Effective personal protective clothing for health care workers attending patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome

Background: Optimal usability is crucial in providing protection for health care workers who are exposed to severe acute respiratory syndrome day and night while taking care of patients with the virus. No research study has yet tested the usability of personal protective clothing (PPC). Method: The study was carried out in 3 stages. PPC available in Hong Kong were sorted by their physical properties in the first stage. The second stage was a single-blinded study examining the different usability aspects of the PPC. The third stage was a simulated viral load test. Results: Four types were identified: good water repellency and water resistance, poor air permeability (Type A PPC); good water repellency and air permeability, poor water resistance (Type B PPC); poor water repellency, poor water resistance, and fair air permeability (Type C PPC); and good water repellency, poor air permeability and fair water resistance (Type D PPC). Type D PPC had a significantly higher number of contamination sites on the subjects' dorsum and palm. Type C PPC had the highest contamination over the trunk. Findings in the viral load test showed that there was a significant difference in the contamination of the face (t = 4.69, df = 38. P <.00) between 1 and 2 strokes. Conclusion: Type A PPC is effective in providing a desirable protective function against droplet splash, if a disposable PPC is required. Type C PPC, the surgical gown, is also appropriate, as the cost is low, air permeability is fair, and the level of possible hand contamination is lowest among the 4 groups in the current study.Institute of Textiles and ClothingSchool of Nursin

Breakfast skipping and change in body mass index in young children

Background/Objectives:Childhood obesity is prevalent, and dietary habits are a key determinant. Some children skip breakfast for weight control, but studies have shown mixed results. Therefore, we assessed the association between breakfast skipping and body mass index (BMI) among young Chinese children in Hong Kong.Design/Subjects and Methods:A cohort of 113 457 primary 4 participants of the Department of Health Student Health Service in 1998-2000 was followed up for 2 years, with 68 606 (60.5%) participants available for analysis in primary 6. The sociodemographic characteristics for traced and untraced participants were similar. At baseline and follow-up, students reported breakfast habit (consumed vs skipped) and other lifestyle characteristics using a standardized questionnaire. BMI was derived using height and weight measured by trained nurses. Multivariable linear regression was used to examine the cross-sectional relationship between breakfast habit and BMI, as well as the prospective association between baseline breakfast habit and change in BMI. Models adjusted for demographic, socioeconomic and lifestyle characteristics.Results:A total of 1805 (5.3%) boys and 1793 (5.2%) girls skipped breakfast at baseline. In cross-sectional analyses, breakfast skippers had a higher mean BMI than did eaters among both primary 4 (Β0.77, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.67-0.87) (P0.001) and primary 6 children (Β0.86, 95% CI: 0.78-0.95) (P0.001). Compared with eaters, baseline breakfast skippers experienced a greater increase in BMI in the subsequent 2 years (Β0.11, 95% CI: 0.07-0.16) (P0.001), and this association was stronger among lunch skippers than eaters (P for interaction0.04).Conclusion:Our study provided prospective evidence that skipping breakfast predicts a greater increase in BMI among Hong Kong children. As breakfast is a modifiable dietary habit, our results may have important implications for weight control. However, the underlying mechanism of this effect warrants further investigation. © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited All rights reserved.link_to_subscribed_fulltex