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Biomedical subjects

M W Hinds

Publications and source records attributed to M W Hinds.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1990

An epidemiologic study of thyroid cancer in Hawaii.

A population-based case-control interview study was designed to test the hypothesis that dietary iodine or the consumption of goitrogenic vegetables increases the risk of thyroid cancer. A total of 191 histologically confirmed cases (64 percent female) and 441 matched controls from five ethnic groups in Hawaii were available for analysis. Among women, intake of seafood (especially shellfish), harm ha (a fermented fish sauce), and dietary iodine were associated with an increased risk of cancer, whereas consumption of goitrogenic (primarily cruciferous) vegetables was associated with a decreased risk. Non-dietary risk factors included miscarriage (especially at first pregnancy), use of fertility drugs, family history of thyroid disease, obesity, and work as a farm laborer. The odds ratio for the combined effect of a high iodine intake and a first-pregnancy miscarriage was 4.8 (95 percent confidence interval [CI] = 1.2-19.2); and for high iodine intake and use of fertility drugs 7.3 (95 percent CI = 1.5-34.5). Among men, positive associations were found for obesity, work as a farm laborer, and a past history of benign thyroid disease. Although this study identified several dietary and non-dietary risk factors for thyroid cancer, it could not fully explain the exceptionally high incidence rates among Filipino women in Hawaii.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Estimation of human dose of staphylococcal enterotoxin A from a large outbreak of staphylococcal food poisoning involving chocolate milk.

An outbreak of gastroenteritis in a school district in the United States was determined to be staphylococcal food poisoning due to 2% chocolate milk containing staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA). Twelve one-half pint (approx 0.28 l) cartons of the 2% chocolate milk from this outbreak were analyzed for the quantity of SEA present in the milk. The amount of SEA in the cartons varied from 94 to 184 ng with the average being 144 ng (mean = 139 +/- 45). The attack rate for vomiting among those who consumed more than one carton was greater (38.3%) than among those who consumed only one carton (31.5%) with the highest attack rate among those who consumed three or more cartons (44.4%).

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Infant death rates among the poor and nonpoor in Kentucky, 1982 to 1983.

The mortality rates of infants born in Kentucky during 1982 and 1983 were analyzed to determine whether there were differences between poor and nonpoor infants. We used computer matching with the Social Insurance Food Stamp files and with the Aid for Families With Dependent Children files to define poor and nonpoor Kentucky resident families. The crude death rate for poor infants was 13.7/1,000 births, and the nonpoor death rate was 10.8/1,000 births. After adjusting for several important variables, we found that the poor infant was at a significantly greater risk for death than the nonpoor infant but only during the postneonatal period (relative risk 2.04, P = .0003). Some differences by sex and race were noted. Sudden infant death syndrome and infections were largely responsible for the poor infants' higher postneonatal mortality risk.

Black or African American↗
PubMed1986

Studies of nutrients and their relationship to cancer in the multiethnic population of Hawaii.

Because of the many ethnic cultures in Hawaii, there is great dietary variation in the population, even within individual ethnic groups. Epidemiologic studies in this setting are providing useful information on the role of macro- and micronutrients in the risk for certain cancers. The results of several recent and ongoing case-control studies are described, especially with regard to the influence of dietary fat, vitamin A, and vitamin C. The degree of consistency of the findings with other reports in the literature is discussed.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed1986

Medical care costs attributable to cigarette smoking in Kentucky.

Cigarette smoking is well documented as a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Using recently available estimates of the prevalence of cigarette smoking among adult Kentuckians, I found that approximately 4,390 men and 1,615 women died in Kentucky in 1983 of causes attributable to cigarette smoking. Furthermore, the direct medical care costs in 1983 of disease attributable to cigarette smoking were estimated to be more than +266 million. Cigarette smoking is possibly the leading single contributor to medical care costs in Kentucky, accounting for approximately 8% of such costs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Neonatal outcome in planned v unplanned out-of-hospital births in Kentucky.

We conducted a survey of 1,064 out-of-hospital Kentucky births during 1981 to 1983 in order to classify each by planning status (planned or unplanned to occur out of hospital) and attendant. Among the 809 births for which we obtained information, 575 (71.1%) were planned. We examined birth outcome by low birth weight (LBW) and neonatal mortality (NM). Compared with planned births, unplanned births were associated with increased risk of LBW (odds ratio = 6.6; 95% confidence limits [CL], 3.9 to 11.2, adjusted for maternal age). Furthermore, after adjusting for maternal age and parity, LBW births occurred at less than expected frequency among planned births (observed to expected [O:E] ratio = 0.48; 95% CL, 0.29 to 0.73), but at greater than expected frequency among unplanned births (O:E ratio = 2.9; 95% CL, 2.2 to 3.8). A similar, but nonsignificant, trend was seen for NM and NM was much greater in the unplanned group (72.7 per 1,000 live births) than in the planned group (3.5 per 1,000).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

A waterborne outbreak of hepatitis A in Meade County, Kentucky.

In November 1982, Meade County, Kentucky health officials noted a sudden increase in the incidence of hepatitis A. Using a standardized interview of 73 cases (68 serologically confirmed), and 85 controls (all negative for antibody to hepatitis A virus), the most important risk factor identified was household use of untreated water from a single spring. A dose-response relationship was found for consumption of unboiled spring water. Water samples taken from the spring during the outbreak were contaminated with fecal coliforms.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Benefit-cost analysis of active surveillance of primary care physicians for hepatitis A.

We identified two random samples of 216 primary care physicians each. In one sample, we made weekly telephone contact for active hepatitis A (HA) surveillance; in the other, we made no such contact (passive surveillance). Appropriate county health departments were notified whenever we identified a HA case by active surveillance. Active surveillance was associated with a 2.8-fold increase in reported HA cases compared to passive surveillance. The estimated benefit: cost ratio active/passive surveillance was 2.5:1.

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗
PubMed1985

Relationship of dietary vitamin A and ascorbic acid intake to the risk for cancers of the lung, bladder, and prostate in Hawaii.

This report presents preliminary findings from 3 case-control studies in Hawaii in which we are examining the relationship of dietary vitamin A and ascorbic acid intake to the risk for cancers of the lung, bladder, and prostate. All 3 studies involved home interviews of cancer patients and neighborhood controls and use of quantitative dietary history method. In the lung cancer study, we found an inverse dose-response effect for total vitamin A intake in males only, with an odds ratio of 1.8 (P less than .05) for the lowest intake quartile relative to the highest; we found no association for ascorbic acid. In the bladder cancer study, we found lower (but not statistically significant) mean intakes of both vitamins in patients compared with controls, with the effect stronger for ascorbic acid. In the prostate cancer study, no effect was detected for total vitamin A or ascorbic acid in men less than 70 years old, but a direct association of vitamin A only with a dose-response gradient was found for men 70 years or older (odds ratio = 1.87; P less than .05, for the highest relative to the lowest intake quartile). Our findings at present indicate that vitamin A has a protective effect against lung and bladder cancers but not against prostate cancer and that ascorbic acid has a protective effect against bladder cancer as well. In our later analyses, we will examine the possibility that the effects of vitamin A vary with histologic type and that this may account for the lack of an association with lung cancer in women.

Ascorbic Acid↗
PubMed1985

Application of a job-exposure matrix to a case-control study of lung cancer.

Interview information was obtained on primary and secondary occupations for 261 male lung cancer patients and 444 controls residing on the island of Oahu, HI. With the use of a computerized job-exposure matrix (JEM), exposure levels were assigned to each subject for each of 5 known and 2 likely lung carcinogens. A multiple logistic regression model was used to compute the odds ratio (OR) for exposure to each carcinogen, adjusted for age, ethnicity, and pack-years of smoking. On the basis of the criterion of either a dose-response effect or a statistically significant OR (P less than .05) or both, 5 of the 7 carcinogens (4 of the 5 known carcinogens) were found to be associated with lung cancer risk. However, on the basis of the single criterion of a significant OR, only 3 of the 7 carcinogens (2 of the 5 known carcinogens) were associated with lung cancer risk. Due to its relative insensitivity, this JEM may have limited usefulness in the identification of exposure-disease relationships and should not be applied uncritically.

Aged↗
PubMed1984

Dietary vitamin A, carotene, vitamin C and risk of lung cancer in Hawaii.

The authors conducted a case-control study among the multiethnic population of Hawaii to test the hypotheses that lung cancer risk is inversely associated with dietary intake of total vitamin A, carotene, and vitamin C. Detailed dietary interviews were completed between September 1979 and October 1982 for 364 primary lung cancer patients and 627 general population controls matched on age and sex. After adjusting for a number of potentially confounding variables, including ethnicity, smoking history, and occupation, evidence was found that total vitamin A intake (food sources plus supplements), vitamin A intake from food sources only, and carotene intake were each inversely associated with lung cancer risk in males, but not in females. Among males, a monotonic dose-response relationship was found only for total vitamin A intake. However, a comparison of the lowest and highest quartiles of intake gave similar results for each of the three measures of nutrient intake: total vitamin A (odds ratio (OR) = 1.8; 95% confidence limits (CL) = 1.1-3.1), vitamin A from foods (OR = 2.0; 95% CL = 1.2-3.5), and carotene (OR = 2.2; 95% CL = 1.3-3.7). Similar analyses revealed no significant association between dietary vitamin C intake and lung cancer risk.

Aged↗
PubMed1984

Site-specific cancer mortality trends among Kentucky residents: comparison of 1971 to 1975 with 1976 to 1980.

We compared the average annual age-adjusted, sex- and site-specific cancer mortality rates among Kentuckians during two five-year time periods: 1971 to 1975 and 1976 to 1980. Lung cancer alone showed a statistically significant increase in mortality rates for both sexes, but significant increases were also found for skin cancer and leukemias among men and for pancreatic cancer and lymphomas among women. Significant decreases in mortality rates were observed for cancer of the rectum and stomach in both sexes, lymphomas among men, and leukemias and liver and uterine (corpus and cervix) cancer among women. Increased lung cancer mortality rates occurred for all age groups of women aged 35 and over, but in men, decreased lung cancer mortality rates were observed for ages 35 to 49 and increased rates only after age 50. All age groups of women experienced substantial declines in cervical cancer mortality rates. Without the dramatic increase in lung cancer mortality during this period, overall cancer mortality rates would have shown almost no change among Kentucky men and would have decreased among Kentucky women.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Dietary history methods for epidemiologic studies: application in a case-control study of vitamin A and lung cancer.

A dietary history method for use in a case-control study of vitamin A and lung cancer is described. The method was designed to obtain estimates of the usual frequencies and quantities of 84 major food sources of vitamin A and carotene consumed prior to symptoms of disease in cases and during the same time period in matched controls. Amounts were estimated from photographs of each item that showed three different quantities. The development of the questionnaire is described in detail, as well as the data collection and analysis. The results of the study showed that relative to those men with the highest intakes, the men who consumed less vitamin A or carotene had a higher risk for lung cancer in a general dose-response fashion. These findings were not apparent for females. Recommendations regarding dietary methodology for future studies concerning vitamin A and carotene intakes include further research on the validation and reproducibility of the dietary methods, identification of appropriate biological markers that reflect past exposures of vitamin A and carotene, and further research on the vitamin A and carotene content of available food items.

Carotenoids↗
PubMed1983

Dietary cholesterol and lung cancer risk in a multiethnic population in Hawaii.

We interviewed 364 subjects with lung cancer and 627 age- and sex-matched controls among the multiethnic population of Hawaii. Quantitative estimates of dietary cholesterol and vitamin A intakes were obtained, as well as smoking and occupational histories. Using multiple logistic regression analysis to control for potential confounding variables, we found a monotonic positive dose-response relationship between dietary cholesterol and lung cancer risk in all subjects, in smoking subjects, and in men. In each of these groups, subjects in the highest quartile of dietary cholesterol were at significantly increased risk of lung cancer (lower 95% confidence limit greater than 1.0). Among females, however, no clear association of dietary cholesterol with lung cancer risk was apparent.

Cholesterol, Dietary↗
PubMed1983

A comparison of cancer survival by time period of diagnosis in Hawaii, 1960-1974.

The authors compared the risk of dying from site-specific cancer within five years after diagnosis for Hawaii residents diagnosed in 1960-1964, 1965-1969, and 1970-1974. Twelve cancer sites were analyzed with adjustments for age at diagnosis and ethnicity by a multivariate method. Four of these sites were adjusted for sex as well. The adjusted relative risk for site-specific cancer death was significantly greater than 1.0 (P less than 0.05) when patients diagnosed in 1960-1969 were compared with those diagnosed in 1970-1974 for the following sites: stomach, rectum (males), lung, prostate, leukemia, and lymphoma. The adjusted relative risk was greater than 1.0, but not significantly greater, for the remaining cancer sites: colon, rectum (females), liver, pancreas, breast, corpus uteri, and ovary. These results indicate that, for several cancer sites, the risk of cancer death has significantly declined in Hawaii during 1960-1974. However, specific reasons for this improvement in cancer prognosis were not determinable from the available data.

Age Factors↗