Trauma and Intensive Care Nursing Knowledge and Attitude of Foley Catheter Insertion and Maintenance.

In the acute care setting, the majority of urinary tract infections are associated with indwelling urinary catheters. Despite guidelines for proper use, catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) continue to occur in critically ill/injured patients. There is a paucity of data on the translation between CAUTI prevention education and behavioral change. This project evaluated nurse's clinical knowledge and attitude toward Foley catheter insertion and maintenance to determine the benefits of addressing gaps in knowledge and inconsistencies in attitude through education.A prospective cohort study was conducted with registered nurses from the emergency room, trauma/surgical, and medical intensive care units. Participant's clinical knowledge and attitude toward Foley catheter usage and CAUTIs were evaluated using a 20-question survey tool before and after a CAUTI education program.Forty-eight nurses completed the presurvey, educational training, and postsurvey. The mean postsurvey score was significantly higher (86.9 ± 8.3%) than the presurvey score (76.0 ± 12.3%) for the knowledge section of the survey. There was no marked difference in participant attitude following the educational training, with mean presurvey and postsurvey scores of 91.3 ± 7.0% and 89.8 ± 5.3%, respectively. After the course, participants were more confident in their clinical knowledge; however, perception regarding CAUTI prevention did not improve. A series of unannounced rounding observations before and after the intervention showed an improvement in proper Foley catheter maintenance.Catheter-associated urinary tract infection prevention education was an effective countermeasure to address gaps in clinical knowledge, but modifying attitudes was difficult to achieve. In the short term, the training appeared to improve proper maintenance in clinical practice.

"Smart Bodies" school wellness program increased children's knowledge of healthy nutrition practices and self-efficacy to consume fruit and vegetables.

Diets rich in fruit and vegetables are important for long-term health yet children frequently do not like these foods. The "Smart Bodies" school wellness program sought to increase children's knowledge of healthy nutritional practices, improve psychosocial variables associated with eating fruit and vegetables, and develop preferences for these foods. A randomized controlled intervention trial was conducted in 14 low-income, urban, public elementary schools (seven pairs). Data from 278 fourth and 282 fifth graders (234 boys, 326 girls; 82% Black, 10% White, 1% Hispanic, 5% Asian, 2% Other) were examined using multi-level modeling. The 12-week intervention program included participation in an interactive wellness exhibit and a classroom curriculum that emphasized consumption of fruit and vegetables. After the intervention, children that participated in the "Smart Bodies" program had greater nutrition knowledge and expressed more confidence that they could eat fruit instead of a favorite dessert, drink fruit juice and consume the recommended number of fruits and vegetables servings each day. Preferences for fruit and vegetables did not change as a result of participating in the program. These findings demonstrate that the "Smart Bodies" school-based wellness intervention positively impacted children's nutrition knowledge and psychosocial variables associated with consuming fruit and vegetables.

Black children with high preferences for fruits and vegetables are at less risk of being at risk of overweight or overweight.

Food preferences play a central role in food choices and consumption. The primary objective of this study was to examine the relationship between children's preferences for fruits and vegetables and their weight status. A total of 341 black children (43% boys; 68% fourth graders) attending low-income, public elementary schools in southeastern Louisiana volunteered to participate. Children were measured for height and weight and completed a survey that sought their preferences for 38 different fruits and vegetables during the fall of 2005. Results indicated that children preferred fruits more than vegetables and that there was a negative association between children's mean fruit and vegetable preference score and their body mass index for age percentile (r=-0.26; P=0.01). Children who reported a very low preference for fruits and vegetables were 5.5 times more likely to be categorized as at risk for overweight or overweight than were those who reported a high preference for fruits and vegetables (odds ratio: 5.5; confidence interval: 1.97 to 15.44; P<0.01). It is believed that food preferences are established early in life; therefore, nutritionists and other health care professionals should promote children's acceptance and intake of fruits and vegetables as a measure to reduce the prevalence of overweight among children.