Differences in perinatal mortality and suboptimal care between 10 European regions: Results of an international audit

Objective: A European concerted action (the EuroNatal study) investigated the background of differences in perinatal mortality between countries of Europe. The study aimed to determine the contribution of differences in quality of care, by looking at differences in the presence of suboptimal factors in individual cases of perinatal death. Design...

Assessment of protein allergenicity on the basis of immune reactivity: Animal models

Because of the public concern surrounding the issue of the safety of genetically modified organisms, it is critical to have appropriate methodologies to aid investigators in identifying potential hazards associated with consumption of foods produced with these materials. A regent panel of experts convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization...

Het instellen op insuline van patiënten met diabetes mellitus type 2: In een transmurale organisatievorm minstens even effectief als poliklinisch; een retrospectief onderzoek met 4 jaar follow-up [Initiating insulin therapy in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2: In a transmural form of care at least as effective as an outpatients form; a retrospective study with a 4-year follow-up]

Objective. Assessing whether the initiation of insulin therapy in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 can be delivered as effectively in a structured transmural care model as in the more usual outpatients structure. Design. Retrospective comparative cohort study. Method. In 1997 data were collected from 52 patients with diabetes mellitus type...

Withdrawal from labour force due to work disability in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

Objective - To investigate withdrawal from the labour force because of inability to work owing to ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and to determine the characteristics of patients with no job because of work disability attributable to AS. Methods - A postal questionnaire was sent to 709 patients with AS aged 16-60 years followed up by a...

Health status and management of chronic non-specific abdominal complaints in general practice

Background. While chronic non-specific abdominal complaints are common in general practice, data on patients' perspective and management of these complaints are lacking. Knowledge of these data is important for the development of guidelines for management and assessment of the burden of chronic non-specific abdominal complaints on society. Aim....

Perinatal death in ethnic minorities in the Netherlands

Objectives - To investigate differences in perinatal death rate and associated obstetric risk factors between ethnic groups in the Netherlands. Design - Retrospective cohort study based on the 1990-1993 birth cohorts in the National Obstetric Registry. Subjects - 569,743 births of which 85,527 were for women belonging to ethnic minorities. Main...

Dutch monitor on stress and physical load: Risk factors, consequences, and preventive action

Objectives - Due to recent changes in legislation on occupational health and safety, a national monitor on stress and physical load was developed in The Netherlands to monitor (a) risks and consequences of stress and physical load at work, (b) preventive actions in companies to reduce these risks, and (c) organisational and environmental...

Chronicity of back problems during working life

Study Design. A follow-up study of a cohort of 444 patients aged 16 to 59 years who consulted with their general practitioners (GPs) in 1987-1988 for an incident episode of back pain. Objectives. To determine the proportion of patients with back pain in whom chronic back problems develop after a follow-up of 7 years, to compare health outcomes...

Toename van het aantal opnamen en meer sterfte vanwege ondervoeding bij kinderen in Paramaribo [Increase of number of admissions and higher mortality because of malnutrition in children in Paramaribo]

Objective: To determine the extent and severity of malnutrition in children in the last 10 years in 's Lands Hospitaal. Setting: Paramaribo, Surinam. Design: Retrospective descriptive study. Method: Data were collected from the medical files of children admitted because of malnutrition, by completing a standard questionnaire. Results: The number...

Fietsongevallen bij kinderen in Nederland in 1990/1991: Tijd voor fietshelmen [Bicycle accidents of children in the Netherlands in 1990/1991; time for cycle helmets]

Objective. To assess the possibility of preventing consequences of bicycle accidents. Design. Retrospective study. Setting. The Netherlands. Material and method. The data on mortality and hospital admissions of children aged 0-14 years were analysed. The data on traffic accident fatalities were obtained from the Traffic Accidents Registration ...

Differential misclassification of alcohol and cigarette consumption by pregnancy outcome

Background. The validity of the results of studies using retrospectively collected information on exposures is often criticized, because cases may report differently from controls even if their true exposure status is the same. This study was performed to quantify the extent to which this effect (differential misclassification) may occur for...