Search

Availability of health-promoting interventions (HPIs) may vary across schools serving students with different socioeconomic backgrounds. Our objectives were to describe social inequalities across elementary schools in: (i) level of importance that school principals attribute to 13 common health-related issues among students in their school; (ii) availability of HPIs within their school addressing eight health topics and (iii) (mis)alignment between perceived importance and HPI availability. Data were collected in telephone interviews with school principals in a convenience sample of 171 elementary schools (59% of 291 schools contacted). Schools were categorized as serving very advantaged, moderately advantaged or disadvantaged students. Principals reported how important 13 health issues were among students in their schools and provided data on HPI availability for 8 health issues, 4 of which required school action under government mandates. Higher proportions of principals in schools serving disadvantaged students (36% of all 171 schools) perceived most health issues as important. The mean number of HPIs in the past year was 12.0, 12.1 and 11.7 in schools serving very advantaged, moderately advantaged and disadvantaged students, respectively. Only availability of mental health HPIs differed by school deprivation (60, 43 and 30% in very, moderately and disadvantaged, respectively). Although most schools offered oral health HPIs, dental problems were not perceived as important. Smoking was perceived as not important and smoking-related HPIs were relatively rare (9%). Given rapid evolution in public health priorities, (mis)alignment between perceived importance of specific health issues and HPI availability in elementary schools warrants ongoing reflection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: We assessed whether smoking cessation counseling practices and related psychosocial characteristics among respiratory therapists (RTs) improved between 2005 and 2010. METHODS: Data were collected in mailed self-report questionnaires in 2005 and in 2010, in random independent samples of active licensed RTs in Québec, Canada. RESULTS: The response proportion was 67.6% in 2005 and 59.9% in 2010. There were no substantial differences in mean cessation counseling scores according to year of survey. RTs who reported that they had received cessation counseling training during their studies or after their studies (when they were in practice) had statistically significantly better counseling practices for both patients ready and patients not ready to quit than untrained RTs. In addition, their self-efficacy to provide effective counseling was higher and they perceived fewer knowledge-related barriers to cessation. Further, RTs trained after their studies perceived fewer patient-related and time barriers to cessation counseling, and had better knowledge of community resources. CONCLUSIONS: Although the proportion of RTs trained in smoking cessation counseling during and after studies increased between 2005 and 2010 (from 3% to 14%, and from 17% to 29%, respectively), sustained efforts are needed to increase the number of trained RTs, so that this translates into positive observable changes in counseling practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses research investigating interest of an individualized score among children using a maximal cycling test, called the OMNI cycle scale. Researchers studied the differences between perceived exertion and actual effort, measured by peak oxygen consumption, at various stages of the test to determine whether perceived exertion and actual effort differed according to body mass status or physical activity level. The study's experimental design and methodology, a discussion of the results, and researchers' conclusions regarding the relationship between the effort performed, the OMNI cycle scale score, body mass status, and physical activity level are presented.

Copyright of Applied Physiology, Nutrition & Metabolism is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study describes student perceptions of school staff smoking before and after implementation of legislation prohibiting smoking on school grounds. Students completed self-report questionnaires before (grade 6) and after (grade 7, 9 and 11) the law. The percentage of students reporting that school staff smoked in areas where smoking is forbidden was 19%, 32% and 33% in grade 7, 9 and 11, respectively. The mean(SD) score for the frequency with which students saw school staff smoking decreased after the ban but increased thereafter [2.5(1.1), 1.9(1.0), 2.4(1.1) and 2.3(1.1)] in grade 6, 7, 9 and 11, respectively [F(2.861,1662.229) = 45.350, P < 0.001]. These data suggest that the effect of the law dissipated over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]