TSH and FT4 concentrations in congenital central hypothyroidism and mild congenital thyroidal hypothyroidism

Context. In central hypothyroidism (CeH) free thyroxine (FT4) concentrations are low while TSH concentrations may be low, normal or even slightly elevated due to reduced bioactivity. Congenital CeH (CCeH) may be isolated or part of multiple pituitary hormone deficiency (MPHD). Objective. To test our hypotheses that (1) TSH concentrations have a...

A review of dermal exposure determinants for the dermal Advanced Reach Tool (dART) tool

The development of a dermal exposure model is a challenge because of the complexity of dermal exposure processes on one hand, and the scarcity of good quality and contextually-rich dermal exposure measurements. Dermal exposure modelling is further complicated by the difficulty of measuring dermal exposure due to the lack of standardised methods ...

Barriers and facilitators related to the uptake of four strategies to prevent neonatal early-onset group B haemolytic streptococcus disease: a qualitative study

Background. Actions to prevent early onset disease in neonates are based on different strategies including administering antibiotic prophylaxis during labour in case of 1) maternal GBS colonisation (screening strategy), 2) identified risk factors (risk-based strategy) or 3) a combination of these two conditions (maternal GBS colonisation and...

Motivational and contextual determinants of HPV-vaccination uptake: A longitudinal study among mothers of girls invited for the HPV-vaccination

Background In the Netherlands, HPV-vaccination uptake among 12-year-old girls remains to be lower (61% in 2016) than expected. The present study is about 1) replicating the extent to which social-psychological determinants found in earlier cross-sectional studies explain HPV-vaccination intention, and 2) testing whether HPV-vaccination intention...

Implementation of a guideline for local health policy making by regional health services: exploring determinants of use by a web survey

Background. Previous evaluation showed insufficient use of a national guideline for integrated local health policy by Regional Health Services (RHS) in the Netherlands. The guideline focuses on five health topics and includes five checklists to support integrated municipal health policies. This study explores the determinants of guideline use by...

Assessment of Determinants of Emission Potentially Affecting the Concentration of Airborne Nano-Objects and Their Agglomerates and Aggregates

Background: Nano-specific inhalation exposure models could potentially be effective tools to assess and control worker exposure to nano-objects, and their aggregates and agglomerates (NOAA). However, due to the lack of reliable and consistent collected NOAA exposure data, the scientific basis for validation of the existing NOAA exposure models...

A systematic review of correlates of sedentary behaviour in adults aged 18–65 years: a socio-ecological approach

Background: Recent research shows that sedentary behaviour is associated with adverse cardio-metabolic consequences even among those considered sufficiently physically active. In order to successfully develop interventions to address this unhealthy behaviour, factors that influence sedentariness need to be identified and fully understood. The...

Aanwezigheid en effecten van medezeggenschap in Nederland [Prevalence and effects of co-determination in the Netherlands]

Based on data of the Netherlands Employers Work Survey of TNO (with about 20,000 firms in the period 2008-2014) and the Netherlands Working Conditions Survey of TNO and Statistics Netherlands (with about 150,000 employees in the period 2007-2014) this articles provides answers on questions like to what extent formal co-determination exists in...

The SOS-framework (Systems of Sedentary behaviours): an international transdisciplinary consensus framework for the study of determinants, research priorities and policy on sedentary behaviour across the life course: a DEDIPAC-study

Background Ecological models are currently the most used approaches to classify and conceptualise determinants of sedentary behaviour, but these approaches are limited in their ability to capture the complexity of and interplay between determinants. The aim of the project described here was to develop a transdisciplinary dynamic framework,...

Effects of a Theory-Based Education Program to Prevent Overweightness in Primary School Children

The effectiveness of the “Extra Fit!” (EF!) education program in promoting healthy diet and physical activity to prevent and reduce overweightness among primary school children aged 9 to 11 was evaluated. A randomized controlled design was carried out in 45 primary schools (n = 1112) in the Netherlands, 23 intervention and 22 control schools....

A systematic approach to implementing and evaluating clinical guidelines: The results of fifteen years of Preventive Child Health Care guidelines in the Netherlands

Preventive Child Health Care (PCHC) services are delivered to all children in the Netherlands by approximately 5500 doctors, nurses and doctor's assistants. In 1996, The Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports asked for the development of evidence-based PCHC guidelines. Since 1998, twenty-five guidelines have been published. Levels of...

Establishing oral health promoting behaviours in children – parents’ views on barriers, facilitators and professional support: a qualitative study

Background The prevention of childhood dental caries relies on adherence to key behaviours, including twice daily tooth brushing with fluoride toothpaste and reducing the consumption of sugary foods and drinks. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore parents’ perceptions of barriers and facilitators that influence these oral health...

How reliable is internet-based self-reported identity, socio-demographic and obesity measures in European adults?

In e-health intervention studies, there are concerns about the reliability of internet-based, self-reported (SR) data and about the potential for identity fraud. This study introduced and tested a novel procedure for assessing the validity of internet-based, SR identity and validated anthropometric and demographic data via measurements performed...