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Biomedical subjects

J Jaccard

Publications and source records attributed to J Jaccard.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

The relationship between 24-hour ambulatory blood pressures and laboratory measures of cardiovascular reactivity.

The relationship between 24-hour ambulatory blood pressures (ABP) and blood pressures (BP) obtained during laboratory stressors was examined. Thirty normotensives (equal males and females) underwent ABP monitoring on three occasions separated by a week. They also underwent a laboratory assessment which included standard stressors (i.e., mental arithmetic, cold pressor, orthostatic response, treadmill exercise). Correlational analyses found laboratory pressures to be significantly correlated with ambulatory pressures, with laboratory baseline BPs showing higher correlations to the ambulatory BPs than the BPs obtained during laboratory stressors. In addition, gender effects were examined. In the correlational analyses between ABPs and laboratory BPs, males and females did not differ significantly in the strength of the correlations. In terms of absolute values, males were found to have significantly higher SBP during ambulatory monitoring, random-zero recordings, calibration readings, and during baselines of the laboratory assessment. There were no gender effects for these measures with respect to diastolic blood pressure or heart rate. There were also no gender effects on reactivity to laboratory stressors as measured by change scores. Exploratory analyses found no significant effect of history of familial hypertension on either the ABPs or the laboratory pressures.

Adult↗

Condom use relative to knowledge of sexually transmitted disease prevention, method of birth control, and past or present infection.

The purpose of this study was to assess knowledge regarding STD spread and prevention, and to assess motivational and behavioral factors that influence the use of condoms to prevent STD acquisition among inner-city women at high risk for STD infection. In addition, the effect of past and/or current STD infection on a woman's knowledge of the mechanism of STD acquisition and subsequent use of a condom to prevent STD infection was explored. We utilized three inner-city clinics offering family planning or gynecologic care located in Brooklyn, New York. Our study linked clinical findings regarding current infection with chlamydia or Trichomonas vaginalis. One thousand four hundred and four sexually active black and Hispanic women participated in the study. A past history of STD (37%) or current infection (29%) was recorded for 54% of the study population (12% were positive for both past and current infection). On average, only 60% of women who reported prior treatment for STD infection reported receiving any information regarding prevention of re-infection during the course of treatment. Depending on the specific STD, from 6.8% to 42.9% of women reporting prior treatment for an STD did not know the disease they were being treated for was sexually transmitted. Condom use for disease prevention was more frequently reported by women who had previously been treated for an STD (OR = 1.62, 95% CI 1.23-2.13). However, condom use for contraception was a stronger predictor of use for STD prevention. Women who relied on condoms for contraception were almost 10 times more likely to also report condom use for STD prevention relative to women who did not use condoms for contraceptive purposes (OR = 9.71, 95% CI 7.0-13.5). In addition, condom use was associated with the perceived attitude of their sexual partner toward such use. Condom use to prevent STD acquisition was more than twice as frequently reported when a favorable attitude was perceived by a male sexual partner (OR = 2.30, 95% CI 1.54-3.43). Our findings suggest that prevention of unplanned pregnancy was a stronger motivator for condom use than disease prevention among the women comprising our study group. The findings also indicate the need for more extensive information regarding STD prevention among women at high risk for STD acquisition.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adult↗

Cognitive and attitudinal factors in the analysis of alternatives to drunk driving.

The present study examined cognitive and attitudinal factors relevant to drunk-driving tendencies in individuals having zero, one and multiple drunk-driving convictions. Results indicate that the awareness of consequences of being in an accident was related to driving record but not to drunk-driving tendencies. In contrast, the awareness of consequences of being arrested for drunk driving (e.g., receiving fines, having one's name appear in the news and having a criminal record) was negatively related to drunk-driving tendencies. Attitudes toward alternatives to drunk driving (e.g., take a taxi, call a friend) were also negatively related to drunk-driving tendencies. The findings are discussed with respect to developing prevention programs.

Accidents, Traffic↗

Psychological changes accompanying non-pharmacological treatment of chronic headache: the effects of outcome.

Several prior studies suggest that non-drug treatment for chronic headache is accompanied by concomitant reductions in patients' anxiety, depression and somatization. It is currently unclear, however, whether such beneficial side effects are a function of degree of headache relief or are due simply to receiving treatment. Most work to date in this area has treated outcome as a dichotomous variable. The present report employed a regression approach which treats outcome (degree of headache relief) as a continuous variable in the study of 149 chronic headache patients and their accompanying psychological changes. Anxiety and depression were significantly reduced for headache patients regardless of degree of headache relief. With somatization, however, degree of headache relief had a significant effect; the greater the reduction in headache, the fewer somatic concerns were expressed, especially for mixed headache.

Adult↗

A controlled evaluation of thermal biofeedback and thermal biofeedback combined with cognitive therapy in the treatment of vascular headache.

One-hundred-sixteen patients suffering from vascular headache (migraine or combined migraine and tension) were, after 4 weeks of pretreatment baseline headache monitoring, randomly assigned to one of four conditions: (a) thermal biofeedback with adjunctive relaxation training (TBF); (b) TBF plus cognitive therapy; (c) pseudomediation as an ostensible attention-placebo control; or (d) headache monitoring. The first three groups received 16 individual sessions over 8 weeks, while the fourth group continued to monitor headaches. All groups then monitored headaches for a 4-week posttreatment baseline. Analyses revealed that all treated groups improved significantly more than the headache monitoring group with no significant differences among the three treated groups. On a measure of clinically significant improvement, the two TBF groups had slightly higher (51%) degree of improvement than the meditation group (37.5%). It is argued that the attention-placebo control became an active relaxation condition.

Adult↗

Effects of 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring on daily activities.

Compared the self-monitored activities, locations, and postural positions of 28 hypertensives while they wore an alarm watch and then while they wore a 24-hr ambulatory blood pressure monitor (ABPM) to see if wearing the ABPM led to alterations in behavior. Within the limitations of the study (no counterbalancing of order and twice as many ABPM measures as watch measures), we found significant differences in frequency of being at home or in miscellaneous settings, in standing and reclining positions, and in mental, physical and miscellaneous activities between the two occasions.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Hand temperature norms for headache, hypertension, and irritable bowel syndrome.

Hand temperature norms are presented for 221 headache patients (migraine, mixed, and tension), 105 hypertensives, 45 irritable bowel syndrome patients, and 56 normal controls under conditions of resting baseline, self-relaxation, volitional handwarming, mental arithmetic, and cold pressor. The two vascular headache groups (migraine and mixed) had significantly lower hand temperatures across conditions.

Adult↗

The refractory headache patient--I. Chronic, daily, high intensity headache.

Two studies on patients with Chronic, Daily, High Intensity Headache (CDHIHA) are presented. In the first, their response to various self-regulatory (biofeedback, relaxation) treatments was compared to that of case controls matched for age, duration and Ad Hoc Committee diagnoses who had 1-2 headache-free days per week (Group II) and 3-5 headache-free days per week (Group III). The CDHIHA patients had a significantly poorer response to treatment (12.7 vs 49.8% improvement for Groups II and III combined). In the second study, the psychological profiles of an enlarged sample of CDHIHA patients were compared to matched case controls from Group II and Group III. The CDHIHA patients tended to be more anxious, more hysterical and to have more non-headache somatic complaints than Groups II and III combined.

Adolescent↗

The refractory headache patient--II. High medication consumption (analgesic rebound) headache.

'Analgesic rebound headache' is identified by habituation of an individual to pain reducing medication, the exacerbation of headache pain a few hours after medication consumption and a marked increase in headache frequency and intensity for several weeks after medication is discontinued. We describe three studies undertaken to clarify the existence and characteristics of this proposed headache syndrome. In Study 1 we compared a group of headache sufferers who consume large amounts of analgesic medications to headache sufferers who did not consume excessive analgesics. It was found that the two groups did not differ on age, duration of headache problem or gender. However, the groups did differ on subjective headache pain (with the high medicators experiencing more headache pain than low medicators) and diagnosis (with high medicators being more likely to have a muscle contraction component to their headaches). In an analysis of drug use within the high medication group, it was found that 91% were taking some kind of analgesic and that a majority (84%) were taking more than one type of medication. In Study 2 we found that the group of high medicators were not as successful in reducing headache activity as a result of a self-regulatory behavioral treatment as the matched controls. Furthermore, there was a direct relationship between reduction and treatment success in the high medication consuming population. Lastly, in Study 3 we examined the current psychological functioning of the two groups; no differences were found between the two groups indicating the lack of 'addictive' personality characteristics as an explanation for the high medicating population. These findings all support the existence of a sub-population of headache sufferers who consume excessive amounts of analgesic medication and who are relatively refractory to behavioral treatment.

Adult↗

The role of psychopathology in chronic headache: cause or effect?

The psychological test results (BDI, STAI, PSC, and MMPI Scales 1, 2, 3, and 7) of 492 chronic headache patients were subjected to five analyses in order to test two hypotheses about the relation of headache activity and psychopathology/personality: (H-1), that psychopathology "causes" headache; and (H-2), that headache "causes" psychopathology. No support was found for H-2. There was modest support for H-1.

Adolescent↗

"My family and friends": six- to twelve-year-old children's perceptions of social support.

A psychometrically sound instrument is essential for the study of children's subjective impressions about social support. To evaluate such an instrument, 249 children, 6-12 years old, from a population-based sample of black and white families (50% single mothers, 50% two parents) were studied. The newly developed instrument, "My Family and Friends," consists of 12 dialogues, based on Vygotskian principles, and yields information about (a) children's perceptions of the availability of individuals in their networks to provide different types of social support and (b) their satisfaction with the help they receive. Children collaborate in interactive dialogues and manipulate personalized props. Collectively, the data indicate that subjective impressions about social support can be measured in a reliable and valid manner from early childhood through adolescence, and that children understand and care about the quality and the differentiation of support (i.e., emotional, informational, instrumental, and companionship) within their social support networks. Further, children report significant variations in social support when undergoing major family upheaval.

Audiovisual Aids↗

What is an adequate length of baseline in research and clinical practice with chronic headache?

We examined the representatives of baseline headache diary recording periods of 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks for three kinds of headache disorder--tension, migraine, and combined migraine and tension. For research purposes at pretreatment, 2 weeks of diary recording are preferable for tension headache, while at least 3 weeks are preferred for migraine and combined headache. At follow-up, 1 week of diary recording appears adequate for all three headache types. Recommendations are also made for clinical practice.

Adult↗

Cognitive processes and individual differences in judgments relevant to drunk driving.

The present study explored cognitive processes in judgments of drunkenness relative to legally allowable blood alcohol levels for driving. Judgments were based on the manipulation of three cues in hypothetical scenarios in a 3 X 4 X 3 factorial design (Type of Drink X Number of Drinks X Time to Consume). In addition, personality and behavioral characteristics influencing the accuracy of judgments of drunkenness relative to true blood alcohol levels were examined. Results indicated the presence of several misperceptions and inappropriate response tendencies that potentially can be modified with educational efforts.

Adult↗

Reduction in headache patients' medical expenses associated with biofeedback and relaxation treatments.

Comparisons are made of self-reported medical costs from a sample of headache patients who underwent various combinations of relaxation training and biofeedback training. The average costs for the 2 years prior to self-regulatory treatment were $955 +/- 480 (3 SEM) for 45 patients; for the 2 years after completing treatment the average costs were $52 +/- 28 (3 SEM) for patients. Within the limitations of the study, medical costs do seem to have been markedly reduced.

Adolescent↗

A theoretical analysis of selected factors important to health education strategies.

Based on the theoretical work of Dulany and Fishbein, two major problems for understanding health behaviors were delineated: (1) the identification of those variables that determine an individual's intention to perform a health behavior; and (2) the extent to which these intentions are predictive of behavior. An analysis of factors affecting the relation between health intentions and behavior was presented and its implications for health education discussed. A social psychological model specifying two major determinants of behavioral intentions was contrasted with the Health Belief Model.

Attitude to Health↗