Hypertension in community-dwelling elders from a statewide study: implications for nonpharmacologic therapy.

This study used multivariate analysis to determine the sociodemographic variables that predict whether hypertensive elders who are aware of their disease deliberately make lifestyle modifications aimed at controlling their hypertension. The data are from the 1990 Panel Study of Older South Carolinians (n = 6,473). The researchers performed five separate logistic regressions, each to predict the odds that the elders made specific lifestyle changes to reduce their hypertension. The dependent variable in the first regression was 1 = quite smoking to reduce hypertension and 0 = did not quite smoking to reduce hypertension. Changing diet, exercising, taking medication, and using stress management techniques were the dependent variables in the second, third, fourth, and fifth regressions, respectively. Significant determinants included age, gender, marital status, socioeconomic status, previous medical history, and social participation. This paper discussed implications for prevention programs.

Learning style preferences of public health students.

OBJECTIVES: The learning style preferences of public health students are investigated. Learning styles, as defined by Kolb, refer to the four distinct manners of processing information. METHODS: Students' learning styles are analyzed for associations by gender, occupation, and public health program. The value of learning styles to predict students' preference for oral presentation versus written exams, performance on different types of exams, and course grade are studied. RESULTS: Learning styles of the students sampled were neither predominantly of one learning style nor evenly distributed. Learning style preferences did not vary significantly according to gender, occupation, or public health program. Learning styles also did not predict the students' choice of oral presentation or written exam. Assimilators, however, scored significantly higher than the other three learning styles on the theoretical exam and in their course grade. DISCUSSION: The authors suggest that public health instructors employ a variety of teaching methods and evaluative opportunities when class composition is initially assessed as having diverse learning styles. This "instructional pluralism' is necessary to facilitate learning, maximize participation, and permit multiple pathways for students to demonstrate educational performance.

Mentoring in healthcare organizations. Implications for female healthcare managers.

Although the already large number of women in the healthcare field and the demand for healthcare administrators are expected to grow into the next millennium, there are comparatively few women in healthcare management. Mentoring programs can help guide women into administrative positions in healthcare organizations.

Racial and ethnic differences in students' attitudes and behavior toward organ donation.

Donor authorizations tend to be especially low among African Americans and other minority and ethnic groups. This study assessed and compared the beliefs, attitudes, and rates of participation regarding organ donation among a sample of racially and ethnically mixed university students. A 64-item survey questionnaire regarding organ/tissue donation issues was administered to 683 undergraduate students from different racial and ethnic backgrounds at a state-assisted university in the Midwest. The findings from the study indicated that African-American students differ significantly from white students in their attitudes and beliefs toward organ donation, while Asian-American, Hispanic, and international students were similar to white students in their attitudes and beliefs regarding organ donation. However, a greater percentage of African-American students have granted permission for organ donation compared to African Americans in the general population.

Using interactive videodisc to test advanced airway management skills.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of the Actronics Interactive Learning System to teach the psychomotor skills of advanced airway management compared to the traditional method of lecture/demonstration. METHODS: The study was a nonrandomized, nonequivalent comparison group design of a convenience sample of 86 American Heart Association (AHA), advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) students, who obtained instruction in airway management by the interactive videodisc (IVD) learning system (n = 41), or by the traditional method of demonstration/return demonstration (n = 45). The evaluation criteria for the students were based on the number of attempts required to perform successfully endotracheal (ET) intubation and esophageal obturator airway (EOA) insertion. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences in the performance of ET insertion between the IVD and the traditional method of instruction could be demonstrated. However, initial certifiers for ACLS learning EOA insertion by the IVD method had a treatment effect (p = 0.004) compared to ACLS students learning by the traditional method. This treatment effect was not noted with ET intubation and EOA insertion for students seeking recertification. In a post-test satisfaction questionnaire, 34 IVD students reported satisfaction with learning airway management using this instructional method, but also expressed a preference to have an ACLS instructor available. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the role of IVD in teaching the complex skills of advanced airway management.

Establishing guidelines for the identification of occupational injuries: a systematic appraisal.

The workplace is a significant contributor to injuries and injury fatalities in the United States. Unfortunately, the systems in place for collecting and coding injury data suffer from a number of limitations that make it difficult, if not impossible, to enumerate accurately the true scope and import of occupational injuries and injury fatalities. At present, there are no nationally agreed upon standards for defining, reporting, and recording occupational (and nonoccupational) injuries. This article examines and evaluates the major surveillance systems for the collection and recording of data on occupational injuries and injury fatalities and presents guidelines for establishing a model system of occupational injury surveillance. These guidelines should be valuable in designing a national data system that can measure the impact and effectiveness of injury prevention and control programs in the United States.

Interactive videodiscs: a new approach to healthcare education.

Linking computer and video technology has produced a new way to educate healthcare providers. These keyboard classrooms offer faster comprehension, better retention and lower costs than most traditional methods.

Testing airway management skills: interactive video courseware vs ACLS instructor.

UNLABELLED: Lectures and demonstrations have been the teaching and testing strategies most often employed by the American Heart Association in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) training. I compared the abilities of interactive videodisc (IVD) courseware and ACLS instructors to evaluate airway management skills. METHODS & MATERIALS: Twenty-two subjects were simultaneously tested during 30 attempts at endotracheal (ET) intubation and 34 attempts at esophageal obturator airway or esophageal gastric tube airway (EOA/EGTA) insertion. The instructors were blind to the visual and auditory messages produced. RESULTS: The IVD program and the ACLS instructors showed high agreement in their evaluation of student performance for time of intubation (95.5% ET; 100% EOA/EGTA), proper tube placement (91% ET; 93% EOA/EGTA), appropriate tube assessment (95.5% ET; 100% EOA/EGTA), and correct EOA/EGTA cuff inflation (100%). Lower levels of agreement were noted with ET and EOA/EGTA appropriate head positioning, and the evaluation of tooth pressure with ET intubation (60.5%, 76.5%, and 66.0%, respectively). The IVD system was unable to detect certain procedural errors associated with appropriate intubation procedure--syringe attachment, syringe removal after cuff inflation, and control of tube after intubation. The low agreement for tooth pressure suggests that the sensor-equipped manikin may better evaluate tooth pressure than does the observer. CONCLUSIONS: Although the IVD system shows promise as an adjunct method for instruction and testing, it cannot be considered suitable for 'stand-alone' instruction. Further research is needed to explore costs, skills retention, and possible impact of the medium for training hospital and prehospital-care personnel.