This study aimed to (a) assess the relationship between a person's occupational category and their physical inactivity, and (b) analyze the association among country-level variables and physical inactivity. The World Health Survey (WHS) was administered in 2002–2003 among 47 low- and middle-income countries (n = 196,742). The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to collect verbal reports of physical activity and convert responses into measures of physical inactivity. Economic development (GDP/c), degree of urbanization, and the Human Development Index (HDI) were used to measure country-level variables and physical inactivity. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association among country-level factors, individual occupational status, and physical inactivity. Overall, the worldwide prevalence of physical inactivity in 2002–2003 was 23.7%. Individuals working in the white-collar industry compared to agriculture were 84% more likely to be physically inactive (OR: 1.84, CI: 1.73–1.95). Among low- and middle-income countries increased HDI values were associated with decreased levels of physical inactivity (OR: 0.98, CI: 0.97–0.99). This study is one of the first to adjust for within-country differences, specifically occupation while analyzing physical inactivity. As countries experience economic development, changes are also seen in their occupational structure, which result in increased countrywide physical inactivity levels.

With the deinstitutionalization movement in Canada, healthcare professionals are caring for a greater number of individuals with intellectual disability (ID) in their practices, and inevitably require additional training to provide this care. Queen's University has responded to this need and developed an innovative educational course promoting interprofessional education (IPE) and interprofessional practice (IPC) as it relates to ID curriculum and healthcare provision. This study measured healthcare students' change in knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward individuals with ID and how it affected their readiness for interprofessional care. Subjects were graduate students from the fields of medicine, nursing, clinical psychology, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy. Course curriculum developed used a blended teaching approach with a combination of online learning, lectures, team-based problem solving, and client interviews. Evaluation was completed on 247 students, utilizing a pre-post course questionnaire addressing content areas of knowledge, skills, and attitude, and by analyzing individual professional differences. Significant differences were found, indicating improvements in student knowledge and skills for the majority of disciplines after course participation. A positive trend was found in outcome responses for student attitudinal change, ranging from neutral to positive attributions about individuals with ID. Authors note improvements in student learning and positive attitudinal change following an educational course concerning optimal healthcare and collaborative practice in ID. They propose that an interprofessional blended training curriculum for future healthcare professionals can foster best practice and quality service for this currently underserved population.

Continuing high global maternal mortality and morbidity rates in developing countries have resulted in an increasing push to improve reproductive health services for women. Seeking innovative ways for assessing how positive health knowledge and behaviors spread to this vulnerable population has increased the use of social network theories and analysis in health promotion research. Despite the increased research on social networks and health, no overarching review on social networks and maternal health literature in developing countries has been conducted. This paper attempts to synthesize this literature by identifying both published and unpublished studies in major databases on social networks and maternal and child health. This review examined a range of study types for inclusion, including experimental and non-experimental study designs including randomized controlled trials, non-randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental, cohort studies, case control studies, longitudinal studies, and cross-sectional observational studies. Only those that occurred in developing countries were included in the review. Eighteen eligible articles were identified; these were published between 1997 and 2012. The findings indicated that the most common social network mechanisms studied within the literature were social learning and social influence. The main outcomes studied were contraceptive use and fertility decisions. Findings suggest the need for continuing research on social networks and maternal health, particularly through the examination of the range of social mechanisms through which networks may influence health behaviors and knowledge, and the analysis of a larger variety of reproductive outcomes.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1742-4755-11-85) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The Self-Evaluation Scale-Teacher version, used to assess teacher perceived self-esteem of students, was analyzed. A unidimensional model emerged from exploratory factor analysis, with cautious acceptance of data fit. Reliability and external aspects of validity were supported by the Self-Evaluation Scale-Teacher data.

We examined a total of 354 patients who presented for initial screening or surveillance colonoscopy at our Colon Cancer Prevention Program. Our main exposure variable was serum Vitamin D levels and the outcome was AAs defined as those adenomas that were large (≥1 cm) or had advanced pathology (>25% villous components or high-grade dysplasia). Known risk factors were also collected from the patients' charts including gender, age, smoking, and family history. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to examine the relationship between serum 25-OH Vitamin D levels and AAs. A total of 354 patients [(males, 188; females, 166); average age, 61 y] charts were reviewed. Vitamin D levels ranged between 4 and 70 ng/mL, with a mean of 25 ng/mL (clinical laboratory normal>30 ng/mL). There was no significant association between serum levels and time of the year of blood draw. Risk for tubular adenoma and AA increased as Vitamin D levels decreased to <30 ng/mL (P=0.002). In total, 80% of AAs were detected in patients whose levels were below this value (odds ratio, 3.36; 95% confidence interval, 1.40-8.03; P=0.007). Bivariate analysis also showed a positive association between smokers with AA as well as those with a family history of colon cancer (P=0.011) and low Vitamin D levels (P=0.001). A multivariate analysis using quintiles of Vitamin D levels demonstrated an increased risk of AAs for patients with levels in the second quintile (33 ng/mL) (odds ratio, 4.3; P=0.01) MAIN CONCLUSIONS:: Most patients presenting in our Colon Cancer Prevention Program have low levels of serum 25-OH Vitamin D. Analysis of the results of both screening and surveillance colonoscopies demonstrated an inverse relation between serum 25-OH Vitamin D level and AAs.