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  • Study of the cut-off point of the Morse Fall Scale (MFS)
    Publication . Costa-Dias, Maria; Martins, Teresa; Araújo, Fátima
    Theoretical framework: The Morse Fall Scale (MFS) is a scale for assessing fall risk. It is designed for adults and widely used in Portugal. The scale should be calibrated for each particular setting so that fall prevention strategies are targeted to patients most at risk. Objective: To analyse the cut-off point of the scale that best distinguishes between people with and without fall risk in a hospital inpatient setting. Methodology: The receiver operator curve (ROC) was used to determine the optimal cut-off point. The predictive validity of the MFS was assessed through sensitivity and specificity, positive and negative predictive values, the ROC area under the curve (AUC) and also the Youden Index. Results: The cut-off point of 45 was identified as the optimal cut-off value, where 78% of the participants were identified as true positives and 22% as false negatives. It presented an OR of 3.8 (95%CI=2.17-6.51). Conclusion: The MFS is a good instrument for identifying patients with high fall risk in hospital settings, particularly in medical and surgical, long-term and palliative care inpatient wards.
    2014-03-15Journal article Open access Show more
  • Nutritional status and dietary habits in preschool-age children
    Publication . Lourenço, Margarida; Santos, Célia; Carmo, Isabel do
    Context: The prevalence of childhood obesity continues to increase worldwide. Its consequences are dramatic, and are associated with a higher probability of premature death and disability in adult life. This situation is so alarming that it is considered one of the greatest health challenges in the 21st century. Goals: To classify the nutritional status of preschool-age children attending selected kindergartens; To characterize the dietary habits of preschool-age children attending selected kindergartens. Methods: A non-experimental, descriptive and cross-sectional study developed in a health care centre of the Municipality of Sintra, within the scope of the School Health Programme. The sample consisted of 300 children. Results: 154 children were male, 146 were female; 140 children were 3 years old and 160 were 4 years old; 92 Children (30.6%) were overweight. Of these, 41 children were pre-obese (13.6%) and 51 were obese (17%). The most consumed foods belonged to the “meat, fish and eggs” food group. Conclusions: The prevalence of overweight children in the study sample was high. An imbalance was observed in the representation of the consumed products, due to an excessive consumption of products from the “meat, fish and eggs” food group.
    2014-03-15Journal article Open access Show more