An Examination of Male and Female Students\u27 Perceptions of Relational Closeness: Does the Basic Course Have an Influence?

Several scholars have argued that men and women are socialized to establish interpersonal relationships, such as friendships, in different ways. Traditionally feminine individuals emphasize empathy, self-disclosure, and interdependence while masculine individuals rely on activities, helping behaviors, and advice/problem-solving. In spite of these differences, basic communication courses have provided students with only a model of traditionally feminine closeness skills in coursework and materials. This study sought to determine if, after 16 weeks of instruction in a basic communication course emphasizing feminine intimacy skills, male students would prefer masculine closeness behaviors. Three-hundred and seventy-three male and female students provided self-report data on the course and perceptions of relational closeness. Results indicated that male and female students did have differing perceptions of relational intimacy. Additionally, male students did indicate a preference for some of the traditionally masculine intimacy behaviors. Limitations and suggestions for future research are provided

A qualitative study exploring strategies to improve the inter-professional management of diabetes and periodontitis

Aims: To explore inter-professional communication and collaboration in guideline-concordant diabetes and periodontitis care. Methods: Qualitative design using iterations of workshops to identify ways to improve multidisciplinary working attended by staff from medical and dental primary care practices, and people with diabetes (n = 43). Workshops were semi-structured around a topic guide. Recruitment was via the UK Clinical Research Network, and a patient and public involvement group in the North of England. Results: Medical practice participants were unaware of the bidirectional evidence linking diabetes and periodontitis and stated that they had never received a referral from a dental professional in this context. The patient participants with diabetes reported never having been informed about the links between diabetes and periodontitis from either their family physician or dentist. Medical and dental practice participants gave negative accounts of inter-professional communication, with claims of inappropriate requests and defensive or non-responses that stymied future interaction. Indirect communication through the patient was suggested as an alternative to direct communication. Conclusions: Indirect referral, whereby the patient is signposted to a healthcare professional, was suggested by medical and dental professionals as a useful alternative to the traditional (and time consuming) letter or telephone call, particularly in the case of suspected diabetes or periodontitis

Uptake of best practice recommendations in the management of patients with diabetes and periodontitis:A cross-sectional survey of healthcare professionals in primary care

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-032369BMJ Open1013236

Exploring the use of mouth guards in Muay Thai:a questionnaire survey

10.1038/s41405-020-00048-zBDJ Open612

Is the early identification and referral of suspected head and neck cancers by community pharmacists feasible?:A qualitative interview study exploring the views of patients in North East England

INTRODUCTION Head and neck cancer (HNC) is the eighth most common cancer in the United Kingdom. Survival rates improve when the cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, highlighting a key need to identify at-risk patients. This study aimed to explore opportunistic HNC identification and referral by community pharmacists (CPs) using a symptom-based risk assessment calculator, from the perspective of patients with a diagnosis of HNC. METHODS Purposive sampling was used to recruit patients from the HNC pathway in three large teaching hospitals in Northern England. Qualitative methodology was used to collect data through an iterative series of semistructured telephone interviews. Framework analysis was utilised to identify key themes. RESULTS Four main themes were constructed through the analytic process: (1) HNC presentation and seeking help; (2) the role of the CP; (3) public perception of HNC and (4) the role of a symptom-based risk calculator. Participants agreed that CPs could play a role in the identification and referral of suspected HNCs, but there were concerns about access as patients frequently only encounter the medicine counter assistant when they visit the pharmacy. HNC symptoms are frequently attributed to common or minor conditions initially and therefore considered not urgent, leading to delays in seeking help. While there is public promotion for some cancers, there is little known about HNC. Early presentation of HNC can be quite variable, therefore raising awareness would help. The use of a symptom-based risk calculator was considered beneficial if it enabled earlier referral and diagnosis. Participants suggested that it would also be useful if the public were made aware of it and could self-assess their symptoms. CONCLUSION In principle, CPs could play a role in the identification and referral of HNC, but there was uncertainty as to how the intervention would work. Future research is needed to develop an intervention that would facilitate earlier identification and referral of HNC while not disrupting CP work and that would promote HNC and the risk calculator more widely. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION Patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) was integrated throughout the project. Initially, the proposal was discussed during a Cancer Head and Neck Group Experience (CHANGE) PPIE meeting. CHANGE was set up to support HNC research in 2018. The group is composed of seven members (four female, three male) with an age range of 50-71 years, who were diagnosed at Sunderland Royal Hospital. A patient representative from the University of Sunderland PPIE group and a trustee of the Northern HNC Charity were recruited as co-applicants. They attended project management group meetings and reviewed patient-facing documentation

Ability of matrix metalloproteinase-8 biosensor, IFMA, and ELISA immunoassays to differentiate between periodontal health, gingivitis, and periodontitis

Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors. Journal of Periodontal Research published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic utility of an MMP-8 biosensor assay in differentiating periodontal health from gingivitis and periodontitis and compare it with an established time-resolved immunofluorescence assay (IFMA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Background: Currently available antibody-based assays display a wide variability in their ability to accurately measure matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8) levels in saliva. Methods: Salivary MMP-8 levels were analyzed in 189 systemically healthy participants using an antibody-based biosensor prototype that operates using a surface acoustic wave technology and compared with IFMA and ELISA antibody assays. Participants were categorized into 3 groups: periodontal health (59), gingivitis (63), and periodontitis (67). A sub-population of participants (n = 20) with periodontitis received periodontal treatment and were monitored for 6 months. Results: All the assays demonstrated significantly higher salivary MMP-8 concentrations in participants with periodontitis versus gingivitis, periodontitis versus health, and gingivitis versus health (all p <.05). The biosensor data demonstrated significant correlations with IFMA (r =.354, p <.001) and ELISA (r =.681, p <.001). Significant reductions in salivary MMP-8 concentrations were detected by the biosensor (p =.030) and IFMA (p =.002) in participants with periodontitis 6 months after non-surgical periodontal treatment. IFMA had the best sensitivity (89.2%) for detecting periodontitis and gingivitis versus health and 96.6% for detecting periodontitis versus health and gingivitis. The biosensor had an AUC value of 0.81 and diagnostic accuracy of 74.2% for differentiating periodontitis and gingivitis from health; an AUC value of 0.86 and diagnostic accuracy of 82.8% for periodontitis versus health and gingivitis. Conclusions: The biosensor, IFMA, and ELISA assays differentiated between periodontal health, gingivitis, and periodontitis based on salivary MMP-8 levels. Only the biosensor and, particularly, IFMA identified an effect of periodontal treatment in the participants with periodontitis. Our findings support the potential utility of salivary oral fluid aMMP-8-based point-of-care technology in the future of periodontal diagnostics.Peer reviewe

Exploring changes in oral hygiene behaviour in patients with diabetes and periodontal disease:A feasibility study

Objective: Exploring the feasibility to understand changes in oral hygiene behaviour using the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) model applied to qualitative research interviews in patients with diabetes and periodontitis undergoing standard periodontitis treatment. Methods: Patients with type 1/2 diabetes and chronic periodontitis (n = 8) received standard non‐surgical periodontal treatment accompanied with personalized oral hy‐ giene instructions by a dental hygienist. Clinical indices (% bleeding on probing (BOP), probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), % of sites with PD ≥ 5 mm, peri‐ odontal epithelial surface area (PESA) and periodontal inflammatory surface area (PISA) were recorded pre‐ and post‐treatment. At 3 months post‐treatment, patients were interviewed using a topic guide relating to oral health. A behaviour change framework was constructed from elements of the HAPA model and used directly to map interview data to evaluate oral hygiene behaviour in these patients. Results: Data from this feasibility study suggest a clinical improvement in periodontal status, albeit only monitored for 3 months. Application of the HAPA model high‐ lighted the behavioural change pathway that diabetes patients undertake before, during and after periodontal treatment. The data suggest that patients move through all elements of the motivation phase and all elements of the volition phase except for the recovery self‐efficacy element. Conclusion: The novel approach of applying the HAPA model to qualitative research data allowed for the collection of richer data compared to quantitative analysis only. Findings suggest that, in general, patients with periodontitis and diabetes success‐ fully manage to incorporate new oral hygiene behaviours into their daily routine