Oral Health Knowledge and Sources of Information Among Elementary Schoolchildren

The dental health knowledge and sources of health information of 848 elementary schoolchildren (aged 9–12) in southwestern Michigan were assessed. Demographic parameters (education level, percent below poverty level, median income level) of the area were similar to state and national averages. The children were found to have some knowledge of caries and periodontal disease prevention, yet basic misconceptions were evident. More than one-third of the children thought that plaque should only be removed by a dentist. While 75 percent of the subjects knew that fluoride protected teeth from decay, only 4 percent of the children identified fluoridated water as the best source of this preventive agent. Knowledge of pit and fissure sealants was limited. Extent of correct dental knowledge was not related to age, sex, or mean DMFS scores. Children who answered the most questions correctly named parents and family as their source of information; dentist's office was the second most frequently mentioned source. Findings suggest a need to correct basic misinformation about dental health and to inform children about current efficacious preventive agents.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66129/1/j.1752-7325.1989.tb02019.x.pd

Planning for a statewide network of dementia assessment services: A survey of geriatric assessment services in Michigan

All 38 geriatric assessment service units identified in Michigan were surveyed and responded as a component of planning a statewide network of diagnostic and assessment services for patients with dementia. Most units were outpatient (71 percent), urban (71 percent), and hospital-based (82 percent). Some provided primarily geropsychiatric services (21 percent), while the rest provided general geriatric services. The staff included physicians (95 percent), nurses (100 percent), social workers (95 percent) and other professionals (SO percent) such as nutritionists, neuro psychologists or clinical pharmacists. Assessments performed by most units included physical (92 percent), psychosocial (95 percent), functional (95 percent), neurological (71 percent) mental (95 percent), and financial (89 percent). Patient referral sources were most frequently self/family, followed by physician, community agencies, and community mental health. Reasons for referral were most often confusion! memory loss, followed by behavior change, caregiver stress, depression, and evaluation for placement. Most patients seen were between 65 and 84 years of age (72 percent), lived within 25 miles of the unit (87 percent), and had dementia (62 percent). Urban sites assessed significantly more persons per month (19 percent) than non-urban sites (4 percent). Community-based services spent significantly more time per month on geriatric assessments (68 hours) than did hospital-based services (26 hours). These survey results will aid the development of a statewide network of dementia diagnostic and assessment services.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/67004/2/10.1177_153331759200700606.pd

PREDICTORS OF ELECTORAL TURNOUT: AN INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON *

Voter turnout in the United States is much lower than in almost all other democratic countries. This has been interpreted as a symptom of popular alienation from the political system, suspicion of politicians, and pessimism about the consequences of political activity. When these perspectives are measured directly, however, it is clear that Americans score very low on almost every item. Indeed, there is no relationship between political con- tentment and turnout. Turnout does not reflect international variations in acceptance of politicians or the political system. Rather, it responds to variations in the bureaucratic steps required to cast a ballot. The United States is one of a handful of countries that require a separate step-registra- tion-before the citizen can vote; and with the partial exception of France it is the only country in which the individual rather than the state bears the responsibility for registration. Copyright 1990 by The Policy Studies Organization.