This longitudinal study of 231 preschoolchildren from a medium sized Norwegian town had three aims: firstly, to examine the children's early dental behavior, secondly to study the variation of dental health behavior according to mother's education, mother's dental health, and her dental attendance pattern, and thirdly to identify any behavioral or social predictors of dental caries in 36-month-old children. Data were collected at health centers, using precoded questionnaires and examinations, when the children were 6, 18, and 36 months old. Data about the mothers were collected at the maternity ward. At 36 months of age, 80% of the children were caries free. Favorable dental behaviors were related to toothbrushing and use of fluorides. These behaviors were so well established and consistent at all ages that they can be regarded as norms for this community. The most unfavorable and inconsistent behavior was related to sugar consumption. Dental health education could be most usefully applied to this area, where the greatest potential for improvement in behavior exists. A relationship was found between the children's caries experience and the number of missing teeth of the mother, her dental attendance pattern and her level of education. None of the social or behavioral variables tested had a strong enough association with caries experience to justify their use as caries predictors in this age group.

The purposes of this study were to describe the quality of life (QOL) of terminally ill patients in a home-based hospice program and to examine the relationship between QOL data and patients' symptom distress, ability to function, interpersonal communication (support from family and friends), well-being (their affairs in order), and transcendence (religious comfort/support) as recorded in their charts. QOL was measured by the Missoula-Vitas Quality of Life Index (MVQOLI), an instrument designed specifically for use with terminally ill patients. The study was conducted over a three-year period with 129 terminally ill patients enrolled in a home-based hospice program of care. The MVQOLI was administered to patients within 20 days of their admission to hospice. A retrospective chart review was conducted to determine patients' levels of symptom distress, ability to function, social support, whether or not their affairs were in order, and religious comfort/support. The mean age of participants in this study was 67, with 54.3 percent male and 45.7 percent female. Cancer was the primary diagnosis for 92.2 percent of the sample, and 35 percent of these patients had a diagnosis of lung cancer. Of the 7.8 percent non-cancer diagnoses, five were diagnosed with AIDS, four with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and one with chronic heart failure. The results of this study revealed positive scores on the five dimensions of the MVQOLI QOL scale, indicating that within 20 days of admission to hospice, patients rated their QOL as good to very good. Data obtained from the chart review also indicated that patients did not experience a great deal of symptom distress (e.g., pain, nausea, shortness of breath, and restlessness). A significant correlation existed between age and QOL; number of interventions and pain levels; and marital status, well-being, interpersonal relationships, and transcendence. Shortness of breath and well-being were significantly correlated with QOL. There was no significant correlation between gender, race, or closeness to death and the five dimensions of the MVQOLI and chart review assessments.

The purpose of this study was to determine patient and caregiver satisfaction with a hospice program of care. The setting for the study was a home-care hospice in the southeastern United States that provides a full range of services for patients with life-limiting illness and supportive services for family caregivers. Two Likert-type instruments were used to determine satisfaction with staff, communication, education, information provided, symptom management, promptness with service, and overall satisfaction. Some 321 patients and 443 caregivers completed surveys over a two-year period of time. Data indicates the majority of patients and their caregivers were very satisfied with hospice services and the care they received. Providing quality care at the end of life is the goal of hospice. Satisfaction with delivery of care, management of symptoms, and communication with staff are all components of quality care and contribute to quality of life.

The purpose of this study was to describe the learner-centered teaching characteristics of nurse faculty who report using contemporary pedagogy. A secondary analysis of data collected by an international survey of nurse educators regarding pedagogical teaching approaches and strategies was used to answer the research questions. The study sought to: 1) describe characteristics emerging from faculty response, 2) make inferences from faculty responses regarding meaning, and 3) make inferences regarding the importance of the meaning to nursing. A qualitative research design was used to address the research question. Themes that emerged were placed under the concepts of power, role of teacher, responsibility of learner, and philosophy of evaluation guided by Weimer's (2002) conceptual framework of a learner-centered philosophy of teaching. Themes and meaning units derived from the study helped to generate textual and structure statements that represent the characterizations of learner-centered nurse educators.