The greater pubertal increase in levels of bone specific alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin and urinary deoxypyridinoline suggests that these markers may be relatively more sensitive as indicators of skeletal health during puberty. The differences between markers may reflect differences in the bone specificity of the analytes, or differing mechanisms of production and clearance. The negative correlation between oestradiol and markers of bone resorption and formation suggests that this hormone may be responsible for the reduction in bone turnover in late puberty.

No abstract

Stress and psychological distress may have negative outcomes for the retention of nursing students in programmes of study and newly qualified nurses in the nursing workforce.

Body mass index (BMI) was compared with percentage body fat (%Fat) measured by dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) in 233 adolescent schoolgirl volunteers and 179 adult female patients. Repeat measurements were made on 67 of the adolescents and 51 of the adults. The correlations between BMI and %Fat were established from the 300 adolescent measurements and the 230 adult measurements. Although highly significant relationships were found between BMI and %Fat, only 58% of the variance in %Fat in adolescents and 66% in adults could be predicted by BMI. At the 95% confidence levels, a BMI of 20 kg m−2 can correspond to a range of 18–33% body fat in adolescents and 13–32% in adults. Without any change in BMI, an adolescent's percentage fat can change by as much as ‐3% to + 7%. For an individual adult the same BMI can correspond to changes in fat of ±5%. Since the strength of prediction of percentage body fat from BMI is poor, caution should be exercised in its use for eating disorders research. © 1995 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

This low-prevalence disorder requires an assertive multi-agency approach in the context of a national planning framework.

Objectives To explore general practitioners' experiences of wellbeing and distress at work, to identify their perceptions of the causes of and solutions to distress, and to draw out implications for improving morale in general practice. Design Three stage qualitative study consisting of one to one unstructured interviews, one to one guided interviews, and focus groups. Setting Fife, Lothian, and the Borders, South East Scotland. Participants 63 general practitioner principals.

No abstract

This study investigates whether three-year-old children whose mothers had been depressed after their birth showed more behaviour disturbance than children of mothers who were not depressed at that time. Ninety-one of 103 mothers who took part in an earlier prospective study of postnatal depression were reinterviewed three years later to determine their present mental state, and to assess their child's behaviour, using Richman's Behavioural Screening Questionnaire. No relationship was found between a prolonged postnatal depression and behaviour disturbance in the child, but children whose mothers had brief postnatal depressive episodes showed more behaviour disturbance than those whose mothers had not been depressed since childbirth.