MP3 players and hearing loss: adolescents' perceptions of loud music and hearing conservation.

OBJECTIVE: To explore adolescents' behaviors and opinions about exposure to loud music from MP3 players. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a qualitative analysis of focus-group discussions with adolescents aged 12 to 18 years from 2 large secondary schools (1 urban and 1 rural) for pre-vocational and pre-university education. The semi-structured question route was theoretically framed within the protection motivation theory. RESULTS: Most adolescents-especially male students and students from pre-vocational schools-indicated that they often played their MP3 players at maximum volume. Although they appeared to be generally aware of the risks of exposure to loud music, they expressed low personal vulnerability to music-induced hearing loss. Most adolescents said that they would not accept any interference with their music-exposure habits. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions should target students from pre-vocational schools and should focus on increasing adolescents' knowledge of the risks of loud music and how to protect themselves. Besides hearing education for adolescents and technical modifications of MP3 players, volume-level regulations for MP3 players may be warranted.

Using Intervention Mapping to develop a programme to prevent sexually transmittable infections, including HIV, among heterosexual migrant men.

BACKGROUND: There is little experience with carefully developed interventions in the HIV/STI prevention field aimed at adult heterosexual target groups in the Netherlands. The ability to apply intervention development protocols, like Intervention Mapping, in daily practice outside of academia, is a matter of concern. An urgent need also exists for interventions aimed at the prevention of STI in migrant populations in the Netherlands. This article describes the theory and evidence based development of HIV/STI prevention interventions by the Municipal Public Health Service Rotterdam Area (MPHS), the Netherlands, for heterosexual migrant men with Surinamese, Dutch-Caribbean, Cape Verdean, Turkish and Moroccan backgrounds. METHODS: First a needs assessment was carried out. Then, a literature review was done, key figures were interviewed and seven group discussions were held. Subsequently, the results were translated into specific objectives ("change objectives") and used in intervention development for two subgroups: men with an Afro-Caribbean background and unmarried men with a Turkish and Moroccan background. A matrix of change objectives was made for each subgroup and suitable theoretical methods and practical strategies were selected. Culturally-tailored interventions were designed and were pre-tested among the target groups. RESULTS: This development process resulted in two interventions for specific subgroups that were appreciated by both the target groups and the migrant prevention workers. The project took place in collaboration with a university center, which provided an opportunity to get expert advice at every step of the Intervention Mapping process. At relevant points of the development process, migrant health educators and target group members provided advice and feedback on the draft intervention materials. CONCLUSION: This intervention development project indicates that careful well-informed intervention development using Intervention Mapping is feasible in the daily practice of the MPHS, provided that sufficient time and expertise on this approach is available. Further research should test the effectiveness of these interventions.

Estrategias educativas para la promoción del consumo de frutas y verduras en el medio escolar: proyecto pro children / School based education strategies to promote fruit and vegetable consumption: the pro children project

Los datos disponibles sugieren que un porcentaje elevado de niños y jóvenes europeos consumen cantidades insuficientes de frutas y verduras. Las estrategias de promoción de hábitos alimentarios saludables y actividad física en el medio escolar tienen un efecto potencial muy positivo. El proyecto Pro Children tiene como finalidad estimar el consumo de frutas y verduras y sus factores determinantes en niños europeos de 11 años y sus familias. También pretende evaluar la eficacia y viabilidad de un programa de educación nutricional orientado a mejorar el consumo de este grupo alimentario. En la primera fase se realizó un estudio transversal en muestra aleatorias representativas de la población de 11 años de 9 países europeos, contemplando análisis de la ingesta y un cuestionario de evaluación de los determinantes del consumo. Se ha diseñado un programa de intervención nutricional en el medio escolar basado en el modelo "Actitudes, Influencias Sociales y Autonomía: (ASE), con un marco teórico similar pero adaptado al contexto sociocultural de cada uno de los países de intervención. A lo largo de dos cursos escolares se evaluará la eficacia del programa en tres países. Cada punto de intervención aplica el programa en 10 centros docentes y considera otros 10 centros control. La planificación de la intervención se realizó siguiendo un procedimiento de mapeo de intervenciones. Se identificaron las conductas a modificar y sus factores determinantes y se formularon los objetivos educativos. Uno de los componentes destacados de la intervención es el suministro de fruta y verdura en el colegio. El programa consta de fichas de actividades para el aula; actividades con la familia; un programa informático de consejo nutricional para los niños y un componente de refuerzo comunitario a elegir para los tres países participantes entre programa de salud escolar; programa en tiendas de alimentación o implicación de los medios de comunicación de masas. A pesar de la diversidad cultural y social, es posible diseñar estrategias similares de intervención con el fin de fomentar el consumo de frutas y verduras en la población escolar. La adpatación a las situaciones específicas favorecerá un mayor éxito