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D DeVos

Publications and source records attributed to D DeVos.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

Use of a urea breath test versus invasive methods to determine the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori in Zaire.

The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in Zaire was determined by means of a [14C] urea breath test in 133 asymptomatic subjects, by culture and histological examination of biopsies in 324 consecutive endoscopy patients with chronic epigastric complaints, and by both the breath test and culture/histology in a subset of 92 patients. Sixty healthy Belgian students or hospital laboratory workers were also included for comparison. The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori was significantly higher in asymptomatic Zairian subjects (77.4%) than in the Belgians (30%; p less than 10(-6)). Infection was also acquired much earlier in life in Africans, 66% of the children aged 5 to 9 years already being infected versus none of the Belgian subjects below the age of 20 years. In Zaire, however, the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori in patients with gastroduodenal disorders (87.5%) was similar to that in the group of asymptomatic subjects (77.5%) after adjustment for age and other epidemiological parameters (gender, place of residency, education level, smoking and drinking habits) in a multivariate analysis. The high rate of acquisition of Helicobacter pylori infection in Zaire emphasizes the need to consider the baseline prevalence of Helicobacter pylori in a defined population when studying its association with various diseases.

Adult↗

Long-term relationship between weight and aerobic-fitness change in children.

The relationship between changes in relative weight and fitness was assessed 5 years after children began treatment for obesity. Multivariate regression analysis showed that two factors were independently related to fitness change: (a) maintenance of weight loss from the end of 6 months of treatment to the 5-year follow-up and (b) initial fitness level. Children who showed the largest long-term changes in relative weight and the lowest initial fitness showed the largest improvements in fitness. Short-term weight loss was not related to long-term fitness change. These results show that weight loss and fitness are related over 5 years.

Body Weight↗

Students' expectations of clinical teachers.

Clinical instructors play an essential role in the education of all health care students, including radiation therapy students. However, a review of the literature shows that no studies have examined radiation therapy students' expectations of their clinical instructors. To assess those expectations, a national survey was conducted of 282 radiation therapy students enrolled in 61 programs in 28 states. Survey results then were analyzed to generate a list of the students' expectations of clinical instructors and to look at possible significant relationships between the various groups surveyed. Survey results showed that the most common expectation among first-, second- and third-year radiation therapy students was that their clinical instructors "take time, both in explaining procedures and answering questions." Among fourth-year students, the most commonly cited expectation for clinical instructors was that they "model professionalism."

Adult↗