Patient activation, knowledge, and health literacy association with self-management behaviors in persons with heart failure.

Background: More evidence is needed about factors that influence self-management behaviors in persons with heart failure.

Objective: To test a correlational mediation model of the independent variables of health literacy, patient activation, and heart failure knowledge with heart failure self-management behaviors.

Methods: The study used a prospective, cross-sectional, correlational design.

Value of, Attitudes Toward, and Implementation of Evidence-Based Practices Based on Use of Self-Study Learning Modules.

Background: It is unknown if completing educational modules on understanding, reviewing, and synthesizing research literature is associated with higher value of, attitudes toward, and implementation of evidence-based practices.

Method: Nurses completed valid, reliable questionnaires on the value of, attitudes toward, and implementation of evidence-based practice 6 months after four educational modules were introduced. Multivariable modeling was used to learn associations of education modules and evidence-based practice themes.

Facilitators of and barriers to hip protector acceptance and adherence in long-term care facilities: a systematic review.

Background: Hip protectors represent an attractive strategy for reducing hip fractures among high-risk fallers in long-term care facilities. However, clinical studies yield conflicting results regarding their clinical value. This is mainly due to poor acceptance and adherence among users in wearing these devices.

Predictors of over-the-counter drug and herbal therapies use in elderly patients with heart failure.

Background: Over-the-counter (OTC) drug and herbal therapies (HT) may worsen heart failure or interact with prescription medications. Frequency of and predictors for routine OTC drug and HT use are not well studied.

Methods And Results: We examined routine use of OTC drug and HT in patients at 8 medical centers.

Acute ethanol exposure inhibits renal folate transport, but repeated exposure upregulates folate transport proteins in rats and human cells.

Deficiency of folate in heavy-drinking alcoholic populations can occur partly because of an increased urinary folate excretion. Ethanol directly reduces the reabsorption of folate in the renal proximal tubule (PT) by acting on either of 2 folate transport proteins, the reduced folate carrier (RFC) and the folate receptor (FR). This study was designed to determine the effects of ethanol on the transport of folate by PT cells and to examine the effects of ethanol on RFC and the FR protein expression.

High dietary intake of phytosterol esters decreases carotenoids and increases plasma plant sterol levels with no additional cholesterol lowering.

The objective of this study was to measure the effects on serum lipids and plasma phytosterols of 6.6 g/day phytosterols from three foods (bread, breakfast cereal, and spread) consumed for 12 weeks compared with a diet that was not enriched with phytosterols. Thirty-five subjects undertook a nonrandomized, single-blind study consisting of a 2 week baseline period, 6 weeks on high-phytosterol intake, 6 weeks on high-phytosterol intake plus increased fruit and vegetable intake, and a final 2 week washout period.

Creating a cultural shift. A gerontological enrichment program for acute care.

As the number of older adults in acute care rises, acute care specialty nurses must gain gerontological knowledge in their nursing practice with older patients. A blend of two bodies of knowledge and competencies is required to care effectively for older adults in the hospital. To this end, a gerontological enrichment program was developed to improve care to hospitalized older patients by augmenting acute care nurses competencies with gerontological skill, knowledge, and abilities.

Enrolling eligible children and keeping them enrolled.

Coverage under Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) provides low-income children with a vital link to needed health care, yet a significant proportion of children eligible for these programs remain uninsured. States have found that expanding eligibility and marketing new programs are not enough to increase enrollment of eligible uninsured children in public health programs. States also need to simplify enrollment and renewal procedures to make them more family-friendly.