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Biomedical subjects

Mark B Stephens

Publications and source records attributed to Mark B Stephens.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Behavioral risks associated with tattooing.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Tattoos are an increasingly prevalent form of self-expression, especially for adolescents. This study was conducted to determine health-risk behaviors associated with tattoos in young men and women entering military service. METHODS: We surveyed a cohort of 550 military recruits using a modification of the Youth Risk Behavioral Survey (YRBS), a validated instrument used to assess health risk behaviors in adolescents. All individuals entering basic training in the US Marine Corps or the US Air Force from June through September 1999 were eligible to participate. The primary outcome variables of interest were tobacco use, alcohol use, seatbelt use, suicidal behaviors, depression, and physical violence. RESULTS: The survey response rate was 91% (n = 499 of 550). Overall, 27% of respondents had tattoos (n = 125) when entering military service. Women entering military service were more likely to have a tattoo than men. Controlling for age and gender, individuals with tattoos were more likely to smoke, drink heavily, use smokeless tobacco, and ride in a vehicle with someone who had been drinking than non-tattooed individuals. CONCLUSIONS: In a population of military recruits, tattoos were associated with predictable adverse health-risk behaviors. This represents an important opportunity for targeted preventive counseling.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Are children of military parents more physically fit than children of civilian parents?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: It is not known whether parental activity levels influence children's physical fitness. Members of the military are required to maintain standards of physical fitness, whereas the civilian population is not. We conducted this study to compare fitness levels of children in military and civilian families. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study of third-grade students from two public schools in San Diego County, Calif. Attendees of one school included children of enlisted service personnel. Attendees of the other school included officers' children. Civilian students attended both schools. Students' physical fitness was tested with several standard instruments, including time on a 1-mile run. Independent variables included whether students had civilian or military parents, television viewing habits, and parental military status (enlisted personnel versus officer) as a surrogate marker for socioeconomic status. RESULTS: A total of 170 of 246 (70%) eligible students completed the study. Children of military parents had lower scores on the mile run and lower scores on other measures of fitness than did children of civilian parents. Socioeconomic status (ie, child of officer versus enlisted personnel) was the strongest predictor of poor fitness, with children of enlisted service members scoring lower on all measures of physical fitness than officers' children. More television viewing was associated with lower levels of fitness. CONCLUSIONS: Children of military parents did not have a higher fitness level than children of civilian parents. Lower socioeconomic status and more television viewing are associated with lower levels of fitness.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2003

Selective aldosterone blockade reduces mortality after MI.

Eplerenone, a selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of hypertension, reduces mortality following myocardial infarction in patients with left ventricular dysfunction and clinical signs of congestive heart failure. Previous research by the same group established that spironolactone does the same at lower cost than eplerenone.

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