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Physiological Monitoring and Instrument Diagnosis in Perinatal and Neonatal Medicine
66
Current Paediatrics
doi:10.1054/ cupe.1999.0077, available online at http://www.idealibrary.com on
Young People in 1998 Schools Health Education Unit ISBN 1-902445-16-3, Price £30.00 The Schools Health Education Unit (SHEU) in Exeter has been collecting information on young people’s health behaviour for nearly 20 years. The health-related behaviour questionnaire was developed in 1976, and has been updated since then. The SHEU is involved in the planning stage of surveys with Health Authority and Local Education Authority teams. Schools select a mixed ability sample of about 100 pupils from each year group being studied. Each questionnaire takes about an hour to complete and special arrangements are made to ensure inclusion of less able pupils. Results are provided to the schools in the form of graphs and tables, and are used to inform local health intervention programmes. The 1998 report looks at questionnaires from over 18 000 young people in year 8 (aged 12 to 13) and in year 10 (aged 14–15). A huge amount of information is produced including the following brief examples:
• • • • • • • • • • • • •
63% of girls think they are overweight There has been a steady decline in red meat eating and consumption of full fat milk Almost half those surveyed eat crisps most days Half had seen their doctor in the last 3 months (but only 40% of girls and 60% of boys felt ‘at ease’ with the doctor). 60% felt that cigarette advertising had ‘quite a lot of impact’ on young people Smoking levels in these age groups have increased rather than decreased since ‘Health of the Nation’ targets were set, with more young women smoking 30% of Year 8 and 50% of Year 10 pupils drank alcohol regularly (about half drank at home) About 25% of year 10 pupils said they had taken cannabis, and about 33% had been offered drugs Levels of drug taking seem to have stabilized after a long period of increasing use There has been a steady decline in numbers of young people who rate themselves as fit, with only 25% of year 10 females thinking that they are fit Pupils continue to say that they believe that they should get information on sex from their parents, but that they actually get information from friends, magazines and films Knowledge about HIV and AIDS continues to increase Year 10 pupils’ knowledge about local contraceptive clinics has steadily increased
These surveys obviously do not provide national data as they report only on the populations involved in the questionnaire surveys. However, it is known that the picture produced by this method matches outcomes from other data collecting agencies using orthodox strategies such as stratified random sampling. I would recommend this report as a fascinating and clearly presented source of data on the habits and health beliefs of young people in this country. It is available from the Schools Health Education Unit, Renslade House, Bonhay Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 3AY, UK. Rosemary Jones Honorary Senior Registrar Dept Community Child Health, Newbridge Hill, Bath, UK
doi:10.1054/ cupe.1999.0078, available online at http://www.idealibrary.com on
Physiological Monitoring and Instrument Diagnosis in Perinatal and Neonatal Medicine Edited by Eve W. Brans and William W Hay Jnr. Cambridge University Press 1995 ISBN 0-521-41951-4, Price £80.00 Understanding the physical and physiological principles by which we monitor pre-term and term infants is not essential for the babies, but it certainly helps ‘as I was told by my first consultant supervisor’ in neonatal medicine. Throughout my career this has been a maxim I have tried to follow, but in the past I have found it difficult obtaining information on devices. Such information is available from manufacturers, although this is sometimes long on gloss and short on fundamental principles. This book provides, in very clear terms, the physics, chemistry and biology underlying the measurements, combined with a variable amount of clinical information to put them into context. I certainly found the basic science more interesting and useful than the clinical material, which is better covered elsewhere and has a tendency to date. For those of us who are interested in machines and the tools and toys of our trade this book provides a detailed, if not fully comprehensive, review of how they work. S. W. Jones Consultant Paediatrician Royal United Hospital Bath, UK
Current Paediatrics
doi:10.1054/ cupe.1999.0077, available online at http://www.idealibrary.com on
Young People in 1998 Schools Health Education Unit ISBN 1-902445-16-3, Price £30.00 The Schools Health Education Unit (SHEU) in Exeter has been collecting information on young people’s health behaviour for nearly 20 years. The health-related behaviour questionnaire was developed in 1976, and has been updated since then. The SHEU is involved in the planning stage of surveys with Health Authority and Local Education Authority teams. Schools select a mixed ability sample of about 100 pupils from each year group being studied. Each questionnaire takes about an hour to complete and special arrangements are made to ensure inclusion of less able pupils. Results are provided to the schools in the form of graphs and tables, and are used to inform local health intervention programmes. The 1998 report looks at questionnaires from over 18 000 young people in year 8 (aged 12 to 13) and in year 10 (aged 14–15). A huge amount of information is produced including the following brief examples:
• • • • • • • • • • • • •
63% of girls think they are overweight There has been a steady decline in red meat eating and consumption of full fat milk Almost half those surveyed eat crisps most days Half had seen their doctor in the last 3 months (but only 40% of girls and 60% of boys felt ‘at ease’ with the doctor). 60% felt that cigarette advertising had ‘quite a lot of impact’ on young people Smoking levels in these age groups have increased rather than decreased since ‘Health of the Nation’ targets were set, with more young women smoking 30% of Year 8 and 50% of Year 10 pupils drank alcohol regularly (about half drank at home) About 25% of year 10 pupils said they had taken cannabis, and about 33% had been offered drugs Levels of drug taking seem to have stabilized after a long period of increasing use There has been a steady decline in numbers of young people who rate themselves as fit, with only 25% of year 10 females thinking that they are fit Pupils continue to say that they believe that they should get information on sex from their parents, but that they actually get information from friends, magazines and films Knowledge about HIV and AIDS continues to increase Year 10 pupils’ knowledge about local contraceptive clinics has steadily increased
These surveys obviously do not provide national data as they report only on the populations involved in the questionnaire surveys. However, it is known that the picture produced by this method matches outcomes from other data collecting agencies using orthodox strategies such as stratified random sampling. I would recommend this report as a fascinating and clearly presented source of data on the habits and health beliefs of young people in this country. It is available from the Schools Health Education Unit, Renslade House, Bonhay Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 3AY, UK. Rosemary Jones Honorary Senior Registrar Dept Community Child Health, Newbridge Hill, Bath, UK
doi:10.1054/ cupe.1999.0078, available online at http://www.idealibrary.com on
Physiological Monitoring and Instrument Diagnosis in Perinatal and Neonatal Medicine Edited by Eve W. Brans and William W Hay Jnr. Cambridge University Press 1995 ISBN 0-521-41951-4, Price £80.00 Understanding the physical and physiological principles by which we monitor pre-term and term infants is not essential for the babies, but it certainly helps ‘as I was told by my first consultant supervisor’ in neonatal medicine. Throughout my career this has been a maxim I have tried to follow, but in the past I have found it difficult obtaining information on devices. Such information is available from manufacturers, although this is sometimes long on gloss and short on fundamental principles. This book provides, in very clear terms, the physics, chemistry and biology underlying the measurements, combined with a variable amount of clinical information to put them into context. I certainly found the basic science more interesting and useful than the clinical material, which is better covered elsewhere and has a tendency to date. For those of us who are interested in machines and the tools and toys of our trade this book provides a detailed, if not fully comprehensive, review of how they work. S. W. Jones Consultant Paediatrician Royal United Hospital Bath, UK