Influence of maternal and child lifestyle-related characteristics on the socioeconomic inequality in overweight and obesity among 5-year-old children; the "Be Active, Eat Right" Study.

It is unclear whether the socioeconomic inequality in prevalence of overweight and obesity is already present among very young children. This study investigates the association between overweight and socioeconomic status (SES, with maternal educational level as an indicator of SES) among 5-year-old children. This cross-sectional study uses baseline data from 5-year-olds of Dutch ethnicity (n = 5,582) and their mothers collected for the "Be active, eat right" study.

Moderate agreement between body mass index and measures of waist circumference in the identification of overweight among 5-year-old children; the 'be active, eat right' study.

Background: Body mass index (BMI) is a common indirect method to assess weight status among children. There is evidence that BMI data alone can underestimate overweight-related health risk and that waist circumference (WC) should also be measured. In this study we investigated the agreement between BMI and WC and BMI and the waist-height ratio (WHtR) when used to identify overweight among children.

Web-Based eHealth to Support Counseling in Routine Well-Child Care: Pilot Study of E-health4Uth Home Safety.

Background: Providing safety education to parents of young children is important in the prevention of unintentional injuries in or around the home. We developed a Web-based, tailored safety advice module to support face-to-face counseling in the setting of preventive youth health care (E-health4Uth home safety) in order to improve the provision of safety information for parents of young children.

Objective: This pilot study evaluated a Web-based, tailored safety advice module (E-health4Uth home safety) and evaluated the use of E-health4Uth home safety to support counseling in routine well-child care visits.

Parental decisional strategies regarding HPV vaccination before media debates: a focus group study.

Before the introduction of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, decisional strategies and factors that could guide HPV vaccination intentions were explored. The authors conducted 4 focus group discussions with 36 parents of children 8-15 years of age. Three groups consisted primarily of Dutch parents and 1 group of only Turkish parents.

Voice disorders in teachers and their associations with work-related factors: a systematic review.

Purpose: To provide a quantitative assessment of the occurrence of voice disorders among teachers and to identify associated work-related and individual factors in the teaching profession.

Method: A systematic review was conducted using three computerized databases on the occurrence of voice disorders among teachers and their associations with work-related and individual factors. Some of the keywords used were: "teacher", "voice disorder", "voice problem", and "dysphonia".

Behavioral risk factors for overweight in early childhood; the 'Be active, eat right' study.

Background: The lifestyle-related behaviors having breakfast, drinking sweet beverages, playing outside and watching TV have been indicated to have an association with childhood overweight, but research among young children (below 6 years old) is limited. The aim of the present study was to assess the associations between these four behaviors and overweight among young children.

Methods: This cross-sectional study used baseline data on 5-year-old children (n = 7505) collected for the study 'Be active, eat right'.

Validity and reliability of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire in 5-6 year olds: differences by gender or by parental education?

Introduction: The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a relatively short instrument developed to detect psychosocial problems in children aged 3-16 years. It addresses four dimensions: emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention problems, peer problems that count up to the total difficulties score, and a fifth dimension; prosocial behaviour. The validity and reliability of the SDQ has not been fully investigated in younger age groups.

Risky music-listening behaviors and associated health-risk behaviors.

Objective: To examine, among adolescents and emerging adults attending inner-city lower education, associations between risky music-listening behaviors (from MP3 players and in discotheques and at pop concerts) and more traditional health-risk behaviors: substance use (cigarettes, alcohol, cannabis, and hard drugs) and unsafe sexual intercourse.

Methods: A total of 944 students in Dutch inner-city senior-secondary vocational schools completed questionnaires about their music-listening and traditional health-risk behaviors. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine associations between music-listening and traditional health-risk behaviors.

Parent-reported health outcomes in infants/toddlers: measurement properties and clinical validity of the ITQOL-SF47.

Purpose: To derive and evaluate a shorter infant/toddler quality of life questionnaire (ITQOL) for use in clinical care.

Methods: Stepwise regression, factor analysis, and item-scaling principles were used to derive and guide item selection using data from a large general sample in the Netherlands (n = 5,211) and a "wheezing illness" sample (n = 138). Item internal consistency, discriminant validity, and floor and ceiling effects were evaluated using a general Dutch sample (Salland Region n = 410) and two clinical samples: Functional abdominal pain (FAP, n = 81) and Burn (n = 194).

Postpartum physical activity after preeclampsia.

Objective: After mild and severe preeclampsia, to assess whether women meet the physical activity recommendation at 3 and 6months postpartum, and whether demographic, obstetric and anthropometric characteristics, mental health, and health-related quality of life are associated with less physical activity than recommended.

Study Design: Prospective cohort study.

Main Outcome Measures: Self-reported physical activity in MET-min/week, percentage of women who fail to meet the physical activity recommendation.

An observational study on socio-economic and ethnic differences in indicators of sedentary behavior and physical activity in preschool children.

Objective: We studied associations between social disadvantage and indicators of sedentary behavior and physical activity at preschool age.

Methods: Data from 4688 children enrolled in a birth cohort in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, between 2002 and 2006 were analyzed. Indicators of sedentary behavior (watching television ≥ 2 h/day and sitting in a buggy ≥ 0.

Poor health-related quality of life after severe preeclampsia.

Background: Preeclampsia is a major complication of pregnancy associated with increased maternal morbidity and mortality, and adverse birth outcomes. The objective of this study was to describe changes in all domains of health-related quality of life between 6 and 12 weeks postpartum after mild and severe preeclampsia; to assess the extent to which it differs after mild and severe preeclampsia; and to assess which factors contribute to such differences.

Methods: We conducted a prospective multicenter cohort study of 174 postpartum women who experienced preeclampsia, and who gave birth between February 2007 and June 2009.

Symptoms of post-traumatic stress after preeclampsia.

This study describes the prevalence of postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) based on the DSM-IV criteria, including its symptoms of intrusion, avoidance and hyperarousal after pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia, and examines which variables are associated with PTSD and its symptoms. Women whose pregnancies were complicated by preeclampsia completed the Self-Rating Inventory for PTSD at 6 and 12 weeks postpartum: 149 women completed this questionnaire on at least one time point. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine associations with PTSD and its symptoms.

Postpartum depression after mild and severe preeclampsia.

Objective: To describe the prevalence of postpartum depressive symptoms after preeclampsia, to assess the extent to which the prevalence of postpartum depressive symptoms differs after mild and severe preeclampsia, and to investigate which factors contribute to such differences.

Methods: Women diagnosed with preeclampsia (n=161) completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) at 6, 12, or 26 weeks postpartum. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the association between severity of preeclampsia, contributing factors and postpartum depression (PPD) (1) at any time during the first 26 weeks postpartum and (2) accounting for longitudinal observations at three time points.

Adolescents risky MP3-player listening and its psychosocial correlates.

Analogue to occupational noise-induced hearing loss, MP3-induced hearing loss may be evolving into a significant social and public health problem. To inform prevention strategies and interventions, this study investigated correlates of adolescents' risky MP3-player listening behavior primarily informed by protection motivation theory. We invited 1687 adolescents (12- to 19-year old) of Dutch secondary schools to complete questionnaires about their MP3-player listening, sociodemographic characteristics and presumed psychosocial determinants of MP3-player listening.

Motivators and barriers to a healthy postpartum lifestyle in women at increased cardiovascular and metabolic risk: a focus-group study.

Objective: To describe the motivators and barriers to the adoption of a healthy postpartum lifestyle after a pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, and/or gestational diabetes.

Methods: Thirty-six women with complicated pregnancies participated in six focus-group interviews that aimed to explore the perceptions of modifiable determinants of postpartum lifestyle.

Results: Although women expressed that they intended to live a healthy postpartum lifestyle, it was generally not achieved.

Effect of postpartum lifestyle interventions on weight loss, smoking cessation, and prevention of smoking relapse: a systematic review.

Unlabelled: Postpartum lifestyle interventions are recommended for women after pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, and/or gestational diabetes, since they are at increased cardiovascular risk. To identify potential intervention strategies to reduce this risk, a systematic review of the literature is presented on the effectiveness of postpartum lifestyle interventions aimed at weight loss, smoking cessation, and smoking relapse prevention. The main characteristics of these postpartum lifestyle interventions are briefly described.

Preferences for postpartum lifestyle counseling among women sharing an increased cardiovascular and metabolic risk: a focus group study.

Objective: To describe women's preferences for postpartum lifestyle counseling after a pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, and/or gestational diabetes.

Methods: Thirty-six women who had experienced these pregnancy complications participated in six focus group interviews.

Results: All women expressed a need for participation in postpartum lifestyle counseling.

Young people: taking few precautions against hearing loss in discotheques.

This study evaluated adolescents' music-listening risk and protective behaviors in discotheques. While frequently standing close to the loudspeakers, taking few breaks, and hardly using hearing-protection devices, many are at risk of developing permanent hearing loss. Assessing visiting mode may be a first and quick screener to identify adolescents at risk.

Estimating adolescent risk for hearing loss based on data from a large school-based survey.

Objectives: We estimated whether and to what extent a group of adolescents were at risk of developing permanent hearing loss as a result of voluntary exposure to high-volume music, and we assessed whether such exposure was associated with hearing-related symptoms.

Methods: In 2007, 1512 adolescents (aged 12-19 years) in Dutch secondary schools completed questionnaires about their music-listening behavior and whether they experienced hearing-related symptoms after listening to high-volume music. We used their self-reported data in conjunction with published average sound levels of music players, discotheques, and pop concerts to estimate their noise exposure, and we compared that exposure to our own "loosened" (i.

Discotheques and the risk of hearing loss among youth: risky listening behavior and its psychosocial correlates.

There is an increasing population at risk of hearing loss and tinnitus due to increasing high-volume music listening. To inform prevention strategies and interventions, this study aimed to identify important protection motivation theory-based constructs as well as the constructs 'consideration of future consequences' and 'habit strength' as correlates of adolescents' unsafe discotheque-visiting behavior. We invited 1687 adolescents (12-19 years old) at Dutch secondary schools to complete questionnaires about music-listening behaviors, sociodemographic characteristics and psychosocial determinants of behavior.

Music venues and hearing loss: Opportunities for and barriers to improving environmental conditions.

This study explores the opportunities for and barriers to improving environmental conditions in order to reduce the risk for music-induced hearing loss in people who attend music venues. Individual semi-structured interviews were held with 20 representatives of music venues and of governmental organizations, according to a semi-structured interview guide. The interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and systematically coded using a content-analysis technique.

Ethnic differences in considerations whether or not to participate in prenatal screening for Down syndrome.

Objective: To evaluate ethnic differences in considerations whether or not to participate in prenatal screening for Down syndrome and to relate these to differences in participation.

Method: The study population consisted of 270 pregnant women from Dutch, Turkish and Surinamese (African and South Asian) ethnic origin, attending midwifery or obstetrical practices in the Netherlands. Women were interviewed after booking for prenatal care.

Ethnic differences in informed decision-making about prenatal screening for Down's syndrome.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess ethnic variations in informed decision-making about prenatal screening for Down's syndrome and to examine the contribution of background and decision-making variables.

Methods: Pregnant women of Dutch, Turkish and Surinamese origin were recruited between 2006 and 2008 from community midwifery or obstetrical practices in The Netherlands. Each woman was personally interviewed 3 weeks (mean) after booking for prenatal care.