["The Show Must Go on": Medical Assistants and Their Experience Managing Vaccination during the Covid-19 Pandemic]. / "Es muss laufen" ­ Medizinische Fachangestellte und ihre Erfahrungen im Impfmanagement während der Covid-19-Pandemie.

BACKGROUND: With the beginning of the Covid-19 vaccinations in primary care, a new and work-intensive responsibility arose for medical assistants (MA). In addition to their existing duties and the challenges posed by Covid-19, they had to organize, plan, and in some cases carry out the vaccinations and follow up on the documentation. METHODS: A total of 21 semi-structured interviews were conducted with MA between April and September 2021. Particularly considering the timing of the interview, questions were asked about the daily work routine and the associated vaccine organization. The interviews were then analyzed using MAXQDA software based on Kuckartz's qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: The MA criticized a lack of organization and transparency in the planning and implementation of vaccinations. Each vaccination had to be pre- and post-processed, resulting in an immense bureaucratic effort. Additional work and stress were the results. Also, MA had to deal with difficult patients. CONCLUSION: The experience of MA must be taken into consideration in the future to create guidance for dealing with an increased demand for vaccinations. The guidelines for the future must ensure that MA are relieved and supported by a meaningful organization during such events.

Educational interventions aimed at improving knowledge of delirium among nursing home staff-a realist review.

BACKGROUND: Delirium is a neuropathological syndrome that is characterised by fluctuating impairments in attention, cognitive performance, and consciousness. Since delirium represents a medical emergency, it can be associated with adverse clinical and economic outcomes. Although nursing home residents face a high risk of developing delirium, health care professionals in this field appear to have limited knowledge of delirium despite the critical role they play in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of delirium in nursing homes. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this realist review is to develop an initial programme theory with the goal of understanding how, why, and under what circumstances educational interventions can improve the delirium-specific knowledge of health care professionals in nursing homes. METHODS: This realist review was conducted in accordance with the RAMESES (Realist And Meta-narrative Evidence Synthesis: and Evolving Standards) guidelines and includes the following steps: (1) search strategy and literature review; (2) study selection and assessment; (3) data extraction; (4) data synthesis; and (5) development of an initial programme theory. It also included stakeholder discussions with health care professionals recruited from nursing home care, which focused on their experiences with delirium. RESULTS: From a set of 1703 initially identified publications, ten publications were included in this realist review. Based on these publications, context-mechanism-outcome configurations were developed; these configurations pertained to (1) management support, (2) cognitive impairments among residents, (3) familiarity with residents, (4) participatory intervention development, (5) practical application, (6) case scenarios, (7) support from experts and (8) relevance of communication. CONCLUSIONS: Educational interventions aimed at improving the delirium-specific knowledge of health care professionals should feature methodological diversity if they are to enhance health care professionals' interest in delirium and highlight the fundamental contributions they make to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of delirium. Educational interventions should also take into account the multidimensional contextual factors that can have massive impacts on the relevant mode of action as well as the responses of health care professionals in nursing homes. The identification of delirium in residents is a fundamental responsibility for nursing home staff. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This review has been registered at Open Science Framework https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/6ZKM3.

How and why educational interventions work to increase knowledge of delirium among healthcare professionals in nursing homes: a protocol for a realist review.

BACKGROUND: Delirium is a neuropathological condition that impairs cognitive performance, attention and consciousness and can be potentially life-threatening. Nursing home residents are particularly vulnerable to developing delirium, but research thus far tends to focus on the acute hospital setting. Healthcare professionals (HCPs) working in nursing homes seem to be little aware of delirium. To improve healthcare for affected or at-risk individuals, increasing knowledge among HCPs is highly relevant. Using the realist review method helps to understand how and why an educational intervention for HCPs on delirium in nursing homes works. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: In accordance with the Realist And Meta-narrative Evidence Syntheses: Evolving Standards publication standards for realist syntheses, the review process will include the following five steps: (1) search strategy and literature review; (2) study selection and assessment; (3) data extraction; (4) data synthesis and (5) development of an initial programme theory. The literature search will be conducted in the databases Medline (PubMed), CINAHL (Ebsco), Scopus, Web of Science, GeroLit and Carelit. Additional focuses are on snowballing techniques, hand research and grey literature. Studies of any design will be included to develop the initial programme theory. The literature will be selected by two researchers independently. In addition, the experiences of HCPs from nursing homes will be reflected in group discussions. To this end, Context-Mechanism-Outcome configurations (CMOcs) will be established to develop an initial programme theory. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The results will be disseminated within the scientific community. For this purpose, presentations at scientific conferences as well as publications in peer-reviewed journals are scheduled. In the next step, the CMOcs could serve for the development of a complex educational intervention to increase the knowledge of HCPs on delirium in nursing homes. REGISTRATION DETAILS: This protocol has been registered at Open Science Framework (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/HTFU4).

Longitudinal changes and determinants of parental willingness to pay for the prevention of childhood overweight and obesity.

BACKGROUND: Willingness to Pay (WTP) is an alternative to measure quality-adjusted life years for cost-effectiveness analyses. The aim was to evaluate longitudinal changes and determinants of parental WTP for the prevention of childhood overweight and obesity. METHODS: Longitudinal data from post- (T2) and follow-up (T3) measurements of a school-based health promotion program in Germany. Parental questionnaires included general WTP and the corresponding amount to reduce incidental childhood overweight and obesity by half. Longitudinal differences were examined with the McNemar test for general WTP and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test for the amount of WTP. Regression analyses were conducted to detect determinants. RESULTS: General parental WTP significantly decreased from 48.9% to 35.8% (p < 0.001, n = 760). Logistic regression analysis (n = 561) showed that parents with a tertiary education level and a positive general WTP at T2, families with a higher monthly household income, and those with abdominally obese children were significant predictors of general WTP at T3. Median amount of WTP at T3 was €20.00 (mean = €27.96 ± 26.90, n = 274). Assuming a WTP of €0 for those who were generally not willing to pay or did not answer, resulted in a median amount of WTP at T3 of €0 (m = €8.45, sd = €19.58, n = 906). According to linear regression analysis WTP at T2 was the only significant predictor for the amount of WTP at T3 (p = 0.000, n = 181). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the decline of general WTP, these results are a reflection of the public awareness of the problem and the need for action. Policy makers should recognize this and initiate sustainable public preventive strategies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: DRKS, DRKS00000494. Registered 25 August 2010, https://www.drks.de/drks_web/.

Skipping breakfast, overconsumption of soft drinks and screen media: longitudinal analysis of the combined influence on weight development in primary schoolchildren.

BACKGROUND: Regular breakfast and well-balanced soft drink, and screen media consumption are associated with a lower risk of overweight and obesity in schoolchildren. The aim of this research is the combined examination of these three parameters as influencing factors for longitudinal weight development in schoolchildren in order to adapt targeted preventive measures. METHODS: In the course of the Baden-Württemberg Study, Germany, data from direct measurements (baseline (2010) and follow-up (2011)) at schools was available for 1733 primary schoolchildren aged 7.08 ± 0.6 years (50.8% boys). Anthropometric measurements of the children were taken according to ISAK-standards (International Standard for Anthropometric Assessment) by trained staff. Health and lifestyle characteristics of the children and their parents were assessed in questionnaires. A linear mixed effects regression analysis was conducted to examine influences on changes in waist-to-height-ratio (WHtR), weight, and body mass index (BMI) measures. A generalised linear mixed effects regression analysis was performed to identify the relationship between breakfast, soft drink and screen media consumption with the prevalence of overweight, obesity and abdominal obesity at follow-up. RESULTS: According to the regression analyses, skipping breakfast led to increased changes in WHtR, weight and BMI measures. Skipping breakfast and the overconsumption of screen media at baseline led to higher odds of abdominal obesity and overweight at follow-up. No significant association between soft drink consumption and weight development was found. CONCLUSION: Targeted prevention for healthy weight status and development in primary schoolchildren should aim towards promoting balanced breakfast habits and a reduction in screen media consumption. Future research on soft drink consumption is needed. Health promoting interventions should synergistically involve children, parents, and schools. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The Baden-Württemberg Study is registered at the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS) under the DRKS-ID: DRKS00000494 .

MAP-IT: A Practical Tool for Planning Complex Behavior Modification Interventions.

Health research often aims to prevent noncommunicable diseases and to improve individual and public health by discovering intervention strategies that are effective in changing behavior and/or environments that are detrimental to one's health. Ideally, findings from original research support practitioners in planning and implementing effective interventions. Unfortunately, interventions often fail to overcome the translational block between science and practice. They often ignore theoretical knowledge, overlook empirical evidence, and underrate the impact of the environment. Accordingly, sustainable changes in individual behavior and/or the environment are difficult to achieve. Developing theory-driven and evidence-based interventions in the real world is a complex task. Existing implementation frameworks and theories often do not meet the needs of health practitioners. The purpose of this article is to synthesize existing frameworks and to provide a tool, the Matrix Assisting Practitioner's Intervention Planning Tool (MAP-IT), that links research to practice and helps practitioners to design multicomponent interventions. In this article, we use physical activity of older adults as an example to explain the rationale of MAP-IT. In MAP-IT, individual as well as environmental mechanisms are listed and behavior change techniques are linked to these mechanisms and to intervention components. MAP-IT is theory-driven and evidence-based. It is time-saving and helpful for practitioners when planning complex interventions.

Skipping breakfast is detrimental for primary school children: cross-sectional analysis of determinants for targeted prevention.

BACKGROUND: Skipping breakfast was found to be associated with abdominal obesity in primary school children. The aim of this research was to examine factors associated with skipping breakfast in primary school children in order to develop targeted preventive measures. METHODS: Baseline data assessment (2010) of a cluster-randomized controlled trial for the evaluation of a school-based health promotion program in primary school children in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Anthropometric measures of 1,943 primary school children aged 7.1 ± 0.6 years (51.2% boys) were conducted according to ISAK-standards (International Standard for Anthropometric Assessment) by trained staff. Further information on the health and living conditions of the children and their parents were assessed in parental questionnaires. Generalized linear mixed regression analysis was calculated to define correlates for skipping breakfast in terms of odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: According to the final regression models, significant correlates of skipping breakfast can be divided into modifiable behavioral components (high consumption of soft drinks (OR 2.49, 95% CI 1.81; 3.43), screen media (OR 2.48, 95% CI 1.77; 3.46) and high levels of physical activity (OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.44; 0.93)) on the one hand, and more or less static socio-economic factors (migration background (OR 2.81, 95% CI 2.02; 3.91), single parenting (OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.34; 3.40), and high family education level (OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.28; 0.64)) on the other hand, and finally individual factors (female gender (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.03; 1.99) and having a percentage of body fat at or above the 95th percentile (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.00; 2.17)). CONCLUSION: Targeted prevention should aim at health-related behaviors accompanying the habit of skipping breakfast. Focusing on vulnerable groups, characterized by not so easily modifiable socio-economic as well as individual factors, may improve results. Interventions should synergistically promote children's health and involve their parents in order to be successful. To reach all children and to avoid skipping breakfast, schools should offer regular breakfast at the start of a school day. Policy makers should support healthy eating habits at all times.

Costs and effects of a state-wide health promotion program in primary schools in Germany - the Baden-Württemberg Study: A cluster-randomized, controlled trial.

AIM: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the state-wide implementation of the health promotion program "Join the Healthy Boat" in primary schools in Germany. METHODS: Cluster-randomized intervention trial with wait-list control group. Anthropometric data of 1733 participating children (7.1 ± 0.6 years) were taken by trained staff before and after a one year intervention period in the academic year 2010/11. Parents provided information about the health status, and the health behaviour of their children and themselves, parental anthropometrics, and socio-economic background variables. Incidence of abdominal obesity, defined as waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) ≥ 0.5, was determined. Generalized linear models were applied to account for the clustering of data within schools, and to adjust for baseline-values. Losses to follow-up and missing data were analysed. From a societal perspective, the overall costs, costs per pupil, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) to identify the costs per case of averted abdominal obesity were calculated. RESULTS: The final regression model for the incidence of abdominal obesity shows lower odds for the intervention group after an adjustment for grade, gender, baseline WHtR, and breakfast habits (odds ratio = 0.48, 95% CI [0.25; 0.94]). The intervention costs per child/year were €25.04. The costs per incidental case of averted abdominal obesity varied between €1515 and €1993, depending on the different dimensions of the target group. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the positive effects of state-wide, school-based health promotion on incidental abdominal obesity, at affordable costs and with proven cost-effectiveness. These results should support allocative decisions of policymakers. An early start to the prevention of abdominal obesity is of particular importance because of its close relationship to non-communicable diseases. TRIAL REGISTRATION: German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS), Freiburg University, Germany, DRKS-ID: DRKS00000494.

Effects of statewide health promotion in primary schools on children's sick days, visits to a physician and parental absence from work: a cluster-randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Based on the World Health Organization's global school health initiative we investigate intervention effects of statewide health promotion in schools on the numbers of children's sick days and visits to a physician, and parental days off work due to child illness. METHODS: Cluster-randomized trial with 1-year follow-up in primary schools in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Anthropometric measurements of first and second grade school children were taken by trained staff. Parents filled in questionnaires for information about socio-demographics, health-related variables, numbers of children's sick days, visits to a physician, and days parents had to stay off work to care for a sick child. Longitudinal differences in the outcome variables were calculated between baseline and follow-up. Intraclass correlation coefficients were determined to quantify a possible clustering of data in schools. Accordingly, linear models and linear mixed models were applied to identify relationships and ascertain significances. RESULTS: Data from 1943 children (1st grade n = 1024, 6.6 ± 0.4 years old; 2nd grade n = 919, 7.6 ± 0.4 years old) were available at baseline. Unadjusted differences regarding both grades were found between mean longitudinal changes in intervention and control group in children's sick days (-3.2 ± 7.1 vs. -2.3 ± 5.6, p = 0.013), and maternal days off work (-0.9 ± 2.4 vs. -0.5 ± 2.8, p = 0.019). The intervention effect on sick days was adjusted in a linear regression for baseline values, gender and migration background and confirmed for first grade children (B = -0.83, p = 0.003). The intervention effect on maternal days off work lost its significance after adjusting for baseline values. No significant differences were detected in the numbers of children's visits to a physician and paternal days off work. CONCLUSIONS: School-based health promotion slightly reduces sick days in first grade children. Subsequently, parents may not need to stay off work themselves. Small individual effects add up to larger benefits in a statewide implementation of health promotion. Additionally, health promotion may also positively contribute to school success. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered on the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS), Freiburg University, Germany, under the DRKS-ID: DRKS00000494 . Registered: 25 August 2010.

Correlates of longitudinal changes in the waist-to-height ratio of primary school children: Implications for prevention.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate correlates of changes in waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) in primary school children in order to identify modifiable factors usable for prevention. METHODS: Outcome evaluation of a statewide health promotion program in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Baseline (2010) and follow-up (2011) measurements provided data for the calculation of changes in WHtR. Further information on the health and living conditions of the children were assessed in parental questionnaires. Anthropometric measures were taken in 1733 (50.8% male) first and second grade children (age at baseline 7.1 ± 0.6 years) by staff trained according to ISAK-standards. Stepwise linear regression analysis was applied to identify variables with influence on changes in WHtR. RESULTS: According to the resulting regression model, changes in WHtR towards an increase were influenced by at least one parent being overweight/obese, at least one parent who smoked, low household income, higher age of the child and the skipping of breakfast. There was no clustering effect in schools observed. CONCLUSION: A promising target for prevention of gain in WHtR in primary school children is to ensure the regularity of breakfast. Smoking cessation as well as dietary improvements would not only help children's health but also the health of their parents. The socioeconomic influence on the development of an unhealthy weight status has already been acknowledged and should be extensively targeted by all of society and policy makers.

Parents' willingness to pay for the prevention of childhood overweight and obesity.

OBJECTIVE: To determine parental willingness-to-pay (WTP) for childhood obesity prevention. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from the follow-up measurements (2011) of a health promotion programme in German primary schools. Data collection included anthropometric measurements of children and self-administered questionnaires for parents, including WTP assessment. Mann-Whitney U-Test was used for differences between groups, and regression analysis to identify factors associated with general WTP and amount of WTP. RESULTS: From 1 534 parents, 97.8% considered overweight/obesity to be serious public health problems. A general WTP to reduce the incidence of childhood overweight/obesity by half, was declared by 48.8%. Parents of overweight/obese children showed with 61.4%, significantly more frequently, their general WTP than the others with 47.2% (p = 0.001). Mean WTP was 23.04 (99% confidence interval (CI) [22.45; 23.75]) per month. Parents of centrally obese children showed significantly higher WTP than parents of the other children (p = 0.001). General WTP and the amount of WTP were associated with the central obesity of the child, migration status and household income. Additionally, general WTP was associated with maternal obesity. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly half of the parents were willing to invest in prevention of obesity. The general WTP significantly occurs more often and with higher amount in affected parents.