Nutritional behavior and motives of college students for the choice of traditional food in the Republic of Serbia

The aim of this study was to investigate the eating behavior of college students and the reasons for consuming traditional food and to compare the motives for choosing traditional food with the research conducted in 6 European countries. This research was conducted using anonymous online questionnaires. The majority of surveyed students are physically active (75%) and live with their families (57.0%), which can have a positive impact on their diet and a lower level of consumption of “fast-food” (17.5%). Respondents have bad habits in terms of consuming cigarettes (65.0%), alcohol (73.0%) and energy drinks (75.0%). Most students consume all regular meals (73.0%). Based on the Body Mass Index (BMI) of respondents, they belong to the categories: underweight (12%), normal weight (34%), pre-weight (17%), obese (37%); however, 55.0% believed to have “ideal weight”. The reasons for choose particular food are: it is not genetically modified, it tastes good, it is nutritious, it makes them happy, it was produced/packaged in an environmentally friendly and ethical way, while the price of food is not important. Connection with family (81%) and food being tasty (54%) are the main reasons for consuming traditional food. When buying traditional food, respondents (59%) generally do not check the declaration on the product. These results indicate the need to educate students about the harmfulness of cigarettes, alcoholic and energy drinks, the importance of BMI and declaration on the product. Comparing obtained results with the results in 6 European countries it can be noticed that the answers of the respondents in Serbia were the most similar to those obtained in Poland.

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Respondents have bad habits in consuming cigarettes, alcohol and energy drinks.

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Most students consume all regular meals.

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Most respondents do not understand the significance of Body Mass Index.

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One of the main factors in choosing food is that it is not genetically modified.

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Main reasons for consuming traditional food are connection with family and taste.

Assessment of functional somatic disorders in epidemiological research: Self-report questionnaires versus diagnostic interviews

OBJECTIVE

Self-reported symptom questionnaires are often used for identifying individuals with functional somatic disorders (FSD) in epidemiological research. Studies on their validity in establishing clinically valid cases are, however, lacking. We aimed to compare and dissect the processes of identifying participants with FSD with symptom questionnaires and FSD diagnoses established by diagnostic interviews.

METHODS

Individuals from the adult Danish population (n = 1590) filled in symptom questionnaires and participated in a diagnostic research interview, performed over telephone by trained family physicians. The two methods were described and compared in different steps: 1) Agreement on presence of symptoms, 2) agreement after FSD symptom pattern criteria had been applied, and 3) agreement on final FSD diagnoses.

RESULTS

Agreement on symptom presence was high (>82%). Using FSD symptom pattern criteria, the two methods agreed in 30-62% of cases within each category. Discrepancies were mainly due to participants fulfilling symptom patterns in the interview but not in the questionnaires. Agreement between final FSD questionnaire cases and final FSD interview diagnoses was moderate (>68%) with lower FSD prevalence in the interview (26.2% vs 44.5%). Discrepancies were largely explained by the interviewers assessing the symptom patterns to be caused by an alternative physical or mental condition.

CONCLUSION

Prevalence of final FSD diagnoses were markedly lower in the diagnostic interview compared to self-reported questionnaires cases; mainly because of the clinical evaluation of symptom attribution and impairment. Symptom questionnaires may be valuable as screening tools and as trans-diagnostic comparison while diagnostic interviews are necessary in establishing clinically significant FSD diagnoses.

Corporate governance practices, barriers and drivers: A survey dataset

The dataset presented in this paper is used to examine the corporate governance (CG) practices and compute the CG index among Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) listed firms. Dataset is useful in exploring the different barriers to and drivers of good CG practices. The survey questionnaire was distributed to 350 respondents from 350 PSX listed firms, nevertheless, 120 respondents returned the questionnaire. After reviewing the filled questionnaires, fifteen questionnaires were found to be incomplete. Therefore, the final sample consisted of 105 respondents from 105 PSX listed firms. The survey dataset was analysed by descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and hierarchical multiple linear regression. SPSS 24 was used to analyse the data. For further findings and interpretation, please refer to the research article entitled “Corporate Governance in Extreme Institutional Environment: Evidence From Emerging Economy” [1]. We also suggest referring to another article that was used to develop the survey questionnaire [2].

Survey data to identify the selection criteria used by breeders of four strains of Pakistani beetal goats

This article presents raw data from a survey conducted to identify the selection criteria of breeders raising either of four strains of Beetal goats, namely Beetal Faisalabadi, Beetal Makhi-Cheeni, Beetal Nuqri, and Beetal Rahim Yar Khan. After a pre-survey, a questionnaire was developed and a survey was conducted at four sites of the Punjab province of Pakistan: Faisalabad/Sahiwal, Bahawalpur/Bahawalnagar, Rajanpur, and Rahim Yar Khan. Each of these sites was the home tract of one strain. During the survey breeders (n = 162) were asked to rank the traits of their selection criteria based on the relative importance of those traits. Furthermore, the prevailing production system was also characterized by the breeders. For the interpretation of the results of this survey the readers are referred to Ref. [1]. The raw data set provided in this article can be extended in the future to include more strains of Beetal goats as well as other goat breeds. The selection criteria of breeders can change over time. This data set can also be used in future studies to investigate the temporal changes in the relative importance of different traits for the breeders. The factors potentially influencing those changes can also be investigated. This data set can further be utilized to design community based breeding plans tailored to the needs of the goat farming community.

Coping with waste: A government-NGO collaborative governance approach in Shanghai

Complex environmental issues are leading local governments to collaborate with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the urban environmental governance sphere. While previous studies have emphasized how the Chinese government engages NGOs in service contracting to meet rising service demands, they have not provided empirical evidence of the outcomes of these collaborations at a local level. Based on a mixed methods research design developed from May 2016 to February 2017 in Shanghai, the impact of Aifen, an environmental NGO, is assessed in the context of municipal solid waste management. A total of 400 questionnaires were completed. 200 questionnaires in 10 communities where Aifen developed its activities and 200 questionnaires in 10 communities where no environmental NGO activities were accomplished. The results show that a local government-NGO collaborative governance approach enhances public participation and respond to state decentralization and rising environmental issues in urban areas.

Cross-Sectional Study to Assess Endoscopic Ultrasound Practice in Portugal

Background

Despite the increasing number of national departments performing endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), there are no official data regarding clinical EUS practice in Portugal.

Objectives

We aimed to evaluate the current practice of EUS in Portugal.

Methods

By email, we invited 1 physician of each one of the 26 national Gastroenterology Departments which perform EUS to complete a survey questionnaire available on the Google Forms platform. The online questionnaire was available from September 2017 until February 2018 and was answered only by physicians who perform EUS.

Results

A total of 21/26 (80.8%) national Gastroenterology Departments answered the questionnaire. In Portugal, there are 42 echoendoscopes in total; most of the echoendoscopy units have only 1 EUS processor (81%), 1 radial echoendoscope (66.7%), 1 linear echoendoscope (76.2%), 1 anorectal probe (57.1%), but no miniprobes (85.7%). About 81% have histological core acquisition needles. In 81% of the units, there are at least 2 ultrasonographers who perform echoendoscopy together (at least 2 ultrasonographers per EUS) in 47.6% of these departments. The ultrasonographers also performed abdominal ultrasound (US), anal US, and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in 71.4, 66.7, and 42.9%, respectively. The echoendoscopy units have 2.4 ± 1.1 periods of echoendoscopy per week and 4 ± 1.5 EUS per period (499.2 ± 416.8 EUS per year). Subepithelial lesions and biliopancreatic lesion evaluation as well as gastrointestinal neoplasia staging were the most common EUS indications. The number of FNA (fine-needle aspirations) ranges from 10 to 160/year. Rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) is available in 60% of units and is performed by the cytopathologist (66.7%) in the majority of cases. The main reason for omitting ROSE is the limited pathology staff. Cytopathological material is prepared by the ultrasonographer in 25% of the units. Air drying (50%) and formalin (50%) are most frequently used to fix and preserve smears, respectively. Pancreatic pseudocyst drainage (66.7%), celiac plexus neurolysis (52.4%) and pancreatic necrosectomy (42.9%) are the most widespread therapeutic procedures.

Conclusions

This survey provides the first insight into the current status of digestive echoendoscopy in Portugal. There is a great variability in diagnostic and therapeutic echoendoscopy practice.

Pain Knowledge and Attitudes Among Nurses in Cancer Care in Norway

The purpose of this study was to survey knowledge on, and attitudes to, pain and pain management among a cohort of Norwegian Nurses in cancer care, and to explore whether there is any association between various demographic variables and knowledge level. This is a web-based survey and nurses were recruited from the Forum for Cancer Nursing. Nurses completed the questionnaire "Nurses' Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain (NKAS)". Univariate and multivariate linear regression analysis were used to evaluate the association between knowledge and attitudes and demographic variables. Nurses from all over Norway answered. The majority were women and most had education above bachelor level. Mean NKAS total score was 31 points (75%). Significant associations were found between NKAS total score and pain management course (p = 0.01) and workplace (p = 0.04). Nurses in cancer care in Norway have relatively good pain knowledge. The potential for improvement is the greatest with regard to pharmacology and nurses' attitudes to how patients express pain. Our findings suggest that an extensive pain management course with patient histories may result in more theoretical knowledge being applied to the patients. In a time with large migration among nurses, our findings indicate that pain management courses should be aware of cultural differences in the educational training.

Questionnaire survey on cardiologists' view and management of coronary microvascular disease in clinical practice

Objective

We aimed to assess the opinion of Dutch cardiologists on coronary microvascular disease (CMD) and its management in clinical practice, and to assess the need for a CMD guideline among Dutch cardiologists.

Methods

We developed an online questionnaire including different aspects of CMD which was reviewed by an expert panel. The questionnaire was distributed by e‑mail among all members of the Dutch Society of Cardiology.

Results

A total of 103 cardiologists (70% male) completed the questionnaire (response rate: 10%). Median age and years of experience as a cardiologist were 49 ± 15 and 12 ± 12 years, respectively. Overall, 93% of the cardiologists had considered the CMD diagnosis, 85% had ever made such a diagnosis, 90% had treated a patient with CMD, and 61% had referred patients to tertiary care. The median (interquartile range) self-rated knowledge level was 7.0 (2.0) (scale of 0–10). 84% rated their knowledge as sufficient (>5.5) and 58% viewed CMD as a disease entity. Overall, 61% and 17%, respectively, agreed that evidence-based diagnostic and treatment modalities for CMD do not exist, while 56% believed that CMD patients have a higher risk for cardiovascular disease and mortality. Finally, 82% of the responders stated that a CMD guideline is needed, and 91% wanted to receive the guideline once developed.

Discussion

Fifty-eight per cent of the responders recognise CMD as a separate disease entity. Our study underscores the need for a dedicated CMD guideline for Dutch cardiology practice. However, the response rate was low (10%), and it is likely that mainly cardiologists interested in CMD have participated in our study.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s12471-019-1274-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Data on motivations of food choices obtained by two techniques: Online survey and in-depth one-on-one interview

This data article provides the data related to the research article entitled "Motivations for meal and snack times: Three approaches reveal similar constructs" (Phan et al., 2018). The data consists of two datasets collected from two research techniques: online survey questionnaire and one-on-one interview. The data include details of the food and beverage items the participants consumed at specific eating occasions together with the motivations associated with consumption of those foods. The data also provides the food groups to which the food items belong, to facilitate different levels of data analysis to explore the relationship between food, eating occasions and people׳s motivations.

Owned dog ecology and demography in Villa de Tezontepec, Hidalgo, Mexico

Dog overpopulation in developing countries has negative implications for the health and safety of people, including the transmission of zoonotic diseases, physical attacks and intimidation to humans and animals, as well as impacts on canine welfare. Understanding the ecology and demographic characteristics of a dog population can help in the planning and monitoring of canine population control programs. Little data exist regarding demography and dynamics of domestic dog populations in semi-urban areas in Mexico. A cross-sectional study was carried out between October 21 and November 7, 2015, to characterize the dog ecology and demography in Villa de Tezontepec, Hidalgo, Mexico. A face-to-face survey was used to collect data from randomly selected households in four contiguous communities using stratified two-stage cluster sampling. Within each household, adults answered questions related to their dogs and their experiences with dog bites and aggression. A total of 328 households were interviewed, representing a participation rate of 90.9% (328/361) and 1,450 people. Approximately 65.2% of the households owned one or more dogs, with a mean of 1.3 (SD=1.5) and 2.0 (SD=1.5) owned dogs in all participant households and dog-owning households, respectively. The human: owned dog ratio for all participant households was 3.4:1 (1450/428), and for the dog-owning households was 2.3:1 (984/428). The owned dog male: female ratio was 1.4:1 (249/179). Approximately 74.4% (95.0% CI=69.8% - 78.7%) of the owned dogs were older than one year (mean age: 2.9 years; SD=2.5). The mean age of owned female dogs at first litter was 1.9 years (SD=1.2) and the mean litter size was 4.2 puppies (SD=2.1). Approximately 36.9% (95.0% CI=31.8% - 46.4%) of the females were spayed, and 14.1% (95.0% CI=10.7% - 19.7%) of the males were neutered. Only 44.9% (95.0% CI=40.1% - 49.7%) were always confined when unsupervised. Approximately 84.4% (95.0% CI=80.6% - 87.7%) were reported to have been vaccinated against rabies in 2015. The knowledge of owned dog demography and ecology provided by this study can inform local government planning of dog population control interventions, and could serve as a baseline for the development of agent-based models to evaluate the effects of different dog population control strategies on dog demography.

Sun protection practices in New Zealand secondary schools: a 2014 baseline study

Objective

Guided by the established primary school SunSmart programme, a survey of secondary schools' sun protection policies, planning, behavioural expectations, curriculum content and environment was undertaken in order to establish a baseline to inform advocacy and secondary level programme development.

Methods

All 448 principals of state or state integrated public secondary schools identified from the Ministry of Education database were mailed a hard copy questionnaire. School sun protection practices were assessed and a summative, non-weighted, 11-item Total Sun Protection Score (TSPS) was created. Associations between TSPS and socio-demographic factors, as well as school sun protection policy, were investigated using unadjusted and multiple linear regressions.

Results

Usable responses received from 211 of the 448 schools (47% participation) indicated reasonable representativeness of eligible schools, but under-representation of low socioeconomic decile institutions (p = 0.003) and those with the smallest roll size (p = 0.004). Only 50% of schools reported having a sun protection policy. The least attained TSPS components were outdoor event planning (17.1%), student breaks (16.6%), sun-protective clothing (8.5%) and shade provision (6.2%). The mean (SD) TSPS was 4.58 (2.06). In multivariable analysis, TSPS was statistically significantly positively associated with having a sun protection policy (p < 0.001) and the presence of primary level classes (p < 0.001) — the latter suggesting a possible influence of programme continuity, but negatively associated with integrated school status (p = 0.036).

Conclusion

A standard SunSmart programme could be promoted to all schools, irrespective of socioeconomic decile, overall roll size, gender status or regional population density. Low attainment of some TSPS components indicates targeting priorities.

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Sun-protection practices of 211 secondary schools were assessed.

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Event planning, breaks, clothing and shade criteria were least likely met.

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A summative, non-weighted Total Sun Protection (TSP) score was created.

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TSP score was associated with having a sun protection policy and primary classes.

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A standard SunSmart programme could be promoted irrespective of school demographics.

Current opinion and consensus statement regarding the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of patients with essential thrombocythemia: a survey of the Spanish Group of Ph-negative Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (GEMFIN) using the Delphi method

The current consensus on the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of essential thrombocythemia (ET) is based on experts' recommendations. However, several aspects of the diagnosis of, prognosis of, and therapy for ET are still controversial. The Delphi method was employed with an expert panel of members of the Spanish Group of Ph-negative Myeloproliferative Neoplasms in order to identify the degree of agreement on the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of ET. Nine leading experts selected a total of 41 clinical hematologists with well-known expertise in ET. An electronic questionnaire was used to collect the questions rated in a four-step scale. The questions were grouped into four blocks: diagnosis, risk stratification, goals of therapy, and treatment strategy. After the first round consisting of 80 questions, a second round including 14 additional questions focused on the recommendations advocated by experts of the European LeukemiaNet in 2011 was analyzed. The median and mean values for the first and second rounds were calculated. A summary of the conclusions considered as the most representative of each block of questions is presented. The Delphi method is a powerful instrument to address the current approaches and controversies surrounding ET.

Psychometric properties of the persian version of the youth risk behavior survey questionnaire

BACKGROUND

Adolescents may get involved in high-risk behaviors. Surveys are the primary, and sometimes the sole source of data collection for many high-risk health behaviours. We examined the reliability and validity of the psychometric properties of the self-administered Persian version of the 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) questionnaire.

METHODS

In a methodological study in summer 2010, 100 Iranian adolescents aged 15-18 years were recruited through convenience sampling. The face and content validity were used for the questionnaire validity. In order to evaluate the questionnaire's reliability, the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and Cronbach's α were calculated for domains and 89 items.

RESULTS

Among 89 items, the ICC values were below 0.4 (weak reliability) for 2 items (2.25%), 0.4-0.6 (moderate reliability) for 10 items (11.24%), 0.6-0.8 (good reliability) for 32 items (35.96%) and 0.8-1 (excellent reliability) for 45 items (50.56%). The prevalence of most high-risk behaviors was constant in the first and second survey. The value of Cronbach's α was 0.73 for intentional and unintentional injuries, 0.77 for tobacco use, 0.86 for alcohol and other drug use, and 0.79 for unsafe sexual behaviors. No domain had a mean ICC of below 0.6. Furthermore, 97.75% of the items had moderate to excellent reliability. Thus, the Persian YRBSS questionnaire had an acceptable reliability.

CONCLUSION

Over the 2-week period, sexual behaviors were reported with less consistency compared to other behaviors. In any case, researchers must be aware of the limitation of the data collected through this questionnaire, particularly in comparison to the domain of sexual behaviors. Overall, 97.75% of the items had moderate to excellent reliability. Thus, the Persian YRBSS questionnaire had an acceptable reliability.