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Biomedical subjects

J Lavin

Publications and source records attributed to J Lavin.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Tackling obesity in men -- preliminary evaluation of men-only groups within a commercial slimming organization.

BACKGROUND: Over Slimming World's 36-year history men have always made up a small percentage of the slimming organization's membership. Past company research suggested that men would feel more comfortable in men-only groups rather than mixed. In 2002, Slimming World set a target to raise the awareness among men about the dangers of being overweight and made practical weight-management solutions more accessible through a national network of men's groups. AIM: To evaluate men's weight loss within these 'men-only' groups. METHODS: Data analysed included those men having attended a group for at least 8 weeks. RESULTS: At the point of data collection average BMI had decreased from 35.9 to 32.5 kg m(-2). At least 5% weight loss was achieved in 90% of the sample. In those who had been members for 24 weeks 69% achieved a 10% weight loss. Shift working did not affect weight loss success. CONCLUSION: This data shows that overweight and obese men attending Slimming World are successful at losing weight in this environment and can achieve recommended health-related weight loss targets. There should be a move to get away from the mis-perception that slimming groups are only for women and raise awareness of the commercial option to men.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Orthostasis fails to produce active limb venoconstriction in adolescents.

Orthostasis is characterized by translocation of blood from the upper body and thorax into dependent venous structures. Although active splanchnic venoconstriction is known to occur, active limb venoconstriction remains controversial. Based on prior work, we initially hypothesized that active venoconstriction does occur in the extremities during orthostasis in response to baroreflex activation. We investigated this hypothesis in the arms and legs of 11 healthy volunteers, aged 13-19 yr, using venous occlusion strain gauge plethysmography to obtain the forearm and calf blood flows and to compute the capacitance vessel volume-pressure compliance relation. Subjects were studied supine and at -10, +20, and +35 degrees to load the baroreflexes. With +20 degrees of tilt, blood flow decreased and limb arterial resistance increased significantly (P < 0.05) compared with supine. With +35 degrees of tilt, blood flow decreased, limb arterial resistance increased, and heart rate increased, indicating parasympathetic withdrawal and sympathetic activation with arterial vasoconstriction. The volume-pressure relation was unchanged by orthostatic maneuvers. The results suggest that active venoconstriction in the limbs is not important to mild orthostatic response.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Stress, psychosocial resources, and depressive symptomatology during pregnancy in low-income, inner-city women.

The authors examined the prospective influence of stress, self-esteem, and social support on the postpartum depressive symptoms of 191 inner-city women (139 European Americans and 52 African Americans) over 3 waves of data collection. Depressive symptomatology was measured by multiple indicators, including self-report and clinical scales. Women became less depressed as they move from prenatal to postpartum stages and adjusted to their pregnancy and its consequences. LISREL and regression analyses indicated that stress was related to increased depression, whereas greater income and social support were related to decreased depression. Self-esteem was related to lower depression at the prenatal and postpartum periods but not to change in depression from the prenatal to the postpartum period. The results also indicated that self-esteem and social support did not have additional stress-buffering effects over and above their direct effects on depression. Finally, African American women did not differ from European American women terms of depression or in terms of how they were impacted by stress or psychosocial resources.

Depression, Postpartum↗
PubMed1999

Reducing AIDS risk among inner-city women: a review of the Collectivist Empowerment AIDS Prevention (CE-AP) Program.

We discuss the process underlying our HIV-prevention project for young inner-city women. Health interventions are almost uniformly based on individualistic models of health and behavior. In contrast, AIDS and AIDS prevention, by their very social nature, may require more collectivist principles of disease, health, and intervention. We conducted a behavioral intervention, the Collectivist Empowerment AIDS Prevention (CE-AP) Program, with young, inner-city women to deal with this critical health issue. Our primary intervention goal was to promote women's sense of owning and making healthy choices about their bodies. We attempted to accomplish this by emphasizing the concepts of empowerment, collectivism (as opposed to individualism), and culturally sensitive skill building. Collectivism is emphasized to encourage women to involve others in their behavioral health decisions and to gain power through social joining and coalition building. A woman's behavioral decisions affect many others in her life. Thus, involving others in decision making emphasizes the connection between an individual's actions and their impact on interpersonal relationships. CE-AP was found to be effective in changing safer-sex behavior and we review our findings and future directions.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1998

Inventory of professional activities and knowledge of a holistic nurse (IPAKHN).

In the development and administration of a certification examination in holistic nursing, an important issue is to ensure adequate content validity. Thus, the American Holistic Nurses' Association (AHNA) and the American Holistic Nurses' Certification Corporation (AHNCC), with the assistance of the National League for Nursing, conducted a practice analysis study to generate empirical data on the professional activities and knowledge required to practice holistic nursing on a day-to-day basis.

Certification↗
PubMed1996

Weight, self-esteem, ethnicity, and depressive symptomatology during pregnancy among inner-city women.

The relationship of weight and self-esteem to depressive symptomatology was examined among 36 African American and 96 European American pregnant inner-city women. Lower self-esteem and higher deviations from medically ideal weight predicted increased dysphoria during the 3rd trimester for European American women, but only lower self-esteem predicted increased dysphoria for African American women. These results support the hypothesis that African Americans are less likely than European Americans to experience negative psychological repercussions of greater weight. Consistent with findings among nonpregnant middle-class samples, these results extend the association between heavier weight and increased risk for psychological distress to pregnant women of European American descent.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Pelvic floor damage.

Birth attendants must keep up to date with the recommendations made in good clinical studies, and incorporate these into their practice. There is no justification for routine, liberal use of episiotomy, and when performed it must be a mediolateral incision, not midline. The indications for episiotomy are fetal distress, prolonged active second stage of labour and if severe perineal damage is thought to be imminent. Further study of the effect of overstretching tissues is required, to establish if episiotomy would protect against prolapse. Perineal trauma should be repaired by an experienced member of staff, with a polyglycolic acid suture, preferably using a continuous subcuticular technique. It is possible that women who are particularly at risk of pelvic floor damage, such as those who have already experienced postpartum anorectal incontinence, should be offered an elective caesarean section.

Delivery, Obstetric↗
PubMed1995

Depression prevalence and incidence among inner-city pregnant and postpartum women.

A sample of 192 financially impoverished, inner-city women was assessed for clinical depression twice during pregnancy and once postpartum. At the first and second antepartum interviews, respectively, 27.6% and 24.5% of the women were depressed, controlling for pregnancy-related somatic symptoms. Postpartum depression was found among 23.4% of women. These rates are about double those found for middle-class samples. Particularly heightened risk for antepartum depression was found among single women who did not have a cohabiting partner. African American and European American women did not differ in rates of depression. Antepartum depression was a weak but significant risk factor for postpartum depression.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Reducing inner-city women's AIDS risk activities: a study of single, pregnant women.

Behavioral change reduces risk of HIV infection and development of AIDS. We compared 206 inner-city women who were randomly assigned to a 4-session AIDS-prevention group or to one of two controls, a health-promotion group or a no-intervention group. AIDS-prevention and health-promotion groups provided information, behavioral competency training, and social support. Only the AIDS-prevention group focused on AIDS-specific knowledge and skills. The AIDS-prevention group produced moderate, consistent increases in knowledge and safer sex behaviors in comparison with either the health-promotion or no-intervention group. Self-report and objective changes were sustained 6 months after intervention for both African-American and European-American women.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1993

Safer sex knowledge, behavior, and attitudes of inner-city women.

Sexual behavior, knowledge of HIV transmission and prevention, perceived risk of AIDS, and safer sex behavior were studied in a sample of 289 single, pregnant, inner-city women. African-American and European-American women were equally represented. Women had poor AIDS knowledge. Sexual behavior placed women at risk for HIV infection due to the lack of condom or spermicide use. Women did not perceive themselves at risk for the AIDS virus, although they did recognize that heterosexuals were at risk. Their lack of risk perception was partly based on their having a single sexual partner. They did not regard their partner's current or past behavior as placing them at risk. Recommendations for intervention and cultural differences were discussed.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1988

Hemodynamics of vein graft stenosis.

The hemodynamics of 56 femorodistal saphenous vein bypasses (in situ [n = 53] or reversed [n = 3]) identified to have residual or recurrent graft stenoses were characterized with Doppler-derived blood flow velocity and resting limb systolic pressure measurements. The magnitude and configuration of the graft blood flow velocity waveform were the best predictors of graft stenosis. Transformation of the graft blood flow velocity waveform from a triphasic to a monophasic or biphasic configuration coupled with a low (less than 45 cm/sec) or decrease (greater than 30 cm/sec) in peak systolic blood flow velocity relative to initial postoperative levels reliably predicted the presence of a remote occlusive lesion. In 20 (36%) of the 56 limbs, the ankle-brachial systolic pressure index (ABI) did not identify graft stenosis. The low sensitivity of ABI in the identification of graft stenosis was due to insignificant decrease (less than 0.15) of ABI (n = 11), incompressibility of the tibial arteries (n = 6), or residual occlusive lesions after surgery (n = 3). Duplex scanning of grafts with low blood flow velocity localized the site of stenosis in 31 (86%) of 36 patients examined. Graft revision increased systolic blood flow velocity from 33 +/- 9 to 77 +/- 18 cm/sec (mean +/- one standard deviation) a velocity similar to immediate postoperative levels (74 +/- 17 cm/sec). Resting ABI increased from 0.61 +/- 0.2 to 0.92 +/- 0.1 after graft revision. Four grafts with low systolic blood flow velocity (range 18 to 40 cm/sec) not revised occluded 5 to 45 days later.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Oral acyclovir (Zovirax) in herpes simplex dendritic corneal ulceration.

Sixty patients with simple dendritic corneal ulceration were randomly assigned to double blind treatment with either acyclovir tablets (400 mg) or acyclovir ophthalmic ointment administered five times daily. There was no significant difference in the proportions of patients healed in either treatment group (88.9% on oral acyclovir and 96.6% on acyclovir ointment). The median healing time was five days in both groups. No systemic or significant local side effects were noted in either treatment group. Trough levels of acyclovir in the tear fluid of those who received the oral preparation were within or above the range of mean in-vitro ID50 levels for herpes simplex virus type 1. We conclude that oral administration of acyclovir (400 mg, five times daily) may be an effective alternative to topical therapy in selected patients.

Acyclovir↗