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Biomedical subjects

R Small

Publications and source records attributed to R Small.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

How useful is the concept of somatization in cross-cultural studies of maternal depression? A contribution from the Mothers in a New Country (MINC) study.

Somatization of depression symptoms has been assumed to characterize particular cultural groups, yet evidence for this has often been anecdotal. The Mothers in a New Country (MINC) study aimed to explore cultural assumptions about somatization in three groups of immigrant women who had recently given birth in Melbourne, Australia. Physical health (SF-36 physical health dimensions and a symptom list) and depression (EPDS, SF-36 mental health dimension and self assessment) data from personal interviews with Vietnamese (n = 104), Turkish (n = 107) and Filipino (n = 107) women, conducted in women's language of choice, six to nine months after childbirth were analyzed. Comparisons with data from a statewide postal survey of Victorian women are also made. Contrary to the study hypothesis that Turkish and Vietnamese women in particular would exhibit a high degree of somatization (leading to low depression scores on the standard measures and greater reporting of somatic symptoms), Turkish women were in fact most likely of the three groups to be assessed as depressed on the two psychological measures and by self-assessment, to report high levels of somatic symptoms, and Vietnamese and Filipino women had a low prevalence of depression on all measures and relatively lower levels of somatic symptom reporting. The MINC study findings thus call into question some common cultural assumptions about depression and demonstrate the importance of designing studies which can put hypothesized cultural differences to the test.

Asia, Southeastern↗
PubMed2002

Early postnatal discharge from hospital for healthy mothers and term infants.

BACKGROUND: Length of postnatal hospital stay has declined dramatically in the past thirty years. There is ongoing controversy concerning whether or not staying less time in hospital is harmful or beneficial. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this review was to assess the safety, impact and effectiveness of a policy of early discharge for healthy mothers and term infants, with respect to the health and well-being of mothers and babies, satisfaction with postnatal care, overall costs of health care and broader impacts on families. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group trials register (April 2002), the Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Review Group specialised register of clinical trials, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (The Cochrane Library, Issue 4, 2001), MEDLINE (1966 to 2001), CINAHL (1982 to 2001), EMBASE (1988 to 1993) and reference lists of articles. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized trials comparing early discharge from hospital of healthy mothers and term infants, of greater than or equal to 2500 grams, with standard care in the settings in which trials were conducted. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Trial quality was assessed and data were abstracted independently by all five reviewers. MAIN RESULTS: Eight trials were identified involving 3600 women. There was substantial variation in the definition of 'early discharge', and the extent of antenatal preparation and midwife home care following discharge offered to women in intervention and control groups. Five trials recruited and randomized women in pregnancy, three randomized women following childbirth. Post randomization exclusions were high. Protocol violations occurred in both directions. No statistically significant differences in infant or maternal readmissions were found in six trials reporting data on these outcomes. Three trials had mixed results showing either no significant difference or results favouring early discharge for the outcome of maternal depression although none used a well-validated standardised instrument. The results of six trials showed that early discharge had no impact on breastfeeding although significant heterogeneity was present between studies. REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: The findings are inconclusive. There is no evidence of adverse outcomes associated with policies of early postnatal discharge, but methodological limitations of included studies mean that adverse outcomes cannot be ruled out. It remains unclear how important midwifery support at home is to the safety and acceptability of early discharge. Large well-designed trials of early discharge programs incorporating process evaluation to assess the uptake of co-interventions, and using standardised approaches to outcome assessment are needed.

Female↗
PubMed2001

In vivo accuracy of multispectral magnetic resonance imaging for identifying lipid-rich necrotic cores and intraplaque hemorrhage in advanced human carotid plaques.

BACKGROUND: High-resolution MRI has been shown to be capable of identifying plaque constituents, such as the necrotic core and intraplaque hemorrhage, in human carotid atherosclerosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate differential contrast-weighted images, specifically a multispectral MR technique, to improve the accuracy of identifying the lipid-rich necrotic core and acute intraplaque hemorrhage in vivo. METHODS AND RESULTS: Eighteen patients scheduled for carotid endarterectomy underwent a preoperative carotid MRI examination in a 1.5-T GE Signa scanner using a protocol that generated 4 contrast weightings (T1, T2, proton density, and 3D time of flight). MR images of the vessel wall were examined for the presence of a lipid-rich necrotic core and/or intraplaque hemorrhage. Ninety cross sections were compared with matched histological sections of the excised specimen in a double-blinded fashion. Overall accuracy (95% CI) of multispectral MRI was 87% (80% to 94%), sensitivity was 85% (78% to 92%), and specificity was 92% (86% to 98%). There was good agreement between MRI and histological findings, with a value of kappa=0.69 (0.53 to 0.85). CONCLUSIONS: Multispectral MRI can identify the lipid-rich necrotic core in human carotid atherosclerosis in vivo with high sensitivity and specificity. This MRI technique provides a noninvasive tool to study the pathogenesis and natural history of carotid atherosclerosis. Furthermore, it will permit a direct assessment of the effect of pharmacological therapy, such as aggressive lipid lowering, on plaque lipid composition.

Carotid Arteries↗
PubMed2001

Imidazo[1,2-a]quinoxalines: synthesis and cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase inhibitory activity.

A group of imidazo[1,2-a]quinoxalines have been synthesised from quinoxaline by condensation of an appropriate haloester or intramolecular cyclisation of a keto moiety on an intracyclic nitrogen atom. The reactivity of the heterocycle was explored through diverse reactions such as electrophilic substitution, lithiation and halogen-metal exchange to give access to a new series of derivatives. Confirmation of their structure was mainly performed by NMR, after careful assignment of the signals in comparison to previous attributions made on the parent imidazo[1,2-a]quinoxaline and discussion of available data in the literature. The cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase inhibitor activity of some of these derivatives has been assessed on isoenzymes type III and type lV. Compound 15, 4-(methylamino)imidazo[1,2-a]quinoxaline-2-carbonitrile, exhibited potent relaxant activity on smooth muscle, with a potency similar to the one measured with SCA 40, its structural analogue in the imidazo[1,2-a]pyrazine series.

2',3'-Cyclic-Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases↗
PubMed2001

Concomitant medication use in postmenopausal women using estrogen therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether long-term postmenopausal estrogen therapy is associated with use of other prescription medications. METHODS: Using computer pharmacy records from 1969 to 1973 for members of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in San Francisco, we identified the 215 most commonly used prescription medications in the pharmacy database and recorded their use by 232 postmenopausal long-term estrogen users and by 222 postmenopausal age-matched nonusers. These medications were grouped into 39 therapeutic classes. Classes of medications used by estrogen users and nonusers were compared. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference in use was seen for 21 of the 39 medication classes; of these 21 classes, 20 (95%) were used more frequently and 1 less frequently by estrogen users. Differences between estrogen users and nonusers were greatest for thyroid hormone preparations (estrogen user/nonuser multivariate odds ratio = 25.6, 95% confidence interval 5.9-112) and antimigraine preparations (11 recipients among estrogen users, none among nonusers). Postmenopausal women using estrogen were more likely than nonusers to use additional medications. CONCLUSION: Greater use of certain prescription medications by estrogen users than by nonusers should be considered in studying the health effects of estrogen replacement therapy.

Analgesics↗
PubMed2000

Randomised controlled trial of midwife led debriefing to reduce maternal depression after operative childbirth.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of a midwife led debriefing session during the postpartum hospital stay in reducing the prevalence of maternal depression at six months postpartum among women giving birth by caesarean section, forceps, or vacuum extraction. DESIGN: Randomised controlled trial. SETTING: Large maternity teaching hospital in Melbourne, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: 1041 women who had given birth by caesarean section (n= 624) or with the use of forceps (n= 353) or vacuum extraction (n= 64). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Maternal depression (score >/=13 on the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale) and overall health status (comparison of mean scores on SF-36 subscales) measured by postal questionnaire at six months postpartum. RESULTS: 917 (88%) of the women recruited responded to the outcome questionnaire. More women allocated to debriefing scored as depressed six months after birth than women allocated to usual postpartum care (81 (17%) v 65 (14%)), although this difference was not significant (odds ratio=1.24, 95% confidence interval 0.87 to 1.77). They were also more likely to report that depression had been a problem for them since the birth, but the difference was not significant (123 (28%) v 94 (22%); odds ratio=1. 37, 1.00 to 1.86). Women allocated to debriefing had poorer health status on seven of the eight SF-36 subscales, although the difference was significant only for role functioning (emotional): mean scores 73.32 v 78.98, t= -2.31, 95% confidence interval -10.48 to -0.84). CONCLUSIONS: Midwife led debriefing after operative birth is ineffective in reducing maternal morbidity at six months postpartum. The possibility that debriefing contributed to emotional health problems for some women cannot be excluded.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Cervical lymphadenitis due to non-tuberculous mycobacteria: surgical treatment and review.

A retrospective study was carried out on 57 children, presenting with non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lymphadenitis of the head and neck, over a 12 year period. Cultures recovered 56 Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare (MAI), and one Mycobacterium kansasaii. Anti-mycobacterial agents were used in seven patients only. On the basis of the initial operation there were two groups. Group 1 (11 patients) had an excision, and Group 2 (46 patients) had incision and drainage (30 patients), incision and curettage (13 patients), or aspiration (three patients). There was no significant difference in the makeup of these two groups. However, Group 1 had significantly lower number of re-operations than Group 2, P<0.01, and achieved a significantly greater healing rate than Group 2, P<0.001. In Group 2 those who had an excision following failure of the first operation were significantly more likely to heal than those who did not, P<0. 005. Operative excision gives a lower rate of re-operation, and a higher rate of healing than other procedures. The treatment, natural history, clinical presentation, pathogenesis, and diagnosis of NTM cervical lymphadenitis are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Cross-cultural research: trying to do it better. 1. Issues in study design.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss a range of strategies to address the methodological and practical challenges in designing cross-cultural public health studies. METHOD: The Mothers in a New Country (MINC) Study was an interview study of 318 Vietnamese, Turkish and Filipino recent mothers exploring their views of maternity care and the early months of motherhood. It was carried out in Melbourne between 1994 and 1997. Sampling, recruitment, retention and representativeness all pose problems for studies involving non-English-speaking background immigrant populations, as do selection, training and support processes for bicultural interviewers. These issues are discussed with reference to the strategies undertaken to tackle them in the MINC Study. RESULTS: In the MINC Study, a systematic approach to sampling and recruitment, combined with a flexible and sensitive study protocol were largely successful both in achieving in adequate sample size and a largely representative study sample. Similarly, paying significant attention to the selection, training and ongoing support of the biocultural interviewers employed on the study contributed greatly to its successful completion and enhanced confidence in the study findings. IMPLICATIONS: Both researchers and funders need to take seriously the implications of the many methodological and practical issues involved in designing sound cross-cultural public health studies. In particular, there are major implications for study costs and timelines. However, the benefits to be gained are significant.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1999

Cross-cultural research: trying to do it better. 2. Enhancing data quality.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the dilemmas for cross-cultural research in translating study instruments and implementing quality assurance methods, drawing on strategies utilised in the Mothers in a New Country (MINC) Study. METHOD: To translation of study instruments in the MINC Study included: forward and back translations, a bilingual group review process, consultation with bilingual content experts, piloting of different versions of translations, a process for exploring unresolved difficulties and caution in interpreting unusual study findings. Interview quality was assessed by: 1. An ongoing review of interviewer-prepared English coding schedules to ensure completeness of data and identify problems with interview administration. 2. Analysis of fully translated transcripts of six randomly selected early interviews to assess the accuracy and consistency with which questions were asked. 3. A comparison of data sources for 45 randomly selected interviews (original language interview schedules, English coding schedules and translated interview transcripts) to determine the rate and nature of discrepancies. RESULTS: Translation strategies that went beyond simple forward and back translations achieved more reliable and appropriate translations. The complexity of language and cultural differences sometimes still meant less than satisfactory results. Interview tapes played an important quality assurance role, enabling feedback to the interviewers and providing a basis of comparison for identification of data discrepancies. IMPLICATIONS: Ensuring good data quality in cross-cultural research is both critically important and difficult. Open discussion of the problems and concerted efforts to deal with them would benefit future research.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1999

Mothers in a new country: the role of culture and communication in Vietnamese, Turkish and Filipino women's experiences of giving birth in Australia.

There are few population based studies which explore the views immigrant women have of the maternity care they receive in their new homelands. Three hundred and eighteen Vietnamese, Turkish and Filipino women who gave birth in three major city hospitals in Melbourne, Australia were interviewed about their experiences of maternity care. Outcomes and experiences for women with different levels of English fluency were studied, as were women's needs and preferences for assistance with interpreting. Observance of traditional cultural practices surrounding birth and the impact of not being able to observe such practices on women's experiences of care were also explored. Women in the study not fluent in English experienced problems in communicating with their caregivers and these were reflected in less positive experiences of care. Women were less concerned that caregivers knew little about their cultural practices than they were about care they experienced as unkind, rushed, and unsupportive. Maternity care for immigrant women is only likely to improve when barriers to effective communication are addressed and attention is paid to raising standards of care.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Shared antenatal care fails to rate well with women of non-English-speaking backgrounds.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the views of women from non-English-speaking backgrounds who received antenatal care at a public hospital clinic with those whose care was shared between a public hospital clinic and a general practitioner. DESIGN: Structured interviews in the language of the woman's choice. SETTING: Women were recruited from the postnatal wards of three maternity teaching hospitals in Melbourne between July 1994 and November 1995, and interviewed six to nine months later. PARTICIPANTS: Women born in Vietnam, Turkey and the Philippines who gave birth to a live healthy baby (over 1500 g) were eligible. Of 435 women recruited, 318 (Vietnamese [32.7%], Filipino [33.6%] and Turkish [33.6%]) completed the study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Women's ratings of their antenatal care overall and views on specific aspects of their antenatal care. RESULTS: Women in shared care (n = 151) were not more likely than women in public clinic care (n = 143) to rate their care as "very good" (odds ratio [OR], 1.38; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.72-2.63). Satisfaction with particular aspects of care (waiting times, opportunity to ask questions, whether caregivers were rushed, whether concerns were taken seriously) did not differ significantly between those in shared care and those in public clinic care. Women in shared care were not happier with their medical care than women in public clinic care (OR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.35-1.96), but were more likely to see a caregiver who spoke their language (OR, 17.69; 95% CI, 6.15-69.06), although two-thirds still saw a GP who spoke only English. CONCLUSION: Shared antenatal care is not more satisfying than public clinic care for women from non-English-speaking backgrounds. Further evaluation of shared care is clearly needed.

Emigration and Immigration↗
PubMed1998

Support, sensitivity, satisfaction: Filipino, Turkish and Vietnamese women's experiences of postnatal hospital stay.

OBJECTIVE: To assess Filipino, Turkish and Vietnamese women's views about their care during the postnatal hospital stay. DESIGN: Interviews were conducted with recent mothers in the language of the women's choice, 6-9 months after birth, by three bilingual interviewers. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred and eighteen women born in the Philippines (107), Turkey (107) and Vietnam (104) who had migrated to Australia. SETTING: Women were recruited from the postnatal wards of three maternity teaching hospitals in Melbourne, Australia, and interviewed at home. FINDINGS: Overall satisfaction with care was low, and one in three women left hospital feeling that they required more support and assistance with both baby care and their own personal needs. The method of baby feeding varied between the groups, with women giving some insight into the reason for their choice. A significant minority wanted more help with feeding, irrespective of the method. The need for rest was a recurrent theme, with women stating that staff's attitudes to individual preferences, coupled with lack of assistance, made this difficult. The majority of comments women made regarding their postnatal stay focused on the attitude and behaviour of staff and about routine aspects of care. Issues related to culture and cultural practices were not of primary concern to women. CONCLUSION: Maternity services need to consider ways in which care can focus on the individual needs and preferences of women.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Early obstetric discharge: does it make a difference to health outcomes?

Clinicians in several countries have expressed concerns about possible adverse effects of shortening obstetric length of stay. A population-based survey of 1366 mothers who gave birth in Victoria, Australia, in 1993 was used to investigate social and obstetric characteristics of mothers discharged home 'early', and to assess whether shorter stays were associated with adverse health outcomes, or a lesser degree of satisfaction, or both. Women's views and experiences of length of hospital stay were gathered via a statewide postal survey of women who gave birth in a 2-week period; 62.5% (n = 1336) responded. Assessment of the relationship between length of stay (1-2 days vs. > or = 5 days, and 3-4 days vs. > or = 5 days) and four main outcome measures (infant feeding at 6 weeks, period prevalence of feeding problems, maternal confidence and depression) showed no association between these variables and length of stay after adjusting for other obstetric and social factors in separate regression analyses. For stays of 3-4 days, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for formula feeding at 6 weeks was 1.35 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.9-1.9]; for feeding problems OR = 0.87 [0.7-1.2]; for lacking confidence OR = 0.81 [0.6-1.2]; and for depression OR = 0.96 [0.7-1.4]. Large randomised trials of early obstetric discharge are required to resolve continuing uncertainties about the safety, and possible benefits of shorter hospital stays.

Breast Feeding↗
PubMed1997

Does dong quai have estrogenic effects in postmenopausal women? A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate possible estrogenic effects of dong quai on vaginal cells and on endometrial thickness in postmenopausal women. DESIGN: Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. SETTING: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in a large health maintenance organization (HMO). PATIENT(S): Seventy-one postmenopausal women (mean age [+/- SD], 52.4 +/- 6 years) who had follicle-stimulating hormone levels (third-generation assay) of > 30 mIU/mL with hot flashes. INTERVENTION(S): Subjects were randomized to treatment with either dong quai or placebo for 24 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Endometrial thickness was measured by transvaginal ultrasonography; vaginal cells were evaluated for cellular maturation; menopausal symptoms were evaluated by reviewing the Kupperman index and the diary of vasomotor flushes. RESULT(S): We observed no statistically significant differences between groups in endometrial thickness, in vaginal maturation index, in number of vasomotor flushes, or in the Kupperman index. CONCLUSION(S): Used alone, dong quai does not produce estrogen-like responses in endometrial thickness or in vaginal maturation and was no more helpful than placebo in relieving menopausal symptoms.

Angelica sinensis↗
PubMed1997

Depression after childbirth: the views of medical students and women compared.

BACKGROUND: Little research has been conducted on the views of health professionals about women's experiences of depression after childbirth. This study compared the views held by undergraduate medical students about postnatal depression with those of women who had themselves experienced it. METHODS: Fourth- and sixth-year medical students at one Australian university were surveyed (n = 134). Their views about prevalence, duration, contributing factors, and advice for dealing with postnatal depression were compared with the findings from 60 women in a population-based study of mothers who gave birth in Victoria in 1989, in which women scoring as depressed 8 to 9 months after birth on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale were interviewed 12 to 18 months later about their experiences of depression and their advice to other mothers. RESULTS: Women's and students' views differed markedly, with students much more likely to view hormonal and biologic factors and a "tendency to depression" as playing an important role than women who identified a wide range of social, physical health, and life event factors as contributing to their experience of depression. Fourth-year students tended to overestimate the prevalence of depression and sixth-year students to underestimate it. Both groups underestimated the duration of depression compared with women's actual experiences. CONCLUSION: Medical students need to develop a broader understanding of maternal depression after the birth of a baby, and women's own views of the experience can and should make an important contribution to medical teaching on this topic.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗