Intra-individual variation in urinary iodine concentration: effect of statistical correction on population distribution using seasonal three-consecutive-day spot urine in children.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of statistical correction for intra-individual variation on estimated urinary iodine concentration (UIC) by sampling on 3 consecutive days in four seasons in children. SETTING: School-aged children from urban and rural primary schools in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China. PARTICIPANTS: 748 and 640 children aged 8-11 years were recruited from urban and rural schools, respectively, in Harbin. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The spot urine samples were collected once a day for 3 consecutive days in each season over 1 year. The UIC of the first day was corrected by two statistical correction methods: the average correction method (average of days 1, 2; average of days 1, 2 and 3) and the variance correction method (UIC of day 1 corrected by two replicates and by three replicates). The variance correction method determined the SD between subjects (Sb) and within subjects (Sw), and calculated the correction coefficient (Fi), Fi=Sb/(Sb+Sw/di), where di was the number of observations. The UIC of day 1 was then corrected using the following equation:[Formula: see text] RESULTS: The variance correction methods showed the overall Fi was 0.742 for 2 days' correction and 0.829 for 3 days' correction; the values for the seasons spring, summer, autumn and winter were 0.730, 0.684, 0.706 and 0.703 for 2 days' correction and 0.809, 0.742, 0.796 and 0.804 for 3 days' correction, respectively. After removal of the individual effect, the correlation coefficient between consecutive days was 0.224, and between non-consecutive days 0.050. CONCLUSIONS: The variance correction method is effective for correcting intra-individual variation in estimated UIC following sampling on 3 consecutive days in four seasons in children. The method varies little between ages, sexes and urban or rural setting, but does vary between seasons.

Prevalence of postural deviations in school of educationand professional practice of physical education

This study aimed to verify through postural assessment proposed by Kendall, McCreary and Provance (1990),the prevalence of postural alignment of elementary school students of both sexes, aged between seven andten years. For the definition of the survey, was chosen a private school in the city of Hortolandia - SP wereevaluated in 201 schools. The methodology was the demarcation of the spinous processes of the cervical,thoracic and lumbar vertebrae of the students were evaluated after posterior and lateral views. Data weretabulated and treated statistically. The results showed a high incidence in postural deviations and asymmetriescompared to existing research. It was observed that boys showed an incidence of kyphosis and lordosis higherthan girls and that scoliosis is present in more girls.

On Attitud Education of Students. A Study on the Relationship between the Positive Purpose and Social Support Scale (PPSS Scale) and Attitudes Regarding School Work in First Year Medical Students / 医学教育

Objective: Since medical colleges do not offer lectures on medicine in the first year, it is difficult for students to become enthusiastic about medicine. The purpose of the present study is to discuss the relationship between the PPSS scale and attitudes regarding school work in first year medical students. Methods: The term “ikigai” describes the state in which people have a positive purpose, a sense of being full and social support. The PPSS scale was used to measure a sense of “ikigai ”. Interest in lectures, lateness for lectures, the reading of medical books, and whether or not students had any training in hospitals were separately evaluated. Results: Those students who were interested in lectures, read medical books, and who had experienced training in hospitals scored higher on the PPSS scale than those with the opposite profile. Conclusion: Ego identity is an important factor in the PPSS scale of first year medical students, and the continual relationship between teaching staff and students prompts the acquisition of such ego identity in these medical students.