Articles: health.
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This paper sets out the policy of the Union Europeenne des Medecins Specialistes/European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) on quality assurance (QA), which is defined here as the regular review against defined standards of medical care. Its aim is to provide a framework for confirming the good quality of health care in Europe and, specifically, of the contribution of specialist doctors. The paper provides guidelines that can be adopted for use in QA systems in all European countries. ⋯ The following list of key points drawn from the text expands this summary. It also serves as an index to specific paragraphs of the paper. KEY POINTS:
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Int J Equity Health · Oct 2004
Mothers' education but not fathers' education, household assets or land ownership is the best predictor of child health inequalities in rural Uganda.
Health and nutrition inequality is a result of a complex web of factors that include socio-economic inequalities. Various socio-economic indicators exist however some do not accurately predict inequalities in children. Others are not intervention feasible. ⋯ Of four socio-economic indicators, mothers' education is the best predictor for health and nutrition inequalities among infants and young children in rural Uganda. This suggests a need for appropriate formal education of the girl child aimed at promoting child health and nutrition. The finding that boys are adversely affected by poverty more than their female counterparts corroborates evidence from previous studies.
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Epidemiological studies find that whole-grain intake is protective against cancer, CVD, diabetes, and obesity. Despite recommendations to consume three servings of whole grains daily, usual intake in Western countries is only about one serving/d. Whole grains are rich in nutrients and phytochemicals with known health benefits. ⋯ Other protective compounds in whole grains include phytate, phyto-oestrogens such as lignan, plant stanols and sterols, and vitamins and minerals. Published whole-grain feeding studies report improvements in biomarkers with whole-grain consumption, such as weight loss, blood-lipid improvement, and antioxidant protection. Although it is difficult to separate the protective properties of whole grains from dietary fibre and other components, the disease protection seen from whole grains in prospective epidemiological studies far exceeds the protection from isolated nutrients and phytochemicals in whole grains.