Magister Scientiae (Physiotherapy) - MSc(Physio) / Dysphagia is commonly known as a swallowing disorder associated with stroke patients. Between 37% - 78% of stroke patients suffer from it initially. Complications of dysphagia include aspiration leading to chest infection and pneumonia, malnutrition, dehydration, and an increased risk of death. Its early diagnosis and management is an important prerequisite for recovery from stroke during the rehabilitation phase. As healthcare professionals, nurses play an important role in the diagnosis and management of dysphagia in stroke patients. Studies have shown that nurses display a lack of knowledge about dysphagia in stroke patients. The aim of the study was to determine the knowledge of nurses regarding dysphagia in patients with stroke, at an Intermediate Hospital, in Namibia. The objectives of the study were to determine the knowledge of nurses regarding dysphagia, the association between the knowledge and socio demographic factors and to design an intervention program based on the knowledge of the nurses. The study was carried out in a selected hospital in Namibia. All nurses, who were employed at the Intermediate Hospital at the time of the study, were invited to participate. Of the 500 employed nurses, 188 accepted the invitation to participate in the study. The study used a quantitative method consisting of a survey to determine the knowledge of the nurses. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire with closed-ended questions which was developed by the researcher. The quantitative data were captured and analysed using SPSS (22.0 version). Descriptive statistics was used to summarize the study findings by using means, standard deviations, frequencies and percentages. To determine the association between the knowledge of dysphagia and the socio-demographic factors, therefore inferential statistics were used to in three levels of analysis. The findings of the study shows that nurses have a moderate knowledge regarding to the signs and symptoms and complications of dysphagia. Poor knowledge was identified in management of dysphagia. Further, the results also indicated that further training and experience in caring for stroke patients was more relevant to knowledge than the position and qualification of a nurse. Training and experience in the care of dysphagia patients is a stronger predictor of knowledge than the initial qualification or years of experience of a nurse. An intervention program was designed based on the information obtained from the findings of the questionnaire and supporting literature. Permission to conduct this study was obtained from the Senate Research Grants and Study Leave Committee at the University of the Western Cape. Written permission was obtained from the Ministry of Health and Social Services, Office of the Permanent Secretary, as well from the Acting Medical Superintendent of the Intermediate Hospital Oshakati. The aim of the study, confidentiality and the participants' freedom to withdraw from the study was explained. In order to maintain anonymity, nurses were asked to place informed consent forms and questionnaires in separate boxes. The outcomes of the study could be used to offer appropriate training programs to increase nurses’ knowledge of dysphagia in stroke patients.

This national survey reports the current state of batterer intervention programs (BIP) and the provision of batterer intervention services. BIP directors (N = 150) provide data regarding program structure, service characteristics, referral processes, client characteristics, evaluation activities, and recidivism. Results indicate that BIP have become more independent of parent agencies and two-thirds are completely selfsupporting from client fees. Current development of specific treatment tracks and the screening of clients for these tracks are judged to be inadequate. This survey is believed to be the largest to date and the first on a national scale in 20 years. Recommendation is made for national coordination of BIP efforts.

Objective: To determine if a prediabetes lifestyle intervention program, tailored to rural adults from Southwestern Ontario, could decrease the risk of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) development through positive lifestyle changes. Methods: Forty-nine intervention participants and 34 controls partook in the study. At baseline individuals diagnosed with prediabetes chose the lifestyle intervention group (6 sessions) or control group (1 session). Intervention participants were provided with tailored education which promoted positive lifestyle changes known to help prevent or delay the development of T2D. Results: Lifestyle changes and long-term improvement of T2D modifiable risk factors were achieved by the intervention participants from baseline to post-program, unlike their control counterparts, such as increasing their average daily intake of vegetables and fruit servings (p<0.001) and reducing their fasting glycemia (p=0.003). Conclusion: Positive lifestyle changes through this 6-month tailored community-based intervention was successful in helping many rural adults with prediabetes prevent the development of T2D

Title: Possibilities of influencing overweight and fitness in volleyball players. Objective: To determine whether women playing volleyball competitively, overweight and lack of physical prowess, will be fundamental changes in body weight and physical fitness ment based on the intervention program, which consisted of dietary modifications and exercise aimed at increasing physical fitness. Method: For the study were selected twelve women who competed pays the third highest league in volleyball. These women suffer from mild overweight and poor fitness levels. The women are aged between 19-29 years. The probands were selected on the basis of observation and subjective evaluation. This study should demonstrate that the probands if they focus more on activities promoting physical fitness and acquire new habits in the diet, there is a positive change in the body and there will be a success and satisfaction on the playing field and in personal life. Selected individuals were asked questions about their health, leisure activities and tracks the weekly menu. Based on the answers to the questionnaire, baseline and motor tests were drawn up individual plans of intervention program to influence fitness and weight for 125 days. After the time allotted to an evaluation of the impact of the intervention program in...

The purpose of this research was to determine if a structured intervention program could assist individuals in adjusting to some of the disruption associated with divorce. A secondary purpose was to determine if identity status would mediate the effects of the intervention program upon divorce adjustment. The components of the intervention program were modeled on previous research. It was hypothesized that individuals participating in a structured treatment program would manifest greater gains in areas of divorce adjustment than the control group. However, results show that while there was greater gain for the experimental group than the control group in several areas, such gain was not a level of significance sufficient to support the primary hypothesis. In addition, support was not generated for the mediational role of identity. Indeed, identity appeared as a rather stable construct, showing very little change from treatment effects and not seeming to influence treatment outcome. It was found that those individuals high in identity status reported less adjustment problems from the divorce than those individuals with low identity statuses. However, this was not a factor of treatment with the control group reporting the same finding. Implications for future research suggest studies in divorce adjustment focus on symptomology and problems in day-to-day living, with objective measuring devices rather than the subjective self-report instruments currently in use. Research on identity status as it relates to divorce adjustment should be longitudinal in nature tracking identity prior to divorce, and allowing for longer intervention periods.

Background: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetically inherited disease which adversely affects the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. Malnutrition is a major clinical problem in individuals with the disease. Nutritional interventions are warranted as improvements in nutritional status could improve the rates of morbidity and mortality associated with the disease. The review of the literature indicated the need to develop a behavioural-based nutrition prevention program in order for children to achieve CF dietary requirements and appropriate pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy.Methods: The intervention program, Go and Grow with CF, and nutrition and pancreatic enzyme knowledge and self-management questionnaires were developed for children with CF and their carers as part of this thesis. Social learning theory constructs which particularly assist children in achieving desirable behaviours were applied during the development of the Go and Grow with CF program. The program consisted of workshops and a home-based course.Fifty eight children with cystic fibrosis, aged 2 to 11 years, and their carers participated in a clinical trial that was designed to assess the effects of the Go and Grow with CF pilot program on knowledge, self-management, behaviour, dietary intake and body composition, using anthropometry. Process evaluation was conducted on the pilot program and on the clinic-wide implementation of the revised Go and Grow with CF program. The revised program included the Australian Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy Guidelines and the effects of fat-based dosing were assessed with a cohort of 29 children with CF-related pancreatic insufficiency aged 1 to 13 years.Results: Similar to the process evaluation of the pilot program, 100% of carers who completed the revised home-based course indicated that they would recommend Go and Grow with CF to other families ++ / with a child who has CF. The 'objective assessment of knowledge indicated a significant m improvement in' children's knowledge in the short-term. There were no statistically significant improvements in any of the other parameters assessed. The lack of significant improvements in self-management, behaviour, dietary intake and anthropometry may have been because the program had no effect, the parameters assessed or the instruments used (particularly the questionnaires) were not sufficiently sensitive, the sample size (which was determined by the CF population available) was too small or the duration of the intervention and follow-up was too short.Conclusion: Carers' unanimous recommendation of Go and Grow with CF, together with high levels of perceived learning, reported increase in confidence and improvement in children's knowledge in the short-term, indicate the benefits of the program.Although there was no statistically significant improvement in the anthropometric measurements after the intervention, 'the extensive data obtained during this study suggest that measurements of height and weight may underestimate the presence of poor nutritional status. It is likely that comprehensive assessments of body composition of children with CF would be useful in detecting mild degrees of malnutrition and in providing information about the effects of nutritional status on morbidity and mortality associated with the disease.Fat-based pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy dosing warrants further investigation given that parents had a strong preference for this method and that fat absorption remains abnormal in the majority of individuals who have pancreatic insufficiency. Evaluation of all pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy dosing methods are needed and this research suggests that dose should be assessed on a meal and snack basis, rather than just on daily intake, in order ++ / for levels of adherence to be examined.The apparent absence of a long-term effect of a single exposure to the program on knowledge suggests that regular, ongoing education and counselling is required by families to reinforce aspects related to the child's current stage of development and disease status.

The study analyzed the impact of a social skills intervention pogram with adolescent students with learning disabilities attending a school for dyslexia in central Texas. Participants of the study were 8 students aged 11 through 13. Participants were equally assigned to the intervention and control groups based on their schedules. A six-session social skills intervention program was provided to students in the intervention condition during their enrichment hours, while the control students continued to attend their regular classroom activities during this period. Non-parametric test statistics (Wilcoxon signed-rank Test and Mann Whitney U) were utilized to assess within group differences from pre- to post-test and between group differences, respectively. The results of the study suggested that even though no statistically significant differences between control and intervention groups were observed at the pre-test, scores on the Social Problem Solving Inventory-Adolescent, at post-test indicated that the intervention group significantly outperformed the control group. Neither the control nor the intervention group demonstrated any significant improvement from pre- to post-test. / text

Children under the age of 18 are the largest age group of people who live in poverty in America. This paper focuses on early intervention programs and how they can help ameliorate the negative effects of poverty. Previous research has demonstrated the negative effects of poverty, such as lower academic performance and achievement and more behavioral problems. Various risk factors for poverty, such as single parents, low maternal education, and lack of resources, and their role in the design of early intervention programs will be explained. The Perry Preschool Project (PPP), Head Start, the Chicago Child-Parent Center (CPC) Program, and the Carolina Abecedarian Project and their effects on child outcomes will be analyzed. Cost-benefit analyses for each early intervention program, as well as future considerations for public policy, will be discussed in this paper.

Effect of the Aerobics Body Express intervention program on muscle strength. Objectives: The goal of the study is to validate the efficiency of the Aerobics Body Express intervention program and analyze its impact on three selected types of muscle strength and three muscle groups. Methods: The three-month intervention program shall be implemented as part of the syllabus of the Aerobics course at Palestra College of Physical Education and Sport. The studied population sample shall consist of 95 second-year students of Palestra College. The effect of the Aerobic Body Express intervention program on the individual types of muscle strength shall be assessed based on the difference in the results of pretests taken before application of the three-month intervention program and posttests taken after its completion. This shall constitute a quasi-experiment. The individual muscle strength types shall be measured using a battery of selected motor tests. To assess the changes in performance from the point of view of statistics, we shall use the signed-rank and Wilcoxon tests. To determine the effect size of the test results, we shall use the Cohen's d coefficient. Results: The measurements demonstrated statistically verifiable changes in all tests for the experimental group. Abdominal muscles tests showed...

This study addressed obesity of youth in a predominantly African-American school and was concerned with the implementation of a CVD intervention program, Project Health Curriculum, for high school students, focusing on early health promotion and support to children at risk of developing adult diseases. A health promotion program was implemented at a high school in Canton, Mississippi, to equip students with information to help reduce risk behaviors that could lead to health problems. This intervention was conducted in the health and physical education classes. Students were given the opportunity to report their knowledge and behaviors by participating in a pretest. A posttest was completed after the health promotion intervention. A Wilcoxon Signed Ranked test was computed to analyze the differences between the pretest and posttest scores of the students on the Project Health Student Survey (PHSS) to determine if the intervention program impacted their attitudes, practices, and knowledge regarding their risk behaviors and practices. The posttest served as the student outcome measure and indicator of the effectiveness and perceived usefulness in modifying student risk behaviors when compared to the pretest scores. Changes in student behaviors were found in several of the categories examined. The results of the study indicated that a carefully designed prevention/intervention program within the school curriculum can positively impact student behavioral practices to improve students’ quality of life. As the State of Mississippi deals with the epidemic of obesity and the prevalence of CVD, preventing these diseases from increasing is a priority. Strategies and programs for weight maintenance, weight reduction, and health promotion must become a public health and education priority, especially among the youth.