David A. Hernandez

Choosing and using citation and bibliographic database software (BDS).

The diabetes educator/researcher is faced with a proliferation of diabetes articles in various journals, both online and in print. Keeping track of cited references and remembering how to cite the references in text and the bibliography can be a daunting task for the new researcher and a tedious task for the experienced researcher. The challenge is to find and use a technology, such as bibliographic database software (BDS), which can help to manage this information overload. This article focuses on the use of BDS for the diabetes educator who is undertaking research. BDS can help researchers access and organize literature and make literature searches more efficient and less time consuming. Moreover, the use of such programs tends to reduce errors associated with the complexity of bibliographic citations and can increase the productivity of scholarly publications. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of BDS currently available, describe how it can be used to aid researchers in their work, and highlight the features of different programs. It is important for diabetes educators and researchers to explore the many benefits of such BDS programs and consider their use to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of accessing and citing references of their research work and publications. Armed with this knowledge, researchers will be able to make informed decisions about selecting BDS which will meet their usage requirements.

The experience of weight management in normal weight adults

BACKGROUND No prior research has been done with normal weight persons specific to their experience of weight management. PURPOSE The purpose of this research was to discover the experience of weight management in normal weight individuals. METHOD Glaserian grounded theory was used. Qualitative data (focus group) and quantitative data (food diary, study questionnaire, and anthropometric measures) were collected. DISCUSSION Weight management was an ongoing process of trying to focus on living (family, work, and social), while maintaining their normal weight targets through five consciously and unconsciously used strategies. Despite maintaining normal weights, the nutritional composition of foods eaten was grossly inadequate. CONCLUSIONS These five strategies can be used to develop new weight management strategies that could be integrated into existing weight management programs, or could be developed into novel weight management interventions. Surprisingly, normal weight individuals require dietary assessment and nutrition education to prevent future negative health consequences.

Weighing in on the Body Knowledge Questionnaire: Initial Development and Pilot Testing

Purpose The purpose of this research was to develop and pilot test the Body Knowledge Questionnaire (BKQ), an instrument that measures weight management integration, and to determine its reliability and validit.y Methods The 27 items of the BKQ were developed through review of the literature on integration and weight management/obesity. The resulting BKQ was pilot tested with 4 groups of individuals with and without type 2 diabetes. Exploratory factor analysis was used to assess the construct validity of the BKQ, and discriminant function analysis and logistic regression were used to establish criterion-related validity. Scale reliability analysis was used to determine the internal consistency of the BKQ and its subscales. Results Exploratory factor analysis yielded a 2-factor solution, with factor loadings that were fair to excellent (.45-.81). Discriminant function analysis determined that the BKQ subscales could accurately predict the classification of participants into normal- and obese-weight groups. Results of the logistic regression showed that the BKQ could reliably distinguish between normal- and obese-weight participants. Internal consistency of the overall BKQ was .87, .89, and .73 for the subscales, Food Centricity and Psychosomatic Awareness. Conclusions This research provided preliminary evidence of the validity (content, construct, and criterion) and reliability (internal consistency) of the BKQ. With additional psychometric testing, the BKQ instrument has great potential for use in weight management practice areas, such as diabetes education, dietetics, nursing, and psychology, for use in individual or group weight management programs and program evaluation; or in the development of novel weight management interventions.