The aim of this study was to examine whether vandalism, bullying, and truancy among pupils at school are associated with absence due to illness among teachers. Data on such problem behaviour of 17,033 pupils in 90 schools were linked to absence records of 2364 teachers. Pupil reported vandalism and bullying at the school-level were associated with teachers' short-term (1- to 3-day) absences. Cumulative exposure to various forms of pupils' problem behaviour was associated with even higher rates of short-term absences among teachers. No association was found between pupils' problem behaviour and teachers' long-term (>3-day) absences. In conclusion, there seems to be a link between pupils' problem behaviour and teachers' short-term absence due to illness. Further work should determine whether problem behaviour is a cause or a consequence of absences or whether the association is noncausal.
OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this paper is to establish whether health professionals in Finland have cesarean sections more or less often than other women of a similar educational background. DESIGN. Register-based study (Finnish birth register). SETTING. Finland 1990-2006. POPULATION. Singleton births, for midwives (3,009 births), nurses (101,199), and physicians (7,642). Teachers (n=23,454) were chosen as controls for midwives and nurses, and other white collar workers (n=124,606) were chosen as controls for physicians. METHODS. Cesarean section rates were studied for all births and for first births only. The odds ratios for mode of delivery were calculated using logistic regression, adjusting for age, parity, marital status and smoking, and in an additional analysis, also adjusting for post-term birth and birth weight. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES. Mode of delivery. RESULTS. During the time period studied, the overall cesarean section rate in Finland was 15%. The studied groups had similar rates of cesarean section. When adjusting for background characteristics, midwives and nurses had marginally lower cesarean section rates than teachers, and physicians had lower rates than other white collar workers. In the case of first births, similar differences were found. Instrumental deliveries were somewhat lower among midwives as compared to teachers, and among physicians as compared to other white collar workers. CONCLUSIONS. Our results suggest that Finnish physicians may prefer vaginal delivery and have relatively conservative opinions about cesarean sections. This may be an important explanation of the relatively low, compared to international rates, and stable cesarean section rates in Finland.
Analysis covered health state parameters and results of health state self-evaluation in students of teachers' training institute. Morbidity parameters per 100 students are reliably low: within 10 cases for general morbidity, within 20 cases for transitory disablement morbidity. However, unfavorable trend to increase was seen over 5 years for transitory disablement duration and average duration of one disease--that proves increase in neglected diseases share and more severe course. Leading place in general morbidity structure and transitory disablement morbidity is occupied by respiratory and digestive disorders. Questionnaire data on qualitative evaluation of health state could form false favorable opinion. Different questions considerably change the overall evaluation and support the trend revealed through the morbidity analysis. Conclusion is necessity of healthy lifestyle formation in students and improved quality and accessibility of medical care.
Cross-informant agreement about bullying and victimization among eight-year-olds: whose information best predicts psychiatric caseness 10-15 years later?
To examine cross-informant agreement and whose information (parents, teachers, children) about childhood bullying and victimization carry the strongest weight to late adolescent psychiatric outcome. The importance of frequency of bullying in such predictions is addressed.
Information from 2,713 boys about bullying and victimization at the age of eight was correlated with information about psychiatric disorder at 18-23.
Agreement between informants was poor. Teachers reported higher levels of frequent bullying than others, whereas children reported the highest percentage of victimization. All three informant groups' reports of "frequent bullying" predicted later psychiatric disorder. Teachers' reports of "frequent victimization" was the strongest predictor of later psychiatric disorder. Informants' report about "infrequent bullying" showed at most a rather low risk of adverse outcome. When the associations between bullying/victimization and psychiatric outcome were adjusted with total psychopathology score at age 8, none of the associations remained significant.
"Frequent bullying" behaviour of boys is a marker of present and later psychopathology. The education system and school health-care service in mid- childhood are of great importance for the early detection of bullying and prevention of later adverse outcomes. A closer integration of these systems in the context of school should be promoted.
Number of citations and the h-index are popular metrics for indexing scientific impact. These, and other existing metrics, are strongly related to scientists' seniority. This article introduces complementary indicators that are unrelated to the number of years since PhD. To illustrate cumulative and career-stage approaches for assessing the scientific impact across a discipline, citations for 611 scientists from 97 U.S. and Canadian social psychology programs are amassed and analyzed. Results provide benchmarks for evaluating impact across the career span in psychology and other disciplines with similar citation patterns. Career-stage indicators provide a very different perspective on individual and program impact than cumulative impact, and may predict emerging scientists and programs. Comparing social groups, Whites and men had higher impact than non-Whites and women, respectively. However, average differences in career stage accounted for most of the difference for both groups.
We attempted to quantitate the level of participation of urology residents and faculty in clinical renal transplantation in the United States and Canada at the present time.
All 123 urology residency program directors in the United States and all 13 in Canada were mailed a questionnaire requesting information about the participation of their residents and faculty in clinical renal transplantation at their institutions. All program directors (100%) returned the surveys.
In the United States 94% of residencies are affiliated with renal transplant programs and 81% provide a transplant rotation. In Canada each program provides a transplant experience. In the United States 22% and in Canada 85% of academic renal transplant programs are directed or codirected by urology. In the United States approximately 80% and in Canada more than 90% of residents are exposed to transplant surgery, although the majority have pre-urology or junior resident rotations. Approximately 50% of residents in each country receive training in immunosuppression. In the United States 25% of programs have urology faculty perform transplant surgery and administer immunosuppression, compared to more than 90 and only 15%, respectively, in Canada.
Urological participation in clinical renal transplantation at academic medical centers remains strong with approximately 25% of programs directed or codirected by urology departments in the United States--a figure that has not changed appreciably during the last 10 years. In the future the continued presence of urology in transplantation requires a commitment from urology program directors to support exposure for residents as well as promoting the training and development of young transplant surgeons within our own specialty.
The authors analyzed work conditions of comprehensive school teachers according to workplace assessment. Additional studies covered opportunistic pathogens content of air in classrooms. Auxiliary medical examination evaluated health state of the teachers. Individual occupational risk was calculated with consideration of actual work conditions and health state. Comprehensive school teacher's work is characterized by constant or transitory influence by complex of occupational and work hazards that are mostly (according to to workplace assessment) increased work intensity, noise and inadequate illumination parameters. Ambient air of classrooms constantly contains high number of opportunistic pathogens, that could decrease immune system parameters and cause more droplet infections. Individual occupational risk of teachers, calculated with consideration of work conditions and health state parameters, appears to be high and proves high possibility of teachers' health damage at work. Recommendations cover evaluation of biologic factors within the workplace assessment, obligatory preliminary (before employment) and periodic medical examinations for comprehensive school teachers as for workers exposed to occupational hazards.
The purposes of this study were to explore the perceived barriers and challenges to continuing professional education (CPE) access for Canadian health care professionals and to identify best practices for improving access to CPE.
Key informant interviews and Web-based online surveys were conducted.
Key informant interviews were conducted with national CPE accreditation bodies and health professional associations. An online survey was distributed to health professional education programs, as well as provincial professional associations, licensing and professional regulatory bodies.
The perceived barriers and challenges to CPE access for Canadian health care professionals and best practices for improving access to CPE.
Geographic isolation and poor technological and telecommunications infrastructure were identified as key barriers to CPE delivery and access. Financial factors, such as funding to support travel or cost of attendance, were also identified as major challenges. Tele-education programming was identified as a best practice approach to improve CPE access, as were regional CPE activities and self-directed learning programs. Employer-sponsored initiatives, including staff coverage or locum support, remuneration for time off and paid travel expenses for CPE participation were also identified as best practice approaches.
Feasibility of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in assessing children's mental health in primary care: Finnish parents', teachers' and public health nurses' experiences with the SDQ.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the feasibility of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).
Following the administration of the SDQ in medical check-ups of 4-9 year-old children (n = 2 682) the involved parents, teachers and public health nurses were asked to complete a feedback questionnaire of the SDQ.
Parents took a maximum of 10-15 minutes to complete the SDQ, and only the public health nurses reported that its use was rather burdensome. The SDQ was an age-appropriate method and it was helpful in increasing information and agreement about the child's mental health and need for support. Using the SDQ was a positive experience for parents, but they expected more dialogue with the professionals about the child's situation. The respondents criticised the questionnaire somewhat for being difficult to interpret and complete.
The SDQ was found to be a feasible method for screening children's mental health in primary health care together with parents, teachers and public health nurses. Using the SDQ was a positive experience for parents. However, they reminded the professionals of the importance of sensitive dialogue when assessing the mental health of the child.
