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Children and adolescents tend to lose weight, which may be associated with misperceptions of weight. Previous studies have emphasized establishing correlations between eating disorders and an overestimated perception of body weight, but few studies have focused on an underestimated perception of body weight. The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between misperceptions of body weight and weight-related risk factors, such as eating disorders, inactivity, and unhealthy behaviors, among overweight children who underestimated their body weight. We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive study between December 1, 2006 and February 15, 2007. A total of 29,313 children and adolescents studying in grades 4-12 were enrolled in this nationwide, cross-sectional survey, and they were asked to complete questionnaires. A multivariate logistic regression using maximum likelihood estimates was used. The prevalence of body weight misperception was 43.2% (26.4% overestimation and 16.8% underestimation). Factors associated with the underestimated perception of weight among overweight children were parental obesity, dietary control for weight loss, breakfast consumption, self-induced vomiting as a weight control strategy, fried food consumption, engaging in vigorous physical activities, and sleeping for >8 hours per day (odds ratios=0.86, 0.42, 0.88, 1.37, 1.13, 1.11, and 1.17, respectively). In conclusion, the early establishment of an accurate perception of body weight may mitigate unhealthy behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of light to promote health, reduce harm, and restore functionality is a novel, non-accumulative physical strategy that contrasts with the predominantly chemical approaches used in Western medicine. This strategy may serve as an independent function for healthcare professionals and warrants further exploration. Photoreactivation, achieved by adjusting patients' physiological clocks at different times, utilizing specific wavelengths, varying color temperatures, and using illuminance, is a potent tool for improving mood and sleep quality, regulating autonomic nervous system balance, enhancing attention, and delaying cognitive decline. Light therapy is a rapidly expanding field in healthcare that offers new opportunities to enhance quality of life, prevent diseases, and improve overall well-being. This article elucidates the fundamental concepts of photoreactivation, explores its application across diverse health domains, examines its future development prospects, and discusses the challenges faced by photoreactivation and related solutions to ensure the responsible use of light to enhance and restore physiological and psychological functions.

Societal ageing, the rising prevalence of chronic diseases, and the COVID-19 pandemic have changed the global healthcare environment dramatically. These challenges have significantly burdened community medical and healthcare systems and complicated the work of public health nursing. As an important care provider on the frontlines of primary care, public health nurses (PHNs) must keep up with the current state of the medical environment and statistical data interpretation, scientific data translation, community resource sharing, and telehealth applications. These demands have greatly impacted the traditional routines and existing professional core competencies of PHNs. Discussions among 12 Taiwanese public healthcare experts and the definition of public health nursing capacity from World Health Organization were considered in this review. In addition to reflecting on social changes and the professional development of public health nursing, eight prospective recommendations were provided in this review to enhance the professional competence of PHNs and better prepare them for future changes in the health environment and primary healthcare. The suggestions provide a reference for updating the position statement of PHNs.

The development of the occupational health nursing profession has promoted stable and healthy human resources in Taiwan. In order to improve the occupational safety, health, and healthcare of workers, the professional core competencies and role functions of occupational health nursing is of utmost importance. This article investigated the current status of occupational health nursing education, role functions, practice scope, and the development and responsibilities of professional associations and proposed the challenges to and the future prospects of the development of occupational health nursing in Taiwan. The key findings include: (1) the role functions and practice scope of occupational health nursing; (2) occupational health nursing courses should be included in the required credits of Department of Nursing and master and doctor programs in occupational health nursing should be established; (3) a certification system of occupational health nursing should be established as soon as possible; (4) the professional associations for occupational health nursing should take responsibility for continuing education and training; and (5) interdisciplinary collaborations among relevant occupational health professionals should be strengthened.

Health policies in many advanced countries have been revised and reformed to address increasing public healthcare demands and increasingly limited resources. Upgrading the quality and quantity of community healthcare is the most effective solution. Implementation of the National Health Insurance system in Taiwan has introduced instability into the medical system, as insurance premiums no longer correspond to healthcare demand, Taiwanese live inadequately healthy lifestyles, and expectations of the healthcare system continue to grow. Community nursing now faces many challenges at this historic crossroads. This paper tries to analyze factors in the domestic and international environment that affect Taiwan's national community healthcare. These include changes in population structure, adjustment of governmental policies, the implementation of nursing and medical regulations, and consensus among nursing professional groups. The authors hope to anticipate the trends and prospects and advantages and opportunities in community healthcare in the coming decade in order to help our community healthcare partners prepare a good foundation and establish a model for the national healthcare system and nursing profession.

The screen interface has been believed to be the major barrier for the adoption of PDAs in healthcare. The study objectives were to design a set of screen interface design principles for complex documentation using PDAs and to examine nurses' perception of the ease of use and usefulness of the application. A 21-page Chinese version of the interRAI MDS-HC home-care assessment tool composed of more than 250 assessment questions was used for the application. A WiFi Palm-based PDA was used. A convenience sample of 60 subjects, primarily nurses newly trained to use the MDS-HC assessment tool, were invited to evaluate the PDA system in terms of Davis' Technology Acceptance Model. The final information structure of the PDA application consisted of 18 categories composed of 262 questions over 63 screens. Subjects could move to any assessment question in less than two taps without a memory burden and finish the question in one tap. Respectively, close to 95% and 93% of the subjects agreed that, overall, the system was easy to use and useful for their work. We conclude the screen interface challenge for complex documentation using PDAs can be improved and managed to achieve to a very high usability.

As adolescent girls have specific healthcare needs, this paper was designed to provide a better understanding of their healthcare needs in both physical and psychosocial terms. After conducting a targeted review of the literature on children and adolescents, we identified factors of importance to physical health as body weight, physical activity, menstruation, sexual knowledge and attitude and to psychosocial health as anxiety, interpersonal relationships, depression, and suicide behavior. Reflecting these factors, this paper presents four preventive suggestions to clinical practice, education, and research to facilitate improvements in adolescent girl's health. These suggestions include: 1) strengthening health education and media responsibility with regard to adolescent girl health; 2) improving awareness of the needs of adolescent girls within healthcare and education organizations; 3) making health guidelines for promoting proper health behavior in adolescent girls; and 4) mobilizing nurses to assert the health of adolescent girls in clinical, education, and research fields. This is the first paper that focuses on the health needs of adolescent Taiwanese girls. The authors hope that more people become involved in the care of adolescent girl's health in Taiwan.

Taiwan's high population density frequently blurs the administrative boundaries between communities, leading to indistinct community identifications among the population. The authors used the Helvie energy theory to assess different communities in Taiwan, employing a core (population), four internal energies (chemical, physical, biological, and psychiatric) and nine environment subsystems (transportation, health, education, entertainment, economy, politics, communication, culture, and welfare) in an analysis of urban and rural community samples. Authors found significantly different influences on community health due to different environments and energy exchange factors between the two samples. Urban and rural communities have advantages and requirements that are distinct from one another. The community health nurse (CHN) should consider the specific demands of each community and develop professional roles to incorporate the three degrees of prevention. Authors hope that this article can inspire CHNs to define the critical health problems in their communities, facilitate the development of advanced professional roles, and serve as reference in implementing health plans.

In Taiwan, Type 2 diabetes is a common chronic disease and a major cause of mortality because of the adverse complications with which it afflicts the cardiovascular, renal and neurological systems. The Bureau of National Health Insurance has begun to address issues of diabetes prevention. Statistics indicate that patients with diabetes account for 11.5% of all medical expenditure by this Bureau. Evidence from the literature suggests that a policy of prevention ought to be more effective than the early detection and treatment of diabetes. This paper recommends a case management system that is sensitive to Taiwan culture and involves the promotion of a healthy lifestyle, "the LOHAS executants", to promote efficient strategies and interventions for the prevention of diabetes. The focus of the approach is one of a gradual change in an individual's lifestyle, including physical activity, a healthy diet and behavior modification. Adherence to the interventions is determined through consultation and monitoring by a case manager. All procedures are tailored and kept convenient, in order to help the participants to achieve or maintain their goals. Overall, in the future, the prevention of type 2 diabetes in high-risk individuals will reduce the tremendous burden on national medical resources created by this disease, and help those people to develop an optimal quality of life.

Taiwan has good support systems for obesity prevention and management. The percentage of elementary school students with normal body weight, however, has undergone a sustained decrease to 55%. Many factors are associated with this trend, such as lack of physical activity, dissatisfaction with body image, unbalanced dietary pattern, and unsupportive environment. Even though the rate of overweight and obesity is under control, the rate of underweight among girls has undergone a sustained increase, to 28%. Nurses therefore organized the "Aid students to fit" project, which emphasizes the bipolar issue of overweight and underweight. This national project is sponsored by the Ministry of Education and is expected to establish a beneficial environment, in which students can easily adopt healthy lifestyles and increase self-esteem. The program incorporates the AID triangle concept (Active, Image, Diet) and five strategies for achieving the goals. These strategies are: 1. Develop a persuasive statement to fit in with the philosophies of parents, students and teachers. 2. Set up measurable behavior indices and slogans. (Active life: 210 minutes per week. Image: confident and elegant. Diet: balanced and wise choice of low fat and high fiber foods.) 3. Establish a nation-wide interactive surveillance system for body weight control. 4. Develop an internet system that emphasizes tailored case management for overweight students. 5. Develop a supportive teaching plan, material, and aids to promote a healthy school environment. Five modeling schools, moreover, can be used to demonstrate the program. Educators can also download a free teaching plan, material, and aids at the website for healthy weight management (www.ym.edu.tw/active/aid). The authors brought together scholars from eight universities to accomplish the program. In support of the program, the Taiwan Ministry of Education addressed the new recommendation for physical activity which is to engage in moderate intensity physical activity every day for 30 minutes. We also shared this unique Asian experience at the round table discussion addressing the practical and policy issues of implementing public health strategies to reduce physical inactivity and prevent obesity in children. This was hosted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center for Physical Activity in order to establish declarations and recommendations for the prevention of obesity in children.

In assessing the health of a community is important to select tools appropriate to the community's characteristics. The framework for this paper is the system framework for community assessment developed by Trotter, Smith and Maurer (2000); the data were collected by windshield survey, literature review, interview, and observation. Through data analysis and the identification of the community's problem, the authors prioritize those problems in accordance with Goeppinger and Schuste's (1992) criteria. They illustrate the practicality and local applicability of this method by means of a local case. Finally, the authors evaluate the framework in terms of concept clearance, variable classification, and indicator measurement. In addition, they propose concrete suggestions for community workers to consider in the selection of assessment tools, and to enrich nursing knowledge.