1,008 research outputs found
Multimodal MR imaging in breast cancer: Effects of cancer and cancer treatment on brain and cognition
Full text linkVeltman, D.J. [Promotor]Schagen, S.B. [Promotor]Ruiter, M.B. de [Copromotor]Reneman, L. [Copromotor
Musculoskeletal pain & dysfunction in musicians
No full textIn the Netherlands more than 2 million people are actively making music. Unfortunately, thousands of these musicians experience pain in their muscles and/or tendons that limits them in practicing their hobby or profession. For professional musicians, these complaints can lead to temporary incapacity for work or even early termination of their career. It is not clear exactly what causes these complaints. The PhD thesis of rehabilitation physician Kees Hein Woldendorp focused on this type of complaints among musicians. Since professional musicians are engaged in intensive and long-term physical activities, it is obvious that physical factors play an important role in the development of complaints. Many health care providers assume that highly tensed muscles, insufficient relaxation, poor posture and/or little variation in workload leads to pain complaints. The first goal of the PhD project was therefore to examine these assumptions. The results did not confirm the assumptions. To enable further research, it is important to measure posture and motor function accurately. This is only possible to a limited extent for musicians, because not enough measuring instruments are available or applicable. This is why the second part of the thesis discusses research to gain more knowledge about practical and usable measuring instruments. The studies focused on the measurement of embouchure in wind instruments (how the flow of air through the mouth ensures the right sound), hand characteristics and posture. The insights and results from this PhD research will be used for further research and improving the rehabilitation of musicians with musculoskeletal complaints
Towards reflexive land and water management in Iran : linking technology, governance and culture
No full textKey words: Qanat, land and water, sustainability, Industrial and reflexive modernity This PhD thesis is concerned with the causes and consequences of the environmental crisis and explores possible trajectories towards sustainable land and water management in Iran and other countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The basic assumption underlying the conceptual framework of this thesis is that soil and water technologies, social institutions and environmental mentalities are strongly interconnected; they co-evolve, shaping and reshaping one another in the process. The main research question concerns the changes within this network of technologies, institutions and mentalities that are required for a successful transition from industrial modernity to what sociologists like Ulrich Beck, Anthony Giddens and Scott Lash have called ‘reflexive’ modernity. In order to examine the possibilities and problems of a reflexive turn in land and water management in Iran and other MENA-countries, large-scale empirical studies were conducted among farmers and village informants, soil and water experts, and policymakers. </p
Functional capacity evaluation in patients with chronic low back pain : reliability and validity
Full text linkPatients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) are limited in the performance of activities and may thus be (temporarily) incapacitated to work, resulting in work-absenteeism and work-disability. According to the ‘model of functional capacity and functional demands’, it was assumed that CLBP is caused by an imbalance between a person’s functional capacity and functional demands. Validated instruments to assess the individual components of the model are unavailable. This thesis has focussed on one of the components in the model: the assessment of functional capacity in patients with CLBP.
Promotion of sustainable employability: occupational health in the meat processing industry
Full text linkDue to rising retirement age, sustainable employability is gaining interest among employers. Such is the case in the meat processing industry. A strategy to address these challenges is health promotion at work. Therefore, the largest Dutch meat processing company has implemented a Workers’ Health Surveillance (WHS) program aimed at promotion of sustainable employability. By means of questionnaires, and physical and functional tests, insight was gained into workers’ current health and employability, and into future risks. However, it was unknown whether this approach, in combination with interventions, was effective. The WHS program was implemented at 4 company locations from 2012 until 2015 and 305 workers participated. A process evaluation was performed to examine participant satisfaction and the implementation process of the WHS program. This evaluation showed that workers were satisfied with the program and felt that it contributed to their health and employability. Implementation could be improved on some aspects, in particular concerning registration, follow-up and deployment of interventions. WHS program effectiveness was evaluated using sickness absence, work ability, and productivity as main outcomes. No significant improvements were identified. The financial evaluation did not show monetary benefits. Based on the present results it can be concluded that the WHS program did not improve sickness absence, work ability, and productivity on the short term. To evaluate long term effects it is recommended to perform similar future research over a longer time period
Life satisfaction questionnaire (Lisat-9): reliability and validity for patients with acquired brain injury
Full text linkThe aim of this study was to determine the reliability and discriminant validity of the Dutch version of the life satisfaction questionnaire (Lisat-9 DV) to assess patients with an acquired brain injury. The reliability study used a test-retest design, and the validity study used a cross-sectional design. The setting was the general rehabilitation centre. There were 159 patients over 18 years of age, with an acquired brain injury, in the chronic phase. The main outcome measures were weighted kappa of test and retest data on the nine questions of the Lisat-9 DV and significance levels of differences between subgroups of patients who are expected to differ in terms of Lisat-9 scores, on the basis of other instruments. The results were as follows: the reliability was moderate, with the weighted kappa ranging from 0.41 to 0.64. In terms of validity, subgroups of patients who were expected to differ in terms of the Lisat-9 domains did indeed differ significantly, except for the difference in the Lisat score for 'contact with friends and acquaintances' between subgroups defined by higher or lower scores on the corresponding domain of the Frenchay Activities Index. As there was a plausible explanation for not finding a significant difference between subgroups defined by one of the Frenchay Activities Index domains and significant differences were found between the subgroups defined by other instruments corresponding to the same domain, we conclude that the discriminant validity is good. The reliability was not clearly affected by cognitive disorder or aphasia. The conclusions were that the reliability of the Lisat-9 DV for patients with an acquired brain injury was moderate; the discriminant validity was good
State of Vocational Rehabilitation and Disability Evaluation in Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Conditions
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