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Biomedical subjects

Rajul A Patel

Publications and source records attributed to Rajul A Patel.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Comparison of sebum secretion, skin type, pH in humans with and without acne.

Differences of skin type and pH between subjects with and without acne have not been investigated. In addition, the relationship between sebum secretion and pH in these populations has not been determined. This study assessed the differences in objective and subjective skin types between these two groups. Secondly, this study evaluated the difference in pH on five facial areas (forehead, nose, chin, right and left cheeks) between the two populations. Lastly, the relationship between pH and sebum secretion was analyzed in each population. Sebum casual levels (CL) of the five facial areas in 36 Koreans with acne and 47 Koreans without acne were measured by using a Sebumeter SM 815 and subjects were classified into objective skin types by CL. Subjects reported the type of skin they believed they had, which determined the subjective skin type. The pH levels of the five facial areas were measured by the Skin-pH-Meter PH 905. Data were assessed with adequate statistical tests depending on data type and distribution. Among the five areas, the nose of the subjects with acne showed a significantly higher CL, compared to the subjects without acne. This difference in CL on the nose resulted in the difference in CL on the T-zone and mean facial sebum excretions (MFSE). Although CL differed, objective skin types did not differ between the two groups (P > 0.05), but the subjective skin types differed significantly (P = 0.001). In addition, the objective skin types were significantly different than the subjective skin types in subjects with acne (P = 0.001), whereas the two skin types did not differ in subjects without acne. Subjects with acne actually overestimated their skin types and stated their skin types were "oilier" than they were. In respect to pH, none of the five areas differed significantly between the two groups. Among the five sites in subjects with acne, CL showed a significant negative correlation with pH on the left (r (2 )=0.12) and right (r ( 2 )=0.15) cheeks, which resulted in a significant negative correlation on the U-zone (r ( 2 )=0.14). In contrast, in subjects without acne, there was a significant negative correlation between CL and pH on the forehead (r ( 2 )=0.10) and chin (r ( 2 )=0.16), which led to a significant negative correlation on the T-zone (r ( 2 )=0.14).

Acne Vulgaris↗
PubMed2005

Patient knowledge, beliefs, and behavior concerning the prevention and treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.

OBJECTIVE: To obtain descriptive information concerning the extent to which patients taking oral glucocorticoids recall receiving osteoporosis prevention counseling, and to identify factors associated with the practice of 3 behaviors (i.e., calcium intake, vitamin D intake, and bone mineral density [BMD] testing) recommended for patients receiving glucocorticoid therapy. METHODS: The study assessed cross-sectional data derived from telephone interviews and mailed questionnaires completed by 227 patients who were currently taking oral prednisone. Questions assessed current calcium and vitamin D intake and history of BMD testing. RESULTS: Approximately one-third of participants (36.3%) reported that they had received osteoporosis prevention counseling. Among those who reported receiving counseling, most (73.2%) remembered being told about the importance of obtaining an adequate amount of calcium. Other topics were remembered less frequently. Slightly more than half of study participants (51.1%) were obtaining the recommended amount of calcium. Fewer were obtaining the recommended amount of vitamin D (35.2%) or had received a BMD test within the past year (33.5%). The most consistent predictors of behavior were counseling status and patients' perceptions of the difficulty associated with performing the behavior. CONCLUSION: Most patients receiving oral glucocorticoids receive insufficient counseling concerning the prevention of osteoporosis; patients either are not being counseled or they are being counseled in a manner that is not sufficient to promote subsequent recall and behavior change. Research is needed to develop effective strategies to educate patients about the prevention of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Development and assessment of a short instrument for assessing dietary intakes of calcium and vitamin D.

OBJECTIVE: To validate a short food frequency screening instrument designed to assess dietary intakes of calcium and vitamin D. DESIGN: Cross-sectional surveys and food diaries. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-seven university employees. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Calcium and vitamin D intakes of participants were assessed using three instruments: a 7-day food diary, the Block-National Cancer Institute Health Habits and History Questionnaire (HHHQ), and a short screening instrument derived from the HHHQ. The accuracy of participants' reports of calcium and vitamin D intakes on the HHHQ and short screening instrument were checked against the food diaries. The validity of the full survey and the screening instrument were judged according to their correlation with the food diaries. RESULTS: Estimates of calcium and vitamin D intakes derived from the 7-day food diary and the short screening instrument were significantly correlated (r = 0.66 and 0.72, respectively, P < .001). The mean differences between estimates derived from the short screening instrument and those derived from the 7-day food diary were 223 mg/day for calcium and 47 IU/day for vitamin D. The positive predictive value of the short screening instrument in identifying individuals with low nutrient intakes, as assessed by the 7-day food diary, was 91.7% for calcium and 100.0% for vitamin D. CONCLUSION: The short screening instrument provides reasonably accurate estimates of calcium and vitamin D intakes. Although it cannot replace more comprehensive nutritional assessments, the screening instrument may provide quick assessments of calcium and vitamin D intakes. Given that many individuals consume suboptimal levels of these nutrients, pharmacists may use the screening instrument to evaluate patients' needs for calcium and/or vitamin D supplements and, thus, reduce their risk for developing osteoporosis.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Drug therapy concerns questionnaire: initial development and refinement.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a scale, designed for self-administration, to assess patient perceptions of drug therapy problems (DTPs). DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: California Central Valley. PARTICIPANTS: 200 community-dwelling adults taking at least one prescription medication. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: 78 items assessing patient perceptions of DTPs. INTERVENTIONS: Self-administered questionnaire completed by study participants. RESULTS: Based on a Medication Evaluation and Response Model proposed in this article, items were developed to assess patient perceptions about potential or actual DTPs. Scales for five of the seven problem domains specified a priori were reliable based on participant responses: Perceived Efficacy, Overmedication Concerns, Adverse Drug Reaction Concerns, Adherence Issues, and Knowledge. Barriers and Intrusiveness were eliminated from, the questionnaire because of weak factor loadings. After making changes in domain assignment and eliminating redundant and weak items, five items remained in each of the five reliable scales, with Cronbach's alpha values ranging from 0.76 to 0.82. Each of the five scales was significantly associated with patient satisfaction with their medications. Individuals who reported fewer DTPs expressed greater overall satisfaction with their medications. In a forward stepwise regression analysis, four of the five scales exhibited independent associations with medication satisfaction, explaining 58.0% of the total variance in satisfaction [F(4,178) = 61.48, P < .0001]. Only the Knowledge scale failed to exhibit an independent association with satisfaction. CONCLUSION: The findings from this initial stage of scale development are encouraging. The association between the scales and medication satisfaction suggests that the scales may be useful in learning more about those factors that influence how patients evaluate their medications.

Cross-Sectional Studies↗