[The association between the need for psychosocial support, patients' desire for psychosocial support and received psychosocial interventions in cancer patients]. / Der Zusammenhang zwischen psychoonkologischem Betreuungsbedarf, Wunsch nach Unterstützung und tatsächlicher Behandlung bei Krebspatientinnen und -patienten.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to examine the association between the need for psychosocial support, the patients' desire for support and the actually received psychosocial interventions in cancer patients. METHODS: The need for psychosocial support was assessed with the Hornheider Screening Instrument (HSI ³ 4) in 455 cancer patients. The subjective desire for psychosocial support was assessed with a single question. In addition, the actually received psychosocial interventions were retrieved from the hospital documentation system of the psycho-oncology service. RESULTS: Overall, 41.8 % of the participants received a positive screening result indicative for the need for psychosocial support, 19.8 % reported a desire for support, and 41.5 % actually received at least one psychosocial intervention. The agreement between objective need and subjective desire for psychosocial support was low (k = 0.352). Received psychosocial interventions were significantly associated with the subjective desire but not with the objective need for support as assessed with the HSI. CONCLUSIONS: The low associations between need and desire for psychosocial support as well as between need and actually received psychosocial interventions suggest that the decision for psychosocial support should be based on the objective as well as the self-reported need for help.

[Weight concerns and dieting among 8 to 12-year-old children]. / Gewichtssorgen und Diätverhalten bei Kindern in der 3. und 4. Klasse.

According to a recent study it could be shown that more than one third of female high school students and more than 20 % of male students in the age of 14 to 18 years indicated an impaired eating behaviour, expressed as a medium or high risk to develop eating disorders based upon the standardized Eating Attitudes Test (EAT) . The current study tested the prevalence of weight concerns and dieting as an indicator of problematic eating behaviour among younger children. 230 Thuringian female and male students in the 3 (rd) and 4 (th) year (between 8 and 12-years-old) as well as their parents were investigated using standardized and modified instruments. Weight and height were measured directly to determine the Body Mass Index (BMI) that was put into relation to some factors of potential influence such as parents, peers, media and eating behaviours. It could be shown that 42 % of the boys and 53 % of the girls preferred a thin ideal body image; 32 % of the children revealing normal weight expressed the wish to be thinner. 18 % of the boys and 19 % of the girls tried to lose weight at the time of the investigation. Dieting was influenced by the perceived (not actual) dieting behaviour of the parents. The BMI significantly predicted weight concerns: In total, 85 % of the overweight children but also 17 % of the children with normal weight were convinced to be overweight. The girls' eating behaviour was mostly influenced by the peers, the boys' behaviour by criticism of the parents. Generally, a significant influence of the media could be demonstrated.