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Biomedical subjects

A M Gurnack

Publications and source records attributed to A M Gurnack.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Factors related to perinatal substance abuse in a California county.

The study reported here originates from a county in California between Los Angeles and San Francisco. 658 mothers were tested over a 1-mo. period in June 1991 to ascertain the prevalence of drug misuse among pregnant women. 11% of the mothers tested positive for some type of substance. Of those substances found in the urine of the mothers who tested positive, the most prevalent were barbiturates, marijuana, methamphetamines, and amphetamines. When the multivariate analysis of logistic regression was performed with test results as the dependent variable, history of drug use was the most important factor related to mothers testing positive for drugs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Elderly alcohol misuse.

Over 800 patient records were analyzed to identify factors related to problem drinking for older adults. Most importantly, the study found that some symptoms, such as those related to emotional distress, and employment status did have an association with problem drinking for older adults. However, these findings suggest that alcohol use throughout life may simply be carried into old age. Finally, the research noted a distinct pattern of drinking for older females in contrast to that of older males. The reasons for these gender differences, as well as a closer examination on the role of retirement and later onset of drinking for older adults, are identified as topics for future research.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1991

Factors related to elderly crime victims' satisfaction with police service: the impact of Milwaukee's "Gray Squad".

This study tests the hypothesis that specialized police services for the elderly affect the way the elderly view the police in general. Older victims dealt with by elderly victimization specialists were more satisfied with the efforts of local police than crime victims who had not received specialized services. This latter finding has important implications for training police officers to deal effectively with elderly victims of crime.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Implementation of the NCA modified assessment instrument with a population of intoxicated drivers in two Wisconsin counties 1982-1985.

Upon completion of a 3-yr. research project which assessed the effects of Wisconsin's mandatory testing program for drunk drivers, the evaluation showed that a disproportionate number of repeated offenders who were being rearrested had been assessed initially as social drinkers. While there are several possible causes for this finding, the most probable one seems to be that of under-assessment by the testing instrument.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1989

Behavioral factors related to elderly alcohol abuse: research and policy issues.

Although researchers have provided valuable descriptions of samples of older problem drinkers and have discussed possible causes of and treatments for alcohol abuse among the aged, important questions remain. Risk factors associated with the onset of alcohol abuse in later life have not yet been clearly identified. Practitioners and researchers serving this population in the future will require a comprehensive understanding of the characteristics and needs of older clients experiencing alcohol-related problems. This paper reviews the existing literature with regard to elderly alcohol abuse and outlines future directions for research activity.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Factors related to compliance to Wisconsin's mandatory assessment policy for alcohol-impaired drivers.

Data were collected through the analysis of 2,379 client records of convicted alcohol-impaired drivers assessed for drinking involvement. Analysis revealed that 11 independent variables combined explained between 5% and 7% of the variance for compliance to the provisions of Wisconsin's mandatory assessment policy. The most important predictors of compliance over two time periods were previous use of other human services and race. Therefore this research concludes that many of the factors that explain the extent of compliance to this policy are not known for the population in this study at this time.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1984

Use of the NCA-modified assessment with a population of intoxicated drivers.

Given the proliferation of state laws affecting drunk drivers, the recently passed Wisconsin provision which mandates alcohol assessment for all convicted offenders is of particular interest. When applied during a 2-yr. period in Racine County, WI (1 yr. prior to the enactment of the policy and 1 yr. after passage), most of the persons assessed for operating a vehicle while intoxicated were judged to be irresponsible users of alcohol (social drinkers). Those assessed as alcohol dependent were numerous and were sent to treatment rather than educationally oriented rehabilitation programs. Addressing the issue of predicting which factors would influence the referral to education versus treatment programs, the study showed that repeaters, users of the human services, and those persons having higher concentrations of blood alcohol tended to be sent to treatment. Use of the MOD-CRIT assessment instrument provides the state alcohol treatment system with a means by which drinking drivers can systematically be referred to appropriate rehabilitation programs. Although some margin of error may exist during the assessment process, mandatory assessment is deemed preferable to individualized reports that are open to bias and interpretation.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Determinants of health provider selection in a West Dallas, Mexican-American community.

The focus of health policy has shifted since the late 1970s from emphasizing "equal access" to now considering cost-efficiency in health care as vital. This paper analyzes factors related to the selection of a health provider in a low-income community in West Dallas, Texas. Specifically, it looks at two sets of characteristics (population at risk and health provision system) as they influence the choice of hospital outpatient services as a source of health care. When subjected to multivariate analysis, it was found that health system characteristics, and convenience measures in particular, had the greatest impact on consumers' choice of these services. The notion of "equity" for future health planners concerned with providing services to low-income communities will best be served by the more efficient use of existing hospital clinics rather than by continuing to provide health care systems that serve the poor exclusively.

Community Participation↗