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Biomedical subjects

H M Baum

Publications and source records attributed to H M Baum.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Long hours and fatigue: a survey of tractor-trailer drivers.

Fatigue and long driving hours have been implicated as risk factors in truck crashes. Under federal regulations, commercial drivers are permitted to drive no more than 10 hours before having an 8-hour break and cannot work more than 70 hours over an 8-day period. Several studies have suggested that violations of these rules are common. A survey of long haul tractor-trailer drivers was conducted to estimate what proportion of drivers report that they regularly violate the hours-of-service rules and to identify the drivers most likely to commit hours-of-service violations. During December 1990 through April 1991, a total of 1,249 drivers were interviewed at truck safety inspection stations, truck stops, and agricultural inspection stations in Connecticut, Florida, Oklahoma, and Oregon. In each state, interviews were conducted during varying periods of the day over the course of seven days at inspection stations. Overall, 89 percent of eligible drivers asked for interviews participated in the survey. According to self-reports, almost three-fourths of the respondents violate hours-of-service rules. About two-thirds of the drivers reported that they routinely drive or work more than the weekly maximum. A primary impetus for violating rules appears to be economic factors, including tight delivery schedules and low payment rates. Many other driver, job, and vehicle characteristics were significantly associated with being an hours-of-service violator. The high prevalence of hours-of-service violations among tractor-trailer drivers is a problem in need of urgent attention. Potential measures to reduce the prevalence of rules violations include more enforcement directed toward carriers, wider use of electronic recorders, and increasing the number of rest areas.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1990

Comparisons of the thoracic trauma index with other models.

The thoracic trauma index (TTI) provides an indication of the severity of injuries received by motor vehicle occupants in side-impact collision environments. The index was derived from results on two sets of cadaver tests. Using a variety of statistical and numerical methods, the authors reanalyzed the data from these 80+ cadaver tests to construct a better measure of injury than TTI. Indices generated by these analyses were compared with TTI using the following quantitative measures: monotonicity, overlap, percentage correct, and sensitivity. The values of these measures are broadly similar for all indices and none of the new indices consistently performs better than TTI. This suggests that TTI is as good a predictor of injury as any of the several alternative models created.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1989

The mortality consequences of raising the speed limit to 65 mph on rural interstates.

As of April 1987, states were permitted to raise the speed limit on rural interstates to 65 mph without incurring federal sanctions; 38 states elected to do so in 1987. Fatality data for the months when the new limit was in effect in 1987 were compared with fatalities in the same months of 1982-86 on rural interstates and other rural roads. Fatalities on rural interstates in the states with increased speed limits in 1987 were conservatively estimated to be 15 percent higher than they would have been if the states had retained the 55 mph limit (95% CI = 6, 24). Among states that retained the 55 mph limit, fatalities on rural interstates were 6 percent lower than expected (95% CI = -23, 13).

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1988

Referral bias in multiple sclerosis research.

Referral bias is a significant problem affecting the generalizability of clinical studies conducted in a university setting. To examine referral bias in our university-based multiple sclerosis referral center, we analyzed the characteristics of referral center patients compared to the population-based group of multiple sclerosis patients from which the referral center patients originated. The referral center patient group differed from those that remained in the population-based group in the following important ways: (1) they were younger, (2) they had more mobility impairment for their age, (3) disabled females were overrepresented compared to disabled males, (4) they more often reported recent disease worsening, (5) they had a higher frequency of early diagnosis supported by laboratory tests, and (6) they more often relied on neurologists and therapists for routine care of their disease. The multiple sclerosis referral center setting would appear to be ideal for the conduct of intervention trials, but inadequate for collecting representative natural history data.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1986

Employment in individuals with multiple sclerosis.

The major objectives of this research were to examine unemployment in the MS population on a national level, and to identify factors which might influence an MS individual's employment status. Data used were from the National Multiple Sclerosis Survey conducted by the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke. Data analysis was restricted to a subset of the sample who had worked at some time in their lives. Of 949 persons 79.7% were currently unemployed. While 65.2% had worked at the time of first symptom, only 27.2% were working at the time of the interview, an average of 17 years later. Path analyses revealed the overwhelming importance of mobility for remaining employed, particularly for males. Additional differences found between male and female path models were interpreted in terms of social role theory.

Disability Evaluation↗
PubMed1986

Higher than expected prevalence of multiple sclerosis in northern Colorado: dependence on methodologic issues.

A population-based study of multiple sclerosis (MS) was conducted in 2 northern Colorado counties in 1982 to determine MS prevalence, to compare the rates with recent North American surveys and to compare the methods used in these studies. Provisional cases were identified from: the patient rolls of MS service organizations, chart reviews in 2 neurology practices, a survey of physicians and a review of hospital discharge diagnoses. Crude-point prevalence for the 2-county region was 84 per 100,000. The age-adjusted rate was higher than the rate for the region above the 37th parallel projected from data in a 1976 national survey, but was comparable to rates obtained in localized surveys conducted in the northern tier of the country. The methodological results revealed that the highest yield sources were the MS service organizations and the neurology practice chart reviews. MS prevalence surveys which neglect these methods may underestimate MS prevalence by as much as 20-40%.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Multiple sclerosis and mobility restriction.

Examination of mobility restriction among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and its relationship to selected disease and demographic characteristics was undertaken using data gathered in the National Multiple Sclerosis Survey. Whether and where an individual needed assistance and the types of assistance needed were the dependent variables. These data were crosstabulated with the following patient characteristics: sex, race, educational level, region of residence, age on prevalence day, marital status, awareness of diagnosis, diagnostic code, duration of disease and age at first diagnosis. More than half of the patients reported needing assistance both indoors and outdoors. Significant factors in increasing the percentage needing assistance were as follows: longer duration, older at the time of first diagnosis, admitted awareness of the diagnosis, currently unmarried, nonwhite, and a "probable" MS diagnostic code. Most patients relied on a wheelchair or a person's assistance for help while few relied on crutches or leg braces.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

The incidence and prevalence of reported multiple sclerosis.

A national survey, sponsored by the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke, to determine the incidence, prevalence, and economic impact of multiple sclerosis has just been completed. These data are the first report of the results. Based on the data gathered, it is estimated that on January 1, 1976, there were a reported 123,000 multiple sclerosis patients in the conterminous United States (a rate of 58 per 100,000). The annual incidence for the period 1970-1975 was estimated to be 8,800 (a rate of 4.2 per 100,000). The pattern of the disease being more common among females, whites, persons aged 30-50 years, and individuals living above the 37th parallel was also demonstrated. In addition to demographic characteristics, selected disease characteristics of the incidence and prevalence populations were also examined.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cerebrovascular disease type specific mortality: 1968-1977.

Death certificates for the period 1968-1977 were examined to determine the trend, in the United States, of cerebrovascular disease death rates by type of event and demographic subgroup. The largest declines were for hemorrhagic strokes and among nonwhites. The number of hemorrhagic stroke deaths declined by 45 percent and th age-adjusted rate declined by 53 percent. Similar figures for nonwhites were 18 percent and 36 percent, respectively. It was surprising to note that the number of cerebrovascular deaths reported as poorly defined rose by 17 percent. Data on hypertension were examined. The possibility that the results with respect to hypertension are artifactual indicates the need for clinical studies which will examine the relationship between hypertension and cerebrovascular disease mortality.

Age Factors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

CVD mortality, 1968-1978: observations and implications.

U.S. multiple cause of death data were examined for the period 1968-1978. Specifically, the role of cerebrovascular disease mortality as an underlying and associated cause of death was studied. The number of deaths where cerebrovascular disease was cited as the underlying cause of death declined much faster than the number of deaths where cerebrovascular disease was cited as the associated cause of death. This trend is indicative of a possible change in the role of cerebrovascular disease as an associated cause of death. Cause elimination life tables were constructed for cerebrovascular disease as the underlying cause of death and as any cause of death. In the general population, eliminating stroke as a cause of death is projected to have less impact in 1978 than in 1968, for men than for women, and for whites than for nonwhites. Tables were also constructed to examine the life expectancy gains for the group of individuals who died of cerebrovascular disease. For these individuals, the gain in life expectancy at birth ranges from 9 years for white males to 18 years for nonwhite females.

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Hearing loss in the elderly: an epidemiologic study of the Framingham Heart Study Cohort.

This study used epidemiologic methods to examine hearing loss in the elderly. The Framingham Heart Study Cohort was the reference population. The participants were 935 men and 1358 women, aged 57 to 89 years. Using a conservative definition of hearing loss as threshold levels greater than 20 dB above audiometric zero for at least one frequency from 0.5 to 4 kHz, the prevalence was estimated to be 83%. The majority of cases displayed a sensorineural hearing loss. There were no statistically significant differences by sex at 1 kHz and below. Women had significantly better hearing than men at 2 kHz and above. A multivariate model was constructed to determine which variables had a significant impact upon hearing loss. Under the model, age, sex, illness, family history of hearing loss, Meniere's disease, and noise exposure were significant population risk factors. Age was by far the most critical risk factor.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Stroke Prevalence: an analysis of data from the 1977 National Health Interview Survey.

Data gathered in the 1977 National Health Interview Survey indicate that stroke continues to be a major health problem in the United States. It affects approximately 2 percent of the civilian noninstitutionalized population over age 20. An examination of the stroke population revealed differences in the prevalence rates by various demographic factors, particularly age. More than 70 percent of the stroke victims were limited in their activities, and about 85 percent of all the victims had been informed of their condition by a physician. Only 62 percent indicated that they were hospitalized for their first stroke, and this finding remained unchanged when only recent strokes were examined. The low hospitalization rate may reflect a lack of information on patients who died during the interval of on those who did not associate their hospitalizations with their strokes.

Adult↗