Background: Higher protein diets, especially from animal sources, have seen a rise in popularity due to potential metabolic. This may have consequences for kidney function particularly in rising middle class populations who are allocating more income towards meat. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effects of higher versus lower protein intake on glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in adult populations without renal impairment. Methods: Search strategies were developed and electronic databases searched: MEDLINE and EMBASE. Data were extracted up until June 3, 2015. The main outcome measure was GFR and a random effect model (Cochrane’s Review Manager Version 5.3) was used to pool mean differences in GFR values. Results: Database searches yielded 25 trials from 1914 articles that were eligible for analysis based on inclusion/exclusion criteria. 12 studies were randomized controlled trials and 11 studies were crossover trials. As a result of data presented, 2 crossover studies were treated as 4 trials to result in 25 total trials. A total of 810 subjects from 25 trials were included in this systematic review and meta-analyses. The age of participants was 24-62 years and their BMI was 21-36 kg/m2. Higher protein compared to lower protein-containing diets were associated with increased GFR values [mean difference (MD): 8.33 ml/min (95% CI 4.87 to 11.79), P < 0.00001] but this was less pronounced when assessing change from baseline GFR values [MD: 4.71 ml/min (95% CI 0.06 to 9.36), P = 0.05]. Moreover, significant heterogeneity was present and funnel plot asymmetry indicated potential publication bias in both meta-analyses. Conclusion: Higher protein diets were associated with increased GFR, however, these results were inconclusive due to significant heterogeneity and overestimation by random effect analyses. There is still no clear evidence that high protein diets negatively impact renal function in healthy populations. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / Globally, the leading causes of mortality in industrialized countries are cardiovascular disease (CVD), stroke, and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Deaths from these chronic diseases now outpace deaths due to malnutrition. Being overweight and obese increases the risk of both morbidity and mortality from CVD, stroke, and T2D. Global rates of overweight and obesity have now reached ‘epidemic’ proportions and the World Health Organization has stated that, “… [a] global epidemic of overweight and obesity – ‘globesity’ – is taking over many parts of the world. If immediate action is not taken, millions will suffer from an array of serious health disorders.” Over the past 20-30 years, the popularity of higher protein energy restricted diets have grown due to the potential benefits regarding weight loss, appetite regulation, and maintenance of lean (muscle) mass. Additionally, the expansion of the global ‘middle-class’ has resulted in families allocating more income towards meat products as a primary protein source in their diet. A health concern is that higher protein intake may have an adverse effect on kidney function. In individuals with chronic kidney disease, higher protein diets have been shown to result in further renal impairment. However, the effects of increased protein intake in healthy populations are unclear. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to compare higher versus lower protein diets on kidney function in healthy populations based on the literature to date. This was accomplished by looking at changes in glomerular filtration rate (the rate at which kidneys filter blood), which is the ‘gold standard’ marker of kidney function.

Study Objective The objectives of this study are: (1) to explore the impact of the national consolidated guidelines for Option B+ PMTCT on the work of healthcare professionals at both clinical and management levels (including nurses, physicians and management) (2) to understand pregnant HIV-positive women views and experiences with ART for life, as a way to better manage the Option B+ PMTCT programme within state hospitals Research Questions The following research questions will be used to explore both perceptions of healthcare professionals and patients: 1.How have the national consolidated guidelines for Option B+ PMTCT affected the work of healthcare professionals? 2.What are pregnant HIV-positive women’s views and experiences about going on lifetime treatment with ARVs? / ABSTRACT Background. South Africa’s National Department of Health has adopted World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2013 consolidated guidelines on the use of ARVs for treatment and prevention of HIV infection. The guidelines include changes for prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) through Option B+. Option B+ aims to reduce the HIV prevalence rate amongst these women by placing them on ART for life, no matter their CD4 count. As a result, in January 2015, these guidelines were implemented for the PMTCT programme at RMMCH. Little is known about the impact of these new guidelines on the work of healthcare professionals in state hospitals. Most importantly, no research has focused on how these changes have affected adherence for the patients. Purpose. The purpose of this research project is (1) to explore the impact of the Option B+ PMTCT programme on the work of healthcare professionals, and (2) to understand pregnant HIV-positive women views and experiences with ART for life, as a way to better manage the Option B+ PMTCT programme. Methods. A qualitative study design is used with a phenomenological approach. The methodology uses demographic questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with healthcare professionals and patients. The study is situated in Johannesburg, South Africa. Findings. The findings demonstrate that work has changed and become difficult to manage for all healthcare professionals because of (1) the need for strengthening indicators for tracking to decrease loss to follow-up (LTFU); (2) inconsistency in delivery of counseling and support services and the need for communication across clinical departments; and (3) the lack of compassion and understanding by service providers. The difficult healthcare environment has affected overall views and experiences of pregnant HIV-positive women going on ART for life. All 55 patient participants responded that they chose to take the fixed-dose combination (FDC) for life to protect the health of the baby and felt ART for life can be stopped after giving birth. Conclusion. Implications for future research include the need to address changes within the healthcare system at both clinical and management levels. It is crucial to incorporate the perspective of patients in policy implementation; uptake and adherence are key indicators in informing whether the Option B+ PMTCT programme is being adapted into state hospitals effectively. There needs to be extensive research on how to strengthen indicators for long term scalability and sustainability of the programme. Future evaluations need to address, will interdisciplinary collaboration within hospitals improve the management and understanding of Option B+? / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

With the advent of the new National Health Act, health care in South Africa is at a critical point as this will be the first time in history that a National Health Insurance is being implemented in this country. Globally National Health Insurance has been around for more than a hundred years, however some countries with long established national health schemes are currently grappling with funding issues surrounding their health systems. South Africa should take note of these issues as it embarks on this journey. The objective of this study was to perform a literature review on how South Africa’s National Health Insurance can be funded taking cognisance of the history of the country and experiences of other countries. It is imperative for each country to achieve optimal health care funding to ensure the success and long-term sustainability of National Health Insurance. The analysis of the problems experienced by other countries revealed that balancing the three main funding options namely, allocated from the national revenue fund, user charges and or donations or grants from international organisations, is critical as the funds needed in a system to achieve coverage at an affordable cost is dependent on the current state of health care in a country. Considering South Africa’s history and current inequality in society and health care it is clear that the majority of funding for the National Health Insurance should be supplied by the national revenue fund. The required funds can either be raised by increasing existing taxes or introducing a new tax specifically aimed at financing the National Health Insurance. The use of user charges is important however, although not purely for a revenue collection point, but from a cost control point of view as well. Some studies have revealed that the lack of user charges results in a misuse of the system. / Financial Accounting / M. Phil. (Accounting Science)

OBJECTIVE/ METHOD The study examined implementation challenges faced by primary health care workers within the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng South Africa. Data collection was based on semi-structured interviews carried out on a purposive sample (n=19) of frontline clinicians working within the district as primary health care practitioners. RESULTS Participants confirmed that work within the primary health care service disproportionately focussed on curative and rehabilitative functions of their roles with little prioritisation of preventive and promotive interventions. Primary identified reasons included, institutional culture that prioritised short-term curative approaches. Clinicians also cited a range of other organisational barriers, such as – poor strategic planning, and a lack of understanding of health promotion and illness prevention. CONCLUSIONS Although the challenges that exist in implementing primary health care are clearly understood, clinicians perceive the solutions for these as being within the control of policy makers and those with power within the organisation. / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

Thèse de doctorat effectuée en cotutelle au Département d’administration de la santé Faculté de médecine, Université de Montréal et à l’École doctorale Biologie-Santé Faculté de médecine, Université de Nantes, France / L’objectif de la thèse est d’approfondir la compréhension des enjeux liés au processus d’introduction du changement dans les organisations. Ce sujet semble important vu les enjeux majeurs auxquels sont actuellement confrontées les organisations pour implanter des changements jugés nécessaires. Notre recherche aborde l’analyse du changement dans les organisations selon une approche systémique. Cette approche a été développée dans le cadre de la thèse et propose de voir l’implantation du changement jugé nécessaire dans les organisations, non comme des initiatives isolées et déconnectées de l’environnement, mais plutôt comme des processus émergents ou programmés permettant autant le changement de l’organisation que le changement et l’évolution de l’environnement dans une perspective de co-évolution des organisations et de leur environnement. Au niveau des organisations, cette approche systémique amène à se pencher sur la question des possibilités réelles des organisations de produire les changements jugés nécessaires. Elle cherche à comprendre pourquoi, malgré les possibilités réelles des organisations de créer des conditions favorables à l’acceptation et à l’implantation du changement et de l’innovation, les organisations ne s’engagent pas à créer de telles conditions et par conséquent ont des difficultés à produire le changement. Dans le cadre de la recherche, nous avons étudié le changement des pratiques professionnelles et managériales dans le contexte hospitalier français suite à l’introduction d’une innovation d’amélioration de la performance hospitalière, et notamment le projet PATH de l’OMS Europe. Il s’agissait pour nous d’analyser la dynamique de l’implantation de PATH dans la production des effets et le degré d’implantation de PATH, tout en faisant ressortir les facteurs contextuels qui permettent d’expliquer les variations dans le degré d’implantation et les effets. Les résultats de notre recherche soutiennent la proposition qu’il est probablement possible de prédire le niveau d’atteinte des objectifs poursuivis par un changement à partir de la connaissance des capacités collectives de l’organisation pour produire le changement et la façon dont elles ont été mobilisées pour atteindre les objectifs poursuivis. Ils envoient un signal fort aux établissements de santé qui voudraient réussir l’implantation des pratiques novatrices d’amélioration de la performance hospitalière qu’ils doivent s’occuper du contexte dans lequel les efforts de l’implantation sont pratiqués et que ces efforts ne sauraient être entrepris tant que des conditions favorables à l’acceptation et à la réalisation du changement ne sont pas mises en place. Les conditions favorables se matérialiseraient dans les établissements par la mise en place de structures favorisant le travail en groupe multi professionnels, de formations relatives à l’implantation de l’innovation, de coordination de l’action collective, d’implication des utilisateurs finals de l’innovation dans tous le processus d’implantation et de soutien du leadership médical et administratif. / The objective of the thesis is to look further into the comprehension of the issues related to the process of introduction of the change into the organizations. This subject seems important in view of the major challenges currently facing the organizations to implement changes considered to be necessary. Our research approaches the analysis of the change in the organizations according to a systemic approach. This approach was developed within the framework of the thesis and proposes to see the introduction of the change considered to be necessary in the organizations, not like isolated and disconnected initiatives from the environment, but rather like emergent or programmed processes allowing the change of the organization as much that the change and the evolution of the environment in a context of co-evolution of the both entities. To the level of the organizations, this systemic approach for analysing the change in the organizations brings to consider the question of the real possibilities of the organizations to produce changes deemed necessary. She seeks to understand why, despite the real possibilities of the organizations to create favourable conditions for the acceptance and to the implementation of the change and of the innovation, the organizations are not committed to create such conditions and consequently have difficulties in produce the change. Within the framework of research, we studied the change of the professional and managerial practices in the French hospital context following the introduction of a hospital performance improvement innovation: the WHO Europe’s project PATH. Our objectives were to analyse the dynamics of the implementation of PATH in the production of effects and the degree of implementation of PATH, and to identify the contextual factors that allow explaining the variations in the degree of implementation and the effects. The results of our research support the proposal which it is probably possible to predict the level of achievement of objectives pursued by the change from the knowledge of the collective capacities of the organization to produce the change and the way in which they were mobilized to achieve the objectives pursued. They send a signal to the hospitals which would like to introduce innovative hospital performance improvement practices that they must deal with the context in which the implementation efforts are practiced and that these efforts could not be undertaken as long as favourable conditions for the acceptance and for the implementation of the change are not put in place. These favourable conditions are materialized in hospitals by structures supporting multidisciplinary group work, by training related to the implementation of the innovation, by a coordination of the collective action, by the end-users of the innovation implication in all the implementation processes and by the medical and management leadership support.

Os objetivos do estudo foram correlacionar a razão entre a circunferência abdominal e altura (CA/A) e o índice de massa corpórea (IMC) com as variáveis cardiometabólicas e inflamatórias em escolares de seis a 10 anos; avaliar a frequência de sobrepeso/obesidade e alterações cardiometabólicas e comparar o desempenho dos referenciais de índice de massa corpórea (IMC) do Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2000 (CDC) e Organização Mundial de Saúde 2007 (OMS) no diagnóstico de sobrepeso/obesidade e alterações cardiometabólicas. Métodos: estudo de corte transversal, que incluiu 175 crianças, provenientes do Centro de Referência para Tratamento da Criança e do Adolescente (CRTCA), em Campos, Rio de Janeiro. As crianças foram divididas segundo os escores z do CDC e OMS em: não obesas (z do IMC <1) e sobrepeso/obesidade (z do IMC > 1). As variáveis cardiometabólicas analisadas foram: pressão arterial sistólica (PAS) e diastólica (PAD), glicose, lipoproteínas de baixa e alta densidades (LDL e HDL, respectivamente), triglicerídeos (TG), HOMA-IR. Como variáveis inflamatórias, analisamos proteína C reativa ultra-sensível (PCR) e leucometria. Resultados: a média da CA/A do grupo sobrepeso/obesidade foi maior que a do não obeso (0,58 ± 0,007 e 0,45 ± 0,004, respectivamente, p< 0,0001). Houve correlação significativa da CA/A com os escores z do IMC (r = 0,88, p < 0,0001), PAS (r= 0,51, p<0,0001), PAD (r= 0,49, p<0,0001), HOMA-IR (r=0,83, p<0,0001), HDL (r = -0,28, p< 0,0002), TG (r= 0,26, p<0,0006), LDL (r= 0,25, p<0,0008) e PCR (r= 0,51, p<0,0001). Contudo, a CA/A não se correlacionou com glicemia nem leucócitos. A sensibilidade da CA/A se equivaleu à do IMC no diagnóstico das alterações cardiometabólicas. A sensibilidade mais elevada da CA/A foi para o diagnóstico de alteração da PAS (80,0 %), PAD (76,6%) e HOMA-IR (92,6%). O ponto de corte superior a 0,47 foi sensível para o diagnóstico de resistência insulínica, mas acima de 0,50, para os demais distúrbios cardiometabólicos. A frequência de sobrepeso/obesidade nos escolares foi igual a 49,7%. Com exceção de hipertrigliceridemia, todas as outras alterações cardiometabólicas foram mais frequentes no grupo sobrepeso/obesidade (aumento de PA, p<0,0001; glicemia de jejum alterada, p < 0,0048; aumento de LDL, p< 0,015 e redução do HDL, p<0,0001). O referencial da OMS 2007 reclassificou 11 crianças a mais como obesas que o CDC, que apresentaram médias de escores z de PAS (1,71 ± 1,54), PAD (2,64 ± 1,83) e HOMA-IR (1,84 ± 0,98) semelhantes às médias das obesas (PAS = 1,25 ± 2,04; PAD = 1,94 ± 1,19 e HOMA-IR = 2,09 ± 1,12), mas superiores às médias das classificadas como sobrepeso (PAS = 0,49 ± 1,34, p < 0,023; PAD = 1,45 ± 0,97, p < 0,04 e HOMA-IR = 1,24 ± 0,67, p < 0,04 ). Conclusões: a razão CA/A foi tão sensível quanto IMC da OMS 2007 no diagnóstico do risco cardiometabólico e inflamatório. O referencial da OMS 2007 foi o mais sensível não só para o rastreamento de sobrepeso/obesidade, como também para pressão arterial elevada e resistência insulínica, em escolares de seis a 10 anos / This study aims to correlate the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and the body mass index (BMI) with the cardiometabolic and inflammatory variables in 6-10 year-old school children; to evaluated the frequency of overweight/obesity and cardiometabolic disturbances, and to compare the 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and 2007 World Health Organization (WHO) body mass index (BMI) references in the diagnosis of overweight/obesity and the cardiometabolic disturbances. Methods: a cross-sectional study which included 175 subjects, selected from the Reference Center for the Treatment of Children and Adolescents, in Campos, Rio de Janeiro. The subjects were classified according to the 2000 CDC and 2007 OMS BMI z scores as non obese (BMI < 1) and overweight/obese ones (BMI > 1). The analized cardiometabolic variables were systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP respectively), fasting glycemia, low and high density lipoproteins (LDL and HDL respectively), trigliceride (TG), homeostatic model assessment (HOMA-IR). As inflammatory markers we analized the ultra-sensitive Creactive protein (CRP) and the leucocyte count. Results: the WHtR mean of the overweight/obese group was higher than that of the non obese ones (0,58 ± 0,007 and 0,45 ± 0,004, respectively,p < 0,0001). There was correlation between the WHtR and BMI z score (r = 0,88, p < 0,0001), SBP (r = 0,51, p < 0,0001), DBP (r = 0,49, p < 0,0001), HOMA-IR (r = 0,83, p < 0,0001), HDL (r = -0,28, p < 0,0002, TG (r= 0,26, p < 0,0006), LDL (r = 0,25, p < 0,0008), and CRP (r = 0, 51, p < 0.0001). However, the WHtR was neither correlated with glycemia nor with the leucocyte count. The WHtR sensitivity was equivalent to that of the BMI in the diagnosis of all cardiometabolic variables. The highest WHtR sensitivity was to diagnose the SBP (80,0%), DBP (76,6%) and HOMA-IR (92,6%) alterations. The WHtR cut-off higher than 0,47 pointed out to insulin resistance diagnosis, but higher than 0,5, it did to the other metabolic disturbances. The frequency of overweight/obesity was 49,7% in these school children. Except for hypertriglyceridemia, all the remaining cardiometabolic disturbances were more frequent in the overweight/obese group. The 2007 WHO BMI reference reclassified 11 children more as obese than the 2000 CDC, who had means of SBP (1,71 ± 1,54) and DBP z scores (2,64 ± 1,83) and HOMA-IR (1,84 ± 0,98) similar to those of the obese ones (SBP = 1,25 ± 20,4; DBP = 1,94 ± 1,1 and HOMA-IR = 2,09 ± 1,12), but higher than those of the classified as overweight (SBP= 0,49 ± 1,34, p<0,023; DBP= 1,45 ± 0,97, p<0,04 and HOMA-IR= 1,24 ± 0,67, p<0,04). Conclusions: the WHtR was so sensitive as the 2007 WHO BMI z score in diagnosing the cardiometabolic and inflammatory risk. The 2007 WHO reference was the most sensitive not only to screen obesity, but also the high blood pressure and insulin resistance, in 6-10-year-old children

Os objetivos do estudo foram correlacionar a razão entre a circunferência abdominal e altura (CA/A) e o índice de massa corpórea (IMC) com as variáveis cardiometabólicas e inflamatórias em escolares de seis a 10 anos; avaliar a frequência de sobrepeso/obesidade e alterações cardiometabólicas e comparar o desempenho dos referenciais de índice de massa corpórea (IMC) do Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2000 (CDC) e Organização Mundial de Saúde 2007 (OMS) no diagnóstico de sobrepeso/obesidade e alterações cardiometabólicas. Métodos: estudo de corte transversal, que incluiu 175 crianças, provenientes do Centro de Referência para Tratamento da Criança e do Adolescente (CRTCA), em Campos, Rio de Janeiro. As crianças foram divididas segundo os escores z do CDC e OMS em: não obesas (z do IMC <1) e sobrepeso/obesidade (z do IMC > 1). As variáveis cardiometabólicas analisadas foram: pressão arterial sistólica (PAS) e diastólica (PAD), glicose, lipoproteínas de baixa e alta densidades (LDL e HDL, respectivamente), triglicerídeos (TG), HOMA-IR. Como variáveis inflamatórias, analisamos proteína C reativa ultra-sensível (PCR) e leucometria. Resultados: a média da CA/A do grupo sobrepeso/obesidade foi maior que a do não obeso (0,58 ± 0,007 e 0,45 ± 0,004, respectivamente, p< 0,0001). Houve correlação significativa da CA/A com os escores z do IMC (r = 0,88, p < 0,0001), PAS (r= 0,51, p<0,0001), PAD (r= 0,49, p<0,0001), HOMA-IR (r=0,83, p<0,0001), HDL (r = -0,28, p< 0,0002), TG (r= 0,26, p<0,0006), LDL (r= 0,25, p<0,0008) e PCR (r= 0,51, p<0,0001). Contudo, a CA/A não se correlacionou com glicemia nem leucócitos. A sensibilidade da CA/A se equivaleu à do IMC no diagnóstico das alterações cardiometabólicas. A sensibilidade mais elevada da CA/A foi para o diagnóstico de alteração da PAS (80,0 %), PAD (76,6%) e HOMA-IR (92,6%). O ponto de corte superior a 0,47 foi sensível para o diagnóstico de resistência insulínica, mas acima de 0,50, para os demais distúrbios cardiometabólicos. A frequência de sobrepeso/obesidade nos escolares foi igual a 49,7%. Com exceção de hipertrigliceridemia, todas as outras alterações cardiometabólicas foram mais frequentes no grupo sobrepeso/obesidade (aumento de PA, p<0,0001; glicemia de jejum alterada, p < 0,0048; aumento de LDL, p< 0,015 e redução do HDL, p<0,0001). O referencial da OMS 2007 reclassificou 11 crianças a mais como obesas que o CDC, que apresentaram médias de escores z de PAS (1,71 ± 1,54), PAD (2,64 ± 1,83) e HOMA-IR (1,84 ± 0,98) semelhantes às médias das obesas (PAS = 1,25 ± 2,04; PAD = 1,94 ± 1,19 e HOMA-IR = 2,09 ± 1,12), mas superiores às médias das classificadas como sobrepeso (PAS = 0,49 ± 1,34, p < 0,023; PAD = 1,45 ± 0,97, p < 0,04 e HOMA-IR = 1,24 ± 0,67, p < 0,04 ). Conclusões: a razão CA/A foi tão sensível quanto IMC da OMS 2007 no diagnóstico do risco cardiometabólico e inflamatório. O referencial da OMS 2007 foi o mais sensível não só para o rastreamento de sobrepeso/obesidade, como também para pressão arterial elevada e resistência insulínica, em escolares de seis a 10 anos / This study aims to correlate the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and the body mass index (BMI) with the cardiometabolic and inflammatory variables in 6-10 year-old school children; to evaluated the frequency of overweight/obesity and cardiometabolic disturbances, and to compare the 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and 2007 World Health Organization (WHO) body mass index (BMI) references in the diagnosis of overweight/obesity and the cardiometabolic disturbances. Methods: a cross-sectional study which included 175 subjects, selected from the Reference Center for the Treatment of Children and Adolescents, in Campos, Rio de Janeiro. The subjects were classified according to the 2000 CDC and 2007 OMS BMI z scores as non obese (BMI < 1) and overweight/obese ones (BMI > 1). The analized cardiometabolic variables were systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP respectively), fasting glycemia, low and high density lipoproteins (LDL and HDL respectively), trigliceride (TG), homeostatic model assessment (HOMA-IR). As inflammatory markers we analized the ultra-sensitive Creactive protein (CRP) and the leucocyte count. Results: the WHtR mean of the overweight/obese group was higher than that of the non obese ones (0,58 ± 0,007 and 0,45 ± 0,004, respectively,p < 0,0001). There was correlation between the WHtR and BMI z score (r = 0,88, p < 0,0001), SBP (r = 0,51, p < 0,0001), DBP (r = 0,49, p < 0,0001), HOMA-IR (r = 0,83, p < 0,0001), HDL (r = -0,28, p < 0,0002, TG (r= 0,26, p < 0,0006), LDL (r = 0,25, p < 0,0008), and CRP (r = 0, 51, p < 0.0001). However, the WHtR was neither correlated with glycemia nor with the leucocyte count. The WHtR sensitivity was equivalent to that of the BMI in the diagnosis of all cardiometabolic variables. The highest WHtR sensitivity was to diagnose the SBP (80,0%), DBP (76,6%) and HOMA-IR (92,6%) alterations. The WHtR cut-off higher than 0,47 pointed out to insulin resistance diagnosis, but higher than 0,5, it did to the other metabolic disturbances. The frequency of overweight/obesity was 49,7% in these school children. Except for hypertriglyceridemia, all the remaining cardiometabolic disturbances were more frequent in the overweight/obese group. The 2007 WHO BMI reference reclassified 11 children more as obese than the 2000 CDC, who had means of SBP (1,71 ± 1,54) and DBP z scores (2,64 ± 1,83) and HOMA-IR (1,84 ± 0,98) similar to those of the obese ones (SBP = 1,25 ± 20,4; DBP = 1,94 ± 1,1 and HOMA-IR = 2,09 ± 1,12), but higher than those of the classified as overweight (SBP= 0,49 ± 1,34, p<0,023; DBP= 1,45 ± 0,97, p<0,04 and HOMA-IR= 1,24 ± 0,67, p<0,04). Conclusions: the WHtR was so sensitive as the 2007 WHO BMI z score in diagnosing the cardiometabolic and inflammatory risk. The 2007 WHO reference was the most sensitive not only to screen obesity, but also the high blood pressure and insulin resistance, in 6-10-year-old children

This dissertation investigates the mutual life project of Signe (1896-1988) and Axel Höjer (1890-1974), a married couple who were key actors in the construction of the Swedish welfare state. It emphasises the ways in which they went about asserting a special public health expertise in different contexts. As starting points I take the malleability of the concept folkhälsa (people’s health or population health) and the centrality of expertise in the governance of modern societies. Theoretical concepts such as gender, policy transfer, biopower and governmentality are central to the analysis. The dissertation includes three parts. The first part investigates how the Höjers agreed to coordinate their work and how they, with reference to ideas picked up in France and England at the end of World War I, attempted to reform mother and child health care in Sweden. Their strategies where rhetorical but also practical, using Hagalund outside Stockholm as their experimental ground. The second part investigates, firstly, how Axel Höjer, as General-Director of the Medical Board of Sweden (1935-52) asserted a sociomedical expertise, integrating the emerging social sciences and universalist views on the organisation of the welfare state into the realm of medicine, in order to launch ideas of a thorough reorganisation and expansion of the Swedish health care system. His focus was on preventive medicine and health care, with the complete physical, mental and social health of the whole population as an explicit goal. Secondly, it explores how Signe Höjer at the same time tried to launch ideas on health and wellbeing as a social politician and a public committee member. She also tried to define family policy as a specific policy area. However, despite her training as a nurse and a social worker, she was largely confined to asserting a particularly ”female” expertise, which made her position rather ambiguous in terms of authority. The third part investigates how the Höjers, in the 1950s and 60s, worked with international health, Axel mainly for the WHO in India and Ghana, Signe as a policy entrepreneur, primarily in the fields of childcare and family planning. My findings partly confirm theories that see development aid as an extension of domestic social policy, but they challenge the view of aid as a simple one-way process. I demonstrate how the Höjers at least tried to adapt their projects abroad to meet local circumstances, and also show how they brought lessons from the third world to a domestic public. In the latter case they did not primarily act as experts of Swedish-style social policy, but as experts on the developing countries and on development aid.

L’objectif de la thèse est d’approfondir la compréhension des enjeux liés au processus d’introduction du changement dans les organisations. Ce sujet semble important vu les enjeux majeurs auxquels sont actuellement confrontées les organisations pour implanter des changements jugés nécessaires. Notre recherche aborde l’analyse du changement dans les organisations selon une approche systémique. Cette approche a été développée dans le cadre de la thèse et propose de voir l’implantation du changement jugé nécessaire dans les organisations, non comme des initiatives isolées et déconnectées de l’environnement, mais plutôt comme des processus émergents ou programmés permettant autant le changement de l’organisation que le changement et l’évolution de l’environnement dans une perspective de co-évolution des organisations et de leur environnement. Au niveau des organisations, cette approche systémique amène à se pencher sur la question des possibilités réelles des organisations de produire les changements jugés nécessaires. Elle cherche à comprendre pourquoi, malgré les possibilités réelles des organisations de créer des conditions favorables à l’acceptation et à l’implantation du changement et de l’innovation, les organisations ne s’engagent pas à créer de telles conditions et par conséquent ont des difficultés à produire le changement. Dans le cadre de la recherche, nous avons étudié le changement des pratiques professionnelles et managériales dans le contexte hospitalier français suite à l’introduction d’une innovation d’amélioration de la performance hospitalière, et notamment le projet PATH de l’OMS Europe. Il s’agissait pour nous d’analyser la dynamique de l’implantation de PATH dans la production des effets et le degré d’implantation de PATH, tout en faisant ressortir les facteurs contextuels qui permettent d’expliquer les variations dans le degré d’implantation et les effets. Les résultats de notre recherche soutiennent la proposition qu’il est probablement possible de prédire le niveau d’atteinte des objectifs poursuivis par un changement à partir de la connaissance des capacités collectives de l’organisation pour produire le changement et la façon dont elles ont été mobilisées pour atteindre les objectifs poursuivis. Ils envoient un signal fort aux établissements de santé qui voudraient réussir l’implantation des pratiques novatrices d’amélioration de la performance hospitalière qu’ils doivent s’occuper du contexte dans lequel les efforts de l’implantation sont pratiqués et que ces efforts ne sauraient être entrepris tant que des conditions favorables à l’acceptation et à la réalisation du changement ne sont pas mises en place. Les conditions favorables se matérialiseraient dans les établissements par la mise en place de structures favorisant le travail en groupe multi professionnels, de formations relatives à l’implantation de l’innovation, de coordination de l’action collective, d’implication des utilisateurs finals de l’innovation dans tous le processus d’implantation et de soutien du leadership médical et administratif. / The objective of the thesis is to look further into the comprehension of the issues related to the process of introduction of the change into the organizations. This subject seems important in view of the major challenges currently facing the organizations to implement changes considered to be necessary. Our research approaches the analysis of the change in the organizations according to a systemic approach. This approach was developed within the framework of the thesis and proposes to see the introduction of the change considered to be necessary in the organizations, not like isolated and disconnected initiatives from the environment, but rather like emergent or programmed processes allowing the change of the organization as much that the change and the evolution of the environment in a context of co-evolution of the both entities. To the level of the organizations, this systemic approach for analysing the change in the organizations brings to consider the question of the real possibilities of the organizations to produce changes deemed necessary. She seeks to understand why, despite the real possibilities of the organizations to create favourable conditions for the acceptance and to the implementation of the change and of the innovation, the organizations are not committed to create such conditions and consequently have difficulties in produce the change. Within the framework of research, we studied the change of the professional and managerial practices in the French hospital context following the introduction of a hospital performance improvement innovation: the WHO Europe’s project PATH. Our objectives were to analyse the dynamics of the implementation of PATH in the production of effects and the degree of implementation of PATH, and to identify the contextual factors that allow explaining the variations in the degree of implementation and the effects. The results of our research support the proposal which it is probably possible to predict the level of achievement of objectives pursued by the change from the knowledge of the collective capacities of the organization to produce the change and the way in which they were mobilized to achieve the objectives pursued. They send a signal to the hospitals which would like to introduce innovative hospital performance improvement practices that they must deal with the context in which the implementation efforts are practiced and that these efforts could not be undertaken as long as favourable conditions for the acceptance and for the implementation of the change are not put in place. These favourable conditions are materialized in hospitals by structures supporting multidisciplinary group work, by training related to the implementation of the innovation, by a coordination of the collective action, by the end-users of the innovation implication in all the implementation processes and by the medical and management leadership support. / Thèse de doctorat effectuée en cotutelle au Département d’administration de la santé Faculté de médecine, Université de Montréal et à l’École doctorale Biologie-Santé Faculté de médecine, Université de Nantes, France

OBJECTIVE/ METHOD The study examined implementation challenges faced by primary health care workers within the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng South Africa. Data collection was based on semi-structured interviews carried out on a purposive sample (n=19) of frontline clinicians working within the district as primary health care practitioners. RESULTS Participants confirmed that work within the primary health care service disproportionately focussed on curative and rehabilitative functions of their roles with little prioritisation of preventive and promotive interventions. Primary identified reasons included, institutional culture that prioritised short-term curative approaches. Clinicians also cited a range of other organisational barriers, such as – poor strategic planning, and a lack of understanding of health promotion and illness prevention. CONCLUSIONS Although the challenges that exist in implementing primary health care are clearly understood, clinicians perceive the solutions for these as being within the control of policy makers and those with power within the organisation. / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)