http://hdl.handle.net/10468/636 2013-05-24T18:21:49Z 2013-05-24T18:21:49Z Brady, Paul Dickinson, Chris Whelton, Helen http://hdl.handle.net/10468/638 2013-03-08T03:01:20Z 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z

Dental anxiety prevalence and surgery environment factors: A questionnaire-based survey of attenders in Ireland Brady, Paul; Dickinson, Chris; Whelton, Helen Aim: To identify and quantify anxious dental patientsand dental office environment factors that may influence anxiety. Objective: To develop and implement a questionnaire toinvestigate dental anxiety and identify factors thatenhance or lessen dental anxiety in the surgery setting. Methods: Data was collected from patients by a self completed questionnaire when attending dentists at a general dental practice and hospital clinics. Results: The estimated prevalence of dental anxiety in the totalsample was 17.0%. A higher proportion of females were highly anxious. Those attending the Dental Hospital were less likely to be anxious than those who were attending the Dental Practice. An inverse relationship between frequency of dental attendance and dental anxiety was found. Anxiety was significantly higher forthose respondents that indicated that a delay in their appointment would make them more anxious. Of the reported fears regarding their dental visit, 60% of respondents claimed that they were afraid it s going tohurt . When compared to non-anxious patients, more anxious patients feared feeling out of control , a negative experience , the needle, the drill, and being bothered by the smell associated with dental materials.The majority of respondents had a preference for a dentist that was young, friendly, talkative and native English speaking. In general, patients preferred the surgery temperature to be slightly cool. Regardless of anxiety level, 31.0% of patients said that they would prefer the chairside mouth rinse to be plain water with 49.1% not having a preference. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that a significant proportion of patients experience anxiety about visiting the dentist. Many of them have preferences about dentists and the surgery environment which may be modulators of their anxiety. Awareness by the dental profession of the causes of dental anxiety and measures taken by dentists tominimise these trigger factors could have a substantial impact on anxious patients.

2012-01-01T00:00:00Z Perry, Ivan J. Whelton, Helen Harrington, Janas Cousins, Bernard http://hdl.handle.net/10468/115 2010-03-12T14:24:05Z 2009-03-01T00:00:00Z

The heights and weights of Irish children from the post-war era to the Celtic tiger Perry, Ivan J.; Whelton, Helen; Harrington, Janas; Cousins, Bernard BACKGROUND: Childhood obesity is a significant global health issue. National level data on long-term secular trends are relatively sparse. METHODS: Data were obtained from three large-scale surveys of school-aged children in Ireland involving measurements of height and weight in 1948, the 1970s and 2002. RESULTS: Significant increases in height and weight were observed in both boys and girls and in all age groups across the decades. The increases in weight were disproportionate to the trends in height. While boys aged 14 years were 23 cm taller 2002 than in 1948, their average weight was 61 kg, compared with 37 kg in 1948, an increase of 24 kg. A substantial proportion of the increase in weight is seen between the 1970s and 2002. CONCLUSIONS: The data provide stark and compelling evidence on the evolution of the obesity epidemic in Irish children in tandem with the increase in economic prosperity.

2009-03-01T00:00:00Z Whelton, Helen Harrington, Janas Crowley, Evelyn Kelleher, Virginia Cronin, Michael Perry, Ivan J. http://hdl.handle.net/10468/85 2010-03-12T14:58:48Z 2007-07-31T00:00:00Z

Prevalence of overweight and obesity on the island of Ireland: results from the North South Survey of Children's Height, Weight and Body Mass Index, 2002 Whelton, Helen; Harrington, Janas; Crowley, Evelyn; Kelleher, Virginia; Cronin, Michael; Perry, Ivan J. Background: Childhood obesity is emerging as a major public health problem in developed and developing countries worldwide. The aim of this survey was to establish baseline data on the prevalence and correlates of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents in the Republic of Ireland (RoI) and Northern Ireland (NI). Methods: The heights and weights of 19,617 school-going children and adolescents aged between 4 and 16 years in NI and RoI were measured using standardised and calibrated scales and measures. The participants were a representative cross-sectional sample of children randomly selected on the basis of age, gender and geographical location of the school attended. Overweight and obesity were classified according to standard IOTF criteria. Results: Males were taller than females, children in RoI were taller than those in NI and the more affluent were taller than the less well off. The overall prevalence of overweight and obesity was higher among females than males in both jurisdictions. Overall, almost one in four boys (23% RoI and NI) and over one in four girls (28% RoI, 25% NI) were either overweight or obese. In RoI, the highest prevalence of overweight was among 13 year old girls (32%) and obesity among 7 year old girls (11%). In NI the highest prevalence of overweight and obesity were found among 11 and 8 year old girls respectively (33% and 13%). Conclusion: These figures confirm the emergence of the obesity epidemic among children in Ireland, a wealthy country with the European Union. The results serve to underpin the urgency of implementing broad intersectoral measures to reduce calorie intake and increase levels of physical activity, particularly among children.

2007-07-31T00:00:00Z