Charlene Beynon

Why physicians and nurses ask (or don’t) about partner violence: a qualitative analysis

BackgroundIntimate partner violence (IPV) against women is a serious public health issue and is associated with significant adverse health outcomes. The current study was undertaken to: 1) explore physicians’ and nurses’ experiences, both professional and personal, when asking about IPV; 2) determine the variations by discipline; and 3) identify implications for practice, workplace policy and curriculum development.MethodsPhysicians and nurses working in Ontario, Canada were randomly selected from recognized discipline-specific professional directories to complete a 43-item mailed survey about IPV, which included two open-ended questions about barriers and facilitators to asking about IPV. Text from the open-ended questions was transcribed and analyzed using inductive content analysis. In addition, frequencies were calculated for commonly described categories and the Fisher’s Exact Test was performed to determine statistical significance when examining nurse/physician differences.ResultsOf the 931 respondents who completed the survey, 769 (527 nurses, 238 physicians, four whose discipline was not stated) provided written responses to the open-ended questions. Overall, the top barriers to asking about IPV were lack of time, behaviours attributed to women living with abuse, lack of training, language/cultural practices and partner presence. The most frequently reported facilitators were training, community resources and professional tools/protocols/policies. The need for additional training was a concern described by both groups, yet more so by nurses. There were statistically significant differences between nurses and physicians regarding both barriers and facilitators, most likely related to differences in role expectations and work environments.ConclusionsThis research provides new insights into the complexities of IPV inquiry and the inter-relationships among barriers and facilitators faced by physicians and nurses. The experiences of these nurses and physicians suggest that more supports (e.g., supportive work environments, training, mentors, consultations, community resources, etc.) are needed by practitioners. These findings reflect the results of previous research yet offer perspectives on why barriers persist. Multifaceted and intersectoral approaches that address individual, interpersonal, workplace and systemic issues faced by nurses and physicians when inquiring about IPV are required. Comprehensive frameworks are needed to further explore the many issues associated with IPV inquiry and the interplay across these issues.

Prevalence of overweight and obesity in school-aged children.

PURPOSE Childhood obesity is a public health concern in Canada. Few published anthropometric data are available to indicate obesity prevalence in Canadian children. Obesity prevalence is reported for school-aged children in 11 London, Ontario, schools. METHODS Data on body weight and height were obtained using standardized procedures. United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) body mass index (BMI)-for-age references and Coles international BMI reference were used to classify the childrens weight categories. RESULTS The study included 1,570 pupils aged six to 13. The CDC BMI references categorized 16.6% and 11.8% of children as overweight and obese, respectively. In comparison, when the Cole BMI reference and cut-off points were used, 17.5% and 7.6% of children were classified as overweight and obese, respectively. CONCLUSION Overweight is prevalent in the study population. Public health interventions are warranted to curb the obesity epidemic in school-aged children.

Sugar-Sweetened Beverages: Children's Perceptions, Factors of Influence, and Suggestions for Reducing Intake

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of childrens perceptions of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). DESIGN Nine focus groups were conducted in grade 5 and 6 elementary schoolchildren. SETTING Nine urban and rural elementary schools in London, Ontario, Canada. PARTICIPANTS Fifty-one children, 58% of which were male, 52% of whom were in grade 5, and 84% of whom were Caucasian. PHENOMENON OF INTEREST Childrens views on sugar-sweetened beverages. ANALYSIS Three researchers conducted inductive content analysis on the data independently using the principles of the immersion-crystallization method. RESULTS Participants had a high level of awareness of beverages and their health effects, which was primarily targeted at the sugar content. Dominant factors that influenced childrens beverage choices and consumption patterns included taste, parental control practices, accessibility, and advertising. Participants identified a wide array of strategies to reduce SSB consumption in children, including educational strategies for both children and parents and policy-level changes at both the government and school levels. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Despite a high level of awareness of SSBs, children believed that further education and policies regarding SSBs were warranted. These data may prove helpful in designing effective interventions targeted at children and parents to reduce SSB consumption by children.

Screen-related sedentary behaviours of school-aged children Principals’ and teachers’ perspectives

Objective: To solicit school principals’ and teachers’ perspectives on children’s screen-related sedentary behaviour and to identify possible solutions to reduce sedentary behaviours among school-aged children. Method: In-person interviews using a semi-structured interview guide were conducted with school principals and grades five and six classroom teachers in 14 randomly selected elementary schools in London and Middlesex County, Ontario. Fourteen principals and 39 classroom teachers participated in the study. Inductive content analysis was performed independently by two researchers. Results: Both principals and teachers were very concerned about children’s excessive screen viewing activities, but they did not perceive that they could play a key role in reducing these behaviours. Key barriers were identified to reducing screen-related sedentary behaviour and to children’s active living both at and away from school. They included competing demands from other subjects, limited gym resources/space within the school, a lack of control over the home environment, and a perception that parents were poor role models. Notwithstanding the above barriers, principals and teachers still recommended increasing children’s daily physical activity both within and outside of school hours. Furthermore, they stressed the need for parents to play a key role in reducing their children’s screen-related sedentary behaviours and increasing their level of physical activity. Conclusion: School principals and teachers were very concerned about excessive screen-related behaviour among school-aged children when away from school and suggested that interventions should emphasize increasing daily physical education, promoting recreational sports at or away from school, and engaging parents in regulating screen time at home.

Parental Perceptions of the Children in Need of Treatment Dental Program

This paper discusses the collaborative partnership involving the Middlesex-London Public Health Research, Education and Development site, the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion and Sport, then Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Branch, and an academic institution in the first-ever research of parental perceptions of the Children In Need Of Treatment. This paper provides an overview of the Children In Need Of Treatment program, reviews the results of the research (a mailed, self-administered survey with a systematic random sample of parents from three health units whose children received dental treatment that was paid by Children In Need Of Treatment in 2006), and its subsequent recommendations. How these recommendations affected program planning and policy are examined. In conclusion, parents were very satisfied with the treating dentist and the Children In Need Of Treatment program, and found Children In Need Of Treatment to be vital in addressing the health of their children by attending to their urgent dental needs.