Validation of the Impact on Family Scale (Spanish Version) and Predictive Variables in Parents of Children with Severe Food Allergy.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Severe food allergies in children have serious consequences for their daily lives, but also for their families. The aim of the present study was to validate the impact on family scale (IOFS) in families of school-age children with severe food allergies (SFA) in Spain. DESIGN/METHODS: A total of 299 families from south Spain were assessed using the IOFS. A factorial analysis was conducted to analyze the construct validity. The reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using the Cronbach's alpha coefficient and the intraclass correlation coefficient. Additionally, a multivariate analysis was conducted to study the association between the impact of the illness on families and some variables. RESULTS: The internal consistency of the scale (Cronbach's alpha) was 0.87 (95% CI) and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.90. Regarding the results of the IOFS, the overall average score was 61.9 (SD = 12.4). The family-social impact subscale obtained the highest score. The number of children and the number of workers within the family showed a significance that was directly proportional to the family impact. CONCLUSIONS: The Spanish version of the IOFS is a reliable and valid tool to assess the impact of severe food allergies on families. In addition, the results point out SFA as a problem with medium-high family impact and important family availability needs. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The impact on families of severe food allergy of children has become evident, therefore, the healthcare staff should pay close attention to this issue and take the required measures to reduce this impact.

S.O.S! My Child is at School: A Hermeneutic of the Experience of Living a Chronic Disease in the School Environment.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study is to understand the experience of living a chronic disease in the school, from the perspective of the parents. DESIGN AND METHODS: A Grounded Theory study was proposed with a sample of 14 affected families with children between three and eleven years old, all of them from the west and south of Spain. Information was collected using semi-structured surveys and the constant comparative method was used for the analysis. RESULTS: Results are divided into three main themes: SOS! My child is at school, The Systems (don't) Answer and Families Answer. Parents live school enrolment in a state of constant alertness, characterized by distrust, worry, fear, anguish, and indignation. The responses to the problem given by the education and health systems are insufficient, uncoordinated and inefficient. Therefore, parents end up not expecting anything, they transmit the information, organize training sessions, and solve any occurring incident by themselves, often at the expense of quitting their jobs. CONCLUSION: The presence of a school nurse would mean for these parents the integration between the education and health systems. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: As findings highlight, more collaboration and sensitivity between the healthcare and educational system is needed, and the school nurse has been indicated as a crucial figure in this matter.

Consumo de alcohol entre los estudiantes de la Universidad de Extremadura / Alcohol use among the students of the Universidad de Extremadura

OBJETIVO: analizar el patrón de consumo de alcohol en la población estudiantil de la Universidad de Extremadura, describiendo la diferencia de los patrones de consumo según sexo, titulaciones sanitarias y no sanitarias y analizando la existencia de trastornos relacionados con el alcohol. MÉTODO: se realizó un estudio descriptivo de carácter transversal, de base poblacional, ejecutado por entrevistas estandarizadas a alumnos de titulaciones de Grado en Enfermería, Medicina, Fisioterapia, Magisterio e Ingeniería en Sonido e Imagen, durante el curso académico de 2014-2015 utilizando el test CAGE de cribaje de síndrome de dependencia alcohólica (SDA). RESULTADOS: se distribuyeron 200 cuestionarios igual al número de alumnos matriculados en ese año académico y se obtuvieron 173. Un 76,29% refiere consumir alcohol de manera asidua. Se iniciaron en el consumo entre los 16 y 18 años, predominando un patrón de fin de semana, consumiendo más los hombres que las mujeres. El test CAGE resultó positivo en el 20,80% de la muestra y el 100% negó sufrir alcoholismo con la cantidad ingerida. Las titulaciones sanitarias tuvieron mayor porcentaje de SDA en comparación con las no sanitarias. Por último, el 26,42% de las titulaciones no sanitarias no percibió el alcoholismo como un problema de salud y un 8,33% de las titulaciones sanitarias tampoco. CONCLUSIONES: debido al existente problema de salud habría que realizar y/o plantear una respuesta social, educativa y sanitaria, coherente con la problemática actual del alcohol en los jóvenes del entorno. La información del riesgo, la identificación precoz del consumo excesivo y la ayuda al joven con problemas deberían abordarse desde la Atención Primaria de Salud

OBJECTIVE: to analyze the pattern of alcohol use among the student population of the Universidad de Extremadura, describing the difference between the patterns of use according to gender and healthcare and non-healthcare qualifications, as well as analyzing the presence of alcohol-related disorders. METHOD: a descriptive transversal population-based study was conducted, through standard interviews with Nursing, Medicine, Physiotherapy, Teaching, and Sound and Image Engineering students, during the 2014-2015 academic term, using the CAGE test for Alcohol Dependence Syndrome (ADS) screening. RESULTS: two hundred (200) questionnaires were handed out, the same number of students registered in that academic term; 173 questionnaires were returned. From these, 76.29% reported a regular use of alcohol. They started this use when they were 16-to-18-years old, and a weekend pattern prevailed; the use of alcohol was higher in men than in women. The CAGE Test was positive in 20.80% of the sample, and 100% denied to suffer alcoholism with their level of use. Healthcare degree students showed a higher percentage of ADS vs. non-healthcare degree students. Finally, 26.42% of the non-healthcare degree students did not perceive alcoholism as a health problem; the same happened in 8.33% of the healthcare degree students. CONCLUSIONS: due to the existing health problem, a social, educational and health approach should be conducted and/or planned, consistent with the current predicament of alcohol use among the young people in this setting. Risk information, early detection of excessive use, and help for young people with problems, should be addressed from Primary Healthcare