surveyed by the Children's Defense Fund. The report's key findings on the high cost of child care are: (1) child care for a 4-year-old in a child care center averages $4,000 to $6,000 a year in cities and states…

The efficiency and quality dilemma: What drives South African call centre management performance indicators?

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Diane Banks

2011-03-01

Research purpose: This study explored the key performance indicators that drive management practices in the South African call centre industry in the context of the dilemma between efficiency and quality. Motivation for the study: The South African government has identified call centres as a method of creating jobs and foreign investment. Management practices affect centres’ performance. Understanding these practices will help to achieve these aims. Research design: The researchers used a web-based questionnaire in a survey with South African call centre managers in more than 44 different organisations that represented nine industry sectors. Main findings: This study indicated that the dilemma between efficiency and quality is prevalent in South African call centres and that efficiency key performance indicators drive management practices. Practical/managerial implications: The inconsistencies the study reported mean that South African organisations should assess the alignment between their organisational visions, the strategic intentions of their call centres and the performance measures they use to assess their call centre managers. Contribution/value-add: This study adds to the relatively small amount of empirical research available on the call centre industry in South Africa. It contributes to the industry’s attempt to position itself favourably for local and international outsourcing opportunities.

Parents' mental health and psychiatric expertise in child welfare family rehabilitation.

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Riihimäki, Kirsi

2015-02-01

Parents' mental health disorders are not well known within child welfare services. First, to assess the mental health disorders and treatment needs of parents participating in the child welfare-centred family rehabilitation; Second, to evaluate the work of psychiatric nurses and the effectiveness of consultations by psychiatrists in such cases. During 2010, a total of 141 parents participated in child welfare-centred family rehabilitation. The primary psychiatric disorders of parents not currently receiving psychiatric care were assessed, as was the appropriate treatment for them. The majority of parents in child welfare-centred family rehabilitation suffered from severe mental health disorders, often unrecognized and untreated. As much as 93% of parents were referred to mental health or substance abuse treatment, almost half of them to secondary care. The work of psychiatric nurses and consultations by psychiatrists were found to be useful. Most parents suffered from severe unrecognized and untreated mental health disorders. There is a high demand for adult-psychiatric expertise in child welfare.

The family child care home environment and children's diet quality.

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Benjamin-Neelon, Sara E; Vaughn, Amber E; Tovar, Alison; Østbye, Truls; Mazzucca, Stephanie; Ward, Dianne S

2018-07-01

Developing healthy eating behaviors and food preferences in early childhood may help establish future healthy diets. Large numbers of children spend time in child care, but little research has assessed the nutritional quality of meals and snacks in family child care homes. Therefore, it is important to assess foods and beverages provided, policies related to nutrition and feeding children, and interactions between providers and children during mealtimes. We examined associations between the nutrition environments of family child care homes and children's diet quality. We assessed the nutrition environments of 166 family child care homes using the Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation (EPAO) (scores range: 0-21). We also recorded foods and beverages consumed by 496 children in care and calculated healthy eating index (HEI) (scores range: 0-100). We used a mixed effects linear regression model to examine the association between the EPAO nutrition environment (and EPAO sub-scales) and child HEI, controlling for potential confounders. Family child care homes had a mean (standard deviation, SD) of 7.2 (3.6) children in care, 74.1% of providers were black or African American, and children had a mean (SD) age of 35.7 (11.4) months. In adjusted multivariable models, higher EPAO nutrition score was associated with increased child HEI score (1.16; 95% CI: 0.34, 1.98; p = 0.006). Higher scores on EPAO sub-scales for foods provided (8.98; 95% CI: 3.94, 14.01; p = 0.0006), nutrition education (5.37; 95% CI: 0.80, 9.94; p = 0.02), and nutrition policy (2.36; 95% CI: 0.23, 4.49; p = 0.03) were all associated with greater child HEI score. Foods and beverages served, in addition to nutrition education and nutrition policies in family child care homes, may be promising intervention targets for improving child diet quality. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The Association between Child Autism Symptomatology, Maternal Quality of Life, and Risk for Depression

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Zablotsky, Benjamin; Anderson, Connie; Law, Paul

2013-01-01

Parents raising children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have been shown to experience high levels of stress and report a lower quality of life. The current study examined the association between child autism symptomatology, mother's quality of life, and mother's risk for depression in a sample of 1,110 mothers recruited from a…

Quantity-Quality and the One Child Policy:The Only-Child Disadvantage in School Enrollment in Rural China

OpenAIRE

Nancy Qian

2009-01-01

Many believe that increasing the quantity of children will lead to a decrease in their quality. This paper exploits plausibly exogenous changes in family size caused by relaxations in China's One Child Policy to estimate the causal effect of family size on school enrollment of the first child. The results show that for one-child families, an additional child significantly increased school enrollment of first-born children by approximately 16 percentage-points. The effect is larger for househo...

Temporal trends (1977-2007 and ethnic inequity in child mortality in rural villages of southern Guinea Bissau

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Boone Peter

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Guinea Bissau is one of the poorest countries in the world, with one of the highest under-5 mortality rate. Despite its importance for policy planning, data on child mortality are often not available or of poor quality in low-income countries like Guinea Bissau. Our aim in this study was to use the baseline survey to estimate child mortality in rural villages in southern Guinea Bissau for a 30 years period prior to a planned cluster randomised intervention. We aimed to investigate temporal trends with emphasis on historical events and the effect of ethnicity, polygyny and distance to the health centre on child mortality. Methods A baseline survey was conducted prior to a planned cluster randomised intervention to estimate child mortality in 241 rural villages in southern Guinea Bissau between 1977 and 2007. Crude child mortality rates were estimated by Kaplan-Meier method from birth history of 7854 women. Cox regression models were used to investigate the effects of birth periods with emphasis on historical events, ethnicity, polygyny and distance to the health centre on child mortality. Results High levels of child mortality were found at all ages under five with a significant reduction in child mortality over the time periods of birth except for 1997-2001. That period comprises the 1998/99 civil war interval, when child mortality was 1.5% higher than in the previous period. Children of Balanta ethnic group had higher hazard of dying under five years of age than children from other groups until 2001. Between 2002 and 2007, Fula children showed the highest mortality. Increasing walking distance to the nearest health centre increased the hazard, though not substantially, and polygyny had a negligible and statistically not significant effect on the hazard. Conclusion Child mortality is strongly associated with ethnicity and it should be considered in health policy planning. Child mortality, though considerably decreased during

Assessment of data quality in an international multi-centre randomised trial of coronary artery surgery

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Bochenek Andrzej

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background ART is a multi-centre randomised trial of cardiac surgery which provided a unique opportunity to evaluate the data from a large number of centres from a variety of countries. We attempted to assess data quality, including recruitment rates, timeliness and completeness of the data obtained from the centres in different socio-economic strata. Methods The analysis was based on the 2-page CRF completed at the 6 week follow-up. CRF pages were categorised into "clean" (no edit query and "dirty" (any incomplete, inconsistent or illegible data. The timelines were assessed on the basis of the time interval from the visit and receipt of complete CRF. Data quality was defined as the number of data queries (in percent and time delay (in days between visit and receipt of correct data. Analyses were stratified according to the World Bank definitions into: "Developing" countries (Poland, Brazil and India and "Developed" (Italy, UK, Austria and Australia. Results There were 18 centres in the "Developed" and 10 centres in the "Developing" countries. The rate of enrolment did not differ significantly by economic level ("Developing":4.1 persons/month, "Developed":3.7 persons/month. The time interval for the receipt of data was longer for "Developing" countries (median:37 days compared to "Developed" ones (median:11 days (p Conclusions In this study we showed that data quality was comparable between centres from "Developed" and "Developing" countries. Data was received in a less timely fashion from Developing countries and appropriate systems should be instigated to minimize any delays. Close attention should be paid to the training of centres and to the central management of data quality. Trial registration ISRCTN46552265

Assuring measurement quality in person-centred healthcare

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Pendrill, L. R.

2018-03-01

Is it realistic to aspire to the same kind of quality-assurance of measurement in person-centred care, currently being implemented in healthcare globally, as is established in the physical sciences and engineering? Ensuring metrological comparability (‘traceability’) and reliably declaring measurement uncertainty when assessing patient ability or increased social capital are however challenging for subjective measurements often characterised by large dispersion. Drawing simple analogies between ‘instruments’ in the social sciences—questionnaires, ability tests, etc—and engineering instruments such as thermometers does not go far enough. A possible way forward, apparently equally applicable to both physical and social measurement, seems to be to model inferences in terms of performance metrics of a measurement system. Person-centred care needs person-centred measurement and a full picture of the measurement process when man acts as a measurement instrument is given in the present paper. This complements previous work by presenting the process, step by step, from the observed indication (e.g. probability of success, P success, of achieving a task), through restitution with Rasch measurement theory, to the measurand (e.g. task difficulty). Rasch invariant measure theory can yield quantities—‘latent’ (or ‘explanatory’) variables such as task challenge or person ability—with characteristics akin to those of physical quantities. Metrological references for comparability via traceability and reliable estimates of uncertainty and decision risks are then in reach even for perceptive measurements (and other qualitative properties). As a case study, the person-centred measurement of cognitive ability is examined, as part of the EU project EMPIR 15HLT04 NeuroMet, for Alzheimer’s, where better analysis of correlations with brain atrophy is enabled thanks to the Rasch metrological approach.

Child behavior and sibling relationship quality: A cross-lagged analysis.

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Pike, Alison; Oliver, Bonamy R

2017-03-01

Bidirectional associations between sibling relationships and children's problem behaviors are robust, and links with prosocial behavior have also been reported. Using cross-lagged models, we were able to conservatively test temporal directions of links between positive and negative aspects of sibling relationships and children's prosocial behavior and conduct problems across a 3-year time span in middle childhood. The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC; http://www.bristol.ac.uk/alspac/researchers/data-access/data-dictionary/) is an ongoing population-based study designed to investigate the effects of a wide range of factors on children's health and development. For the purposes of the current analyses, we included 2,043 ALSPAC families who had just 1 older sibling as well as the target child, with an age gap of no more than 5 years. Mothers reported about the quality of the sibling relationship and both children's prosocial behavior and conduct problems when the target child was 4 years of age and again when the target child was 7 years old. Confirming our hypothesis, individual child behavior was predictive of sibling relationship quality, and sibling relationship quality was predictive of later child behavior, providing robust evidence of bidirectionality for both prosocial behavior and conduct problems. It would be consistent to expect that an improvement in either sibling relationship quality or individual children's behavior could have a positive spill over effect. We also found evidence of older sibling dominance in the domain of prosocial behavior and the positive aspects of sibling interaction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Examining the nutritional quality of food and beverage consumed at Melbourne aquatic and recreation centres.

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Boelsen-Robinson, Tara; Chung, Alexandra; Khalil, Marianne; Wong, Evelyn; Kurzeme, Ariana; Peeters, Anna

2017-04-01

Examine the nutritional quality of food and beverages consumed across a sample of community aquatic and recreation centres in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. Interviewer-administered surveys of randomly selected patrons attending four aquatic and recreation centres were conducted to ascertain food and beverage items consumed over two data collection periods (May-June 2014, January-February 2015). We selected centres in and around metropolitan Melbourne with a sit-down cafeteria and children's swimming classes. We classified items by government nutrient profiling guidelines; 'green' (best choice), 'amber' (choose carefully) or 'red' (limit). A total of 2,326 surveys were conducted (response rate 63%). Thirty-five per cent of surveyed patrons consumed food or beverages while at the centre; 54% of patrons purchased from the café and 61% brought items to the centre. More than half the food consumed from the café was 'red', increasing to 92% for children. One in five children visiting the centre consumed a 'red' item bought from the centre café. The nutritional quality of food and beverages consumed at recreation centres was generally poor, with the on-site cafés providing the majority of discretionary items consumed. Implications for public health: Community aquatic and recreation centres provide an opportunity to promote healthy eating by increasing the provision of healthy options and limiting discretionary food and drink items. © 2017 The Authors.

Gatekeepers of health: A qualitative assessment of child care centre staff's perspectives, practices and challenges to enteric illness prevention and management in child care centres

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Adams Cindy L

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Enteric outbreaks associated with child care centres (CCC have been well documented internationally and in Canada. The current literature focuses on identifying potential risk factors for introduction and transmission of enteric disease, but does not examine why these risk factors happen, how the risk is understood and managed by the staff of CCCs, or what challenges they experience responding to enteric illness. The purpose of this study was to explore the understanding, knowledge and actions of CCC staff regarding enteric illness and outbreaks, and to identify challenges that staff encounter while managing them. Methods Focus groups were conducted with staff of regulated CCCs in Southern Ontario. Five focus groups were held with 40 participants. An open ended style of interviewing was used. Data were analyzed using content analysis. Results CCC staff play an important role in preventing and managing enteric illness. Staff used in-depth knowledge of the children, the centre and their personal experiences to assist in making decisions related to enteric illness. The decisions and actions may differ from guidance provided by public health officials, particularly when faced with challenges related to time, money, staffing and parents. Conclusion CCC staff relied on experience and judgment in coordination with public health information to assist decision-making in the management of enteric illness and outbreaks. Advice and guidance from public health officials to CCC staff needs to be consistent yet flexible so that it may be adapted in a variety of situations and meet regulatory and public health requirements.

Rethinking family-centred care for the child and family in hospital.

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Tallon, Mary M; Kendall, Garth E; Snider, Paul D

2015-05-01

This paper presents and discusses an alternative model of family-centred care (FCC) that focuses on optimising the health and developmental outcomes of children through the provision of appropriate support to the child's family. The relevance, meaning and effectiveness of FCC have been challenged recently. Studies show that parents in hospital often feel unsupported, judged by hospital staff and uncertain about what care they should give to their child. With no convincing evidence relating FCC to improved child health outcomes, it has been suggested that FCC should be replaced with a new improved model to guide the care of children in hospital. This integrative review discusses theory and evidence-based literature that supports the practice of an alternative model of FCC that is focused on the health and developmental outcomes of children who are seriously ill, rather than the organisational requirements of children's hospitals. Theories and research findings in a wide range of disciplines including epidemiology, psychology, sociology, anthropology and neuroscience were accessed for this discussion. Nursing literature regarding partnership building, communication and FCC was also accessed. This paper discusses the benefits of applying a bioecological model of human development, the family and community resource framework, the concepts of allostatic load and biological embedding, empowerment theory, and the nurse-family partnership model to FCC. While there is no direct evidence showing that the implementation of this alternative model of FCC in the hospital setting improves the health and developmental outcomes of children who are seriously ill, there is a great deal of evidence from community nursing practice that suggests it is very likely to do so. Application of these theoretical concepts to practice has the potential to underpin a theory of nursing that is relevant for all nurses irrespective of the age of those they care for and the settings within which they

Parental Decision Making about Technology and Quality in Child Care Programs

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Rose, Katherine K.; Vittrup, Brigitte; Leveridge, Tinney

2013-01-01

Background: This study investigated parental decision making about non-parental child care programs based on the technological and quality components of the program, both child-focused and parent-focused. Child-focused variables related to children's access to technology such as computers, educational television programming, and the internet.…

Individual differences in effects of child care quality : The role of child affective self-regulation and gender

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Broekhuizen, Martine L.; Van Aken, Marcel A G; Dubas, Judith S.; Mulder, Hanna; Leseman, Paul P M

2015-01-01

The current study investigated whether the relation between child care quality and children's socio-emotional behavior depended on children's affective self-regulation skills and gender. Participants were 545 children (Mage=27 months) from 60 center-based child care centers in the Netherlands.

45 CFR 98.51 - Activities to improve the quality of child care.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... health and safety, nutrition, first aid, the recognition of communicable diseases, child abuse detection... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Activities to improve the quality of child care... CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT FUND Use of Child Care and Development Funds § 98.51 Activities to improve...

The Nonprofit Advantage: Producing Quality in Thick and Thin Child Care Markets

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Cleveland, Gordon; Krashinsky, Michael

2009-01-01

Nonprofit child care centers are frequently observed to produce child care which is, on average, of higher quality than care provided in commercial child care centers. In part, this nonprofit advantage is due to different input choices made by nonprofit centers--lower child--staff ratios, better-educated staff and directors, higher rates of…

An analysis of two separate quality audits in UK radiotherapy centres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aird, E G A

1995-01-01

The CHART quality assurance programme has been used to audit 2 groups of radiotherapy centres for the delivery of radiotherapy: 1. those involved in the CHART Clinical Trial (1991-1995) 2. all London radiotherapy centres (1994-1996) Machinery Tests This paper will seek to illustrate improvements in meeting the criteria set by the QA programme as older linear accelerators are replaced. Phantom Tests The residual errors between measured and calculated doses in anatomical phantoms will be analysed to demonstrate where there are still weaknesses in treatment planning and delivery of radiotherapy

Relating Child Care during Infancy to Externalizing and Internalizing Behaviors in Toddlerhood: How Specific Features of Child Care Quality Matter Depending on a Child's Gender and Temperament

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Lemay, Lise; Bigras, Nathalie; Bouchard, Caroline

2014-01-01

This study explored whether the relationships between specific features of child care quality and externalizing and internalizing behaviors in 24-month-old children are moderated by gender and temperament. Questionnaires were used to record children's gender and measure their temperament. Child care quality was observed with the "Échelles…

Health-Related Quality of Life in Children with High-Functioning Autism

Science.gov (United States)

Potvin, Marie-Christine; Snider, Laurie; Prelock, Patricia A.; Wood-Dauphinee, Sharon; Kehayia, Eva

2015-01-01

The health-related quality of life of school-aged children with high-functioning autism is poorly understood. The objectives of this study were to compare the health-related quality of life of children with high-functioning autism to that of typically developing peers and to compare child-self and parent-proxy reports of health-related quality of…

Observed Parent-Child Relationship Quality Predicts Antibody Response to Vaccination in Children

Science.gov (United States)

O'Connor, Thomas G; Wang, Hongyue; Moynihan, Jan A; Wyman, Peter A.; Carnahan, Jennifer; Lofthus, Gerry; Quataert, Sally A.; Bowman, Melissa; Burke, Anne S.; Caserta, Mary T

2015-01-01

Background Quality of the parent-child relationship is a robust predictor of behavioral and emotional health for children and adolescents; the application to physical health is less clear. Methods We investigated the links between observed parent-child relationship quality in an interaction task and antibody response to meningococcal conjugate vaccine in a longitudinal study of 164 ambulatory 10-11 year-old children; additional analyses examine associations with cortisol reactivity, BMI, and somatic illness. Results Observed negative/conflict behavior in the interaction task predicted a less robust antibody response to meningococcal serotype C vaccine in the child over a 6 month-period, after controlling for socio-economic and other covariates. Observer rated interaction conflict also predicted increased cortisol reactivity following the interaction task and higher BMI, but these factors did not account for the link between relationship quality and antibody response. Conclusions The results begin to document the degree to which a major source of child stress exposure, parent-child relationship conflict, is associated with altered immune system development in children, and may constitute an important public health consideration. PMID:25862953

Siblings exposed to intimate partner violence: linking sibling relationship quality & child adjustment problems.

Science.gov (United States)

Piotrowski, Caroline C; Tailor, Ketan; Cormier, Damien C

2014-01-01

Although the majority of families that experience intimate partner violence (IPV) have more than one child, most research to date has focused upon a single child within these families. A significant body of research has indicated siblings play an important role in children's adjustment and well-being. To address this gap, the three main goals of the present study were to compare the adjustment of older and younger siblings exposed to IPV, to describe and compare the quality of these sibling relationships from multiple perspectives, and to investigate how sibling adjustment and relationship quality influence children's adjustment. Forty-seven sibling pairs and their mothers were recruited from the community. Mothers self-reported on their violent experiences using the Conflict Tactics Scale, and also estimated the length of time their children were exposed to IPV. Mothers and children completed assessments of child adjustment and the quality of sibling relationships. Observers also assessed the quality of sibling interaction. Results indicated that adjustment between siblings was highly inter-related. On average, mothers reported sibling relationships as less positive but also as less hostile than did siblings themselves. Higher levels of sibling hostility, lower levels of sibling warmth and higher levels of disengagement each significantly predicted child adjustment; however, these effects were predicated upon the adjustment of the other sibling. The sibling relationships of children exposed to IPV made a difference in their individual adjustment, and their adjustment issues influenced how they feel about and interacted with their sibling. Sibling hostility played a stronger role in adjustment issues than sibling warmth. The nature of sibling influences and the direction of future research were discussed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High-risk diagnosis, social stress, and parent-child relationships: A moderation model.

Science.gov (United States)

Bentley, Eryn; Millman, Zachary B; Thompson, Elizabeth; Demro, Caroline; Kline, Emily; Pitts, Steven C; DeVylder, Jordan E; Smith, Melissa Edmondson; Reeves, Gloria; Schiffman, Jason

2016-07-01

Stress is related to symptom severity among youth at clinical high-risk (CHR) for psychosis, although this relation may be influenced by protective factors. We explored whether the association of CHR diagnosis with social stress is moderated by the quality of parent-child relationships in a sample of 96 (36 CHR; 60 help-seeking controls) adolescents and young adults receiving mental health services. We examined self-reported social stress and parent-child relationships as measured by the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2), and determined CHR status from the clinician-administered Structured Interview for Psychosis-Risk Syndrome (SIPS). The social stress subscale, part of the clinical domain of the BASC-2, assesses feelings of stress and tension in personal relationships and the relations with parents subscale, part of the adaptive domain of the BASC-2, assesses perceptions of importance in family and quality of parent-child relationship. There was a modest direct relation between risk diagnosis and social stress. Among those at CHR, however, there was a significant relation between parent-child relationships and social stress (b=-0.73, t[92]=-3.77, psocial stress for those at risk for psychosis. Findings provide additional evidence to suggest that interventions that simultaneously target both social stress and parent-child relationships might be relevant for adolescents and young adults at clinical high-risk for psychosis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

2014 Child and Adult Health Care Quality Measures

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Performance rates on frequently reported health care quality measures in the CMS Medicaid/CHIP Child and Adult Core Sets, for FFY 2014 reporting. Dataset contains...

2016 Child and Adult Health Care Quality Measures

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Performance rates on frequently reported health care quality measures in the CMS Medicaid/CHIP Child and Adult Core Sets, for FFY 2016 reporting. Source: Mathematica...

2015 Child and Adult Health Care Quality Measures

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Performance rates on frequently reported health care quality measures in the CMS Medicaid/CHIP Child and Adult Core Sets, for FFY 2015 reporting. Source: Mathematica...

Pushing the Child Centred Approach in Myanmar: The Role of Cross National Policy Networks and the Effects in the Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Lall, Marie

2011-01-01

In Myanmar schools, rote learning is the norm. International aid and education organisations based in the country have been trying to promote the child centred approach (CCA) as a much more progressive form of teaching and learning. The CCA is being rolled out principally through monastic school networks aided by international and national…

Parent-child relationship quality and infantile amnesia in adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, Carole; Nguyen, Duyen T K

2010-11-01

The first years of life are typically shrouded by infantile amnesia, but there is enormous variability between adults in how early and how much they can remember from this period. This study examined one possible factor affecting this variability: whether the perceived quality of parent-child relationships is associated with the number of early memories young adults can retrieve, and their age at the time of their first memory. We found such associations but they were qualified by parent gender. Mother-child relationships that were more affectively intense (greater social support but also more negative interchanges) were associated with recalling more early memories, although paternal companionship was most associated with how early an individual's first memory was. Affective tone of retrieved memories was also assessed, and a greater proportion of affectively positive memories (as well as fewer affectively neutral memories for males) was associated with high parental involvement in children's lives.

Assessing Quality Outcome Measures in Children with Coeliac Disease—Experience from Two UK Centres

Science.gov (United States)

Ross, Alexander; Shelley, Helen; Novell, Kim; Ingham, Elizabeth; Callan, Julia; Heuschkel, Robert; Morris, Mary-Anne; Zilbauer, Matthias

2013-01-01

Improved diagnosis of coeliac disease has increased incidence and therefore burden on the health care system. There are no quality outcome measures (QOM) in use nationally to assess hospital management of this condition. This study applied QOM devised by the East of England paediatric gastroenterology network to 99 patients reviewed at two tertiary hospitals in the Network, to assess the quality of care provided by nurse led and doctor led care models. The average performance across all QOM was 96.2% at Addenbrooke’s Hospital (AH), and 98.7% at Norfolk and Norwich Hospital (NNUH), whilst 95% (n = 18) of QOM were met. Patient satisfaction was high at both sites (uptake of questionnaire 53 of 99 patients in the study). The study showed a comparably high level of care delivered by both a nurse and doctor led service. Our quality assessment tools could be applied in the future by other centres to measure standards of care. PMID:24284612

Assessing Quality Outcome Measures in Children with Coeliac Disease—Experience from Two UK Centres

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander Ross

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Improved diagnosis of coeliac disease has increased incidence and therefore burden on the health care system. There are no quality outcome measures (QOM in use nationally to assess hospital management of this condition. This study applied QOM devised by the East of England paediatric gastroenterology network to 99 patients reviewed at two tertiary hospitals in the Network, to assess the quality of care provided by nurse led and doctor led care models. The average performance across all QOM was 96.2% at Addenbrooke’s Hospital (AH, and 98.7% at Norfolk and Norwich Hospital (NNUH, whilst 95% (n = 18 of QOM were met. Patient satisfaction was high at both sites (uptake of questionnaire 53 of 99 patients in the study. The study showed a comparably high level of care delivered by both a nurse and doctor led service. Our quality assessment tools could be applied in the future by other centres to measure standards of care.

Child Care Subsidies and Child Development

Science.gov (United States)

Herbst, Chris M.; Tekin, Erdal

2010-01-01

Child care subsidies are an important part of federal and state efforts to move welfare recipients into employment. One of the criticisms of the current subsidy system, however, is that it overemphasizes work and does little to encourage parents to purchase high-quality child care. Consequently, there are reasons to be concerned about the…

Evaluation of systematic assessment of asthma-like symptoms and tobacco smoke exposure in early childhood by well-child professionals: a randomised trial.

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Esther Hafkamp-de Groen

Full Text Available This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of systematic assessment of asthma-like symptoms and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS exposure during regular preventive well-child visits between age 1 and 4 years by well-child professionals.Sixteen well-child centres in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, were randomised into 8 centres where the brief assessment form regarding asthma-like symptoms and ETS exposure was used and 8 centres that applied usual care. 3596 and 4179 children (born between April 2002 and January 2006 and their parents visited the intervention and control centres, respectively. At child's age 6 years, physician-diagnosed asthma ever, wheezing, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO, airway resistance (Rint, health-related quality of life (HRQOL and ETS exposure at home ever were measured. Linear mixed models were applied.No differences in asthma, wheezing, FeNO, Rint or HRQOL measurements between intervention and control group were found using multilevel regression in an intention-to-treat analysis (p>0.05. Children of whom the parents were interviewed by using the brief assessment form at the intervention well-child centres had a decreased risk on ETS exposure at home ever, compared to children who visited the control well-child centres, in an explorative per-protocol analysis (aOR = 0.71, 95% CI:0.59-0.87.Systematic assessment and counselling of asthma-like symptoms and ETS exposure in early childhood by well-child care professionals using a brief assessment form was not effective in reducing the prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma ever and wheezing, and did not improve FeNO, Rint or HRQOL at age 6 years. Our results hold some promise for interviewing parents and using information leaflets at well-child centres to reduce ETS exposure at home in preschool children.Controlled-Trials.com ISRCTN15790308.

Evaluation of systematic assessment of asthma-like symptoms and tobacco smoke exposure in early childhood by well-child professionals: a randomised trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Hafkamp-de Groen, Esther; van der Valk, Ralf J P; Mohangoo, Ashna D; van der Wouden, Johannes C; Duijts, Liesbeth; Jaddoe, Vincent W; Hofman, Albert; de Koning, Harry J; de Jongste, Johan C; Raat, Hein

2014-01-01

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of systematic assessment of asthma-like symptoms and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure during regular preventive well-child visits between age 1 and 4 years by well-child professionals. Sixteen well-child centres in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, were randomised into 8 centres where the brief assessment form regarding asthma-like symptoms and ETS exposure was used and 8 centres that applied usual care. 3596 and 4179 children (born between April 2002 and January 2006) and their parents visited the intervention and control centres, respectively. At child's age 6 years, physician-diagnosed asthma ever, wheezing, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), airway resistance (Rint), health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and ETS exposure at home ever were measured. Linear mixed models were applied. No differences in asthma, wheezing, FeNO, Rint or HRQOL measurements between intervention and control group were found using multilevel regression in an intention-to-treat analysis (p>0.05). Children of whom the parents were interviewed by using the brief assessment form at the intervention well-child centres had a decreased risk on ETS exposure at home ever, compared to children who visited the control well-child centres, in an explorative per-protocol analysis (aOR = 0.71, 95% CI:0.59-0.87). Systematic assessment and counselling of asthma-like symptoms and ETS exposure in early childhood by well-child care professionals using a brief assessment form was not effective in reducing the prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma ever and wheezing, and did not improve FeNO, Rint or HRQOL at age 6 years. Our results hold some promise for interviewing parents and using information leaflets at well-child centres to reduce ETS exposure at home in preschool children. Controlled-Trials.com ISRCTN15790308.

Sanctification and spiritual disclosure in parent-child relationships: implications for family relationship quality.

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Brelsford, Gina M

2013-08-01

Social scientific research on family life, religion, and spirituality tends to focus on global religiousness and spirituality with few studies seeking to understand interpersonal religious and spiritual contributors, namely sanctification and spiritual disclosure, from multiple family members' perspectives. This study explored 91 mother-college student and 64 father-college student dyads who rated their use of spiritual disclosure and theistic and nontheistic sanctification of the parent-child dyad in relation to parent-child relationship quality (e.g., parent-child relationship satisfaction and open communication). Results indicate significant positive links between higher levels of spiritual disclosure and greater theistic and nontheistic sanctification, for mothers, fathers, and their children. However, only greater nontheistic sanctification and higher levels spiritual disclosure were significantly related to increased parent-child relationship quality. Through use of Actor-Partner Interdependence Models (APIMs) results indicated unique contributions of spiritual disclosure to parent-child relationship quality above nontheistic sanctification for open communication in the family. However, full models, which included nontheistic sanctification and spiritual disclosure, predict college students' relationship satisfaction with their mothers and fathers. Implications for interpersonal religiousness and spirituality as contributors to familial relationship quality in research and practice are discussed. © 2013 American Psychological Association

State Child Care Regulatory, Monitoring and Evaluation Systems as a Means for Ensuring Quality Child Development Programs.

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Fiene, Richard

The development of a checklist for use in monitoring and evaluating the quality of child care services, and the implications of use of the checklist by day care providers, are discussed. Several research studies that used the indicator checklist model have attempted to determine whether compliance with state child care regulations has a positive…

Maltreatment and Affective and Behavioral Problems in Emerging Adults With and Without Oppositional Defiant Disorder Symptoms: Mediation by Parent-Child Relationship Quality.

Science.gov (United States)

McKinney, Cliff; Stearns, Melanie; Szkody, Erica

2018-03-01

The current study examined the indirect effect of maternal and paternal emotional and physical maltreatment on affective and behavioral symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) through parent-child relationship quality; gender and overall ODD symptoms were examined as moderators. Participants included 2,362 emerging adults who completed questionnaires about parental emotional and physical maltreatment, parent-child relationship quality, and affective and behavioral ODD symptoms. These characteristics were compared across parent and child gender (i.e., maternal and paternal effects as well as male and female differences) as well as participants reporting high and low ODD symptoms. In the low ODD group, indirect effects of emotional maltreatment occurred in all parent-child dyads except the mother-son dyad, whereas in the high ODD group, indirect effects occurred only in the father-son dyad. Indirect effects of physical maltreatment occurred only in the father-son dyad in the low ODD group, and only in the mother-daughter dyad on behavioral ODD symptoms in the high ODD group. The results suggest that specific parent-child gender dyads respond differently, warranting further investigation of gender effects. Moreover, emerging adults in the low ODD symptoms group demonstrated a positive association between parental maltreatment and ODD symptoms and a negative association between parent-child relationship quality and ODD symptoms, whereas those high in the high ODD symptoms group did not demonstrate these associations. That is, emerging adults reporting high ODD symptoms demonstrated no relationship between their ODD symptoms and harsh parenting, suggesting an ineffective coercive process.

Fostering Effective Early Learning (FEEL) through a professional development programme for early childhood educators to improve professional practice and child outcomes in the year before formal schooling: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.

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Melhuish, Edward; Howard, Steven J; Siraj, Iram; Neilsen-Hewett, Cathrine; Kingston, Denise; de Rosnay, Marc; Duursma, Elisabeth; Luu, Betty

2016-12-19

A substantial research base documents the benefits of attendance at high-quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) for positive behavioural and learning outcomes. Research has also found that the quality of many young children's experiences and opportunities in ECEC depends on the skills, dispositions and understandings of the early childhood adult educators. Increasingly, research has shown that the quality of children's interactions with educators and their peers, more than any other programme feature, influence what children learn and how they feel about learning. Hence, we sought to investigate the extent to which evidence-based professional development (PD) - focussed on promoting sustained shared thinking through quality interactions - could improve the quality of ECEC and, as a consequence, child outcomes. The Fostering Effective Early Learning (FEEL) study is a cluster randomised controlled trial for evaluating the benefits of a professional development (PD) programme for early childhood educators, compared with no extra PD. Ninety long-day care and preschool centres in New South Wales, Australia, will be selected to ensure representation across National Quality Standards (NQS) ratings, location, centre type and socioeconomic areas. Participating centres will be randomly allocated to one of two groups, stratified by centre type and NQS rating: (1) an intervention group (45 centres) receiving a PD intervention or (2) a control group (45 centres) that continues engaging in typical classroom practice. Randomisation to these groups will occur after the collection of baseline environmental quality ratings. Primary outcomes, at the child level, will be two measures of language development: verbal comprehension and expressive vocabulary. Secondary outcomes at the child level will be measures of early numeracy, social development and self-regulation. Secondary outcomes at the ECEC room level will be measures of environmental quality derived from full

Caregivers’ Use of Child Passenger Safety Resources and Quality of Future Child Restraint System Installations

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Jessica H. Mirman

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Child Restraint System (CRS misuse is common. We characterized caregivers’ use of child passenger safety informational and instructional resources and determined whether there were differences in the quality of CRS installations associated with prior exposure to specific resources as evaluated in a standardized CRS installation environment. Methods: Caregivers completed self-report surveys and installed a forward-facing CRS in a controlled environment. Installations were evaluated for security (tightness and accuracy (no errors by a child passenger safety technician (CPST. Results: CRS manuals were the most common way caregivers learned to install a CRS. Primary care providers (PCPs were the most frequently endorsed source of CRS safety information. There was no strong pattern of associations between prior exposure to resources and installation quality (security or accuracy, although some evidence supports protective effects of learning from CPSTs; 13% (19 out of 151 installations were secure and 57% (86 out of 151 installations were accurate. Conclusions: A focus on developing effective and lasting behavioral interventions is needed.

Staff immunisation: policy and practice in child care.

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Spokes, Paula J; Ferson, Mark J; Ressler, Kelly-Anne

2011-08-01

The aims of this study were to determine the level of knowledge among child-care centre directors regarding the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) recommendations for the immunisation of child-care workers, the extent to which this knowledge was translated into practice and any organisational barriers to the development and implementation of staff immunisation policy. A cross-sectional survey, conducted in August 2006, in which a postal questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 784 NSW child-care centres. Centre directors were asked to complete the questionnaire on immunisation knowledge, policy and practice for the centre. A multivariate logistic-regression model was used to identify factors independently associated with centres with an immunisation policy for staff and centres that offered to pay all or part of the cost of vaccination of staff. Directors from 437 centres participated in the study for a response rate of 56%. Of these, 49% were aware of the NHMRC recommendations, and 57% had a staff immunisation policy in place. In the logistic regression model, centres with a written immunisation policy for staff were more likely to be aware of the NHMRC guidelines and offer long day care services. Centres that offered to pay all or part of the cost of immunisation for staff were more likely to be aware of the NHMRC guidelines, offer other child-care services and not operate for profit. Barriers to staff immunisation were related to the implementation of policy and included cost, time and access to information. The level of awareness of specific staff immunisation recommendations was relatively low. The transition of knowledge to policy was encouraging, although implementation of policies requires further commitment. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2011 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Assessment of drug treatment quality in two Danish health-care centres

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Stig Ejdrup; Edfors, Kajsa

2011-01-01

Bridging the primary and secondary sector, health-care centres aim to reduce morbidity and prevent further hospitalization in patients with chronic heart diseases. The aim of this study was to describe the quality of drug treatment in patients with chronic heart diseases in two Copenhagen health-care...

Effect of quality of family environment on the child's adaptation capabilities

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Ivana Kreft

2008-08-01

Full Text Available The aim of the paper was to investigate how the quality of family environment is related to the child's adaptation capabilities. Child's adaptation was evaluated with a special assessment called SPP-3 (Systematic Psychological Assessment of a 3-year Old Child, that screens the population of 3-year olds to look for inadequate adaptation patterns. I assumed that in families where parents have higher education and where the environment is more stimulating children will show more effective and adaptive behaviour. Seventy-five children and parents who attended the psychological assessment in their regional hospitals first concluded the psychological examination (SPP-3 and then filled-in two questionnaires: The Family Environment Questionnaire (Zupančič, Podlesek, & Kavčič, 2004 and The Home Literacy Environment Questionnaire (Marjanovič Umek, Podlesek, & Fekonja, 2005. The results showed that quality of family environment does effect the child's adaptive capabilities and is associated with parental level of education. Of special importance for the child's socialization is the parents' ability to use effective control (to have consistent and clear demands. Hypothesis that the level of parental education affects the child's adaptation capabilities was not confirmed. Perhaps the parents' relations with the child are of greater importance, and these are probably not related to parents' education. The results show that child's adaptation capabilities are associated with parenting methods, so preventive psychological counselling may also be used to help parents choose more effective methods in order to allow the child to develop effective adaptive behaviour.

Quality Management Framework for Total Diet Study centres in Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Pité, Marina; Pinchen, Hannah; Castanheira, Isabel; Oliveira, Luisa; Roe, Mark; Ruprich, Jiri; Rehurkova, Irena; Sirot, Veronique; Papadopoulos, Alexandra; Gunnlaugsdóttir, Helga; Reykdal, Ólafur; Lindtner, Oliver; Ritvanen, Tiina; Finglas, Paul

2018-02-01

A Quality Management Framework to improve quality and harmonization of Total Diet Study practices in Europe was developed within the TDS-Exposure Project. Seventeen processes were identified and hazards, Critical Control Points and associated preventive and corrective measures described. The Total Diet Study process was summarized in a flowchart divided into planning and practical (sample collection, preparation and analysis; risk assessment analysis and publication) phases. Standard Operating Procedures were developed and implemented in pilot studies in five organizations. The flowchart was used to develop a quality framework for Total Diet Studies that could be included in formal quality management systems. Pilot studies operated by four project partners were visited by project assessors who reviewed implementation of the proposed framework and identified areas that could be improved. The quality framework developed can be the starting point for any Total Diet Study centre and can be used within existing formal quality management approaches. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An inter-centre quality assurance network for IMRT verification: Results of the ESTRO QUASIMODO project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gillis, Sofie; Wagter, Carlos de; Bohsung, Joerg; Perrin, Bruce; Williams, Peter; Mijnheer, Ben J.

2005-01-01

Background and purpose: IMRT necessitates extension of existing inter-centre quality assurance programs due to its increased complexity. We assessed the feasibility of an inter-centre verification method for different IMRT techniques. Materials and methods: Eight European radiotherapy institutions of the QUASIMODO network, have designed an IMRT plan for a horseshoe-shaped PTV surrounding a cylindrical OAR in a simplified pelvic phantom. All centres applied common plan objectives but used their own equipment for planning and delivery. They verified the delivery of this plan according to a common protocol with radiographic film and ionisation chamber measurements. The irradiated films, the results of the ionisation chamber measurements and the computed dose distributions were sent to one analysis centre that compared the measured and computed dose distributions with the gamma method and composite dose-area histograms. Results: 4% (relative to the prescribed dose) and 3 mm (distance-to-agreement) were decided feasible gamma criteria. The composite dose-area histograms showed a maximum local deviation of 3.5% in the mean dose of the PTV and 5% in the OAR. Systematic differences could be identified, and in some cases explained. Conclusions: This multi-centre dosimetric verification study demonstrated both the feasibility of a multi-centre quality assurance network to evaluate any IMRT planning and delivery system combination, as well as the validity of the methodology involved

Implementation of quality assurance and quality control in the Nuclear Analytical Laboratory of the Estonian Radiation Protection Centre

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koeoep, T.; Jakobson, E.

2002-01-01

The Analytical Laboratory of the Estonian Radiation Protection Centre is in the process of implementing the system of Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) in the framework of the IAEA TC Project RER/2/004/ 'QA/QC of Nuclear Analytical Techniques'. The draft Quality Manual with annexes has been prepared accordingly to the ISO 17025 Guide, documents and other printed material delivered on the seminars of the project. The laboratory supply has been supplemented with necessary equipment for guaranteeing of quality. Proficiency testing included in the project has been performed successfully. (author)

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in Switzerland: a comprehensive quality control report on centre effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Passweg, Jakob; Baldomero, Helen; Stern, Martin; Bargetzi, Mario; Ghielmini, Michele; Leibundgut, Kurt; Duchosal, Michel; Hess, Urs; Seger, Reinhard; Buhrfeind, Eva; Schanz, Urs; Gratwohl, Alois

2010-06-12

Interest groups advocate centre-specific outcome data as a useful tool for patients in choosing a hospital for their treatment and for decision-making by politicians and the insurance industry. Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) requires significant infrastructure and represents a cost-intensive procedure. It therefore qualifies as a prime target for such a policy. We made use of the comprehensive database of the Swiss Blood Stem Cells Transplant Group (SBST) to evaluate potential use of mortality rates. Nine institutions reported a total of 4717 HSCT - 1427 allogeneic (30.3%), 3290 autologous (69.7%) - in 3808 patients between the years 1997 and 2008. Data were analysed for survival- and transplantation-related mortality (TRM) at day 100 and at 5 years. The data showed marked and significant differences between centres in unadjusted analyses. These differences were absent or marginal when the results were adjusted for disease, year of transplant and the EBMT risk score (a score incorporating patient age, disease stage, time interval between diagnosis and transplantation, and, for allogeneic transplants, donor type and donor-recipient gender combination) in a multivariable analysis. These data indicate comparable quality among centres in Switzerland. They show that comparison of crude centre-specific outcome data without adjustment for the patient mix may be misleading. Mandatory data collection and systematic review of all cases within a comprehensive quality management system might, in contrast, serve as a model to ascertain the quality of other cost-intensive therapies in Switzerland.

Optimal catchment area and primary PCI centre volume revisited

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schoos, Mikkel Malby; Pedersen, Frants; Holmvang, Lene

2015-01-01

AIMS: The currently stated optimal catchment population for a pPCI centre is 300,000-1,100,000, resulting in 200-800 procedures/year. pPCI centres are increasing in number even within small geographic areas. We describe the organisation and quality of care after merging two high-volume centres...

Quality assurance of malaria case management in an urban and in sub-rural health centres in Goma, Congo

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Prosper M. Lutala

2011-10-01

Objectives: Our aim was to assess the quality of malaria case management in two primary health care centres in the Goma health district. Specific objectives were the assessment of quality accuracy in the dosage, the duration of treatment, the intervals between administrations, and the routes of administration of anti-malarial medication in two health centres, as well as the subsequent comparison of those two sites. Method: A descriptive retrospective study was conducted using the malaria register’s review to assess two health centres in the Goma health district. Socio-demographical and clinical data were recorded and the quality was assessed against the national guidelines. Descriptive statistics with percentages and Chi-square values were computed. Results: Under-dosage was more common in CCLK (Centre Chrétien du Lac Kivu [Lake Kivu Christian Centre] with 55 patients (62.5%; 95% CI, 52% – 71.8% patients, whilst the over-dosage was present in 64 patients (80%; 95% CI, 69.9% – 87.2% in CASOP (Caisse de Solidarité Ouvrière et Paysanne [Fund of Solidarity Workers and Peasants]. The duration of treatment was shorter in CCLK in 15 patients (93.7%; 95% CI, 71.6% – 98.8%; CASOP had a high rate of inappropriate intervals between the administration of drugs in 14 patients (82.3%; 95% CI, 58.9% – 93.8%. Intravenous administration rates were high in both sites with respectively 102 patients in CASOP (62.5%; 95% CI, 54.9% – 69.6% and 61 patients in CCLK (37.4%; 95% CI, 30.3% – 45.0%. Significant differences were found between the two sites with regard to intervals of administration (χ2 = 7.11, p = 0.007, duration of treatment (χ2 = 8.51, p = 0.003, dosage (χ2 = 3.91, p = 0.05. The routes of administration were used in a similar manner, however, in the two sites (χ2 = 0.78, p = 0.37. Conclusion: Abnormalities in dosage, in the duration of treatment, in the intervals between administration and in the routes of administration were found in both sites

An Impossible Task? Implementing the Recommendations of Child Abuse Inquiry Reports in a Context of High Workloads in Child Protection and Welfare

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Kenneth Burns

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the issue of social workers’ caseloads in child protection and welfare in the Republic of Ireland. High caseloads impact on the type and quality of service provided to children and families, and on worker retention and job satisfaction. This exploratory paper examines the limited available evidence on social workers’ caseloads in the Republic of Ireland and presents data on child protection and welfare social workers’ perspectives on their caseloads drawn from a qualitative study. These analyses are set in the context of the Irish State’s commitments since the publication of the Ryan report. A central argument of this article is that the recommendations of successive child abuse inquiries in Ireland have given rise to expectations and demands on child protection and welfare teams that are not possible to meet given the increasing level of referrals and the high numbers of children for whom social workers are responsible.

Quality comparisons between privately and publicly managed health care centres in a suburban area of Stockholm, Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Hansagi, H; Calltorp, J; Andréasson, S

1993-03-01

As in many other countries, the health care system in Sweden is currently undergoing rapid changes. Within a framework of public financing, the delivery of health care is to an increasing extent being transferred to various entrepreneurs; private, public or cooperatives. A privately run, but publicly financed, health care centre was evaluated with regard to quality and costs. Quality was defined in terms of the central guidelines for Swedish primary health care: first level responsibility, accessibility, a holistic view of the patient, and continuity of care and safety. The services offered by the private health care centre were evaluated by different methods--questionnaires, health care utilization data and economic analyses--and found to be of similar quality but produced at a lower cost than by three publicly managed health care centres.

Nutritional quality and child-oriented marketing of breakfast cereals in Guatemala.

Science.gov (United States)

Soo, J; Letona, P; Chacon, V; Barnoya, J; Roberto, C A

2016-01-01

Food marketing has been implicated as an important driver of obesity. However, few studies have examined food marketing in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study documents the prevalence of advertising on cereal boxes in Guatemala and examines associations between various marketing strategies and nutritional quality. One box from all available cereals was purchased from a supermarket located in an urban area in Guatemala City, Guatemala. A content analysis was performed to document child-oriented marketing practices, product claims and health-evoking images. The Nutrient Profile Model (NPM) was used to calculate an overall nutrition score for each cereal (the higher the score, the lower the nutritional quality). In all, 106 cereals were purchased, and half of the cereals featured child-oriented marketing (54, 50.9%). Cereals had a mean (±s.d.) of 5.10±2.83 product claims per cereal, and most cereals (102, 96.2%) contained health-evoking images. Child-oriented cereals had, on average, higher NPM scores (13.0±0.55 versus 7.90±0.74, Ptargeting children were generally of poor nutritional quality. Cereals displaying health claims were also not healthier than those without such claims. Our findings support the need for regulations restricting the use of child-oriented marketing and health claims for certain products.

QUALITY ASSURANCE COURSES IN VET (VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING) FOR TOURISM ORGANISED BY THE CENTRE FOR TOURISM TRAINING

OpenAIRE

SILVIA IRIMIEA; ADRIANA ŞERBAN

2015-01-01

Quality Assurance Courses in VET (Vocational Education and Training) for Tourism Organised by the Centre for Tourism Training. The article seeks to give utterance to the findings of the pilot course on quality assurance designed and organised by the Centre for Tourism Training (CTT) as part of the AQUA.TS European Lifelong Learning project. The CTT has become involved in research and exchange of experience in the field of quality assurance driven by the educational policy-related background s...

A comprehensive air quality investigation at an aquatic centre: Indoor/outdoor comparisons.

Science.gov (United States)

Tolis, Evangelos I; Panaras, Giorgos; Bartzis, John G

2018-06-01

Air quality and comfort parameters in a naturally ventilated aquatic centre were studied in relation to the outdoor pollution levels. Simultaneous measurements of PM 2.5, as well as of volatile organic compounds, were carried out for the indoor and outdoor environment of the aquatic centre. The chemical analysis of ionic species and trace elements associated with particulate matter was also performed. In addition, automated analyzer for NO 2 and O 3 was used in order to record the indoor and outdoor levels of these pollutants. Analysis of diurnal variation of the pollutants' concentration was applied to the collected data, allowing the identification of potential variation on the sources affecting the indoor air quality. PM 2.5 concentration was almost two times higher indoors than outdoors with average values of 13.96 and 6.78 μg/m 3 , respectively. Concerning the ion fraction of PM 2.5, SO 4 2- and Ca 2+ were the ions with higher concentration indoors with values of 1.06 and 0.93 μg/m 3 , respectively, while the percentage of Cl - to the PM 2.5 fraction of the indoor atmosphere (9%) was too high than outdoor ones (1%). These results showed that indoor air of swimming pool concerning PM 2.5 and ionic species is mainly affected by the chlorination process along with the comfort conditions (high relative humidity) created during the operation of the facility. The common volatile organic compound concentrations at indoor air are generally in higher levels, compared to the outdoor air with p,m-xylene and toluene to be the substances with the higher concentration for indoor and outdoor area, respectively (7.80 and 1.57 μg/m 3 ); nevertheless, values were rather low compared with the findings of other studies. Also, they clearly demonstrate a diurnal variation as a result of poor ventilation during night. As it was expected, chloroform showed the highest concentration compared to the other volatile organic compounds with values ranging from 3.35 to 135.89 μg/m 3

Quality of Child Care Using the Environment Rating Scales: A Meta-Analysis of International Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Vermeer, Harriet J.; van IJzendoorn, Marinus H.; Cárcamo, Rodrigo A.; Harrison, Linda J.

2016-01-01

The current study provides a systematic examination of child care quality around the globe, using the Environment Rating Scales (ERS). Additional goals of this study are to examine associations between ERS process quality and structural features (group size, caregiver-child ratio) that underpin quality and between ERS and more proximal aspects of…

Assessing decision quality in patient-centred care requires a preference-sensitive measure

Science.gov (United States)

Kaltoft, Mette; Cunich, Michelle; Salkeld, Glenn; Dowie, Jack

2014-01-01

A theory-based instrument for measuring the quality of decisions made using any form of decision technology, including both decision-aided and unaided clinical consultations is required to enable person- and patient-centred care and to respond positively to individual heterogeneity in the value aspects of decision making. Current instruments using the term ‘decision quality’ have adopted a decision- and thus condition-specific approach. We argue that patient-centred care requires decision quality to be regarded as both preference-sensitive across multiple relevant criteria and generic across all conditions and decisions. MyDecisionQuality is grounded in prescriptive multi criteria decision analysis and employs a simple expected value algorithm to calculate a score for the quality of a decision that combines, in the clinical case, the patient’s individual preferences for eight quality criteria (expressed as importance weights) and their ratings of the decision just taken on each of these criteria (expressed as performance rates). It thus provides an index of decision quality that encompasses both these aspects. It also provides patients with help in prioritizing quality criteria for future decision making by calculating, for each criterion, the Incremental Value of Perfect Rating, that is, the increase in their decision quality score that would result if their performance rating on the criterion had been 100%, weightings unchanged. MyDecisionQuality, which is a web-based generic and preference-sensitive instrument, can constitute a key patient-reported measure of the quality of the decision-making process. It can provide the basis for future decision improvement, especially when the clinician (or other stakeholders) completes the equivalent instrument and the extent and nature of concordance and discordance can be established. Apart from its role in decision preparation and evaluation, it can also provide real time and relevant documentation for the patient�

Incorporating elements of social franchising in government health services improves the quality of infant and young child feeding counselling services at commune health centres in Vietnam.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Phuong H; Kim, Sunny S; Keithly, Sarah C; Hajeebhoy, Nemat; Tran, Lan M; Ruel, Marie T; Rawat, Rahul; Menon, Purnima

2014-12-01

Although social franchising has been shown to enhance the quality of reproductive health services in developing countries, its effect on nutrition services remains unexamined. This study assessed the effects of incorporating elements of social franchising on shaping the quality of infant and young child feeding (IYCF) counselling facilities and services in Vietnam. Process-related data collected 12 months after the launch of the first franchises were used to compare randomly assigned Alive & Thrive-supported health facilities (AT-F, n = 20) with standard facilities (SF, n = 12) across three dimensions of service quality: 'structure', 'process' and 'outcome' that capture the quality of facilities, service delivery, and client perceptions and use, respectively. Data collection included facility assessments (n = 32), staff surveys (n = 96), counselling observations (n = 137), client exit interviews (n = 137) and in-depth interviews with mothers (n = 48). Structure: AT-F were more likely to have an unshared, well-equipped room for nutrition counselling than SF (65.0% vs 10.0%). Compared with SF providers, AT-F staff had better IYCF knowledge (mean score 9.9 vs 8.8, range 0-11 for breastfeeding; mean score 3.6 vs 3.2, range 0-4 for complementary feeding). AT-F providers also demonstrated significantly better interpersonal communication skills (score 9.6 vs 5.1, range 0-13) and offered more comprehensive counselling sessions. Overall utilization of franchises was low (10%). A higher proportion of pregnant women utilized franchise services (48.9%), compared with mothers with children 6-23.9 months (1.4%). There was no quantitative difference in client satisfaction with counselling services between AT-F and SF, but franchise users praised the AT-F for problem solving related to child feeding. Incorporating elements of social franchising significantly enhances the quality of IYCF counselling services within government primary healthcare facilities, particularly their

Stability of Maternal Discipline Practices and the Quality of Mother-Child Interaction during Toddlerhood

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Keng-Yen; Caughy, Margaret O'Brien; Lee, Li-Ching; Miller, Therese; Genevro, Janice

2008-01-01

This study examined the stability of maternal punitive/high-power discipline (PD) and inductive/authoritative discipline (ID) over the second and third years of life and the effect of maternal discipline on quality of mother-child interactions. Data from a longitudinal sample with 179 mother-toddler dyads were analyzed, and selected factors (i.e.,…

Socio-economic, clinical and biological risk factors for mother - to - child transmission of HIV-1 in Muhima health centre (Rwanda): a prospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bucagu, Maurice; Bizimana, Jean de Dieu; Muganda, John; Humblet, Claire Perrine

2013-02-28

Three decades since the first HIV-1 infected patients in Rwanda were identified in 1983; the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome epidemic has had a devastating history and is still a major public health challenge in the country. This study was aimed at assessing socioeconomic, clinical and biological risk factors for mother - to - child transmission of HIV- in Muhima health centre (Kigali/Rwanda). The prospective cohort study was conducted at Muhima Health centre (Kigali/Rwanda).During the study period (May 2007 - April 2010), of 8,669 pregnant women who attended antenatal visits and screened for HIV-1, 736 tested HIV-1 positive and among them 700 were eligible study participants. Hemoglobin, CD4 count and viral load tests were performed for participant mothers and HIV-1 testing using DNA PCR technique for infants.Follow up data for eligible mother-infant pairs were obtained from women themselves and log books in Muhima health centre and maternity, using a structured questionnaire.Predictors of mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1 were assessed by multivariable logistic regression analysis. Among the 679 exposed and followed-up infants, HIV-1 status was significantly associated with disclosure of HIV status to partner both at 6 weeks of age (non-disclosure of HIV status, adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 4.68, CI 1.39 to 15.77, p  = 1000 copies/ml, AOR 7.30, CI 2.65 to 20.08, p  = 1000 copies/ml, AOR 4.60, CI 1.84 to 11.49, p < 0.01, compared to <1000 copies/ml). In this study, the most relevant factors independently associated with increased risk of mother - to - child transmission of HIV-1 included non-disclosure of HIV status to partner and high HIV-1 RNA. Members of this cohort also showed socioeconomic inequalities, with unmarried status carrying higher risk of undisclosed HIV status. The monitoring of maternal HIV-1 RNA level might be considered as a routinely used test to assess the risk of transmission with the goal of achieving viral suppression as

Maternal response to child affect: Role of maternal depression and relationship quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, Judith K; Ambrosia, Marigrace; Forbes, Erika E; Cyranowski, Jill M; Amole, Marlissa C; Silk, Jennifer S; Elliott, Rosalind D; Swartz, Holly A

2015-11-15

Maternal depression is associated with negative outcomes for offspring, including increased incidence of child psychopathology. Quality of mother-child relationships can be compromised among affectively ill dyads, such as those characterized by maternal depression and child psychopathology, and negatively impact outcomes bidirectionally. Little is known about the neural mechanisms that may modulate depressed mothers' responses to their psychiatrically ill children during middle childhood and adolescence, partially because of a need for ecologically valid personally relevant fMRI tasks that might most effectively elicit these neural mechanisms. The current project evaluated maternal response to child positive and negative affective video clips in 19 depressed mothers with psychiatrically ill offspring using a novel fMRI task. The task elicited activation in the ventral striatum when mothers viewed positive clips and insula when mothers viewed negative clips of their own (versus unfamiliar) children. Both types of clips elicited activation in regions associated with affect regulation and self-related and social processing. Greater lifetime number of depressive episodes, comorbid anxiety, and poor mother-child relationship quality all emerged as predictors of maternal response to child affect. Findings may be specific to dyads with psychiatrically ill children. Altered neural response to child affect may be an important characteristic of chronic maternal depression and may impact mother-child relationships negatively. Existing interventions for depression may be improved by helping mothers respond to their children's affect more adaptively. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Trending Longitudinal Agreement between Parent and Child Perceptions of Quality of Life for Pediatric Palliative Care Patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meaghann S. Weaver

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Pediatric palliative care studies often rely on proxy-reported instead of direct child-reported quality of life metrics. The purpose of this study was to longitudinally evaluate quality of life for pediatric patients receiving palliative care consultations and to compare patient-reported quality of life with parent perception of the child’s quality of life across wellness domains. The 23-item PedsQL™ V4.0 Measurement Model was utilized for ten child and parent dyads at time of initial palliative care consultation, Month 6, and Month 12 to assess for physical, emotional, social, and cognitive dimensions of quality of life as reported independently by the child and by the parent for the child. Findings were analyzed using Bland–Altman plots to compare observed differences to limits of agreement. This study revealed overall consistency between parent- and child-reported quality of life across domains. Physical health was noted to be in closest agreement. At the time of initial palliative care consult, children collectively scored their social quality of life higher than parental perception of the child’s social quality of life; whereas, emotional and cognitive quality of life domains were scored lower by children than by the parental report. At the one year survey time point, the physical, emotional, and social domains trended toward more positive patient perception than proxy perception with congruence between quality of life scores for the cognitive domain. Findings reveal the importance of eliciting a child report in addition to a parent report when measuring and longitudinally trending perceptions on quality of life.

Retrospective exposure assessment and quality control in an international multi-centre case-control study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tinnerberg, H; Heikkilä, P; Huici-Montagud, A

2003-01-01

The paper presents the exposure assessment method and quality control procedure used in an international, multi-centre case-control study within a joint Nordic and Italian cohort. This study was conducted to evaluate whether occupational exposure to carcinogens influenced the predictivity of high...... was higher among the original assessors (the assessor from the same country as the subject) than the average prevalence assessed by the other four in the quality control round. The original assessors classified more job situations as exposed than the others. Several reasons for this are plausible: real...... country-specific differences, differences in information available to the home assessor and the others and misunderstandings or difficulties in translation of information. To ensure the consistency of exposure assessments in international retrospective case-control studies it is important to have a well...

Quality indicators for prostate radiotherapy: are patients disadvantaged by receiving treatment in a 'generalist' centre?

Science.gov (United States)

Freeman, Amanda R; Roos, Daniel E; Kim, Laurence

2015-04-01

The purpose of this retrospective review was to evaluate concordance with evidence-based quality indicator guidelines for prostate cancer patients treated radically in a 'generalist' (as distinct from 'sub-specialist') centre. We were concerned that the quality of treatment may be lower in a generalist centre. If so, the findings could have relevance for many radiotherapy departments that treat prostate cancer. Two hundred fifteen consecutive patients received external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and/or brachytherapy between 1.10.11 and 30.9.12. Treatment was deemed to be in line with evidence-based guidelines if the dose was: (i) 73.8-81 Gy at 1.8-2.0 Gy/fraction for EBRT alone (eviQ guidelines); (ii) 40-50 Gy (EBRT) for EBRT plus high-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy boost (National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines); and (iii) 145 Gy for low dose rate (LDR) I-125 monotherapy (NCCN). Additionally, EBRT beam energy should be ≥6 MV using three-dimensional conformal RT (3D-CRT) or intensity-modulated RT (IMRT), and high-risk patients should receive neo-adjuvant androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) (eviQ/NCCN). Treatment of pelvic nodes was also assessed. One hundred four high-risk, 84 intermediate-risk and 27 low-risk patients (NCCN criteria) were managed by eight of nine radiation oncologists. Concordance with guideline doses was confirmed in: (i) 125 of 136 patients (92%) treated with EBRT alone; (ii) 32 of 34 patients (94%) treated with EBRT + HDR BRT boost; and (iii) 45 of 45 patients (100%) treated with LDR BRT alone. All EBRT patients were treated with ≥6 MV beams using 3D-CRT (78%) or IMRT (22%). 84%, 21% and 0% of high-risk, intermediate-risk and low-risk patients received ADT, respectively. Overall treatment modality choice (including ADT use and duration where assessable) was concordant with guidelines for 176/207 (85%) of patients. The vast majority of patients were treated concordant with evidence-based guidelines suggesting that

Quantity-Quality and the One Child Policy: The Only-Child Disadvantage in School Enrollment in Rural China. NBER Working Paper No. 14973

Science.gov (United States)

Qian, Nancy

2009-01-01

Many believe that increasing the quantity of children will lead to a decrease in their quality. This paper exploits plausibly exogenous changes in family size caused by relaxations in China's One Child Policy to estimate the causal effect of family size on school enrollment of the first child. The results show that for one-child families, an…

Haiti | IDRC - International Development Research Centre

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

... for the environment, reduced spending on food, increased self-esteem, and stronger ... The consortium acts as a knowledge centre and explores communication ... train teachers and researchers in high-quality science and technology skills ...

The Relationship between Quality of Pre-School Child Care Institutions and Teachers' Teaching Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Õun, Tiia; Tuul, Maire; Tera, Signe; Sagen, Kelli; Mägi, Helena

2018-01-01

Various factors of the quality of preschool child care institutions influence the development of children and their future success in school. The activities of preschool child care institutions in Estonia are based on the national curriculum. Several indicators of structural quality have been determined on the national level. The aim of the…

Identifying the determinants of perceived quality in outpatient child and adolescent mental health services from the perspectives of parents and patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Kapp, Carole; Perlini, Thomas; Jeanneret, Tiffanie; Stéphan, Philippe; Rojas-Urrego, Alejandro; Macias, Manuel; Halfon, Olivier; Holzer, Laurent; Urben, Sébastien

2017-10-01

This cross-sectional survey adopting a multiple-informant perspective explores the factors that influence perceived quality (i.e., therapeutic alliance and satisfaction) in an outpatient setting within child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). A total of 1433 participants (parents, n = 770, and patients, n = 663) attending or having attended (drop-out) outpatient units participated in the study. The outcome measures were satisfaction (Client Satisfaction Questionnaire) and the therapeutic alliance (Helping Alliance Questionnaire). The determinants of these quality indicators were socio-demographic variables (e.g., age, gender, and mother's socio-economic status), factors related to the extent of difficulties (number of reasons for the consultation, number of people who referred the child to the CAMHS), the approach to treatment at outset (agreeing to the consultation, feeling reassured at the first appointment), the organizational friendliness (secretary, waiting room, waiting time for the first appointment) and the organization of the therapy (frequency of sessions, time for questions, change of therapist). The approach to treatment at outset, accessibility by phone, satisfaction with the frequency of the sessions and having enough time for questions were the factors that consistently explain the quality indicators from both perspectives (patients and parents). In contrast, the socio-demographic variables as well as the extent of difficulties and factors related to the organizational friendliness and the organization of the therapy (frequency of sessions, change of therapist) were not related to the quality indicators. This study identifies key determinants of the quality indicators from the perspective of patients and parents that should be considered to improve CAMHS care quality. First appointments should be carefully prepared, and clinicians should centre care on the needs and expectations of patients and parents.

Family-centred care for hospitalised children aged 0-12 years.

Science.gov (United States)

Shields, Linda; Zhou, Huaqiong; Pratt, Jan; Taylor, Marjory; Hunter, Judith; Pascoe, Elaine

2012-10-17

inclusion from 80% to 50% in this update. We also changed several other selection criteria in this update: eligible study designs are now limited to randomised controlled trials (RCTs) only; single interventions not reflecting a FCC model of care have been excluded; and the selection criterion whereby studies with inadequate or unclear blinding of outcome assessment were excluded from the review has been removed. Two review authors undertook searches, and four authors independently assessed studies against the review criteria, while two were assigned to extract data. We contacted study authors for additional information. Six studies found since 2004 were originally viewed as possible inclusions, but when the family-centred score assessment was tested, only one met the minimum score of family-centredness and was included in this review. This was an unpublished RCT involving 288 children post-tonsillectomy in a care-by-parent unit (CBPU) compared with standard inpatient care.The study used a range of behavioural, economic and physical measures. It showed that children in the CBPU were significantly less likely to receive inadequate care compared with standard inpatient admission, and there were no significant differences for their behavioural outcomes or other physical outcomes. Parents were significantly more satisfied with CBPU care than standard care, assessed both before discharge and at 7 days after discharge. Costs were lower for CPBU care compared with standard inpatient care. No other outcomes were reported. The study was rated as being at low to unclear risk of bias. This update of a review has found limited, moderate-quality evidence that suggests some benefit of a family-centred care intervention for children's clinical care, parental satisfaction, and costs, but this is based on a small dataset and needs confirmation in larger RCTs. There is no evidence of harms. Overall, there continues to be little high-quality quantitative research available about the effects

Child Health-Related Quality of Life and Parental Social Capital in Greece: An Exploratory Study

Science.gov (United States)

El-Dardiry, Giulia; Dimitrakaki, Christine; Tzavara, Chara; Ravens-Sieberer, Ulrike; Tountas, Yannis

2012-01-01

In this paper, we examined dimensions of child health-related quality of life in Greece in relation to parental assessments of neighbourhood social capital and social support networks. For the analysis, two main measures were used: (1) child self-reported health-related quality of life in ten dimensions, as measured by the KIDSCREEN questionnaire;…

Work characteristics and parent-child relationship quality: The mediating role of temporal involvement

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roeters, A.; Lippe, A.G. van der; Kluwer, E.S.

2010-01-01

This study investigated whether the amount and nature of parent-child time mediated the association between parental work characteristics and parent-child relationship quality. We based hypotheses on the conflict and enrichment approaches, and we tested a path model using self-collected data on

Work characteristics and parent-child relationship quality : the mediating role of temporal involvement

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roeters, A.; Lippe, T. van der; Kluwer, E.S.

2010-01-01

This study investigated whether the amount and nature of parent-child time mediated the association between parental work characteristics and parent-child relationship quality. We based hypotheses on the conflict and enrichment approaches, and we tested a path model using self-collected data on

The association between parent-reported provider communication quality and child obesity status: Variation by parent obesity and child race/ethnicity.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Michelle S; Showell, Nakiya N; Bleich, Sara N; Gudzune, Kimberly A; Chan, Kitty S

2017-08-01

To examine the association between healthcare provider communication quality and child obesity status, and the role of parent obesity and child race/ethnicity regarding this association. We conducted a cross-sectional secondary data analysis with the 2011-2013 Medical Expenditures Panel Survey of parents with children ages 6-12 (n=5390). We used multivariable logistic regression to examine the association of parent-reported healthcare provider communication quality (explaining well, listening carefully, showing respect, and spending enough time) with child obesity status, and effect modification by parent obesity and child race/ethnicity. Parents of obese children were more likely to report that their child's healthcare provider listened carefully (OR=1.41, p=0.002) and spent enough time (OR=1.33, p=0.022) than parents of non-obese children. Non-obese parents of obese children experienced better communication in the domains of listening carefully (pobese non-Hispanic Asian children and non-Hispanic Black children were more likely to report that providers explained things well (p=0.043) and listened carefully (p=0.012), respectively. Parents of obese children experienced better communication if parents were non-obese or children were non-Hispanic Black or Asian. Healthcare providers should ensure effective communication with obese parents of obese children. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Girl-Child in Nigeria and Right to Quality Education | Amaele ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study examined critically the concept of quality education and the right of the girl child to such education in Nigeria. It argued that the indices of quality education which include relevance, efficiency and essence are yet to be fully realized, due to inadequate human, physical and financial resources. It further observed ...

Parents Pleased With Child Care Options and Quality. Research Brief, Volume 96, Number 4

Science.gov (United States)

Public Policy Forum, 2008

2008-01-01

A recent survey of 430 parents in southeastern Wisconsin finds the majority are satisfied with the quality of their child care arrangements and their options for child care. Most say they would not change anything about their child care arrangement if they had the chance, and nearly two-thirds report a willingness to pay more for their current…

Creation of nitrogen-vacancy centres in diamond with high resolution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pezzagna, Sebastien; Meijer, Jan [Rubion, Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum (Germany); Wildanger, Dominik; Hell, Stefan W. [Department of NanoBiophotonics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goettingen (Germany); Mazarov, Paul; Wieck, Andreas D. [Lehrstuhl fuer Angewandte Festkoerperphysik, Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum (Germany); Naydenov, Boris; Jelezko, Fedor; Wrachtrup, Joerg [3. Institute of Physics, University of Stuttgart (Germany)

2010-07-01

Nowadays, diamond and the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) colour centres constitute the best solid-state system in view of quantum-computing applications. It has also been shown recently that single NV centres could be used as nanoscale magnetic sensors. Such applications require the creation of single NV centres with very high resolution and with a high efficiency. The nano-implanter at the university of Bochum provides low energy nitrogen ions which can be implanted through a hole pierced in the tip of an atomic force microscope. Ultrapure diamond samples have been implanted with spot sizes of 50nm and less. Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) microscopy has been used to characterise and resolve the implanted spots.

An exploration of parent-child dyadic asthma management influences on quality of life.

Science.gov (United States)

Horner, Sharon D; Brown, Adama

2015-06-01

Most studies of childhood asthma management use data from a single family reporter and fail to capture the parent-child dyadic influences. In this descriptive exploratory study with 183 parent-child dyads, data were collected from both parents and children. Using structural equation modeling, the relationships of parents' and children's asthma knowledge, self-efficacy to manage asthma, and asthma management on the child's quality of life were examined. Direct significant relationships from knowledge to self-efficacy to asthma management were found for each member of the dyad. The associations between parents' and children's self-efficacy and asthma management were not statistically significant. Only the children's self-efficacy to manage asthma was significantly associated with children's asthma-related quality of life.

[Mother-child agreement regarding the depressive symptoms and the quality of life of the child and its influencing factors in children with and without depression].

Science.gov (United States)

Kiss, Eniko

2010-01-03

Mother-child agreement and influencing factors were studied in depressed and non-depressed children. We hypothesized that age and gender of the child and maternal depression influenced mother-child agreement; parents of depressed children underestimated the quality of life of their children; agreement was better in older and non-depressed children. We studied depressed children with Major Depressive Disorder (n = 354, mean age = 11.69 +/- 2.05 years), and non-depressed school-age children (n = 1695, mean age = 10.34 +/- 2.19 years). Psychiatric diagnosis was obtained by a semi-structured interview; depressive symptoms and quality of life were measured by self-reported questionnaires. Mother-child agreement about depressive symptoms increased as children got older. Mother-son reports showed significant difference, mother-daughter reports were similar. Depressed mothers reported more serious symptoms for their children. Depressed children's parent rated lower quality of life than children for themselves. Agreement was influenced by depression of the child and only marginally by age. Age and psychiatric illness of the examined person influences agreement, which finding may well be important in practice.

Review of electroconvulsive therapy practice from a tertiary Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Centre.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacob, Preeti; Gogi, Prabhu Kiran Vishwanath; Srinath, Shoba; Thirthalli, Jagadisha; Girimaji, Satish; Seshadri, Shekhar; Sagar, John Vijay

2014-12-01

The use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in children and adolescents is a controversial issue. This study was done to examine the pattern and practice as well as the outcome of electroconvulsive therapy administered to children and adolescents admitted to a tertiary care centre. A 10 year retrospective chart review of all children and adolescents (up to 16 years of age) admitted in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) who had received at least 1 session of ECT was done. Information regarding diagnosis, reasons for prescribing electroconvulsive therapy, details regarding the procedure and outcome variables was collected from the records. Clinical Global Impressions (CGI) scale rating of the severity of illness and improvement seen were done by 2 trained psychiatrists independently. 22 children and adolescents received electroconvulsive therapy over 10 years. There were an equal number of boys and girls. All received modified ECT. Most patients who received electroconvulsive therapy were severely ill. Catatonic symptoms 54.5% (12) were the most common reason for prescribing electroconvulsive therapy. It was efficacious in 77.3% (17) of the patients. Electroconvulsive therapy was relatively safe, and most experienced no acute side effects. 68.2% (15) who were on follow up and did not experience any long term side effects due to the electroconvulsive therapy. Electroconvulsive therapy has a place in the acute management of severe childhood psychiatric disorders. Further long term prospective studies are required. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

School-Based Health Education Programmes, Health-Learning Capacity and Child Oral Health--related Quality of Life

Science.gov (United States)

Freeman, Ruth; Gibson, Barry; Humphris, Gerry; Leonard, Helen; Yuan, Siyang; Whelton, Helen

2016-01-01

Objective: To use a model of health learning to examine the role of health-learning capacity and the effect of a school-based oral health education intervention (Winning Smiles) on the health outcome, child oral health-related quality of life (COHRQoL). Setting: Primary schools, high social deprivation, Ireland/Northern Ireland. Design: Cluster…

Security of attachment and quality of mother-toddler social interaction in a high-risk sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Haltigan, John D; Lambert, Brittany L; Seifer, Ronald; Ekas, Naomi V; Bauer, Charles R; Messinger, Daniel S

2012-02-01

The quality of children's social interactions and their attachment security with a primary caregiver are two widely studied indices of socioemotional functioning in early childhood. Although both Bowlby and Ainsworth suggested that the parent-child interactions underlying the development of attachment security could be distinguished from other aspects of parent-child interaction (e.g., play), relatively little empirical research has examined this proposition. The aim of the current study was to explore this issue by examining concurrent relations between toddler's attachment security in the Strange Situation Procedure and quality of mother-child social interaction in a high-risk sample of toddlers characterized by prenatal cocaine exposure and low levels of maternal education. Analyses of variance suggested limited relations between attachment security and quality of social interaction. Further research examining the interrelations among various components of the parent-child relationship is needed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

TQ What?: Applying Total Quality Management to Child Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Hewes, Dorothy

1994-01-01

Discusses the concept of Total Quality Management (TQM), developed by W. Edward Deming and Joseph Juran in 1940s, and its applications for child care centers. Discusses how TQM focuses on customer satisfaction, measuring performance, benchmarking, employee empowerment, and continuous training. Includes a list of suggested readings on TQM. (MDM)

Influences of early child nutritional status and home learning environment on child development in Vietnam.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Phuong H; DiGirolamo, Ann M; Gonzalez-Casanova, Ines; Young, Melissa; Kim, Nicole; Nguyen, Son; Martorell, Reynaldo; Ramakrishnan, Usha

2018-01-01

Early childhood development plays a key role in a child's future health, educational success, and economic status. However, suboptimal early development remains a global challenge. This study examines the influences of quality of the home learning environment (HOME) and child stunting in the first year of life on child development. We used data collected from a randomized controlled trial of preconceptional micronutrient supplementation in Vietnam (n = 1,458). The Bayley Scales of Infant Development-III were used to assess cognition, language, and motor development domains at 2 years. At 1 year, 14% of children were stunted, and 15%, 58%, and 28% of children lived in poor, medium, and high HOME environments, respectively. In multivariate generalized linear regression models, living in a high HOME environment was significantly associated with higher scores (0.10 to 0.13 SD) in each of the developmental domains. Stunted children scored significantly lower for cognitive, language, and motor development (-0.11 to -0.18), compared to nonstunted children. The negative associations between stunting on development were modified by HOME; the associations were strong among children living in homes with a poor learning environment whereas they were nonsignificant for those living in high-quality learning environments. In conclusion, child stunting the first year of life was negatively associated with child development at 2 years among children in Vietnam, but a high-quality HOME appeared to attenuate these associations. Early interventions aimed at improving early child growth as well as providing a stimulating home environment are critical to ensure optimal child development. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Quality assurance of malaria case management in an urban and in sub-rural health centres in Goma, Congo

Science.gov (United States)

Kasereka, Claude M.; Kasagila, Eric K.; Inipavudu, John B.; Toranke, Suleiman I.

2011-01-01

Abstract Background Every year, up to three million deaths throughout the world occur as a result of malaria, 90% of which occur in Africa. Despite training providers in malaria case management and the availability of appropriate medical suppliers, there are still weaknesses in the management chain of malaria. Objectives Our aim was to assess the quality of malaria case management in two primary health care centres in the Goma health district. Specific objectives were the assessment of quality accuracy in the dosage, the duration of treatment, the intervals between administrations, and the routes of administration of anti-malarial medication in two health centres, as well as the subsequent comparison of those two sites. Method A descriptive retrospective study was conducted using the malaria register's review to assess two health centres in the Goma health district. Socio-demographical and clinical data were recorded and the quality was assessed against the national guidelines. Descriptive statistics with percentages and Chi-square values were computed. Results Under-dosage was more common in CCLK (Centre Chrétien du Lac Kivu [Lake Kivu Christian Centre]) with 55 patients (62.5%; 95% CI, 52% – 71.8%) patients, whilst the over-dosage was present in 64 patients (80%; 95% CI, 69.9% – 87.2%) in CASOP (Caisse de Solidarité Ouvrière et Paysanne [Fund of Solidarity Workers and Peasants]). The duration of treatment was shorter in CCLK in 15 patients (93.7%; 95% CI, 71.6% – 98.8%); CASOP had a high rate of inappropriate intervals between the administration of drugs in 14 patients (82.3%; 95% CI, 58.9% – 93.8%). Intravenous administration rates were high in both sites with respectively 102 patients in CASOP (62.5%; 95% CI, 54.9% – 69.6%) and 61 patients in CCLK (37.4%; 95% CI, 30.3% – 45.0%). Significant differences were found between the two sites with regard to intervals of administration (χ2 = 7.11, p = 0.007), duration of treatment (χ2 = 8.51, p = 0

Well-being, health and fitness of children who use wheelchairs: feasibility study protocol to develop child-centred 'keep-fit' exercise interventions.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Brien, Thomas D; Noyes, Jane; Spencer, Llinos Haf; Kubis, Hans-Peter; Edwards, Rhiannon T; Bray, Nathan; Whitaker, Rhiannon

2015-02-01

To undertake the pre-clinical and modelling phases of the Medical Research Council complex intervention framework to underpin development of child-centred 'keep-fit', exercise and physical activity interventions for children and young people who use wheelchairs. Children who use wheelchairs face many barriers to participation in physical activity, which compromises fitness, obesity, well-being and health. 'Keep-fit' programmes that are child-centred and engaging are urgently required to enhance participation of disabled children and their families as part of a healthy lifestyle. Nurses will likely be important in promoting and monitoring 'keep-fit' intervention(s) when implemented in the community. Mixed-method (including economic analysis) feasibility study to capture child and family preferences and keep-fit needs and to determine outcome measures for a 'keep-fit' intervention. The study comprises three stages. Stage 1 includes a mixed-method systematic review of effectiveness, cost effectiveness and key stakeholder views and experiences of keep-fit interventions, followed by qualitative interviews with children, young people and their parents to explore preferences and motivations for physical activity. Stage 2 will identify standardized outcome measures and test their application with children who use wheelchairs to obtain baseline fitness data. Options for an exercise-based keep-fit intervention will then be designed based on Stage 1 and 2 findings. In stage 3, we will present intervention options for feedback and further refinement to children and parents/carers in focus groups. (Project funded October 2012). At completion, this study will lead to the design of the intervention and a protocol to test its efficacy. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

QUALITY ASSURANCE COURSES IN VET (VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR TOURISM ORGANISED BY THE CENTRE FOR TOURISM TRAINING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SILVIA IRIMIEA

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Quality Assurance Courses in VET (Vocational Education and Training for Tourism Organised by the Centre for Tourism Training. The article seeks to give utterance to the findings of the pilot course on quality assurance designed and organised by the Centre for Tourism Training (CTT as part of the AQUA.TS European Lifelong Learning project. The CTT has become involved in research and exchange of experience in the field of quality assurance driven by the educational policy-related background set out by the European documents and tools, including EQARF, EQAVET, the principles of lifelong learning and adult education. The main theoretic background to the present paper was assured by the European Commission documents regarding quality assurance in VET, while the experience and good practices acquired by the CTT have profoundly marked its quality assurance–oriented policy. Against this background, The Centre for Tourism Training (CTT of the Faculty of Geography, University Babes-Bolyai, Romania, delivered a pilot training course on Quality Assurance in VET during 16 March and 10 April 2015. The training consisted of a theoretical knowledge-building module (16.03. 2015 – 27.03. 2015 and a practical module (30.03.2015 -10.04.2015, the latter focused on the use of the AQUA.TS TOOLKIT, an IT device aimed at the self-evaluation of the quality of performance of trainers and training providers, whose efficiency was tested during the organised training program.

Work Characteristics and Parent-Child Relationship Quality: The Mediating Role of Temporal Involvement

Science.gov (United States)

Roeters, Anne; Van Der Lippe, Tanja; Kluwer, Esther S.

2010-01-01

This study investigated whether the amount and nature of parent-child time mediated the association between parental work characteristics and parent-child relationship quality. We based hypotheses on the conflict and enrichment approaches, and we tested a path model using self-collected data on 1,008 Dutch fathers and 929 Dutch mothers with…

Quality of the parent-child interaction in young children with type 1 diabetes mellitus: study protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Nieuwesteeg, Anke M; Pouwer, Frans; van Bakel, Hedwig Ja; Emons, Wilco Hm; Aanstoot, Henk-Jan; Odink, Roelof; Hartman, Esther E

2011-04-14

In young children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) parents have full responsibility for the diabetes-management of their child (e.g. blood glucose monitoring, and administering insulin). Behavioral tasks in childhood, such as developing autonomy, and oppositional behavior (e.g. refusing food) may interfere with the diabetes-management to achieve an optimal blood glucose control. Furthermore, higher blood glucose levels are related to more behavioral problems. So parents might need to negotiate with their child on the diabetes-management to avoid this direct negative effect. This interference, the negotiations, and the parent's responsibility for diabetes may negatively affect the quality of parent-child interaction. Nevertheless, there is little knowledge about the quality of interaction between parents and young children with T1DM, and the possible impact this may have on glycemic control and psychosocial functioning of the child. While widely used global parent-child interaction observational methods are available, there is a need for an observational tool specifically tailored to the interaction patterns of parents and children with T1DM. The main aim of this study is to construct a disease-specific observational method to assess diabetes-specific parent-child interaction. Additional aim is to explore whether the quality of parent-child interactions is associated with the glycemic control, and psychosocial functioning (resilience, behavioral problems, and quality of life). First, we will examine which situations are most suitable for observing diabetes-specific interactions. Then, these situations will be video-taped in a pilot study (N = 15). Observed behaviors are described into rating scales, with each scale describing characteristics of parent-child interactional behaviors. Next, we apply the observational tool on a larger scale for further evaluation of the instrument (N = 120). The parents are asked twice (with two years in between) to fill out

Quality of the parent-child interaction in young children with type 1 diabetes mellitus: study protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aanstoot Henk-Jan

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In young children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM parents have full responsibility for the diabetes-management of their child (e.g. blood glucose monitoring, and administering insulin. Behavioral tasks in childhood, such as developing autonomy, and oppositional behavior (e.g. refusing food may interfere with the diabetes-management to achieve an optimal blood glucose control. Furthermore, higher blood glucose levels are related to more behavioral problems. So parents might need to negotiate with their child on the diabetes-management to avoid this direct negative effect. This interference, the negotiations, and the parent's responsibility for diabetes may negatively affect the quality of parent-child interaction. Nevertheless, there is little knowledge about the quality of interaction between parents and young children with T1DM, and the possible impact this may have on glycemic control and psychosocial functioning of the child. While widely used global parent-child interaction observational methods are available, there is a need for an observational tool specifically tailored to the interaction patterns of parents and children with T1DM. The main aim of this study is to construct a disease-specific observational method to assess diabetes-specific parent-child interaction. Additional aim is to explore whether the quality of parent-child interactions is associated with the glycemic control, and psychosocial functioning (resilience, behavioral problems, and quality of life. Methods/Design First, we will examine which situations are most suitable for observing diabetes-specific interactions. Then, these situations will be video-taped in a pilot study (N = 15. Observed behaviors are described into rating scales, with each scale describing characteristics of parent-child interactional behaviors. Next, we apply the observational tool on a larger scale for further evaluation of the instrument (N = 120. The parents are asked

Early child care and child development: For whom it works and why

OpenAIRE

Felfe, Christina; Lalive, Rafael

2013-01-01

Many countries are currently expanding access to child care for young children. But are all children equally likely to benefit from such expansions? We address this question by adopting a marginal treatment effects framework. We study the West German setting where high quality center - based care is severely rationed and use within state differences in child care supply as exogenous variation in child care attendance. Data from the German Socio-Economic Panel provides comprehensive informa...

Total Quality Management Simplified.

Science.gov (United States)

Arias, Pam

1995-01-01

Maintains that Total Quality Management (TQM) is one method that helps to monitor and improve the quality of child care. Lists four steps for a child-care center to design and implement its own TQM program. Suggests that quality assurance in child-care settings is an ongoing process, and that TQM programs help in providing consistent, high-quality…

The oral food desensitization in the Italian allergy centres.

Science.gov (United States)

Meglio, P; Caminiti, L; Pajno, G B; Dello Iacono, I; Tripodi, S; Verga, M C; Martelli, A

2015-05-01

Attempts aimed at inducing food tolerance through oral food desensitization (OFD) for the treatment of IgE-mediated food allergies are increasing. In Italy, a number of allergy centres offer this procedure. To collect information on how these centres are organized, how patients are selected, the methods used to administer OFD and how adverse reactions are managed. A questionnaire was e-mailed to all the Italian allergy centres offering OFD. The survey shows a high degree of variability between centres. A correct diagnosis of food allergy is crucial for selecting patients for OFD. In the Italian allergy centres, oral food challenges are mostly open label (84%), but in 16% of cases they are single-blind (8%) or double-blind (8%). A high proportion of allergy centres (83%) offer OFD to children presenting forms of anaphylaxis triggered by traces--or very low doses--of food allergen. The majority of allergy centres (76%) enroll patients over 3 years of age, with 44% enrolling patients above the age of 5. Not-controlled asthma, unreliability of parents in the management of OFD and/or risk of adverse events, are the main reasons for exclusion from the procedure. Although OFD may sometimes be successful and may be considered a valid alternative to an elimination diet, further randomized controlled trials are needed, in order to clarify some controversial points, such as the characteristics of the child undergoing OFD, and the methods of food preparation and administration. Moreover, further studies should further investigate OFD safety, efficacy and costs.

Business Models of High Performance Computing Centres in Higher Education in Europe

Science.gov (United States)

Eurich, Markus; Calleja, Paul; Boutellier, Roman

2013-01-01

High performance computing (HPC) service centres are a vital part of the academic infrastructure of higher education organisations. However, despite their importance for research and the necessary high capital expenditures, business research on HPC service centres is mostly missing. From a business perspective, it is important to find an answer to…

Uganda | IDRC - International Development Research Centre

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Our funding helped develop the Uganda Health Information Network, an electronic ... Hand-held computers, mobile caching services, and mobile telephones enable ... Now used in hundreds of health centres, the technology has enhanced healthcare ... promote land policies that are fair to women; stimulate high-quality, ...

Quality of Parent-Child Relations in Adolescence and Later Adult Parenting Outcomes

Science.gov (United States)

Friesen, Myron D.; Woodward, Lianne J.; Horwood, L. John; Fergusson, David M.

2013-01-01

Data from the Christchurch Health and Development Study, a 30-year prospective longitudinal study, were used to examine the associations between the quality of parent-child relations in adolescence and adult parenting behaviour 15 years later. At ages 14 and 15 years, cohort members were interviewed about the quality of their relationship with…

The relationship between parental overprotection and health-related quality of life in pediatric cancer: the mediating role of perceived child vulnerability.

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Hullmann, Stephanie E; Wolfe-Christensen, Cortney; Meyer, William H; McNall-Knapp, Rene Y; Mullins, Larry L

2010-11-01

The current study sought to examine the relation of parental overprotection and perceived child vulnerability to parent-reported health-related quality of life in parents of children with cancer. Parents (N = 89) of children who had been diagnosed with cancer completed measures of parental overprotection, perceived child vulnerability, and parent-proxy report of health-related quality of life. After controlling for theoretically relevant covariates, parental overprotection and perceived child vulnerability were both found to be significantly related to child health-related quality of life. Additional analyses revealed that perceived child vulnerability mediated the relationship between overprotective parenting behaviors and the child's health-related quality of life. The findings highlight the need to assess for these discrete parenting variables in parents of children with cancer and to develop interventions to target parental perceptions of vulnerability.

Parent Experiences with State Child Care Subsidy Systems and Their Perceptions of Choice and Quality in Care Selected

Science.gov (United States)

Raikes, Helen; Torquati, Julia; Wang, Cixin; Shjegstad, Brinn

2012-01-01

Research Findings: This study investigated parents' experiences using Child Care and Development Fund and other state-dispersed child care subsidies, reasons for choosing their current child care program, and perceptions of the quality of child care received from their current program. A telephone survey of 659 parents receiving child care…

Psychosocial health and quality of life among children with cardiac diagnoses: agreement and discrepancies between parent and child reports.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Bhavika J; Lai, Lillian; Goldfield, Gary; Sananes, Renee; Longmuir, Patricia E

2017-05-01

Psychosocial health issues are common among children with cardiac diagnoses. Understanding parent and child perceptions is important because parents are the primary health information source. Significant discrepancies have been documented between parent/child quality-of-life data but have not been examined among psychosocial diagnostic instruments. This study examined agreement and discrepancies between parent and child reports of psychosocial health and quality of life in the paediatric cardiology population. Children (n=50, 6-14 years) with diagnoses of CHDs (n=38), arrhythmia (n=5), cardiomyopathy (n=4), or infectious disease affecting the heart (n=3) were enrolled, completing one or more outcome measures. Children and their parents completed self-reports and parent proxy reports of quality of life - Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory - and psychosocial health - Behavioral Assessment Scale for Children (Version 2). Patients also completed the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children. Associations (Pearson's correlations, Intraclass Correlation Coefficients) and differences (Student's t-tests) between parent proxy reports and child self-reports were evaluated. Moderate parent-child correlations were found for physical (R=0.33, p=0.03), school (R=0.43, pParent-child reports of externalising behaviour problems, for example aggression, were strongly correlated (R=0.70, pparent-child associations were found for emotional quality of life (R=0.25, p=0.10), internalising problems (R=0.17, p=0.56), personal adjustment/adaptation skills (R=0.23, p=0.42), or anxiety (R=0.07, p=0.72). Our data suggest that clinicians caring for paediatric cardiac patients should assess both parent and child perspectives, particularly in relation to domains such as anxiety and emotional quality of life, which are more difficult to observe.

Parents' experiences of parental groups in Swedish child health-care: Do they get what they want?

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Lefèvre, Åsa; Lundqvist, Pia; Drevenhorn, Eva; Hallström, Inger

2016-03-01

Almost all parents in Sweden are invited to parental groups organized by the child health service (CHS) during their child's first year, but only 40% chose to attend. The aim of this study was to describe parents' experiences of participating in these parental groups. A total of 143 parents from 71 different parental groups at 27 child health-care (CHC) centres in one Swedish county completed an online questionnaire. A majority of the parents found the parental groups to be meaningful and more than 60% met someone in the group who they socialized with outside the meetings. Parents wanted a greater focus on child-related community information, existential questions, relationships and parenting in general. Group leadership seems to be of significance to how parents in a group connect and whether the parental role is affected. Making CHC nurses more aware of the topics parents desire could help them meet parents' needs. Education and training in group dynamics and group leadership could be of value in further improving the high-quality service CHC nurses already offer parents. More knowledge is needed about what would attract those parents who do not participate. © The Author(s) 2014.

Evaluation of Supplementary Nutrition Activities under Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS at Anganwadi Centres of Different Districts of Gujarat

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Rajesh K Chudasama

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Background: The ICDS program aims at enhancing survival and development of children from the vulnerable sections of the society. The present study was conducted to assess supplementary nutrition (SN activities and its related issues at anganwadi centres. Material and methods: Total 60 anganwadi centres were selected including 46 anganwadi centres (AWCs from rural area and 14 AWCs from urban area during April 2012 to March 2013 from 12 districts of Gujarat. Five AWCs were selected from one district randomly. Detailed information was collected related to beneficiary’s coverage for SN, type of food provided under SN, and various issues related to supplementary nutrition at anganwadi centres.Results: High coverage of receiving SN among enrolled was reported in pregnant mothers (88.3%, lactating mothers (91.7% and adolescents (86.7%. Only 25% AWCs were providing hot cooked food (HCF to 3 to 6 years children. Less than half of the AWCs were providing ready to eat (RTE food to 6 months to 3 years children (48.3%, pregnant (46.7% and lactating (46.7% mothers, and adolescents (45.0%. Total 38.3% AWCs reported shortage of SN supply, more in rural (41.3% compare to urban (28.6%. Various problems were reported by anganwadi workers related to SN like lack of storage facility, non availability of separate kitchen, poor quality of food, irregular supply, inadequate supply, and fuel problem. Conclusion: The regular and adequate supply of SN will improve the provision of hot cooked food, ready to eat food and take home ration to the beneficiaries as per the norms, leading to improvement of overall nutritional status of the community.

The Strengthening Families Initiative and Child Care Quality Improvement: How Strengthening Families Influenced Change in Child Care Programs in One State

Science.gov (United States)

Douglass, Anne; Klerman, Lorraine

2012-01-01

Research Findings: This study investigated how the Strengthening Families through Early Care and Education initiative in Illinois (SFI) influenced change in 4 child care programs. Findings indicate that SFI influenced quality improvements through 4 primary pathways: (a) Learning Networks, (b) the quality of training, (c) the engagement of program…

Efficiency Problems of Child Protection in Lithuania

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Ilona Tamutienė

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This article identifies the main problems which have negative impact on efficiency of child protection. The article is based on case analysis of 203 families at social risk carried out in 2015–2016 and on qualitative interviews of 23 children growing in families at social risk which were conducted in 2016–2017. The content and context analysis are performed of the basis of this data. The protection procedures starting with reports to the Department of Child Rights’ Protection, case investigations, application of relevant interventions and finally evaluation of help efficiency are reconstructed. The principles of effective child protection distinguished by Eileen Munro has been chosen as the basis of the evaluation and identification of the main barrier to the efficient child protection. It has been identified that the process of practical protection is not centred on the child’s problems and needs, but it only focuses on the parents’ problems. Children are not sufficiently enabled to participate in their own protection process. Majority of the neglected and abused children are not helped because they are not listened to and their experiences are ignored, although 5 institutional professionals are “working” with the family. The fragments of social work with child has been found only among the experiences of the children attending Children’s Care Day Centres. It can be certainly stated that there is clear lack of services for children. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the Children’s Day Care Centres, to find possibilities to finance social workers and psychologists to work with children, since only family (adults centred protection is not effective. It is recommended to improve the training of child care specialists and raise the professional level of those in practice.

Assessment of ART centres in India: client perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Sogarwal, Ruchi; Bachani, Damodar

2009-05-01

Drug adherence and quality of antiretroviral therapy (ART) services are the keys for the successful ART programme. Hence, an attempt has been made to assess ART centres in India from client perspectives that are receiving services from the centres. Data were gathered through exit interviews with 1366 clients from 27 ART centres that were selected on the basis of drug adherence and client load. Analyses revealed that more than 80 per cent of the clients reported overall satisfaction with the services availed from the centre and 60 per cent reported that the quality of life has improved to a great extent after getting ART. Most of the clients strongly demanded to open ART centre in each district for better access as that will increase drug adherence and eventually control the HIV progression. It has been found that as many as 14% of respondents, ever been on ART, reported non-adherence and 70% of them cited distance and economic factors as the reasons for non-adherence. Study concludes that while majority of the clients were satisfied with ART services, shortage of staff, high level of non-drug adherence, long distances and poor referring system are the weak areas requiring attention.

Enhancing early child care quality and learning for toddlers at risk: the responsive early childhood program.

Science.gov (United States)

Landry, Susan H; Zucker, Tricia A; Taylor, Heather B; Swank, Paul R; Williams, Jeffrey M; Assel, Michael; Crawford, April; Huang, Weihua; Clancy-Menchetti, Jeanine; Lonigan, Christopher J; Phillips, Beth M; Eisenberg, Nancy; Spinrad, Tracy L; de Villiers, Jill; de Villiers, Peter; Barnes, Marcia; Starkey, Prentice; Klein, Alice

2014-02-01

Despite reports of positive effects of high-quality child care, few experimental studies have examined the process of improving low-quality center-based care for toddler-age children. In this article, we report intervention effects on child care teachers' behaviors and children's social, emotional, behavioral, early literacy, language, and math outcomes as well as the teacher-child relationship. The intervention targeted the use of a set of responsive teacher practices, derived from attachment and sociocultural theories, and a comprehensive curriculum. Sixty-five childcare classrooms serving low-income 2- and 3-year-old children were randomized into 3 conditions: business-as-usual control, Responsive Early Childhood Curriculum (RECC), and RECC plus explicit social-emotional classroom activities (RECC+). Classroom observations showed greater gains for RECC and RECC+ teachers' responsive practices including helping children manage their behavior, establishing a predictable schedule, and use of cognitively stimulating activities (e.g., shared book reading) compared with controls; however, teacher behaviors did not differ for focal areas such as sensitivity and positive discipline supports. Child assessments demonstrated that children in the interventions outperformed controls in areas of social and emotional development, although children's performance in control and intervention groups was similar for cognitive skills (language, literacy, and math). Results support the positive impact of responsive teachers and environments providing appropriate support for toddlers' social and emotional development. Possible explanations for the absence of systematic differences in children's cognitive skills are considered, including implications for practice and future research targeting low-income toddlers.

Determinants of child-parent agreement in quality-of-life reports

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

White-Koning, Melanie; Arnaud, Catherine; Dickinson, Heather O

2007-01-01

children aged 8 to 12 years who had cerebral palsy and were living in 7 countries in Europe. RESULTS: The mean child-reported scores of quality of life were significantly higher than the parent proxy reports in 8 domains, significantly lower for the finances domain, and similar for the emotions domain...

The Influence of Parental Control and Parent-Child Relational Qualities on Adolescent Internet Addiction: A 3-Year Longitudinal Study in Hong Kong

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel T. L. Shek

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This study investigated how parental behavioral control, parental psychological control, and parent-child relational qualities predicted the initial level and rate of change in adolescent internet addiction (IA across the junior high school years. The study also investigated the concurrent and longitudinal effects of different parenting factors on adolescent IA. Starting from the 2009/2010 academic year, 3,328 Grade 7 students (Mage = 12.59 ± 0.74 years from 28 randomly selected secondary schools in Hong Kong responded on a yearly basis to a questionnaire measuring multiple constructs including socio-demographic characteristics, perceived parenting characteristics, and IA. Individual growth curve (IGC analyses showed that adolescent IA slightly decreased during junior high school years. While behavioral control of both parents was negatively related to the initial level of adolescent IA, only paternal behavioral control showed a significant positive relationship with the rate of linear change in IA, suggesting that higher paternal behavioral control predicted a slower decrease in IA. In addition, fathers' and mothers' psychological control was positively associated with the initial level of adolescent IA, but increase in maternal psychological control predicted a faster drop in IA. Finally, parent-child relational qualities negatively and positively predicted the initial level and the rate of change in IA, respectively. When all parenting factors were considered simultaneously, multiple regression analyses revealed that paternal behavioral control and psychological control as well as maternal psychological control and mother-child relational quality were significant concurrent predictors of adolescent IA at Wave 2 and Wave 3. Regarding the longitudinal predicting effects, paternal psychological control and mother-child relational quality at Wave 1 were the two most robust predictors of later adolescent IA at Wave 2 and Wave 3. The above

The Influence of Parental Control and Parent-Child Relational Qualities on Adolescent Internet Addiction: A 3-Year Longitudinal Study in Hong Kong.

Science.gov (United States)

Shek, Daniel T L; Zhu, Xiaoqin; Ma, Cecilia M S

2018-01-01

This study investigated how parental behavioral control, parental psychological control, and parent-child relational qualities predicted the initial level and rate of change in adolescent internet addiction (IA) across the junior high school years. The study also investigated the concurrent and longitudinal effects of different parenting factors on adolescent IA. Starting from the 2009/2010 academic year, 3,328 Grade 7 students ( M age = 12.59 ± 0.74 years) from 28 randomly selected secondary schools in Hong Kong responded on a yearly basis to a questionnaire measuring multiple constructs including socio-demographic characteristics, perceived parenting characteristics, and IA. Individual growth curve (IGC) analyses showed that adolescent IA slightly decreased during junior high school years. While behavioral control of both parents was negatively related to the initial level of adolescent IA, only paternal behavioral control showed a significant positive relationship with the rate of linear change in IA, suggesting that higher paternal behavioral control predicted a slower decrease in IA. In addition, fathers' and mothers' psychological control was positively associated with the initial level of adolescent IA, but increase in maternal psychological control predicted a faster drop in IA. Finally, parent-child relational qualities negatively and positively predicted the initial level and the rate of change in IA, respectively. When all parenting factors were considered simultaneously, multiple regression analyses revealed that paternal behavioral control and psychological control as well as maternal psychological control and mother-child relational quality were significant concurrent predictors of adolescent IA at Wave 2 and Wave 3. Regarding the longitudinal predicting effects, paternal psychological control and mother-child relational quality at Wave 1 were the two most robust predictors of later adolescent IA at Wave 2 and Wave 3. The above findings underscore

Improving the rate and quality of medicaid well child care exams in primary care practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Katy Duncan; Merchen, Eileen; Turner, Crystal D; Vaught, Cara; Fritz, Terrie; Mold, Jim

2010-07-01

Providing recommended well child care to children insured bythe Medicaid Program can be challenging. Members of the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine (DFPM) at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center contracted to help practices improve the rates and quality of well child care visits within the Oklahoma Medicaid Program. Sixteen pediatric and family medicine practices in three Oklahoma counties chose to participate in this quality improvement initiative. The records of Sooner Care-insured children age 0-20 were reviewed for both rate and quality of well child care visits made during the previous twelve months. Performance feedback was provided. Practice guidelines, Sooner Care requirements, and tips from exemplary practices were provided. In two of the counties, a case manager helped practices with challenging patients. Practice Enhancement Assistants (PEAs) then helped practices implement a variety of strategies to increase visit rates and improve the quality of early and periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment (EPSDT) visits. Information technology (IT) support was provided when needed. The average rates of visits, for all counties combined, increased. Visit rates increased more in the younger age groups (birth to two years). There was significant improvement in quality of visits. Rates and quality improved much more in some practices than in others. A combination of academic detailing, performance feedback, practice facilitation, case management, and IT support produced increases in the quality and rates of EPSDT exams.

The Role of Early Head Start Programs in Addressing the Child Care Needs of Low-Income Families with Infants and Toddlers: Influences on Child Care Use and Quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Love, John M.; Constantine, Jill; Paulsell, Diane; Boller, Kimberly; Ross, Christine; Raikes, Helen; Brady-Smith, Christy; Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne

2004-01-01

In 1994, the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Services for Families with Infants and Toddlers set forth a vision for Early Head Start programs in declaring that all child care settings used by Early Head Start families, whether or not the program provides the care directly, must meet the high standards of quality embodied in the Head Start…

Impact of the introduction of weekly radiotherapy quality assurance meetings at one UK cancer centre

Science.gov (United States)

Brammer, C V; Allerton, R; Churn, M; Joseph, M; Koh, P; Sayers, I; King, M

2014-01-01

Objective: The complexity of radiotherapy planning is increasing rapidly. Delivery and planning is subject to detailed quality assurance (QA) checks. The weakest link is often the oncologists' delineation of the clinical target volume (CTV). Weekly departmental meetings for radiotherapy QA (RTQA) were introduced into the Royal Wolverhampton Hospital, Wolverhampton, UK, in October 2011. This article describes the impact of this on patient care. Methods: CTVs for megavoltage photon radiotherapy courses for all radical, adjuvant and palliative treatments longer than five fractions (with the exception of two field tangential breast treatments not enrolled into clinical trials) were reviewed in the RTQA meeting. Audits were carried out in January 2012 (baseline) and September 2013, each over a 4-week period. Adherence to departmental contouring protocols was assessed and the number of major and minor alterations following peer review were determined. Results: There was no statistically significant difference for major alterations between the two study groups; 8 alterations in 80 patients (10%) for the baseline audit vs 3 alterations from 72 patients (4.2%) in the second audit (p = 0.17). A trend towards a reduction in alterations following peer review was observed. There has, however, been a change in practice resulting in a reduction in variation in CTV definition within our centre and greater adherence to protocols. There is increasing confidence in the quality and constancy of care delivered. Conclusion: Introduction of a weekly QA meeting for target volume definition has facilitated consensus and adoption of departmental clinical guidelines within the unit. Advances in knowledge: The weakest areas in radiotherapy are patient selection and definition of the CTV. Engagement in high-quality RTQA is paramount. This article describes the impact of this in one UK cancer centre. PMID:25251520

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[The placement courses and the subjective quality of life of 6- to 11-year-old children living in child welfare institutions].

Science.gov (United States)

Bacro, F; Rambaud, A; Humbert, C; Sellenet, C

2015-10-01

Besides diseases, the concept of quality of life is increasingly used to account for the consequences of other vulnerability situations that may be encountered by individuals, including young children. However, very few studies have examined children's perception of their quality of life in the context of child welfare and protection, and they yielded mixed results. The objectives of this study were (1) to compare the subjective quality of life of children placed in institution with that of children living in their families, by controlling for child sex, age, socioeconomic and familial status, and (2) to examine its relations with their placement course in the child welfare system. The sample of this study was composed of 56 children aged 6 to 11, 28 of which were placed in a child welfare institution. Information about the placement course of institutionalized children was given by their social workers and the quality of life of all participants was assessed with the AUQUEI questionnaire. This self-report, which is based on children's conception of their quality of life, allows assessment of four distinct dimensions in addition to the overall score: leisure, performances, relations and family life, and separation. According to the results, the quality of life of children placed in institutions did not differ from that of children living in their families. However, its perception was closely related to the placement course of institutionalized children in the child welfare system. Whereas maltreated children obtained lower overall and performance scores than their neglected peers, children placed in foster families before institution had a poorer perception of their quality of life in the domains of family life and separations. These results are interpreted in light of attachment research and theory. Indeed, the relations between children's quality of life and their placement course could be explained by their high level of attachment disorganization. Finally, the

Adult Children of Gay Fathers: Parent-Child Relationship Quality and Mental Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Tornello, Samantha L; Patterson, Charlotte J

2018-01-01

According to family systems theory, parent-child relationships are an important aspect of individual wellbeing. This study explored associations among parental disclosure, parent-child relationships, and wellbeing among 84 adult children with gay fathers. We explored associations between the adult children's wellbeing and the children's ages at sexual orientation disclosure, geographic distance, relationship quality, and closeness with their fathers. We found that when parental disclosure had occurred earlier in the adult child's life, participants reported feeling closer to fathers in adulthood. Those who reported closer relationships with their fathers reported greater wellbeing. Using a stepwise regression, we found that adult children's reports of closeness with fathers were the best predictors of adult children's wellbeing.

Relations of Parenting Quality, Interparental Conflict, and Overnights with Mental Health Problems of Children in Divorcing Families with High Legal Conflict

Science.gov (United States)

Sandler, Irwin N.; Wheeler, Lorey A.; Braver, Sanford L.

2013-01-01

The current study examined the associations between child mental health problems and the quality of maternal and paternal parenting, and how these associations were moderated by three contextual factors, quality of parenting by the other parent, interparental conflict, and the number of overnights parents had with the child. Data for the current study come from a sample of divorcing families who are in high legal conflict over developing or maintaining a parenting plan following divorce. Analyses revealed that the associations between child mental health problems and positive maternal and paternal parenting were moderated by the quality of parenting provided by the other parent and by the number of overnights children spent with parents, but not by the level of interparental conflict. When both parenting by the other parent and number of overnights were considered in the same model, only number of overnights moderated the relations between parenting and child behavior problems. The results support the proposition that the well-being of children in high conflict divorcing families is better when they spend adequate time with at least one parent who provides high quality parenting. PMID:24098960

A qualitative study of the role of workplace and interpersonal trust in shaping service quality and responsiveness in Zambian primary health centres.

Science.gov (United States)

Topp, Stephanie M; Chipukuma, Julien M

2016-03-01

Human decisions, actions and relationships that invoke trust are at the core of functional and productive health systems. Although widely studied in high-income settings, comparatively few studies have explored the influence of trust on health system performance in low- and middle-income countries. This study examines how workplace and inter-personal trust impact service quality and responsiveness in primary health services in Zambia. This multi-case study included four health centres selected for urban, peri-urban and rural characteristics. Case data included provider interviews (60); patient interviews (180); direct observation of facility operations (two weeks/centre) and key informant interviews (14) that were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Case-based thematic analysis incorporated inductive and deductive coding. Findings demonstrated that providers had weak workplace trust influenced by a combination of poor working conditions, perceptions of low pay and experiences of inequitable or inefficient health centre management. Weak trust in health centre managers' organizational capacity and fairness contributed to resentment amongst many providers and promoted a culture of blame-shifting and one-upmanship that undermined teamwork and enabled disrespectful treatment of patients. Although patients expressed a high degree of trust in health workers' clinical capacity, repeated experiences of disrespectful or unresponsive care undermined patients' trust in health workers' service values and professionalism. Lack of patient-provider trust prompted some patients to circumvent clinic systems in an attempt to secure better or more timely care. Lack of resourcing and poor leadership were key factors leading to providers' weak workplace trust and contributed to often-poor quality services, driving a perverse cycle of negative patient-provider relations across the four sites. Findings highlight the importance of investing in both structural factors and organizational

A qualitative study of the role of workplace and interpersonal trust in shaping service quality and responsiveness in Zambian primary health centres

Science.gov (United States)

Topp, Stephanie M; Chipukuma, Julien M

2016-01-01

Background: Human decisions, actions and relationships that invoke trust are at the core of functional and productive health systems. Although widely studied in high-income settings, comparatively few studies have explored the influence of trust on health system performance in low- and middle-income countries. This study examines how workplace and inter-personal trust impact service quality and responsiveness in primary health services in Zambia. Methods: This multi-case study included four health centres selected for urban, peri-urban and rural characteristics. Case data included provider interviews (60); patient interviews (180); direct observation of facility operations (two weeks/centre) and key informant interviews (14) that were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Case-based thematic analysis incorporated inductive and deductive coding. Results: Findings demonstrated that providers had weak workplace trust influenced by a combination of poor working conditions, perceptions of low pay and experiences of inequitable or inefficient health centre management. Weak trust in health centre managers’ organizational capacity and fairness contributed to resentment amongst many providers and promoted a culture of blame-shifting and one-upmanship that undermined teamwork and enabled disrespectful treatment of patients. Although patients expressed a high degree of trust in health workers’ clinical capacity, repeated experiences of disrespectful or unresponsive care undermined patients’ trust in health workers’ service values and professionalism. Lack of patient–provider trust prompted some patients to circumvent clinic systems in an attempt to secure better or more timely care. Conclusion: Lack of resourcing and poor leadership were key factors leading to providers’ weak workplace trust and contributed to often-poor quality services, driving a perverse cycle of negative patient–provider relations across the four sites. Findings highlight the importance

Assessing quality of life: mother?child agreement in depressed and non-depressed Hungarian

OpenAIRE

2009-01-01

Abstract Purpose An important question in child psychiatry is the agreement between parents and children. We studied mother?child concordance about the quality of life of children (QoL). We hypothesized that mothers of depressed children rate lower QoL than children for themselves while mothers of non-depressed children rate better QoL; that inter-informant agreement is higher in the non-depressed sample; and finally that agreement incre...

The Aube centre; Le Centre de l`Aube

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-07-01

This educational booklet is devoted to a general presentation of the Aube radioactive wastes storage centre. After a short presentation of the Andra, the French national agency for the management of radioactive wastes, it gives some general information about radioactive wastes (origin, classification), containers (quality assurance and different types), wastes transportation (planning, safety), and about the Aube centre itself: description, treatment and conditioning of drums (compacting and injection), storage facilities, geological situation of the site, and environmental controls. (J.S.)

Child diurnal cortisol rhythms, parenting quality, and externalizing behaviors in preadolescence.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Christina Gamache; Kim, Hyoun K; Bruce, Jacqueline; Fisher, Philip A

2014-02-01

This study examined a neurobiologically informed model of the emergence of child externalizing behaviors in an ethnically diverse community sample of 232 9-12 year old children. Replicating extensive prior research, our analyses revealed that parents' inconsistent discipline and poor quality monitoring were predictive of child externalizing behavior. In addition, poor parental monitoring, but not inconsistent discipline, was associated with children having a significantly flatter morning-to-evening cortisol slope, which was in turn, related to higher levels of externalizing behaviors. An indirect effect of parental monitoring on externalizing behaviors, through child diurnal cortisol rhythms, was also supported. These findings highlight the role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and its hormonal end product, cortisol, in the relationship between the caregiving environment and the development of externalizing behaviors. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

"Learning to Play with New Friends": Systematic Quality Development Work in a Leisure-Time Centre

Science.gov (United States)

Lager, Karin

2016-01-01

This article explores the recontextualisation of systematic quality development work (Sqdw) in a leisure-time centre. Two teachers' processes of planning, organisation, documentation and evaluation were investigated, the aim being to explore the recontextualisation of Sqdw in practice. The study is thus a case study of these teachers' practice…

Quality of life of French Canadian parents raising a child with autism spectrum disorder and effects of psychosocial factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Cappe, Émilie; Poirier, Nathalie; Sankey, Carol; Belzil, Andréa; Dionne, Carmen

2018-04-01

This study aimed to investigate the quality of life of parents of a child with autism spectrum disorder in Quebec. Seventy-seven participants completed a questionnaire with socio-biographic information and five self-assessed scales, to measure perceived stress, social support and control, coping strategies, and quality of life. Perception of their child's autonomy level, of the severity of the disorder, of the family's income, as well as changes in their professional or familial organization influenced parents' quality of life. Perceiving their situation as a threat predicted poor quality of life, whereas satisfaction of social support predicted good quality of life. In addition, parents who used problem solving and support-seeking coping strategies had a better relationship with their child, whereas those who used more emotion-centered coping strategies struggled. Lastly, parents who felt they had the power to contribute to their child's development were more satisfied and less disturbed. Beyond the parents' actual situation, our results underscore the importance of paying attention to their own perception of the situation in order to provide them with appropriate support.

Predictors of Nutrition Quality in Early Child Education Settings in Connecticut.

Science.gov (United States)

Andreyeva, Tatiana; Kenney, Erica L; O'Connell, Meghan; Sun, Xiaohan; Henderson, Kathryn E

2018-05-01

This study assessed the dietary quality of lunches and feeding practices (family-style service, teacher role modeling) in Connecticut child care centers and made comparisons by center participation in the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Plate waste methods and visual observation of lunches served and consumed. A total of 97 randomly selected licensed Connecticut child care centers (53 CACFP and 44 non-CACFP). A total of 838 preschool-aged children. Total energy intake, macronutrient intake, and intake by CACFP meal component as well as use of family-style dining, management of additional helpings, and whether and what teachers consumed in view of children. Child dietary intake at lunch was compared with dietary and CACFP recommendations using a mixed linear regression model. The CACFP centers were more likely to offer family-style service and have staff eat the same foods as the children. Children in non-CACFP centers consumed more saturated fat (4.1 vs 2.7 g; P feeding practices in child care settings require further exploration in the context of serving children at risk for food insecurity and in light of recent work on responsive feeding. Copyright © 2018 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Using a Standardized Task to Assess the Quality of Teacher-Child Dyadic Interactions in Preschool

Science.gov (United States)

Whittaker, Jessica E. V.; Williford, Amanda P.; Carter, Lauren M.; Vitiello, Virginia E.; Hatfield, Bridget E.

2018-01-01

Research Findings: This study explored the quality of teacher-child interactions within the context of a newly developed standardized task, Teacher-Child Structured Play Task (TC-SPT). A sample of 146 teachers and 345 children participated. Children who displayed the highest disruptive behaviors within each classroom were selected to participate.…

Education Solutions for Child Poverty: New Modalities from New Zealand

Science.gov (United States)

Airini

2015-01-01

This article describes education solutions to child poverty. Through a focus on New Zealand, the article explores the meaning of child poverty, children's perspectives on child poverty and solutions, and modalities in citizenship, social and economics education to help address child poverty. Four modalities are proposed: centre our work in…

Implications for Effective Child Development System in Africa

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Nneka Umera-Okeke

Child Rights Campaign and the Nigerian Family: Implications for Effective Child .... of socialization like: day-care centres, schools, peer groups, video bars, recreational parks and new social media have taken over this role. The outcome is that ...

Multi-technology control centre to integrate 460 MW renewables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-01-01

The new RWE Innogy Aersa Control Centre that has been certified to act as an interface with CECRE (the Renewable Energy Control Centre) since February 2015, connects RWE’s 20 renewable energy facilities with REE, the Spanish Electricity Grid. As a result, it ensures that wind farms, in addition to hydropower and solar plants, can inject the energy generated by its 460 MW installed safely and with no penalties. Green Eagle Solutions, a provider of software solutions for renewable energy companies, has collaborated with RWE in the development of this Control Centre, meeting the high standards of quality and safety required by RWE. This centre uses CompactSCADA® technology to integrate power generation facilities that need to be integrated in a Control Centre to communicate with REE’s CECRE. (Author)

Better quality of mother-child interaction at 4 years of age decreases emotional overeating in IUGR girls.

Science.gov (United States)

Escobar, R S; O'Donnell, K A; Colalillo, S; Pawlby, S; Steiner, M; Meaney, M J; Levitan, R D; Silveira, P P

2014-10-01

While most "fetal programming" area focused on metabolic disease, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is also associated with a preference for less healthy food. Post-natal factors such as strained maternal-child interactions are equally related to obesogenic eating behaviors. We investigated if IUGR and the quality of the mother/child relationship affect emotional overeating in children. Participants were 196 children from a prospective birth cohort (the MAVAN project). As part of the protocol at 4 years of age, mothers completed the Children Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ) and mother-child interactions were scored during a structured task. A GLM adjusted for BMI examined the interaction between the "Atmosphere" score (ATM) task, sex and IUGR on the emotional over-eating domain of the CEBQ. There was a significant interaction of BWR vs. sex vs. ATM (P = .02), with no effects of IUGR, sex or ATM. The model was significant for girls with low ATM scores (B = -2.035, P = .014), but not for girls with high (P = 0.94) or boys with high (P = .27) or low (P = .19) ATM scores. Only in IUGR girls, 48 months emotional over-eating correlated with BMI at that age (r = 0.560, P = 0.013) and predicted BMI in the subsequent years (r = 0.654, P = 0.006 at 60 months and r = 0.750, P = 0.005 at 72 months). IUGR and exposure to a negative emotional atmosphere during maternal-child interactions predicted emotional overeating in girls but not in boys. The quality of mother-infant interaction may be an important target for interventions to prevent emotional overeating and overweight in early development, particularly in girls with a history of IUGR. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Meaning and barriers to quality care service provision in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: Qualitative study of stakeholder perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Svirydzenka, Nadzeya; Ronzoni, Pablo; Dogra, Nisha

2017-02-20

Defining quality in health presents many challenges. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) defined quality clinical care as care that is equitable, timely, safe, efficient, effective and patient centred. However, it is not clear how different stakeholders within a child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) understand and/or apply this framework. This project aims to identify key stakeholders" understanding of the meaning of quality in the context of CAMHS. The study sample comprised of three groups: (i) patients and carers, (ii) CAMHS clinical staff, and (iii) commissioners (Total N = 24). Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data and thematic analysis was applied to explore participant's views on the meaning and measurement of quality and how these might reflect the IOM indicators and their relevance in CAMHS. An initial barrier to implementing quality care in CAMHS was the difficulty and limited agreement in defining the meaning of quality care, its measurement and implementation for all participants. Clinical staff defined quality as personal values, a set of practical rules, or clinical discharge rates; while patients suggested being more involved in the decision-making process. Commissioners, while supportive of adequate safeguarding and patient satisfaction procedures, did not explicitly link their view on quality to commissioning guidelines. Identifying practical barriers to implementing quality care was easier for all interviewees and common themes included: lack of meaningful measures, recourses, accountability, and training. All interviewees considered the IOM six markers as comprehensive and relevant to CAMHS. No respondent individually or within one stakeholder group identified more than a few of the indicators or barriers of a quality CAMHS service. However, the composite responses of the respondents enable us to develop a more complete picture of how to improve quality care in practice and guide future research in the area.

Socio-demographic determinants of paternal centred child care ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Using structured questionnaire, information was collected on socio economic and ... involvement in child care practices and anthropometric data of the children. ... was significantly associated with stunting and wasting while father's occupation ...

"The Dangerous Age of Childhood": Child Guidance and the "Normal" Child in Great Britain, 1920-1950

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, John

2011-01-01

British child guidance was a form of psychiatric, preventive medicine for children and young people and centred, at least in principle, on specialist clinics led by psychiatrists. From small beginnings in the aftermath of the First World War, child guidance expanded steadily, in terms of both numbers of patients and numbers of clinics, and came to…

Evaluation of the high-temperature materials programme of the Joint Research Centre (1980-85)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glenny, R.J.E.; Boehm, H.; Gellings, P.J.; Gobin, P.; Lanzavecchia, G.; Nicholaides, C.

1986-01-01

This report covers the findings of the external panel of experts set up to evaluate the results of the Community's programme in the field of high-temperature materials (1980-85), carried out at the Petten establishment of the Joint Research Centre. The evaluation covers the quality and relevance of the research, the usefulness of the results and the role played by the JRC in this field at the European level. The report describes and gives comments on the content, structure and management of the five projects constituting the current programme, outlines the methods and procedures used during the evaluation and gives a number of recommendations pertinent to future activities

Probing two-centre interference in molecular high harmonic generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vozzi, C; Calegari, F; Benedetti, E; Berlasso, R; Sansone, G; Stagira, S; Nisoli, M; Altucci, C; Velotta, R; Torres, R; Heesel, E; Kajumba, N; Marangos, J P

2006-01-01

Two-centre interference in the recombination step of molecular high harmonic generation (HHG) has been probed in CO 2 and O 2 . We report the order dependence of characteristic enhancements or suppressions of high harmonic production in aligned samples of both molecules. In CO 2 , a robust destructive interference was seen consistent with the known separation of the oxygen atoms that are active in HHG. In O 2 , a harmonic enhancement was found indicating constructive interference. A good agreement was found with a simple two-centre interference model that includes the angular distribution function of the sample. The effective momentum of the electron wave was determined from the spectral position of these interferences. Ellipticity-dependent studies in CO 2 clearly show how the destructive interference can be 'switched off' by increasing the degree of ellipticity and thus shifting the effective resonance condition

ESSD: Real World Issues and Challenges of High-Quality Data Publication

Science.gov (United States)

Pfeiffenberger, Hans; Carlson, David

2013-04-01

The Copernicus data publication journal Earth System Science Data (ESSD) represents an important and unique (and by no means final!) step forward in the larger world of data publication. Working with authors, reviewers, editors and data centres, ESSD has successfully produced many high-quality data publications across a wide variety of scientific disciplines, for individual data sets, multiple data sets as the product of scientific consortia and in special issues coordinated with other science journals. The ESSD success also exposes issues and challenges for present and future data publication, particularly around the topic and implementation of persistent identifiers. • As ESSD encourages redundant data sets across multiple data centres for access and archive purposes, how will DOIs be employed to accurately point to those distributed or replicated data? How can authenticity and integrity be verified? • How can or should object identifiers be employed in pointing from raw to quality-controlled and finally derived data processing levels; how can we designate or distinguish among these, particularly as those terms vary substantially among, for example, geophysical and ecological communities? Likewise, how to distinguish an auto-generated data product (e.g a species identification from GBIF) from a high-effort expertly reviewed data product (e.g. an ESSD publication)? • For a growing number of ESSD data publications with expected annual or periodic revisions and updates, how should data journals' and the repositories' use of persistent identifiers best record the subsequent versions, extensions or corrections? • As published data sets become a valued part of high profile science, with attendant deadlines, announcements and publicity, do the various DOI policies and minting practices among cooperating publishers, data centres and journals represent a help or a hindrance? These questions evolve directly from increasing interest in and activity by ESSD and, as

Effectiveness of centre-based childcare interventions in increasing child physical activity: a systematic review and meta-analysis for policymakers and practitioners.

Science.gov (United States)

Finch, M; Jones, J; Yoong, S; Wiggers, J; Wolfenden, L

2016-05-01

The review describes the effectiveness of physical activity interventions implemented in centre-based childcare services and (i) examines characteristics of interventions that may influence intervention effects; (ii) describes the effects of pragmatic interventions and non-pragmatic interventions; (iii) assesses adverse effects; and (iv) describes cost-effectiveness of interventions Data sources were Cochrane Central Register of Controlled trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, ERIC, CINAHL, SCOPUS and SPORTDISCUS. Studies selected included randomized controlled trials conducted in centre-based childcare including an intervention to increase objectively measured physical activity in children aged less than 6 years. Data were converted into standardized mean difference (SMD) and analysed using a random effects model. Overall interventions significantly improved child physical activity (SMD 0.44; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.12-0.76). Significant effects were found for interventions that included structured activity (SMD 0.53; 95% CI: 0.12-0.94), delivery by experts (SMD 1.26; 95% CI: 0.20-2.32) and used theory (SMD 0.76; 95% CI: 0.08-1.44). Non-pragmatic (SMD 0.80; 95% CI: 0.12-1.48) but not pragmatic interventions (SMD 0.10; 95% CI:-0.13-0.33) improved child physical activity. One trial reported adverse events, and no trials reported cost data. Intervention effectiveness varied according to intervention and trial design characteristics. Pragmatic trials were not effective, and information on cost and adverse effects was lacking. Evidence gaps remain for policymakers and practitioners regarding the effectiveness and feasibility of childcare-based physical activity interventions. © 2016 World Obesity.

Parent-child relationships of boys in different offending trajectories. A developmental perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Keijsers, Loes; Loeber, Rolf; Branje, Susan; Meeus, Wim

2012-01-01

Background This study tested the theoretical assumption that transformations of parent-child relationships in late childhood and adolescence would differ for boys following different offending trajectories. Methods Using longitudinal multiinformant data of 503 boys (ages 7–19), we conducted Growth Mixture Modeling to extract offending trajectories. Developmental changes in child reports of parent-child joint activities and relationship quality were examined using Latent Growth Curves. Results Five offending trajectories were found: non-offenders, moderate childhood offenders, adolescent-limited offenders, serious childhood offenders, and serious persistent offenders. Non-offenders reported high and stable levels of relationship quality between age 10 and 16. Adolescent-limited offenders reported a similarly high relationship quality as non-offenders at ages 7 and 10, but a lower and decreasing relationship quality in adolescence. Compared with non-offenders, serious persistent offenders reported poorer parent-child relationship quality at all ages, and a decreasing relationship quality in adolescence. Serious persistent offenders and adolescent-limited offenders reported similar levels and changes in parent-child relationship quality in adolescence. Although serious persistent offenders reported fewer joint activities at age 10 and 13 than non-offenders, a similar linear decrease in joint activities in early to middle adolescence was found for boys in each trajectory. Conclusion Developmental changes in parent-child relationship quality differ for different types of offenders. This finding has scientific and practical implications. PMID:22816682

The Mutual Effect of Marital Quality and Parenting Stress on Child and Parent Depressive Symptoms in Families of Children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Xiuyun; Zhang, Yulin; Chi, Peilian; Ding, Wan; Heath, Melissa A; Fang, Xiaoyi; Xu, Shousen

2017-01-01

The purpose of the current study was to examine the mutual relationships between dyadic level (i.e., marital quality and parenting stress) and individual level factors (i.e., children and parental depressive symptoms) in families of children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). Specifically, we explored whether marital interaction (marital quality) was associated with symptoms of child depression through parent-child interaction (parenting stress) and parent depressive symptoms. We also explored whether parent-child interaction was associated with symptoms of parent depression through marital interaction and child depressive symptoms. This study was conducted with 256 parent-child dyads, consisting of children with ODD and one of each child's parents. Participants were recruited from 14 primary schools located in northern, eastern, and southwestern China. Results revealed that marital quality predicted symptoms of child depression through the parenting stress, but not parent depressive symptoms; and parenting stress predicted symptoms of parent depression through marital quality, but not through child depressive symptoms. Also, parenting stress significantly and directly predicted parent depressive symptoms. We concluded in families of children with ODD, the association of marital interaction and parent-child interaction on both symptoms of parent and child depression highlighted the mutual effects of the couple subsystem and the parent-child subsystem. Furthermore, in regard to parental and child depressive symptoms, implications for intervention are provided.

The Mutual Effect of Marital Quality and Parenting Stress on Child and Parent Depressive Symptoms in Families of Children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiuyun Lin

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the current study was to examine the mutual relationships between dyadic level (i.e., marital quality and parenting stress and individual level factors (i.e., children and parental depressive symptoms in families of children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD. Specifically, we explored whether marital interaction (marital quality was associated with symptoms of child depression through parent-child interaction (parenting stress and parent depressive symptoms. We also explored whether parent-child interaction was associated with symptoms of parent depression through marital interaction and child depressive symptoms. This study was conducted with 256 parent-child dyads, consisting of children with ODD and one of each child's parents. Participants were recruited from 14 primary schools located in northern, eastern, and southwestern China. Results revealed that marital quality predicted symptoms of child depression through the parenting stress, but not parent depressive symptoms; and parenting stress predicted symptoms of parent depression through marital quality, but not through child depressive symptoms. Also, parenting stress significantly and directly predicted parent depressive symptoms. We concluded in families of children with ODD, the association of marital interaction and parent-child interaction on both symptoms of parent and child depression highlighted the mutual effects of the couple subsystem and the parent-child subsystem. Furthermore, in regard to parental and child depressive symptoms, implications for intervention are provided.

The Mutual Effect of Marital Quality and Parenting Stress on Child and Parent Depressive Symptoms in Families of Children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Xiuyun; Zhang, Yulin; Chi, Peilian; Ding, Wan; Heath, Melissa A.; Fang, Xiaoyi; Xu, Shousen

2017-01-01

The purpose of the current study was to examine the mutual relationships between dyadic level (i.e., marital quality and parenting stress) and individual level factors (i.e., children and parental depressive symptoms) in families of children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). Specifically, we explored whether marital interaction (marital quality) was associated with symptoms of child depression through parent-child interaction (parenting stress) and parent depressive symptoms. We also explored whether parent-child interaction was associated with symptoms of parent depression through marital interaction and child depressive symptoms. This study was conducted with 256 parent-child dyads, consisting of children with ODD and one of each child's parents. Participants were recruited from 14 primary schools located in northern, eastern, and southwestern China. Results revealed that marital quality predicted symptoms of child depression through the parenting stress, but not parent depressive symptoms; and parenting stress predicted symptoms of parent depression through marital quality, but not through child depressive symptoms. Also, parenting stress significantly and directly predicted parent depressive symptoms. We concluded in families of children with ODD, the association of marital interaction and parent-child interaction on both symptoms of parent and child depression highlighted the mutual effects of the couple subsystem and the parent-child subsystem. Furthermore, in regard to parental and child depressive symptoms, implications for intervention are provided. PMID:29104548

Parents and the High Cost of Child Care: 2012 Report

Science.gov (United States)

Child Care Aware of America, 2012

2012-01-01

"Parents and the High Cost of Child Care: 2012 Report" presents 2011 data reflecting what parents pay for full-time child care in America. It includes average fees for both child care centers and family child care homes. Information was collected through a survey conducted in January 2012 that asked for the average costs charged for…

Evaluation of headache service quality indicators: pilot implementation in two specialist-care centres.

Science.gov (United States)

Katsarava, Zaza; Gouveia, Raquel Gil; Jensen, Rigmor; Gaul, Charly; Schramm, Sara; Schoppe, Anja; Steiner, Timothy J

2015-01-01

Evaluating quality of health care is increasingly recognized as an important contributor to the advancement of health-care delivery. We recently developed a set of quality indicators for headache care, intended to be applicable across countries, cultures and settings so that deficiencies in headache care worldwide might be recognized and rectified. These indicators themselves require evaluation and proof of fitness for purpose. This pilot study begins this process. We tested the quality indicators in the tertiary headache centres of the University of Duisburg-Essen in Essen, Germany, and the Hospital da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal. Using seven previously-developed enquiry instruments, we interrogated health-care providers (HCPs), including doctors, nurses, psychologists and physiotherapists, as well as consecutive patients and their medical records. The questionnaires were easily understood by both HCPs and patients and were not unduly time-consuming. The results from the two headache centres were comparable despite their differences in structure, staffing and language. These findings met the purpose of the study. Diagnoses were made according to ICHD criteria and critically evaluated during follow-up. However, diagnostic diaries and instruments assessing burden and response to treatment were not always in place or routinely utilised. Triage systems adjusted waiting times to urgency of need. Treatment plans included pathways to other specialities. Patients felt welcomed, reassured and educated, and were mostly satisfied. Discussion points arose over inclusion of psychological therapies in treatment plans; over recording of outcomes; over indicators of efficiency and equitability (protocols to limit wastage of resources, systems to measure input costs and means of ensuring equal access to the services); and over protocols for reporting serious adverse events. This pilot study to assess feasibility of the methods and acceptability of the instruments of headache service

Associations of Perceived Sibling and Parent-Child Relationship Quality With Internalizing and Externalizing Problems: Comparing Indian and Dutch Early Adolescents

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Buist, K. L.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/241099218; Verhoeven, Marjolein|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304349747; Hoksbergen, R.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/068229127; Ter Laak, J.; Watve, S.; Paranjpe, A.

2017-01-01

The aims of the present study were (a) to examine whether Dutch and Indian early adolescents differ concerning sibling and parent-child relationship quality and externalizing and internalizing problems, and (b) to compare the associations between sibling and parent-child relationship quality and

CMS Centre at CERN

CERN Multimedia

2007-01-01

A new "CMS Centre" is being established on the CERN Meyrin site by the CMS collaboration. It will be a focal point for communications, where physicists will work together on data quality monitoring, detector calibration, offline analysis of physics events, and CMS computing operations. Construction of the CMS Centre begins in the historic Proton Synchrotron (PS) control room. The historic Proton Synchrotron (PS) control room, Opened by Niels Bohr in 1960, will be reused by CMS to built its control centre. TThe LHC@FNAL Centre, in operation at Fermilab in the US, will work very closely with the CMS Centre, as well as the CERN Control Centre. (Photo Fermilab)The historic Proton Synchrotron (PS) control room is about to start a new life. Opened by Niels Bohr in 1960, the room will be reused by CMS to built its control centre. When finished, it will resemble the CERN Contro...

5. Characteristics of Child Sexual Abuse in Zambia

African Journals Online (AJOL)

46987.2

The Child Sexual Abuse Centre at the Paediatric Centre of Excellence,. University ... As a result of its effects, CSA is a psychiatric emergency. .... Primary. 91. 47.4. Preschool. 29. 15.1. Not in School. 6. 3.1. Never been to School. 24. 12.5.

is the child-to-child approach useful in improving uptake of eye care ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

International Centre for Eye Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London. 3. ... Using the child-to-parent approach and Snellens 6/60 illiterate E-chart, participants .... criteria but who had visual, hearing or mental disability.

Quality of caregiver-child play interactions with toddlers born preterm and full term: Antecedents and language outcome.

Science.gov (United States)

Loi, Elizabeth C; Vaca, Kelsey E C; Ashland, Melanie D; Marchman, Virginia A; Fernald, Anne; Feldman, Heidi M

2017-12-01

Preterm birth may leave long-term effects on the interactions between caregivers and children. Language skills are sensitive to the quality of caregiver-child interactions. Compare the quality of caregiver-child play interactions in toddlers born preterm (PT) and full term (FT) at age 22months (corrected for degree of prematurity) and evaluate the degree of association between caregiver-child interactions, antecedent demographic and language factors, and subsequent language skill. A longitudinal descriptive cohort study. 39 PT and 39 FT toddlers individually matched on sex and socioeconomic status (SES). The outcome measures were dimensions of caregiver-child interactions, rated from a videotaped play session at age 22months in relation to receptive language assessments at ages 18 and 36months. Caregiver intrusiveness was greater in the PT than FT group. A composite score of child interactional behaviors was associated with a composite score of caregiver interactional behaviors. The caregiver composite measure was associated with later receptive vocabulary at 36months. PT-FT group membership did not moderate the association between caregiver interactional behavior and later receptive vocabulary. The quality of caregiver interactional behavior had similar associations with concurrent child interactional behavior and subsequent language outcome in the PT and FT groups. Greater caregiver sensitivity/responsiveness, verbal elaboration, and less intrusiveness support receptive language development in typically developing toddlers and toddlers at risk for language difficulty. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Depression among Migrant and Left-Behind Children in China in Relation to the Quality of Parent-Child and Teacher-Child Relationships

OpenAIRE

Guo, Jing; Ren, Xuezhu; Wang, Xiaohua; Qu, Zhiyong; Zhou, Qianyun; Ran, Chun; Wang, Xia; Hu, Juan

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to examine rates of depression among migrant children (MC) and left-behind children (LBC) as compared to non-left-behind children (NLBC) and also to examine the relationship between depression among these children and the quality of their parent-child and teacher-child relationships. This study collected data from a large sample of 3,759 children aged from 8 to 17 years, including 824 who had been left behind by one parent (LBCO), 423 who had been left behind b...

Survey of Radiation Oncology Centres in Australia: report of the radiation oncology treatment quality program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klybaba, M.; Kenny, L.; Kron, T.; Harris, J.; O'Brien, P.

2009-01-01

Full text: One of the first steps towards the development of a comprehensive quality program for radiation oncology in Australia has been a survey of practice. This paper reports on the results of the survey that should inform the development of standards for radiation oncology in Australia. A questionnaire of 108 questions spanning aspects of treatment services, equipment, staff, infrastructure and available quality systems was mailed to all facilities providing radiation treatment services in Australia (n = 45). Information of 42 sites was received by June 2006 providing data on 113 operational linear accelerators of which approximately 2/3 are equipped with multi-leaf collimators. More than 75% of facilities were participating in a formal quality assurance (QA) system, with 63% following a nationally or internationally recognised system. However, there was considerable variation in the availability of policies and procedures specific to quality aspects, and the review of these. Policies for monitoring patient waiting times for treatment were documented at just 71% of all facilities. Although 85% of all centres do, in fact, monitor machine throughput, the number and types of efficiency measures varied markedly, thereby limiting the comparative use of these results. Centres identified workload as the single most common factor responsible for limiting staff involvement in both QA processes and clinical trial participation. The data collected in this 'snapshot' survey provide a unique and comprehensive baseline for future comparisons and evaluation of changes

The Relationship between Paramedic Competency, Teamwork and Career Development with Quality of Service at Mengwi I Community Health Centre

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alit Naya

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Background and objective: Recent survey indicated that patient opinion of services at Mengwi I Community Health Centre was low and there was noticeable decline in patient visits. This study aimed to investigate the issues related to the quality of health services given by the paramedics. Methods: A crosssectional study was conducted with 38 paramedics on duty at the outpatient unit. They were interviewed to obtain the data on their opinions about the quality of their service, competence, teamwork and career development opportunities. Chi square test was used for bivariate analysis and logistic regression for multivariate analysis. Results: The results of bivariate analysis indicated there was significant association between the paramedics’quality of service with the competence, teamwork and career development (p<0,001. Multivariate analysis indicated that the paramedics’competence (OR=43,1; 95%CI: 1,3-1422,5 and development of career (OR=31,7; 95%CI: 1,1-829,7 were related to the paramedics’ quality of service. Conclusion: The quality of service of paramedics at Mengwi I Community Health Centre were significantly associated with the paramedics’competence and development of career. Keywords: competency, teamwork, career development, quality of service

Young traffic victims' long-term health-related quality of life : Child self-reports and parental reports

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sturms, LM; van der Sluis, CK; Groothoff, JW; ten Duis, HJ; Eisma, WH

Objectives: To describe the long-term health-related quality of life (HRQOL) reported by young traffic injury victims and to assess the child-parent agreement on the child's HRQOL. Design: Cohort study with a mean follow-up of 2.4 years. Setting: Traumatology department in a university hospital in

The Child Quantity-Quality Trade-Off During the Industrial Revolution in England

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klemp, Marc; Weisdorf, Jacob L.

We take Gary Becker's child quantity-quality trade-off hypothesis to the historical record, investigating the causal link from family size to the literacy status of offspring using data from Anglican parish registers, c. 1700-1830. Extraordinarily forhistorical data, the parish records enable us ...

Soutien organisationnel de la phase 2 de l'ITT : Public Affairs Centre ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

faire sa place en tant que centre de ressources principal, avec une solide équipe de chercheurs et un système robuste d'assurance de la qualité. ... will enhance the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies' (CSDS) role as a credible public policy institution in India by strengthening its ability to provide high-quality,.

How to assess quality of life in child and adolescent psychiatry

Science.gov (United States)

Ravens-Sieberer, Ulrike; Karow, Anne; Barthel, Dana; Klasen, Fionna

2014-01-01

This article provides an overview of the conceptual foundations of measuring health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children and adolescents in child and adolescent psychiatry, and of the current state of research in this field. The available procedures for determining quality of life are presented according to their areas of use and their psychometric characteristics. The internationally available generic instruments for measuring HRQoL in children are identified and assessed in terms of their strengths and weaknesses with regard to selected criteria. As a result, seven generic HRQoL instruments and two utility procedures have been identified which satísfy the following criteria: (i) psychometric qualíty; (ii) age-appropriate measurement; (iii) versions for self-reporting and external rating; and (iv) cross-cultural measurement. The identified instruments satisfy the individual criteria to different degrees. They are increasingly being used in health services research, treatment studies, and epidemiological research; however, they are not yet widely used as part of the clinical routine in child and adolescent psychiatrics. PMID:25152654

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of a Measure of Staff/Child Interaction Quality (the Classroom Assessment Scoring System) in Early Childhood Education and Care Settings and Child Outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Perlman, Michal; Falenchuk, Olesya; Fletcher, Brooke; McMullen, Evelyn; Beyene, Joseph; Shah, Prakesh S

2016-01-01

The quality of staff/child interactions as measured by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) programs is thought to be important for children's outcomes. The CLASS is made of three domains that assess Emotional Support, Classroom Organization and Instructional Support. It is a relatively new measure that is being used increasingly for research, quality monitoring/accountability and other applied purposes. Our objective was to evaluate the association between the CLASS and child outcomes. Searches of Medline, PsycINFO, ERIC, websites of large datasets and reference sections of all retrieved articles were conducted up to July 3, 2015. Studies that measured association between the CLASS and child outcomes for preschool-aged children who attended ECEC programs were included after screening by two independent reviewers. Searches and data extraction were conducted by two independent reviewers. Thirty-five studies were systematically reviewed of which 19 provided data for meta-analyses. Most studies had moderate to high risk of bias. Of the 14 meta-analyses we conducted, associations between Classroom Organization and Pencil Tapping and between Instructional Support and SSRS Social Skills were significant with pooled correlations of .06 and .09 respectively. All associations were in the expected direction. In the systematic review, significant correlations were reported mainly from one large dataset. Substantial heterogeneity in use of the CLASS, its dimensions, child outcomes and statistical measures was identified. Greater consistency in study methodology is urgently needed. Given the multitude of factors that impact child development it is encouraging that our analyses revealed some, although small, associations between the CLASS and children's outcomes.

Who Cares for the Children? Denmark's Unique Public Child-Care Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Polakow, Valerie

1997-01-01

U.S. working mothers wrestle daily with a child-care crisis characterized by unavailable infant care, high costs, and inadequate access and regulation. In Denmark, high-quality child care is a guaranteed entitlement for every child. Other benefits include paid parental leaves, single-parent allowances, housing subsidies, and universal health care.…

Using customer contact centres as relationship marketing instruments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Aa, Zanna; Bloemer, Josée; Henseler, Jörg

2015-01-01

This article investigates whether, to what extent and how customer contact centres influence customer–firm relationships through customer contact centre quality. The proposed model compiles direct and indirect effects of this form of quality on focal relationship marketing constructs, including

The relations among child quality, family structure, and the value of the mother's time in Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Leppel, K

1982-10-01

A model of the determinants of child quality and of the value of a woman's time is developed and tested using data from the Malaysian Family Life Survey of 1976-1977. Child quality is measured by educational attainment; factors influencing the value of the mother's time include size and age composition of household, family income, education, and hours worked. The results indicate that size and age composition of household affect a woman's asking wage. However, more data are needed before the effects of family structure on schooling can be measured with confidence.

Interactive Contributions of Attribution Biases and Emotional Intensity to Child-Friend Interaction Quality During Preadolescence.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xi; McElwain, Nancy L; Lansford, Jennifer E

2017-12-20

Using data from a subsample of 913 study children and their friends who participated in the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, the interactive contributions of child-reported attribution biases and teacher-reported child emotional intensity (EI) at Grade 4 (M = 9.9 years) to observed child-friend interaction at Grade 6 (M = 11.9 years) were examined. Study children's hostile attribution bias, combined with high EI, predicted more negative child-friend interaction. In contrast, benign attribution bias, combined with high EI, predicted more positive child-friend interaction. The findings are discussed in light of the "fuel" interpretation of EI, in which high-intensity emotions may motivate children to act on their cognitive biases for better or for worse. © 2017 The Authors. Child Development © 2017 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Bullying, Victimization, School Performance, and Mother-Child Relationship Quality: Direct and Transactional Associations

OpenAIRE

Kostas A. Fanti; Stelios N. Georgiou

2013-01-01

The current investigation examines longitudinal differences between bullies, victims, and bully victims in terms of the quality of their relationship with their parents and school performance. We also investigate the transactional association between the quality of the parent-child relationship and bullying behavior, after taking into account the longitudinal association among bullying, victimization, and school performance. The sample consisted of 895 mothers and their children who participa...

Associations of Perceived Sibling and Parent-Child Relationship Quality with Internalizing and Externalizing Problems: Comparing Indian and Dutch Early Adolescents

Science.gov (United States)

Buist, Kirsten L.; Verhoeven, Marjolein; Hoksbergen, René; ter Laak, Jan; Watve, Sujala; Paranjpe, Analpa

2017-01-01

The aims of the present study were (a) to examine whether Dutch and Indian early adolescents differ concerning sibling and parent-child relationship quality and externalizing and internalizing problems, and (b) to compare the associations between sibling and parent-child relationship quality and externalizing and internalizing problems for Indian…

Mediators of improved child diet quality following a health promotion intervention: the Melbourne InFANT Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Spence, Alison C; Campbell, Karen J; Crawford, David A; McNaughton, Sarah A; Hesketh, Kylie D

2014-11-04

Young children's diets are currently suboptimal. Given that mothers have a critical influence on children' diets, they are typically a target of interventions to improve early childhood nutrition. Understanding the maternal factors which mediate an intervention's effect on young children's diets is important, but has not been well investigated. This research aimed to test whether maternal feeding knowledge, maternal feeding practices, maternal self-efficacy, and maternal dietary intakes acted as mediators of the effect of an intervention to improve child diet quality. The Melbourne Infant Feeding Activity and Nutrition Trial (InFANT) Program was a cluster-randomized controlled trial, conducted from 2008-2010. This novel, low-dose, health promotion intervention was delivered quarterly over 15 months and involved educational activities, promotion of peer discussion, a DVD and written materials. Post-intervention, when children were approximately 18 months of age, child diets were assessed using multiple 24-hour recalls and a purpose-developed index of diet quality, the Obesity Protective Dietary Index. Maternal mediators were assessed using a combination of previously validated and purpose-deigned tools. Mediation analysis was conducted using the test of joint significance and difference of coefficients methods. Across 62 parents' groups in Melbourne, Australia, 542 parents were recruited. Post- intervention, higher maternal feeding knowledge and lower use of foods as rewards was found to mediate the direct intervention effect on child diet quality. While other aspects of maternal feeding practices, self-efficacy and dietary intakes did not act as mediators, they were associated with child diet quality. Mediation analysis of this novel health promotion intervention showed the importance of maternal feeding knowledge and use of foods as rewards in impacting child diet quality. The other maternal factors assessed were appropriate targets but further research on how to

The Prospective Links Between Hyperactive/Impulsive, Inattentive, and Oppositional-Defiant Behaviors in Childhood and Antisocial Behavior in Adolescence: The Moderating Influence of Gender and the Parent-Child Relationship Quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Giannotta, Fabrizia; Rydell, Ann-Margret

2016-12-01

We prospectively investigated the effect of child hyperactive/impulsive, inattentive, and oppositional/defiant behaviors on the development of youth antisocial behaviors, and the moderating influence of gender and the parent-child relationship quality in a normative sample. Participants (N = 673, 50 % girls) were assessed at 10 years of age (parent reports) and at age 15 (parent and adolescent reports). Using latent change models, we found that initial levels of, as well as increases in, hyperactivity/impulsivity and oppositional behaviors and initial levels of inattention behaviors predicted youth antisocial behaviors. The increase in oppositional behaviors was predictive of youth antisocial behaviors in girls only. Child hyperactive/impulsive behaviors predicted youth antisocial behaviors only in children for whom the quality of the parent-child relationship deteriorated from childhood to adolescence. Thus, both initial levels of and increases in disruptive behaviors as well as gender are important for understanding the development of antisocial behaviors in adolescence. We received partial support for the hypothesized, moderating role of a high-quality parent-child relationship.

CDC Kerala 1: Organization of clinical child development services (1987-2013).

Science.gov (United States)

Nair, M K C; George, Babu; Nair, G S Harikumaran; Bhaskaran, Deepa; Leena, M L; Russell, Paul Swamidhas Sudhakar

2014-12-01

The main objective of establishing the Child Development Centre (CDC), Kerala for piloting comprehensive child adolescent development program in India, has been to understand the conceptualization, design and scaling up of a pro-active positive child development initiative, easily replicable all over India. The process of establishing the Child Development Centre (CDC) Kerala for research, clinical services, training and community extension services over the last 25 y, has been as follows; Step 1: Conceptualization--The life cycle approach to child development; Step 2: Research basis--CDC model early stimulation is effective; Step 3: Development and validation of seven simple developmental screening tools; Step 4: CDC Diagnostic services--Ultrasonology and genetic, and metabolic laboratory; Step 5: Developing seven intervention packages; Step 6: Training--Post graduate diploma in clinical child development; Step 7: CDC Clinic Services--seven major ones; Step 8: CDC Community Services--Child development referral units; Step 9: Community service delivery models--Childhood disability and for adolescent care counselling projects; Step 10: National capacity building--Four child development related courses. CDC Kerala follow-up and clinic services are offered till 18 y of age and premarital counselling till 24 y of age as shown in "CDC Kerala Clinic Services Flow Chart" and 74,291 children have availed CDC clinic services in the last 10 y. CDC Kerala is the first model for comprehensive child adolescent development services using a lifecycle approach in the Government sector and hence declared as the collaborative centre for Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), in Kerala.

Child Welfare in Developing Countries | CRDI - Centre de ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

5 août 2010 ... Topics considered include monetary poverty, asset poverty, nutrition, mortality, access to education and school attendance, child labor, and access to health services. The book's findings demonstrate that while current government programs offering financial assistance, supplementary food, and free or ...

The Imperfect Child in Early Twentieth-Century Russia

Science.gov (United States)

Byford, Andy

2017-01-01

The article discusses the role that conceptualisations of child "imperfection" played in the rise and fall of Russian "child study" between the 1900s and the 1930s. Drawing on Georges Canguilhem's ideas on "the normal" and "the pathological", the article analyses practices centred on diagnosing subnormality…

Abdominal CT during pregnancy: a phantom study on the effect of patient centring on conceptus radiation dose and image quality

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Solomou, G.; Damilakis, J. [University of Crete, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Physics, Heraklion, P.O. Box 2208, Crete (Greece); Papadakis, A.E. [University Hospital of Heraklion, Department of Medical Physics, Heraklion, P.O. Box 1352, Crete (Greece)

2015-04-01

To investigate the effect of patient centring on conceptus radiation dose and image quality in abdominal CT during pregnancy. Three anthropomorphic phantoms that represent a pregnant woman at the three trimesters of gestation were subjected to a routine abdominal CT. Examinations were performed with fixed mAs (mAs{sub f}) and with the automatic exposure control system (AEC) activated. The percent reduction between mAs{sub f} and modulated mAs (mAs{sub mod}) was calculated. Conceptus dose (D{sub c}) was measured using thermoluminescent dosimeters. To study the effect of misplacement of pregnant women on D{sub c}, each phantom was positioned at various locations relative to gantry isocentre. Image quality was evaluated on the basis of image noise, signal-to-noise ratio, and contrast-to-noise ratio. The maximum reduction between mAs{sub f} and mAs{sub mod} was 59.8 %, while the corresponding D{sub C} reduction was 59.3 %. D{sub C} was found to decrease by up to 25 % and 7.9 % for phantom locations below and above the isocentre, respectively. Image quality deteriorated when AEC was activated, and it was progressively improved from lower to higher than the isocentre locations. Centring errors do not result in an increase in D{sub c}. To maintain image quality, accurate centring is required. (orig.)

Family-centred care: a qualitative study of Chinese and South Asian immigrant parents' experiences of care in paediatric oncology.

Science.gov (United States)

Watt, L; Dix, D; Gulati, S; Sung, L; Klaassen, R J; Shaw, N T; Klassen, A F

2013-03-01

Over the past two decades, there is increasing emphasis being placed upon providing family-centred care (FCC) in paediatric oncology settings. However, there is a lack of knowledge of FCC in paediatric oncology from the perspectives of immigrant parents. The purpose of this paper is to describe Chinese and South Asian immigrant parents' experiences of FCC in paediatric oncology settings in Canada. This study adopted a constructivist grounded theory approach. Fifty first generation Chinese and South Asian parents of children with cancer who were at least 6 months post-diagnosis were recruited from six Canadian paediatric oncology centres. Interviews were conducted in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Urdu, Punjabi or Hindi, and transcribed into English. Analysis involved line-by-line, focused and theoretical coding, and the use of the constant comparison method. Findings indicated that overall parents were highly satisfied with the care and services they received, and their experiences were reflective of the key elements of FCC. However, there were some areas of concern identified by participants: parents not perceiving themselves as a member of the medical team; inconsistency in the quality and co-ordination of services among healthcare providers; disrespectful and mechanical manner of a few healthcare providers; and parents' discomfort with healthcare providers communicating sensitive health-related information directly with their child. In order to successfully provide family-centred services to immigrant parents of children with cancer, better communication of the elements of FCC between healthcare staff and families is needed to negotiate a clear role for the parents as partners of the healthcare team. Moreover, a better understanding of how family relationships are structured in immigrant families will assist healthcare providers to balance the best interests of the child with that of the family as a unit. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Quality in Family Child Care: A Focus Group Study with Canadian Providers

Science.gov (United States)

Doherty, Gillian

2015-01-01

A substantial proportion of American, Canadian and English preschoolers regularly participate in family child care making its quality of vital importance for the children concerned, their parents, the school system and the society in which they live. This article discusses the seven key caregiver behaviors and physical space characteristics…

In hospital with a hearing impaired child - How parents experience communication between nurses and their child

Science.gov (United States)

Brooks, Seraina; Eckerli-Wäspi, Irene; Händler Schuster, Daniela

2018-04-01

Background: In daily communication, children with hearing impairment are restricted and dependent on their parents’ help. In case of a hospitalisation, the risk of insufficient information and resulting traumatisation for those children is high. The aim of this study is the investigation of the communicative needs of the children concerned in order to avoid negative consequences of a hospitalisation and of inappropriate communication by nursing staff. Aim: This study explores how parents of a child with hearing impairment experience the communication between the nursing staff and their hospitalised child. Method: The study was conducted together with an advisory centre for hearing-impaired children, where most of the parents could be recruited. Narrative, semi-structured interviews were conducted. The transcribed interviews were analysed according to the method of interpretative phenomenology. Results: The parents expressed their wish for affectionate verbal and nonverbal love and care for their child. They often experienced the nursing staff having little time, that there was no continuity and that the communicative needs of the child were not recognised. Since the parents did not think the nursing staff were capable of communicating with the child and because they wanted to protect him or her, they adopted a mediating role. Conclusions: Besides the sensitisation of the nursing staff, time resources, continuity, professional knowledge and benevolence in the nursing care of a child with hearing impairment play a fundamental role.

Does higher quality early child care promote low-income children's math and reading achievement in middle childhood?

Science.gov (United States)

Dearing, Eric; McCartney, Kathleen; Taylor, Beck A

2009-01-01

Higher quality child care during infancy and early childhood (6-54 months of age) was examined as a moderator of associations between family economic status and children's (N = 1,364) math and reading achievement in middle childhood (4.5-11 years of age). Low income was less strongly predictive of underachievement for children who had been in higher quality care than for those who had not. Consistent with a cognitive advantage hypothesis, higher quality care appeared to promote achievement indirectly via early school readiness skills. Family characteristics associated with selection into child care also appeared to promote the achievement of low-income children, but the moderating effect of higher quality care per se remained evident when controlling for selection using covariates and propensity scores.

HOME VISIT QUALITY VARIATIONS IN TWO EARLY HEAD START PROGRAMS IN RELATION TO PARENTING AND CHILD VOCABULARY OUTCOMES.

Science.gov (United States)

Roggman, Lori A; Cook, Gina A; Innocenti, Mark S; Jump Norman, Vonda; Boyce, Lisa K; Christiansen, Katie; Peterson, Carla A

2016-05-01

Home-visiting programs aiming to improve early child development have demonstrated positive outcomes, but processes within home visits to individual families are rarely documented. We examined family-level variations in the home-visiting process (N = 71) from extant video recordings of home visits in two Early Head Start programs, using an observational measure of research-based quality indicators of home-visiting practices and family engagement, the Home Visit Rating Scales (HOVRS). HOVRS scores, showing good interrater agreement and internal consistency, were significantly associated with parent- and staff-reported positive characteristics of home visiting as well as with parenting and child language outcomes tested at program exit. When home-visiting processes were higher quality during the program, home visit content was more focused on child development, families were more involved in the overall program, and most important, scores on measures of the parenting environment and children's vocabulary were higher at the end of the program. Results showed that home visit quality was indirectly associated with child language outcomes through parenting outcomes. Observation ratings of home visit quality could be useful for guiding program improvement, supporting professional development, and increasing our understanding of the links between home-visiting processes and outcomes. © 2016 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Test-retest reliability of the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaires (FAQLQ) for children, adolescents and adults

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Velde, Jantina L.; Flokstra-de Blok, Bertine M. J.; Vlieg - Boerstra, Berber J.; Oude Elberink, Joanne N. G.; Schouten, Jan P.; DunnGalvin, Audrey; Hourihane, Jonathan O'B; Duiverman, Eric J.; Dubois, Anthony E. J.

The self-administered Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire-Child Form (FAQLQ-CF), -Teenager Form (FAQLQ-TF) and -Adult Form (FAQLQ-AF) were recently developed within EuroPrevall, a multi-centred study of food allergy in Europe. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the test-retest

Test-retest reliability of the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaires (FAQLQ) for children, adolescents and adults

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Velde, Jantina L.; Flokstra-de Blok, Bertine M. J.; Vlieg-Boerstra, Berber J.; Oude Elberink, Joanne N. G.; Schouten, Jan P.; DunnGalvin, Audrey; Hourihane, Jonathan O.'B.; Duiverman, Eric J.; Dubois, Anthony E. J.

2009-01-01

The self-administered Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire-Child Form (FAQLQ-CF), -Teenager Form (FAQLQ-TF) and -Adult Form (FAQLQ-AF) were recently developed within EuroPrevall, a multi-centred study of food allergy in Europe. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the test-retest

Child oral health-related quality of life and socioeconomic factors associated with traumatic dental injuries in schoolchildren.

Science.gov (United States)

Piovesan, Chaiana; Abella, Cássia; Ardenghi, Thiago Machado

2011-01-01

To assess the relationship of child oral health-related quality of life and socioeconomic backgrounds to traumatic dental injuries in schoolchildren. This study followed a cross-sectional design, with a multistage random sample of 792 12-year-old schoolchildren, representative of Santa Maria, a city in southern Brazil. The participants completed the Brazilian version of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ11-14), their parents or guardians answered questions on socioeconomic status, and a dental examination provided information on the prevalence of dental trauma. The assessment of association used Poisson regression models. The prevalence of TDI was 9.7%. The maxillary central incisors were the most frequently traumatised, and the most commonly observed traumatic dental injury was enamel fracture. No association was observed among child oral health-related quality of life and socioeconomic factors with traumatic dental injuries after the adjustment. Socioeconomic indicators are not associated with dental trauma in schoolchildren and this oral health condition has no negative impacts on children's quality of life.

Parent participation in paediatric rehabilitation treatment centres in the Netherlands : a parents' viewpoint

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Siebes, R. C.; Wijnroks, L.; Ketelaar, M.; van Schie, P. E. M.; Gorter, J. W.; Vermeer, A.

Aim The importance of family-centred care and services has been increasingly emphasized in paediatric rehabilitation. One aspect of family-centred care is parent involvement in their child's treatment. The aims of this study were (1) to describe how, and to what extent parents are involved in the

Drivers of maternity care in high-income countries: can health systems support woman-centred care?

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw, Dorothy; Guise, Jeanne-Marie; Shah, Neel; Gemzell-Danielsson, Kristina; Joseph, K S; Levy, Barbara; Wong, Fontayne; Woodd, Susannah; Main, Elliott K

2016-11-05

In high-income countries, medical interventions to address the known risks associated with pregnancy and birth have been largely successful and have resulted in very low levels of maternal and neonatal mortality. In this Series paper, we present the main care delivery models, with case studies of the USA and Sweden, and examine the main drivers of these models. Although nearly all births are attended by a skilled birth attendant and are in an institution, practice, cadre, facility size, and place of birth vary widely; for example, births occur in homes, birth centres, midwifery-led birthing units in hospitals, and in high intervention hospital birthing facilities. Not all care is evidenced-based, and some care provision may be harmful. Fear prevails among subsets of women and providers. In some settings, medical liability costs are enormous, human resource shortages are common, and costs of providing care can be very high. New challenges linked to alteration of epidemiology, such as obesity and older age during pregnancy, are also present. Data are often not readily available to inform policy and practice in a timely way and surveillance requires greater attention and investment. Outcomes are not equitable, and disadvantaged segments of the population face access issues and substantially elevated risks. At the same time, examples of excellence and progress exist, from clinical interventions to models of care and practice. Labourists (who provide care for all the facility's women for labour and delivery) are discussed as a potential solution. Quality and safety factors are informed by women's experiences, as well as medical evidence. Progress requires the ability to normalise birth for most women, with integrated services available if complications develop. We also discuss mechanisms to improve quality of care and highlight areas where research can address knowledge gaps with potential for impact. Evaluation of models that provide woman-centred care and the best

Profiles of Teacher-Child Interaction Quality in Preschool Classrooms and Teachers' Professional Competence Features

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Bi Ying; Chen, Liang; Fan, Xitao

2018-01-01

This paper investigates early childhood education (ECE) teachers' self-reported and observed teacher-child interaction quality (TIQ) and the associated teachers' professional competence features using a latent profile analysis (LPA) approach to identify the variations in the quality of classroom experiences in Chinese preschools. A total of 164…

Child-Mother and Child-Father Play Interaction Patterns with Preschoolers

Science.gov (United States)

John, Aesha; Halliburton, Amy; Humphrey, Jeremy

2013-01-01

The study focused on qualitative and quantitative differences between maternal and paternal play interaction behaviours with their preschool children. Home observations of 18 child-mother and child-father play interactions were qualitatively analysed to derive interaction themes. In addition, the quality of child-mother and child-father…

Physico-chemical quality of drinking water in villages of Primary Health Centre, Waghodia, Gujarat (India).

Science.gov (United States)

Desai, Gaurav; Vasisth, Smriti; Patel, Maharshi; Mehta, Vaibhav; Bhavsar, Bharat

2012-07-01

16 water samples were collected to study the physical and chemical quality of water of main source of drinking water in the villages of Primary Health Centre, Waghodia of Vadodara district of Gujarat. The values recommended by Indian Standard for Drinking Water (IS 10500:1991) were used for comparison of observed values. The study indicates that the contamination problem in these villages is not alarming at present, but Waghodia being industrial town, ground water quality may deteriorate with passage of time, which needs periodical monitoring. The study provides the local area baseline data which may be useful for the comparison of future study.

New Evidence of the Causal Effect of Family Size on Child Quality in a Developing Country

Science.gov (United States)

Ponczek, Vladimir; Souza, Andre Portela

2012-01-01

This paper presents new evidence of the causal effect of family size on child quality in a developing-country context. We estimate the impact of family size on child labor and educational outcomes among Brazilian children and young adults by exploring the exogenous variation of family size driven by the presence of twins in the family. Using the…

Teacher-child relationships as dynamic systems.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Connor, Erin

2010-06-01

The purpose of the present study was to examine factors associated with the quality of the teacher-child relationship from first through fifth grade using data from phases I, II and III of the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, a prospective study of 1364 children from birth through sixth grade. On average, children evidenced moderately high quality relationships with teachers in fifth grade. However, there was extensive variation in fifth grade relationship quality across children. Children who received more support and stimulation at home and whose parents had higher quality interactions with the school had higher quality relationships. Additionally, children in classrooms with more positive environments and better management had higher quality relationships. Lastly, females, European-American children, children with lower levels of behavior problems and children who had higher quality relationships with their teachers in kindergarten also had higher quality relationships with teachers. On average, children evidenced decreases in the quality of their relationships with teachers from first through fifth grade. Interestingly, children whose parents had more contact with their schools, who were in schools where teachers received higher salaries and in classrooms that had more positive emotional climates and that were better managed evidenced slower rates of decline in relationship quality. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

The quality of the outdoor environment influences childrens health -- a cross-sectional study of preschools.

Science.gov (United States)

Söderström, M; Boldemann, C; Sahlin, U; Mårtensson, F; Raustorp, A; Blennow, M

2013-01-01

To test how the quality of the outdoor environment of child day care centres (DCCs) influences children's health. The environment was assessed using the Outdoor Play Environmental Categories (OPEC) tool, time spent outdoors and physical activity as measured by pedometer. 172/253 (68%) of children aged 3.0-5.9 from nine DCCs participated in Southern Sweden. Health data collected were body mass index, waist circumference, saliva cortisol, length of night sleep during study, and symptoms and well-being which were scored (1-week diary - 121 parent responders). Also, parent-rated well-being and health of their child were scored (questionnaire, 132 parent responders). MANOVA, ANOVA and principal component analyses were performed to identify impacts of the outdoor environment on health. High-quality outdoor environment at DCCs is associated with several health aspects in children such as leaner body, longer night sleep, better well-being and higher mid-morning saliva cortisol levels. The quality of the outdoor environment at DCCs influenced the health and well-being of preschool children and should be given more attention among health care professionals and community planners. ©2012 The Author(s)/Acta Paediatrica ©2012 Foundation Acta Paediatrica.

Impacts of caring for a child with the CDKL5 disorder on parental wellbeing and family quality of life.

Science.gov (United States)

Mori, Yuka; Downs, Jenny; Wong, Kingsley; Anderson, Barbara; Epstein, Amy; Leonard, Helen

2017-01-19

Although research in this area remains sparse, raising a child with some genetic disorders has been shown to adversely impact maternal health and family quality of life. The aim of this study was to investigate such impacts in families with a child with the CDKL5 disorder, a newly recognised genetic disorder causing severe neurodevelopmental impairments and refractory epilepsy. Data were sourced from the International CDKL5 Disorder Database to which 192 families with a child with a pathogenic CDKL5 mutation had provided data by January 2016. The Short Form 12 Health Survey Version 2, yielding a Physical Component Summary and a Mental Component Summary score, was used to measure primary caregiver's wellbeing. The Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale was used to measure family quality of life. Linear regression analyses were used to investigate relationships between child and family factors and the various subscale scores. The median (range) age of the primary caregivers was 37.0 (24.6-63.7) years and of the children was 5.2 (0.2-34.1) years. The mean (SD) physical and mental component scores were 53.7 (8.6) and 41.9 (11.6), respectively. In mothers aged 25-54 years the mean mental but not the physical component score was lower than population norms. After covariate adjustment, caregivers with a tube-fed child had lower mean physical but higher mean mental component scores than those whose child fed orally (coefficient = -4.80 and 6.79; p = 0.009 and 0.012, respectively). Child sleep disturbances and financial hardship were negatively associated with the mental component score. The mean (SD) Beach Center Family Quality of Life score was 4.06 (0.66) and those who had used respite services had lower scores than those who had not across the subscales. Emotional wellbeing was considerably impaired in this caregiver population, and was particularly associated with increased severity of child sleep problems and family financial difficulties. Family quality

Mother-Child Interactional Patterns in High- and Low-Risk Mothers.

Science.gov (United States)

Dolz, Laura; Cerezo, M. Angeles; Milner, Joel S.

1997-01-01

A study of 10 high-risk (of child physical abuse) and 10 demographically similar low-risk Spanish mother-child dyads investigated interactional patterns in the home. High-risk mothers made fewer neutral approaches to their children, displayed more negative behaviors toward their children, and made more indiscriminate responses to their children's…

Child Development Program Evaluation Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Fiene, Richard J.

The Child Development Program Evaluation Scale (CDPES) is actually two scales in one, a licensing scale and a quality scale. Licensing predictor items have been found to predict overall compliance of child day care centers with state regulations in four states. Quality scale items have been found to predict the overall quality of child day care…

Seed quality in genetic resources conservation : a case study at the Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Groot, S.P.C.; Groot, de E.C.

2008-01-01

This report describes an analysis of the impact of workflow and storage conditions at the Centre for Genetic Resources the Netherlands (CGN) on the quality of seed samples in their genebank collection which is maintained under low temperature and low relative humidity conditions. Emphasis is placed

Bajenu Gox: A Community Approach to Maternal and Child Health in ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Bajenu Gox: A Community Approach to Maternal and Child Health in ... the Bajenu Gox Initiative's contribution to improving maternal and child health across Senegal. ... Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and the ...

Behavior problems of children in foster care: Associations with foster mothers' representations, commitment, and the quality of mother-child interaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Dubois-Comtois, Karine; Bernier, Annie; Tarabulsy, George M; Cyr, Chantal; St-Laurent, Diane; Lanctôt, Anne-Sophie; St-Onge, Janie; Moss, Ellen; Béliveau, Marie-Julie

2015-10-01

This study investigated different environmental and contextual factors associated with maltreated children's adjustment in foster care. Participants included 83 children (52 boys), ages 1-7 years, and their foster caregivers. Quality of interaction with the foster caregiver was assessed from direct observation of a free-play situation; foster caregiver attachment state of mind and commitment toward the child were assessed using two interviews; disruptive behavior symptoms were reported by foster caregivers. Results showed that quality of interaction between foster caregivers and children were associated with behavior problems, such that higher-quality interactions were related to fewer externalizing and internalizing problems. Foster caregivers' state of mind and commitment were interrelated but not directly associated with behavior problems of foster children. Type of placement moderated the association between foster caregiver commitment and foster child behavior problems. Whereas greater foster caregiver commitment was associated with higher levels of adjustment for children in foster families (kin and non-kin), this was not the case in foster-to-adopt families. Finally, the associations between foster child behavior problems and history of maltreatment and placement related-risk conditions fell below significance after considering child age and quality of interaction with the foster caregiver. Findings underscore the crucial contribution of the foster caregiver-child relationship to fostering child adjustment and, thereby, have important implications for clinical services offered to this population. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PENINGKATAN KUALITAS PELATIHAN DI TRAINING CENTRE MELALUI INTEGRASI METODE SERVICE QUALITY (SERQUAL DAN QUALITY FUNCTION DEPLOYMENT (QFD Study Kasus pada PT. XYZ

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Puri Ayu Margareta

2017-01-01

  There is an increasing competition in service industries, causing the service industry are competing in improving service quality to satisfaction to customers. In simple terms, satisfaction is a feeling or state of a person in which perceptions of a particular product or service in accordance with expectations. If the perception of a product or service was beyond what was expected of course, consumers are satisfied but if otherwise, consumers will feel dissatisfied. Training Centre is venue training skill in the shoe company. To analyse and improve employee satisfaction in the training , then provide technical service and response attributes, then using integration methods Servqual and Quality Function Deployment. Based on the analysis found the house of quality and service quality Training Centre still less satisfactory when compared with what is expected by its employee. Appropriate analysis of the priority needs of the customer based on raw weight value, the value of the interest, then unknown attributes to be considered on the terms of 3 (three top priority is condition of machines is good a priority value raw weight (8.932, a sufficient number of machine with a priority value raw weight (8.886, alacrity all trainer in helping trainees every time with a priority value raw weight (7.937. Priority services desperately need more attention from the company to immediately repaired by 3 (three priority technical response is to supervise the overall training with the value (0.184, improve skills trainers in the training program with the value (0.137, additional facilities with a value of ( 0.129.

[Interdisciplinary healthcare centres--a way of organising healthcare in the future from a health insurer's perspective].

Science.gov (United States)

Hecke, Torsten L; Hoyer, Jens Martin

2009-01-01

The German healthcare system modernization act enables healthcare providers to fund interdisciplinary healthcare centres. The Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) is a statutory health sickness fund that has contracted with some of the interdisciplinary healthcare centres named ATRIO-MED to achieve high-quality medical care and healthcare management. A range of patient-centred services is described in the cooperation agreement; in addition to central medical patient records one of the core competencies includes integrated pathways for defined diagnosis. The concept of the interdisciplinary healthcare centre is highly accepted among patients. It will serve as a platform for future TK healthcare policies.

Function of Train Traction Department and Railway Vehicles in Logistic Centres

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Velimir Kolar

2007-05-01

Full Text Available The increasing globalization has spread the production locationsto every part of the world thus increasing even more therole of transport in determining the price and quality of a product.Therefore, the producers and carriers join together moreand more frequently through the supply chains. Railway carriershave a very significant role in supply chains, both throughorganization of transport and forming the trains as final products,and through forming the logistic centres. Logistic centresare the starting and the final railway stations but also the meetingpoints of the national carrier with other carriers (sea, road,river as well as other railway carriers and they also represent informationcentres. For the quality of service at logistic centres, itis important to have well organized operation of train traction.In order to keep up the regulmity of trains and the quality oftransport at logistic centres, among other things, it is necessaryto provide an optimal number of locomotives and to providethe technical inspection place. Special attention should be paidto the organization of work peiformed by the engine staff At logisticcentres it is possible to organize high-quality technical inspectionof wagons thus increasing the traffic safety.

Qualitative observation instrument to measure the quality of parent-child interactions in young children with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

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Nieuwesteeg, Anke; Hartman, Esther; Pouwer, Frans; Emons, Wilco; Aanstoot, Henk-Jan; Van Mil, Edgar; Van Bakel, Hedwig

2014-06-10

In young children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), parents have complete responsibility for the diabetes-management. In toddlers and (pre)schoolers, the tasks needed to achieve optimal blood glucose control may interfere with normal developmental processes and could negatively affect the quality of parent-child interaction. Several observational instruments are available to measure the quality of the parent-child interaction. However, no observational instrument for diabetes-specific situations is available. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to develop a qualitative observation instrument, to be able to assess parent-child interaction during diabetes-specific situations. First, in a pilot study (n = 15), the observation instrument was developed in four steps: (a) defining relevant diabetes-specific situations; (b) videotaping these situations; (c) describing all behaviors in a qualitative observation instrument; (d) evaluating usability and reliability. Next, we examined preliminary validity (total n = 77) by testing hypotheses about correlations between the observation instrument for diabetes-specific situations, a generic observation instrument and a behavioral questionnaire. The observation instrument to assess parent-child interaction during diabetes-specific situations, which consists of ten domains: "emotional involvement", "limit setting", "respect for autonomy", "quality of instruction", "negative behavior", "avoidance", "cooperative behavior", "child's response to injection", "emphasis on diabetes", and "mealtime structure", was developed for use during a mealtime situation (including glucose monitoring and insulin administration). The present study showed encouraging indications for the usability and inter-rater reliability (weighted kappa was 0.73) of the qualitative observation instrument. Furthermore, promising indications for the preliminary validity of the observation instrument for diabetes-specific situations were found (r ranged

The Aube centre

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-07-01

This educational booklet is devoted to a general presentation of the Aube radioactive wastes storage centre. After a short presentation of the Andra, the French national agency for the management of radioactive wastes, it gives some general information about radioactive wastes (origin, classification), containers (quality assurance and different types), wastes transportation (planning, safety), and about the Aube centre itself: description, treatment and conditioning of drums (compacting and injection), storage facilities, geological situation of the site, and environmental controls. (J.S.)

Rationale and design for SHAREHD: a quality improvement collaborative to scale up Shared Haemodialysis Care for patients on centre based haemodialysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Fotheringham, James; Barnes, Tania; Dunn, Louese; Lee, Sonia; Ariss, Steven; Young, Tracey; Walters, Stephen J; Laboi, Paul; Henwood, Andy; Gair, Rachel; Wilkie, Martin

2017-11-24

The study objective is to assess the effectiveness and economic impact of a structured programme to support patient involvement in centre-based haemodialysis and to understand what works for whom in what circumstances and why. It implements a program of Shared Haemodialysis Care (SHC) that aims to improve experience and outcomes for those who are treated with centre-based haemodialysis, and give more patients the confidence to dialyse independently both at centres and at home. The 24 month mixed methods cohort evaluation of 600 prevalent centre based HD patients is nested within a 30 month quality improvement program that aims to scale up SHC at 12 dialysis centres across England. SHC describes an intervention where patients who receive centre-based haemodialysis are given the opportunity to learn, engage with and undertake tasks associated with their treatment. Following a 6-month set up period, a phased implementation programme is initiated across 12 dialysis units using a randomised stepped wedge design with 6 centres participating in each of 2 steps, each lasting 6 months. The intervention utilises quality improvement methodologies involving rapid tests of change to determine the most appropriate mechanisms for implementation in the context of a learning collaborative. Running parallel with the stepped wedge intervention is a mixed methods cohort evaluation that employs patient questionnaires and interviews, and will link with routinely collected data at the end of the study period. The primary outcome measure is the number of patients performing at least 5 dialysis-related tasks collected using 3 monthly questionnaires. Secondary outcomes measures include: the number of people choosing to perform home haemodialysis or dialyse independently in-centre by the end of the study period; end-user recommendation; home dialysis establishment delay; staff impact and confidence; hospitalisation; infection and health economics. The results from this study will provide

The Best Interests of the Child from different cultural perspectives : Factors influencing judgements of the quality of child-rearing environment and construct validity of the Best Interests of the Child-Questionnaire (BIC-Q) in Kosovo and Albania

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zevulun, Daniëlle; Post, Wendy J.; Zijlstra, A. Elianne; Kalverboer, Margrite E.; Knorth, Erik J.

2018-01-01

Child-rearing practices and beliefs of what determines a ‘good quality’ of child-rearing differ across cultural contexts and diverse interpretations can be given to “a child’s best interests”. This study aims to examine the cultural factors that influence judgements of the quality of children’s

FATHER-CHILD PLAY DURING THE PRESCHOOL YEARS AND CHILD INTERNALIZING BEHAVIORS: BETWEEN ROBUSTNESS AND VULNERABILITY.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahnert, Lieselotte; Teufl, Lukas; Ruiz, Nina; Piskernik, Bernhard; Supper, Barbara; Remiorz, Silke; Gesing, Alexander; Nowacki, Katja

2017-11-01

Play observations with a total of 400 toddlers and preschoolers were videotaped and rated for Intensity and Quality of play with their parents. Parents were asked about perceived stress and personality characteristics (Big 5). Child's motor, cognitive skills, temperament, and internalizing behaviors were assessed. Study 1 investigated the robustness of play across child age and gender, and examined differences between fathers and mothers. Study 2 explored the vulnerability of play with fathers of children born preterm (PT-fathers) and fathers who had experienced adverse childhoods (AC-fathers). Study 3 investigated child internalizing behaviors. Intensity of play was maintained almost independently of child age and gender. It was similar for AC- and PT-fathers, and similar to maternal Intensity. In contrast, paternal Quality of play was higher with boys and independent of fathers' personality and perceived parenting stress whereas maternal Quality of play was higher with girls and linked to mothers' perceived parenting competence, acceptability of the child, and neuroticism. AC-fathers scored significantly low on Quality, as did PT-fathers, but the Quality of their play became better with growing child age, birth weight, and cognitive (but not motor and temperament) scores. Finally, child internalizing behaviors were negatively related to paternal Quality of play. © 2017 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

The Relationship between Internal Teacher Profiles and the Quality of Teacher-Child Interactions in Prekindergarten

Science.gov (United States)

Decker-Woodrow, Lauren

2018-01-01

This study investigates the relationship between internal teacher profiles and pre-K teacher-child interaction quality in the pre-K classroom. Two questions were addressed: (1) What internal profiles exist for pre-kindergarten (pre-K) teachers? and (2) Do internal profiles relate to observed structural and process quality in the pre-K classroom?…

Optical studies of high quality synthetic diamond

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharp, S.J.

1999-01-01

This thesis is concerned with the study of fundamental and defect induced optical properties of synthetic diamond grown using high pressure, high temperature (HPHT) synthesis or chemical vapour deposition (CVD). The primary technique used for investigation is cathodoluminescence (including imaging and decay-time measurements) in addition to other forms of optical spectroscopy. This thesis is timely in that the crystallinity and purity of synthetic diamond has increased ten fold over the last few years. The diamond exciton emission, which is easily quenched by the presence of defects, is studied in high quality samples in detail. In addition the ability now exists to engineer the isotopic content of synthetic diamond to a high degree of accuracy. The experimental chapters are divided as follows: Chapter 2: High resolution, low temperature spectra reveal a splitting of the free-exciton phonon recombination emission peaks and the bound-exciton zero phonon line. Included are measurements of the variation in intensity and decay-time as a function of temperature. Chapter 3: The shift in energy of the phonon-assisted free-exciton phonon replicas with isotopic content has been measured. The shift is in agreement with the results of interatomic force model for phonon scattering due to isotope disorder. Chapter 4: A study of the shift in energy with isotopic content of the diamond of the GR1 band due to the neutral vacancy has allowed a verification of the theoretical predictions due to the Jahn Teller effect. Chapter 5: The spatial distribution of the free-exciton luminescence is studied in HPHT synthetic and CVD diamond. A variation in intensity with distance from the surface is interpreted as a significant non-radiative loss of excitons to the surface. Chapter 6: The decay-times of all known self-interstitial related centres have been measured in order to calculate the concentration of these centres present in electron irradiated diamond. (author)

The association between experiences with patient-centred care and health-related quality of life in women with endometriosis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Apers, Silke; Dancet, Eline A. F.; Aarts, Johanna W. M.; Kluivers, Kirsten B.; D'Hooghe, Thomas M.; Nelen, Willianne L. D. M.

2018-01-01

In this cross-sectional study, we investigated whether patient-centred endometriosis care (PCEC) is associated with health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Dutch-speaking women with endometriosis, treated by laparoscopy in a university clinic between 2009 and 2010, were eligible (n = 194).

Comparison between family power structure and the quality of parent-child interaction among the delinquent and non-delinquent adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Khodabakhshi Koolaee, Anahita; Shaghelani Lor, Hossein; Soleimani, Ali Akbar; Rahmatizadeh, Masoumeh

2014-06-01

Few studies indicate that most behavioral problems are due to family dysfunction and inappropriate family environment. It seems that the family of the delinquent adolescent is unbalanced in the power structure and parenting style. The present study compares the family power structure and parent-child relationship quality in delinquent and non-delinquent young subjects in Tehran. Eighty students of secondary schools aged between 15 and 18 in Tehran were enrolled with cluster sampling method and 80 delinquent adolescents of the Correction and Rehabilitation Centers aged between 15 and 18 were chosen with a convenience sampling method. They responded to an instrument of family power structure (Child-parents relationship inventory). Data was compared between these two groups by utilizing the independent and dependent t-test and Levene's test. The findings indicated there is a significant difference between delinquent and non-delinquent adolescents in family power structure and its subscales (P quality (P quality (P quality of parent-child relationship (P < 0.001). These results emphasize that an inappropriate decision making process pattern in a family has a significant effect on deviant behavior in adolescents. The fathers' parenting is more strongly linked to their sons' delinquency. So, family power structure and parent-child relationship can be considered in therapeutic interventions (prevention and treatment) for adolescents' delinquency.

Impact of Recession on the Parameters of Quality of Regional Centres and their Attractiveness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samo Drobne

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This paper explores the findings regarding the impact of recession that began in 2008 in Slovenia to the chosen parameters of quality of regional centres, which are reflected in their attractiveness. We wanted to test the assumption of the impact of recession to the attractiveness of regional centres to both internal migration and commuting flows. To this end, an adjusted gravity spatial interaction model was developed by evaluating regression coefficients. We analysedthe impacts of population size, distance, employment, gross personal income, municipality revenue per capita, average price per square metre of apartments and houses, and age structure in the municipality pertaining to the decision to potentially migrate or commute related to the migration and choice of workplace in the regional centre. The impact of the recession was analysed by comparing the estimations of regression coefficients before the recession (2007 and duringthe recession (2011. It is shown that during the recession, internal migrations to regional centres increased considerably, while commuting to regional centres did not change significantly. We alsoshowed that during the recession, the impact of the distance to the decision to migrate to regional centres slightly increased, while the impact of the distance to the decision to commute did not changesignificantly. Notably, during the crisis the impact of municipality revenue per capita in the regional centre to the analysed flows changed the most: during the recession, the decision to migrate and/orcommute to 'more prosperous' regional centres is made more easily.In the future, it is to be expected that local self-governments will make more effort to consider how to attract taxpayers to their local community and hence enrich the community, while the analysis of theseparameters will become more significant for the individual levels of the local self-government. Gravity models, such as the one used here, include different

Wide variation in sexually transmitted infection testing and counselling at Aboriginal primary health care centres in Australia: analysis of longitudinal continuous quality improvement data.

Science.gov (United States)

Nattabi, Barbara; Matthews, Veronica; Bailie, Jodie; Rumbold, Alice; Scrimgeour, David; Schierhout, Gill; Ward, James; Guy, Rebecca; Kaldor, John; Thompson, Sandra C; Bailie, Ross

2017-02-15

Chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis are readily treatable sexually transmitted infections (STIs) which continue to occur at high rates in Australia, particularly among Aboriginal Australians. This study aimed to: explore the extent of variation in delivery of recommended STI screening investigations and counselling within Aboriginal primary health care (PHC) centres; identify the factors associated with variation in screening practices; and determine if provision of STI testing and counselling increased with participation in continuous quality improvement (CQI). Preventive health audits (n = 16,086) were conducted at 137 Aboriginal PHC centres participating in the Audit and Best Practice for Chronic Disease Program, 2005-2014. STI testing and counselling data were analysed to determine levels of variation in chlamydia, syphilis and gonorrhoea testing and sexual health discussions. Multilevel logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with higher levels of STI-related service delivery and to quantify variation attributable to health centre and client characteristics. Significant variation in STI testing and counselling exists among Aboriginal PHC centres with health centre factors accounting for 43% of variation between health centres and jurisdictions. Health centre factors independently associated with higher levels of STI testing and counselling included provision of an adult health check (odds ratio (OR) 3.40; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 3.07-3.77) and having conducted 1-2 cycles of CQI (OR 1.34; 95% CI 1.16-1.55). Client factors associated with higher levels of STI testing and counselling were being female (OR 1.45; 95% CI 1.33-1.57), Aboriginal (OR 1.46; 95% CI 1.15-1.84) and aged 20-24 years (OR 3.84; 95% CI 3.07-4.80). For females, having a Pap smear test was also associated with STI testing and counselling (OR 4.39; 95% CI 3.84-5.03). There was no clear association between CQI experience beyond two CQI cycles and higher levels of

Quality of life and symptoms in patients with malignant diseases admitted to a comprehensive cancer centre

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Strömgren, Lene Annette Sand; Niemann, Carsten Utoft; Tange, Ulla Brix

2014-01-01

PURPOSE: Quality of life and symptomatology in patients with malignancies admitted to comprehensive cancer centres are rarely investigated. Thus, this study aimed to investigate symptomatology and health-related quality of life of inpatients with cancer. METHODS: A prospective, cross......-sample test, rank tests and Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-four patients were analysed, mean age = 59 years (SD = 13.7), 42 % admitted to haematological department; lung cancer was the most frequent diagnosis (15 %). Low health-related quality of life and severe symptom burden, especially...... in oncology patients (P = 0.0194 and 0.0064, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Patients in the wards of haematology and oncology had pronounced symptomatology and low quality of life. A more systematic focus on the amelioration of problems with functioning and symptoms among inpatients with malignant diseases...

Maternal stress and family quality of life in response to raising a child with autism: from preschool to adolescence.

Science.gov (United States)

McStay, Rebecca L; Trembath, David; Dissanayake, Cheryl

2014-11-01

While the impact of raising a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is well documented, with mothers reporting higher levels of stress than mothers of children with other disabilities, positive maternal outcomes have also been identified. What remains unclear, however, is the role of child age on maternal outcomes. We sought to clarify the role of child age in maternal stress and family quality of life (FQoL) in mothers raising a child with ASD. Participants included 140 mothers of children aged 3-16 years grouped to represent four key stages of childhood (preschool, early school years, middle school, early high school). Using a cross-sectional design, mothers completed questionnaires assessing potential risk (e.g., child problem behaviour, symptom severity) and protective (e.g., family characteristics) factors attributed to maternal outcomes. The results revealed significant age related group differences in child internalising behaviour and ASD symptomatology between the early and middle school years. Lower levels of adaptive social behaviour in older age groups were also found. Although mothers of older children reported significantly less support from professionals than mothers of younger children, no significant age effects were found to contribute to maternal reports of stress or FQoL. The current findings support the view that mothers appear to demonstrate stable levels of stress and FQoL despite fluctuations in key child variables and a reduction in supports, across age, highlighting the ongoing nature of maternal needs and heightened levels of child symptomatology during adolescence. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Merger of two dispatch centres: does it improve quality and patient safety?

Science.gov (United States)

Moser, Alexandre; Mettler, Annette; Fuchs, Vincent; Hanhart, Walter; Robert, Claude-François; Della Santa, Vincent; Dami, Fabrice

2017-04-13

Dispatch centres (DCs) are considered an essential but expensive component of many highly developed healthcare systems. The number of DCs in a country, region, or state is usually based on local history and often related to highly decentralised healthcare systems. Today, current technology (Global Positioning System or Internet access) abolishes the need for closeness between DCs and the population. Switzerland went from 22 DCs in 2006 to 17 today. This study describes from a quality and patient safety point of view the merger of two DCs. The study analysed the performance (over and under-triage) of two medical DCs for 12 months prior to merging and for 12 months again after the merger in 2015. Performance was measured comparing the priority level chosen by dispatcher and the severity of cases assessed by paramedics on site using the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) score. We ruled that NACA score > 3 (injuries/diseases which can possibly lead to deterioration of vital signs) to 7 (lethal injuries/diseases) should require a priority dispatch with lights and siren (L&S). While NACA score  3. Prior to merging, Dispatch A had a sensitivity/specificity regarding the use of lights and sirens and severity of cases of 86%/48% with over- and under-triage rates of 78% and 5%, respectively. Dispatch B had sensitivity and specificity of 92%/20% and over- and under-triage rates of 84% and 7%, respectively. After they merged, global sensitivity/specificity reached 87%/67%, and over- and under-triage rates were 71% and 3%, respectively CONCLUSIONS: A part the potential cost advantage achieved by the merger of two DCs, it can improve the quality of services to the population, reducing over- and under-triage and the use of lights and sirens and therefore, the risk of accidents. This is especially the case when a DC with poor triage performance merges with a high-performing DC.

Potential of Natural Ventilation in Shopping Centres

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Diederichsen, Alice; Friis, Kristina; Brohus, Henrik

2008-01-01

The indoor environmental quality (IEQ) is a fundamental requirement for a well performing shopping centre. This paper contains a pilot study of the potential of using hybrid ventilation (a combination of automatically controlled natural and mechanical ventilation - respectively NV and MV) in shop......The indoor environmental quality (IEQ) is a fundamental requirement for a well performing shopping centre. This paper contains a pilot study of the potential of using hybrid ventilation (a combination of automatically controlled natural and mechanical ventilation - respectively NV and MV......) in shopping centres with focus on both the achieved IEQ and energy consumptions for air movement. By thermal building simulations it is found that there exists an interesting potential for hybrid ventilation of shopping centres, which can lead to great savings in the electrical energy consumptions...

Person-centred positive emotions, object-centred negative emotions: 2-year-olds generalize negative but not positive emotions across individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaish, Amrisha; Grossmann, Tobias; Woodward, Amanda

2015-09-01

Prior work suggests that young children do not generalize others' preferences to new individuals. We hypothesized (following Vaish et al., 2008, Psychol. Bull., 134, 383-403) that this may only hold for positive emotions, which inform the child about the person's attitude towards the object but not about the positivity of the object itself. It may not hold for negative emotions, which additionally inform the child about the negativity of the object itself. Two-year-old children saw one individual (the emoter) emoting positively or negatively towards one and neutrally towards a second novel object. When a second individual then requested an object, children generalized the emoter's negative but not her positive emotion to the second individual. Children thus draw different inferences from others' positive versus negative emotions: Whereas they view others' positive emotions as person centred, they may view others' negative emotions as object centred and thus generalizable across people. The results are discussed with relation to the functions and implications of the negativity bias. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

Investigation of an Escherichia coli O145 outbreak in a child day-care centre - extensive sampling and characterization of eae- and stx1-positive E. coli yields epidemiological and socioeconomic insight

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruheim Torkjel

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background On October 29th 2009 the health authorities in the city of Trondheim, Norway were alerted about a case of Shiga toxin-positive E. coli (STEC O145 in a child with bloody diarrhoea attending a day-care centre. Symptomatic children in this day-care centre were sampled, thereby identifying three more cases. This initiated an outbreak investigation. Methods A case was defined as a child attending the day-care centre, in whom eae- and stx1- but not stx2-positive E. coli O145:H28 was diagnosed from a faecal sample, with multilocus variable number of tandem repeat analysis (MLVA profile identical to the index isolate. All 61 children, a staff of 14 in the day-care centre, and 74 close contacts submitted faecal samples. Staff and parents were interviewed about cases' exposure to foods and animals. Faecal samples from 31 ewes from a sheep herd to which the children were exposed were analyzed for E. coli O145. Results Sixteen cases were identified, from which nine presented diarrhoea but not haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS. The attack rate was 0.26, and varied between age groups (0.13-0.40 and between the three day-care centre departments (0.20-0.50, and was significantly higher amongst the youngest children. Median duration of shedding was 20 days (0-71 days. Children were excluded from the day-care centre during shedding, requiring parents to take compassionate leave, estimated to be a minimum total of 406 days for all cases. Atypical enteropathogenic E. coli (aEPEC were detected among 14 children other than cases. These isolates were genotypically different from the outbreak strain. Children in the day-care centre were exposed to faecal pollution from a sheep herd, but E. coli O145 was not detected in the sheep. Conclusions We report an outbreak of stx1- and eae-positive STEC O145:H28 infection with mild symptoms among children in a day-care centre. Extensive sampling showed occurrence of the outbreak strain as well as other STEC and

Early relations between language development and the quality of mother-child interaction in very-low-birth-weight children.

Science.gov (United States)

Stolt, S; Korja, R; Matomäki, J; Lapinleimu, H; Haataja, L; Lehtonen, L

2014-05-01

It is not clearly understood how the quality of early mother-child interaction influences language development in very-low-birth-weight children (VLBW). We aim to analyze associations between early language and the quality of mother-child interaction, and, the predictive value of the features of early mother-child interaction on language development at 24 months of corrected age in VLBW children. A longitudinal prospective follow-up study design was used. The participants were 28 VLBW children and 34 full-term controls. Language development was measured using different methods at 6, 12 and at 24 months of age. The quality of mother-child interaction was assessed using PC-ERA method at 6 and at 12 months of age. Associations between the features of early interaction and language development were different in the groups of VLBW and full-term children. There were no significant correlations between the features of mother-child interaction and language skills when measured at the same age in the VLBW group. Significant longitudinal correlations were detected in the VLBW group especially if the quality of early interactions was measured at six months and language skills at 2 years of age. However, when the predictive value of the features of early interactions for later poor language performance was analyzed separately, the features of early interaction predicted language skills in the VLBW group only weakly. The biological factors may influence on the language development more in the VLBW children than in the full-term children. The results also underline the role of maternal and dyadic factors in early interactions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

La calidad del cuidado infantil: Un resumen para padres (Child Care Quality: An Overview for Parents). ERIC Digest.

Science.gov (United States)

Patten, Peggy; Ricks, Omar Benton

Many parents want to know how important the quality of care is to children's social, emotional, and academic development. This Digest synthesizes some major recent research on child care quality. First, the Digest explains what features contribute to quality of care. The Digest also explains the differences between studies of how quality is…

Quality Improvement in Home-Based Child Care Settings: Research Resources to Inform Policy

Science.gov (United States)

Lawrence, Sharmila; Stephens, Samuel A.

2016-01-01

This "Topic of Interest" provides a comprehensive list of research in the Research Connections collection that was published in 2005 or later addressing issues related to quality improvement specifically in home-based child care. The resources are grouped under the following headings: Overviews, Summaries, and Reviews of Quality…

Community-Level Sanitation Coverage More Strongly Associated with Child Growth and Household Drinking Water Quality than Access to a Private Toilet in Rural Mali

Science.gov (United States)

2017-01-01

Sanitation access can provide positive externalities; for example, safe disposal of feces by one household prevents disease transmission to households nearby. However, little empirical evidence exists to characterize the potential health benefits from sanitation externalities. This study investigated the effect of community sanitation coverage versus individual household sanitation access on child health and drinking water quality. Using a census of 121 villages in rural Mali, we analyzed the association of community latrine coverage (defined by a 200 m radius surrounding a household) and individual household latrine ownership with child growth and household stored water quality. Child height-for-age had a significant and positive linear relationship with community latrine coverage, while child weight-for-age and household water quality had nonlinear relationships that leveled off above 60% coverage (p water quality were not associated with individual household latrine ownership. The relationship between community latrine coverage and child height was strongest among households without a latrine; for these households, each 10% increase in latrine coverage was associated with a 0.031 (p-value = 0.040) increase in height-for-age z-score. In this study, the level of sanitation access of surrounding households was more important than private latrine access for protecting water quality and child health. PMID:28514143

The impact of prenatal care quality on neonatal, infant and child mortality in Zimbabwe: evidence from the demographic and health surveys.

Science.gov (United States)

Makate, Marshall; Makate, Clifton

2017-04-01

The impact of the quality of prenatal care on child mortality outcomes has received less attention in sub-Saharan Africa. This study endeavoured to explore the effect of the quality of prenatal care and its individual components on neonatal, infant and under-five mortality. The empirical analysis uses data from the three most recent waves of the nationally representative Demographic and Health Survey for Zimbabwe conducted in 1999, 2005/06 and 2010/11. The results indicate that a one-unit increase in the quality of prenatal care lowers the prospect of neonatal, infant and under-five mortality by approximately 42.33, 30.86 and 28.65%, respectively. These findings remained roughly the same even after adjusting for potential mediating factors. Examining the effect of individual prenatal care components on child mortality revealed that women who receive information on possible complications arising during pregnancy are less liable to experience a neonatal death. Similarly, women who had blood pressure checks and tetanus immunizations were less likely to experience an infant or under-five death. We did not find any statistically meaningful impact on child mortality outcomes of blood and urine sample checks, iron tablet consumption, and the receipt of malarial tablets. Overall, our results suggest the need for public health policymakers to focus on ensuring high-quality prenatal care to enhance the survival prospects of Zimbabwe's infants. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Screening for congenital heart malformation in child health centres

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R.E. Juttmann (Rikard); J. Hess (Jakob); C.W.N. Looman (Caspar); G.J. van Oortmarssen (Gerrit); P.J. van der Maas (Paul)

1998-01-01

textabstractBACKGROUND: Although screening for congenital heart malformations is part of the child health care programme in several countries, there are very few published evaluations of these activities. This report is concerned with the evaluation of this screening at

Influence of the Integral Quality Monitor transmission detector on high energy photon beams: A multi-centre study.

Science.gov (United States)

Casar, Bozidar; Pasler, Marlies; Wegener, Sonja; Hoffman, David; Talamonti, Cinzia; Qian, Jianguo; Mendez, Ignasi; Brojan, Denis; Perrin, Bruce; Kusters, Martijn; Canters, Richard; Pallotta, Stefania; Peterlin, Primoz

2017-09-01

The influence of the Integral Quality Monitor (IQM) transmission detector on photon beam properties was evaluated in a preclinical phase, using data from nine participating centres: (i) the change of beam quality (beam hardening), (ii) the influence on surface dose, and (iii) the attenuation of the IQM detector. For 6 different nominal photon energies (4 standard, 2 FFF) and square field sizes from 1×1cm 2 to 20×20cm 2 , the effect of IQM on beam quality was assessed from the PDD 20,10 values obtained from the percentage dose depth (PDD) curves, measured with and without IQM in the beam path. The change in surface dose with/without IQM was assessed for all available energies and field sizes from 4×4cm 2 to 20×20cm 2 . The transmission factor was calculated by means of measured absorbed dose at 10cm depth for all available energies and field sizes. (i) A small (0.11-0.53%) yet statistically significant beam hardening effect was observed, depending on photon beam energy. (ii) The increase in surface dose correlated with field size (pphoton energies except for 18MV. The change in surface dose was smaller than 3.3% in all cases except for the 20×20cm 2 field and 10MV FFF beam, where it reached 8.1%. (iii) For standard beams, transmission of the IQM showed a weak dependence on the field size, and a pronounced dependence on the beam energy (0.9412 for 6MV to 0.9578 for 18MV and 0.9440 for 6MV FFF; 0.9533 for 10MV FFF). The effects of the IQM detector on photon beam properties were found to be small yet statistically significant. The magnitudes of changes which were found justify treating IQM either as tray factors within the treatment planning system (TPS) for a particular energy or alternatively as modified outputs for specific beam energy of linear accelerators, which eases the introduction of the IQM into clinical practice. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Influence of the Integral Quality Monitor transmission detector on high energy photon beams. A multi-centre study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Casar, Bozidar [Institute of Oncology, Ljubljana (Slovenia). Dept. of Radiation Physics; Pasler, Marlies [Lake Constance Radiation Oncology Center, Singen and Friedrichshafen (Germany); Wegener, Sonja [Wuerzburg Univ. (Germany). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; and others

2017-10-01

The influence of the Integral Quality Monitor (IQM) transmission detector on photon beam properties was evaluated in a preclinical phase, using data from nine participating centres: (i) the change of beam quality (beam hardening), (ii) the influence on surface dose, and (iii) the attenuation of the IQM detector. For 6 different nominal photon energies (4 standard, 2 FFF) and square field sizes from 1 x 1 cm{sup 2} to 20 x 20 cm{sup 2}, the effect of IQM on beam quality was assessed from the PDD{sub 20,10} values obtained from the percentage dose depth (PDD) curves, measured with and without IQM in the beam path. The change in surface dose with/without IQM was assessed for all available energies and field sizes from 4 x 4 cm{sup 2} to 20 x 20 cm{sup 2}. The transmission factor was calculated by means of measured absorbed dose at 10 cm depth for all available energies and field sizes. (i) A small (0.11-0.53%) yet statistically significant beam hardening effect was observed, depending on photon beam energy. (ii) The increase in surface dose correlated with field size (p < 0.01) for all photon energies except for 18 MV. The change in surface dose was smaller than 3.3% in all cases except for the 20 x 20 cm{sup 2} field and 10 MV FFF beam, where it reached 8.1%. (iii) For standard beams, transmission of the IQM showed a weak dependence on the field size, and a pronounced dependence on the beam energy (0.9412 for 6 MV to 0.9578 for 18 MV and 0.9440 for 6 MV FFF; 0.9533 for 10 MV FFF). The effects of the IQM detector on photon beam properties were found to be small yet statistically significant. The magnitudes of changes which were found justify treating IQM either as tray factors within the treatment planning system (TPS) for a particular energy or alternatively as modified outputs for specific beam energy of linear accelerators, which eases the introduction of the IQM into clinical practice.

Quality of Parent-Child Relationship, Family Conflict, Peer Pressure, and Drinking Behaviors of Adolescents in an Asian Context: The Case of Singapore

Science.gov (United States)

Choo, Hyekyung; Shek, Daniel

2013-01-01

Analyzing data from a probability sample representative of secondary school students in Singapore (N = 1,599), this study examined the independent impact between the quality of mother-child relationship, the quality of father-child relationship and family conflict on the frequency of drinking and drunkenness, and whether each dyadic parent-child…

Promoting integration of immigrants. Effects of free child care on child enrollment and parental employment

OpenAIRE

Nina Drange; Kjetil Telle

2015-01-01

Proficiency in the language spoken by the majority population may be crucial for the cognitive development of children from immigrant families. High-quality child care is believed to promote such language skills, and it is thus of concern that children from immigrant families are underrepresented in formal child care across OECD countries. How can we increase their participation, and can such participation improve family integration? We study an intervention in some districts of Oslo where ch...

Mothers' Transition Back to Work and Infants' Transition to Child Care: Does Work-Based Child Care Make a Difference?

Science.gov (United States)

Skouteris, Helen; McCaught, Simone; Dissanayake, Cheryl

2007-01-01

The overall aim in this study was twofold: to compare the use of work-based (WB) and non-work-based (NWB) child care on the transition back to the workplace for women after a period of maternity leave, and on the transition into child care for the infants of these women. Thirty-five mothers with infants in WB centres and 44 mothers with infants in…

Quality assessment of structure and language elements of written responses given by seven Scandinavian drug information centres

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reppe, Linda Amundstuen; Spigset, Olav; Kampmann, Jens Peter

2017-01-01

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify structure and language elements affecting the quality of responses from Scandinavian drug information centres (DICs). METHODS: Six different fictitious drug-related queries were sent to each of seven Scandinavian DICs. The centres were blinded for wh...... on drug-related queries with respect to language and text structure. Giving specific advice and precise conclusions and avoiding too compressed language and non-standard abbreviations may aid to reach this goal....... of responses was generally judged as satisfactory to good. Presenting specific advice and conclusions were considered to improve the quality of the responses. However, small nuances in language formulations could affect the individual judgments of the experts, e.g. on whether or not advice was given. Some...... and explaining pharmacological terms to ensure that enquirers understand the response as intended. In addition, more use of active voice and less compressed text structure would be desirable. CONCLUSIONS: This evaluation of responses to DIC queries may give some indications on how to improve written responses...

Intra-Cultural Variation in Child Care Practices in Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Toyama, Noriko

2016-01-01

This study, comprising three sub-studies, aims to examine how child-rearing practices vary according to different social circumstances in Japan. By comparing teacher-child interaction at mealtimes in day care centres both on an isolated small island located in Okinawa prefecture, Tarama, and in a large industrialised city, Tokyo, the following was…

Biobehavioral Factors in Child Health Outcomes: The Roles of Maternal Stress, Maternal-Child Engagement, Salivary Cortisol, and Salivary Testosterone.

Science.gov (United States)

Clowtis, Licia M; Kang, Duck-Hee; Padhye, Nikhil S; Rozmus, Cathy; Barratt, Michelle S

2016-01-01

Exposure to high levels of maternal stress and ineffective maternal-child engagement (MC-E) may adversely affect child health-related outcomes. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of maternal stress and MC-E on maternal and child biological responses (salivary cortisol and testosterone) and child health outcome in mother-child dyads of preschool children (3-5.9 years) in a low socioeconomic setting. Observational and biobehavioral data were collected from 50 mother-child dyads in a preschool setting. Assessments included maternal stress with the Perceived Stress Scale, child health outcomes with the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, and MC-E with videotaped mother-child interactions and scored with the Keys to Interactive Parenting Scale. Morning and evening saliva samples were collected from mother and child for biological assays. Maternal stress was negatively correlated with MC-E (r = -.32, p health outcome (r = -.33, p health outcome. Maternal stress and MC-E during mother-child interactions play a significant role in the regulation of child stress physiology and child health outcome. Elevated cortisol and testosterone related to high maternal stress and low MC-E may increase the child's vulnerability to negative health outcomes-if sustained. More biobehavioral research is needed to understand how parent-child interactions affect child development and health outcomes in early childhood.

Imaging and Diagnosis of Physical Child Abuse.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Marlene M

2017-09-01

Child abuse involves grave and disturbing acts of violence that can have lasting physical and emotional consequences for children and their families. The diagnosis of child abuse is emotionally difficult for those involved, and an error in judgment either way can have a detrimental effect on the health and safety of the child. Physicians rely on the skills of the imaging team to produce high-quality images that assist in differentiating inflicted injuries from accidental trauma. This article explores the significance of imaging in child abuse by discussing the types of injuries that occur and the imaging studies that aid in diagnosing physical child abuse. ©2017 American Society of Radiologic Technologists.

The Relation of Parent-Child Interaction Qualities to Social Skills in Children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

Haven, Erin L.; Manangan, Christen N.; Sparrow, Joanne K.; Wilson, Beverly J.

2014-01-01

This study examined associations between parent-child interactions and the development of social skills in 42 children (21 typically developing and 21 with autism spectrum disorders) between the ages of 3 years, 0 months and 6 years, 11 months. We expected that positive parent-child interaction qualities would be related to children's social…

Off-Label Prescription of Psychopharmacological Drugs in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Braüner, Julie Vestergaard; Johansen, Lily Manzello; Roesbjerg, Troels M I

2016-01-01

This study aimed to describe the frequency of off-label prescriptions of psychopharmacological drugs in a child and adolescent psychiatric setting. A cross-sectional study was conducted on November 1, 2014, including all inpatients and outpatients at the Mental Health Centre for Child...

Deciding on child maltreatment: A literature review on methods that improve decision-making.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartelink, Cora; van Yperen, Tom A; ten Berge, Ingrid J

2015-11-01

Assessment and decision-making in child maltreatment cases is difficult. Practitioners face many uncertainties and obstacles during their assessment and decision-making process. Research exhibits shortcomings in this decision-making process. The purpose of this literature review is to identify and discuss methods to overcome these shortcomings. We conducted a systematic review of the published literature on decision-making using PsychINFO and MEDLINE from 2000 through May 2014. We included reviews and quantitative research studies that investigated methods aimed at improving professional decision-making on child abuse and neglect in child welfare and child protection. Although many researchers have published articles on decision-making including ideas and theories to improve professional decision-making, empirical research on these improvements is scarce. Available studies have shown promising results. Structured decision-making has created a greater child-centred and holistic approach that takes the child's family and environment into account, which has made practitioners work more systematically and improved the analysis of complex situations. However, this approach has not improved inter-rater agreement on decisions made. Shared decision-making may improve the participation of parents and children and the quality of decisions by taking client treatment preferences into account in addition to scientific evidence and clinical experience. A number of interesting developments appear in recent research literature; however, child welfare and child protection must find additional inspiration from other areas, e.g., mental health services, because research on decision-making processes in child welfare and child protection is still rare. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Delivering Service Quality in Alcohol Treatment: A Qualitative Comparison of Public and Private Treatment Centres by Service Users and Service Providers

Science.gov (United States)

Resnick, Sheilagh M.; Griffiths, Mark D.

2012-01-01

In the UK, quality of care has now been placed at the centre of the National Health Service (NHS) modernisation programme. To date, there has been little research on the service quality delivery of alcohol treatment services from the perspective of both the service user and service provider. Therefore, this qualitative study explored the…

Child-targeted TV advertising and preschoolers' consumption of high-sugar breakfast cereals.

Science.gov (United States)

Longacre, Meghan R; Drake, Keith M; Titus, Linda J; Harris, Jennifer; Cleveland, Lauren P; Langeloh, Gail; Hendricks, Kristy; Dalton, Madeline A

2017-01-01

Breakfast cereals represent the most highly advertised packaged food on child-targeted television, and most ads are for cereals high in sugar. This study examined whether children's TV exposure to child-targeted, high-sugar breakfast cereal (SBC) ads was associated with their consumption of those SBC brands. Parents of 3- to 5-year-old children were recruited from pediatric and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clinics in Southern New Hampshire, USA, and completed a cross-sectional survey between April-December 2013. Parents reported their child's consumption of SBC brands; whether their child had watched any of 11 kids' channels in the past week; their child's TV viewing time; and socio-demographics. Children's exposure to child-targeted SBC TV ads was calculated by combining TV channel and viewing time with advertising data for SBC ads aired on kids' TV channels during the same timeframe. Five hundred forty-eight parents completed surveys; 52.7% had an annual household income of $50,000 or less. Children's mean age was 4.4 years, 51.6% were female, and 72.5% were non-Hispanic white. In the past week, 56.9% (N = 312) of children ate SBCs advertised on kids' channels. Overall, 40.6% of children were exposed to child-targeted SBC TV ads in the past week. In fully adjusted analyses, the number of SBC brands children consumed was positively associated with their exposure to child-targeted SBC ads. Children consumed 14% (RR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.27) more SBC brands for every 10 SBC ads seen in the past 7 days. Exposure to child-targeted SBC TV advertising is positively associated with SBC brand consumption among preschool-aged children. These findings support recommendations to limit the marketing of high-sugar foods to young children. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing quality of life: mother-child agreement in depressed and non-depressed Hungarian.

Science.gov (United States)

Kiss, Eniko; Kapornai, Krisztina; Baji, Ildikó; Mayer, László; Vetró, Agnes

2009-05-01

An important question in child psychiatry is the agreement between parents and children. We studied mother-child concordance about the quality of life of children (QoL). We hypothesized that mothers of depressed children rate lower QoL than children for themselves while mothers of non-depressed children rate better QoL; that inter-informant agreement is higher in the non-depressed sample; and finally that agreement increases with age of the child. QoL of depressed children (N = 248, mean age 11.45 years, SD 2.02) were compared to that of non-depressed children (N = 1695, mean age 10.34 years, SD 2.19). QoL was examined by a 7 item questionnaire (ILK). Mothers of depressed children rated lower QoL than their children while mothers of nondepressed children rated higher QoL than their children. Agreement was low in both samples but higher in the controls. Inter-informant agreement was only influenced by depression. Our results show that mothers relate more serious negative effects to childhood depression than their children and rate less problems for their non-depressed children compared to self-reports. Mother-child agreement is negatively influenced by depression which further stresses the importance of obtaining reports from the child and at least one parent in order to understand the subjective experiences caused by the illness.

The Role of Distance and Quality on Facility Selection for Maternal and Child Health Services in Urban Kenya.

Science.gov (United States)

Escamilla, Veronica; Calhoun, Lisa; Winston, Jennifer; Speizer, Ilene S

2018-02-01

Universal access to health care requires service availability and accessibility for those most in need of maternal and child health services. Women often bypass facilities closest to home due to poor quality. Few studies have directly linked individuals to facilities where they sought maternal and child health services and examined the role of distance and quality on this facility choice. Using endline data from a longitudinal survey from a sample of women in five cities in Kenya, we examine the role of distance and quality on facility selection for women using delivery, facility-based contraceptives, and child health services. A survey of public and private facilities offering reproductive health services was also conducted. Distances were measured between household cluster location and both the nearest facility and facility where women sought care. A quality index score representing facility infrastructure, staff, and supply characteristics was assigned to each facility. We use descriptive statistics to compare distance and quality between the nearest available facility and visited facility among women who bypassed the nearest facility. Facility distance and quality comparisons were also stratified by poverty status. Logistic regression models were used to measure associations between the quality and distance to the nearest facility and bypassing for each outcome. The majority of women bypassed the nearest facility regardless of service sought. Women bypassing for delivery traveled the furthest and had the fewest facility options near their residential cluster. Poor women bypassing for delivery traveled 4.5 km further than non-poor women. Among women who bypassed, two thirds seeking delivery and approximately 46% seeking facility-based contraception or child health services bypassed to a public hospital. Both poor and non-poor women bypassed to higher quality facilities. Our findings suggest that women in five cities in Kenya prefer public hospitals and are

Parent-child interaction in motor speech therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Namasivayam, Aravind Kumar; Jethava, Vibhuti; Pukonen, Margit; Huynh, Anna; Goshulak, Debra; Kroll, Robert; van Lieshout, Pascal

2018-01-01

This study measures the reliability and sensitivity of a modified Parent-Child Interaction Observation scale (PCIOs) used to monitor the quality of parent-child interaction. The scale is part of a home-training program employed with direct motor speech intervention for children with speech sound disorders. Eighty-four preschool age children with speech sound disorders were provided either high- (2×/week/10 weeks) or low-intensity (1×/week/10 weeks) motor speech intervention. Clinicians completed the PCIOs at the beginning, middle, and end of treatment. Inter-rater reliability (Kappa scores) was determined by an independent speech-language pathologist who assessed videotaped sessions at the midpoint of the treatment block. Intervention sensitivity of the scale was evaluated using a Friedman test for each item and then followed up with Wilcoxon pairwise comparisons where appropriate. We obtained fair-to-good inter-rater reliability (Kappa = 0.33-0.64) for the PCIOs using only video-based scoring. Child-related items were more strongly influenced by differences in treatment intensity than parent-related items, where a greater number of sessions positively influenced parent learning of treatment skills and child behaviors. The adapted PCIOs is reliable and sensitive to monitor the quality of parent-child interactions in a 10-week block of motor speech intervention with adjunct home therapy. Implications for rehabilitation Parent-centered therapy is considered a cost effective method of speech and language service delivery. However, parent-centered models may be difficult to implement for treatments such as developmental motor speech interventions that require a high degree of skill and training. For children with speech sound disorders and motor speech difficulties, a translated and adapted version of the parent-child observation scale was found to be sufficiently reliable and sensitive to assess changes in the quality of the parent-child interactions during

Developmental enamel defects and their impact on child oral health-related quality of life

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabiana Vargas-Ferreira

2011-12-01

Full Text Available This cross-sectional study assessed the impact of Developmental Enamel Defects (DED on Child Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (COHRQoL. A sample of 944 11- to 14-year-old Brazilian schoolchildren was examined for the prevalence and severity of DED. The children completed the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ11-14, and socioeconomic status was also collected using a questionnaire. Poisson regression models were used to assess the association between DED and overall and domain-specific CPQ11-14 scores. The prevalence of DED was 19.7%. In general, children with DED did not indicate any decrease in self-perception. However, this condition was associated with an impact on the functional limitation domain. The presence of DED may cause negative impacts on a child's perception of oral health and on their daily performance.

Contextualising ECEC Research: The Case of Slovenia

Science.gov (United States)

Vidmar, Maša

2015-01-01

In the present study the longitudinal relations between quantity of centre-based child care (in months) and teacher reports of internalising and externalising behaviour in the first and second grades were examined for 325 Slovenian children. The socio-political context of affordable, accessible and homogenously high-quality child care is quite…

Methods in Mapping Usability of Malaysia’s Shopping Centre

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdul Ghani Aida Affina

2016-01-01

Full Text Available With more than 200 number of shopping centre in Klang Valley itself, we the consumer actually have vast of choices. Instead of the machineries varieties from the lower class product till the posh one, each of those shopping centres eventually offers the typical product same as others. Those shopping centers are competing with each other and in great endeavour to attract more consumers, to visit and spend. As for the visitor, the typical product and boring ambience seems similar in all malls, and is looking something beyond the standard. Something that promising quality embedded in shopping centre which evokes the various emotions of the user along their journey in malls. This quality is known as usability. Usability; as defined generally is a global user’s experience response with product, environment, service or facilities. It is an assessment in extracting the qualities of shopping centre design. In mapping it, there are a few synthesizing methods to implement it. Therefore, this paper purposely to review the method that been used in usability of Malaysia’s shopping centre research with a few references on previous research done in usability assessment by predecessor’s scholars. With the accentuation on three elements that anchoring what the usability is: effectiveness, efficient and satisfaction, it is hope that this overview can lead other researcher in portraying its relationship with the quality and ‘user friendly’ design of shopping centre.

Quality of life among immigrants in Swedish immigration detention centres: a cross-sectional questionnaire study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soorej J. Puthoopparambil

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Background: Detention of immigrants negatively affects their health and well-being. Quality of life (QOL is a broad concept incorporating the self-evaluation of one's own health and well-being that can provide an understanding of the health and well-being of immigrant detainees. The aim of this study was to estimate QOL among immigrant detainees in Sweden and to assess its relationship with the services provided in detention centres and with the duration of detention. Design: All immigrants in all five existing Swedish detention centres (N=193 were invited to participate in the study (n=127. In this cross-sectional study, QOL was measured using the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, which was administered by the first author. The questionnaire contained four additional questions measuring participants’ satisfaction with the services provided in detention. Associations between QOL domain scores and service satisfaction scores were assessed using regression analysis. The Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was calculated to measure the degree of association between the duration of detention and QOL scores. Results: The mean QOL domain scores (out of 100 were 47.0, 57.5, 41.9, and 60.5 for the environmental, physical, psychological, and social domains, respectively. The level of support detainees received from detention staff was significantly positively associated with detainees’ physical (βadjusted 3.93, confidence interval [CI] 0.06–7.80 and psychological (βadjusted 5.72, CI 1.77–9.66 domain scores. There was also significant positive association between detainees’ satisfaction with the care they received from detention staff and the domain scores. The general health score in the WHOQOL-BREF was significantly associated with the detainees’ ability to understand the Swedish or English languages. Although not statistically significant, a longer duration of detention was negatively correlated with QOL scores. Conclusion: Immigrant

An Examination of the Impact of an Assistive Technology Device on the Quality of Adult/Young Child Interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Plunkett, Diane M.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to gain greater understanding of the potential benefits of assistive technology (AT) devices on young children's social development. Specifically, changes to the quality of the adult/young child social interactions as a function of the child's access to and use of his/her personal AT device was examined. Using a…

Early Brain and Child Development: Connections to Early Education and Child Care

Science.gov (United States)

Romano, Judith T.

2013-01-01

The vast majority of young children spend time in settings outside of the home, and the nature of those settings directly impacts the child's health and development. The ecobiodevelopmental framework of early brain and child development serve as the backdrop for establishing quality. This article describes the use of quality rating systems,…

Child care and the development of behavior problems among economically disadvantaged children in middle childhood.

Science.gov (United States)

Votruba-Drzal, Elizabeth; Coley, Rebekah Levine; Maldonado-Carreño, Carolina; Li-Grining, Christine P; Chase-Lansdale, P Lindsay

2010-01-01

Research examining the longer term influences of child care on children's development has expanded in recent years, but few studies have considered low-income children's experiences in community care arrangements. Using data from the Three-City Study (N=349), the present investigation examines the influences of child care quality, extent and type on low-income children's development of behavior problems during middle childhood (7-11 years old). Higher levels of child care quality were linked to moderate reductions in externalizing behavior problems. High-quality child care was especially protective against the development of behavior problems for boys and African American children. Child care type and the extent of care that children experienced were generally unrelated to behavior problems in middle childhood. © 2010 The Authors. Child Development © 2010 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Behavior problems in middle childhood: the predictive role of maternal distress, child attachment, and mother-child interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Dubois-Comtois, Karine; Moss, Ellen; Cyr, Chantal; Pascuzzo, Katherine

2013-11-01

The objective of the study was to examine the longitudinal relation between early school-age measures of maternal psychosocial distress, quality of mother-child interactions, and child attachment behavior, and behavior problem profiles in middle childhood using a multi-informant design. Participants were 243 French-speaking mother-child dyads (122 girls) who were part of an ongoing longitudinal project. Maternal psychosocial distress was assessed when children were between 4 and 6 years of age. Mother-child interactive quality and attachment patterns were observed at age 6 during a laboratory visit. At age 8.5, externalizing and internalizing problems were assessed using mother and child reports. Results show that maternal psychosocial distress predicted later social adaptation reported by the child through the mediation of mother-child interactions. Analyses also revealed that higher maternal psychosocial distress and controlling attachment patterns, either of the punitive or caregiving type, significantly predicted membership in both child internalizing and externalizing clinical problem groups. Lower mother-child interactive quality, male gender, and child ambivalent attachment were also predictors of externalizing clinical problems.

Comparison of high- versus low-intensity community health worker intervention to promote newborn and child health in Northern Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Findley SE

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Sally E Findley,1 Omolara T Uwemedimo,2 Henry V Doctor,1,3 Cathy Green,4 Fatima Adamu,5 Godwin Y Afenyadu61Department of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; 2Pediatric Global Health Program, Cohen Children’s Medical Centre of New York, Division of General Pediatrics, New Hyde Park, NY, USA; 3Operations Research Unit, Programme for Reviving Routine Immunization in Northern Nigeria-Maternal Newborn and Child Health (PRRINN-MNCH, Abia State House, Abuja, Nigeria; 4Health Partners International, Waterside Centre, Lewes, East Sussex, United Kingdom; 5Social Development and Community Engagement Unit, 6Operations Research Unit, PRRINN-MNCH Programme, Nassarawa GRA, Kano State, NigeriaBackground: In Northern Nigeria, infant mortality rates are two to three times higher than in the southern states, and, in 2008, a partnership program to improve maternal, newborn, and child health was established to reduce infant and child mortality in three Northern Nigeria states. The program intervention zones received government-supported health services plus integrated interventions at primary health care posts and development of community-based service delivery (CBSD with a network of community volunteers and community health workers (CHWs, who focus on educating women about danger signs for themselves and their infants and promoting appropriate responses to the observation of those danger signs, consistent with the approach of the World Health Organization Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illness strategy. Before going to scale in the rest of the state, it is important to identify the relative effectiveness of the low-intensity volunteer approach versus the more intensive CBSD approach with CHWs.Methods: We conducted stratified cluster sample household surveys at baseline (2009 and follow-up (2011 to assess changes in newborn and sick child care practices among women with births in

KWARTA (Quality Assurance in the Radiotherapy centres of the Antwerp province): Quality control of the contract therapy machine and treatment planning system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Ost, B; Schaeken, B; Vanregemorter, J [Algemeen Ziekenhuis Middelheim, Antwerp (Belgium); Bellekens, L [Sint-Vincentius Ziekenhuis, Antwerp (Belgium); Cardoen, R; Pieters, D [Medisch Instituut Sint Augustinus, Wilrijk (Belgium); Goossens, H [Sint-Elisabeth Ziekenhuis, Turnhout (Belgium); Haest, K; Mertens, N [Sint Norbertus Ziekenhuis, Duffel (Belgium)

1995-12-01

During the first year of the provincial QA project, joint procedures were set up for the routine quality control of linear accelerators, Cobalt treatment machines and simulators. A set of standard forms was produced for use in all centres, respecting the differences in each individual machine. Since forms are now in use in all centres, the second year of the project mainly focused on the QA/QC of the contract therapy machine and treatment planning system. QC measurements for the contract therapy machines were performed in air or in a phantom. Since the output was checked with the same ionisation chamber (0.33 cc flat chamber calibrated for 50 kV) and the same type of electrometer in all centres, the results could be compared mutually and with the reference values. The major parameter groups, tested for the treatment planning system were: isodose distribution (visual control of all square fields in the database of the system), PDD data (analysing of 10 x 10 cm{sup 2}, 20 x 20 cm{sup 2}, 30 x 30 cm{sup 2} and 40 x 40 cm{sup 2} open or wedged fields), output factors, wedge and tray factors, inverse square law, geometrical testing of the digitizer - screen - printer and geometrical and densitometrical testing of the CT images - screen - printer. Between 496 and 1243 parameters were investigated in the different centres (depending on the presence of the electron data). Irregularities (0 % to 4 % of the total investigated parameters) were reported to the respective physicist.

Relationship-Focused Child Care Practices: Quality of Care and Child Outcomes for Children in Poverty

Science.gov (United States)

Owen, Margaret Tresch; Klausli, Julia F.; Mata-Otero, Ana-Maria; Caughy, Margaret O'Brien

2008-01-01

Research Findings: Child care delivery practices promoting continuous, primary caregiver-child relationships (relationship-focused child care) were evaluated for 223 preschool-age children (45% African American, 55% Latino) attending child care centers serving low-income children. Both relationship-focused and non-relationship-focused centers were…

Do NHS walk-in centres in England provide a model of integrated care?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Salisbury

2003-08-01

Full Text Available Purpose: To undertake a comprehensive evaluation of NHS walk-in centres against criteria of improved access, quality, user satisfaction and efficiency. Context: Forty NHS walk-in centres have been opened in England, as part of the UK governments agenda to modernise the NHS. They are intended to improve access to primary care, provide high quality treatment at convenient times, and reduce inappropriate demand on other NHS providers. Care is provided by nurses rather than doctors, using computerised algorithms, and nurses use protocols to supply treatments previously only available from doctors. Data sources: Several linked studies were conducted using different sources of data and methodologies. These included routinely collected data, site visits, patient interviews, a survey of users of walk-in centres, a study using simulated patients to assess quality of care, analysis of consultation rates in NHS services near to walk-in centres, and audit of compliance with protocols. Conclusion & discussion: The findings illustrate many of the issues described in a recent WHO reflective paper on Integrated Care, including tensions between professional judgement and use of protocols, problems with incompatible IT systems, balancing users' demands and needs, the importance of understanding health professionals' roles and issues of technical versus allocative efficiency.

Mother-child and father-child interaction with their 24-month-old children during feeding, considering paternal involvement and the child's temperament in a community sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Cerniglia, Luca; Cimino, Silvia; Ballarotto, Giulia

2014-01-01

The article aims to study mother-child and father-child interactions with 24-month-old children during feeding, considering the possible influence of time spent by the parent with the child, the infantile temperament, and the parental psychological profile. The families were recruited from 12 preschools in Italy (N = 77 families). Through an observation of the feeding [Scala di Valutazione dell'Interazione Alimentare (SVIA - Feeding Scale; I. Chatoor et al., ; L. Lucarelli et al., )], self-reporting [Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R; L.R. Derogatis, ), and report-form questionnaires [Italian Questionnaires on Temperament (QUIT; G. Axia, )], and information provided by the parents about the amount of time spent with their children, results showed that the overall quality of father-child interactions during feeding is lower than that of mother-child interactions. Fathers showed higher psychological symptoms than did mothers. No associations were found between the fathers' psychopathological risk and the quality of interactions with their children during feeding. Mothers' psychopathological risks predicted less contingent exchanges interactions with their children during feeding. Children's temperaments significantly influence mother-child interactions, but no association exists between maternal involvement and the quality of interactions with their children. Paternal involvement predicts a better quality of father-infant interactions when associated with a child's higher scores on Social Orientation. The quality of parents' interactions with their children during feeding are impacted by different issues originating from the parent's psychological profile, the degree of involvement, and from the child's temperament. © 2014 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Quality assessment of child care services in primary health care settings of Central Karnataka (Davangere District

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rashmi

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Infectious disease and malnutrition are common in children. Primary health care came into being to decrease the morbidity. Quality assessment is neither clinical research nor technology assessment. It is primarily an administrative device used to monitor performance to determine whether it continues to remain within acceptable bounds. Aims and Objectives: To assess the quality of service in the delivery of child health care in a primary health care setting. To evaluate client satisfaction. To assess utilization of facilities by the community. Materials and Methods: Study Type: Cross-sectional community-based study. Quality assessment was done by taking 30-50%, of the service provider. Client satisfaction was determined with 1 Immunization and child examination-90 clients each. Utilization of services was assessed among 478 households. Statistical Analysis: Proportions, Likert′s scale to grade the services and Chi-square. Results: Immunization service: Identification of needed vaccine, preparation and care was average. Vaccination technique, documentation, EPI education, maintenance of cold chain and supplies were excellent. Client satisfaction was good. Growth monitoring: It was excellent except for mother′s education andoutreach educational session . Acute respiratory tract infection care: History, physical examination, ARI education were poor. Classification, treatment and referral were excellent. Client satisfaction was good. Diarrheal disease care: History taking was excellent. But examination, classification, treatment, ORT education were poor. Conclusion: Mothers education was not stressed by service providers. Service providers′ knowledge do not go with the quality of service rendered. Physical examination of the child was not good. Except for immunization other services were average.

Perceived parental control processes, parent-child relational qualities, and psychological well-being in chinese adolescents with and without economic disadvantage.

Science.gov (United States)

Shek, Daniel T L

2005-06-01

The author assessed the relationships between poverty and perceived parenting style, parent-child relationships, and adolescent psychological well-being in Chinese secondary school students (N = 3,017). Participants completed questionnaires designed to assess (a) the degree to which their parents used monitoring, discipline, and other techniques to control their behavior; (b) the extent to which their parents attempted to control them in a way that undermined their psychological development; (c) the parent-child relational qualities, such as the child's readiness to communicate with the parents and perceived mutual trust; and (d) the child's psychological well-being. Although adolescents with economic disadvantage did not differ from adolescents without economic disadvantage on the maternal variables (except on parental knowledge and parental monitoring), adolescents whose families were receiving public assistance generally perceived paternal behavioral control and father-child relational qualities to be more negative than did adolescents who were not receiving public assistance. The author found psychological well-being (shown by hopelessness, mastery, life satisfaction, self-esteem) of adolescents experiencing economic disadvantage to be weaker than that of adolescents not experiencing economic disadvantage.

Colour centres in LiF for measurement of abssorbed doses up to 100 MGy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McLaughlin, W.L.

1996-01-01

Radiation damage studies on electronic components, polymers, composites, ceramics, metals and insulating materials exposed to very large doses of ionising photons and particles (i.e. electrons, protons, and neutrons) require reproducible and accurate passive dosimetry. Absorbed doses in the range 10 2 -2 x 10 6 Gy have previously been measured with optical quality, undoped LiF by spectrophotometry of radiation-induced absorption bands of stable colour centres. These include the relatively stable F centre (247 nm), M centre (443 nm), R 1 centre (315 nm), R 2 centre (374 nm), and N 2 centre (547 nm). It is now possible to extend this range to 10 8 Gy by spectrophotometry of the N 1 centre (517 nm) and an 'X' centre (785 nm). These dosemeters can be used from cryogenic (4 K) to relatively high radiation temperatures (up to 500 K). The radiation-induced coloration can be bleached for re-use of the dosemeters by a two hour thermal annealing treatment at 830 K. (Author)

Facing Spousal Cancer During Child-Rearing Years: Do Social Support and Hardiness Moderate the Impact of Psychological Distress on Quality of Life?

Science.gov (United States)

Senneseth, Mette; Hauken, May A; Matthiesen, Stig B; Gjestad, Rolf; Laberg, Jon C

Partners of cancer patients report psychological distress and reduced quality of life. However, partners' mental health status and quality of life during child-rearing years and the influence of social support and hardiness on their well-being have not yet been studied. The aim of this study was to describe psychological distress, quality of life, social support, and hardiness of the partners facing spousal cancer during child-rearing years and investigate whether social support or hardiness moderated the relationship between psychological distress and quality of life. Cross-sectional data were collected in Norway from December 2013 to July 2015 as part of the Cancer-PEPSONE study. Five questionnaires were administered to 14 females and 21 males (n = 35). Participants reported more psychological distress and lower quality-of-life scores than other healthy Norwegian populations. Psychological distress seemed to be associated with their not being in control of their futures. Received social support moderated the effect of psychological distress on quality of life. Facing spousal cancer during child-rearing years seemed to have a substantial impact on partners' mental health and an adverse impact on their quality of life. Accordingly, these partners' self-care abilities may be reduced. Received social support may reduce the multiple burdens and consequently allow for enhancement of self-care. Interventions should aim to improve the social support provided to child-rearing partners, which may improve their quality of life. Providing adequate information about their partner's cancer illness and treatment may enhance their feelings of control, which may be beneficial for their mental health status.

The Association between Parent Diet Quality and Child Dietary Patterns in Nine- to Eleven-Year-Old Children from Dunedin, New Zealand.

Science.gov (United States)

Davison, Brittany; Saeedi, Pouya; Black, Katherine; Harrex, Harriet; Haszard, Jillian; Meredith-Jones, Kim; Quigg, Robin; Skeaff, Sheila; Stoner, Lee; Wong, Jyh Eiin; Skidmore, Paula

2017-05-11

Previous research investigating the relationship between parents' and children's diets has focused on single foods or nutrients, and not on global diet, which may be more important for good health. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between parental diet quality and child dietary patterns. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 17 primary schools in Dunedin, New Zealand. Information on food consumption and related factors in children and their primary caregiver/parent were collected. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to investigate dietary patterns in children and diet quality index (DQI) scores were calculated in parents. Relationships between parental DQI and child dietary patterns were examined in 401 child-parent pairs using mixed regression models. PCA generated two patterns; 'Fruit and Vegetables' and 'Snacks'. A one unit higher parental DQI score was associated with a 0.03SD (CI: 0.02, 0.04) lower child 'Snacks' score. There was no significant relationship between 'Fruit and Vegetables' score and parental diet quality. Higher parental diet quality was associated with a lower dietary pattern score in children that was characterised by a lower consumption frequency of confectionery, chocolate, cakes, biscuits and savoury snacks. These results highlight the importance of parental modelling, in terms of their dietary choices, on the diet of children.

Are one-stop centres an appropriate model to deliver services to sexually abused children in urban Malawi?

Science.gov (United States)

Mulambia, Yabwile; Miller, Aaron J; MacDonald, Geraldine; Kennedy, Neil

2018-04-30

The Republic of Malawi is creating a country-wide system of 28 One-Stop Centres (known as 'Chikwanekwanes' - 'everything under one roof') to provide medical, legal and psychosocial services for survivors of child maltreatment and adult intimate partner violence. No formal evaluation of the utility of such services has ever been undertaken. This study focused on the experiences of the families served at the country's first Chikwanekwane in the large, urban city of Blantyre. One hundred seven families were surveyed in their home three months after their initial evaluation for sexual abuse at the Blantyre One Stop Centre, and 25 families received a longer interview. The survey was designed to inquire what types of initial evaluation and follow-up services the children received from the medical, legal and social welfare services. All 107 received an initial medical exam and HIV testing, and 83% received a follow-up HIV test by 3 months; 80.2% were seen by a social welfare worker on the initial visit, and 29% had a home visit by 3 months; 84% were seen by a therapist at the initial visit, and 12% returned for further treatment; 95.3% had an initial police report and 27.1% ended in a criminal conviction for child sexual abuse. Most of the families were satisfied with the service they received, but a quarter of the families were not satisfied with the law enforcement response, and 2% were not happy with the medical assessment. Although a perception of corruption or negligence by police may discourage use of service, we believe that the One-Stop model is an appropriate means to deliver high quality care to survivors of abuse in Malawi.

Exploring the Relationship between Global Quality and Group Engagement in Toddler Child Care Classrooms

Science.gov (United States)

Hooper, Alison; Hallam, Rena

2017-01-01

Toddlers' engagement with their social and physical environment is an important aspect of their experience in early care and education programs. The purpose of this research study was to examine how global quality relates to children's engagement in toddler child care classrooms. Additionally, this study explored how toddlers' group engagement…

The Moderating Effects of Pubertal Timing on the Longitudinal Associations between Parent-Child Relationship Quality and Adolescent Substance Use

Science.gov (United States)

Shelton, Katherine H.; Van Den Bree, Marianne B. M.

2010-01-01

This prospective, longitudinal study investigated the moderating role of pubertal timing on reciprocal links between adolescent appraisals of parent-child relationship quality and girls' (N = 1,335) and boys' (N = 1,203) cigarette and alcohol use across a 12-month period. Reciprocal effects were found between parent-child relations and on-time…

Evaluation and Management of The Child with Failure to Thrive ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The key to diagnosing FTT is finding the time in busy clinical practice to accurately measure and plot a child's weight, height and head circumference, and then assess the trend. In the evaluation of the child who has failed to thrive, three initial steps required to develop an economical treatment-centred approach are: (i) A ...

Family-centred care for families living with cystic fibrosis in a rural setting: A qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Jessup, Melanie; Smyth, Wendy; Abernethy, Gail; Shields, Linda; Douglas, Tonia

2018-02-01

To explore experiences of family-centred care among parents of children with cystic fibrosis living far from tertiary treatment centres and to understand what such distances mean to their care. Australia is a large continent. However, many families with a child with cystic fibrosis live in regional areas, often thousands of kilometres away from the primary treatment centres located in Australia's coastal capital cities. A qualitative, phenomenological design using a Van Manen () approach. Individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents (n = 7) of a child with cystic fibrosis who lived in regional Australia. Thematic content data analysis was used. The essence of the participants' experience was their seeking certainty and continuity in the changeable realm of cystic fibrosis while negotiating a collaborative approach to their child's care. Five core themes and two subthemes were identified: "Daily care: a family affair," including the subtheme "Accessing expert care"; "Family-centred care: seeking inclusion"; "Control versus collaboration: seeking mutual trust," with the subtheme "The team who grows with you"; "Future projections"; and "The CF circle." Some concerns are not unlike those of their city counterparts, but can be intensified by their sense of distance and isolation. Insight into this unique milieu from the parents' perspective is requisite so that care is appropriate to such a challenging environment and incorporates the whole family. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Usage and Quality of Formal Child Care Services Experienced by Infants and Toddlers in Foster and Kinship Care: An Australian Study

Science.gov (United States)

Wise, Sarah

2018-01-01

This research uses data from the Early Childhood in Foster and Kinship Care (ECIFKC) study to identify the proportion of young children, under 2 years of age, in foster and kinship care who use formal child care; weekly hours of child care; predictors of weekly hours of child care; and quality of care experienced. The sample for these analyses…

Health workers' views on quality of prevention of mother-to-child transmission and postnatal care for HIV-infected women and their children

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Hardon Anita

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Prevention of mother-to-child transmission has been considered as not a simple intervention but a comprehensive set of interventions requiring capable health workers. Viet Nam's extensive health care system reaches the village level, but still HIV-infected mothers and children have received inadequate health care services for prevention of mother-to-child transmission. We report here the health workers' perceptions on factors that lead to their failure to give good quality prevention of mother-to-child transmission services. Methods Semistructured interviews with 53 health workers and unstructured observations in nine health facilities in Hanoi were conducted. Selection of respondents was based on their function, position and experience in the development or implementation of prevention of mother-to-child transmission policies/programmes. Results Factors that lead to health workers' failure to give good quality services for prevention of mother-to-child transmission include their own fear of HIV infection; lack of knowledge on HIV and counselling skills; or high workloads and lack of staff; unavailability of HIV testing at commune level; shortage of antiretroviral drugs; and lack of operational guidelines. A negative attitude during counselling and provision of care, treating in a separate area and avoidance of providing service at all were seen by health workers as the result of fear of being infected, as well as distrust towards almost all HIV-infected patients because of the prevailing association with antisocial behaviours. Additionally, the fragmentation of the health care system into specialized vertical pillars, including a vertical programme for HIV/AIDS, is a major obstacle to providing a continuum of care. Conclusion Many hospital staff were not being able to provide good care or were even unwilling to provide appropriate care for HIV-positive pregnant women The study suggests that the quality of prevention of

Importance of a patient-centred approach in ensuring quality of post-fracture rehabilitation for working aged people: A qualitative study of therapists' and patients' perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindahl, Marianne; Teljigović, Sanel; Heegaard Jensen, Lars; Hvalsoe, Berit; Juneja, Hemant

2016-01-01

Quality in rehabilitation is important for recovery and return to work for people at working age, who sustain fractures, but there is limited information about what constitutes quality in rehabilitation. To identify factors that therapists and patients define as quality in the rehabilitation process for working population after simple or multiple fractures. The study is a qualitative study based on grounded theory approach with semi-structured interviews conducted individually or in focus groups. Seven patients with fractures, 15 physiotherapists and eight occupational therapists from hospitals, municipalities and private practice were included in the study. Grounded theory was used to analyze data and develop a theory about quality in the rehabilitation process. Partnership was identified as the core category with continuity of rehabilitation and patient-centred approach as its dimensions. Themes in the patient-centred approach were Biopsychosocial understanding and Professionalism. The patient's perceived control enhanced when the therapist addressed the whole situation, especially return to work. Therapist's individual considerations and patient's involvement in decisions about the therapeutic methods had the same effect. Quality in rehabilitation was enhanced in all its dimensions namely structure, process and outcome when therapists used the patient-centred approach and addressed the patient's overall situation.

An Analysis of the Child and Adult Care Food Programs in Child Care Centers

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Kapur, Kanika

1999-01-01

...) that provides healthy meals and snacks in child and adult day care facilities. This report uses the Cost, Quality and Child Outcomes study to analyze the characteristics of three types of child care centers: (1...

AN INTEGRATED APPROACH ON CHILD NUTRITION

OpenAIRE

Reena Kulkarni

2013-01-01

Nutrition is one of the most important and highly discussed topics in medical community. It determines the quality of health in young citizens as well as the future of the nation. Infant and child nutrition, especially in the first few years of life is crucial; lest ends up in malnutrition. Policies on nutrition and health education of mothers on infant and young child feeding as well as efforts to trigger appropriate behavioural changes among mothers are being considered as direct interventi...

Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... robust and inclusive knowledge base for child and adolescent mental health across diverse contexts. To this end the Journal seeks to promote coverage, representation and dissemination of high quality work from around the world that traverses high-, middle- and low- income contexts. Read more about the journal here.

Family-centred service: differences in what parents of children with cerebral palsy rate important.

Science.gov (United States)

Terwiel, M; Alsem, M W; Siebes, R C; Bieleman, K; Verhoef, M; Ketelaar, M

2017-09-01

A family-centred approach to services of children with disabilities is widely accepted as the foundational approach to service delivery in paediatric health care. The 56 items of the Measure of Processes of Care questionnaire (MPOC-56) all reflect elements of family-centred service. In this study, we investigated which elements of family-centred service are rated important by parents of children with cerebral palsy by adding a question on importance to each item of the MPOC-56 (MPOC-56-I). In total, 175 parents of children with cerebral palsy completed the MPOC-56-I. For each MPOC item, parents were asked to rate the importance on a 5-point scale ranging from 0 (not important at all) up to and including 4 (very important). We used Spearman's rank correlation coefficient to further explore the variation in parents' importance ratings. Parents' importance ratings of the MPOC-56 items varied. The percentage of parents rating an item important (importance rating 3 or 4) varied between 43.8% and 96.8%. The percentage of parents rating an item unimportant (rating 0 or 1) varied between 0.0% and 20.3%, and the percentage of parents rating an item neutral (rating 2) varied between 3.0% and 36.0%. Most diverse importance ratings were found for five items concerning the provision of general information. Three correlations between these items and child and parent characteristics were found. Six items were rated important by almost all (≥95%) parents. These items concern elements of specific information about the child, co-ordinated and comprehensive care for child and family and enabling and partnership. Parents rate the importance of family-centred services for their situation in various ways. These findings endorse that family-centred services should recognize the uniqueness of families and should be tailored to what parents find important. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Percepción de la calidad en Centros de Atención Temprana: Resultados de un análisis comparativo (Perceived Quality in Early Intervention Centres: Results of a Comparative Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rita Pilar Romero-Galisteo

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Early Intervention is currently regarded as an essential strategy to promote the development of children with developmental disorders, or who are at risk of them, and to promote the wellbeing of their families. This article analysed perceived service quality in Early Intervention Centres. The sample comprised 397 families receiving Early Intervention at two centres, where they were administered the Early Intervention Centre Quality Inventory. The results of both studies suggest that the users of both centres positively appraised the service they had received: the dimensions Qualified Staff (M=4.77, SD=0.48 and Technical Information (M=4.54, SD=0.70 obtained the highest mean values. There were significant differences between the studies in the dimensions Facilities (M=4.39, SD=0.41 and Treatment Rooms (M=4.66, SD=0.55. The evaluation of the perceived quality by the families attending Early Intervention Centres serves to identify and weaknesses to be improved and strengths to be maintained in a context of the continuous improvement established in these kinds of services.

Improving detection and quality of assessment of child abuse and partner abuse is achievable with a formal organisational change approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Wills, Russell; Ritchie, Miranda; Wilson, Mollie

2008-03-01

To improve detection and quality of assessment of child and partner abuse within a health service. A formal organisational change approach was used to implement the New Zealand Family Violence Intervention Guidelines in a mid-sized regional health service. The approach includes obtaining senior management support, community collaboration, developing resources to support practice, research, evaluation and training. Formal pre-post evaluations were conducted of the training. Barriers and enablers of practice change were assessed through 85 interviews with 60 staff. More than 6000 clinical records were audited to assess rates of questioning for partner abuse. Identifications of partner abuse and referrals made were counted through the Family Violence Accessory File. Referrals to the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services (CYFS) were recorded routinely by the CYFS. Audits assessed quality of assessment of child and partner abuse, when identified. More than 700 staff were trained in dual assessment for child and partner abuse. Evaluations demonstrate improved confidence following training, though staff still need support. Barriers and enablers to asking about partner abuse were identified. Referrals from the health service to the CYFS increased from 10 per quarter to 70 per quarter. Identification of partner abuse increased from 30 to 80 per 6-month period. Routine questioning rates for partner abuse vary between services. Achieving and sustaining improved rates of identification and quality of assessment of child and partner abuse is possible with a formal organisational change approach.

Quality of Life as reported by children and parents: a comparison between students and child psychiatric outpatients.

Science.gov (United States)

Jozefiak, Thomas; Larsson, Bo; Wichstrøm, Lars; Wallander, Jan; Mattejat, Fritz

2010-11-22

During the recent decade, a number of studies have begun to address Quality of Life (QoL) in children and adolescents with mental health problems in general population and clinical samples. Only about half of the studies utilized both self and parent proxy report of child QoL. Generally children with mental health problems have reported lower QoL compared to healthy children. The question whether QoL assessment by both self and parent proxy report can identify psychiatric health services needs not detected by an established instrument for assessing mental health problems, i.e. the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), has never been examined and was the purpose of the present study. No study exists that compares child QoL as rated by both child and parent, in a sample of referred child psychiatric outpatients with a representative sample of students attending public school in the same catchment area while controlling for mental health problems in the child. In the current study patients and students, aged 8-15.5 years, were matched with respect to age, gender and levels of the CBCL Total Problems scores. QoL was assessed by the self- and parent proxy-reports on the Inventory of Life Quality in Children and Adolescents (ILC). QoL scores were analyzed by non-parametric tests, using Wilcoxon paired rank comparisons. Both outpatients and their parents reported significantly lower child QoL on the ILC than did students and their parents, when children were matched on sex and age. Given equal levels of emotional and behavioural problems, as reported by the parents on the CBCL, in the two contrasting samples, the outpatients and their parents still reported lower QoL levels than did the students and their parents. Child QoL reported both by child and parent was reduced in outpatients compared to students with equal levels of mental health problems as reported by their parents on the CBCL. This suggests that it should be helpful to add assessment of QoL to achieve a fuller

GALACTICNUCLEUS: A high angular resolution JHKs imaging survey of the Galactic centre. I. Methodology, performance, and near-infrared extinction towards the Galactic centre

Science.gov (United States)

Nogueras-Lara, F.; Gallego-Calvente, A. T.; Dong, H.; Gallego-Cano, E.; Girard, J. H. V.; Hilker, M.; de Zeeuw, P. T.; Feldmeier-Krause, A.; Nishiyama, S.; Najarro, F.; Neumayer, N.; Schödel, R.

2018-03-01

Context. The Galactic centre (GC) is of fundamental astrophysical interest, but existing near-infrared surveys fall short covering it adequately, either in terms of angular resolution, multi-wavelength coverage, or both. Here we introduce the GALACTICNUCLEUS survey, a JHKs imaging survey of the centre of the Milky Way with a 0.2″ angular resolution. Aim. The purpose of this paper is to present the observations of Field 1 of our survey, centred approximately on SgrA* with an approximate size of 7.95' × 3.43'. We describe the observational set-up and data reduction pipeline and discuss the quality of the data. Finally, we present the analysis of the data. Methods: The data were acquired with the near-infrared camera High Acuity Wide field K-band Imager (HAWK-I) at the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT). Short readout times in combination with the speckle holography algorithm allowed us to produce final images with a stable, Gaussian PSF (point spread function) of 0.2″ FWHM (full width at half maximum). Astrometric calibration is achieved via the VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) survey and photometric calibration is based on the SIRIUS/Infrared Survey Facility telescope (IRSF) survey. The quality of the data is assessed by comparison between observations of the same field with different detectors of HAWK-I and at different times. Results: We reach 5σ detection limits of approximately J = 22, H = 21, and Ks = 20. The photometric uncertainties are less than 0.05 at J ≲ 20, H ≲ 17, and Ks ≲ 16. We can distinguish five stellar populations in the colour-magnitude diagrams; three of them appear to belong to foreground spiral arms, and the other two correspond to high- and low-extinction star groups at the GC. We use our data to analyse the near-infrared extinction curve and find some evidence for a possible difference between the extinction index between J - H and H - Ks. However, we conclude that it can be described very well by a power law with an index of

Families and health-care professionals' perspectives and expectations of family-centred care: hidden expectations and unclear roles.

Science.gov (United States)

Coyne, Imelda

2015-10-01

Family-centred care (FCC) is viewed as a pivotal concept in the provision of high-quality nursing care for children and their families, yet implementation continues to be problematic worldwide. This research investigated how FCC was enacted from families and nurses' perspectives. Descriptive qualitative approach using elements of analysis from grounded theory method. Data were collected though individual interviews with 18 children aged 7-16 years, their parents (n = 18) and 18 nurses from two children's hospital and one children's unit in a large general hospital in Ireland. Four key themes were identified: expectations; relying on parents' help; working out roles; and barriers to FCC. Nurses wholeheartedly endorsed FCC because of the benefits for families and their reliance on parents' contribution to the workload. There was minimal evidence of collaboration or negotiation of roles which resulted in parents feeling stressed or abandoned. Nurses cited busy workload, under-staffing and inappropriate documentation as key factors which resulted in over-reliance on parents and hindered their efforts to negotiate and work alongside parents. Families are willing to help in their child's care but they require clear guidance, information and support from nurses. Hidden expectations and unclear roles are stressful for families. Nurses need skills training, adequate resources and managerial support to meet families' needs appropriately, to establish true collaboration and to deliver optimal family-centred care. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Prevalence of child abuse in Khorramabad junior high school students, 2012

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

farideh Malekshahi

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Child abuse is a global problem and occurs in a variety of forms and is deeply rooted in cultural, economic and social practices. Child abuse is a behaviour which causes physical, psychological, emotional or sexual abuses, consequentlylead to damage of children,s health, peace of mind and education. Based on these considerations, the present study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of child abuse among junior high school students of Khoramabad in 2012. Materials and Methods: In this cross sectional study, 907 junior high school students randomly selected .Data collection tool was a multiple questionnaire incloding child and parents’ demographic information, and a physical emotional abuse and neglect questionnaire. It,s validity and reliability was done by content validity and Test re test. Data were analysed using SPSS v. 19. Results: The findings of this study showed that average age of the cases was 13.36±1.04 and 5.4% of them were always under physical abuse and the most physical abuse was slap on the face , 7.3% emotional abuse and 5.5% neglect. Statistical test showed a significant relation between abuses and parents, educational level, job, addiction and divorce. Conclusion: Results showed that child abuse is common among families, therefore, monitoring of children, ratification of rules supporting children, planing and administration of preventive educational programs can be effective to reduce child abuse.

76 FR 16754 - Charter Schools Program (CSP) Grants for Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-25

... families (as defined elsewhere in this notice), English learners, migratory children, children with disabilities, and neglected or delinquent children. High-quality charter school is a school that--shows.... Individual from a low-income family means an individual who is determined by an SEA or LEA to be a child...

The proxy problem: Child report versus parent report in health-related quality of life research

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Theunissen, N.C.M.; Vogels, T.G.C.; Koopman, H.M.; Verrips, G.H.W.; Zwinderman, K.A.H.; Verloove-Vanhorick, S.P.; Wit, J.M.

1998-01-01

This study evaluates the agreement between child and parent reports on children's health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a representative sample of 1,105 Dutch children (age 8-11 years old). Both children and their parents completed a 56 item questionnaire (TACQOL). The questionnaire contains

The Association between Parent Diet Quality and Child Dietary Patterns in Nine- to Eleven-Year-Old Children from Dunedin, New Zealand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brittany Davison

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Previous research investigating the relationship between parents’ and children’s diets has focused on single foods or nutrients, and not on global diet, which may be more important for good health. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between parental diet quality and child dietary patterns. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 17 primary schools in Dunedin, New Zealand. Information on food consumption and related factors in children and their primary caregiver/parent were collected. Principal component analysis (PCA was used to investigate dietary patterns in children and diet quality index (DQI scores were calculated in parents. Relationships between parental DQI and child dietary patterns were examined in 401 child-parent pairs using mixed regression models. PCA generated two patterns; ‘Fruit and Vegetables’ and ‘Snacks’. A one unit higher parental DQI score was associated with a 0.03SD (CI: 0.02, 0.04 lower child ‘Snacks’ score. There was no significant relationship between ‘Fruit and Vegetables’ score and parental diet quality. Higher parental diet quality was associated with a lower dietary pattern score in children that was characterised by a lower consumption frequency of confectionery, chocolate, cakes, biscuits and savoury snacks. These results highlight the importance of parental modelling, in terms of their dietary choices, on the diet of children.

Association between maternal depression and child stunting in Northern Ghana: a cross-sectional study.

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Wemakor, Anthony; Mensah, Kofi Akohene

2016-08-24

Stunting indicates failure to attain genetic potential for height and is a well-documented indicator for poor growth. Depression is common in women of reproductive age and women's mental health problems may affect the growth of young children. We examined the association between maternal depression and stunting in mother-child pairs attending Child Welfare Clinic (CWC) in Northern Ghana. An analytical cross-sectional study was performed involving mothers (15-45 years) and their children (0-59 months) who attended CWC at Bilpeila Health Centre, Tamale, Ghana. Socio-demographic data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire, maternal depression was measured using Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Screening Scale, and anthropometry was conducted on children following standard procedures. The association between maternal depression and child stunting was examined in logistic regression adjusting for potential confounders. Prevalence rates of child stunting and maternal depression were estimated at 16.1 and 27.8 % respectively in Northern Ghana. Mothers with depression when compared with those without depression tended to be younger, be currently unmarried, belong to the poorest household wealth tertile, and were more likely to have low birth weight babies, so these characteristics were adjusted for. In an adjusted multivariate logistic regression model, children of depressed mothers were almost three times more likely to be stunted compared to children of non-depressed mothers (Adjusted OR = 2.48, 95 % CI 1.29-4.77, p = 0.0011). There is a high prevalence of depression among mothers in Northern Ghana which is associated with child stunting. Further studies are needed to identify the determinants of maternal depression and to examine its association with child stunting to inform nutrition programming.

Development of Management, Child Development Centers Organization rule Local Government in Udon thani

OpenAIRE

Suriya Sukram; Chaiyot Ruangsuwan

2017-01-01

This research aims to study the composition and indications 1. The Child Development Centre under the local governments in UdonThani province 2. Study the current state and the desired operating child care centers under the jurisdiction of local governments in UdonThani province. 3. Develop the child development centers under the local governments in UdonThani province. The operation is divided. Phase one of the elements and indicators, the Child Development Center. By synthesi...

Child- and parent-reported quality of life trajectories in children with epilepsy: A prospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferro, Mark A; Avery, Lisa; Fayed, Nora; Streiner, David L; Cunningham, Charles E; Boyle, Michael H; Lach, Lucyna; Glidden, Gina; Rosenbaum, Peter L; Ronen, Gabriel M

2017-07-01

To describe the developmental trajectories of quality of life (QoL) in a large cohort of children with epilepsy, and to assess the relative contribution of clinical, psychosocial, and sociodemographic variables on QoL trajectories. Five assessments during a 28-month prospective cohort study were used to model trajectories of QoL. Participants were recruited with their parents from six Canadian tertiary centers. A convenience sample of 506 children aged 8-14 years with epilepsy and without intellectual disability or autism spectrum disorder were enrolled. A total of 894 children were eligible and 330 refused participation. Participating children were, on average, 11.4 years of age, and 49% were female. Nearly one third (32%) had partial seizures. At baseline, 479 and 503 child- and parent-reported questionnaires were completed. In total, 354 children (74%) and 366 parents (73%) completed the 28-month follow-up. QoL was measured using the child- and parent-reported version of the Childhood Epilepsy QoL scale (CHEQOL-25). Child-reported QoL was fitted best by a six-class model and parent-reported QoL by a five-class model. In both models, trajectories remained either stable or improved over 28 months. Of these children, 62% rated their QoL as high or moderately high, defined as at least one standard deviation above the average CHEQOL-25 score. Greater family, classmate, and peer social support, fewer symptoms of child and parent depression, and higher receptive vocabulary were identified as the most robust predictors of better QoL (all p < 0.001). Most children with epilepsy and their parents reported relatively good QoL in this first joint self- and proxy-reported trajectory study. Findings confirm the heterogeneous QoL outcomes for children with epilepsy and the primary importance of psychosocial factors rather than seizure and AED-specific factors in influencing QoL. These predictors that are potentially amenable to change should now be the focus of specific

Availability and Price of High Quality Day Care and Female Employment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Simonsen, Marianne

In this paper I analyse to what degree availability and price of high quality publicly subsidised childcare affects female employment for women living in couples following maternity leave. The results show that unrestricted access to day care has a significantly positive effct on female employment.......The price effect is significantly negative: An increase in the price of child care of C=1 will decrease the female employment with 0.08% corresponding to a price elasticity of −0.17. This effect prevails during the first 12 months after childbirth....

Information centres: hyper-qualitative tool of Cogema's communication policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chadeyron, P.

1993-01-01

The information centres are an indispensable link in the chain of Cogema's communication policy. They enable a complete adaptation to each visitor's different level of understanding and thus improve the quality of the transmission of information to a reduced, but totally sensitive, target. The information centres therefore represent ''quality'' tools which are complementary to other means of communication. Moreover, they emphasize Cogema's resolution to communicate and formalize its communication policy. (author)

Impact of Play Therapy on Parent-Child Relationship Stress at a Mental Health Training Setting

Science.gov (United States)

Ray, Dee C.

2008-01-01

This study investigated the impact of Child-Centred Play Therapy (CCPT)/Non-Directive Play Therapy on parent-child relationship stress using archival data from 202 child clients divided into clinical behavioural groups over 3-74 sessions in a mental health training setting. Results demonstrated significant differences between pre and post testing…

Impact of the Journal of Child Neurology: 2002 data.

Science.gov (United States)

Brumback, Roger A

2003-11-01

The Journal of Child Neurology (JCN) began in 1986 as a quarterly publication focused on child neurology and the related clinical pediatric neuroscience areas of pediatric neurosurgery, child psychiatry, pediatric neuroradiology, and developmental and behavioral pediatrics. As submitted material increased, JCN expanded in publication frequency and now appears monthly. Article quality has always been high and many articles have been frequently cited. Over the years, the ratings produced for the ISI Journal Citation Reports have identified JCN as a high-ranking pediatric journal based upon the impact factor value. Currently (year 2002 figures), JCN (with its impact factor of 1.338) ranks 24th out of 68 pediatric journals.

Childhood obesity prevention and control in city recreation centres and family homes: the MOVE/me Muevo Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Elder, J P; Crespo, N C; Corder, K; Ayala, G X; Slymen, D J; Lopez, N V; Moody, J S; McKenzie, T L

2014-06-01

Interventions to prevent and control childhood obesity have shown mixed results in terms of short- and long-term changes. 'MOVE/me Muevo' was a 2-year family- and recreation centre-based randomized controlled trial to promote healthy eating and physical activity among 5- to 8-year-old children. It was hypothesized that children in the intervention group would demonstrate lower post-intervention body mass index (BMI) values and improved obesity-related behaviours compared with the control group children. Thirty recreation centres in San Diego County, California, were randomized to an intervention or control condition. Five hundred forty-one families were enrolled and children's BMI, diet, physical activity and other health indicators were tracked from baseline to 2 years post-baseline. Analyses followed an intent-to-treat approach using mixed-effects models. No significant intervention effects were observed for the primary outcomes of child's or parent's BMI and child's waist circumference. Moderator analyses, however, showed that girls (but not boys) in the intervention condition reduced their BMI. At the 2-year follow-up, intervention condition parents reported that their children were consuming fewer high-fat foods and sugary beverages. Favourable implementation fidelity and high retention rates support the feasibility of this intervention in a large metropolitan area; however, interventions of greater intensity may be needed to achieve effects on child's BMI. Also, further research is needed to develop gender-specific intervention strategies so that both genders may benefit from such efforts. © 2013 The Authors. Pediatric Obesity © 2013 International Association for the Study of Obesity.

Social Capital, Human Capital and Parent-Child Relation Quality: Interacting for Children's Educational Achievement?

Science.gov (United States)

von Otter, Cecilia; Stenberg, Sten-Åke

2015-01-01

We analyse the utility of social capital for children's achievement, and if this utility interacts with family human capital and the quality of the parent-child relationship. Our focus is on parental activities directly related to children's school work. Our data stem from a Swedish cohort born in 1953 and consist of both survey and register data.…

The impact of a local sugar sweetened beverage health promotion and price increase on sales in public leisure centre facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Breeze, Penny; Womack, Robert; Pryce, Robert; Brennan, Alan; Goyder, Elizabeth

2018-01-01

We aimed to evaluate the impact of a local sugar sweetened beverages (SSB) health promotion and 20p price increase in leisure centre venues and estimate the impact on consumption. Monthly cold drinks sales data and attendance at leisure centres across the city of Sheffield were analysed over the period January 2015-July 2017. Interrupted time-series methods were employed to estimate changes in consumption per attendance of SSB and non-SSB cold drinks following the introduction of the SSB policy from August 2016 adjusting for seasonal variation and autocorrelation. SSB price elasticities were estimated with fixed effects log-log models by SSB product type (soda can, soda bottle, soda post mix, energy drinks, juice from concentrate). We estimated a 31% (95% CI 4%, 59%) reduction in units of SSB sold per attendance in the year since the policy was introduced. We did not observe substitution effects to fruit juice or water but found sales of other artificially sweetened non-SSB products increased by 27% (95% CI 6%, 47%) after the introduction of the tax. Price elasticity analysis identified that a 1% increase in price alongside health promotion leads to a 3.8% (95% CI 3.1% 4.4%) decrease in demand for SSB's. Price elasticity of demand was highest for child friendly and high caffeine energy drinks. Demand for SSB drinks at leisure centre venues is highly responsive to the policy, particularly for child-friendly and high caffeine energy drinks, compared with other SSB tax policy evaluations. The policy also increased purchases of carbonated non-SSB.

Insatiable insecurity: maternal obesity as a risk factor for mother-child attachment and child weight.

Science.gov (United States)

Keitel-Korndörfer, Anja; Sierau, Susan; Klein, Annette M; Bergmann, Sarah; Grube, Matthias; von Klitzing, Kai

2015-01-01

Childhood obesity has become a rising health problem, and because parental obesity is a basic risk factor for childhood obesity, biological factors have been especially considered in the complex etiology. Aspects of the family interaction, e.g., mother-child attachment, have not been the main focus. Our study tried to fill this gap by investigating whether there is a difference between children of obese and normal weight mothers in terms of mother-child attachment, and whether mother-child attachment predicts child's weight, in a sample of 31 obese and 31 normal weight mothers with children aged 19 to 58 months. Mother-child attachment was measured with the Attachment Q-Set. We found that (1) children of obese mothers showed a lower quality of mother-child attachment than children of normal weight mothers, which indicates that they are less likely to use their mothers as a secure base; (2) the attachment quality predicted child`s BMI percentile; and (3) the mother-child attachment adds incremental validity to the prediction of child's BMI beyond biological parameters (child's BMI birth percentile, BMI of the parents) and mother's relationship status. Implications of our findings are discussed.

How to predict a high rate of inappropriateness for upper endoscopy in an endoscopic centre?

Science.gov (United States)

Buri, L; Bersani, G; Hassan, C; Anti, M; Bianco, M A; Cipolletta, L; Di Giulio, E; Di Matteo, G; Familiari, L; Ficano, L; Loriga, P; Morini, S; Pietropaolo, V; Zambelli, A; Grossi, E; Intraligi, M; Tessari, F; Buscema, M

2010-09-01

Inappropriateness of upper endoscopy (EGD) indication causes decreased diagnostic yield. Our aim of was to identify predictors of appropriateness rate for EGD among endoscopic centres. A post-hoc analysis of two multicentre cross-sectional studies, including 6270 and 8252 patients consecutively referred to EGD in 44 (group A) and 55 (group B) endoscopic Italian centres in 2003 and 2007, respectively, was performed. A multiple forward stepwise regression was applied to group A, and independently validated in group B. A <70% threshold was adopted to define inadequate appropriateness rate clustered by centre. discrete variability of clustered appropriateness rates among the 44 group A centres was observed (median: 77%; range: 41-97%), and a <70% appropriateness rate was detected in 11 (25%). Independent predictors of centre appropriateness rate were: percentage of patients referred by general practitioners (GP), rate of urgent examinations, prevalence of relevant diseases, and academic status. For group B, sensitivity, specificity and area under receiver operating characteristic curve of the model in detecting centres with a <70% appropriateness rate were 54%, 93% and 0.72, respectively. A simple predictive rule, based on rate of patients referred by GPs, rate of urgent examinations, prevalence of relevant diseases and academic status, identified a small subset of centres characterised by a high rate of inappropriateness. These centres may be presumed to obtain the largest benefit from targeted educational programs. Copyright (c) 2010 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Making the Case for Public-Private Child Care Partnerships: Child Care Partnership Project. [Videotape].

Science.gov (United States)

Finance Project, Washington, DC.

The quality of child care in the United States has important implications for school preparedness, welfare reform, economic vitality, and the quality of family life. In this 8-minute videotape, business leaders describe why child care makes good business sense. Visuals explain the importance of early childhood for school and life success, and the…

Relationship of child abuse with personality features and high risk behaviors in adolescents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehdi Ghezelseflo

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Background: Children are one of the most vulnerable groups of the society and are constantly threatened by different people in their family or society. The aim of this study was investigating the correlation of child abuse with personality features and high risk behavior in high school students of Islamshahr, Iran. Methods: This study cross-sectional analytical was conducted on the high school girls and boys of Islamshahr in spring 2014.528 students were selected by cluster random sampling among 4 high schools (two female and two male high schools. Childhood trauma questionnaire, NEO-Five Factor Inventory and Youth Risk-Taking Scale were used for data collection. Data were analyzed by independence t-test, Pearson's correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression. Results: The results of independence t-test indicated significant differences between girls and boys in terms of child abuse and high risk experience (t=-2.16,p=0.03 and t=-5.03, P=0.001, respectively. Also, the results demonstrated a significant relationship between child abuse and personality characteristics, high risk behavior and all its subscales (P<0.05. The findings of multiple linear regressionindicated that child abuse could explain 14% total risk-taking, 25% neurotic personality feature , 14% extroversion, 10% agreeableness, 1% flexibility and 13% conscientiousness (P<0.05. Conclusion: According to the research findings, appropriate behavior with children is of great importance. Therefore, child abuse would form inappropriate personality features and increase risk behaviors among children.

Working in caseload midwifery care: the experience of midwives working in a birth centre in North Queensland.

Science.gov (United States)

Edmondson, Marissa C; Walker, Sandra B

2014-03-01

Pregnancy, birth and child rearing are significant life events for women and their families. The demand for services that are family friendly, women focused, safe and accessible is increasing. These demands and rights of women have led to increased government and consumer interest in continuity of care and the establishment in Australia of birth centres, and the introduction of caseload midwifery models of care. The aim of this research project was to uncover how birth centre midwives working within a caseload model care constructed their midwifery role in order to maintain a positive work-life balance. A Grounded Theory study using semi-structured individual interviews was undertaken with seven midwives who work at a regional hospital birth centre to ascertain their views as to how they construct their midwifery role while working in a caseload model of care. The results showed that caseload midwifery care enabled the midwives to practice autonomously within hospital policies and guidelines for birth centre midwifery practice and that they did not feel too restricted in regards to the eligibility of women who could give birth at the centre. Work relationships were found to be a key component in being able to construct their birth centre midwifery role. The midwives valued the flexibility that came with working in supportive partnerships with many feeling this enabled them to achieve a good work-life balance. The research contributes to the current body of knowledge surrounding working in a caseload model of care as it shows how the birth centre midwives construct their midwifery role. It provides information for development and improvement of these models of care to ensure that sustainability and quality of care is provided to women and their families. Copyright © 2013 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mother-child health in Lacor-South Sudan (IMCHA) | CRDI - Centre ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

The researchers will explore strategies for improved maternal care and child nutrition services, cervical cancer screening, and support for women's empowerment through outreach efforts from the two hospitals. Research findings will be validated through ministries of health at the local, district, and national levels to optimize ...

EXPLORING SERVICE QUALITY IMPACTS ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IN MILITARY MEDICAL CENTRES: MODERATING ROLE OF PERCEIVED VALUE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Azman Ismail

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Much has been written about service quality impacts on customer satisfaction. However, little research on this perspective has been carried out in military settings. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction, and moderating effects of perceived value in military medical centre. A survey method was employed and data was collected from customers at medical centers under the administration of Malaysian army organization. Analysis was performed using SmartPLS path model analysis. The results show two important findings: first, the interaction between four service quality components (i.e., tangible, reliability, responsiveness and assurance and customers’ perceived value were significantly correlated with customer satisfaction. Second, the interaction between one service quality component (i.e., tangible were not significantly correlated with customer satisfaction. In overall, this result confirms that effect of tangible, reliability, responsiveness and assurance on customer satisfaction has been moderated by customers’ perceived value. Conversely, effect empathy on customer satisfaction has not been moderated by customers’ perceived value. Further, this study offers discussion, implications and conclusion.

An Observational Approach to Testing Bi-Directional Parent-Child Interactions as Influential to Child Eating and Weight

Science.gov (United States)

Demir, Defne; Skouteris, Helen; Dell'Aquila, Daniela; Aksan, Nazan; McCabe, Marita P.; Ricciardelli, Lina A.; Milgrom, Jeannette; Baur, Louise A.

2012-01-01

Obesity among children has been on the rise globally for the past few decades. Previous research has centred mainly on self/parent-reported measures examining only uni-directional parental feeding styles and practices. Recent discussions in the literature have raised the importance of bi-directional parent-child interactions in influencing…

Gender as a dimension of quality: an analysis of the process of construction of quality indicators for child education of the city of São Paulo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carolina Faria Alvarenga

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Gender relations gained greater visibility in the fight against several forms of inequality within the most recent educational policies. However, a setback against the gender agenda neglects its mention in many educational policy documents, such as education plans, and controls school practices. Against this tendency and intertwined with tensions and contradictions, occurred in the context of Child Education in the city of São Paulo an opposite movement: the inclusion of gender in the construction of Quality Indicator for Child Education of the city of São Paulo. a public policy was defined in which gender was introduced as a dimension of quality. Therefore, this paper, part of a doctoral research, is based on the theoretical articulations between Joan Scott and Norbert Elias in order to analyze the process of construction of this public educational policy that leads to Child Education a controversial theme, such as gender relations, and supposes the examination of the game of disputes, tensions, concessions and challenges that shaped such policy.

Child Social Exclusion Risk and Child Health Outcomes in Australia.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Itismita Mohanty

Full Text Available This paper studies the relationship between the risk of child social exclusion, as measured by the Child Social Exclusion (CSE index and its individual domains, and child health outcomes at the small area level in Australia. The CSE index is Australia's only national small-area index of the risk of child social exclusion. It includes five domains that capture different components of social exclusion: socio-economic background, education, connectedness, housing and health services.The paper used data from the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM, University of Canberra for the CSE Index and its domains and two key Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW data sources for the health outcome measures: the National Hospital Morbidity Database and the National Mortality Database.The results show positive associations between rates of both of the negative health outcomes: potentially preventable hospitalisations (PPH and avoidable deaths, and the overall risk of child social exclusion as well as with the index domains. This analysis at the small-area level can be used to identify and study areas with unexpectedly good or bad health outcomes relative to their estimated risk of child social exclusion. We show that children's health outcomes are worse in remote parts of Australia than what would be expected solely based on the CSE index.The results of this study suggest that developing composite indices of the risk of child social exclusion can provide valuable guidance for local interventions and programs aimed at improving children's health outcomes. They also indicate the importance of taking a small-area approach when conducting geographic modelling of disadvantage.

Monitoring maternal, newborn, and child health interventions using lot quality assurance sampling in Sokoto State of northern Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Abegunde, Dele; Orobaton, Nosa; Shoretire, Kamil; Ibrahim, Mohammed; Mohammed, Zainab; Abdulazeez, Jumare; Gwamzhi, Ringpon; Ganiyu, Akeem

2015-01-01

Maternal mortality ratio and infant mortality rate are as high as 1,576 per 100,000 live births and 78 per 1,000 live births, respectively, in Nigeria's northwestern region, where Sokoto State is located. Using applicable monitoring indicators for tracking progress in the UN/WHO framework on continuum of maternal, newborn, and child health care, this study evaluated the progress of Sokoto toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5 by December 2015. The changes in outcomes in 2012-2013 associated with maternal and child health interventions were assessed. We used baseline and follow-up lot quality assurance sampling (LQAS) data obtained in 2012 and 2013, respectively. In each of the surveys, data were obtained from 437 households sampled from 19 LQAS locations in each of the 23 local government areas (LGAs). The composite state-level coverage estimates of the respective indicators were aggregated from estimated LGA coverage estimates. None of the nine indicators associated with the continuum of maternal, neonatal, and child care satisfied the recommended 90% coverage target for achieving MDGs 4 and 5. Similarly, the average state coverage estimates were lower than national coverage estimates. Marginal improvements in coverage were obtained in the demand for family planning satisfied, antenatal care visits, postnatal care for mothers, and exclusive breast-feeding. Antibiotic treatment for acute pneumonia increased significantly by 12.8 percentage points. The majority of the LGAs were classifiable as low-performing, high-priority areas for intensified program intervention. Despite the limited time left in the countdown to December 2015, Sokoto State, Nigeria, is not on track to achieving the MDG 90% coverage of indicators tied to the continuum of maternal and child care, to reduce maternal and childhood mortality by a third by 2015. Targeted health system investments at the primary care level remain a priority, for intensive program scale-up to

Cheminformatics Research at the Unilever Centre for Molecular Science Informatics Cambridge.

Science.gov (United States)

Fuchs, Julian E; Bender, Andreas; Glen, Robert C

2015-09-01

The Centre for Molecular Informatics, formerly Unilever Centre for Molecular Science Informatics (UCMSI), at the University of Cambridge is a world-leading driving force in the field of cheminformatics. Since its opening in 2000 more than 300 scientific articles have fundamentally changed the field of molecular informatics. The Centre has been a key player in promoting open chemical data and semantic access. Though mainly focussing on basic research, close collaborations with industrial partners ensured real world feedback and access to high quality molecular data. A variety of tools and standard protocols have been developed and are ubiquitous in the daily practice of cheminformatics. Here, we present a retrospective of cheminformatics research performed at the UCMSI, thereby highlighting historical and recent trends in the field as well as indicating future directions.

Goal setting with mothers in child development services.

Science.gov (United States)

Forsingdal, S; St John, W; Miller, V; Harvey, A; Wearne, P

2014-07-01

The aim of this grounded theory study was to explore mothers' perspectives of the processes of collaborative goal setting in multidisciplinary child development services involving follow-up home therapy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in South East Queensland, Australia with 14 mothers of children aged 3-6 years who were accessing multidisciplinary child development services. Interviews were focussed around the process of goal setting. A grounded theory of Maternal Roles in Goal Setting (The M-RIGS Model) was developed from analysis of data. Mothers assumed Dependent, Active Participator and Collaborator roles when engaging with the therapist in goal-setting processes. These roles were characterized by the mother's level of dependence on the therapist and insight into their child's needs and therapy processes. Goal Factors, Parent Factors and Therapist Factors influenced and added complexity to the goal-setting process. The M-RIGS Model highlights that mothers take on a range of roles in the goal-setting process. Although family-centred practice encourages negotiation and collaborative goal setting, parents may not always be ready to take on highly collaborative roles. Better understanding of parent roles, goal-setting processes and influencing factors will inform better engagement with families accessing multidisciplinary child development services. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Child care and our youngest children.

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, D; Adams, G

2001-01-01

Studies of child development confirm that experiences with people mold an infant's mind and personality. Caregiving is, therefore, central to development, whether the caregiver is a parent, a grandmother, or a teacher in a child care center. This article uses data from new, national studies of families to examine the state of child care for infants and toddlers. The story it tells is complex, as the authors outline the overlapping impacts that diverse child care settings and home situations have on children. Early exposure to child care can foster children's learning and enhance their lives, or it can leave them at risk for troubled relationships. The outcome that results depends largely on the quality of the child care setting. Responsive caregivers who surround children with language, warmth, and chances to learn are the key to good outcomes. Other quality attributes (like training and staff-to-child ratios) matter because they foster positive caregiving. Diversity and variability are hallmarks of the American child care supply. Both "wonderful and woeful" care can be found in all types of child care but, overall, settings where quality is compromised are distressingly common. Children whose families are not buoyed by good incomes or government supports are the group most often exposed to poor-quality care. Given this balanced but troubling look at the status of child care for infants and toddlers, the authors conclude that there is a mismatch between the rhetoric of parental choice and the realities facing parents of young children in the United States. They call on communities, businesses, foundations, and government to play a larger role in helping parents secure good care for their infants and toddlers.

PARENTAL CHILDHOOD ADVERSITY, DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, AND PARENTING QUALITY: EFFECTS ON TODDLER SELF-REGULATION IN CHILD WELFARE SERVICES INVOLVED FAMILIES.

Science.gov (United States)

Spieker, Susan J; Oxford, Monica L; Fleming, Charles B; Lohr, Mary Jane

2018-01-01

Parents who are involved with child welfare services (CWSI) often have a history of childhood adversity and depressive symptoms. Both affect parenting quality, which in turn influences child adaptive functioning. We tested a model of the relations between parental depression and child regulatory outcomes first proposed by K. Lyons-Ruth, R. Wolfe, A. Lyubchik, and R. Steingard (2002). We hypothesized that both parental depression and parenting quality mediate the effects of parental early adversity on offspring regulatory outcomes. Participants were 123 CWSI parents and their toddlers assessed three times over a period of 6 months. At Time 1, parents reported on their childhood adversity and current depressive symptoms. At Time 2, parents' sensitivity to their child's distress and nondistress cues was rated from a videotaped teaching task. At Time 3, observers rated children's emotional regulation, orientation/engagement, and secure base behavior. The results of a path model partly supported the hypotheses. Parent childhood adversity was associated with current depressive symptoms, which in turn related to parent sensitivity to child distress, but not nondistress. Sensitivity to distress also predicted secure base behavior. Depression directly predicted orientation/engagement, also predicted by sensitivity to nondistress. Sensitivity to distress predicted emotion regulation and orientation/engagement. Results are discussed in terms of intervention approaches for CWSI families. © 2017 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

A review of the activities of the Nuclear Data Centre at ENEA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reffo, G.; Herman, M.; Pescarini, M.; Ventura, A.; Trkov, A.

1996-01-01

We give a short presentation of the present activities carried on at the Nuclear Data Centre of ENEA at Bologna. These include a strong support of fundamental physics research aimed at ensuring the capability of responding with high quality data to any type of nuclear data request. (author)

Quality control in paediatric nuclear medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fischer, S.; Hahn, K.

1997-01-01

Nuclear medicine examinations in children require a maximum in quality. This is true for the preparation of the child and parents, the imaging procedure, processing and documentation. It is necessary that quality control through all steps is performed regularly. The aim must be that the children receive a minimum radiation dose, while there needs to be a high quality in imaging and clinical information from the study. Furthermore the child should not be too much psychologically affected by the nuclear medicine examination. (orig.) [de

Quality of Individualised Education Programme Goals and Objectives for Preschool Children with Disabilities

Science.gov (United States)

Rakap, Salih

2015-01-01

Individualised education programmes (IEPs) are the road maps for individualising services for children with disabilities, specifically through the development of high-quality child goals/objectives. High-quality IEP goals/objectives that are developed based on a comprehensive assessment of child functioning and directly connected to intervention…

Who's Watching the Babies? Improving the Quality of Family, Friend, and Neighbor Child Care

Science.gov (United States)

Powell, Douglas R.

2008-01-01

One of the important influences on a child's development is the quality of his or her early care and education experiences. It is estimated that more than 1 million children in the U.S. are cared for while their parents are at work by nonlicensed caregivers who are family, friends, or neighbors - and these caregivers can be difficult to reach…

Caregiver experiences of racism and child healthcare utilisation: cross-sectional analysis from New Zealand.

Science.gov (United States)

Paine, Sarah-Jane; Harris, Ricci; Stanley, James; Cormack, Donna

2018-03-23

Children's exposure to racism via caregiver experience (vicarious racism) is associated with poorer health and development. However, the relationship with child healthcare utilisation is unknown. We aimed to investigate (1) the prevalence of vicarious racism by child ethnicity; (2) the association between caregiver experiences of racism and child healthcare utilisation; and (3) the contribution of caregiver socioeconomic position and psychological distress to this association. Cross-sectional analysis of two instances of the New Zealand Health Survey (2006/2007: n=4535 child-primary caregiver dyads; 2011/2012: n=4420 dyads). Children's unmet need for healthcare, reporting no usual medical centre and caregiver-reported dissatisfaction with their child's medical centre. The prevalence of reporting 'any' experience of racism was higher among caregivers of indigenous Māori and Asian children (30.0% for both groups in 2006/2007) compared with European/Other children (14.4% in 2006/2007). Vicarious racism was independently associated with unmet need for child's healthcare (OR=2.30, 95% CI 1.65 to 3.20) and dissatisfaction with their child's medical centre (OR=2.00, 95% CI 1.26 to 3.16). Importantly, there was a dose-response relationship between the number of reported experiences of racism and child healthcare utilisation (eg, unmet need: 1 report of racism, OR=1.89, 95% CI 1.34 to 2.67; 2+ reports of racism, OR=3.06, 95% CI 1.27 to 7.37). Adjustment for caregiver psychological distress attenuated the association between caregiver experiences of racism and child healthcare utilisation. Vicarious racism is a serious health problem in New Zealand disproportionately affecting Māori and Asian children and significantly impacting children's healthcare utilisation. Tackling racism may be an important means of improving inequities in child healthcare utilisation. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All

The Cerebral Palsy Quality of Life for Children (CP QOL-Child): Evidence of Construct Validity

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Kuan-Lin; Wang, Hui-Yi; Tseng, Mei-Hui; Shieh, Jeng-Yi; Lu, Lu; Yao, Kai-Ping Grace; Huang, Chien-Yu

2013-01-01

The Cerebral Palsy Quality of Life for Children (CP QOL-Child) is the first health condition-specific questionnaire designed for measuring QOL in children with cerebral palsy (CP). However, its construct validity has not yet been confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Hence, this study assessed the construct validity of the caregiver…

Promoting Continuous Quality Improvement in the Alabama Child Health Improvement Alliance Through Q-Sort Methodology and Learning Collaboratives.

Science.gov (United States)

Fifolt, Matthew; Preskitt, Julie; Rucks, Andrew; Corvey, Kathryn; Benton, Elizabeth Cason

Q-sort methodology is an underutilized tool for differentiating among multiple priority measures. The authors describe steps to identify, delimit, and sort potential health measures and use selected priority measures to establish an overall agenda for continuous quality improvement (CQI) activities within learning collaboratives. Through an iterative process, the authors vetted a list of potential child and adolescent health measures. Multiple stakeholders, including payers, direct care providers, and organizational representatives sorted and prioritized measures, using Q-methodology. Q-methodology provided the Alabama Child Health Improvement Alliance (ACHIA) an objective and rigorous approach to system improvement. Selected priority measures were used to design learning collaboratives. An open dialogue among stakeholders about state health priorities spurred greater organizational buy-in for ACHIA and increased its credibility as a statewide provider of learning collaboratives. The integrated processes of Q-sort methodology, learning collaboratives, and CQI offer a practical yet innovative way to identify and prioritize state measures for child and adolescent health and establish a learning agenda for targeted quality improvement activities.

Does Parent Stress Predict the Quality of Life of Children With a Diagnosis of ADHD? A Comparison of Parent and Child Perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Galloway, Helen; Newman, Emily; Miller, Nicola; Yuill, Clare

2016-05-13

There are indicators that parental psychological factors may affect how parents evaluate their child's quality of life (QoL) when the child has a health condition. This study examined the impact of parents' perceived stress on parent and child ratings of the QoL of children with ADHD. A cross-sectional sample of 45 matched parent-child dyads completed parallel versions of the KIDSCREEN-27. Children were 8 to 14 years with clinician diagnosed ADHD. Parents who rated their child's QoL lower than their child had higher perceived stress scores. Parent stress was a unique predictor of child QoL from parent proxy-rated but not child-rated QoL scores. Parents' perceived stress may play an important role in their assessments of their child's QoL, suggesting both parent and child perspectives of QoL should be utilized wherever possible. Interventions that target parent stress may contribute to improvements in the child's QoL. © The Author(s) 2016.

First results of the Nordic and Baltic GNSS Analysis Centre

Science.gov (United States)

Lahtinen, Sonja; Pasi, Häkli; Jivall, Lotti; Kempe, Christina; Kollo, Karin; Kosenko, Ksenija; Pihlak, Priit; Prizginiene, Dalia; Tangen, Oddvar; Weber, Mette; Paršeliūnas, Eimuntas; Baniulis, Rimvydas; Galinauskas, Karolis

2018-03-01

The Nordic Geodetic Commission (NKG) has launched a joint NKG GNSS Analysis Centre that aims to routinely produce high qualityGNSS solutions for the common needs of the NKG and the Nordic and Baltic countries. A consistent and densified velocity field is needed for the constraining of the gla-cial isostatic adjustment (GIA) modelling that is a key component of maintaining the national reference frame realisations in the area. We described the methods of the NKG GNSS Analysis Centre including the defined processing setup for the local analysis centres (LAC) and for the combination centres.We analysed the results of the first 2.5 years (2014.5-2016). The results showed that different subnets were consistent with the combined solution within 1-2 mm level. We observed the so called network effect affecting our reference frame alignment. However, the accuracy of the reference frame alignment was on a few millimetre level in the area of the main interest (Nordic and Baltic Countries). TheNKGGNSS AC was declared fully operational in April 2017.

A criterion-based audit of the technical quality of external beam radiotherapy for prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brundage, Michael; Danielson, Brita; Pearcey, Robert; Bass, Brenda; Pickles, Tom; Bahary, Jean-Paul; Peng, Yingwei; Wallace, David; Mackillop, William

2013-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the technical quality of external beam radiotherapy for prostate cancer in Canada. Methods: This was a multi-institution, retrospective study of a random sample of patients undergoing radiotherapy (RT) for prostate cancer in Canada. Patterns of care were determined by abstracting details of the patients’ management from original records. The quality of patient’s technical care was measured against a previously published, comprehensive suite of quality indicators. Results: 32 of the 37 RT centres participated. The total study population of 810 patients included 25% low-risk, 44% intermediate-risk, and 28% high-risk cases. 649 received external beam RT (EBRT) only, for whom compliance with 12 indicators of the quality of pre-treatment assessment ranged from 56% (sexual function documented) to 96% (staging bone scan obtained in high-risk patients). Compliance with treatment-related indicators ranged from 78% (dose to prostate ⩾74 Gy in intermediate risk patients not receiving hormone therapy) to 100% (3DCRT or IMRT plan). Compliance varied among centres; no centre demonstrated 100% compliance on all indicators and every centre was 100% compliant on at least some indicators. The number of assessment-related indicators (n = 13) with which a given centre was 100% compliant ranged from 4 to 11 (median 7) and the number of the treatment-specific indicators (n = 8) with which a given centre was 100% compliant ranged from 6 to 8 (median 8). ADT therapy was utilised in most high-risk cases (191, 92.3%). Conclusions: While patterns of prostate cancer care in Canada vary somewhat, compliance on the majority of quality indicators is very high. However, all centres showed room for improvement on several indicators and few individual patients received care that met target benchmarks on all quality measures. This variation is particularly important for indicators such as delivered dose where impact on disease outcome is known to exist, and suggests that

A qualitative study of sleep quality in children and their resident parents when in hospital.

Science.gov (United States)

Stickland, Alice; Clayton, Esther; Sankey, Ruth; Hill, Catherine M

2016-06-01

Poor sleep quality impairs immune responses and pain tolerance, both key to recovery from acute illness. Hospitalised children and their co-sleeping parents also risk emotional lability and impaired coping skills when sleep-deprived. We aimed to study the experiences of children and parents during hospital admissions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents within a week of their child's discharge. Questions explored parent and child sleep quality, factors contributing to this, perceived impact on day-time functioning and suggested improvements to ward sleep environment. Southampton Children's Hospital, UK. 17 co-sleeping parents of 16 children aged 3-12 years completed interviews. Children admitted for surgical procedures and those with established sleep disorders or nocturnal seizures were excluded. Constant comparative methods identified themes within the data using a grounded theory approach. Parents reported that they, and to a lesser extent their children, experienced reduced sleep quality. Noise and light as well as ward schedules were identified as key factors disrupting sleep. Parents reported that lack of sleep caused difficulties with their own emotional regulation and that of their child, affecting daytime parent-child relationships. Furthermore, they reported a negative impact of sleep deprivation on decision-making about their child's medical care. Parents identified poor sleep in hospital as a significant additional burden to their child's hospital admission. Importantly, they identified potential improvements to the ward sleep environment. Intervention studies that target modifiable, child-centred alterations to night-time ward culture are recommended, focusing on measurable child and parental outcomes. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Organisational and environmental characteristics of residential aged care units providing highly person-centred care: a cross sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sjögren, Karin; Lindkvist, Marie; Sandman, Per-Olof; Zingmark, Karin; Edvardsson, David

2017-01-01

Few studies have empirically investigated factors that define residential aged care units that are perceived as being highly person-centred. The purpose of this study was to explore factors characterising residential aged care units perceived as being highly person-centred, with a focus on organisational and environmental variables, as well as residents' and staff' characteristics. A cross-sectional design was used. Residents ( n  = 1460) and staff ( n  = 1213) data from 151 residential care units were collected, as well as data relating to characteristics of the organisation and environment, and data measuring degree of person-centred care. Participating staff provided self-reported data and conducted proxy ratings on residents . Descriptive and comparative statistics, independent samples t-test, Chi 2 test, Eta Squared and Phi coefficient were used to analyse data. Highly person-centred residential aged care units were characterized by having a shared philosophy of care, a satisfactory leadership, interdisciplinary collaboration and social support from colleagues and leaders, a dementia-friendly physical environment, staff having time to spend with residents, and a smaller unit size. Residential aged care units with higher levels of person-centred care had a higher proportion of staff with continuing education in dementia care, and a higher proportion of staff receiving regular supervision, compared to units with lower levels of person-centred care. It is important to target organisational and environmental factors, such as a shared philosophy of care, staff use of time, the physical environment, interdisciplinary support, and support from leaders and colleagues, to improve person-centred care in residential care units. Managers and leaders seeking to facilitate person-centred care in daily practice need to consider their own role in supporting, encouraging, and supervising staff.

Constructing the "Ideal" Family for Family-Centred Practice: Challenges for Delivery

Science.gov (United States)

Dodd, Jenny; Saggers, Sherry; Wildy, Helen

2009-01-01

Family-centred practice positions families as the key decision-makers, central to and experts in the wants and needs of their child. This paper discusses how families interviewed for a Western Australian study describe their relationships with a range of allied health professionals in the paediatric disability sector. The allied health…

Quality Assurance in Nuclear Fuel Research at the Laboratory of High- and Medium-level Activity at SCK-CEN

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sannen, L.; Gys, A.; Verwerft, M

1999-10-01

Quality assurance in nuclear fuel research demands specific calibration and validation methodologies. Indeed the analytical experiments in hot-cells on highly radioactive objects are non-standard and many times unique. The standards and validation methods developed for and applied to the main nuclear fuel research experiments in the hot laboratories of the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK-CEN are outlined.

Quality Assurance in Nuclear Fuel Research at the Laboratory of High- and Medium-level Activity at SCK-CEN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sannen, L.; Gys, A.; Verwerft, M.

1999-10-01

Quality assurance in nuclear fuel research demands specific calibration and validation methodologies. Indeed the analytical experiments in hot-cells on highly radioactive objects are non-standard and many times unique. The standards and validation methods developed for and applied to the main nuclear fuel research experiments in the hot laboratories of the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK-CEN are outlined

Dewey: A Panacea for the 'Schoolification' Epidemic

Science.gov (United States)

Ring, Emer; O'Sullivan, Lisha

2018-01-01

High quality early years' education is associated with providing a child-centred curriculum based on a knowledge of how young children learn. The global 'schoolification epidemic' has led to an increasing focus on prescribed curricula and presents as a serious threat to the quality of children's early years' experiences. Findings from research in…

The health and social situation of the mother during pregnancy and global quality of life of the child as an adult. Results from the prospective Copenhagen Perinatal Cohort 1959-1961

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Søren Ventegodt

2005-01-01

Full Text Available A prospective cohort study (Copenhagen Perinatal Birth Cohort 1959-61 of 7,222 persons was used in order to explore the association between the social and health situation during pregnancy and the global quality of life (QOL of the adult child 31-33 years later. Two sets of questionnaires were used with one filled out by physicians during pregnancy and one filled out by the adult children 31-33 years later. The questionnaires included mother's situation during pregnancy and global QOL of the child at follow-up: Well-being, life satisfaction, happiness, fulfilment of needs, experience of life’s temporal and spatial domains, expression of life’s potentials and objective measures. The only indicators to have clear connections with a reduced quality of life were the cases of mother's with syphilis (8.5%, mother's congenital malformations (8.8%, low social group (6.9% and failing contraception (3.8%. The results obtained repudiate the common notion and hypothesis that the mother's situation during pregnancy is highly important for the quality of life that the child experience as an adult. This suggest that the aspects important for quality of life later on are not found solely in early conditions, but instead more dependent on later attitude towards life of that specific person.

QUOTEchemo: a patient-centred instrument to measure quality of communication preceding chemotherapy treatment through the patient's eyes.

Science.gov (United States)

van Weert, Julia C M; Jansen, Jesse; de Bruijn, Gert-Jan; Noordman, Janneke; van Dulmen, Sandra; Bensing, Jozien M

2009-11-01

Knowing patients' needs is a prerequisite to ensure high quality cancer care. This study describes the development and psychometric properties of a patient-centred instrument to measure needs and actual experiences with communication preceding chemotherapy treatment: QUOTE(chemo). QUOTE-questionnaires (Quality Of care Through the patients' Eyes) are widely used to gain insight into unmet needs, but no validated, standardised questionnaire combining patients' needs and experiences surrounding chemotherapy treatment is available yet. To evaluate the psychometric properties of the QUOTE(chemo), content validity, internal structure and convergent validity were investigated amongst 345 cancer patients, new to chemotherapy, from 10 different hospitals. Literature study, focus group discussions and a categorisation procedure of 67 relevant topics revealed seven main themes: Treatment-related information, Prognosis information, Rehabilitation information, Coping information, Interpersonal communication, Tailored communication and Affective communication. Confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation modelling indicated that the measurement model provided good fit to the data with factor loadings ranging from .43 to .77. The seven QUOTE(chemo) dimensions captured relevant issues of concern with good internal consistency (alpha .72-.92), satisfactory item-total correlations (.35-.79) and satisfactory convergent validity. Affective communication, Treatment-related information and Rehabilitation information were perceived most important by patients. The instrument also appeared to be able to determine which aspects need improvement to ensure high quality care. The highest need for improvement was found for communicating Prognosis information and Rehabilitation information and for Interpersonal communication. These findings provide preliminary evidence of the reliability and validity of the QUOTE(chemo) for use in cancer care surrounding chemotherapy treatment

Internal communication and data base management QA system in the Nuclear Training Centre

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stritar, Andrej

1999-01-01

Nuclear Training Centre in Ljubljana, Slovenia, is serving to NPP Krsko as a subcontractor for initial phases of technical staff training. In addition we are also organizing several international training courses, we perform the radiological protection training for users of ionizing radiation in industry, medicine and science and we are also running the public information centre with about 7000 visitors per year. For all these activities there are only 11 people available. In order to maintain the quality and efficiency of our work, we were forced to develop strongly computerized support system for the internal communication and maintenance of ever growing databases. It is the mission of our training centre to serve as a reliable and effective source of information about nuclear technologies to nuclear professionals and to the wider public. In order to cope with the increasing number of activities and with the limited number of people and resources available, we had to introduce systematic and highly computerized system for more effective internal communication and support of our activities, which is described in this paper. We have in great extend achieved two main objectives, which we expected from it: to reduce and simplify our routine activities; and force us to follow the predefined rules and thereby maintain the high quality of our work

Financing Child Care. A Public Policy Report from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Winter 2002.

Science.gov (United States)

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Kansas City, MO.

This public policy report focuses on financing child care in the United States. The report contains brief articles on the following topics: (1) child care wages in comparison to other positions; (2) benefits to businesses when employees have high-quality child care; (3) resources for funding early education systems; (4) comparison of the cost of…

The Centre of High-Performance Scientific Computing, Geoverbund, ABC/J - Geosciences enabled by HPSC

Science.gov (United States)

Kollet, Stefan; Görgen, Klaus; Vereecken, Harry; Gasper, Fabian; Hendricks-Franssen, Harrie-Jan; Keune, Jessica; Kulkarni, Ketan; Kurtz, Wolfgang; Sharples, Wendy; Shrestha, Prabhakar; Simmer, Clemens; Sulis, Mauro; Vanderborght, Jan

2016-04-01

The Centre of High-Performance Scientific Computing (HPSC TerrSys) was founded 2011 to establish a centre of competence in high-performance scientific computing in terrestrial systems and the geosciences enabling fundamental and applied geoscientific research in the Geoverbund ABC/J (geoscientfic research alliance of the Universities of Aachen, Cologne, Bonn and the Research Centre Jülich, Germany). The specific goals of HPSC TerrSys are to achieve relevance at the national and international level in (i) the development and application of HPSC technologies in the geoscientific community; (ii) student education; (iii) HPSC services and support also to the wider geoscientific community; and in (iv) the industry and public sectors via e.g., useful applications and data products. A key feature of HPSC TerrSys is the Simulation Laboratory Terrestrial Systems, which is located at the Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC) and provides extensive capabilities with respect to porting, profiling, tuning and performance monitoring of geoscientific software in JSC's supercomputing environment. We will present a summary of success stories of HPSC applications including integrated terrestrial model development, parallel profiling and its application from watersheds to the continent; massively parallel data assimilation using physics-based models and ensemble methods; quasi-operational terrestrial water and energy monitoring; and convection permitting climate simulations over Europe. The success stories stress the need for a formalized education of students in the application of HPSC technologies in future.