Low Percentage Of Respondents Research Articles

There is more to cluttering than meets the eye: The prevalence of cluttering and association with psychological well-being indices in an undergraduate sample.

Cluttering is a fluency disorder characterized by an abnormally fast or irregular speech delivery rate along with disfluencies that are frequent but are not judged to be stuttering. Data on cluttering prevalence in the general population are scarce, as well as its association with psychological well-being indices, such as anxiety, and depressive symptoms. To estimate cluttering prevalence among undergraduates, as well as its relationship with psychological and well-being indicators. To address these issues, a large sample (n = 1582) of undergraduates completed a questionnaire that provided a lay definition of cluttering and were asked to identify themselves as clutterers (SI-Clut), as well as to indicate the presence of several psychological and mental well-being indices. A total of 276 respondents (23%) self-identified as clutterers (now or in the past), with 55.1% of those being male. Only 56 respondents (3.5% of the total sample; about 21% of SI-Clut) reported having received speech therapy for cluttering. Relative to students self-identifying as non-clutterers, self-identification of cluttering was associated with higher levels of psychosomatic symptoms, depressive symptoms and stress, indicating a tendency toward internalizing psychopathology, along with lower self-esteem, and lower subjective happiness. The current findings point to the high prevalence of students self-identifying as clutterers, along with a significant link between cluttering and mental distress. Therefore, it is important to increase public awareness of cluttering, its diagnosis and treatment. From the clinical perspective, the elevated levels of somatic complaints, anxiety and depression may represent internalizing psychopathology, associated with more covert rather than overt symptomatology. Such symptom manifestation calls for special attention from the speech-language pathologists providing cluttering therapy, using designated well-being or mental health screening tools. Although data on standard cluttering treatment are limited, it should be customized to the client's unique difficulties. Speech-language pathologists' understanding of cluttering, which includes both speech characteristics as well as psychological and social aspects of well-being, may assist them in implementing effective treatments. What is already known on the subject Cluttering is a fluency disorder characterized by an abnormally fast or irregular speech rate, along with various disfluencies and articulatory imprecision. It may co-occur with other disorders, such as learning disabilities, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Data on cluttering prevalence and its association with psychological well-being indices, such as anxiety and depression, are limited. What this paper adds to existing knowledge A total of 276 undergraduates (23%) self-identified as clutterers, of whom 55.1% were males. A total of 56 respondents (3.5% of the total sample, and about 21% of undergraduates self-identified as clutterers) reported having received speech therapy for cluttering. Psychosomatic symptoms, depressive symptoms and stress levels were higher among these students, suggesting a tendency toward internalizing psychopathology, along with a lower sense of self-esteem and subjective happiness. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? The high prevalence of students self-identifying as clutterers, along with the low percentage of respondents who received speech therapy for cluttering, emphasize the need to raise public awareness of the problem, its diagnosis and treatment (Reichel etal., 2010). The association between cluttering and mental distress requires speech-language pathologists to be aware that cluttering may have covert symptomatology, similar to stuttering, which should be addressed in therapy.

A nationwide survey on producer and veterinarian perceptions of the painfulness of procedures and disease states in dairy and beef cattle.

Failure to adequately manage pain in cattle causes suffering and is thus a welfare concern for the livestock industry. The objectives of this study were to summarize caregiver perceptions of the painfulness of various procedures and disease conditions in cattle. This survey also assessed factors that impact the perception of painfulness and determined relationships between pain perception and mitigation in producers and veterinarians in the United States beef and dairy cattle industries. An online survey was distributed via organization listservs and social media groups representing beef and dairy veterinarians and producers. The survey included questions about respondent demographics and pain perception and frequency of pain mitigation use for a variety of common husbandry procedures and disease conditions in cattle less than 2 months, 2-12 months, and greater than 12 months of age. Descriptive statistics were generated, and ordinal logistic regressions were used to assess the relationship between perceived pain level, frequency of pain mitigation use, and respondent demographic factors (e.g., gender, age, and role). There was a relatively low percentage of respondents that identified there was "no pain" associated with the listed procedures and conditions. Across the majority of procedures and conditions and cattle age categories, men perceived procedures to be less painful than women (P < 0.05). Veterinarians and producer-veterinarians perceived procedures to be more painful than producers (P < 0.05) for the majority of procedures and conditions. There were some differences identified between respondent age groups in pain perception but the trends were not consistent across procedures and conditions. There was a significant positive linear trend, with greater perceived pain associated with greater likelihood of providing local and systemic analgesia for all procedures and conditions across all cattle age categories (P ≤ 0.02). Perception of pain is complex and multifactorial, and it influences the likelihood to treat pain in cattle. This research highlighted the importance of understanding how these factors may play a role in increasing the use of pain mitigation within the beef and dairy industries.

Self-Reported Study Analyzing Physicians' Personal Compliance with Health Prevention Guidelines in a Medium-Sized Canadian Community.

There have only been limited studies that have assessed the attitude of Canadian physicians toward their own physical health. The aim of our study was to explore the self-reported health maintenance behavior and the predictors of health practices among physicians in a small-medium sized Canadian community. We used a descriptive mailed in self-report survey to contact all 649 physicians registered with the Essex County Medical Society, with a 36% response rate. Our results showed that 81% of physicians in Windsor-Essex County were satisfied with how well they care for themselves, despite reporting low levels of physical activity and a lower percentage of respondents having family physicians than the general population. Five independent factors were identified with physician self-perceived health satisfaction: Physician age of 45 to 54 (95% CI 0.17-0.92; OR 0.39), graduating from Canadian medical schools (95% CI 0.15 to 0.80; OR 0.35), having more than one co-morbidity (95% CI 0.13-0.72; OR 0.31), physicians who had a regular family doctor (95% CI 1.12-5.52; OR 2.43), and engagement in regular moderate weekly exercise (95% CI 1.05-4.94; OR 2.28). We also contrasted the preventive health screening markers of our study to compliance rates of the general population as well as the national physician study. Our results showed that screening rates among our study physician group differed markedly from the general population. For colorectal and breast cancers, physicians in our study reported screening rates of 77.8% and 37.3% respectively, compared with the general population, who's screening rates are 32.3% and 72.5%. Future studies exploring specific targeted health promotion interventions that could address these factors may be warranted in order to further improve Canadian physician health, and ultimately improve their ability to take care of their patients.

STUDY OF ATTITUDES FOR EDUCATIONAL INTERACTION IN A DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT IN A COVID-19 SITUATION

The publication presents and discusses the results of a scientific study, which has as a research priority the collection of information on the attitudes of employees in educational institutions for pedagogical interaction in the digital environment, in the situation of COVID-19. 1533 persons from four professional groups included in education were studied. The data from the stress sector found that over 65% of the respondents have good levels of stress resilience in the skills for adaptation to the emergency situation in terms of the presence of control in the situation, ability to manage time, preserved opportunities for concentration and lack of hopelessness. With regard to the anxiety sector, a low percentage of respondents from the four groups is reported, in which the presence of internal tension is registered, which does not depend on the type of settlement. In the motivation sector, a significantly optimistic tendency of perception was found on the part of the respondents, confirming relatively high levels of motivation for learning/teaching in the digital environment. At the level of emotional intelligence, a positive orientation is revealed among a large percentage of the respondents in the context of available mental resources or internal readiness for learning/teaching in the conditions of e-learning.

Assessment of Accessibility and Quality of Emergency Obstetric Care services: A cross sectional study in rural Varanasi

Background: Emergency Obstetrics care is an integrated strategy developed by the WHO, UNFPA and UNICEF that aims to equip health facilities with the capacity to provide evidence based, cost effective interventions to attend the leading causes of maternal mortality. Methods: A community based cross sectional study was conducted between April 2019 - July 2020. A total of 201 women who delivered in the last 6 months and had complications during their pregnancy were interviewed to find out accessibility and quality emergency obstetric Care (EmOC) services. Facility assessment was also done at two health facilities of Chiraigaon block for the assessment EmOC. Results: Findings show that only 41.8% respondents were able to reach the government health facilities in less than half-an-hour. Out of the total respondents who utilized government health facilities for EmOC, only 19% were attended by the health providers within 1 hour. Conclusion: Low percentage of respondents with complications were reaching the health facility within 30 minutes. Therefore, there is a strong need for strengthening of basic EmOC services at health facilities .

Serum Free Triiodothyronine and the Responsiveness to Clopidogrel in Patients Undergoing Elective Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Both thyroid dysfunction and low responsiveness to clopidogrel have been reported to be associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Our study aims at determining the relationship between free triiodothyronine (FT3) and low responsiveness to clopidogrel in patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Consecutive patients undergoing elective PCI were enrolled. All patients received a loading dose of 300mg clopidogrel, and platelet function was assessed by thromboelastography at least 12h later. Low responsiveness to clopidogrel was defined by an adenosine diphosphate-induced platelet-fibrin clot strength > 47mm and adenosine diphosphate-induced platelet inhibition rate < 50%. Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) were defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, and ischemia-driven revascularization. Of 812 patients included in the study, 289 showed low responsiveness to clopidogrel. The FT3 level was significantly lower in low responders (4.61 ± 0.60pmol/l versus 4.94 ± 4.66pmol/l, p = 0.002). Moreover, the percentage of low responders was greater among patients with low FT3 level than among those without (56.1% versus 34.5%, p = 0.007). Logistic regression analysis showed that a FT3 level was independently associated with the risk of low responsiveness to clopidogrel (odds ratio 0.720, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.533-0.973, p = 0.033). In patients with low responsiveness to clopidogrel, low FT3 was independently associated with increased risk of MACEs (adjusted hazard ratio 3.040, 95% CI 1.077-8.580, p = 0.036) at a median of 19-month follow-up. Low FT3 was independently associated with increased risks of both low responsiveness to clopidogrel and cardiovascular events in patients undergoing elective PCI.

Pharmacists’ satisfaction with their involvement in the management of COVID-19 patients in Saudi Arabia

IntroductionThe Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a public health emergency and during this unprecedented situation, health care providers across the globe are at the frontline in the fight against this disease. Countries that have been severely hit by the pandemic are using pharmacists to help triage patients. In order to ensure the continuity of these services, it is of paramount importance that pharmacists be formally involved and engaged in the management of this pandemic. In response to the underlying knowledge deficit, this study was undertaken as the first of its kind in the entirety of Saudi Arabia. MethodsThis study is a questionnaire based cross-sectional study that was carried out for a period of five months from March 2020 to July 2020 to assess the role of working pharmacists in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic under different health care settings across Saudi Arabia. ResultsA total of 398 responses were recorded, in which 51.1% of the respondents were not involved in any learning or awareness activities involving health care providers (HCPs) or patients. The majority of respondents (62.9%) were not involved in creating or evaluating therapeutic plans for COVID19 patients, and 55% were not involved in therapeutic mentoring of COVID19 patients. Only a very low percentage of respondents were participating in COVID19-related research within their institution. Only 37% of respondents reported being satisfied with their role and contribution in the management of COVID-19. ConclusionThe present study reveals that pharmacists are underutilized in the management of COVID-19 patients in Saudi Arabia. As such, the findings emphasize the importance of enhancing the role and contribution of pharmacists in patient care management across all hospitals and especially under health care crisis conditions. The establishment of a crisis standard of care guideline for all HCPs, including pharmacists, would help in improving patient overall care under crisis conditions like the present COVID-19 pandemic.

The occurrence of symptoms of bruxism in sports climbers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background. The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic include the emergence or intensification of negative emotional states, such as anxiety disorders or depression. The deterioration of the emotional state in human population can be explained by the severe increase in the level of psychological stress related to the pandemic. In turn, mental stress can lead to the appearance or exacerbation of psychosomatic symptoms. Mental stress is one of the risk factors for bruxism. Due to the current pandemic situation, there is an increase in the frequency of bruxism symptoms in the population. The aim of this study was to analyze the occurrence of bruxism symptoms in sports climbers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods. The study consisted of two stages - the first one was carried out in August 2019 and the second one was repeated in May 2020, three months after the national quarantine in Poland had been announced . 67 people in the control group and 67 in the studied group were qualified for the study. The occurrence of awake and sleep bruxism was determined using a questionnaire. Results. The collective analysis showed that the studied group had a lower percentage of respondents with awake bruxism compared to the control group - the results reached the required threshold of statistical significance. The prevalence of sleep bruxism between the groups was similar - the differences did not reach the assumed significance threshold. Conclusions. The level of bruxism symptoms among climbers was significantly lower during the COVID-19 pandemic than before it. The obtained results and possible adaptation mechanisms in climbers require further analysis.

Determinants of HIV testing among Filipino women: Results from the 2013 Philippine National Demographic and Health Survey.

The prevalence of having ever tested for HIV in the Philippines is very low and is far from the 90% target of the Philippine Department of Health (DOH) and UNAIDS, thus the need to identify the factors associated with ever testing for HIV among Filipino women. We analysed the 2013 Philippine National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). The NDHS is a nationally representative survey which utilized a two-stage stratified design to sample Filipino women aged 15-49. We considered the following exposures in our study: socio-demographic characteristics of respondent and her partner (i.e., age of respondent, age of partner, wealth index, etc.), sexual practices and contraception (i.e., age at first intercourse, condom use, etc.), media access, tobacco use, HIV knowledge, tolerance to domestic violence, and women's empowerment. The outcome variable is HIV testing. We used logistic regression for survey data to study the said associations. Out of 16,155 respondents, only 372 (2.4%) have ever tested for HIV. After adjusting for confounders, having tertiary education (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.15; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.15-4.04), living with partner (aOR = 1.72; 95% CI: 1.19-2.48), tobacco use (aOR = 1.87; 95% CI: 1.13-3.11); belonging to the middle class (aOR = 2.72; 95% CI: 1.30-5.67), richer (aOR = 3.00; 95% CI: 1.37-5.68), and richest (aOR = 4.14; 95% CI: 1.80-5.91) populations, having weekly television access (aOR = 1.75; 95% CI: 1.04-2.94) or internet access (aOR = 2.01; 95% CI: 1.35-3.00), living in a rural area (aOR = 1.87; 95% CI: 1.34-2.61); and being a Muslim (aOR = 2.30; 95% CI: 1.15-4.57) were associated with ever testing for HIV. The low percentage of respondents who test for HIV is a call to further strengthen efforts to promote HIV testing among Filipino women. Information on its determinants can be used to guide the crafting and implementation of interventions to promote HIV testing to meet DOH and UNAIDS targets.

Practices of Jeddah Residents Regarding the Disposal of Unused and Expired Medications: A Community-Based Survey

Inappropriate disposal of stored medications leads to an increased risk of environmental toxicity. This study aims to examine practices of Jeddah residents with regard to disposing unused and/or expired medications and to view their opinions about the presence of drug take-back centres. Over a three-month period, 771 participants completed an online questionnaire, that focused on disposal methods and the importance of having drug retrieval centres. The data demonstrated that 91.57% of the participants reported discarding their expired medications in household waste, and 2.98% of them return their medications to hospitals or pharmacies. With respect to unused medications, 67.07% of the participants disposed of them in household waste, and only 10.84% donated their medications. This improper practice, however, contradicted the fact that 92.35% of the respondents were interested in knowing the appropriate methods of disposing. In addition, 90.66% agreed to the need for drug take-back centres. This study demonstrated that a low percentage of respondents knew about correct medication disposal. This emphasizes the need for the Ministry of Health, the pharmaceutical industry and pharmacies to collaborate on a national program about the proper methods of medication disposal and to initiate drug retrieval programs.

Traditional attributes moo-ve over for some consumer segments: Relative ranking of fluid milk attributes

Due to the decrease in fluid milk consumption as a beverage in the United States, the importance for dairy industry stakeholders to understand attribute preferences for consumer segments has increased. This paper uses a representative sample of U.S. residents to determine shopping behavior and a Best-Worst experimental design to examine consumer preferences for select milk attributes. The Random Parameters Logit model revealed the largest preference shares were for price (19.1%), fat content (17.6%), and humane handling (16.1%). Segmentation of the respondents was analyzed using a Latent Class Model, and the demographics of segments were analyzed by probabilistic assignment. This contribution, which may be applied to other products, allows for a detailed understanding of consumer preferences for fluid milk. Demographics such as gender and age were not statistically different across the five classes for this topic, unlike shopping behavior. Class 2 was named “The Balancing Act” due to respondents’ balance between animal welfare aspects and the physical characteristics of milk. Class 5 was dubbed “Value and Volume” due to large preference shares for price and container size. A lower percentage of respondents in “The Balancing Act” (12.2%) reported purchasing fat-free skim milk when compared to the percentage of respondents in “Value and Volume” (18.6%). Due to the large preference shares for traditional milk attributes, Class 3 was named “Traditional Milk Shoppers.” A higher percentage of respondents in “Value and Volume” also reported always reading the information on meat, egg, or milk products when compared to “Traditional Milk Shoppers” (12.2%). Although price is still important to many consumers, certain segments have preferences or demand for other attributes that may be satisfied by producers to increase market share or price premiums.

Pharmacy students’ knowledge and attitudes regarding cannabis for medical purposes

Introduction: With the growing trend for legalization of cannabis and its derivatives in Serbia, pharmacists are likely to be consulted on the safety, efficacy, and drug-drug or drug-disease interactions of medical cannabis. Thus, the aim of our study was to assess pharmacy students’ knowledge and attitude toward medical cannabis use in Serbia to determine if additional education is needed. Subjects and methods: In the study students from the final year of the study program of integrated academic studies of pharmacy at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad were asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire regarding their knowledge and attitudes on the use of cannabis and its derivatives in medical purposes. After giving their written informed consent, they were instructed by the researchers on how to complete the questionnaire. All questionnaires were administered between August 1, 2017 and August 15, 2017. The study was approved by the Ethical Committee of the Faculty of Medicine in Novi Sad; a total of 80 questionnaires were distributed. The questionnaire consisted of 3 groups of statements on which they should mark level of their agreement related to students’ knowledge about the use of cannabis and its derivatives in therapeutical purposes, potential negative effects, dispensing in a pharmacy and legalization of cannabis and its derivatives in medical purposes. Results: Although 91.2% of the respondents agreed that cannabis and its derivatives could potentially have therapeutical effects, much lower percentage of respondents (51.3%) were familiar with possible therapeutical effects of cannabis. The same percentage of respondents learned about therapeutical effects of cannabis from sources other than school. About third (31.3%) of our respondents thought that the use of cannabis and its derivatives in therapeutical purposes could cause their abuse and the similar percentage of respondents (33.8%) thought that issuing cannabis and its derivatives in the pharmacy could expose a pharmacist to the certain dangers such as insisting on the issuing without the prescription or robbery. About 90% of the respondents agreed it is necessary to create clear guidelines for the use of cannabis and its derivatives in therapeutical purposes and 76.3% of the respondents thought that doctor’s prescription is necessary for their dispensing in a pharmacy. Most of the respondents (75%) agreed that, based on the experiences of the countries which have approved the use of cannabis and its derivatives in therapeutical purposes, its use in those purposes should be approved in Serbia. Conclusion: The majority of pharmacy students supported medical cannabis legalization but only with strict legal regulations and clear guidelines for their use implemented. Further education of the pharmacist about therapeutical effect of cannabis is necessary.

Investigating the disposal of expired and unused medication in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study.

Background Improper disposal of medication has several possible consequences such as childhood poisoning, environmental pollution, a negative impact on wildlife, and antibiotic resistance. The number of studies conducted to characterize pharmaceutical disposal practices is limited, particularly in the Middle East. Objective The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the behaviour of individuals with respect to the disposal of expired and unused medications. Furthermore, we aimed to identify the best methods of education regarding appropriate, safe disposal of medication. Setting The study was carried out in King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH), and King Saud University (KSU), during a 3-month period from February 2015 to April 2015. Method Twelve hundred patients were randomly selected from KKUH and KSU. Participants were invited to complete paper-based questionnaire with self enumeration. Pilot testing was conducted and involved 50 randomly selected participants. Main outcome measures The proportion of expired medications present in the home and their therapeutic groups, disposal methods of expired and unused medications, and preferred educational methods regarding safe and proper disposing of medications. Results A substantial proportion (79.15%) of respondents disposed of unwanted medication via household waste, while a small proportion (1.70%) returned unwanted medication to a pharmacy. Although currently practised disposal methods are undoubtedly unsuitable, 70.20% of respondents considered finding appropriate, safe methods via which to dispose of unwanted medication their responsibility, and 78.6% expressed an interest in receiving information concerning the correct disposal of unwanted medication. Conclusion We have demonstrated that a low percentage of respondents have ever received information regarding correct medication disposal. Moreover, the results have shown that over half of the respondents store antibiotics in their households. Additionally, respondents weren't aware of the consequences of keeping expired medication at home. It is quite clear that the awareness of proper and safe drug disposal among the Saudi population is quite low making it a priority of concerned authorities to implement educational programs.

Review of domestic water conservation practices in Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabian (KSA) has a substantial water shortage problem where water demand far exceeds water resources sustainable yields. This fact has motivated the Ministry of Water and Electricity (MOWE) to launch a massive water conservation awareness program to enhance water-using efficiency in the country. The MOWE among other water awareness activities has introduced a four-stage program of free distribution of water conservation tools. This research reviewed the domestic water conservation awareness program in Saudi Arabia and assessed the program performance through conducting questionnaire surveys. The latter was designed and implemented in Al-Khobar city in the Eastern Province to measure public awareness regarding water issues. The survey started on April 28, 2012, and continued for 3 weeks. A total of 197 questionnaires were completed. The survey results showed a relatively low awareness among respondents about water shortage problem in the Kingdom. A low percentage of respondents have water conservation tools installed in their houses, but a high percentage is willing to buy and install water conservation tools. The majority of respondents consider the water price low and are willing to pay more for water. The respondents’ feedback highlighted the need to improve the current water conservation awareness program.

Recognition and Diagnosis ofCryptococcus gattiiInfections in the United States

Recognition and Diagnosis of<i>Cryptococcus gattii</i>Infections in the United States

Attitudes towards integrative medicine among healthcare professionals in the Netherlands

BackgroundDespite the growing interest for integrative medicine (IM), no data are available about the attitudes of healthcare professionals towards IM. ObjectivesTo assess the attitudes of healthcare professionals towards IM. MethodsA convenience, volunteer sample was surveyed using a digital 47-item questionnaire on the key components of IM: 1. The doctor–patient relationship; 2. Patients’ responsibility in own healing; 3. Use of CAM therapies; 4. Healing environment. ResultsOf the 162 respondents, the majority were part of medical staff (51%), worked in a hospital (39%), in psychiatry/psychology (28%) and were women (54%). Most respondents (98%) believed that IM components: Doctor–patient relationship and patients’ responsibility for own healing process, were of high importance for healthcare. The other IM components, CAM use and healing environment, were found to be of importance by a lower percentage of responders (64% and 70%, respectively). 88% respondents regarded IM an important innovation in healthcare, despite the fact that 63% of them were not familiar with IM. The majority believed that patients should be informed about all possible treatments (94%), including CAM (84%). Of the CAM therapies listed, most considered lifestyle (90%) and mind-body therapies (54%) to be complementary to conventional treatment. Chi-square analysis demonstrated that familiarity with IM and being a female (among others) were predisposing factors for a positive attitude towards IM. ConclusionsThis survey among a convenient sample of Dutch healthcare professionals showed a relatively positive attitude towards IM. The outcome of this study may be useful to further implementation of IM in healthcare.

50 ways to trace your veteran: increasing response rates can be cheap and effective

Background: While low response rates need not introduce bias into research, having a lower percentage of responders does increase the potential for this to occur. This is of particular concern given the decline that has been occurring in response rates since the 1950s. However, there are various methods that can be incorporated into the study design, which can assist in increasing levels of participation.Objective: To outline the methods used by the King's Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR) when conducting a recent telephone survey of serving and ex-Service military personnel.Design: Using participants who had already taken part in a questionnaire-based study on the health effects of serving in the UK Armed Forces (n=10,272), a subsample was selected for an in-depth telephone interview-based follow-up study. The subsample consisted of 1,105 participants, selected on the basis of their mental health status. An adjusted response rate of 76% was achieved (n=821).Results: Various methods of contact were used in this study to ensure an adequate response rate was achieved.Conclusions: Simple research strategies increase response rates and are likely to reduce bias. Use of multiple simultaneous tracing methods and customisation of the approach to the target population increases rapport between participants, ensuring that those who take part feel valued as members of the study. In the current climate of decreasing participation in studies, research teams need to engage with their study population and devise innovative strategies to keep participants involved in the research being undertaken.For the abstract or full text in other languages, please see Supplementary files under Reading Tools online

Impaired Role Functioning and Treatment Rates for Mental Disorders and Chronic Physical Disorders in Metropolitan China

To compare impairments in role functioning and treatment rate of mental disorders and chronic physical disorders in the general population of metropolitan China. Face-to-face household interviews of 5201 people aged 18 to 70 years in Beijing and Shanghai were conducted from November 2001 to February 2002, using a multistage household probability sampling method. The World Mental Health version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (WMH-CIDI) was used for assessing sociodemographic characteristics, diagnoses, and treatment. The Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) was used to measure disorder-specific role impairment. Respondents generally attributed greater impairment to mental disorders than to chronic physical disorders, although there were some variations among specific disorders. This general pattern was supported by within-person comparison of impairment associated with a mental disorder versus any chronic physical disorder. Depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and specific phobia were the most impairing mental disorders. Diabetes, headaches, and asthma were the most impairing physical disorders. Comorbid mental and physical disorders were associated with more severe impairment. A much lower percentage of respondents with mental disorders (3.0%) than chronic physical disorders (42.8%) received treatment in the previous 12 months. Common mental disorders were associated with greater impairment than chronic physical disorders but were markedly undertreated. They warrant prioritization in the allocation of healthcare resources in China.

A spiritual audit of corporate America: ten years later (spirituality and attachment theory, an interim report)

This paper represents the first in a series of reports of a 10‐year follow up study of the authors’ 1997–1999 study of spirituality in the workplace.Forty‐five responses to a modified questionnaire were analyzed. Attachment Theory was used to analyze the respondents’ views and feelings with regard to a variety of items pertaining to religion and spirituality.Those respondents having a Secure style of attachment were attracted to and had a much more positive view of spirituality than those with other attachment styles.The low percentage of respondents and the fact that those who responded were overwhelmingly Secure limits the study. Nonetheless, a very strong and clear portrait emerges of the link between a Secure attachment style and spirituality.The data show clearly that Secure individuals have a much more positive view of their organizations, and furthermore that their organizations are perceived as more spiritual. A strong implication is that spiritual organizations are thus somehow more Secure. If this implication is borne out by further research, then it means that we have identified a potentially new model for practicing spirituality in the workplace beyond those that were identified in our 1997–1999 study.

Glyphosate-Resistant Weeds and Resistance Management Strategies: An Indiana Grower Perspective

Corn and soybean growers across Indiana were surveyed during winter 2003/2004 to assess their perceptions about the importance of glyphosate-resistant weeds and management tactics to prevent development of resistant populations. The survey showed two intriguing observations. First, 65% of survey respondents expressed moderate or low levels of concern about weeds developing resistance to glyphosate, whereas 36% expressed a high level of concern. Second, when asked an open-ended question regarding the factors that contribute to development of glyphosate-resistant weeds, 58% of the responses included repeated use of the same mode of action. Other factors such as poor application techniques or timing (33%), unique weed characteristics (8%) and changes in tillage practices (1%) were also mentioned. The survey showed that even though a relatively low percentage of respondents were highly concerned about resistance, they still expressed a willingness to use field scouting, tank-mix partners with glyphosate for burn-down and postemergence weed control, and soil-applied residual herbicides as resistance management strategies. This survey also showed that growers who farm 800 ha or more were more concerned about glyphosate resistance and more likely to adopt resistance management strategies than smaller growers.