TODAY news - Feb 20, 2003 - School of Public Health news

Thursday, February 20, 2003 TODAY

School of Public Health news

Nutrition students embrace new challenges in Ecuador

Ralph Havens, MD, examines a child with an untreated foot laceration that the nutrition team found. A team of School of Public Health students traveled to Quito, Ecuador, to participate in a nutritional study and provide primary health care.

Nutrition students in the School of Public Health participated in a nutritional study in Ecuador with assistance from students in the School of Nursing and the University of Minnesota School of Medicine. The primary aims of the study were to evaluate the use of emerging technologies for nutritional assessment in two geographically and culturally distinct areas in Ecuador.

Principle investigator for the study was Zaida Cordero-MacIntyre, PhD, assistant professor, nutrition department, School of Public Health. Students were chosen to be research assistants for the study based upon their academic background as well as their interest in the study.

The final research team was composed of students from the nutrition department as well as the School of Nursing. Other team members were recent graduates as well as a student from the University of Minnesota. All researchers underwent training in anthropometric measurement techniques and the use of Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) devices for the assessment of nutritional status.

The logistical aspect of the trip was coordinated with the Students for International Mission Service (SIMS). This included the transport of various supplies and equipment for distribution to the local health-care workers.

Upon arrival in Quito, Ecuador, the LLU students were welcomed at the airport by students from the Gedeon Adventist School, who sung hymns and presented a rose to each of them.

Afterward, the LLU students traveled to the site of the first part of the study and were provided lodging by local physicians.

In addition to meeting all the criteria for the study, they were able to serve the communities in which they worked in many other ways.

“ The amazing thing about field work is that things never go exactly as they are planned,” says Ralph Havens, MD. “Sometimes, with God’s will, they go even better.”

School of Public Health alumnus Eddy Jara poses with students at the Ruben Dario School.

The mettle of the Loma Linda University students was tested by the unforeseen demands and varied public health methodologies they encountered. Whether it was giving food demonstrations of vegetarian diets or playing soccer with the kids, resourcefulness and compassion ruled the day. The students were invited to participate in the national antiparasite campaign as well as smaller organizations such as the center for nutritional rehabilitation.

While measuring for nutritional status, a member of the research team noticed one of the children walking with a limp. Apparently, he had been injured a few days before. It was a deep laceration that needed medical attention. The students walked the child home, only to find that his parents had been away for almost three months working in another part of Ecuador. No one at his home was able to provide any sort of medical or financial assistance. So they took him to a local hospital for treatment.

“ Providing health care and hope for those in need is always a rewarding challenge,” Dr. Havens states. “Working with kids and providing assistance to impoverished populations with no other recourse is equally rewarding. But finding solace in healing through missionary work is a personal reaffirmation of God’s love.”

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— Editor’s note: The above article was written by Ralph Havens, MD.

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School of Public Health presents workshop on ‘Childbirth Education for the 21st Century’

“Childbirth Education for the 21st Century” is a one-day workshop on February 23, 2003, sponsored by the School of Public Health office of continuing professional education.

This Lamaze workshop has two goals: to present information on current research, and to demonstrate creative teaching strategies that will help childbirth educators promote childbearing experiences for women and their families.

Nurses, childbirth educators, and health professionals who work with pregnant, laboring, and/or postpartum women should attend this workshop.

During the workshop, individuals will rotate through stations where they will gain hands-on experience in Lamaze techniques and materials. Participants of this workshop will:

Explore the latest research on evidence-based maternity care.
Discuss teaching techniques that incorporate current research into the classroom setting.
Identify up-to-date resources for childbirth educators.
Practice strategies that enhance the progress of labor and decrease pain.
Identify the interactive abilities of the newborn at birth.

Instructors of this workshop are nationally known by Lamaze International and present “Childbirth Education for the 21st Century” around the nation.

“ Because Loma Linda University is the only place in California to hold this workshop,” says Gail Rice, EdD, associate professor, health promotion/education, School of Public Health; professor, physical therapy, School of Allied Health Professions, “we feel very fortunate.”

Instructors of the workshop include Sandra Apgar Steffes, RN, MS; and Joyce Di Franco, RN.

Ms. Steffes has taught and consulted in the maternal child health field since 1969. She is a Fellow in the American College of Childbirth Educators, a founding member of the Lamaze International faculty, and a member of Lamaze International board of directors.

She is a program coordinator and senior extension instructor at the University of California at Los Angeles extension. Ms. Steffes developed and implemented numerous perinatal health education-training programs both nationally and internationally.

For the past 30 years, Ms. Di Franco has taught and consulted in the maternal child health field. She is a fellow in the American College of Childbirth Education, an active member of the Lamaze International faculty since 1980, and currently serves as chair of the faculty assembly.

Ms. Di Franco is the nurse instructor in the UCLA extension childbirth education teacher-training program and is a senior extension instructor at UCLA extension. She is currently employed as school nurse in Lawndale.

This workshop is approved for eight continuing education contact hours by Lamaze International and by International Childbirth Education Association, Inc. Lamaze International is a licensed continuing education provider by the Virginia Nurses Association that is an approver of continuing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center Commission on Accreditation and by the California Board of Registered Nursing.

The workshop is from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and will be held in Wong Kerlee International Conference Center.

Cost for registration is $190 (after February 14) and includes a comprehensive student notebook, continental breakfast, and lunch.

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Thursday, February 20, 2003 TODAY