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Background. The achievement of quality of care constitutes a priority for modern health care systems. The objective of our study was to evaluate a quality improvement intervention in primary care of Cyprus. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Even though there is a severe obesity problem in Cyprus, information about the contribution of predisposing lifestyle factors is limited. Our aim was to investigate the relationship between physical activity (PA), sedentary behaviour and various obesity indices [i.e. body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), percentage of body fat (BF%) and ‘total & abdominal obesity’ (TAO)]. Methods: A national cross-sectional study of 1140 children (mean age = 10.7 ± 0.98 years) selected by multistage sampling in Cyprus was conducted during 2004–05. Children completed a 32-item, semi-quantitative PA questionnaire, which assessed organized and free-time PA and sedentary behaviours. Weight, height and WC were collected from a random sub-sample of 622 children and obesity was defined by IOTF criteria. Body fat percentage was calculated, and TAO status was computed based on obesity status and WC [i.e. (i) both BMI/WC, (ii) either BMI/WC abnormal and (iii) both BMI/WC abnormal]. Linear and logistic regression analyses with obesity indices as dependent variables were applied after adjusting for several potential confounders. Results: Only variables describing sedentary behaviours were retained in the final regression models in both boys and girls. Girls who spent ≥4 h/day on TV and DVD watching were almost three times more likely to be overweight or obese [OR = 2.84 (95% CI 1.08–7.47)], three times more likely to have WC ≥75th percentile [OR = 3.25 (95% CI 1.06–9.98)] and 3.5 times more likely to have ≥30% body fat [OR = 3.63 (95% CI 1.01–12.98)], while in boys, even though the same variable was retained in almost all final models, it did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion: Sedentary behaviours such as TV watching may be more important predictors of children's various obesity indices than PA behaviours. Interventions targeting sedentary behaviours, such as TV watching, may help in the prevention and treatment of obesity among Cypriot children. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Elevated blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Increased risk begins in the prehypertensive range and increases further with higher pressures. The strenuous duties of emergency responders (firefighters, police officers, and emergency medical services (EMS) personnel) can interact with their personal risk profiles, including elevated blood pressure, to precipitate acute cardiovascular events. Approximately three-quarters of emergency responders have prehypertension or hypertension, a proportion which is expected to increase, based on the obesity epidemic. Elevated blood pressure is also inadequately controlled in these professionals and strongly linked to cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. Notably, the majority of incident cardiovascular disease events occur in responders who are initially prehypertensive or only mildly hypertensive and whose average premorbid blood pressures are in the range in which many physicians would hesitate to prescribe medications (140–146/88–92). Laws mandating public benefits for emergency responders with cardiovascular disease provide an additional rationale for aggressively controlling their blood pressure. This review provides a background on emergency responders, summarizes occupational risk factors for hypertension and the metabolic syndrome, their prevalence of elevated blood pressure, and evidence linking hypertension with adverse outcomes in these professions. Next, discrepancies between relatively outdated medical standards for emergency responders and current, evidence-based guidelines for blood pressure management in the general public are highlighted. Finally, a workplace-oriented approach for blood pressure control among emergency responders is proposed, based on the seventh report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure.American Journal of Hypertension (2009). doi:10.1038/ajh.2008.296American Journal of Hypertension (2009); 22, 1, 11–20. doi:10.1038/ajh.2008.296 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a letter to the editor about health literacy research in Europe.