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Carla M Bastemeijer,1 Hileen Boosman,2 Hans van Ewijk,3 Lisanne M Verweij,4 Lennard Voogt,5 Jan A Hazelzet41MMT, Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; 2Department of Quality & Patient Safety, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; 3Department of Normative Professionalization, University of Humanistic Studies, Utrecht, the Netherlands; 4Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; 5Department of Physical Therapy Studies, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Rotterdam, the NetherlandsPurpose: In the era of value-based healthcare, one strives for the most optimal outcomes and experiences from the perspective of the patient. So, patient experiences have become a key quality indicator for healthcare. While these are supposed to drive quality improvement (QI), their use and effectiveness for this purpose has been questioned. The aim of this systematic review was to provide insight into QI interventions used in a hospital setting and their effects on improving patient experiences, and possible barriers and promoters for QI work.Methods: Prisma guidelines were used to design this review. International academic literature was searched in Embase, Medline OvidSP, Web of Science, Cochrane Central, PubMed Publisher, Scopus, PsycInfo, and Google Scholar. In total, 3,289 studies were retrieved and independently screened by the first two authors for eligibility and methodological quality. Data was extracted on the study purpose, setting, design, targeted patient experience domains, QI strategies, results of QI, barriers, and promotors for QI.Results: Twenty-one pre–post intervention studies were included for review. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using a Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) Tool. QI strategies used were staff education, patient education, audit and feedback, clinician reminders, organizational change, and policy change. Twenty studies reported improvement in patient experience, 14 studies of the 21 included studies reported statistical significance. Most studies (n=17) reported data-related barriers (eg, questionnaire quality), professional, and/or organizational barriers (eg, skepticism among staff), and 14 studies mentioned specific promoters (eg, engaging staff and patients) for QI.Conclusions: Several patient experience domains are targeted for QI using diverse strategies and methodological approaches. Most studies reported at least one improvement and also barriers and promoters that may influence QI work. Future research should address these barriers and promoters in order to enhance methodological quality and improve patient experiences.Keywords: PREM, value based healthcare, outcomes, quality indicators

Background: It is evident that physical activity has many benefits, but it often remains unclear which types of activity are optimal for health and functioning in old age. The aim of this methodological study was to propose a method for distinguishing four components underlying self reported physical activity of older adults: intensity, muscle strength, turning actions and mechanical strain.Methods: Physical activity was assessed by the validated LAPAQ questionnaire among 1699 older adults of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam. Based on expert consultation and literature review, the four component scores for several individual daily and sports activities were developed. Factor analysis was performed to confirm whether the developed components indeed measured different constructs of physical activity.Results: Based on the factor analyses, three components were distinguished: 1. intensity and muscle strength loaded on the same factor, 2. mechanical strain and 3. turning actions. Analyses in gender, age and activity level subgroups consistently distinguished three factors.Conclusion: Future research using these components may contribute to our understanding of how specific daily and sports activities may have a different influence on health and physical functioning in old age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although physical activity (PA) has been shown to be beneficial in older adults with osteoarthritis (OA), most show low levels of PA. This study evaluated if self-efficacy, attitude, social norm, and coping styles predicted change in PA in older adults with OA in the knee and/or hip., Methods: Prospective study following 105 participants in a self-management intervention with baseline, post-test (6 weeks), and follow-up (6 months). Univariate associations and multivariate regression with self-reported change in PA as the dependent variable were measured. Potential predictors in the model: demographic, illness-related, and behavioral variables (attitude, self-efficacy, social norm, and intention), coping style, and pain coping., Results: Forty-eight percent of participants reported increased PA at 6 weeks and 37% at 6 months which corresponded with registered PA levels. At 6 weeks, use of the pain coping style "resting," intention, and participation in the intervention was univariately and multivariately, positively associated with more self-reported change, whereas being single and less use of the pain coping style "distraction" predicted less change. Higher pain severity only predicted less change multivariately. At 6 months, univariate associations for age, general coping style "seeking support," and participation in the intervention were found; higher age was associated multivariately with less self-reported change., Conclusion: At short term, self-reported change of PA was predicted by the behavioral factors intention and several pain coping styles. Together with other predictors of self-reported change (pain severity, higher age, being single), these could be addressed in future interventions for enhancing PA in older adults with OA., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objectives: Despite widespread use of medical devices and their increasing complexity, their contribution to unintended injury caused by healthcare (adverse events, AEs) remains relatively understudied. The aim of this study was to gain insight in the incidence and types of AEs involving medical devices (AMDEs)., Methods: Data from two patient record studies for the identification of AEs were used. Identification of AMDEs was part of these studies. Patient records of 6894 admissions of a random sample of 20 hospitals in 2011/2012 and 19 hospitals in 2015/2016 were reviewed for AMDEs by trained nurses and physicians., Results: In 98.7% of the admissions, a medical device was used. Adverse events involving medical devices were present in 2.8% of the admissions, with 24% of the AMDEs being potentially preventable. Of all AEs, in 40%, medical devices were involved. Of all potentially preventable AEs, in 44%, medical devices were involved. Implants were most often involved in potentially preventable AMDEs., Conclusions: Medical devices are substantially involved in potentially preventable AEs in hospitals. Research into AMDEs is of great importance because of the increasing use and complexity of medical devices. Based on patient records, most improvements could be made for placement of implants and prevention of infections related to medical devices. Safety and safe use of medical devices should be a subject of attention and further research., Competing Interests: The authors disclose no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives The aim of this study was to explore the perspectives of healthcare providers and researchers in a large academic hospital on facilitators and barriers for implementing patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in clinical care. Methods A customized web-based questionnaire was developed and disseminated to healthcare providers and researchers across multiple medical departments involved in a value-based health care initiative in the hospital. Questionnaire statements were rated using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree". In addition, 8 open-ended questions were included allowing respondents to mention additional facilitators and barriers for implementing PROMs. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the results. Results In total, 61 participants from both surgical and non-surgical departments completed the survey. Most respondents (51%) were medical specialists and the median employment duration was 14 years. Frequently reported facilitators were the presence of a PROM coordinator in the (outpatient) clinic (85%), the integration of PROMs in the electronic health record (81%), and the intrinsic motivation of members involved in the implementation (N=9 open responses). Commonly reported barriers were language barriers (76%), IT issues (N=17 open responses), and time constraints (N=14 open responses). Conclusions For the successful implementation of PROMs in clinical practice, it is imperative that healthcare organizations consider supporting motivated healthcare professionals, involving PROMs coordinators, and investing in an adequate IT infrastructure, and removal of language barriers., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The heart rate variability-derived Newborn Infant Parasympathetic Evaluation (NIPE™) Index is a continuous noninvasive tool for the assessment of pain and discomfort in infants. Little is known about its performance in the early postoperative setting, where assessment of pain/discomfort is usually based on discontinuous observational scoring systems or personal experience of medical staff., Aims: To investigate the performance of the NIPE as a measure of early postoperative pain and/or discomfort in infants., Methods: The potential of the NIPE to detect pain/discomfort, as assessed by two clinical scoring systems (FLACC and COMFORT-B scale), was investigated in postoperative infants (0-2 years)., Results: Receiver operating curve (ROC) analyses investigating the power of the NIPE to distinguish between comfort and pain/discomfort, revealed areas under the curve (AUC) of 0.77 for the FLACC, 0.81 for the COMFORT-B score, and 0.77 for a combination of FLACC & COMFORT-B. Logistic regression analysis provided initial evidence that the NIPE is an independent predictor of a FLACC score ≥4 and/or a COMFORT-B score ≥17, though R 2 values were below .2. NIPE values associated with a FLACC ≥4 (48 [45-56]), a COMFORT-B score ≥17 (47 [42-53]), and a FLACC ≥4 & COMFORT-B ≥17 (47 [42-57]) were lower than NIPE values associated with a FLACC <4 (60 [53-68], 95% CI of difference -14 to -8, p < .0001), a COMFORT-B score <17 (61 [54-68], 95% CI of difference -16 to -10, p < .0001), and a FLACC <4 & COMFORT-B score <17 (60 [53-68], 95% CI of difference -15 to -8, p < .0001). We found no evidence of a predictive value of the NIPE regarding the occurrence of pain., Conclusions: The NIPE detected pain and discomfort in infants after general anesthesia with reasonable areas under the ROC curve (±0.8), whereas it was not predictive of clinically detectable pain or discomfort., (© 2021 The Authors. Pediatric Anesthesia published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

To decrease infusion pump administration errors, time-consuming training is often initiated. The aims of this study were twofold: to develop minimum competency requirements for programming and operation of infusion pumps and to develop and validate a test for nurses based on those requirements. The test was completed by 226 nurses between May and December 2017. This study demonstrates that testing is a promising method to assess the competency of nurses in using medical devices. Moreover, test acceptability among nurses is high. Using competency requirements to develop a test offers the potential to tailor training needs and reduce training time.

Background and Aims: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is the most common hereditary lipid disorder requiring life-long treatment to prevent cardiovascular disease. A recent concept in healthcare is not only to focus on outcomes defined by healthcare professionals, but also take Patient-Reported Outcomes Measures (PROMs) into account. The aim of this study is (1) to describe the development and first results of a health-related outcomes set including PROMs for FH patients and (2) investigate the influence of patient knowledge on health-related outcomes., Methods: A multidisciplinary group of FH experts, in collaboration with a sounding board of FH patients (n = 166), developed a health-related outcomes set containing the domains: medication adherence (MARS-5), smoking, self-efficacy and self-management, quality of life (QOL) (EQ-5D-5L), reported adverse drug reactions, lipid outcome measures, and FH and cardiovascular risk factor knowledge. Knowledge scores ranged from 0 to 10. Two groups were created: Insufficient knowledge (INSUF) (<7.5), and Sufficient knowledge (SUF) (≥7.5)., Results: The response rate of the questionnaires was 81.4% (n = 429), implicating acceptance of PROMs. In general, FH patients showed good knowledge, high QOL and were adherent to medication. However, the INSUF group had higher triglycerides levels (1.0 vs 0.9, p < 0.05), lower QOL (0.89 [0.79, 1.00] vs 0.89 [0.85, 1.00], p < 0.05), were more often smokers (14% vs 7%, p < 0.05) and reported more adverse drug reactions (62% vs. 49%, p < 0.05)., Conclusions: A health-related outcomes set for FH patients, including PROMs, has been developed, which shows that insufficient knowledge of FH is negatively related to health outcomes. Improving patients' knowledge of FH may lead to better health., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The correct and safe use of electrosurgery requires medical specialists to be proficient. Minimum proficiency requirements and proficiency tests are a manner to structurally assure proficiency. The objective of this study is to explore attitudes and perceptions of medical specialists on proficiency, proficiency requirements and proficiency tests for the safe use of electrosurgery., Methods: A qualitative study among medical specialists using semi-structured interviews., Results: The participants recognized that the use of electrosurgery poses risks to the safety of patients and perioperative staff. According to some participants, increased awareness on the risks of electrosurgery is required. Most medical specialists however thought that proficiency of users of electrosurgery is sufficiently assured. Medical specialists stated to support proficiency requirements when they are endorsed by their scientific association. Proficiency tests encountered much resistance. Medical specialists argued that electrosurgery should not be tested as a single device but should be embedded in a larger entity, for example in a broader course or proficiency test., Conclusions: When assuring proficiency of users of electrosurgery, the positive attitude towards proficiency requirements and the more negative attitude towards proficiency tests should be taken into account.

Background: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are increasingly being used to improve care delivery and are becoming part of routine clinical practice., Objective: This systematic review aims to give an overview of PROM administration methods and their facilitators and barriers in breast cancer clinical practice., Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central, CINAHL, and Web of Science for potentially relevant articles from study inception to November 2017. Reference lists of screened reviews were also checked. After inclusion of relevant articles, data were extracted and appraised by 2 investigators., Results: A total of 2311 articles were screened, of which 34 eligible articles were ultimately included. Method and frequency of PROM collection varied between studies. The majority of studies described a promising effect of PROM collection on patients (adherence, symptom distress, quality of life, acceptability, and satisfaction), providers (willingness to comply, clinical decision making, symptom management), and care process or system outcomes (referrals, patient-provider communication, hospital visits). A limited number of facilitators and barriers were identified, primarily of a technical and behavioral nature., Conclusion: Although interpreting the impact of PROM collection in breast cancer care is challenging owing to considerations of synergistic (multicomponent) interventions and generalizability issues, this review found that systematic PROM collection has a promising impact on patients, providers, and care processes/ systems. Further standardization and reporting on method and frequency of PROM collection might help increase the effectiveness of PROM interventions and is warranted to enhance their overall impact., (Copyright © 2019 ISPOR–The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The perspectives of nursing professionals might differ from those of older adults when it comes to care for older people. This cross-sectional study compares the views of older adults with the views of nursing professionals on the quality of care after a nationwide improvement program for care for older people was implemented (2008-2016) in the Netherlands., Methods: Questionnaire data were used from 385 nursing professionals (response rate 51%) that were part of the Nursing Staff Panel, a nationwide representative group of nursing staff, and working in home care, hospitals or general practices. Additionally, questionnaire data were used from 73 older adults (response rate 81%) who were involved in regional networks to discuss project proposals and to represent the voice of older adults in the nationwide improvement program. Participants were asked to evaluate care for older people with regard to collaboration between healthcare organizations and with regard to the tailored service, accessibility, and quality of care within their organizations and in the region in which they lived., Results: A majority of older adults (54%) and nursing professionals (61%) felt that collaboration with others had improved over the last few years. Approximately one third of the older adults stated that care for older people was tailored to fit individual needs and was accessible most of the time or always, as opposed to approximately two thirds of the professionals. Moreover, 17% older adults thought that the quality of care was good, compared with 54% of the nursing professionals. 77% of the nursing professionals and 94% of the older adults thought that improvements were still needed in care for older people, for example better integration of the different aspects of care and a more patient-centered approach., Conclusion: Older adults who were involved in networks of the improvement program generally gave a less positive evaluation of aspects of care for older people and its development than nursing professionals. Considering differences in the perspectives of key stakeholders is relevant for the development and evaluation of nationwide improvement programs, for a correct interpretation of findings, and for making appropriate recommendations.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore the risk assessment tools and criteria used to assess the risk of medical devices in hospitals, and to explore the link between the risk of a medical device and how those risks impact or alter the training of staff., Methods: Within a broader questionnaire on implementation of a national guideline, we collected quantitative data regarding the types of risk assessment tools used in hospitals and the training of healthcare staff., Results: The response rate for the questionnaire was 81 percent; a total of sixty-five of eighty Dutch hospitals. All hospitals use a risk assessment tool and the biggest cluster (40 percent) use a tool developed internally. The criteria used to assess risk most often are: the function of the device (92 percent), the severity of adverse events (88 percent) and the frequency of use (77 percent). Forty-seven of fifty-six hospitals (84 percent) base their training on the risk associated with a medical device. For medium- and high-risk devices, the main method is practical training. As risk increases, the amount and type of training and examination increases., Conclusions: Dutch hospitals use a wide range of tools to assess the risk of medical devices. These tools are often based on the same criteria: the function of the device, the potential severity of adverse events, and the frequency of use. Furthermore, these tools are used to determine the amount and type of training required for staff. If the risk of a device is higher, then the training and examination is more extensive.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate how patients experience diagnostic urological procedures performed by urologists, junior residents and senior residents, and to assess the influence of procedure-related factors on patient experiences., Methods: Data were collected during 222 procedures: 84 transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsies (TRUSP; urologists n = 39, residents n = 45) and 138 urethrocystoscopies (UCS; urologists n = 44, residents n = 94) in six hospitals. Patient experiences were assessed using a questionnaire focusing on pain, comfort and satisfaction (visual analogue scale, 0-10) and communication aspects on a four-point Likert scale. Clinical observations were made to identify influencing factors., Results: Median values for patient experiences across procedures were 10 (range 5-10) for patient satisfaction, 2 (0-9) for pain and 8 (0-10) for comfort. Generalized estimating equations revealed no significant differences between urologists, senior residents and junior residents in terms of experienced patient comfort, satisfaction or pain. Procedural time was longer for residents, but this did not correlate significantly with patient-experienced comfort (p = 0.3). In UCS, patient comfort and satisfaction were higher in the supine position for male and female patients, respectively (p < 0.01). In TRUSP, local anaesthesia resulted in a significant decrease in pain (p = 0.002) and an increase in comfort (p = 0.03). Finally, older patients experienced less pain and gave higher comfort and satisfaction responses than younger patients., Conclusions: Patients expressed high levels of satisfaction and comfort during diagnostic urological procedures. Experiences were not affected by the level of training, suggesting highly developed interpersonal and communication skills for residents in an early stage of residency training. Patients demonstrated significant preferences for local anaesthesia in TRUSP and performance of UCS in the supine position over the lithotomy position.

Aim: To assess the comparability of five performance indicator scores for treatment delay among patients diagnosed with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention in relation to the quality of the underlying data., Methods: Secondary analyses were performed on data from 1017 patients in seven Dutch hospitals. Data were collected using standardised forms for patients discharged in 2012. Comparability was assessed as the number of occasions the indicator threshold was reached for each hospital., Results: Hospitals recorded different time points based on different interpretations of the definitions. This led to substantial differences in indicator scores, ranging from 57 to 100 % of the indictor threshold being reached. Some hospitals recorded all the required data elements for calculating the performance indicators but none of the data elements could be retrieved in a fully automated way. Moreover, recording accessibility and completeness of time points varied widely within and between hospitals., Conclusion: Hospitals use different definitions for treatment delay and vary greatly in the extent to which the necessary data are available, accessible and complete, impeding comparability between hospitals. Indicator developers, users and hospitals providing data should be aware of these issues and aim to improve data quality in order to facilitate comparability of performance indicators.

Objective: To determine the cost-effectiveness and the financial return of a guideline for occupational physicians (OPs), aimed at the prevention of weight gain among employees., Methods: The guideline consisted of a company-environment scan and up to five individual sessions with an OP. Sixteen OPs randomized to the guideline (n = 7) or usual care group (n = 9) recruited 275 and 249 employees. Costs were collected by using 3-monthly retrospective questionnaires. Quality-adjusted life-years gained were determined with 6-monthly administered EuroQol-5D. Waist circumference and body weight were measured at baseline and 18 months., Results: Unfavorable differences were found on waist circumference (+1.6 cm; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.27 to 2.90) and weight (+1.1 kg; 95% CI, 0.01 to 2.15). Probabilities of cost-effectiveness were consistently less than 55%. Net employer loss was &OV0556;-158 (95% CI, -2865 to 2672)., Conclusions: The occupational health care guideline was not cost-effective and no financial return was shown.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a draft occupational health guideline, aimed at preventing weight gain, on employees' body weight-related outcomes, cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, and quality of life., Methods: In a cluster randomized controlled trial including 16 occupational physicians (OP) and 523 employees, guideline-based care was compared to usual care by OP between 2009-2011 in the Netherlands. Guideline-based care consisted of (i) providing advice to employers on how to assess and intervene on the obesogenic work environment, (ii) conducting five face-to-face behavioral change counseling sessions with employees to improve their lifestyles, and (iii) evaluating the outcome and maintaining sections i and ii. Data were collected at baseline and 6, 12, and 18-months follow-up. To evaluate the effects of the intervention, multilevel analyses were performed., Results: No significant differences were found between the intervention and control group on waist circumference [β 1.2 cm, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) -0.6-2.9], body weight (β 0.3 kg, 95% CI -1.0-1.6), body mass index (β 0.1 kg/m (2), 95% CI -0.3-0.5), systolic blood pressure (β 1.7 mmHG, 95% CI -2.4-5.8), diastolic blood pressure (β 0.3 mmHG, 95% CI -1.0-0.6), cholesterol (β 0 mmol/l, 95% CI -0.2-0.2), or quality of life indicators after 18-months follow-up. Stratified analyses showed an increase in waist circumference among men (β 2.5 cm, 95% CI 0.5-4.5) and obese intervention participants (β 2.7 cm, 95% CI 0.6-4.7) compared to control participants., Conclusion: The draft occupational health guideline was not more effective than usual care. Therefore, the guideline in its current form cannot be recommended for implementation.

Objective: It is not clear whether measuring waist circumference in clinical practice is problematic because the measurement error is unclear, as well as what constitutes a clinically relevant change. The present study aimed to summarize what is known from state-of-the-art research., Design: To identify the magnitude of the measurement error of waist circumference measurements from the literature, a search was conducted in PubMed from 1975 to February 2011., Results: The measurement error may vary between 0·7 cm and 15 cm. Taking a realistic range of measurable waist circumference into account (60-135 cm), we argue that a short-term clinically relevant change in waist circumference of 5 % may lie between 3·0 and 6·8 cm and a maintained clinically relevant change of 3 % between 1·8 and 4·1 cm., Conclusions: Based on these results, we conclude it may be difficult to distinguish clinically relevant change from measurement error in individual subjects, due to the large measurement error and unclear definition of clinically relevant change. More research is needed to address these gaps in knowledge. To minimize measurement error, we recommend using a uniform measurement protocol, training and repeated measurements.

Objective: To assess barriers and facilitators to implementation of an occupational health guideline aimed at preventing weight gain., Methods: Barriers and facilitators to implementation were assessed among 14 occupational physicians (OPs) and employers and analyzed following a systematic approach using Atlas.ti., Results: Barriers and facilitators mentioned by OPs and employers were related to the sociopolitical context, organization, OP, and guideline. Recommendations include the formation of a linkage group, collaboration with other experts, formation of peer support groups, and communicating benefits of investments, expectations, and ethical considerations. Results of this study recommend incorporating these barriers and facilitators in the guideline, including strategies about how to overcome barriers and stimulate facilitators., Conclusions: The identified barriers and facilitators can be used to increase the chance of successful implementation of the final guideline into occupational health practices throughout the Netherlands.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a draft occupational health practice guideline aimed at preventing weight gain on employees' physical activity, sedentary behaviour and dietary behaviour and on body weight-related outcomes., Methods: A randomised controlled trial was performed comparing guideline-based care to usual care among 16 occupational physicians and 523 employees in the Netherlands between 2009 and 2011. Occupational physicians in the intervention group followed the draft guideline by providing advice to employers on how to assess and intervene on the obesogenic work environment and conducted five face-to-face behavioural change counselling sessions with employees to improve their lifestyle. Data of employees were collected by questionnaire and physical measurements at baseline and 6-months follow-up. Linear and logistic regression analyses were performed to determine effects., Results: The intervention showed significant effects on sedentary behaviour at work (β -28 min/day, 95% CI -2 to -54) and on fruit intake (β 2.1 pieces/week; 95% CI 0.6 to 3.6). No significant intervention effects were found for physical activity, sedentary behaviour in leisure time or during weekend days, snack intake and body weight-related outcomes., Conclusion: Guideline-based care resulted in a more favourable sedentary behaviour at work and increased fruit intake but did not improve employees' physical activity, snack intake or body weight-related outcomes. Trial registration number ISRCTN/73545254 and NTR/1190.

Objective: To evuate the process of an occupational health guideline aimed at preventing weight gain., Methods: Quantitative data on seven process items were assessed and linked to effects on employees' waist circumference and body weight at 6 months., Results: Occupational physicians (n = 7) implemented the guideline partly with respect to the environmental level, but performed well at the individual level. Behavioral change counseling was performed "to some extent." Employees (n = 274) showed high reach (86%), satisfaction (7.1), and attendance rates (4.4 of 5 sessions). Significant effects were found on waist circumference (-1.5 cm to -2.1 cm) and body weight (-0.9 kg to -1.4 kg) among employees with higher attendance and satisfaction rates., Conclusions: Workplace health promotion via an occupational health guideline is feasible, but the environmental component and behavioral change counseling need revisions before practical application.

This meta-analytic review critically examines the effectiveness of workplace interventions targeting physical activity, dietary behaviour or both on weight outcomes. Data could be extracted from 22 studies published between 1980 and November 2009 for meta-analyses. The GRADE approach was used to determine the level of evidence for each pooled outcome measure. Results show moderate quality of evidence that workplace physical activity and dietary behaviour interventions significantly reduce body weight (nine studies; mean difference [MD]-1.19 kg [95% CI -1.64 to -0.74]), body mass index (BMI) (11 studies; MD -0.34 kg m⁻² [95% CI -0.46 to -0.22]) and body fat percentage calculated from sum of skin-folds (three studies; MD -1.12% [95% CI -1.86 to -0.38]). There is low quality of evidence that workplace physical activity interventions significantly reduce body weight and BMI. Effects on percentage body fat calculated from bioelectrical impedance or hydrostatic weighing, waist circumference, sum of skin-folds and waist-hip ratio could not be investigated properly because of a lack of studies. Subgroup analyses showed a greater reduction in body weight of physical activity and diet interventions containing an environmental component. As the clinical relevance of the pooled effects may be substantial on a population level, we recommend workplace physical activity and dietary behaviour interventions, including an environment component, in order to prevent weight gain., (© 2010 The Authors. obesity reviews © 2010 International Association for the Study of Obesity.)

Background: This study explored the associations between various types of activities, their underlying physical components, and recurrent falling in community-dwelling older persons., Methods: This study included 1,329 community-dwelling persons (>or=65 years) of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA). The time spent in walking, cycling, light and heavy household activities, and two sports was measured using the LASA Physical Activity Questionnaire (LAPAQ). Physical activity components included strength, intensity, mechanical strain, and turning. Time to second fall in a 6-month period was measured during 3 years with fall calendars. Cox proportional hazards models were adjusted for confounders and stratified for physical performance and sex in case of significant (p < .10) interaction., Results: During 3 years, 325 (24.5%) persons became recurrent fallers. In women, doing light (hazard ratios [HRs] = 0.40, 95% confidence intervals [CIs] = 0.20-0.79) or heavy household activities (HR = 0.63, CI = 0.44-0.79) was associated with a decreased risk of recurrent falling. In persons with good physical performance, doing sports (HR = 1.56, CI = 1.07-2.28), high intensity (HR > 1.75, CI = 1.09-3.16), and high mechanical strain (HR = 1.70, CI = 1.01-2.83) activities was associated with an increased risk of recurrent falling., Conclusions: The results suggest that the relationship between physical activity and recurrent falling differs per type of activity and is modified by physical performance. Doing household activities was associated with a decreased risk of recurrent falling in women. In physically fit older persons, doing sports or activities with high intensity or mechanical strain demands was associated with an increased risk of recurrent falling.

Background: Occupational health professionals may play an important role in preventive health promotion activities for employees. However, due to a lack of knowledge and evidence- and practice based methods and strategies, interventions are hardly being implemented by occupational physicians to date. The aim of the Balance@Work project is to develop, evaluate, and implement an occupational health guideline aimed at the prevention of weight gain among employees., Methods: Following the guideline development protocol of the Netherlands Society of Occupational Medicine and the Intervention Mapping protocol, the guideline was developed based on literature, interviews with relevant stakeholders, and consensus among an expert group. The guideline consists of an individual and an environmental component. The individual component includes recommendations for occupational physicians on how to promote physical activity and healthy dietary behavior based on principles of motivational interviewing. The environmental component contains an obesogenic environment assessment tool. The guideline is evaluated in a randomised controlled trial among 20 occupational physicians. Occupational physicians in the intervention group apply the guideline to eligible workers during 6 months. Occupational physicians in the control group provide care as usual. Measurements take place at baseline and 6, 12, and 18 months thereafter. Primary outcome measures include waist circumference, daily physical activity and dietary behavior. Secondary outcome measures include sedentary behavior, determinants of behavior change, body weight and body mass index, cardiovascular disease risk profile, and quality of life. Additionally, productivity, absenteeism, and cost-effectiveness are assessed., Discussion: Improving workers' daily physical activity and dietary behavior may prevent weight gain and subsequently improve workers' health, increase productivity, and reduce absenteeism. After an effect- and process evaluation the guideline will be adjusted and, after authorisation, published. Together with several implementation aids, the published guideline will be disseminated broadly by the Netherlands Society of Occupational Medicine., Trial Registration: ISRCTN73545254/NTR1190.