Knowledge and cardiovascular disease risk perception from the perspectives of prisoners and staff in a Scottish prison: a qualitative study.

Purpose: Prisoners have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to the general population. Knowledge and risk perception of CVD can influence engagement in preventative behaviours that lower an individual's CVD risk. This paper aims to explore prisoners' knowledge of CVD, and prisoners and staff's perceptions of prisoners' CVD risk.

Newly graduated registered nurses' evaluation of their preparedness, confidence and attitudes towards clinical assessments.

Background: Historically, it has been reported that new graduates make limited use of their clinical assessment skills, yet these form the basis for making nursing decisions and selecting all nursing interventions.

Aims And Objectives: To explore new graduates' preparedness for, and confidence with, clinical assessment and their reliance on electronic monitoring. To identify barriers that hinder, and strategies that enable, clinical assessment.

Longitudinal evaluation of the effects of illness perceptions and beliefs about cardiac rehabilitation on quality of life of patients with coronary artery disease and their caregivers.

Background: Patients' negative illness perceptions and beliefs about cardiac rehabilitation (CR) can influence uptake and adherence to CR. Little is known about the interpartner influence of these antecedent variables on quality of life of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and their family caregivers. The aims of the study were: 1) to assess differences in illness perceptions, beliefs about CR and quality of life between patients with CAD and their family caregivers upon entry to a CR programme and at 6 months follow-up; and 2) to examine whether patients' and caregivers' perceptions of the patient's illness and beliefs about CR at baseline predict their own and their partner's quality of life at 6 months.

Longitudinal study of the relationship between patients' medication adherence and quality of life outcomes and illness perceptions and beliefs about cardiac rehabilitation.

Background: Adherence to medication regimens is essential for preventing and reducing adverse outcomes among patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Greater understanding of the relation between negative illness perceptions, beliefs about cardiac rehabilitation (CR) and medication adherence may help inform future approaches to improving medication adherence and quality of life (QoL) outcomes. The aims of the study are: 1) to compare changes in illness perceptions, beliefs about CR, medication adherence and QoL on entry to a CR programme and 6 months later; 2) to examine associations between patients' illness perceptions and beliefs about CR at baseline and medication adherence and QoL at 6 months.

Evaluating emotional distress and health-related quality of life in patients with heart failure and their family caregivers: Testing dyadic dynamics using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model.

Purpose: 1) To compare levels of emotional symptoms and health-related quality of life between patients with heart failure and their family caregivers; and 2) to examine whether patients' and caregivers' emotional symptoms were associated with their own, as well as their partner's health-related quality of life.

Method: In this cross-sectional study, 41 patients-caregiver dyads (78% male patients, aged 68.6 years; and 83% female caregivers, aged 65.

Structural hierarchy in blends of amphiphilic block copolymers self-assembled at the air-water interface.

We present a concurrent self-assembly strategy for patterning hierarchical polymeric surface features by depositing variable-composition blends of polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO) and polybutadiene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PB-b-PEO) block copolymers at the air-water interface. Hierarchical strand networks of hydrophobic PS/PB blocks anchored via PEO blocks to the water surface, with an internal phase-separation structure consisting of periodic domains of PS blocks surrounded and connected by a matrix of PB blocks, are generated by the interplay of interfacial amphiphilic block copolymer aggregation and polymer/polymer phase separation. In contrast to the cylinder-in-strand structures previously formed by our group in which interfacial microphase separation between PS and PB blocks was constrained by chemical connectivity between the blocks, in the current system phase separation between PS and PB is not constrained by chemical connectivity and yet is confined laterally within surface features at the air-water interface.

Families of patients in ICU: A Scoping review of their needs and satisfaction with care.

Aim: To describe published literature on the needs and experiences of family members of adults admitted to intensive care and interventions to improve family satisfaction and psychological well-being and health.

Design: Scoping review.

Methods: Several selective databases were searched.

Evaluating Perceptions of Self-efficacy and Quality of Life in Patients Having Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting and Their Family Caregivers.

Background: Self-efficacy is a critical factor for quality of life in patients who undergo coronary artery bypass grafting, as well as for their family caregivers. However, there is lack of knowledge about whether patients' self-efficacy and caregivers' perceptions of patient self-efficacy are associated with quality of life in patient and caregiver dyads.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to compare self-efficacy and quality of life between patients and family caregivers and to examine whether patients' and caregivers' perceptions of patient self-efficacy were associated with their own and their partner's quality of life in patient and caregiver dyads who were waiting for patients' coronary artery bypass grafting.

A Systematic Review of Interventions to Improve Health Factors or Behaviors of the Cardiovascular Health of Prisoners During Incarceration.

Background: Prisoners are disproportionately affected by cardiovascular disease and its risk factors. However, primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in correctional settings has been widely neglected, and there is little information on interventions to improve the cardiovascular health of prisoners while incarcerated.

Objective: The aim of this study was to systematically review published literature to identify interventions to improve the health factors or behaviors of the cardiovascular health of prisoners during incarceration.

Going against the Herd: Psychological and Cultural Factors Underlying the 'Vaccination Confidence Gap'.

By far the most common strategy used in the attempt to modify negative attitudes toward vaccination is to appeal to evidence-based reasoning. We argue, however, that focusing on science comprehension is inconsistent with one of the key facts of cognitive psychology: Humans are biased information processors and often engage in motivated reasoning. On this basis, we hypothesised that negative attitudes can be explained primarily by factors unrelated to the empirical evidence for vaccination; including some shared attitudes that also attract people to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).

Reflexology has no immediate haemodynamic effect in patients with chronic heart failure: a double blind randomised controlled trial.

Aims: This study measured the effects of reflexology in 12 reflexology-naive patients with chronic heart failure in a placebo-controlled, double blind randomised controlled study design.

Method: Outcomes included 'beat-to-beat' non-invasive continuous measurement of cardiovascular parameters and measurement of state of anxiety and pain/discomfort.

Results: There were no changes in any of the haemodynamic parameters measured (all p > 0.

Patients' and partners' health-related quality of life before and 4 months after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery.

Background: Patients having coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) often depend on their partners for assistance before and after surgery. Whilst patients' physical and mental health usually improves after surgery little is known about the partners' health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in CABG. If the partners' physical and emotional health is poor this can influence their caregiving role and ability to support the patient.

Is there a specific hemodynamic effect in reflexology? A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

Objectives: Reflexology claims that the feet are representative of the body and that massage to specific points of the feet increases blood supply to "mapped" organs in the body. This review provides the first systematic evaluation of existing reflexology randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to determine whether there is any evidence to suggest the existence of a reflexology treatment-related hemodynamic effect; to examine whether reflexology researchers used study designs that systematically controlled for nonspecific effects in order to isolate this specific component; and to highlight some of the methodological challenges that need to be overcome to demonstrate specific and beneficial hemodynamic effects.

Design: Fifty-two RCTs of reflexology published from 1990 to September 2011 were initially retrieved.

A proposed reductionist solution to address the methodological challenges of inconsistent reflexology maps and poor experimental controls in reflexology research: a discussion paper.

Reflexology is a complex massage intervention, based on the concept that specific areas of the feet (reflex points) correspond to individual internal organs within the body. Reflexologists trained in the popular Ingham reflexology method claim that massage to these points, using massage techniques unique to reflexology, stimulates an increase in blood supply to the corresponding organ. Reflexology researchers face two key methodological challenges that need to be addressed if a specific treatment-related hemodynamic effect is to be scientifically demonstrated.

Reflexology has an acute (immediate) haemodynamic effect in healthy volunteers: a double-blind randomised controlled trial.

Unlabelled: Reflexologists claim that massage to specific points of the feet increases blood supply to internal organs. This study measured changes in cardiovascular parameters in subjects receiving reflexology to areas of their feet thought to correspond to the heart (intervention) compared with other areas which are not (control).

Method: 16 reflexology-naive healthy volunteers received an active and control reflexology treatment in an RCT, double-blind repeated measures study.

Coronary heart disease risk factors: concordance between patients and partners before and after bypass grafting surgery.

Background: Coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factor reduction is required to maximize the benefits to be gained from coronary artery bypass grafting. Risk factor reduction after surgery, however, is often incomplete and adherence rates are poor. The health behaviors of the cardiac partner can be supportive or can act to undermine the patient's motivation for change in risk factors.

Reported treatment strategies for reflexology in cardiac patients and inconsistencies in the location of the heart reflex point: an online survey.

Background: Reflexology texts are inconsistent with regard to the location of the heart point and contradictory with regard to the correct reflexology approach to cardiac patients. We aimed to determine the impact of these inconsistencies on the practice of Association of Reflexologists (AoR) members.

Method: Online survey of AoR members.

Factors influencing the use of complementary and alternative medicine and whether patients inform their primary care physician.

Objectives: Use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) is widespread. Several studies have explored why individuals chose to use CAM but there are fewer data to explain how its use 'dovetails' with conventional medicine. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of CAM use in the adult population in Australia and the proportion that seek advice or tell their primary care physician after CAM use, and also to investigate which demographic characteristics, health behaviours and health status are associated with CAM use and disclosure.

The effects of perceived social support on quality of life in patients awaiting coronary artery bypass grafting and their partners: testing dyadic dynamics using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model.

Patients awaiting coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) need support from their partners or family caregivers to manage their self care successfully and to maximise quality of life. Partners need social support to help overcome the stressful tasks of an unexpected caregiving role. It is not known whether the individual's perceived social support contributes to their own, as well as their partner's quality of life.

Alcohol-related and viral hepatitis C-related cirrhosis mortality among Hispanic subgroups in the United States, 2000-2004.

Background: Hispanics have much higher cirrhosis mortality rates than non-Hispanic Blacks and Whites. Although heavy alcohol use and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are two major risk factors for cirrhosis, no studies have systematically assessed the contribution of alcohol- and HCV-related cirrhosis deaths to the total cirrhosis mortality for Hispanics as a whole and its variations across Hispanic subgroups. To fill this gap, this study presents the latest data on total cirrhosis mortality as well as its component alcohol- and HCV-related cirrhosis mortality for all Hispanics and for Hispanic subgroups.

A computerised guidance tree (decision aid) for hypertension, based on decision analysis: development and preliminary evaluation.

This paper discusses the piloting of a computerised decision aid that provides individualised information about hypertension to patients. The program is based on decision analysis, using decision trees as a way of structuring information. It incorporates the Framingham risk equation to assess a users' risk of coronary artery disease, together with a detailed assessment of the patient's current lifestyle and their willingness to change behaviour.

Integrating environmental health into nursing and midwifery practice.

Aim: With the recognition that environmental health has relevance to all nursing and midwifery activities, the aim of this paper is to discuss nurses' and midwives' past and present involvement in environmental health in the UK, where the international situation demonstrates good practice, and the challenges and possibilities for greater and more effective UK-based activity in the future.

Background: The association between environmental hazards and adverse health effects has received increasing attention over recent years. In the United States of America (USA), the importance of developing an environmental health role for nurses outside of the "traditional" occupational and environmental health nursing specialty has been recognized and acted upon through education, information programmes and policy developments.