Nutritional medicine: a vital partner of 21st century medicine: special reference to the case of Cyprus

This action research was carried out within the context of a Professional Doctorate thesis. The aims were: to build up sound evidence to substantiate my arguments for the role of Nutritional Medicine as a vital partner of 21st century medicine, particularly in the area of prevention and treatment of chronic disease; to critically investigate the context and conditions within which this profession aspires to secure a respectable position along the spectrum of contemporary medical practice; and to evaluate the possibility of inclusion of Nutritional Medicine in the National Health System of Cyprus. Aiming to enhance and strengthen the validity and reliability of the evidence, four different methodologies were used, based on the logic of triangulation. A volume of existing knowledge, obtained from a profound review of the work and writings of several scholars, and researchers, and from official reports, both at national (Cyprus) and international level, was contrasted, compared, and updated with fresh knowledge created by: A Survey conducted in Cyprus during the period October-December 2008, with the support of the University of Nicosia; Interviewing a representative number of key actors, on the basis of their authority to directly or indirectly influence the workings and politics of the practice of medicine in Cyprus; and, Analysis of a number of randomly selected case studies from my clinical practice as a Nutritional Medicine practitioner. The analysis and synthesis of findings revealed that the first decade of the twenty first century coincides with a high awareness, both worldwide and in Cyprus, for the rising incidence of chronic disease which, in spite of the unprecedented developments in several areas of the provision of healthcare of the last decades, appears to occur at increasingly lower ages and within the most deprived groups of the population. A multitude of developments at all levels - political, medical, academic, and social - demonstrate significant trends towards a new philosophy in the provision of healthcare which, as proposed by key actors and scholars, focuses on the whole patient rather than the disease and emphasises prevention rather than treatment. Within this New Paradigm in the provision of healthcare Nutritional Medicine appears to be an important, evidence-based, partner. The volume of evidence substantiating the vital inter-disciplinary role of Nutritional Science is impressive and increasingly rising. The example of the United Kingdom is presented in this report, where, in recognition of its important contribution in enhancing public health, Nutritional Medicine (otherwise termed Nutritional Therapy) is coming under regulation

Investigation of stressful life events as significant predictors on depressive symptoms among Cypriot University students: a cross-sectional descriptive correlational study.

Background: Previous findings suggest that stressful life events have a causal relationship with depressive symptoms. However, to date little is known concerning the contribution of the number and severity of recent stressful life events on the prevalence of depressive symptoms among university students. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and its association with the number and the severity of self-reported stressful life events among university students in Cyprus. Methods: A descriptive correlational design with cross sectional comparison was used. The CES-D scale was applied for the assessment of depressive symptoms and the LESS instrument for stressful life events. Both scales were completed anonymously and voluntarily by 1.500 students (response rate 85%). Results: The prevalence of mild to moderate depressive symptoms [CES-D score between 16 and 21] and of clinically significant depressive symptoms [CES-D score ≥ 22] were 18.8% and 25.3% respectively. There were statistically significant differences in clinically significant depressive symptoms by gender, with higher rates among women (x2 = 8.53, df = 1, p = 0.003). Higher scores on the LESS scale were associated with more frequent reports of clinical depressive symptoms (x2 = 70.63, df = 4, p < 0.001). Similarly, an association was found between the number of life events and clinical depressive symptoms (x2 = 40.06, df = 4, p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis after adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics confirmed that the responders who reported a high number (n = 12–21) of stressful life events during the previous year (OR = 2.64 95% CI: 1.02, 6.83) and a severe degree of stress due to these events (total LESS score > 351, OR = 3.03 95% CI: 1.66, 5.39) were more likely to manifest clinical depressive symptoms. Conclusions: The high frequency of occurrence of depressive symptoms among Cypriot university students, as well as the strong association with stressful life events, highlights the need for psychological empowerment strategies towards students by institutional counseling services