The Impact of a Multiyear Systemic Reform Effort on Rural Elementary School Students' Science Achievement

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/96417/1/ssm12002.pd

Poor numeracy skills are associated with glycaemic control in Type 1 diabetes.

To assess the numeracy and literacy skills of individuals with Type 1 diabetes and determine if there is a relationship with achieved glycaemic control independent of their duration of diabetes, diabetes education, demographic and socio-economic factors

The independent and combined associations of physical activity and sedentary behavior with obesity in adults : NHANES 2003-06

Objective To examine the combined influence of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behavior on obesity in US adults. Design and Methods Cross-sectional analyses were undertaken on a nationally representative sample of 5,083 adults from the April 2003 and June 2005 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Self-reported TV time was divided into low, moderate, and high categories. Accelerometer-derived total sedentary and MVPA minutes divided into low, moderate, and high tertiles. The independent associations between MVPA, TV, and total sedentary time and obesity were examined using logistic regression. Participants were then cross tabulated into nine MVPA-sedentary behavior groups, and logistic regression was used to examine the combined influence of MVPA and sedentary behavior on the odds of being obese. Results MVPA was consistently inversely associated with obesity, regardless of sedentary behavior [odds ratio (OR) = 1.80-4.00]. There were inconsistent positive associations between TV time and risk of obesity in men, but not between total sedentary time and risk of obesity in either men or women. Conclusions Obesity was more strongly related to MVPA than either TV time or total sedentary time in US adults. Small differences in daily MVPA (5-10 min) were associated with relatively large differences in risk of obesity

Comparing and learning from English and American higher education access and completion policies

England and the United States provide a very interesting pairing as countries with many similarities, but also instructive dissimilarities, with respect to their policies for higher education access and success. We focus on five key policy strands: student information provision; outreach from higher education institutions; student financial aid; affirmative action or contextualisation in higher education admissions; and programmes to improve higher education retention and completion. At the end, we draw conclusions on what England and the US can learn from each other. The US would benefit from following England in using Access and Participation Plans to govern university outreach efforts, making more use of income-contingent loans, and expanding the range of information provided to prospective higher education students. Meanwhile, England would benefit from following the US in making greater use of grant aid to students, devoting more policy attention to educational decisions students are making in early secondary school, and expanding its use of contextualised admissions. While we focus on England and the US, we think that the policy recommendations we make carry wider applicability. Many other countries with somewhat similar educational structures, experiences, and challenges could learn useful lessons from the policy experiences of these two countries

Toward a Multifaceted Heuristic of Digital Reading to Inform Assessment, Research, Practice, and Policy

In this commentary, the author explores the tension between almost 30 years of work that has embraced increasingly complex conceptions of digital reading and recent studies that risk oversimplifying digital reading as a singular entity analogous with reading text on a screen. The author begins by tracing a line of theoretical and empirical work that both informs and complicates our understanding of digital literacy and, more specifically, digital reading. Then, a heuristic is proposed to systematically organize, label, and define a multifaceted set of increasingly complex terms, concepts, and practices that characterize the spectrum of digital reading experiences. Research that informs this heuristic is used to illustrate how more precision in defining digital reading can promote greater clarity across research methods and advance a more systematic study of promising digital reading practices. Finally, the author discusses implications for assessment, research, practice, and policy

Riesgo cardiovascular en estudiantes de medicina del municipio Puerto Padre de Las Tunas

Introduction: cardiovascular diseases are the first cause of death in Cuba; as a result, the identification of cardiovascular risks from early ages allows the implementation of health promotion and prevention strategies to reduce their impact in the futureObjective: to identify the cardiovascular risk in medical students in Puerto Padre Municipality, Las Tunas province.Methods: an observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted. The target group included 545 medical students, 237 of whom were selected by means of a simple random sample. The body mass index and waist-hip ratio were studied. Descriptive statistics was applied.Results: the predominant age group was 18-21 years old (50,2 %). The 51,47 % of the students presented a high waist-hip ratio, 54,02 % a high abdominal circumference, 52,74 % a high body mass index, and in all groups 35,44 % presented blood pressure figures lower than 120/80 mmHg; 39 % had a cardiovascular risk.Conclusions: low percentages of cardiovascular risk were identified in medical students from Puerto Padre Municipality, Las Tunas province, determined by high values of waist-hip index, body mass index and abdominal circumference.Introducción: las enfermedades cardiovasculares constituyen la primera causa de mortalidad en Cuba; por lo cual la identificación de riesgos cardiovasculares desde edades tempranas permite implementar estrategias de promoción y prevención de salud para disminuir su impacto en el futuroObjetivo: identificar el riesgo cardiovascular en estudiantes de medicina del municipio Puerto Padre de Las Tunas.Método: se realizó un estudio observacional, descriptivo y transversal. El universo estuvo constituido por 545 estudiantes de medicina, seleccionándose 237 mediante un muestreo aleatorio simple. Se estudió el índice de masa corporal, la circunferencia abdominal y la índice cintura cadera. Se empleó estadística descriptiva.Resultados: se encontró predominio del grupo etario de 18 a 21 años (50,2 %). El 51,47 % de los estudiantes presentó un índice cintura-cadera alto, el 54,02 % una circunferencia abdominal alta, el 52,74 % un índice de masa corporal alta, así como en todos los grupos el 35,44 % presentó cifras de tensión arterial inferiores a 120/80 mmHg. El 39 % presentó riesgo cardiovascular.Conclusiones: se identificaron bajos porcientos de riesgo cardiovascular en los estudiantes de medicina del municipio Puerto Padre de Las Tunas, determinado por altos valores los índice cintura-cadera, índice de masa corporal y circunferencia abdominal

The development of a web- and a print-based decision aid for prostate cancer screening

Background Whether early detection and treatment of prostate cancer (PCa) will reduce disease-related mortality remains uncertain. As a result, tools are needed to facilitate informed decision making. While there have been several decision aids (DAs) developed and tested, very few have included an exercise to help men clarify their values and preferences about PCa screening. Further, only one DA has utilized an interactive web-based format, which allows for an expansion and customization of the material. We describe the development of two DAs, a booklet and an interactive website, each with a values clarification component and designed for use in diverse settings. Methods We conducted two feasibility studies to assess men\u27s (45-70 years) Internet access and their willingness to use a web- vs. a print-based tool. The booklet was adapted from two previous versions evaluated in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and the website was created to closely match the content of the revised booklet. Usability testing was conducted to obtain feedback regarding draft versions of the materials. The tools were also reviewed by a plain language expert and the interdisciplinary research team. Feedback on the content and presentation led to iterative modifications of the tools. Results The feasibility studies confirmed that the Internet was a viable medium, as the majority of men used a computer, had access to the Internet, and Internet use increased over time. Feedback from the usability testing on the length, presentation, and content of the materials was incorporated into the final versions of the booklet and website. Both the feasibility studies and the usability testing highlighted the need to address men\u27s informed decision making regarding screening. Conclusions Informed decision making for PCa screening is crucial at present and may be important for some time, particularly if a definitive recommendation either for or against screening does not emerge from ongoing prostate cancer screening trials. We have detailed our efforts at developing print- and web-based DAs to assist men in determining how to best meet their PCa screening preferences. Following completion of our ongoing RCT designed to test these materials, our goal will be to develop a dissemination project for the more effective tool

Developing an agenda for research about policies to improve access to healthy foods in rural communities: a concept mapping study

Background Policies that improve access to healthy, affordable foods may improve population health and reduce health disparities. In the United States most food access policy research focuses on urban communities even though residents of rural communities face disproportionately higher risk for nutrition-related chronic diseases compared to residents of urban communities. The purpose of this study was to (1) identify the factors associated with access to healthy, affordable food in rural communities in the United States; and (2) prioritize a meaningful and feasible rural food policy research agenda. Methods This study was conducted by the Rural Food Access Workgroup (RFAWG), a workgroup facilitated by the Nutrition and Obesity Policy Research and Evaluation Network. A national sample of academic and non-academic researchers, public health and cooperative extension practitioners, and other experts who focus on rural food access and economic development was invited to complete a concept mapping process that included brainstorming the factors that are associated with rural food access, sorting and organizing the factors into similar domains, and rating the importance of policies and research to address these factors. As a last step, RFAWG members convened to interpret the data and establish research recommendations. Results Seventy-five participants in the brainstorming exercise represented the following sectors: non-extension research (n = 27), non-extension program administration (n = 18), “other� (n = 14), policy advocacy (n = 10), and cooperative extension service (n = 6). The brainstorming exercise generated 90 distinct statements about factors associated with rural food access in the United States; these were sorted into 5 clusters. Go Zones were established for the factors that were rated highly as both a priority policy target and a priority for research. The highest ranked policy and research priorities include strategies designed to build economic viability in rural communities, improve access to federal food and nutrition assistance programs, improve food retail systems, and increase the personal food production capacity of rural residents. Respondents also prioritized the development of valid and reliable research methodologies to measure variables associated with rural food access. Conclusions This collaborative, trans-disciplinary, participatory process, created a map to guide and prioritize research about polices to improve healthy, affordable food access in rural communities