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Biomedical subjects

M Nebot

Publications and source records attributed to M Nebot.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

AIDS and behavioural risk factors in women in inner city Baltimore: a comparison of telephone and face to face surveys.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to investigate the influence the mode of administration of a questionnaire (telephone or face to face) on reports of sexual behaviour and attitudes of HIV risk among woman of reproductive age. DESIGN: Two cross sectional surveys--one, a modified random digit dialing telephone survey, the second, a face to face street sample--were carried out by the same interviewers using similar questionnaires in the same neighbourhoods. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Two socially deprived, inner city neighbourhoods of Baltimore City were assessed in early 1990 before a community health intervention was carried out in one of them. Women between 17 and 35 years were surveyed. MAIN RESULTS: Altogether 775 and 416 women in the target age group were interviewed by telephone and face to face methods: the response rates were 66.4% and 77% respectively. Telephone respondents tended to be older, had more education, were more often married, were less likely to live in subsidised housing, and were more likely to report HIV testing. The proportions of respondents who reported a previous abortion and had had a surgical sterilisation were higher among the telephone respondents (34.7% v 24.1% and 26.4% v 20.6%, respectively). With regard to sexual risk behaviour, the only statistically significant differences were found in the proportion who reported having used drugs (10.6% of the face to face v 2.4% of the telephone sample) or alcohol (30.5% v 16.3%) at last sexual intercourse. The observed method effect on these variables remained unchanged after adjusting for age, education, employment, and marital status. This effect was even stronger for a subgroup of face to face respondents who reported not having a telephone at home. The adjusted odds ratios for reporting alcohol consumption and use of drugs at the last sexual encounter in this group compared with the telephone respondents were 3.7 (2.1, 6.6) and 14.1 (5.7, 34.5) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the socioeconomic bias associated with the mode of data collection, there are only a few differences between the telephone and personal survey methods in reports of sexual behaviour. These differences are mostly concentrated in young women (under 20 years), and in a particularly socioeconomically deprived subgroup identified through telephone ownership.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1993

[Maternity in adolescents at high social risk].

OBJECTIVE: To analyse for the 1987-1990 period the indicators of prenatal care and the social-health follow-up of adolescent girls included in the mother-child programme of Ciutat Vella (Barcelona). This programme was aimed at pregnant women resident in the district and with high social risk profiles. DESIGN: Descriptive and retrospective study. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: 175 adolescent mothers were included in the programme during the period under study. This represented 82.9% coverage of all births in the district to this age group. In 10.9% of cases the mother stated she lived alone. 10.2% had had a previous child. There were drug addiction antecedents in 5% of the mothers. The first prenatal check took place during the first three months only in 56% of the pregnancies, with the proportion of low weight births (LWB: weight at birth below 2,500 grams) at 13.1%. During the period under study the proportion of pregnant women checked in the first three months went up from 45.6% to 62.5%, while the proportion of LWB's went down from 19.3% to 6.3%. CONCLUSIONS: There has been both a striking improvement in the indicators of prenatal care and less low weight births during the first four years of this programme. It is worth noting the worrying fact that one third of pregnant adolescents do not attend for a prenatal check-up before three months of their pregnancy have elapsed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Bladder cancer and coffee consumption in smokers and non-smokers in Spain.

The association between coffee consumption and bladder cancer was investigated in a multi-centre case-control study conducted in Spain from 1983 to 1986. A total of 497 cases (438 male and 59 female) with histopathologically confirmed bladder cancer were used in the analysis along with 566 hospital controls and 547 population controls. Odds ratios (OR), adjusted for age, province of residence, occupations at risk, consumption of artificial sweeteners and cigarette smoking, did not show any association between coffee consumption and bladder cancer for either sex. However, in non-smokers and mainly in males, for current coffee drinkers the OR was 2.78 (95% [Cl]: 0.78-9.87), while for drinkers of 2-7, 8-14 and > or = 15 cups/week the respective OR were 2.22, 3.11 and 1.87 with a dose-response relationship for lifelong consumption and years of exposure to regular coffee consumption. The OR in male non-smokers and current coffee drinkers were 2.36 (95% Cl: 0.62-9.05) with population controls only and 1.94, 2.58 and 1.48 for the corresponding levels of intensity of consumption (cups/week). The associations observed in non-smokers suggest the existence of a possible association between coffee consumption and bladder cancer, but are based on small numbers and need to be confirmed in larger studies.

Case-Control Studies↗
PubMed1992

[Self care of common health disorders: results of a telephone survey of the general population].

BACKGROUND: Self-care of health problems including self-medication, constitutes the most frequent response to the most common acute symptoms in several studies carried out in other countries. Indeed there are few data concerning the scope of self-care in Spain. METHODS: A telephone survey was carried out by a questionnaire of response limited to a sample of 660 homes in the city of Barcelona. In each home response was required by only one person between the ages of 15 and 80 on the common symptoms experienced within the previous 30 days and their behavior in response to the same. RESULTS: In 448 homes response was obtained from adults on the habits of self-care or medical consultation in episodes of headache, lumbalgia, colds, diarrhea, fever or dysmenorrhea registered the previous month. The global rate of response was 70% with a higher number of refusals among men. Headache (42.8%), lumbalgia (41.7%) and colds (34.4%) were the most frequent symptoms with self-medication including physical and home remedies being the most common response. CONCLUSIONS: Self-care for minor health problems is frequent in the population studied. The type of symptom in addition to age and sex appear to be the most important determining factors in this behavior.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Does nurse counseling or offer of nicotine gum improve the effectiveness of physician smoking-cessation advice?

Medical advice and use of nicotine gum have recently received increased attention as effective tools to encourage smokers to quit, yet the relative value of nurse vs physician counseling has not been explored in depth. In this study, 425 smokers attending three urban primary care centers in Barcelona were systematically allocated to one of three groups: group A patients received a brief counseling session to quit from their family physician; group B patients were given the same brief counseling along with a free supply of nicotine gum; group C received a brief health-education session from the primary care nurse. Three hundred forty-nine patients (82%) could be reached by telephone at the two-month follow up. By that time, after correcting for the estimated validity of the phone report of smoking status, the proportion declaring themselves to be nonsmokers was 10.9%, 11.1%, and 10.8%, respectively, without significant differences between them. At one-year follow up the proportions were 4.4%, 5.3%, and 6.0%. In the logistic regression analysis, only the expected difficulty of quitting was predictive of one-year abstention, OR = 3.1 (95% CI: 1.3-7.3). The present study shows no difference between physician versus nurse counseling and no improvement in the proportion of quitters with the addition of nicotine gum in the physician-counseled group.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Tobacco smoke inhalation pattern, tobacco type, and bladder cancer in Spain.

The association between tobacco smoking and bladder cancer was investigated in a multicenter case-control study conducted in five provinces of Spain between 1983 and 1986. A matched analysis was carried out in males, based on 430 histologically confirmed cases, 405 hospital controls, and 386 population controls, matched by age and place of residence. An increased risk was found for smokers as compared with nonsmokers (odds ratio (OR) = 3.79, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 2.41-5.97), and this increase was significantly associated with the intensity of smoking. Smokers of filter-tipped cigarettes had a reduced risk as compared with smokers of non-filter-tipped cigarettes (OR = 0.57, 95% CI 0.32-1.02). A diminution of risk was also observed for smokers of low-tar and low-nicotine ("light") cigarettes. Depth of inhalation was strongly associated with illness. No difference was shown in the logistic regression model between smokers of black tobacco and smokers of blond tobacco after controlling for depth of inhalation. Although the number of persons who smoked blond tobacco exclusively was small, the results suggest that it is important to consider inhalation patterns when studying risk variations between smokers of black tobacco and smokers of blond tobacco. The age at which a person started to smoke did not appear to affect risk. An analysis of the decrease in risk associated with years since quitting smoking suggested that different components of cigarette smoke may play a role at different stages of the carcinogenic process.

Female↗
PubMed1991

Diet and bladder cancer in Spain: a multi-centre case-control study.

A multi-centre case-control study on bladder cancer and diet was carried out in 5 regions of Spain. We report results on 432 male cases and 792 matched controls. Usual dietary habits were investigated by means of an interview-based dietary history questionnaire. Bladder-cancer cases were selected from the registers of 12 hospitals located in the study areas. Each case was matched by sex, age and area of residence to 2 controls, one identified in the same hospital and one drawn from population lists. Descriptive analyses indicated that the average dietary pattern was typical of Mediterranean populations: a high P/S ratio, high intake of fish, fruits and vegetables and moderate or low intake of meat and dairy products. Relative risks for specific foods and nutrients were adjusted for tobacco smoking and energy intake. Subjects in the highest quarter of intake of saturated fat had a significantly increased risk of bladder cancer (RR for highest quarter = 2.25; 95% CI = 1.42 to 3.55). Moderate increases in risk for high intake of mono-unsaturated fats and calcium, and a slight decrease for iron were also found, but these disappeared after adjustment for saturated fat. Intake of vitamin E was related to slightly reduced risk (RR for highest quarter = 0.72; 95% CI = 0.48 to 1.09) which was not modified by adjustment for fat. No association was found with intake of retinol or carotene. These results, along with those of previous studies, suggest that saturated fat intake may influence the occurrence of bladder cancer.

Calcium↗
PubMed1991

Urinary infection, renal lithiasis and bladder cancer in Spain.

A case-control study on bladder cancer was carried out in 12 hospitals located in 4 regions of Spain. The study included 497 cases and 530 population controls, matched by sex, age and residence. The present paper reports the results regarding the risk for bladder cancer in relation to history of infections and lithiasis of the urinary tract. Increased risk was found for infections starting 4 years or less before diagnosis (OR = 15.00; 95% CL: 6.07-51.66) but no statistically significant increase in risk was observed for infections starting 5 or more years before (OR = 1.44; 95% CL: 0.86-2.47). Our data suggest that the association of urinary infections with bladder cancer is probably not causal and is more likely to be a consequence of cancer, although a weak causal association cannot be excluded. A small but not statistically significant increase in risk was found to be associated with a history of renal lithiasis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Prevalence and determinants of alcohol consumption among schoolchildren in Barcelona, Spain.

The pattern of use of alcoholic beverages and factors influencing it among Barcelona schoolchildren were studied; 2,255 fifth and eighth grade students from 71 schools completed a self-administered questionnaire. Between fifth-eighth grades, important changes take place in attitudes--strongly opposed to alcohol among the younger, much more moderate among the older. Family celebrations such as Christmas or birthdays are the earliest source of exposure to alcohol, at which one-third of fifth grade students and two-thirds of eighth grade students drink. In eighth grade, though daily consumption is relatively rare (4.4% for boys), a considerable proportion have been drunk at least once (16% of girls and 19% of boys) or have had four or more drinks in a row, while a small but significant proportion (2.5%) have been drunk two or more times in the last six months. A discriminant analysis uncovered some features predicting this "higher risk" use of alcohol: age and gender (being a boy in eighth grade), lower socioeconomic status, higher weekly allowance available for personal expenses, a pattern of usual consumption by both the father and friends, smoking regularly, and having a moderate or high physical activity level, as well as holding opinions in favor of drinking.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

[Priorities in prevention and health promotion in primary health care: views of the professionals].

The aim of the study was to define the health problems, preventive and promotional activities, and self care measures which have a high priority for the primary care professionals in our area. A Delphi study with two rounds of questionnaires. A 69.6% of a panel of professionals selected because of their remarkable degree of participation in clinical, educational, organizational or managerial activities in PHC participated in the study. Chronic diseases and the mental health disorders of the anxiety/depression type were considered the most important health problems. The detection and control of hypertension, medical counseling against smoking, and the compliance with the vaccination schedules were the most supported preventive interventions. Finally, the consulted professionals felt that it is necessary to promote self care in chronic diseases and in some acute conditions such as upper respiratory infections. The primary health care professionals considered as interventions with a high priority for health promotion the counseling of life style and the traditional interventions such as the compliance with the vaccination schedules of the hypertension programs. It is necessary to adapt the training of professionals to the priorities in PHC problems and activities.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1990

[Medical counseling, nursing counseling, and nicotine chewing gum for smoking cessation in primary care].

The 2-month results of a study designed to compare the effectiveness of three methods to encourage giving up smoking in primary health care are reported: individualized medical counseling (minimal intervention), counseling plus follow-up option by the nurse, and medical counseling plus nicotine chewing gum. Overall 425 smokers between 15 and 65 years of age were included in the study. In 349 of them (82%), short term follow-up was carried out by phone interview. The proportion who declared to have given up smoking, after adjustment for the estimated validity of the phone report of smoking status, was 10, 9%, 10.8% and 11.1%, respectively, without significant differences between the three groups. In the logistic regression analysis, only the existence of concomitant disease and the anticipated difficulty in giving up smoking appeared as predictive variables of abstention. The implications of the results for the strategies to control smoking are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

[Design and implementation of a multicenter case-control study on bladder cancer in Spain].

The aim of a case-control design is to make a measurement of the highest possible accuracy, reducing to a minimum the possible selection, information and confusion biases. The design, methods and procedures of a multicentric study carried out in 14 hospitals from 4 autonomous communities in Spain are discussed. Overall 254 incident cases, 243 prevalent cases, 583 hospital controls and 530 population controls were included. The proportion of nonresponders was somewhat higher in population controls, particularly in large cities. Statistically significant differences between cases and controls were not found for socioeconomic levels, educational level, number of jobs, degree of response, duration of the interview, and errors of transcription and codification of information. Also, significant differences were not found between the population and hospital controls regarding diet habits and cigarette smoking. It is considered that a non-biased measurement of the association can be obtained from cases and hospital controls. The collected information was satisfactory. In spite of the lack of adequate facilities for research in hospitals, the development of multicentric etiologic studies is feasible.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1989

Occupation and bladder cancer in Spain: a multi-centre case-control study.

A case-control study on bladder cancer was carried out in four regions of Spain. The study included 497 cases (438 males and 59 females), 583 hospital controls and 530 population controls matched by sex, age and residence. The present paper reports the results of the analyses on occupational history. Among men, an increased risk of bladder cancer was found for textile workers (OR = 1.97, 95% CL 1.2-3.3), mechanics and maintenance workers (OR = 1.86, 95% CL 1.2-2.8), workers in the printing industry (OR = 2.06, 95% CL 1.0-4.3) and for managers (OR = 2.03, 95% CL 1.2-3.5). The risk was highest among those first employed in the textile industry before the age of 25 and prior to 1960. Among mechanics the risk was highest for those who started after the age of 25 and later than 1960. The OR for smokers who had also been employed in one of the high risk occupations was 7.82 (95% CL 4.4-14.0) which is compatible with a multiplicative effect of joint exposure to tobacco and occupational hazards.

Aged↗