To describe the relationships between non-alcoholic fatty-liver disease (NAFLD) patient’s disease consequences and treatment perceptions, self-efficacy, and healthy lifestyle maintenance.METHODSA cross-sectional stud...To describe the relationships between non-alcoholic fatty-liver disease (NAFLD) patient’s disease consequences and treatment perceptions, self-efficacy, and healthy lifestyle maintenance.METHODSA cross-sectional study among 146 ultrasound diagnosed NAFLD patients who visited the fatty liver clinic at the Tel-Aviv Medical Center. Eighty-seven of these individuals, participated in a clinical trial of physical activity and underwent fasting blood tests, analyzed at the same lab. Exclusion criteria included positivity for serum HBsAg or anti-HCV antibodies; fatty liver suspected to be secondary to hepatotoxic drugs; excessive alcohol consumption (≥ 30 g/d in men or ≥ 20 g/d in women) and positive markers of genetic or immune-mediated liver diseases. Patients were asked to complete a self-report structured questionnaire, assembled by the Israeli Center for Disease Control. Nutrition habits were measured using six yes/no questions (0 = no, 1 = yes) adopted from the national survey questionnaire. Participants in the clinical trial completed a detailed semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) reporting their habitual nutritional intake during the past year. Self-efficacy was assessed by the Self-Efficacy Scale questionnaire, emotional representation, degree of illness understanding, timeline perception, treatment perception and symptoms were measured by the Brief Illness Perception questionnaire. Illness consequences were measured by the Personal Models of Diabetes Interview questionnaire. A path analysis was performed to describe the interrelationships between the patients’ illness perceptions, and assess the extent to which the data fit a prediction of nutritional habits.RESULTSThe study sample included 54.1% men, with a mean age of 47.76 ± 11.68 years (range: 20-60) and mean body mass index of 31.56 ± 4.6. The average perceived nutrition habits score was 4.73 ± 1.45 on a scale between 0-6, where 6 represents the healthiest eating habits. Most of the study participants (57.2%) did not feel they fully understood what NAFLD is. Better nutritional habits were positively predicted by the degree of illness understanding (β = 0.26; P = 0.002) and self-efficacy (β = 0.25; P = 0.003). Perceptions of more severe illness consequences were related with higher emotional representation (β = 0.55; P < 0.001), which was related with lower self-efficacy (β = -0.17; P = 0.034). The perception of treatment effectiveness was positively related with self-efficacy (β = 0.32; P < 0.001). In accordance with the correlation between self-efficacy and the perceived nutrition habits score, self-efficacy was also correlated with nutrient intake evaluated by the FFQ; negatively with saturated fat (percent of saturated fat calories from total calories) (r = -0.28, P = 0.010) and positively with fiber (r = 0.22, P = 0.047) and vitamin C intake (r = 0.34, P = 0.002). In a sub analysis of the clinical trial participants, objectively measured compliance to physical activity regimen was positively correlated with the self-efficacy level (r = 0.34, P = 0.046).CONCLUSIONSelf-efficacy and illness understanding are major determinants of lifestyle-modification among NAFLD patients. This information can assist clinicians in improving compliance with lifestyle changes among these patients.展开更多
The use of satellite thermal infrared information is being developed as a method of exploring current tectonic activity. To realize real world application, an objective, stable and testable thermal physical index that...The use of satellite thermal infrared information is being developed as a method of exploring current tectonic activity. To realize real world application, an objective, stable and testable thermal physical index that is simultaneously related with tectonic activity must be established. From the viewpoint of the energy balance, the land surface is a boundary where energy is exchanged between outer space and the solid Earth. Regardless of how complex the influencing factors are, the land surface is mainly affected by the Sun, atmosphere and underground heat. In this paper, first, the relationships among land surface temperature, solar radiation, atmospheric temperature and thermal information from underground are obtained employing a mathematic physical method based on the equation of heat conduction and energy balance at the land surface. Second, a thermal physical index called the geothermal flux index (GFI), which can provide the activity state of underground heat, is constructed. Third, the theoretical basis of the thermal physical index is verified using stable annual variations in land surface temperature and solar radiation. Finally, combined with known crustal deformations derived using a global positioning system, the effectiveness of the GFI in extracting field tectonic motion is tested. The results indicate that the GFI is effective in providing information on current tectonic activity.展开更多
文摘To describe the relationships between non-alcoholic fatty-liver disease (NAFLD) patient’s disease consequences and treatment perceptions, self-efficacy, and healthy lifestyle maintenance.METHODSA cross-sectional study among 146 ultrasound diagnosed NAFLD patients who visited the fatty liver clinic at the Tel-Aviv Medical Center. Eighty-seven of these individuals, participated in a clinical trial of physical activity and underwent fasting blood tests, analyzed at the same lab. Exclusion criteria included positivity for serum HBsAg or anti-HCV antibodies; fatty liver suspected to be secondary to hepatotoxic drugs; excessive alcohol consumption (≥ 30 g/d in men or ≥ 20 g/d in women) and positive markers of genetic or immune-mediated liver diseases. Patients were asked to complete a self-report structured questionnaire, assembled by the Israeli Center for Disease Control. Nutrition habits were measured using six yes/no questions (0 = no, 1 = yes) adopted from the national survey questionnaire. Participants in the clinical trial completed a detailed semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) reporting their habitual nutritional intake during the past year. Self-efficacy was assessed by the Self-Efficacy Scale questionnaire, emotional representation, degree of illness understanding, timeline perception, treatment perception and symptoms were measured by the Brief Illness Perception questionnaire. Illness consequences were measured by the Personal Models of Diabetes Interview questionnaire. A path analysis was performed to describe the interrelationships between the patients’ illness perceptions, and assess the extent to which the data fit a prediction of nutritional habits.RESULTSThe study sample included 54.1% men, with a mean age of 47.76 ± 11.68 years (range: 20-60) and mean body mass index of 31.56 ± 4.6. The average perceived nutrition habits score was 4.73 ± 1.45 on a scale between 0-6, where 6 represents the healthiest eating habits. Most of the study participants (57.2%) did not feel they fully understood what NAFLD is. Better nutritional habits were positively predicted by the degree of illness understanding (β = 0.26; P = 0.002) and self-efficacy (β = 0.25; P = 0.003). Perceptions of more severe illness consequences were related with higher emotional representation (β = 0.55; P < 0.001), which was related with lower self-efficacy (β = -0.17; P = 0.034). The perception of treatment effectiveness was positively related with self-efficacy (β = 0.32; P < 0.001). In accordance with the correlation between self-efficacy and the perceived nutrition habits score, self-efficacy was also correlated with nutrient intake evaluated by the FFQ; negatively with saturated fat (percent of saturated fat calories from total calories) (r = -0.28, P = 0.010) and positively with fiber (r = 0.22, P = 0.047) and vitamin C intake (r = 0.34, P = 0.002). In a sub analysis of the clinical trial participants, objectively measured compliance to physical activity regimen was positively correlated with the self-efficacy level (r = 0.34, P = 0.046).CONCLUSIONSelf-efficacy and illness understanding are major determinants of lifestyle-modification among NAFLD patients. This information can assist clinicians in improving compliance with lifestyle changes among these patients.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 40902095)Basic Research Funds from the Institute of Geology, China Earthquake Administration (Grant No. DF-IGCEA-0608-2-6)the State Key Laboratory of Earthquake Dynamics (Project No. LED2009A07)
文摘The use of satellite thermal infrared information is being developed as a method of exploring current tectonic activity. To realize real world application, an objective, stable and testable thermal physical index that is simultaneously related with tectonic activity must be established. From the viewpoint of the energy balance, the land surface is a boundary where energy is exchanged between outer space and the solid Earth. Regardless of how complex the influencing factors are, the land surface is mainly affected by the Sun, atmosphere and underground heat. In this paper, first, the relationships among land surface temperature, solar radiation, atmospheric temperature and thermal information from underground are obtained employing a mathematic physical method based on the equation of heat conduction and energy balance at the land surface. Second, a thermal physical index called the geothermal flux index (GFI), which can provide the activity state of underground heat, is constructed. Third, the theoretical basis of the thermal physical index is verified using stable annual variations in land surface temperature and solar radiation. Finally, combined with known crustal deformations derived using a global positioning system, the effectiveness of the GFI in extracting field tectonic motion is tested. The results indicate that the GFI is effective in providing information on current tectonic activity.
