Dataset Information

Lack of awareness among future medical professionals about the risk of consuming hidden phosphate-containing processed food and drinks.

ABSTRACT: Phosphate toxicity is an important determinant of mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), particularly those undergoing hemodialysis treatments. CKD patients are advised to take a low phosphate-containing diet, and are additionally prescribed with phosphate-lowering drugs. Since these patients usually seek guidance from their physicians and nurses for their dietary options, we conducted a survey to determine the levels of awareness regarding the high phosphate content in commercially processed food and drinks among medical and nursing students at the Hirosaki University School of Medicine in Japan. For this survey, 190 medical and nursing students (average age 21.7±3 years) were randomly selected, and provided with a list of questions aimed at evaluating their awareness of food and drinks containing artificially added phosphate ingredients. While 98.9% of these students were aware of the presence of sugar in commercially available soda drinks, only 6.9% were aware of the presence of phosphate (phosphoric acid). Similarly, only 11.6% of these students were aware of the presence of phosphate in commercially processed food, such as hamburgers and pizza. Moreover, around two thirds of the surveyed students (67.7%) were unaware of the harmful effects of unrestricted consumption of phosphate-containing food and drinks. About 28% of the surveyed students consume such "fast food" once a week, while 40% drink at least 1?5 cans of soda drinks/week. After realizing the potential long-term risks of consuming excessive phosphate-containing food and drinks, 40.5% of the survey participants considered reducing their phosphate intake by minimizing the consumption of commercially processed "fast food" items and soda drinks. Moreover, another 48.4% of students showed interest in obtaining more information on the negative health effects of consuming excessive amounts of phosphate. This survey emphasizes the need for educational initiative to raise awareness of the health risks posed by excessive consumption of phosphate additives.

SUBMITTER: Shutto Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3248402 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Lack of awareness among future medical professionals about the risk of consuming hidden phosphate-containing processed food and drinks.

Shutto Yoshiko Y Shimada Michiko M Kitajima Maiko M Yamabe Hideaki H Razzaque Mohammed S MS

PloS one 20111229 12

Phosphate toxicity is an important determinant of mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), particularly those undergoing hemodialysis treatments. CKD patients are advised to take a low phosphate-containing diet, and are additionally prescribed with phosphate-lowering drugs. Since these patients usually seek guidance from their physicians and nurses for their dietary options, we conducted a survey to determine the levels of awareness regarding the high phosphate content in commerc ...[more]

PMID: 22220204

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundLike many other women in the developing world, the practice of breast cancer screening among Ghanaian women is unsatisfactory. As a result, many cases are diagnosed at advanced stages leading to poor outcomes including mortalities. An understanding of the awareness and predictors of breast examination is an important first step that may guide the design of interventions aimed at raising awareness across the general population. This study aimed to explore the awareness, risk factors, and self-reported screening practices of breast cancer among female undergraduate students at the University of Health and Allied Sciences.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted among 385 female undergraduate students using a pre-tested questionnaire. Data were analysed using Stata Version 13.1 and presented using descriptive and inferential statistics comprising frequency, percentage, chi-square, and binary logistic regression. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were computed to quantify the association between regular Breast-Self Examination (BSE) and socio-demographic characteristics of respondents.ResultsSeventy-three per cent of the students were aware of breast cancer, with social media being the most important source of information (64.4%). The prevalence of breast cancer risk factors varied from 1% of having a personal history of breast cancer to 14.3% for positive family history of breast cancer. Current use of oral pills/injectable contraceptives was confirmed by 13.2% of participants; 20% were current alcohol users and10.1% were physically inactive. Regarding breast examination, 42.6% performed BSE; 10.1% had Clinical Breast Examination (CBE), while 2.3% had undergone mammography in the three years preceding the study. Women who did not believe to be susceptible to breast cancer (AOR: 0.04; 95%CI: 0.02-0.09) and those who did not know their risk status (AOR: 0.02; 95%CI: 0.005-0.57) were less likely to perform regular BSE compared to those who displayed pessimism. Further, women with no religious affiliation had 0.11 (95%CI: 0.02-0.55) odds of examining their breast regularly compared to Christians.ConclusionThis study demonstrated moderate awareness of the modalities of breast cancer screening and the risk factors of breast cancer among the students. However, there exists a gap between awareness and practice of breast cancer screening, which was influenced by optimism in breast cancer risk perception and religion. Awareness campaigns and education should be intensified in the University to bridge this gap.

Project description:The digital era has seen rapid changes in how information is consumed. Traditional dissemination of scholarly work through biomedical journals may not be optimally tailored to the preferences of younger clinicians and researchers. We aimed to describe the perspectives of young clinicians and researchers in kidney disease on consuming scientific information. Three focus groups were conducted during the 2017 American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week with a total of 29 nephrologists and researchers (ages 40 years old and younger) purposively sampled through our networks and the American Society of Nephrology registration database. Data were analyzed thematically. Of the 72 participants invited, 29 participated from 28 centers across 13 countries. Five themes were identified: capturing and retaining attention (with subthemes of triggering interest, optimizing readability, and navigation to sustain motivation); having discernible relevance (resonating with clinical and research interests, supporting professional development, action-oriented and readily applicable, able to disseminate, contextualizing the study, and filtering out informational noise); immediacy and efficiency in processing information (requiring instantaneous and easy access, enabling rapid understanding, and facilitating comprehension of complex concepts); trusting legitimate and credible sources (authoritative indicator of importance and quality, reputable experts broadening perspective, certainty and confidence with collegial input, accurate framing and translation of the message, ascertaining methodologic detail and nuances, and integrating the patient perspective); and social dialoguing and debate. Immediate and digitally optimized access motivated young kidney professionals to consume scientific information. Mechanisms that enable them to distil relevant and new evidence, appraise and apply information to clinical practice and research, disseminate studies to colleagues, and engage in discussion and debate may enhance their comprehension, confidence, interpretation, and use of scientific literature.

Project description:BackgroundTeledentistry is believed to improve dentalcare provided to patients and time management efficiency. In addition, teledentistry can be a useful tool for peer education, consultations and ensures proper channeling for referrals.ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore Saudi Arabian dental professionals' perceptions of teledentistry's benefits in improving dental practice and patient care.MethodsA descriptive cross-sectional study involving an electronic survey of a sample of Saudi Arabian dental professionals. A validated 26-item, 5-point Likert-scale questionnaire was used to assess perceptions of dental professionals in four domains: usefulness of teledentistry for patients, the usefulness of teledentistry for dental practice; the potential of teledentistry to improve practice; and existing concerns about the use of teledentistry. Statistical analyses involved descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis using SPSS software. Significant differences were considered at a p-value of 0.05.ResultsWith an overall response rate of 28.6%, 286 dental professionals participated in the study. More than 70% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that teledentistry would improve dental practice through enhancing communication with peers, guidance and referral of new patients. A substantial proportion of respondents (60-70%) expressed uncertainty with technical reliability, privacy and diagnostic accuracy. The participants' qualification was statistically significant with usefulness of teledentistry for patients (p = 0.027), while work experience in years was statistically significant with both usefulness of teledentistry for dental practice and patients (p = 0.046 and <0.0001 respectively).ConclusionGenerally, the feedback gained by this study showed readiness of the dental professionals to be engaged in the teledentistry approach. Further investigation of the business model of teledentistry is needed to understand the readiness and challenges. Directed campaign to educate dentists and the public of the technology and it is potential is necessary.

Project description:Background: The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has claimed thousands of lives worldwide. To enhance knowledge and awareness of COVID-19, considerable online resources have been made available, including aspects related to the dental profession. The study aim was to examine the knowledge, perception, and attitude of dental professionals in Indonesia toward COVID-19. We conducted a survey via a questionnaire created using Google docs and distributed to 632 members of the Indonesian Dental Association in the context of a webinar hosted by the Indonesian Oral Biology Association on first June, 2020. Materials and Methods: The questionnaire consisted of 17 items pertaining to demographic data, knowledge and virus identification, awareness regarding drugs commonly used in dentistry during pandemic and research opportunities. Participants were asked to complete the questionnaire after the webinar by choosing one answer to each question. For the analysis, participants were divided into three groups according to their professional background i.e., employment at national hospital, private hospital, or academic faculty. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and expressed as frequencies and percentages. The chi-square test was used to investigate the association between professional activity and the level of knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes about COVID-19. Results: Sixty percent of the participants correctly identified the pathogenesis of the disease. This knowledge was not associated with their professional affiliation (p = 0.95). Sixty-seven percentage had comprehensive knowledge about virus detection methods. This knowledge was not associated with their affiliation either (p = 0.54). Questions regarding drugs of choice, prevention, and the spread of COVID-19 were correctly answered by 89, 96, and 82% of the participants, respectively. Knowledge of these aspects were significantly associated with the professional affiliation (p < 0.05). All respondents were optimistic regarding research opportunities (p < 0.01). Respondents from academics were more interested in joining COVID-19-related research projects with governmental institutions (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Knowledge and awareness of COVID-19 among Indonesian dentists are reasonably good. However, further improvement would be beneficial to manage patients during this pandemic. As the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Indonesia, it is important that dentists keep abreast of the updated knowledge on this moving field. Dentist knowledge on infection control should be strengthened through continuous educational programs.

Dataset Information

Lack of awareness among future medical professionals about the risk of consuming hidden phosphate-containing processed food and drinks.

Publications

Lack of awareness among future medical professionals about the risk of consuming hidden phosphate-containing processed food and drinks.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets