Articles

Mobile phones support adherence and retention of Indigenous participants in a randomised controlled trial: strategies and lessons learnt

Ensuring adherence to treatment and retention is important in clinical trials, particularly in remote areas and minority groups. This paper describes a novel approach to improve adherence, retention and clinical review rates of Indigenous children. the use of mobile phones within an Indigenous-appropriate framework has been an effective strategy to support a clinical trial involving Australian Indigenous children in urban and remote Australia. Further research is required to explore other applications of this approach, including the impact on clinical outcomes.

Comparison of Nurses' and Families' Perception of Family Needs in Critical Care Unit at Referral Hospitals in Malawi.

Cost-Effectiveness of Improving Health Care to People with HIV in Nicaragua

Maternal Overweight and Obesity and Risks of Severe Birth-Asphyxia-Related Complications in Term Infants: A Population-Based Cohort Study in Sweden

Maternal overweight and obesity increase risks of pregnancy and delivery complications and neonatal mortality, but the mechanisms are unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate associations between maternal body mass index (BMI) in early pregnancy and severe asphyxia-related outcomes in infants delivered at term (≥37 weeks).

Methods for Specifying the Target Difference in a Randomised Controlled Trial: The Difference ELicitation in TriAls (DELTA) Systematic Review

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are widely accepted as the preferred study design for evaluating healthcare interventions. When the sample size is determined, a (target) difference is typically specified that the RCT is designed to detect. This provides reassurance that the study will be informative, i.e., should such a difference exist, it is likely to be detected with the required statistical precision. The aim of this review was to identify potential methods for specifying the target difference in an RCT sample size calculation.

Pakistan Food Fortification Scoping Study

Food fortification is safe and cost-effective in the prevention of micronutrient deficiencies and has been widely practiced in developed countries for well over a century. The findings in this report clearly support the utilization of food fortification strategies at scale, which could build on the recent success of the iodized salt programme. Given the widespread prevalence in Pakistan of deficiencies in iron and in vitamins A and D, food fortification strategies offer a tangible option for delivering these micronutrients on a large scale.

Effects of postnatal interventions for the reduction of vertical HIV transmission on infant growth and non-HIV infections: a systematic review

Pressure ulcer prevention knowledge among Jordanian nurses: a cross sectional study

Rates and determinants of seasonal influenza vaccination in pregnancy and association with neonatal outcomes

There is growing evidence that seasonal influenza vaccination in pregnancy has benefits for mother and baby. The authors in this paper determined influenza vaccination rates among pregnant women during the 2 nonpandemic influenza seasons following the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, explored maternal factors as predictors of influenza vaccination status and evaluated the association between maternal influenza vaccination and neonatal outcomes. This study and others have shown an association between maternal influenza vaccination and improved neonatal outcomes, which supports stronger initiatives to promote vaccination during pregnancy.

Evidence based practice beliefs and implementation among nurses: a cross-sectional study

Effect of gravity on volume of placental transfusion: a multicentre, randomised, non-inferiority trial

Delayed cord clamping allows for the passage of blood from the placenta to the baby and reduces the risk of iron deficiency in infancy. To hold the infant for more than 1 min at the level of the vagina (as is presently recommended), on the assumption that gravity affects the volume of placental transfusion, is cumbersome, might result in low compliance, and interferes with immediate contact of the infant with the mother. This study aimed to assess whether gravity affects the volume of placental transfusion.

Musculo-skeletal disorder risk factors among nurses in low resource settings: a cross sectional case study in Uganda

How to Write a Brilliant Cover Letter

This article explains how to write a cover letter for a research job, tailored for each job and to maximise your chances of securing an interview. Examples and templates are given.

How to find a research job

This article describes how to seek research jobs which will suiit you, and how to work out from the job description the best ways to apply and secure an interview. 

Writing Research CVs

This article gives practical advice about how to create an excellent research CV, and has links to many templates and advice articles from around the world, as well as information about how to use the Professional Membership Scheme to create a free, formatted GCP-standard CV for you which can be used for site files and job applications.

Factors associated with non-utilization of child immunization in Pakistan: evidence from the Demographic and Health Survey 2006-07

The proportion of incompletely immunized children in Pakistan varies from 37-58%, and this has recently resulted in outbreaks of measles and polio. The aim of this paper is to determine the factors associated with incomplete immunization among children aged 12-23 months in Pakistan.

Can food vouchers improve nutrition and reduce health inequalities in low-income mothers and young children: a multi-method evaluation

Good nutrition is important during pregnancy, breastfeeding and early life to optimise the health of women and children. It is difficult for low-income families to prioritise spending on healthy food. Healthy Start is a targeted United Kingdom (UK) food subsidy programme that gives vouchers for fruit, vegetables, milk, and vitamins to low-income families. This paper reports an evaluation of Healthy Start from the perspectives of women and health practitioners.

Prevalence of Malaria in Ile Ife over a period of 2 years

To raise awareness and assess malaria risk we carried out malaria control programme over a 2- year period to determine the prevalence of malaria through the use of RDT screening methods with corresponding treatment of patients that tested positive to the disease.

ENDING NEWBORN DEATHS: Ensuring every baby survives

The latest report by 'Save the Children' highlights that the world has made remarkable progress in the fight to end child mortality in recent years. Since 1990, we have almost halved the number of children who die every year before the age of five – from 12.6 million to 6.6 million. And yet, in spite of this progress, child mortality remains one of the great shames of our modern world. Every day, 18,000 children under five die, and most from preventable causes. See the attach report to discover how 2 million newborn babies who could be saved each year if we end preventable newborn mortality.

Preterm Birth and Childhood Wheezing Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Accumulating evidence implicates early life factors in the aetiology of non-communicable diseases, including asthma/wheezing disorders. We undertook a systematic review investigating risks of asthma/wheezing disorders in children born preterm, including the increasing numbers who, as a result of advances in neonatal care, now survive very preterm birth.