Background

The Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills (IMB) model often guides sexual risk reduction programs even though no studies have examined covariation in the theory’s constructs in a dynamic fashion with longitudinal data.

Purpose

Using new developments in latent growth modeling, we explore how changes in information, motivation, and behavioral skills over 9 months relate to changes in condom use among STD clinic patients.

Methods

Participants (N = 1281, 50% female, 66% African American) completed measures of IMB constructs at three time points. We used parallel process latent growth modeling to examine associations among intercepts and slopes of IMB constructs.

Results

Initial levels of motivation, behavioral skills, and condom use were all positively associated, with behavioral skills partially mediating associations between motivation and condom use. Changes over time in behavioral skills positively related to changes in condom use.

Conclusions

Results support the key role of behavioral skills in sexual risk reduction, suggesting these skills should be targeted in HIV prevention interventions.

Using growth mixture modeling, two 12-month trajectories of unprotected sex were identified in 210 heterosexual men (76% African American, Mage = 33.2 years) attending a sexual risk reduction intervention. Risk Reducers (46%) reported fewer acts of unprotected sex following intervention, whereas Risk Maintainers (54%) reported continuously high levels of unprotected sex. These groups did not differ with respect to demographic characteristics or intervention type. However, Risk Maintainers were more likely than Risk Reducers to report lifetime sex work, forced sex in the past year, and alcohol use before sex at baseline. They had higher levels of peak alcohol use, poorer condom skills, and scored lower on stage of change for condom use at baseline. Risk Maintainers were also more likely to have steady partners at baseline and less likely to change partner status following intervention. Understanding factors distinguishing these groups can contribute to the development of targeted risk reduction interventions.

Background

Improving the coordination of cancer care is a priority area for service improvement. However, quality improvement initiatives are hindered by the lack of accurate and reliable measures of this aspect of cancer care. This study was conducted to develop a questionnaire to measures patients' experience of cancer care coordination and to assess the psychometric properties of this instrument.

Methods

Questionnaire items were developed on the basis of literature review and qualitative research involving focus groups and interviews with cancer patients, carers and clinicians. The draft instrument was completed 686 patients who had been recently treated for a newly diagnosed cancer, including patients from metropolitan, regional and rural areas of New South Wales, Australia. To assess test-retest reliability, 119 patients completed the questionnaire twice. Unreliable items those with limited variability or high levels of missing data were eliminated. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to define the underlying factor structure of the remaining items and subscales were constructed. Correlations between these and global measures of the experience of care coordination and the quality of care were assessed.

Results

Of 40 items included in the draft questionnaire, 20 were eliminated due to poor test-retest reliability (n = 4), limited response distributions (n = 8), failure to load onto a factor (n = 7) or detrimental effect on the internal consistency of the scale (n = 1). The remaining 20 items loaded onto two factors named 'Communication' and 'Navigation', which explained 91% of the common variance. Internal consistency was with high for the instrument (Cronbach's alpha 0.88) and each subscale (Cronbach's alpha 0.87 and 0.73 respectively). There was no apparent 'floor' or 'ceiling' effect for the total score or the Communication subscale, but evidence of a ceiling effect for the Navigation subscale with 21% of respondents achieving the highest possible score. There were moderate positive associations between the total score and global measures of care coordination (r = 0.57) and quality of care (r = 0.53).

Conclusions

The instrument developed in this study demonstrated consistency and robust psychometric properties. It may provide a useful tool to measure patients' experience of cancer care coordination in future surveys and intervention studies.

Women who maintain a normal healthy weight, before, during, and after pregnancy have better outcomes

Background

National cancer policies identify the improvement of care coordination as a priority to improve the delivery of health services for people with cancer. Identification of the current barriers to effective cancer care coordination is needed to drive service improvement.

Methods

A qualitative study was undertaken in which semi-structured individual interviews and focus groups were conducted with those best placed to identify issues; patients who had been treated for a range of cancers and their carers as well as health professionals involved in providing cancer care. Data collection continued until saturation of concepts was reached. A grounded theory influenced approach was used to explore the participants' experiences and views of cancer care coordination.

Results

Overall, 20 patients, four carers and 29 health professionals participated. Barriers to cancer care coordination related to six aspects of care namely, recognising health professional roles and responsibilities, implementing comprehensive multidisciplinary team meetings, transitioning of care: falling through the cracks, inadequate communication between specialist and primary care, inequitable access to health services and managing scarce resources.

Conclusions

This study has identified a number of barriers to coordination of cancer care. Development and evaluation of interventions based on these findings is now required.

Background

Maternal weight and maternal weight gain during pregnancy exert a significant influence on infant birth weight and the incidence of macrosomia. Fetal macrosomia is associated with an increase in both adverse obstetric and neonatal outcome, and also confers a future risk of childhood obesity. Studies have shown that a low glycaemic diet is associated with lower birth weights, however these studies have been small and not randomised [1,2]. Fetal macrosomia recurs in a second pregnancy in one third of women, and maternal weight influences this recurrence risk [3].

Methods/Design

We propose a randomised control trial of low glycaemic index carbohydrate diet vs. no dietary intervention in the prevention of recurrence of fetal macrosomia.

Secundigravid women whose first baby was macrosomic, defined as a birth weight greater than 4000 g will be recruited at their first antenatal visit.

Patients will be randomised into two arms, a control arm which will receive no dietary intervention and a diet arm which will be commenced on a low glycaemic index diet.

The primary outcome measure will be the mean birth weight centiles and ponderal indices in each group.

Discussion

Altering the source of maternal dietary carbohydrate may prove to be valuable in the management of pregnancies where there has been a history of fetal macrosomia. Fetal macrosomia recurs in a second pregnancy in one third of women. This randomised control trial will investigate whether or not a low glycaemic index diet can affect this recurrence risk.

Current Controlled Trials Registration Number

ISRCTN54392969

Autosomal dominant osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is caused by mutations in the genes (COL1A1 or COL1A2) encoding the chains of type I collagen. Recently, dysregulation of hydroxylation of a single proline residue at position 986 of both the triple-helical domains of type I collagen α1(I) and type II collagen α1(II) chains has been implicated in the pathogenesis of recessive forms of OI. Two proteins, CRTAP, or cartilage-associated protein, and prolyl-3-hydroxylase-1 (P3H1, encoded by the LEPRE1 gene) form a complex that performs the hydroxylation and brings the prolyl cis-trans isomerase cyclophilin-B (CYPB) to the unfolded collagen. In our screen of 78 subjects diagnosed with OI type II or III, we identified three probands with mutations in CRTAP and sixteen with mutations in LEPRE1. The latter group includes a mutation in patients from the Irish Traveller population, a genetically isolated community with increased incidence of OI. The clinical features resulting from CRTAP or LEPRE1 loss of function mutations were difficult to distinguish at birth. Infants in both groups had multiple fractures, decreased bone modeling (affecting especially the femurs), and extremely low bone mineral density. Interestingly, “popcorn” epiphyses may reflect underlying cartilaginous and bone dysplasia in this form of OI. These results expand the range of CRTAP/LEPRE1 mutations that result in recessive OI and emphasize the importance of distinguishing recurrence of severe OI of recessive inheritance from those that result from parental germline mosaicism for COL1A1 or COL1A2 mutations.

Objective To determine if a low glycaemic index diet in pregnancy could reduce the incidence of macrosomia in an at risk group.

Design Randomised controlled trial.

Setting Maternity hospital in Dublin, Ireland.

Participants 800 women without diabetes, all in their second pregnancy between January 2007 to January 2011, having previously delivered an infant weighing greater than 4 kg.

Intervention Women were randomised to receive no dietary intervention or start on a low glycaemic index diet from early pregnancy.

Main outcomes The primary outcome measure was difference in birth weight. The secondary outcome measure was difference in gestational weight gain.

Results No significant difference was seen between the two groups in absolute birth weight, birthweight centile, or ponderal index. Significantly less gestational weight gain occurred in women in the intervention arm (12.2 v 13.7 kg; mean difference −1.3, 95% confidence interval −2.4 to −0.2; P=0.01). The rate of glucose intolerance was also lower in the intervention arm: 21% (67/320) compared with 28% (100/352) of controls had a fasting glucose of 5.1 mmol/L or greater or a 1 hour glucose challenge test result of greater than 7.8 mmol/L (P=0.02).

Conclusion A low glycaemic index diet in pregnancy did not reduce the incidence of large for gestational age infants in a group at risk of fetal macrosomia. It did, however, have a significant positive effect on gestational weight gain and maternal glucose intolerance.

Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN54392969.