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Biomedical subjects

R G Ferrence

Publications and source records attributed to R G Ferrence.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Body mass index and mortality in women: follow-up of the Canadian National Breast Screening Study cohort.

OBJECTIVE: The present study was conducted to examine the relationship between obesity and all-cause mortality in women. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTINGS: The subjects were women enrolled from 1980 to 1985 in a Canadian randomized trial, the National Breast Screening Study (NBSS) to evaluate the efficacy of mammographic screening. Mortality was ascertained by record linkage to the Canadian Mortality Data Base. Hazard ratios (HR) for the association between body mass index (BMI) and all-cause mortality were obtained from Cox proportional hazard regression models. RESULTS: During an average follow-up period of 16.5 years, 2566 deaths were identified among the 49 165 women, age 40-59 y at enrollment. The risk of all-cause death increased linearly above a BMI of 22 kg/m(2) and the trend was statistically significant. The HR (and 95% confidence intervals) in the various categories of BMI (kg/m(2)) were: BMI<18.5: 1.12 (0.99-1.25); BMI 18.5-21.9: 1.00 (reference); BMI 22-24.9: 1.15 (1.11-1.18); BMI 25.0-27.9: 1.28 (1.24-1.32); BMI 28.0 -29.9: 1.34 (1.29-1.39); BMI 30.0-34.9: 1.30 (1.25,1.35); and BMI > or =35.0: 1.40 (1.33-1.47). CONCLUSION: This study confirms the association of high BMI with increased all-cause mortality in women.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Statistical control in research on alcohol and tobacco: an example from research on alcohol and mortality.

Many of the major studies of deaths related to alcohol use report evidence for a U-shaped relationship between mortality and consumption, with abstainers having higher mortality than moderate drinkers. Some have suggested that this indicates a protective effect of moderate drinking; others have argued that pre-existing health problems and demographic and lifestyle differences explain the finding. In this report, we present evidence that the U-shaped function is largely an artefact of inadequate controls for smoking and drinking intake and history. Never smoking abstainers die at about the same rate as never smoking moderate drinkers. We stress the importance of using precise measures of drug use history and drug use status and make the point that, given the strong interaction between smoking and drinking, controlling for smoking may produce misleading results.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1986

Drinking and the prevention of coronary heart disease: findings, issues and public health policy.

Claims that the moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages prevents coronary heart disease are reviewed in an analysis of recent literature. Reports of such claims in the mass media are found to be exaggerated and based on research that is less conclusive than is often suggested. The review of original research reveals evidence that certain levels of consumption bestow some benefits under some circumstances when compared with other levels of consumption, including abstinence. A number of methodological issues are raised, and suggestions are made for testing competing hypotheses that may explain the association between moderate drinking and lower rates of coronary heart disease. The investigators discuss the implications of these findings for public health policy and conclude that, on the strength of the available evidence, it would be unwise to alter either the scientific or public focus on the damage caused by alcohol or to support changes in policy that might make drinking more socially acceptable and thereby encourage higher levels of consumption.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1982

The ecology of self-injury: a multivariate approach.

In an ecological study of the distribution of self-injury in London, Canada, the authors found that self-injury occurred more frequently in the central areas of the city. Multivariate analysis revealed that living arrangements, such as high density of housing and single-person households, are closely associated with inflated rates on self-injury. Low socio-economic status is also related to self-injury but neither family status nor mobility are significant predictors. Ecological relationships such as these suggest directions for future research on individuals and may also be of direct use to planners who wish to locate treatment services advantageously.

Humans↗
PubMed1978

Prevention of drug overdosage: current strategies and implications for policy.

The efficacy of using secondary and tertiary prevention approaches for drug overdosage has been questioned. This paper examines new approaches that are required and the manner in which they can be implemented as part of a public policy that emphasizes primary prevention. Rather than viewing self-injury as a manifestation of individual pathology, we need to focus on the role of acceptability and availability of drugs in the use and misuse of psychoactive substances. The potential utility of such a model is extrapolated from previous research on alcohol, and alternative plans are outlined.

Drug Utilization↗
PubMed1975

Collision behavior of young drivers. Impact of the change in the age of majority.

A comparison of the number of collisions experienced by young male drivers in London, Ontario, before and after the reduction in the legal age for drinking and purchasing alcoholic beverages from 21 to 18, indicated that the change in the law led to an increase in the collision involvement of young drivers.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Preventing smoking and other drug use: let the buyers beware and the interventions be apt.

Those concerned with smoking prevention programs in the schools may be misled by a recent report that "we know what works; now let's make it happen." The advocated "social influences" programs appear to have no reliable effects on regular (greater than or equal to weekly) smoking and only short-term and small effects (5-8 percentage points) on "experimental" (less than weekly) smoking. To prevent smoking and other drug abuse among the children most at risk, it may be crucial to use broad-based, multidisciplinary interventions that go well beyond the health education classroom.

Adolescent↗