- Email: [email protected]
Enrollments Rising at Nursing Schools
Lycopene May Contribute to Heart Health
W
omen may want to start adding more tomato products to their diets based on a study presented by Harvard Medical School researchers at the recent American College of Cardiology annual meeting. The study compiled from data from the Women’s Health Study suggests that lycopene, an antioxidant in tomatoes, may reduce the risk of heart disease in middle-aged and older women by as much as 33 percent. Heart disease is the leading cause of death among American women. The study, conducted by Harvard Medical School researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, analyzed blood samples of nearly 500 women from the Women’s Health Study who developed cardiovascular disease and an equal number of women from the study who did not develop the disease. After the researchers took into account coronary risk factors, such as history of high cholesterol and physical inactivity, they found that those women with the highest levels of plasma lycopene had a 33 percent lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease than those with the lowest levels. Plasma lycopene refers to the level of lycopene found in the blood. Researchers believe that the level of lycopene in the blood is related to the amount of lycopene consumed in the diet. “This is the first large-scale study to examine the role that lycopene may play in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease exclusively in women,” researchers said. “The body of research on lycopene in other con-
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AWHONN Lifelines
ditions such as prostate cancer is more advanced but the 33 percent risk reduction in our study has compelled us to further investigate lycopene’s power in combating heart disease.” Other studies have identified a correlation between lycopene and a reduced risk for cardiovascular disease. Several epidemiological studies have found a potential benefit of lycopene in cardiovascular disease risk reduction in men or in both men and women. The multicenter European Study of Antioxidants, Myocardial Infarction and Cancer of the Breast examined the association between antioxidant concentration in fat tissue and the incidence of myocardial infarction in 10 countries. The study found that men with the highest concentrations of lycopene in their fat tissue had a 48 percent reduction in risk for developing cardiovascular disease when compared with men with the lowest lycopene levels in their fat tissue. The Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor study found that low serum lycopene concentrations were associated with a threefold increased risk of acute coronary events such as heart attack and stroke. “There are no dietary recommendations for lycopene. Yet the research suggests that women should aim to consume more lycopene-rich foods as a prudent measure in the prevention of chronic diseases,” said one of the study’s authors. Dietary sources of lycopene include tomato-based products such as tomato soup, pizza sauce and fruits such as watermelon and pink grapefruit.
for osteoporosis. In the absence of new risk factors, subsequent screening for osteoporosis should not be performed more frequently than every two years, says ACOG. The usefulness of repeated screening is more likely to benefit older women, those with a lower baseline BMD and those with a greater number of risk factors. The dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) remains the gold standard for BMD testing, notes ACOG. DEXA’s advantages include highprecision, minimal radiation exposure, and rapid scanning time. Osteoporosis and low bone mass are a major public health threat for approximately 55 percent of the U.S. population aged 50 and older, according to new figures released today by the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF). Details are profiled in a new NOF report: America’s Bone Health: The State of Osteoporosis and Low Bone Mass in Our Nation. The report, based on 2000 census figures, provides estimates of the prevalence of osteoporosis and low bone mass for the years 2002, 2010 and 2020, broken out by state, congressional district and the top 25 metropolitan areas. The total number of people aged 50 and older estimated to be at risk for osteoporosis and low bone mass is 44 million in 2002. The estimated prevalence rate of osteoporosis and low bone mass among men is 14 million. For women, the estimated prevalence rate for osteoporosis and low bone mass is 30 million. For more information about osteoporosis, go to www.nof.org.
Enrollments Rising at Nursing Schools
A
ccording to the results of an annual survey released today by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), enrollments in entry-level baccalaureate programs in nursing increased in fall 2001 ending a
Volume 6
Issue 3
Youth Smoking Declining; Much Work Remains A
dolescent smoking rates increased through much of the 1990s, but a new report released today by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) shows there has been a promising decline over the past few years. Despite this recent progress, there remains a need for more research and for anti-smoking programs designed both to prevent young people from starting to smoke and to help them quit. The report reveals a particular need for research among certain racial/ethnic groups where smoking trends have not decreased or, in some cases, continued to increase. “Changing Adolescent Smoking Prevalence: Where It Is and Why” was compiled by over 30 public health experts from throughout the U.S. The report is the 14th in NCI’s Smoking and Tobacco Control Monograph Series and offers the first major update of adolescent smoking behavior since 1994. The authors of the monograph examine trends in the percentage of young people who smoke, including data showing that initiation rates have declined over time for males at all ages. However, there was little evidence of a decline in initiation for females under 16 years old, and initiation rates increased for females 16 years and older. The youth smoking rates overall remain relatively high. The latest figures reported in the monograph are from the 2000 Monitoring the Future study, which showed that almost 32 percent of 12th graders are current smokers (defined as having smoked within the past 30 days). The highest rate of current smoking for 12th graders in the 1990s occurred in 1997, with almost 37 percent reported as current smokers.
six-year period of decline. This increase comes at a time when the need for nurses with baccalaureate and graduate degrees is expanding in the U.S. health care system. Though this
June | July 2002
increase ends a downward trend, the number of students in the educational pipeline is still insufficient to meet the projected demand for a million new nurses over the next 10 years.
AACN findings are based on responses from a total of 548 (80.8 percent) of the nation’s nursing schools with bachelor’s- and graduatedegree programs that were surveyed in fall 2001. The survey found that total enrollment in all nursing programs leading to the baccalaureate degree was 106,557 in 2001. By comparison, the total enrollment in 1995, the year enrollments began to dip, was 127,683 for all baccalaureate programs. Findings from the AACN survey show that enrollments in generic (entry-level) baccalaureate programs were up 3.7 percent in fall 2001 compared to fall 2000. Two-year comparisons are based on data from the same schools reporting in both 2000 and 2001. Data show that nursing school enrollments are up in all regions of the U.S., with the greatest increase realized in the South with a 4 percent rise in enrollments in entry-level baccalaureate programs. Other regions reported the following increases from fall 2000 to fall 2001: • North Atlantic schools were up by 3.5 percent • Midwest schools were up by 3.5 percent • Western schools were up by 3.4 percent Though generic baccalaureate programs saw enrollment increases this year, programs that enable registered nurses (RN) prepared with a diploma or associate’s degree to earn a bachelor’s degree continued to decline. From 2000 to 2001, enrollments in RN-tobaccalaureate programs declined 3.9 percent, continuing the downward slide identified last year when enrollments fell 7.2 percent from 1999 to 2000. Enrollment levels in graduate and higher degree programs in nursing are struggling to remain at current levels, with master’s degree programs down 0.1 percent and doctoral programs up 1.5
AWHONN Lifelines
207
percent from 2000 to 2001. Conversely, postdoctoral programs saw a significant increase of 39.2 percent, representing a jump from 51 to 71 students. The nation’s emerging nursing shortage has underscored the need for schools to amplify their student recruitment efforts. The central administration at many institutions recognized the need to expand nursing programs this year in light of the nursing shortage. Legislation in some parts of the country have provided more funds for nursing schools to expand their programs and reach out to new
student populations. Faculty shortages are being addressed through partnerships between schools and health care facilities that allow their personnel to serve as teachers and clinical support. Schools of nursing also have redirected their marketing efforts to include partnering with local school systems, advocating for legislative support for nursing education, launching aggressive marketing campaigns and seeking out new ways to expand diversity in nursing programs. According to the November 2001 Monthly Labor Review released by the
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1 million new nurses will be needed by the year 2010. Surveys and studies conducted by the General Accounting Office, American Hospital Association, health care consulting groups and academic researchers all confirm that a new nursing shortage is impacting the delivery of health care in the U.S. The shortage is expected to intensify over the next decade as baby boomers age and a large percentage of the current nursing workforce retires. —Carolyn Davis Cockey
Share Your
Passions! As nurses, you’re passionate about nursing and about the women and newborns for whom you provide care. In each issue, AWHONN Lifelines lets you speak out about issues related to nursing, women’s health and newborn care. Considering sharing with your colleagues in one of these exciting departments:
✦ Commentary: This is a no-holds-barred editorial—speak out on an issue and within 800-1,500 words let your colleagues know why this topic is so vitally important
✦ Reflections on Women’s Health: Nothing is more important than shared experiences. Tell Lifelines readers of your own personal experiences as a nurse or as a woman in the health care marketplace. Speak directly to your colleagues in a “first-person” manner in 800 to 2,000 words. Previous topics in this column have dealt with multiple births, neonatal loss, surviving breast cancer, stroke and change within the health care industry To submit an article for consideration, surf to www.awhonn.org and obtain the AWHONN Lifelines Author Guidelines or call the AWHONN Fax-on-Demand service at (800) 395-7373 and request document #460. We look forward to seeing you in print!
208
AWHONN Lifelines
Volume 6
Issue 3
W
omen may want to start adding more tomato products to their diets based on a study presented by Harvard Medical School researchers at the recent American College of Cardiology annual meeting. The study compiled from data from the Women’s Health Study suggests that lycopene, an antioxidant in tomatoes, may reduce the risk of heart disease in middle-aged and older women by as much as 33 percent. Heart disease is the leading cause of death among American women. The study, conducted by Harvard Medical School researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, analyzed blood samples of nearly 500 women from the Women’s Health Study who developed cardiovascular disease and an equal number of women from the study who did not develop the disease. After the researchers took into account coronary risk factors, such as history of high cholesterol and physical inactivity, they found that those women with the highest levels of plasma lycopene had a 33 percent lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease than those with the lowest levels. Plasma lycopene refers to the level of lycopene found in the blood. Researchers believe that the level of lycopene in the blood is related to the amount of lycopene consumed in the diet. “This is the first large-scale study to examine the role that lycopene may play in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease exclusively in women,” researchers said. “The body of research on lycopene in other con-
206
AWHONN Lifelines
ditions such as prostate cancer is more advanced but the 33 percent risk reduction in our study has compelled us to further investigate lycopene’s power in combating heart disease.” Other studies have identified a correlation between lycopene and a reduced risk for cardiovascular disease. Several epidemiological studies have found a potential benefit of lycopene in cardiovascular disease risk reduction in men or in both men and women. The multicenter European Study of Antioxidants, Myocardial Infarction and Cancer of the Breast examined the association between antioxidant concentration in fat tissue and the incidence of myocardial infarction in 10 countries. The study found that men with the highest concentrations of lycopene in their fat tissue had a 48 percent reduction in risk for developing cardiovascular disease when compared with men with the lowest lycopene levels in their fat tissue. The Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor study found that low serum lycopene concentrations were associated with a threefold increased risk of acute coronary events such as heart attack and stroke. “There are no dietary recommendations for lycopene. Yet the research suggests that women should aim to consume more lycopene-rich foods as a prudent measure in the prevention of chronic diseases,” said one of the study’s authors. Dietary sources of lycopene include tomato-based products such as tomato soup, pizza sauce and fruits such as watermelon and pink grapefruit.
for osteoporosis. In the absence of new risk factors, subsequent screening for osteoporosis should not be performed more frequently than every two years, says ACOG. The usefulness of repeated screening is more likely to benefit older women, those with a lower baseline BMD and those with a greater number of risk factors. The dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) remains the gold standard for BMD testing, notes ACOG. DEXA’s advantages include highprecision, minimal radiation exposure, and rapid scanning time. Osteoporosis and low bone mass are a major public health threat for approximately 55 percent of the U.S. population aged 50 and older, according to new figures released today by the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF). Details are profiled in a new NOF report: America’s Bone Health: The State of Osteoporosis and Low Bone Mass in Our Nation. The report, based on 2000 census figures, provides estimates of the prevalence of osteoporosis and low bone mass for the years 2002, 2010 and 2020, broken out by state, congressional district and the top 25 metropolitan areas. The total number of people aged 50 and older estimated to be at risk for osteoporosis and low bone mass is 44 million in 2002. The estimated prevalence rate of osteoporosis and low bone mass among men is 14 million. For women, the estimated prevalence rate for osteoporosis and low bone mass is 30 million. For more information about osteoporosis, go to www.nof.org.
Enrollments Rising at Nursing Schools
A
ccording to the results of an annual survey released today by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), enrollments in entry-level baccalaureate programs in nursing increased in fall 2001 ending a
Volume 6
Issue 3
Youth Smoking Declining; Much Work Remains A
dolescent smoking rates increased through much of the 1990s, but a new report released today by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) shows there has been a promising decline over the past few years. Despite this recent progress, there remains a need for more research and for anti-smoking programs designed both to prevent young people from starting to smoke and to help them quit. The report reveals a particular need for research among certain racial/ethnic groups where smoking trends have not decreased or, in some cases, continued to increase. “Changing Adolescent Smoking Prevalence: Where It Is and Why” was compiled by over 30 public health experts from throughout the U.S. The report is the 14th in NCI’s Smoking and Tobacco Control Monograph Series and offers the first major update of adolescent smoking behavior since 1994. The authors of the monograph examine trends in the percentage of young people who smoke, including data showing that initiation rates have declined over time for males at all ages. However, there was little evidence of a decline in initiation for females under 16 years old, and initiation rates increased for females 16 years and older. The youth smoking rates overall remain relatively high. The latest figures reported in the monograph are from the 2000 Monitoring the Future study, which showed that almost 32 percent of 12th graders are current smokers (defined as having smoked within the past 30 days). The highest rate of current smoking for 12th graders in the 1990s occurred in 1997, with almost 37 percent reported as current smokers.
six-year period of decline. This increase comes at a time when the need for nurses with baccalaureate and graduate degrees is expanding in the U.S. health care system. Though this
June | July 2002
increase ends a downward trend, the number of students in the educational pipeline is still insufficient to meet the projected demand for a million new nurses over the next 10 years.
AACN findings are based on responses from a total of 548 (80.8 percent) of the nation’s nursing schools with bachelor’s- and graduatedegree programs that were surveyed in fall 2001. The survey found that total enrollment in all nursing programs leading to the baccalaureate degree was 106,557 in 2001. By comparison, the total enrollment in 1995, the year enrollments began to dip, was 127,683 for all baccalaureate programs. Findings from the AACN survey show that enrollments in generic (entry-level) baccalaureate programs were up 3.7 percent in fall 2001 compared to fall 2000. Two-year comparisons are based on data from the same schools reporting in both 2000 and 2001. Data show that nursing school enrollments are up in all regions of the U.S., with the greatest increase realized in the South with a 4 percent rise in enrollments in entry-level baccalaureate programs. Other regions reported the following increases from fall 2000 to fall 2001: • North Atlantic schools were up by 3.5 percent • Midwest schools were up by 3.5 percent • Western schools were up by 3.4 percent Though generic baccalaureate programs saw enrollment increases this year, programs that enable registered nurses (RN) prepared with a diploma or associate’s degree to earn a bachelor’s degree continued to decline. From 2000 to 2001, enrollments in RN-tobaccalaureate programs declined 3.9 percent, continuing the downward slide identified last year when enrollments fell 7.2 percent from 1999 to 2000. Enrollment levels in graduate and higher degree programs in nursing are struggling to remain at current levels, with master’s degree programs down 0.1 percent and doctoral programs up 1.5
AWHONN Lifelines
207
percent from 2000 to 2001. Conversely, postdoctoral programs saw a significant increase of 39.2 percent, representing a jump from 51 to 71 students. The nation’s emerging nursing shortage has underscored the need for schools to amplify their student recruitment efforts. The central administration at many institutions recognized the need to expand nursing programs this year in light of the nursing shortage. Legislation in some parts of the country have provided more funds for nursing schools to expand their programs and reach out to new
student populations. Faculty shortages are being addressed through partnerships between schools and health care facilities that allow their personnel to serve as teachers and clinical support. Schools of nursing also have redirected their marketing efforts to include partnering with local school systems, advocating for legislative support for nursing education, launching aggressive marketing campaigns and seeking out new ways to expand diversity in nursing programs. According to the November 2001 Monthly Labor Review released by the
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1 million new nurses will be needed by the year 2010. Surveys and studies conducted by the General Accounting Office, American Hospital Association, health care consulting groups and academic researchers all confirm that a new nursing shortage is impacting the delivery of health care in the U.S. The shortage is expected to intensify over the next decade as baby boomers age and a large percentage of the current nursing workforce retires. —Carolyn Davis Cockey
Share Your
Passions! As nurses, you’re passionate about nursing and about the women and newborns for whom you provide care. In each issue, AWHONN Lifelines lets you speak out about issues related to nursing, women’s health and newborn care. Considering sharing with your colleagues in one of these exciting departments:
✦ Commentary: This is a no-holds-barred editorial—speak out on an issue and within 800-1,500 words let your colleagues know why this topic is so vitally important
✦ Reflections on Women’s Health: Nothing is more important than shared experiences. Tell Lifelines readers of your own personal experiences as a nurse or as a woman in the health care marketplace. Speak directly to your colleagues in a “first-person” manner in 800 to 2,000 words. Previous topics in this column have dealt with multiple births, neonatal loss, surviving breast cancer, stroke and change within the health care industry To submit an article for consideration, surf to www.awhonn.org and obtain the AWHONN Lifelines Author Guidelines or call the AWHONN Fax-on-Demand service at (800) 395-7373 and request document #460. We look forward to seeing you in print!
208
AWHONN Lifelines
Volume 6
Issue 3