This study aimed to establish the prevalence and effect of urinary incontinence on quality of life during pregnancy and after parturition. A prospective cohort of primigravidae was recruited. The Kings Health Questionnaire (KHQ) was self-administered antenatally (34 weeks to term) and postnatally (3 months after delivery). Four hundred ninety-two primigravidae were recruited. The prevalence of urinary incontinence was reported as: pre-pregnancy 3.5% (17/492), antenatal 35.6% (175/492), 3-5 days postpartum 13.7% (51/370) and 3 months postnatal 13.0% (47/362). Most women with urinary incontinence experienced an impact on quality of life antenatally (54.3%) and postnatally (71.1%), although those experiencing an impact usually reported it as 'a little' (75.8 and 87.5%). There was a higher prevalence of urinary incontinence after forceps delivery ( p<0.05) but not of greater impairment in quality of life ( p>0.05). Personal and general health deteriorated postnatally ( p<0.05). During pregnancy most women with urinary incontinence experience minimal impact on quality of life. Postnatally, other causes of morbidity may contribute to worsening of general and personal health.

Subjects aged 1 6 6 4 years (592; 258 men and 334 women), randomly selected from the population of Northern Ireland, kept a 7 d weighed record of all food and drink consumed. Social, personal and anthropometric data were also collected. From the weighed records food consumption was described in terms of forty-one food groups. Using principal components analysis, four distinct dietary patterns were generated which were identified as a traditional diet, a cosmopolitan diet, a convenience diet and a 'meat and two veg ' diet. These dietary patterns were then correlated with sociocultural, lifestyle and anthropometric variables. It is clear that dietary behaviour is influenced by a number of inter-related sociocultural demographics and that identifiable population groups in Northern lreland have different dietary behaviours.

· Recent restructuring of cancer services in the United Kingdom and advances in cancer chemotherapy have resulted in the majority of chemotherapy being delivered on an outpatient basis.· Patients receiving chemotherapy are at risk of developing multiple problems and increased anxiety levels and are now more likely to encounter these problems outside the hospital setting. Therefore, providing all the necessary information at chemotherapy sessions is crucial to self-care activities and coping. · A study was carried out to investigate the information needs of patients at various stages of chemotherapy treatment and this article reports these needs at the beginning of treatment. · Most patients wanted to receive all possible information about their condition and reported satisfaction with the information provided. · The overwhelming ®nding was lack of information given to patients regarding family relationships. Whilst almost all patients wanted this information, more than half reported that it had not been given.

Objective To assess the impact of pregnancy upon continence and constipation.Design A questionnaire survey.Setting Maternity wards in the Rotunda Lying In Hospital, Dublin, Republic of Ireland.Population 7771 women who were delivered of liveborn infants.Methods Questionnaires were delivered and collected by physiotherapy staff as part of routine postnatal care.Results Analysis of data using x2 tests showed significant differences between three parity groups [primigravidae, multigravidae (2-4) and multigravidae (5+)] for symptoms of both urinary incontinence (x2 = 119.54, df = 2, P = 0.000) and constipation (x2 = 12-53, df = 3, P = 0.002); the incidence of both constipation and urinary incontinence increased with parity. ConclusionThe results of this survey have emphasised the relation between parity and postpartum incontinence which stresses the importance of early diagnosis and intervention.

A diet low in fat and rich in fib& has been recommended to optimize general health and in particular cardiovascular health. Health attitudes to fat and fibre were studied in relation to food and nutrient intake and sociocultural and lifestyle factors amongst the general population of Northern Ireland. The study population comprised 592 adults aged 16-64 years; health attitudes to fat and fibre were assessed by questionnaire (based on a social psychological model, which adjusted for taste and convenience factors). Dietary intake was estimated using the weighed inventory technique. Fat-phobic and fibre-philic attitudes were more prevalent in women than men. Fat-phobic attitudes in women were inversely related to intake of fat through a reduced intake of chips, butter and sausages. In contrast, men's fat-phobic attitudes were not strongly correlated with fat intake; consumption of chips and sausages was negatively associated with fat-phobic attitudes, but cakelbiscuit, bnns/pastries and milk consumption was positively associated with fat-phobic attitudes. Fibre-philic attitudes were positively associated with dietary fibre intake; intakes of potatoes, vegetables, wholemeal bread and breakfast cereal were positively associated with fibre-philic attitudes. There were clear sociocultural and lifestyle differences in relation to dietary attitude. These 6ndings have implications for campaigm designed to effect population dietary change. Dietary survey: Health attitudesContemporary nutrition education has tended to emphasize the health-threatening aspects of fat, and the health-promoting aspects of dietary fibre. Particular emphasis has been placed on the relationship between fat and fibre intake and cardiovascular health. However, sensory and cultural factors such as taste, enjoyment and convenience also impinge on food choice and may either attenuate or augment nutritional reasons for choosing particular foods.An understanding of the impact of these factors on food choice and nutrient intake is important given the priority for population dietary change (Department of Health, 1992).