Objective: To investigate the relation of infant feeding practice to childhood respiratory illness, growth, body composition, and blood pressure. Design: Follow up study of a cohort of children (mean age 7.3 years) who had detailed infant feeding and demographic data collected prospectively during the first two years of life. Setting: Dundee. Subjects: 674 infants, of whom 545 (81%) were available for study. Data on respiratory illness were available for 545 children (mean age 7.3 (range 6.1-9.9) years); height for 410 children; weight and body mass index for 412 children; body composition for 405 children; blood pressure for 301 children (mean age 7.2 (range 6.9-10.0) years).

Increasing leisure time physical activities poses major challenges. Beliefs about desirable levels of activity in older people would need to be changed. Action would be needed to relieve physical symptoms and address fears about perceived ability to undertake physical activity. Finally, easily accessible facilities would be needed to encourage participation in physical activity.

Aim: This paper presents the results of a review of literature relating to knowledge transfer and exchange in healthcare. Background: Treatment, planning and policy decisions in contemporary nursing and healthcare should be based on sound evidence wherever possible, but research knowledge remains generally underused. Knowledge transfer and exchange initiatives aim to facilitate the accessibility, application and production of evidence and may provide solutions to this challenge. This review was conducted to help inform the design and implementation of knowledge transfer and exchange activities for a large healthcare organization. Data sources: Databases: ASSIA, Business Source Premier, CINAHL, PsychInfo, Medline and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Review methods: An integrative literature review was carried out including an extensive literature search. English language systematic reviews, literature reviews, primary quantitative and qualitative papers and grey literature of high relevance evaluating, describing or discussing knowledge transfer or exchange activities in healthcare were included for review (January 1990-September 2009). Findings: Thirty-three papers were reviewed (four systematic reviews, nine literature reviews, one environmental scan, nine empirical studies and ten case studies). Conclusion: Robust research into knowledge transfer and exchange in healthcare is limited. Analysis of a wide range of evidence indicates a number of commonly featured characteristics but further evaluation of these activities would benefit their application in facilitating evidence-based practice in nursing

This study contributes to a better understanding of service-related needs of people with dementia in relation to diagnostic procedures and post-diagnostic support.

Asthma is one of the most common reasons for children's consultations with the general Background -Children with parents who smoke are often exposed to high levels of practitioner, 10 admissions to hospital, 11 and issuing of prescriptions. 6 It is estimated that environmental tobacco smoke, and children with asthma are particularly susceptible to approximately 50% of children under 10 years in this country have at least one parent who the detrimental effects of passive smoking. Data were collected from parents who smokes.2 In addition, one paediatric respiratory outpatient clinic recently reported that 42% of smoke and from their asthmatic children. The families are currently taking part in a children attending were regularly exposed to parental tobacco smoke in their own homes randomised controlled trial to test an intervention designed to reduce passive smoking (Clark RA et al, unpublished data, 1996).Families that include a child with asthma in children with asthma. This paper reports on the baseline data. Questionnaire data and at least one parent who smokes are currently taking part in a randomised clinical trial and cotinine levels were compared in an attempt to assess exposure and to identify to test an intervention designed to reduce exposure of children with asthma to tobacco factors which influence exposure of the children. The aim of the study was to identify smoke. This paper reports on the extent of passive smoking, assessed by salivary cotinine the scope for a reduction in passive smoking by these children. levels, of the children at baseline and identifies factors that influence exposure. Factors inMethods -A sample of 501 families with an asthmatic child aged 2-12 years was vestigated relate to the child, the index parent, other smokers in contact with the child, and obtained. Factors influencing passive smoking were assessed by interviewing the socioeconomic environment. The aim is to determine the scope for a possible reduction parents. Cotinine levels were measured from saliva samples using gas liquid in passive smoking by the children. chromatography with nitrogen phosphorous detection. Results -Cotinine levels in children were Methods strongly associated with the age of the   Criteria for admission were a documented diaConclusions -Many children are exposed gnosis of asthma in the GP case records and at at home. Families were identified by GP pracCentre, Lyon Street, (Thorax 1997;52:766-769) tice staff. The index child was the youngest Dundee DD4 6RB, UK family member with asthma. Where both par-P W Slane

Background: Low participation rates can lead to sampling bias, delays in completion and increased costs. Strategies to improve participation rates should address reasons for non-participation. However, most empirical research has focused on participants' motives rather than the reasons why non-participants refuse to take part. In this study we investigated the reasons why older people choose not to participate in a research project.

Objective To investigate whether parents of asthmatic children would stop smoking or alter their smoking habits to protect their children from environmental tobacco smoke. Design Randomised controlled trial. Setting Tayside and Fife, Scotland. Participants 501 families with an asthmatic child aged 2-12 years living with a parent who smoked. Intervention Parents were told about the impact of passive smoking on asthma and were advised to stop smoking or change their smoking habits to protect their child's health. Main outcome measures Salivary cotinine concentrations in children, and changes in reported smoking habits of the parents 1 year after the intervention. Results At the second visit, about 1 year after the baseline visit, a small decrease in salivary cotinine concentrations was found in both groups of children: the mean decrease in the intervention group (0.70 ng/ml) was slightly smaller than that of the control group (0.88 ng/ml), but the net difference of 0.19 ng/ml had a wide 95% confidence interval ( − 0

ObjectivesBeing obese and drinking more than 14 units of alcohol per week places men at very high risk of developing liver disease. This study assessed the feasibility of a trial to reduce alcohol consumption. It tested the recruitment strategy, engagement with the intervention, retention and study acceptability.MethodsMen aged 35–64 years who drank >21 units of alcohol per week and had a BMI > 30 were recruited by two methods: from GP patient registers and by community outreach. The intervention was delivered by a face to face session followed by a series of text messages. Trained lay people (Study Coordinators) delivered the face to face session. Participants were followed up for 5 months from baseline to measure weekly alcohol consumption and BMI.ResultsThe recruitment target of 60 was exceeded, with 69 men recruited and randomized. At baseline, almost all the participants (95%) exceeded the threshold for a 19-fold increase in the risk of dying from liver disease. The intervention was delivered with high fidelity. A very high follow-up rate was achieved (98%) and the outcomes for the full trial were measured. Process evaluation showed that participants responded as intended to key steps in the behaviour change strategy. The acceptability of the study methods was high: e.g. 80% of men would recommend the study to others.ConclusionsThis feasibility study identified a group at high risk of liver disease. It showed that a full trial could be conducted to test the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the intervention.Trial registrationCurrent controlled trials: ISRCTN55309164.Trial fundingNational Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA).Short summaryThis feasibility study recruited 69 men at high risk of developing liver disease. The novel intervention, to reduce alcohol consumption through the motivation of weight loss, was well received. A very high follow-up rate was achieved. Process evaluation showed that participants engaged with key components of the behaviour change strategy.