TY - JOUR AU - Goedendorp, M.M. AU - Knoop, H. AU - Schippers, G.M. AU - Bleijenberg, G. PY - 2009 UR - http://hdl.handle.net/2066/81256 AB - BACKGROUND: Little is known about the lifestyle of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and its influence on symptoms of CFS. The present study aimed to investigate the lifestyle of patients with CFS, and to assess whether lifestyle factors are related to fatigue and functional impairments. METHODS: Two hundred and forty-seven patients fulfilling the Center for Disease Control criteria for CFS were included. Validated questionnaires were used to collect data on lifestyle factors, smoking, intake of alcohol, fat, fibres, fruit and vegetables, body mass index (BMI), fatigue severity and functional impairments. RESULTS: Of the CFS patients, 23% smoked, 32% had an unhealthy BMI, and none had an unhealthy alcohol intake. A majority had an unhealthy food intake: 70% had unhealthy fat, fruit and vegetable intake, and 95% had unhealthy fibre intake. Compared with the general Dutch population, significantly fewer CFS patients were overweight. Significantly more female CFS patients abstained from alcohol, and fewer male CFS patients smoked. Unhealthy lifestyle factors were not significantly associated with fatigue severity or functional impairments. CONCLUSIONS: CFS patients tend to lead a healthier lifestyle compared to the general Dutch population. However, no relationship was found between lifestyle factors and fatigue severity and functional impairments in CFS. TI - The lifestyle of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and the effect on fatigue and functional impairments. EP - 231 SN - 0952-3871 IS - iss. 3 SP - 226 JF - Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics VL - vol. 22 DO - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-277X.2008.00933.x ER - TY - JOUR AU - Fouwels, A.J. AU - Bredie, S.J.H. AU - Wollersheim, H.C.H. AU - Schippers, G.M. PY - 2009 UR - http://hdl.handle.net/2066/79771 AB - BACKGROUND: To evaluate the vigilance of medical specialists as to the lifestyle of their cardiovascular outpatients by comparing lifestyle screening as registered in medical records versus a lifestyle questionnaire (LSQ), a study was carried out at the cardiovascular outpatient clinic of the university hospital of Nijmegen, The Netherlands, between June 2004 and June 2005. METHODS: For 209 patients information from medical records on lifestyle habits, physician feedback, and interventions in the past year was compared to data gathered in the last month by a self-report LSQ. Results : Doctors register smoking habits most consistently (90.4%), followed by alcohol use (81.8%), physical activity (50.2%), and eating habits (27.3%). Compared to the LSQ, smoking, unhealthy alcohol use, physical activity, and unhealthy eating habits are underreported in medical records by 31, 83, 54 and 97%, respectively. Feedback, advice or referral was documented in 8% for smoking, 3% for alcohol use, 12% for physical activity, and 26% for eating habits. CONCLUSION: Lifestyle is insufficiently registered or recognized by doctors providing routine care in a cardiovascular outpatient setting. Of the unhealthy lifestyle habits that are registered, few are accompanied by notes on advice or intervention. A lifestyle questionnaire facilitates screening and interventions in target patients and should therefore be incorporated in the cardiovascular setting as a routine patient intake procedure. TI - A retrospective cohort study on lifestyle habits of cardiovascular patients: how informative are medical records? EP - 59 SN - 1472-6963 SP - 59 JF - BMC Health Services Research VL - vol. 9 DO - http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-9-59 L1 - https://repository.ubn.ru.nl/bitstream/handle/2066/79771/79771.pdf?sequence=1 ER - TY - JOUR AU - Emmen, M.J. AU - Peters, E. AU - Elving, L.D. AU - Bredie, S.J.H. AU - Wollersheim, H.C.H. AU - Bleijenberg, G. AU - Schippers, G.M. PY - 2006 UR - http://hdl.handle.net/2066/51003 AB - OBJECTIVE: Examining the prevalence of risk behavior and motivation to change among hospital outpatients with a high cardiovascular risk, and the implementation and results of a brief behavioral feedback intervention by internists. METHODS: One hundred and sixty-one patients completed a lifestyle questionnaire and were given personalized feedback on the results by their internists. The delivery of the feedback was monitored. In an ad hoc non randomized comparison after four months, 68 patients who received an intervention were compared with 40 who did not receive it. RESULTS: Ninety-six percent of the patients demonstrated at least one risk behavior and 73% were not contemplating change. The intervention was correctly given to 62%. The patients who received the intervention reported more lifestyle changes and altered their motivation to change more often. DISCUSSION: Given the prevalence of risk behavior lifestyle interventions are worthwhile. Internists delivered the intervention to most patients. Small effects of the intervention were found, but the non-experimental nature of the study should be taken into account. CONCLUSION: Implementation of a behavioral feedback intervention seems to be feasible and can lead to worthwhile lifestyle changes for patients at risk for cardiovascular disease. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Training and education can improve the intervention. Also a nurse practitioner can perform part of it. TI - A brief behavioral feedback intervention in hospital outpatients with a high cardiovascular risk. EP - 40 SN - 0738-3991 IS - iss. 1 SP - 32 JF - Patient Education and Counseling VL - vol. 60 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2004.11.011 ER - TY - JOUR AU - Emmen, M.J. AU - Schippers, G.M. AU - Wollersheim, H.C.H. AU - Bleijenberg, G. PY - 2005 UR - http://hdl.handle.net/2066/48713 AB - AIMS: To test the effectiveness of a brief psychological intervention for problem drinking among outpatients in a hospital setting. METHODS: Over a period of 3 years physicians screened patients who visited an outpatient clinic for general internal medicine for problem drinking. Of the 4728 patients screened, 284 (6%) scored positive on problem drinking of whom 123 participated in the study. They received a computerized baseline assessment and were randomly allocated to a brief psychosocial intervention given by a psychologist (Dutch version of W. R. Millers' Drinker's Check-Up) (n = 61) or to 'care as usual' (n = 62). They were followed up at 6 months. The outcome measures were alcohol consumption and the increase in motivation to reduce alcohol consumption. RESULTS: Most patients reduced their alcohol consumption over time, but no differences were found between the intervention and control groups. A slightly, but not significantly, larger proportion of patients who received the intervention increased their motivation to change. CONCLUSIONS: No conclusive evidence was found for the effectiveness of adding a brief psychological intervention to the physician's advice for problem drinking among outpatients in a hospital setting. TI - Adding psychologist's intervention to physicians' advice to problem drinkers in the outpatient clinic. EP - 226 SN - 0735-0414 IS - iss. 3 SP - 219 JF - Alcohol and Alcoholism VL - vol. 40 DO - https://doi.org/10.1093/alcalc/agh137 ER - TY - JOUR AU - Emmen, M.J. AU - Wollersheim, H.C.H. AU - Bleijenberg, G. AU - Schippers, G.M. PY - 2005 UR - http://hdl.handle.net/2066/47735 AB - In this article several suggestions on how to optimise interventions for problem drinking among hospital outpatients are enumerated. These interventions are especially important for patients with diagnoses that are alcohol related. The intervention has to be brief and easy to integrate into medical specialist's routine practice; an active role for the medical specialist and flexible involvement of a specialised nurse are suggested. Key elements of the intervention are: early identification of problem drinking; raising the issue of problem drinking; assessment of the drinking behaviour; reaching an agreement about change; follow-up; evaluation of the change. A feasible and attractive option is integrating the intervention into a broader lifestyle intervention. Those who perform the brief alcohol intervention need to be specially educated and trained. TI - How to optimise interventions for problem drinking among hospital outpatients? EP - 427 SN - 0300-2977 IS - iss. 11 SP - 421 JF - Netherlands Journal of Medicine VL - vol. 63 L1 - https://repository.ubn.ru.nl/bitstream/handle/2066/47735/47735.pdf?sequence=1 ER - TY - JOUR AU - Emmen, M.J. AU - Schippers, G.M. AU - Bleijenberg, G. AU - Wollersheim, H.C.H. PY - 2004 UR - http://hdl.handle.net/2066/58620 AB - OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of opportunistic brief interventions for problem drinking in a general hospital setting. DESIGN: Systematic review. DATA SOURCES: Medline, PsychInfo, Cochrane Library, reference lists from identified studies and review articles, and contact with experts. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Change in alcohol consumption. RESULTS: Eight studies were retrieved. Most had methodological weaknesses. Only one study, with a relatively intensive intervention and a short follow up period, showed a significantly large reduction in alcohol consumption in the intervention group. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence for the effectiveness of opportunistic brief interventions in a general hospital setting for problem drinkers is still inconclusive. TI - Effectiveness of opportunistic brief interventions for problem drinking in a general hospital setting: systematic review. EP - 318 SN - 0959-8146 IS - iss. 7435 SP - 318 JF - Bmj. British Medical Journal (International Ed.) VL - vol. 328 DO - http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.37956.562130.EE L1 - https://repository.ubn.ru.nl/bitstream/handle/2066/58620/58620.pdf?sequence=1 ER - TY - JOUR AU - Emmen, M.J. AU - Wollersheim, H.C.H. AU - Elving, L.D. AU - Bleijenberg, G. AU - Schippers, G.M. PY - 2004 UR - http://hdl.handle.net/2066/58982 AB - Three patients suffered from somatic complaints related to excessive alcohol use. For the first patient, a 42-year-old man, the simple advice to quit drinking was enough for him to stop. A second patient, a 61-year-old woman, continued to deny drinking excessively despite several signs of excessive alcohol use. The third patient, a 45-year-old man, changed his drinking behaviour after receiving lifestyle intervention from the internist. All three patients needed a structural intervention to tackle the drinking problems in addition to medical treatment. The first lifestyle-intervention session takes 10 minutes and subsequent sessions take 5 minutes each. The intervention includes five elements: screening, placing on the agenda, inventory, making an appointment about change and reverting to the appointment about change. A trained nurse could also perform part of the intervention. Although lifestyle interventions seem to be expensive and time-consuming activities in the short-term, in the longer term they save time and money and lead to a satisfactory result for both the patient and physician. TI - [Life style intervention for patients with alcohol-related somatic problems] EP - 604 SN - 0028-2162 IS - iss. 13 SP - 601 JF - Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde VL - vol. 148 ER -