Self-rated health, work characteristics and health related behaviours among nurses in Greece: a cross sectional study

BACKGROUND: Previous studies on self-rated health among nurses have indicated an association of low job satisfaction and stress in relation to poor self-rated health. The relationship between self rated health and the specific work characteristics and health related behaviours of nurses to our knowledge have not been adequately studied. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the health profile of nurses working in hospitals in North West Greece and to examine the associations between self rated health (SRH) and health related behaviours and work characteristics in this group of hospital employees. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to a random sample of 443 nurses working in all the hospitals in North West Greece. Regression analysis was used to examine the relationship of health related behaviours and work characteristics with self rated health among the nurses. RESULTS: A total of 353 responded to the questionnaire (response rate 80%) of which 311 (88%) were female and 42 (12%) male. The mean age (standard deviation) of the respondents was 36 years (5.6) and their mean years of working as nurses were 13.5 years (5.9). Almost half of the nurses' smoked, and about one third were overweight or obese. About 58% (206) of the nurses reported having poor health while 42% (147) reported having good health. Self-rated health was independently associated with gender, effort to avoid fatty foods and physical activity, according to multiple logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSION: The population studied presented a relatively poor health profile, and a high proportion of poor SRH. Though female gender and effort to avoid fatty foods were associated with poor SRH, and exercise and white meat consumption with good SRH, specific work characteristics were not associated with SRH

Prevention and management of respiratory disease in young people with cerebral palsy: consensus statement

Respiratory illness is the leading cause of mortality in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Although risk factors for developing chronic respiratory illness have been identified, comprehensive clinical care recommendations for the prevention and management of respiratory illness do not currently exist. We invited over 200 clinicians and researchers from multiple disciplines with expertise in the management of respiratory illness in children with CP to develop care recommendations using a modified Delphi method on the basis of the RAND Corporation–University of California Los Angeles Appropriateness Method. These recommendations are intended for use by the wide range of practitioners who care for individuals living with CP. They provide a framework for recognizing multifactorial primary and secondary potentially modifiable risk factors and for providing coordinated multidisciplinary care. We describe the methods used to generate the consensus recommendations, and the overall perspective on assessment, prevention, and treatment of respiratory illness in children with CP. What this paper adds: The first consensus statement for preventing and managing respiratory disease in cerebral palsy (CP). Risk factors for respiratory disease in CP should be identified early. Individuals with CP at risk of respiratory disease require regular assessment of risk factors. Effective partnerships between multidisciplinary teams, individuals with CP, and families are essential. Treatment of respiratory disease in individuals with CP must be proactive.</p