Chronic disaster impact: the long-term psychological and physical health consequences of housing damage due to induced earthquakes.

Objectives: To evaluate the long-term (psychosomatic) health consequences of man-made earthquakes compared with a non-exposure control group. Exposure was hypothesised to have an increasingly negative impact on health outcomes over time.

Setting: Large-scale gas extraction in the Netherlands causing earthquakes and considerable damage.

[Continuous increase in community treatment orders and compulsory admissions in the Netherlands, 2003-2017].

Objective: To give a descriptive analysis of court decisions on involuntary admissions and community treatment orders in the Netherlands, and to discuss policy recommendations to contain the use of involuntary care.

Design: Retrospective, descriptive research.

Method: For this study, data were obtained from the Council for the Judiciary concerning requests for court-ordered admissions to mental hospitals and community treatment orders in the Netherlands.

Which patient and treatment factors are related to successful cardiovascular risk score reduction in general practice? Results from a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death. It is important to identify patient and treatment factors that are related to successful cardiovascular risk reduction in general practice. This study investigates which patient and treatment factors are related to changes in cardiovascular risk estimation, expressed as the Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) 10 year risk of cardiovascular mortality.

Skin autofluorescence as proxy of tissue AGE accumulation is dissociated from SCORE cardiovascular risk score, and remains so after 3 years.

Background: Skin autofluorescence (SAF), as a proxy of AGE accumulation, is predictive of cardiovascular (CVD) complications in i.a. type 2 diabetes mellitus and renal failure, independently of most conventional CVD risk factors.

Cost-effectiveness of cardiovascular risk management by practice nurses in primary care.

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is largely preventable and prevention expenditures are relatively low. The randomised controlled SPRING-trial (SPRING-RCT) shows that cardiovascular risk management by practice nurses in general practice with and without self-monitoring both decreases cardiovascular risk, with no additional effect of self-monitoring. For considering future approaches of cardiovascular risk reduction, cost effectiveness analyses of regular care and additional self-monitoring are performed from a societal perspective on data from the SPRING-RCT.

Role of the police in linking individuals experiencing mental health crises with mental health services.

Background: The police are considered frontline professionals in managing individuals experiencing mental health crises. This study examines the extent to which these individuals are disconnected from mental health services, and whether the police response has an influence on re-establishing contact.

Methods: Police records were searched for calls regarding individuals with acute mental health needs and police handling of these calls.

Randomized controlled trial on cardiovascular risk management by practice nurses supported by self-monitoring in primary care.

Background: Treatment goals for cardiovascular risk management are generally not achieved. Specialized practice nurses are increasingly facilitating the work of general practitioners and self-monitoring devices have been developed as counseling aid. The aim of this study was to compare standard treatment supported by self-monitoring with standard treatment without self-monitoring, both conducted by practice nurses, on cardiovascular risk and separate risk factors.

Preventing weight gain by lifestyle intervention in a general practice setting: three-year results of a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Weight regain after initial loss of weight is common, which indicates a need for lifestyle counseling aimed at preventing weight gain instead of weight loss. This study was conducted to determine whether structured lifestyle counseling by nurse practitioners (NPs) group compared with usual care by general practitioners (GP-UC) in overweight and obese patients can prevent (further) weight gain.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial in 11 general practice locations in the Netherlands of 457 patients (body mass index, 25-40 [calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared]; mean age, 56 years; 52% female) with either hypertension or dyslipidemia or both.

[MRSA carriership in families of MRSA patients].

Objective: To determine how many family members of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) patients were colonised with MRSA and how this colonisation developed over time.

Design: Descriptive, prospective.

Method: Two laboratories notified the Public Health Services of newly-diagnosed MRSA patients in three provinces of the Netherlands.

Changes in lifestyle habits after counselling by nurse practitioners: 1-year results of the Groningen Overweight and Lifestyle study.

Objectives: The Groningen Overweight and Lifestyle (GOAL) study primarily aims at preventing weight gain by nurse practitioners (NP) guided by a standardized computerized software program. Since favourable changes in physical activity (PA) and diet may improve health independently of weight (loss), insight into effects on lifestyle habits is essential. We examined the 1-year effects of lifestyle counselling by NP on PA and diet, compared with usual care from the general practitioner (GP-UC).

Preventing weight gain: one-year results of a randomized lifestyle intervention.

Background: Lifestyle interventions targeting prevention of weight gain may have better long-term success than when aimed at weight loss. Limited evidence exists about such an approach in the primary care setting.

Design: An RTC was conducted.

General Practitioners reduced benzodiazepine prescriptions in an intervention study: a multilevel application.

Objective: This study investigated the effects of general practitioner, patient, and prescription characteristics on the reduction of long-term benzodiazepine prescribing by sending a letter to chronic users. The data were analyzed with a method respecting the hierarchical data structure.

Study Design And Setting: Data were obtained from 8,170 chronic users nested in 147 general practices.

Lessons learned from a population-based chlamydia screening pilot.

We evaluated process organization and response optimization in a home-based Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) screening project in the Netherlands among 15- to 29-year-old women and men. The method used was computer-supported data flow, from population sampling to informing participants of the result. A new test kit or a letter reminded non-respondents after six weeks.

Population prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in the Netherlands. Should asymptomatic persons be tested during population-based Chlamydia screening also for gonorrhoea or only if chlamydial infection is found?

Background: Screening and active case finding for Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) is recommended to prevent reproductive morbidity. However insight in community prevalence of gonococcal infections and co-infections with Neisseria gonorrhoea (NG) is lacking.

Methods: Nested study within a large population-based Chlamydia Screening Pilot among 21.

Management of Chlamydia cases and their partners: results from a home-based screening program organized by municipal public health services with referral to regular health care.

Background: We evaluated the management of Chlamydia trachomatis cases and partners found in a systematic home-based chlamydia screening project in the Netherlands among 15- to 29-year-old women and men, organized by the Municipal Public Health Services (MHS).

Methods: Infected participants (165/8339 = 2%) were referred to regular curative services. The treating physician provided feedback on treatment and partner notification.

Long-term effects of nutritional group education for persons at high cardiovascular risk.

Background: Treatment of persons at high risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) should include nutritional counselling, but little is known about the effects of different types of education.

Methods: In a quasi-experimental study design the effects of a nutritional education programme (1st year: three group sessions by a dietitian; 2nd year: one group session; 3rd year: additional focus on saturated fat; reinforcement by written nutritional messages annually) (intervention group; n=103) are compared with the effects of a posted leaflet containing standard dietary guidelines (control group; n=163). Participants had hypercholesterolemia (6-8 mmol/l) and at least two other CHD risk factors.

Change in saturated fat intake is associated with progression of carotid and femoral intima-media thickness, and with levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1.

Background: A high saturated fat (SFA) intake may stimulate progression of atherosclerosis, and may be positively associated with expression of adhesion molecules.

Methods: In moderately hypercholesterolaemic participants of a dietary intervention study (n=103; 55+/-10 years), we examined associations between reported changes in SFA intake and changes in carotid and femoral intima-media thickness (IMT) and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) levels after 2 years. The carotid and femoral IMT was assessed by high-resolution B-mode ultrasound images.

Effect of an increased intake of alpha-linolenic acid and group nutritional education on cardiovascular risk factors: the Mediterranean Alpha-linolenic Enriched Groningen Dietary Intervention (MARGARIN) study.

Background: The effect of long-term increased intakes of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA; 18:3n-3) on cardiovascular risk factors is unknown.

Objectives: Our objectives were to assess the effect of increased ALA intakes on cardiovascular risk factors and the estimated risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD) at 2 y and the effect of nutritional education on dietary habits.

Design: Subjects with multiple cardiovascular risk factors (124 men and 158 women) were randomly assigned in a double-blind fashion to consume a margarine rich in either ALA [46% linoleic acid (LA; 18:2n-6) and 15% ALA; n = 114] or LA (58% LA and 0.