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Biomedical subjects

J C Vuille

Publications and source records attributed to J C Vuille.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1979

Socio-economic status of the family and health problems in the preschool child. Lack of correlation in a Swedish sample.

Recent reports from countries with a highly developed economic status point out the association of well-being of children with socio-economic factors. The aim of the present investigation was to examine the extent to which health problems, i.e. functional impairments, diseases and handicaps, in 4-year-old children are related to socio-economic factors. The analysis was based on data from 7 173 children who had undergone the routine general health screening of 4-year-olds in the county of Uppsala. In the statistical analysis the main emphasis was laid on an explanation of the variance on the individual plane. The results showed that the correlations between health problems and socio-economic factors in general were weak or non-existent. An explanation of the lack of correlation in our sample might be that Sweden had succeeded in largely eliminating the health problems associated with external living conditions of the family. If differences between population groups do exist--and in the light of findings from other investigations it seems highly probable that they do--then these differences are probably to be sought in families' way of functioning, in the internal and external pattern of communication, in the general emotional climate and in the degree of social integration in the society.

Child Development↗
PubMed1979

Obesity in 10-year-olds: an epidemiologic study.

With a multifactorial pathogenetic model (heredity versus environment, central nervous control, energy balance, morphology of the fat tissue), an attempt was made by this study to assess the relative importance of the various factors to the origin of overweight and obesity in school children. From an original sample of 972 children followed longitudinally from the ages of 7 to 16 years, and with retrospective weight data from the first year of life, 550 were selected for this study at age 10. Information concerning the children's habits (physical activity and appetite), social conditions, and parental heights and weights were obtained from the parents by questionnaire (response rate 94%). The major results of a multiple regression analysis were: (1) clear-cut sex differences; heredity and physical inactivity having the greatest explanatory power for both overweight and obesity at 10 years in girls, whereas appetite and environmental conditions were more prominent predictors in boys; (2) an analysis of the main predictors of the variable "change in relative weight between 7 and 10 years"--a variable with possible implications for preventive school programs--indicated that markedly inactive only children from lower class families are particularly at risk of developing obesity during the first years at school; and (3) in the absence of all the risk factors considered in this study, obesity does not occur; at the other extreme, even a high risk score still implies a 50% chance of escaping the fate of obesity.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1978

[Registration and care for multi-handicapped children in the canton of Bern].

In spite of their greatly increased needs, multi-handicapped children as a group are not assessed earlier nor are they at a disadvantage in terms of quality of care if compared with other categories of handicapped. The group is not homogenous, however. Every subgroup has to be studied separately in planning strengthened services.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

[Preschool screening examinations in medical practice].

In most European countries systematic screening programs for infants and preschool children are being introduced or are already established as a routine procedure. The contents and the possible effects of such programs are discussed critically in this paper, which also describes the present state in Switzerland as well as a pilot project initiated by the Bernese Pediatric Association.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1977

[Health education through the teacher: recent development in the canton of Berne].

In the Canton of Berne, two working groups are currently developing a concept of school health education, in which the individual teacher assumes the principal role. In terms of documentation and availability of teaching aids, he is assisted by three addiction information centers, as well as other health institutions. Teaching goals are being formulated, socio-cultural conditions are being considered, and based on these, age specific lesson plans and exercises are being developed. On the other hand, the opportunity of a general reform of teacher training is being taken advantage of, in order to define main ideas, teaching goals and instructional contents for teacher training in human biology and health. The aim of teacher training in health education is twofold: on the one hand, it is to prepare the future teacher to include health education in his teaching skills; on the other hand, it is to enable the teacher to act appropriately, when faced with diseased or disabled pupils. The latter point becomes particularly important, as disabled children are being integrated into normal classes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

General health screening of four-year-olds in a Swedish country. V. A strategy for improving the effectiveness and the cost efficiency of the psychological screening program.

Data presented in a previous paper pointed to the necessity for improving the overall sensitivity of the psychological screening program. The present report indicates possibilities for such an improvement without changing the screening methods. A comparison of the primary data of the true positives, the false positives and all the negatives (non-referred) revealed the necessity of more stringent referral criteria. It is predicted that the systematic application these criteria would result in an increase in the rate of true positives form 2.8 to 4.8% of the screened population. In addition a strategy aiming at a reduction of the costs without deteriorating the effectiveness and based on a differential application of the various elements of the screening program is presented.

Child Behavior Disorders↗
PubMed1976

General health screening of four-year-olds in a Swedish county. IV. An analysis of the effectiveness of the psychological examination program.

Since 1969, 4-year-olds in the County of Uppsala have been offered extensive health screening at the Child Health Centres. In 1969 and 1970 a total of 3810 children underwent the screening procedure. The psychological screening instrument consisted of a questionnaire (to be answered by the parents), an interview of the parents, a psychomotor examination and an observation of the child's behaviour. 156 (4.1%) 4-year-olds were referred to a specialist team for investigation and decision concerning treatment. In the present study the effectiveness of the psychological screening instrument was assessed by its sensitivity, specificity and predictive value. The sensitivity was found to amount to a maximum of 0.73. The specificity was estimated to be 0.98-0.99, and the positive predictive value to 0.67. The authors consider the effectiveness to be sufficiently high to motivate continuation of the screening procedure for detection of psychological problems in pre-school age. Efforts should be made, however, to further improve the effectiveness.

Child Behavior↗