1) You read an abstract that you found for this week’s reading. What can you tell the class about the abstract? Is it in a style you would aim for when creating your own abstract? Does it have fl

1) You read an abstract that you found for this week’s reading. What can you tell the class about the abstract? Is it in a style you would aim for when creating your own abstract? Does it have fl
Lancet Psychiatry https://proxy.lirn.net/MuseProxyID=mp03/MuseSessionID=001749a/MuseProtocol=https/MuseHost=pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/MusePath/34653393/ . 2021 Oct 8;S2215-0366(21)00243-1.  doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(21)00243-1. Online ahead of print. Psychosocial and psychological interventions for relapse prevention in schizophrenia: a systematic review and network meta-analysis Irene Bighelli 1, Alessandro Rodolico 2, Helena García-Mieres 3, Gabi Pitschel-Walz 1, Wulf-Peter Hansen 4, Johannes Schneider-Thoma 1, Spyridon Siafis 1, Hui Wu 1, Dongfang Wang 1, Georgia Salanti 5, Toshi A Furukawa 6, Corrado Barbui 7, Stefan Leucht 8 Affiliations expand PMID: 34653393 DOI: 10.1016/S2215-0366(21)00243-1 Abstract Background: Many psychosocial and psychological interventions are used in patients with schizophrenia, but their comparative efficacy in the prevention of relapse is not known. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy, acceptability, and tolerability of psychosocial and psychological interventions for relapse prevention in schizophrenia. Methods: To conduct this systematic review and network meta-analysis we searched for published and unpublished randomised controlled trials that investigated psychosocial or psychological interventions aimed at preventing relapse in patients with schizophrenia. We searched EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, BIOSIS, Cochrane Library, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and ClinicalTrials.gov up to Jan 20, 2020, and searched PubMed up to April 14, 2020. We included open and masked studies done in adults with schizophrenia or related disorders. We excluded studies in which all patients were acutely ill, had a concomitant medical or psychiatric disorder, or were prodromal or “at risk of psychosis”. Study selection and data extraction were done by two reviewers independently based on published and unpublished reports, and by contacting study authors. Data were extracted about efficacy, tolerability, and acceptability of the interventions; potential effect moderators; and study quality and characteristics. The primary outcome was relapse measured with operationalised criteria or psychiatric hospital admissions. We did random-effects network meta-analysis to calculate odds ratios (ORs) or standardised mean differences (SMDs) with 95% CIs. The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO, CRD42019147884. Findings: We identified 27 765 studies through the database search and 330 through references of previous reviews and studies. We screened 28 000 records after duplicates were removed. 24 406 records were excluded by title and abstract screening and 3594 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. 3350 articles were then excluded for a variety of reasons, and 244 full-text articles corresponding to 85 studies were included in the qualitative synthesis. Of these, 72 studies with 10 364 participants (3939 females and 5716 males with sex indicated) were included in the network meta-analysis. The randomised controlled trials included compared 20 psychological interventions given mainly as add-on to antipsychotics. Ethnicity data were not available. Family interventions (OR 0·35, 95% CI 0·24-0·52), relapse prevention programmes (OR 0·33, 0·14-0·79), cognitive behavioural therapy (OR 0·45, 0·27-0·75), family psychoeducation (OR 0·56, 0·39-0·82), integrated interventions (OR 0·62, 0·44-0·87), and patient psychoeducation (OR 0·63, 0·42-0·94) reduced relapse more than treatment as usual at 1 year. The confidence in the estimates ranged from moderate to very low. We found no indication of publication bias. Interpretation: We found robust benefits in reducing the risk of relapse for family interventions, family psychoeducation, and cognitive behavioral therapy. These treatments should be the first psychosocial interventions to be considered in the long-term treatment for patients with schizophrenia. Funding: German Ministry for Education and Research. Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Conflict of interest statement Declaration of interests In the past 3 years, SL has received honoraria for service as a consultant or adviser for Alkermes, Angelini, Gedeon Richter, Lundbeck, Recordati, ROVI, Sandoz, and TEVA; and for lectures from Angelini, Eisai, Gedeon Richter, Janssen, Johnson and Johnson, Lundbeck, Merck Sharpp and Dome, Otsuka, Recordati, SanofiAventis, Sunovion, and Medichem. TAF reports grants and personal fees from Mitsubishi-Tanabe, personal fees from MSD, and grants and personal fees from Shionogi, outside of the submitted work. Additionally, TAF has a patent 2020-548587 concerning smartphone CBT applications pending, and intellectual properties for Kokoro-application licensed to Mitsubishi-Tanabe. All other authors declare no competing interests. LinkOut – more resources Medical MedlinePlus Health Information
1) You read an abstract that you found for this week’s reading. What can you tell the class about the abstract? Is it in a style you would aim for when creating your own abstract? Does it have fl
Oct. 14, 2021 PR Newswire PR Newswire Association LLC Conference news 836 wordsFull Text: First round of speakers released today includes doctors from Harvard and the Cleveland Clinic–and top pharmaceutical execs–exploring a new era where evidence-based wellness finally takes a bigger role in traditional medical systems across the globeMIAMI, Oct. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — The Global Wellness Summit (GWS), the foremost gathering of international leadersin the multitrillion-dollar global wellness economy, today announced its first round of speakers for the 2021 Summit taking place inperson in Boston, Massachusetts, and virtually all over the world (November 30 to December 3). The theme for the 15th annualconference is “A New New Era in Health & Wellness.” The agenda will explore the very different future ahead as healthcare andwellness converge in more obvious ways. The key topic announced today is how the pandemic has ushered in a new era intraditional medical care, as it actively pivots to focus on prevention and more holistic wellness.”Traditional medicine and wellness have long had a siloed, even combative relationship, but COVID has accelerated newconversations and collaborations as healthcare digests the human and economic costs of not focusing on prevention,” said SusieEllis, chair and CEO of GWS. “Everything is getting a ‘rethink’: Healthcare is shifting in so many ways to a more holistic model ofhealth and wellbeing, just as wellness companies are now forced to embrace hard science and evidence. We’re bringing togetherleaders across healthcare and self-care to discuss what this very different future will look like-a future where wellness takes a muchbigger role in medicine and science takes a much bigger role in wellness.”The Boston-based 2021 Summit will gather leading doctors and healthcare executives from research organizations such as Harvard,MIT, Cleveland Clinic and Pfizer to tackle this topic. To see a preview of 2021 speakers, click here (check back for updates).Select speakers on the future of healthcare:Michael Roizen, MD, is the first Chief Wellness Officer and an internist and anesthesiologist at the Cleveland Clinic and co-chair ofthis year’s conference. The author of five #1 New York Times best sellers, his career has been focused on motivating behaviorchange to help people live better and in better health for much longer. His keynote will explore how a new focus on longevity andlongevity science will transform medicine.Jeffrey Rediger, MD, is an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and a practicing physician at McLean Hospital. Firmlyrooted in traditional medicine, his book Cured is the result of his spending 17 years exhaustively studying individuals who have”spontaneously” recovered from incurable illnesses (whether cancer or arthritis)-research that persuaded him that it’s way past timeto embrace holistic health that focuses on an individual’s needs, while not eschewing the proven results modern medicine offers.Susan Silbermann is a former top executive at Pfizer who, prior to her retirement earlier this year after a 30-year career at thepharmaceutical giant, chaired Pfizer’s Global COVID-19 Task Force. She will lead a provocative panel with leading pharmaceuticalexecutives on some eye-opening new intersections between wellness, healthcare and medicine.Nicola Finley, MD, a board-certified internal medicine physician and faculty member at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of PublicHealth at the University of Arizona, will lead a panel on how the pandemic exposed inequities in both healthcare and wellness andhow that will be tackled in the future.Registration is now open for the in-person event at the Encore Boston Harbor; space is extremely limited. The 2020 GWS pioneerednew ways to keep attendees safe at a conference, and 2021 will be no different. All delegates must provide proof of vaccination. Virtual delegates from around the world will be hosted by Anna Bjurstam, Six Senses Wellness Pioneer and a GWS Board Member,who provided the dynamic virtual experience during last year’s event. Virtual attendees will have access to the entire on-stageagenda-live and on-demand-as well as special breakout sessions and online networking opportunities. Register to attend virtuallyhere .Editor’s Note: The GWS will issue speaker and panel announcements weekly in the lead-up to the 2021 event. To apply to attend theSummit in person or virtually as media, please fill out the media accreditation form . Media in-person attendance is limited.About the Global Wellness Summit -The Global Wellness Summit is the premier organization that brings together leaders andvisionaries to positively shape the future of the $4.5 trillion global wellness economy. Its future-focused conference is held at adifferent global location each year and has traveled to the US, Switzerland, Turkey, Bali, India, Morocco, Mexico, Austria, Italy andSingapore. GWS also hosts regular virtual gatherings, including Wellness Master Classes, Wellness Sector Spotlights and Investor”Reverse Pitch” events. The organization’s annual Global Wellness Trends Report offers expert-based predictions on the future ofwellness. The 2021 Summit will be held in Boston from November 30–December 3.Cassandra Cavanah, Global Wellness Summit, 8183974630, [email protected] Global Wellness Summit COPYRIGHT 2021 PR Newswire Association LLC http://www.prnewswire.com/ (MLA 9th Edition)    “Global Wellness Summit Announces Key Topic for Its 2021 Conference: How Traditional Healthcare Will Expand into Prevention and Wellness.” , 14 Oct. 2021, p. NA. , link.gale.com/apps/doc/A678922965/PPCM?u=lirn17237&sid=bookmark-PPCM&xid=55a63c03 . Accessed 19 Oct. 2021. GALE|A678922965
1) You read an abstract that you found for this week’s reading. What can you tell the class about the abstract? Is it in a style you would aim for when creating your own abstract? Does it have fl
MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS Author(s): Steven K. Galson Source: Public Health Reports (1974-) , MARCH/APRIL 2009 , Vol. 124, No. 2 (MARCH/APRIL 2009), pp. 189-191 Published by: Sage Publications, Inc. Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/25682191 JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected] Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at https://about.jstor.org/terms Sage Publications, Inc. is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Public Health Reports (1974-) This content downloaded from 69.57.233.164 on Wed, 20 Oct 2021 01:46:57 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms Surgeon General’s Perspectives MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS Mental health and wellness are essential to overall health. The World Health Organization defines health as “… a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being_”l For all of us, our mental, physical, and social health are interdependent. Consider the links between chronic disease and depression. Individuals who suffer from a chronic condition such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes have a greater risk of developing a mental disorder such as depression.1 Individuals with depression have a greater risk of developing chronic diseases such as cancer.2 The issue of comorbidity?the simultaneous occurrence of two or more conditions or diseases?is gaining interest. Furthermore, recent research indicated that obese individuals have a significantly increased risk for devel oping a mood, anxiety, personality, and alcohol risk disorder.3 In this survey of 41,000 adults, the elevated risk applied to both men and women.3 In turn, individu als who are depressed may be more likely to become obese or have other poor health outcomes.4 While mental illness can be an isolating and personal struggle, it is also a public health issue. We as a soci ety need to view mental disorders like other chronic medical conditions. They are highly treatable. For many individuals, recovery from mental disorders is possible. This message needs to be further emphasized to combat stigma and encourage more people to seek treatment. Mental illness can weave itself through all aspects of one’s life: physical health, parenting, work, childbear ing, finances, caregiving, and common daily activities. An estimated 46.4yb R I $ P H U L F D Q V Z L O O H [ S H U L H Q F H V R P e form of mental illness in their lifetime.5 Given a current U.S. population of more than 305 million, that figure represents an estimated 141 million of us. It does not include those affected by the mental illness of their spouses, parents, friends, children, or grandparents. In the U.S., these disorders cost billions of dollars in direct health costs and indirect costs: decreased pro ductivity, absenteeism, lost jobs and wages, untold pain and suffering, unraveling of families and friendships, and suicide. Various forms of depression are estimated to cost more than $83 billion a year.6 Anxiety disorders, which affect roughly 40 million American adults,7 cost more than $63 billion a year.6 RADM Steven K. Galson, Acting Surgeon General More than a decade of research tackling sex and gen der differences in mental health has revealed insights that should influence how we manage these conditions. For major depressive disorder, 20.0yb R I Z R P H Q D U e affected vs. 13.0yb R I P H Q 0 R U H W K D Q b of women will suffer from panic disorder compared with 3.1yb R f men. Women suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSDyf D W P R U H W K D Q W Z R W L P H V W K H U D W H R I P H Q b for women vs. 3.6yb R I P H Q : R P H Q U H S U H V H Q W b of all cases of eating disorders, which have the highest mortality rate of all mental disorders.9 Men have higher rates of impulse-control disorders and substance abuse disorders than do women. Almost 10.0yb R I P H Q K D Y H D W W H Q W L R Q G H I L F L W K S H U D F W L Y L W G L s order compared with 6.4yb R I Z R P H Q 1 H D U O b of men suffer from alcohol abuse, compared with 7.5yb of women. Of men, 11.6yb D U H D I I H F W H G E G U X J D E X V e vs. 4.8yb R I Z R P H Q 8 Males commit suicide at nearly four times the rate of females. However, women attempt suicide roughly two to three times as often as men.10 Men and women do have similar prevalence rates for some mental illnesses, as is the case with bipolar disorder.8 Yet notable differences exist in the presentation and course of these same ill nesses. For example, women tend to have a later age of onset of bipolar disorder than men, and they are Public Health Reports / March-April 2009 / Volume 124 O 189 This content downloaded from 69.57.233.164 on Wed, 20 Oct 2021 01:46:57 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms 190 O Surgeon General’s Perspectives more likely than men to experience a seasonal pattern of the mood disturbance.11 Important biological differences between men and women, such as hormones and brain structure, may affect the risk of developing certain mental disorders. Environmental factors may also be associated with sex-based variations in the risk, diagnosis, course, and treatment of selected mental illnesses. Examples of such factors include trauma and violence, gender roles, treatment-seeking behaviors, poverty, social status, and coping mechanisms. Mental health issues are not fully recognized by many policy makers, health-care providers, payers, and members of the general public. Mental disorders are too often untreated, underdiagnosed, misdiagnosed, ignored, stigmatized, and dismissed. Conducting research, developing treatment strate gies, and translating those findings into practice can help us prevent, manage, and detect mental illness. Correctly diagnosing and treating mental illness can mean life or death to an individual. Recognizing that reality, the Office of the Surgeon General has a 10-year history of work on mental health issues, starting with the publication of Mental Health: A Report of the Sur geon General in 1999.12 Additional Surgeon General publications provide evidence-based information on preventing suicide,13 on children14 (youth violence15 and child maltreatment16yf R Q Z R P H Q D Q G R Q U D F L D l and ethnic populations.18 In April 2002, the President’s New Freedom Com mission on Mental Health was established.19 The Com mission identified policies that could be implemented by federal, state, and local governments to better serve adults with a serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbances. In January 2009, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHSyf S X E O L V K H G $ F W L R Q 6 W H S V I R r Improving Women’s Mental Health.2 It combines the latest science of mental health with specific action steps for improving the mental health and well-being of women and girls. The document explores the sex-based dif ferences in the risk, onset, course, and treatment of mental disorders. Action Steps was supported by the DHHS Office on Women’s Health (OWHyf H V W D E O L V K H G L Q 1 to improve the health of women. OWH has since expanded its charge to include girls. OWH provides national leadership to promote health equity for women and girls through sex- and gender-specific approaches. Women’s mental health is an essential part of their overall health. That concept serves as the overarching theme of Action Steps. The report proposes the follow ing actions, among others: Integrate mental health services into primary care. Accelerate gender-based research on mental health. Recognize the unique prevalence of trauma, violence, and abuse in the lives of women and girls. Build resilience and protective factors to aid recovery. Incorporate gender differences, including mental health issues, into emergency preparedness plan ning, training, and response. The companion piece to Action Steps is entitled Women !s Mental Health: What it means to you.20 It targets a general audience with clear, concise, and visually interesting information. Its overall tone is positive, pro moting good mental health throughout a woman’s life span. Fear, stigma, trauma, and resiliency are addressed, as is the importance of seeking treatment. These two publications represent a collaborative effort of experts across DHHS. I want to acknowledge those efforts on behalf of the Office of the Surgeon General. Special thanks go to the employees of OWH for their work. As our society better understands the critical role of sex and gender in mental illness, we all benefit: women, girls, men, and boys. We have made progress in our research, in the translation of that research into practice, and in our understanding of mental health disorders. We have much more to learn and much more compassion to show. We can, and should, be role models and lead the effort to improve the mental health of Americans. The author thanks Barbara B. Disckind, DHHS Office on Women’s Health, for her contributions to this article. Steven K. Galson, MD, MPH RADM, USPHS Acting Surgeon General For reports and other resources, go to www.surgeongeneral.gov and the two websites sponsored by the DHHS Office on Women’s Health: www.womenshealth.gov and www.girlshealth.gov. To order or download the two Action Steps documents on women’s mental health, go to http://www.samhsa.gov/shin. For copies, call toll-free at 1-877-726-4727. Public Health Reports / March-April 2009 / Volume 124 This content downloaded from 69.57.233.164 on Wed, 20 Oct 2021 01:46:57 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms Surgeon General’s Perspectives O 191 REFERENCES 1. World Health Organization. Investing in mental health. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2003. Also available from: URL: http:// www.emro.who.int/mnh [cited 2008 Oct 8]. 2. Department of Health and Human Services (USyf $ F W L R Q V W H S V I R r improving women’s mental health [cited 2008 Oct 2]. Available from: URL: http://www.samhsa.gov/shin 3. Barry D, Pietrzak RH, Petry NM. Gender differences in associations between body mass index and DSM-IV mood and anxiety disorders: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Ann Epidemiol 2008;18:458-66. Also available from: URL: http://www.annalsofepidemiology.org/article/S1047 2797(08yf D E V W U D F W > F L W H G ‘ H F @ . 4. Markowitz S, Friedman MA, Arent SM. Understanding the relation between obesity and depression: causal mechanisms and implica tions for treatment. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice 2008;15:1-20. Also available from: URL: http://www3.interscience .wiley.com/journal/119412257/issue [cited 2008 Nov 1]. 5. Kessler RC, Berglund PA, Demler O, Jin R, Merikangas KR, Walters EE. Lifetime prevalence and ageofonset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication [published erratum appears in Arch Gen Psychiatry 2005;62:768]. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2005;62:593-602. Also available from: URL: http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/62/6/593 [cited 2008 Dec 10]. 6. Langlieb AM, Kahn JP. How much does quality mental health care profit employers? J Occup Environ Med 2005;47:1099-109 [cited 2008 Dec 10]. Available from: URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ sites/entrez 7. National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health. Anxiety disorders [cited 2008 Dec 10]. Available from: URL: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/anxiety-disorders/ complete-publication.shtml 8. National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-Ryf 7 D E O H / L I H W L P e prevalence of DSM-IV/WMH-CIDI disorders by sex and cohort (n=9282yf > W D E O H F R Q W D L Q V X S G D W H G G D W D D V R I – X O @ > F L W H d 2008 Dec 10]. Available from: URL: http://www.hcp.med.harvard .edu/ncs 9. Keel PK, Herzog DB. Long-term outcome, course of illness, and mortality in anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. In: Brewerton TD, editor. Clinical handbook of eating disorders: an integrated approach. New York: Informa HealthCare; 2004. p. 97-116. Also available from: URL: http://books.google .com/books?id=YGX31uPHXqEC&printseo=frontcover#PPPl,Ml [cited 2008 Dec 16]. 10. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (USyf 6 X L F L G H ) D F W V D W D J O D Q F H 6 X P P H r 2008 [cited 2008 Dec 10]. Available from: URL: http://www.cdc .gov/ncipc/dvp/Suicide/suicide_data_sheet.pdf 11. Arnold LM. Gender differences in bipolar disorder. Psychiatr Clin North Am 2003;26:595-620. 12. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General (USyf 0 H Q W D O K H D O W K D U H S R U W R I W K H 6 X U J H R Q * H Q H U D l (1999yf > F L W H G ‘ H F @ $ Y D L O D E O H I U R P 8 5 / K W W S Z Z w .surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/home.html 13. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General (USyf 7 K H 6 X U J H R Q * H Q H U D O V F D O O W R D F W L R Q W R S U H Y H Q t suicide (1999yf > F L W H G ‘ H F @ $ Y D L O D E O H I U R P 8 5 / K W W S / www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/calltoaction 14. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General (USyf 5 H S R U W R I W K H 6 X U J H R Q * H Q H U D O V & R Q I H U H Q F H R n Children’s Mental Health: A National Action Agenda (2001yf > F L W H d 2008 Dec 10]. Available from: URL: http://www.surgeongeneral .gov/topics/cmh 15. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General (USyf < R X W K Y L R O H Q F H D U H S R U W R I W K H 6 X U J H R Q * H Q H U D l (2001yf > F L W H G ‘ H F @ $ Y D L O D E O H I U R P 8 5 / K W W S Z Z w .surgeongeneral.gov/library/youthviolence/youvioreport.html 16. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General (USyf 3 U R F H H G L Q J V R I W K H 6 X U J H R Q * H Q H U D O V : R U N V K R p on Making Prevention of Child Maltreatment a National Priority: Implementing Innovations of a Public Health Approach (2005yf [cited 2008 Dec 10]. Available from: URL: http://www.surgeonge neral.gov/topics/childmaltreatment 17. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General (USyf 5 H S R U W R I W K H 6 X U J H R Q * H Q H U D O V : R U N V K R S R Q : R m en’s Mental Health (2005yf > F L W H G ‘ H F @ $ Y D L O D E O H I U R P 8 5 / : http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/womensmentalhealth 18. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Sur geon General (USyf 0 H Q W D O K H D O W K F X O W X U H U D F H D Q G H W K Q L F L W . A supplement to mental health: a report of the Surgeon General (2001yf > F L W H G ‘ H F @ $ Y D L O D E O H I U R P 8 5 / K W W S Z Z w .surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/cre 19. President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. Achieving the promise: transforming mental health care in America (2003yf [cited 2008 Oct 9]. Available from: URL: http://www.mentalhealth commission .gov/ reports/FinalReport/ toe .html 20. Department of Health and Human Services (USyf : R P H Q V P H Q W D l health: what it means to you [cited 2008 Oct 2]. Available from: URL: http://www.samhsa.gov/shin Public Health Reports / March-April 2009 / Volume 124 This content downloaded from 69.57.233.164 on Wed, 20 Oct 2021 01:46:57 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
1) You read an abstract that you found for this week’s reading. What can you tell the class about the abstract? Is it in a style you would aim for when creating your own abstract? Does it have fl
Health and wellness among adolescents Author(s): David C. Virtue Source: The Phi Delta Kappan , April 2012 , Vol. 93, No. 7 (April 2012), pp. 76-77 Published by: Phi Delta Kappa International Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/23210014 REFERENCES Linked references are available on JSTOR for this article: https://www.jstor.org/stable/23210014?seq=1&cid=pdf- reference#references_tab_contents You may need to log in to JSTOR to access the linked references. JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected] Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at https://about.jstor.org/terms Phi Delta Kappa International is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Phi Delta Kappan This content downloaded from 69.57.233.164 on Wed, 20 Oct 2021 01:47:30 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms Norway David C. Virtue Schools can’t change eating and fitness habits by themselves, but they do have a role to play. As in the United States, Norwegians are concerned with student wellness, and schools have programs and cur ricula that address various health issues. However, based on my work as a Fulbright roving scholar in Norwe gian ungdomsskoler (lower secondary schoolsyf I U R P $ u gust 2010 to June 2011, stu dents in Norway seem much healthier than American stu dents. My impression is sup ported by health-related data. Young adolescents in Nor way exhibit low incidences of alcohol use, sexually trans mitted diseases, and eating disorders. In terms of mental health, Norwegian youth are generally happier and more satisfied with life than their counterparts in other Euro pean countries (Hansen & Wold, 2007yf . During my time in Nor way, I visited 43 schools pri marily serving students in DAVID C. VIRTUE ([email protected] box.sc.eduyf L V D Q D V V L V W D Q W S U R I H s sor of instruction and teacher edu cation at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C. Health and wellness among adolescents grades 8 through 10, with seven visits to barneskole (pri mary schoolyf F O D V V H V V S D Q Q L Q g grades one through seven. The most visible health related differences I observed between young adolescents in Norway and the United States involved healthy eat ing, weight-related issues (e.g., obese and overweight studentsyf D Q G S K V L F D O D c tivity. In the United States, messages about healthy eat ing are often contradicted by unhealthy or poorly balanced meals offered in the cafete ria, by vending machines that ensure corporate purveyors of nutritionally bankrupt snack foods a captive market (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011yf D Q d by scheduling practices that don’t consider the student’s well-being. Norwegian stu dents were shocked to see my 14-year-old niece’s class schedule that required her to go six hours without a meal. She ate breakfast at 6:30 a.m., an hour before school started and was assigned to the last lunch period at 12:30 p.m. She had no breaks, other than five minutes passing time that barely allowed her to get from one end of the large school campus to the other, and the school had no provi sions for snacks. Many Nor wegian students considered this schedule inhumane, and I quickly came to share their perspective. Students in Norway were very aware of Americans’ poor eating habits. A student in Hammerfest asked me, “In the U.S., do you eat des sert after lunch?” I quickly replied, “Of course, we do.” My mind raced back to the lunchroom at my school in Franklin, N.J., where every one had dessert — either the chocolate cake or pudding that came with the school lunch or a Twinkie or Big Wheel cupcake from home. Unlike U.S. schools, Norwegian schools don’t have cafeterias that offer hot meals. “Of course, we eat dessert after lunch in the U.S.,” I af firmed. “Don’t you?” The response was a resounding, “No!” After my visit to Ham merfest, I asked hundreds of Norwegian students about their dessert eating habits, and they consistently told me that most children get dessert once a week or maybe a few times a month. My discussions about foods with students often turned to waffles. Norwegian waffles are, in my opinion, the best in the world. These dense, eggy, mildly sweet waffles are cooked in an eight-inch di ameter iron that presses them into four interconnected hearts, and they’re typically served with jam and creme fraiche (a kind of sour creamyf or brunost (brown cheeseyf . Most Norwegians have a waffle iron at home, or they buy fresh waffles at kiosks, convenience stores, bakeries, and cafes. Sometimes, during my travels, the hotel would have a self-service waffle iron so patrons could prepare an after-work snack, but I never saw a waffle or waffle iron at the breakfast buffet. As many students told me, “Nor wegians do not eat waffles for breakfast. Waffles are a treat.” Norwegians enjoy their waffles and many other sweet foods, but there ap pears to be a common under standing that such items are treats to be enjoyed occasion ally and not dietary staples. Unlike US. schools, Nor wegian schools don’t have cafeterias that offer hot meals. Most schools I vis ited had a canteen where students could buy a few items — often yogurt, juice, iced tea, and toasted bread — but nearly every student and teacher brings a lunch from home. Lunches typi cally consist of an open-faced sandwich or two, which is about all their small lunch boxes, called matpakke, will hold. (There is no room for a Twinkie!yf 7 K H D O V R P D K D Y e a piece of fruit or a carrot, which is offered to students for free at school, and they wash it all down with milk, fruit juice, or iced tea. Most students prepare their own lunches, practicing healthy eating habits inculcated at home and in barnehage (preschoolyf 0 Z L I H D Q G I 76 Kappan April 2012 Photo by Bodil Aasmundstad David C. Virtue Health and wellness among adolescents Photo by Bodil Aasmundstad This content downloaded from 69.57.233.164 on Wed, 20 Oct 2021 01:47:30 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms Comments? ■ ■ Like PDK at www. «2JBt facebook.com/pdkintl quickly learned not to pack any sweets in our three-year old son’s lunchbox, and other American parents we met reported being reprimanded for sending a cookie or piece of candy to school with their children. Although I didn’t see any written policies about junk food, students I met ev erywhere in Norway under stood that soda, candy, and cakes should not be brought to school. I rarely saw Norwegians who were obese or over weight, and I often spent an entire day at a school with out seeing a single child who would fall into this category. About 17yb R I D G R O H V F H Q W V L n the United States are obese, making them more likely to exhibit risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and Type 2 diabetes than children who are not obese. Another 31 yb of adolescents in the United States have a high body mass index (Ogden & Carroll, 2010yf 3 R R U H D W L Q J K D E L W s likely contribute to these disturbing facts, along with a lack of physical activity. Physically active youth Young American adoles cents are sedentary compared to their Norwegian counter parts. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 13yb of U.S. schoolchildren walk to school today, compared to 66yb L Q : K L O H W K H U e is growing concern in Nor way regarding inactive youth (Hansen & Wold, 2007yf W K e students I encountered ap peared remarkably active through my American eyes. I often saw students walking, biking, sledding, or skiing (yes, skiingyf W R V F K R R O 6 W u dents engaged actively during the physical education lessons I observed, and they were al ways enthusiastic participants Thinkstock in my sports workshops. I visited a school in south ern Norway on a cold, rainy day in early March, and students insisted that we go outside so they could try Although I didn’t see any written policies about junk food, students I met everywhere in Norway understood that soda, candy, and cakes should not be brought to school. throwing and kicking my American football. Every student rushed out of the school — no umbrellas, no raincoats — and headed to the soccer field where they practiced kicking field goals. In Nordkjosbotn, a small town in northern Norway, we took to the field during the first snowfall of the year and practiced throwing spiral passes and kicking the foot ball over the soccer goal. Stu dents often engaged in physi cal activity during recess, and many schools have policies requiring students to go out side during these breaks. In Longyearbyen, Svalbard, a Norwegian territory near the North Pole, students told me they were required to go outdoors during break, “un less it is something like minus 40 degrees (Fahrenheityf , n schools on the Norwegian mainland with similar poli cies, the threshold for cold is a more bearable minus 13 degrees Fahrenheit. V93 N7 kappanmagazine.org 77 Lessons learned First Lady Michelle Obama has drawn national atten tion to childhood obesity in the United States, opening a window of opportunity for educational leaders to act. My experience in Norway pro vided me with a few lessons that might help guide school based efforts to address this critical issue. Tackling the childhood obe sity epidemic in the United States will require a gradual cultural shift toward a more ac tive, health-conscious lifestyle. Just as diets frequently fail to produce lasting results because individuals don’t maintain good eating and exercise hab its after reaching their goals, so, too, will our efforts to curb childhood obesity fail if we don’t institutionalize positive, health-promoting practices for the long-term. Schools must reorganize their schedules to allow time and space for physical activity at regular intervals during the day and give students access to nutritious snacks to avoid energy peaks and crashes. Schools must continuously reassess and try to improve the nutritional quality of cafe teria menus. Cafeterias should avoid highly processed foods and foods high in fat, sugar, and sodium. Students should learn how to assess the nutritional quality of foods and how to prepare healthy meals. Teachers in all subject ar eas should integrate con tent and learning activities that raise awareness about obesity and other health is sues (Zuercher, 2011yf . Separating cultural habits related to food from practices in schools will remain a chal lenge for the United States. But, ultimately, parents, stu dents, and the general public must hold schools account able for teaching and pro moting healthy behaviors, k References Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011yf & K L O G U H Q s food environments state indicator report, 2011. Atlanta, GA: Author. Hansen, F. & Wold, B. (2007yf . Norway. In J.J. Arnett (Ed.yf , International encyclopedia of adolescence, Vol. 2. (pp. 699 712yf 1 H Z < R U N 1 < 5 R X W O H G J H . Ogden, C. & Carroll, M. (2010, Juneyf 3 U H Y D O H Q F H R I R E H V L W y among children and adolescents: United States, trends 1963-65 through 2007-08. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Zuercher, D.K. (2011yf 0 D W K , science, and web-based activities to raise awareness about nutrition and obesity. Middle School Journal, 43 (1yf . Waffles are widely available in Norway, but are considered an occasional dessert. References Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011yf & K L O G U H Q s food environments state indicator report, 2011. Atlanta, GA: Author. Hansen, F. & Wold, B. (2007yf . Norway. In J.J. Arnett (Ed.yf , International encyclopedia of adolescence, Vol. 2. (pp. 699 712yf 1 H Z < R U N 1 < 5 R X W O H G J H . Ogden, C. & Carroll, M. (2010, Juneyf 3 U H Y D O H Q F H R I R E H V L W y among children and adolescents: United States, trends 1963-65 through 2007-08. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Zuercher, D.K. (2011yf 0 D W K , science, and web-based activities to raise awareness about nutrition and obesity. Middle School Journal, 43 (1yf . Thinkstock This content downloaded from 69.57.233.164 on Wed, 20 Oct 2021 01:47:30 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms