Biomedical subjects

Beth Ebel

Publications and source records attributed to Beth Ebel.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Improving pediatric prevention via the internet: a randomized, controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Innovations to improve the delivery of pediatric preventive care are needed. METHODS: We enrolled children, 0 to 11 years of age, into a factorial, randomized, controlled trial of a tailored, evidence-based, Web site (MyHealthyChild) that provided information on prevention topics before a scheduled well-child visit. There were 2 components of the intervention, namely, parental Web content and provider notification. Parental Web content provided information to parents about prevention topics; provider notification communicated to physicians topics that were of interest to parents. We assigned 887 children randomly to 4 groups (usual care, content only, content and notification, or notification only). Outcomes were determined with telephone follow-up surveys conducted 2 to 4 weeks after the visit. Poisson regression analysis was used to determine the independent effects of each intervention on the number of topics discussed and the number of preventive practices implemented. RESULTS: Parents in the notification/content group and in the notification-only group reported discussing more MyHealthyChild topics with their provider. Parents in the notification/content group and in the content-only group reported implementing more MyHealthyChild topic suggestions (such as use of a safety device). CONCLUSIONS: A Web-based intervention can activate parents to discuss prevention topics with their child's provider. Delivery of tailored content can promote preventive practices.

Child↗

PubMed2005

Household computer and Internet access: The digital divide in a pediatric clinic population.

Past studies have noted a digital divide, or inequality in computer and Internet access related to socio-economic class. This study sought to measure how many households in a pediatric primary care outpatient clinic had household access to computers and the Internet, and whether this access differed by socio-economic status or other demographic information. We conducted a phone survey of a population-based sample of parents with children ages 0 to 11 years old. Analyses assessed predictors of having home access to a computer, the Internet, and high-speed Internet service. Overall, 88.9% of all households owned a personal computer, and 81.4% of all households had Internet access. Among households with Internet access, 48.3% had high speed Internet at home. There were significant associations between home computer ownership or Internet access and parental income or education. There was no relationship these factors and high speed Internet access. Over 60% of families with annual household income of $10,000-$25,000, and nearly 70% of families with only a high-school education had Internet access at home. While income and education remain significant predictors of household computer and internet access, many patients and families at all economic levels have access, and might benefit from health promotion interventions using these modalities.

Computers↗

PubMed2004

Mortality attributable to harmful drinking in the United States, 2000.

OBJECTIVE: Although alcohol has been associated with death from a variety of causes, there are no recent data on the number of deaths in the United States attributable to harmful alcohol use. This study provides updated information on the number of deaths in the United States attributable to harmful drinking. METHOD: We used the etiologic-fraction method to calculate alcohol-related mortality by cause of death, using U.S. mortality data for 2000, the most recent year available. Prevalence of alcohol use was estimated from the Behavioral Risk Factor Survey and from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse. Medium and high levels of regular drinking or heavy episodic drinking were defined as harmful drinking. RESULTS: An estimated 63,718 deaths were attributable to harmful drinking in the U.S. in 2000. Of these, an estimated 45,988 were in men and 17,730 in women, accounting for 4% of all deaths among men and 1.5% among women. Among men, 47.6% were due to medium and high levels of regular drinking, and 52.4% due to heavy episodic drinking, whereas among women these proportions were 54.2% and 45.8%. CONCLUSIONS: Harmful drinking accounts for a substantial number of deaths each year in the United States. Prevention of this underlying cause of mortality must be a public health priority.

Alcohol Drinking↗