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Biomedical subjects

P R Croft

Publications and source records attributed to P R Croft.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Number of children as a risk factor for low back pain in men and women.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the influence of the number of liveborn children on the risk of low back pain. METHODS: The study design was a cross-sectional population-based survey. The 4,501 respondents to a postal survey were asked to provide data on the occurrence of low back pain and on any children they had. Data on some potential confounding variables were also obtained. RESULTS: There was an increased risk of low back pain in those who were married compared with those who were unmarried, among both men (odds ratio 1.7) and women (odds ratio 1.6). Among married individuals, there was a linear trend of increasing risk with increasing numbers of children. CONCLUSION: The risk of low back pain is related more to childrearing than to childbearing, although this effect might be partially mediated by unknown confounders associated with increasing family size.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Blood pressure measurement in adults: large cuffs for all?

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine whether a single size of cuff for adult blood pressure measurements is appropriate for general clinical practice. DESIGN: The study was a prospective survey of a sample of adult blood pressure measurements using two cuffs with different bladder sizes (12 X 23 cm and 15 X 33 cm) in a randomised design using a random zero sphygmomanometer. SETTING: Blood pressures were measured in a general practice and in a hospital outpatient clinic. PARTICIPANTS: The participants were 35-60 year old men and women invited to attend a blood pressure screening programme in the general practice (n = 170), and 35-74 year old patients attending a general medical outpatients (n = 72). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The small cuff gave higher readings of systolic blood pressure than the large cuff (mean difference 4.4 mm Hg). The difference increased as systolic pressure increased but did not show a clear association with arm circumference. The small cuff also gave higher diastolic pressure readings (mean difference 3.0 mm Hg), but only when arm circumference exceeded 30 cm. The variability of the differences between readings from the two cuffs was wide, little affected by arm circumference, and was similar to the variability between measurements using the same cuff size. CONCLUSIONS: In terms of precision there is no basis for using two different cuff sizes unless it is physically difficult to obtain a reading with one or the other. Since readings with large cuffs are closer to intraarterial pressures in large arms, and the large cuff used here did not underestimate diastolic pressure in small arms, the large cuff alone could be recommended for general use.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Incidence of acute otitis media in infants in a general practice.

A 12-month study of the incidence of acute otitis media in children under three years of age in an urban practice of 10 000 patients showed that acute otitis media accounted for one in 10 of all episodes of illness presented. In contrast to findings in Scandinavia and the USA the incidence of acute otitis media in the first year of life (11.5%) was lower than in the second year (28.6%). The study included a number of children in their third year and the incidence in this group was higher still (30.8%).The problems of defining acceptable diagnostic criteria for acute otitis media, and the relation of these diagnostic criteria to the differences in our results compared with previous studies are discussed.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1986

How useful is weight reduction in the management of hypertension?

A group of previously untreated obese hypertensive patients were started on a weight reduction programme supervised by two dietitians working in a general practice surgery. It was stressed from the beginning of the programme that reducing blood pressure was the purpose of the diet. The results of follow-up after six months are presented together with results for a control group of obese hypertensive patients not receiving dietary advice or drug therapy, but being followed by the general practitioner. The weight, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure of the dieting hypertensive group were significantly lower than those of the non-dieting group after six months. However, the drop-out rate was significantly higher for the dieting group than for the non-dieting group.The results of a separate comparison between a control group of obese normotensive patients following the same dietary programme and the group of dieting obese hypertensive patients are also presented. Attendance rates and weight loss achieved were significantly better for the hypertensive group than for the normotensive group after 12 months.Weight reduction appears to be an effective first-line therapy for approximately 50% of obese patients with mild to moderate hypertension, and raised blood pressure appears to provide motivation for such patients to attend a dietitian's clinic and to lose weight.

Adult↗