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Mortality and hospital morbidity from cirrhosis of the liver in relation to per capita consumption of absolute alcohol, education and native status, Ontario; 1978 to 1982.

Correlation and regression analyses have been carried out to test the hypothesis that areas experiencing high per capita consumption of absolute alcohol will also experience correspondingly higher annual rates of cirrhosis, in Ontario from 1978 to 1982. Adjustment was made for the influence of socio-demographic variables upon hospital morbidity and mortality rates. Areas experiencing higher per capita consumption of absolute alcohol were found to have higher hospital morbidity. The relationship between hospital morbidity and general mortality from cirrhosis, and per capita consumption of absolute alcohol appears to be growing weaker; no relationship could be demonstrated, however, between cirrhosis mortality and hospital morbidity and proportionate native population and education status.

Adult↗

Patients' adherence to diabetes treatment.

OBJECTIVES: a) To evaluate the patients' adherence to the treatment prescriptions and b) to analyse the reasons for non adherence. METHODS: A random sample of 386--type 2 diabetic subjects (M:F 223:163) were studied. Each subject was personally interviewed using a computerised proforma. The mean age of the study group was 52 +/- 10 years and 53% were treated with oral hypolycenic agent (OHA) and the rest with a combination of insulin and OHA. The mean duration of diabetes was 11.0 +/- 6.9 yrs. The overall adherence to the treatment regimen, diet and drug prescriptions and also regularity of home glucose monitoring by blood or urine tests were assessed. RESULTS: It was noted that only 25% of the study group were adhering to the treatment regularly. Dietary prescriptions were followed regularly only by thirty seven percent. Home glucose monitoring was being done only by twenty three percent. Non adherence was not related either to the age or duration of diabetes. Non adherence was more in the lower socio-economic group and was inversely related to the educational status. It was noted that approximately 20% of the subjects had an indifferent attitude to the advice given. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that the rate of non adherence of treatment prescriptions was high. It stresses the need for constant motivation and one to one level education at frequent intervals to ensure better compliance to the treatment.

Adult↗

Who has time to sleep?

BACKGROUND: Both marriage and education appear to confer a protective effect on health. Few studies have examined the extent to which both undersleeping and oversleeping explain these relationships. I examined whether marital status, educational background, and other sociodemographic variables are associated with higher-risk sleep durations. METHODS: Over 7000 individuals aged 25-64 collected time-use diary data during a 24-h period. For both weekdays and weekend days, separate multinomial logistic regression models were estimated using three categories of sleep duration as the outcome category. RESULTS: Unmarried individuals are significantly more likely to sleep a short amount on both weekdays and weekends compared to married people. Single people also are significantly more likely to sleep a long amount. People with less than a college education are significantly more likely to sleep both a short amount and a long amount on weekdays relative to the college educated. CONCLUSIONS: High-risk sleep durations (short sleeping and long sleeping) are positively associated with sociodemographic categories associated with poorer health. More research should investigate whether social inequalities in health can be explained in part by variation in sleep duration.

Adult↗

Right- and left-hand skill II: Estimating the parameters of the distribution of L-R differences in males and females.

The distribution of differences between the hands (L-R) in skill, as measured by a peg-moving task, was examined for several samples in which volunteer bias was absent or minimal. After comparing the main samples for hand preference and L-R times, they were combined to give 617 males and 863 females, aged 12-63 years. There was also a smaller sample of 122 males and 156 females, aged 6-15 years. The L-R distributions were negatively skewed and leptokurtotic. They were not compatible with the sum of two normal distributions, one of right-handers and one of left-handers. They were compatible with the sum of two or three normal distributions when one was unbiased to either side and the others were shifted to the right, as expected for the dominant or additive versions of the single gene interpretation of the right shift theory of handedness (Annett, 1978b, 1979). Sex differences in L-R scores confirmed that females tend to be more dextral than males. This was true of right-handers but not of left-handers, as expected if the sex difference is due to stronger expression of the rs+ gene in females than males and if this gene is absent in the majority of left-handers. There were trends suggesting that L-R asymmetry differs with educational status, undergraduates being less shifted toward dextrality than the general population.

Adolescent↗

[Determining fertility behavior using path analysis].

In order to examine factors influencing the perception of ideal family size in Poland, "the present paper discusses path models, which explain a central reproductive behaviour category i.e. the actual number of children....[The author finds that] the image of the ideal family size directly influences the existing number of children. Path coefficients show that the increase of the ideal number of children by one standard deviation is associated with the increase of actual family size by approximately one third standard deviation of this explanatory variable." Other variables considered include parental influence, rural or urban residence, educational status, age at marriage, religion, and quality of life. (SUMMARY IN ENG)

Behavior↗

Dietary intake to reduce cancer risk among African American women in public housing: do sociodemographic factors make a difference?

OBJECTIVES: This study investigates the dietary intake of African American women in public housing as related to cancer risk and explores the sociodemographic factors that hinder healthy dietary intake in this population. DESIGN: Demographic and dietary data for this cross-sectional study were collected as part of a Breast Health Education Study. Trained interviewers conducted face-to-face interviews with study participants to assess the frequency of consumption of specified food items. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Study participants included 202 women 35-79 years old residing in six public housing facilities in Atlanta, Georgia. OUTCOME MEASURES: Univariate analyses were performed to report age, marital status, education level, employment status, income level, and frequencies of food items consumed. Correlation coefficients and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze the association between the frequency of food item consumption and selected sociodemographic characteristics. RESULTS: Overall, only 33.7% and 17.9% of the women consumed fruit and vegetables on a daily basis, respectively. Almost two thirds consumed meat daily, while less than a third consumed whole wheat bread and bran cereals daily. A significant proportion of women had a daily consumption of fats, oils, and sweets (13.4%-49.5%). Three sociodemographic factors - young age, low income, and low education--were associated with unhealthy dietary intake. CONCLUSIONS: Strategies to promote healthy dietary intake should be implemented for women in public housing communities to help reduce cancer morbidity and mortality in this population. These strategies should address the barriers to healthy dietary consumption that are faced by women in this setting.

Adult↗

Informed consent during the clinical emergency of acute myocardial infarction (HERO-2 consent substudy): a prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Anxiety, fear, pain, and treatment with morphine might compromise the ability of patients to comprehend information about, and give informed consent for, participation in clinical trials. We aimed to assess whether patients with acute myocardial infarction could understand written and verbal information and whether they were competent to give autonomous informed consent to participate in a clinical trial. METHODS: We prospectively studied 399 patients with acute myocardial infarction in 16 hospitals in New Zealand and Australia who were eligible for participation in the Hirulog and Early Reperfusion or Occlusion (HERO)-2 trial. We assessed readability of patient information sheets, patients' educational status, their views of the consent process, comprehension of verbal and written information, and competence to give consent. FINDINGS: The patient information sheet needed a year 13 (age 18) educational level for comprehension, although only 75 of 345 patients (22%) had been educated beyond secondary school. Only 63 of 346 (18%) read the patient information sheet before giving or refusing consent to participate. Patients who gave consent were more likely to report good or partial comprehension of the information provided than were those who refused consent (272 [89%] vs 14 [70%], respectively; p=0.009). In an assessment of competence to make an autonomous decision, 75 of 145 (52%) were ranked at the lowest grade and 26 (18%) were not competent to consent. INTERPRETATION: Although the consent process for HERO-2 met regulatory requirements for clinical trials, it was inappropriate for the needs of most patients. The patients' comprehension of the information provided and their competence to autonomously give consent was less than optimum.

Aged↗

Association of low maternal education with neural tube defects in Colorado, 1989-1998.

Despite increasing use of folate prior to conception, neural tube defects remain among the most common birth defects in the United States. The Study objective was to investigate the maternal and child characteristics associated with having an infant born with a neural tube defect (NTD) in Colorado between 1989 and 1998. Data were derived from a population-based case control study of all live-born infants in Colorado from 1989 to 1998 (n=551,285), utilizing birth certificate records and a statewide neural tube defect registry. Chi-square analysis and multiple logistic regression were used to assess the strength of association between sociodemographic characteristics and the main outcome measure, the birth of a child with an NTD. Final analysis was limited to those children born to mothers who themselves were born in either the United States or Mexico. In this ten-year period, there were 251 confirmed cases of NTDs in Colorado, 224 of whom were born to women who were born in either the United States or Mexico. Significant bivariate associations were found between NTDs and the following: female sex of the child, lower maternal age, maternal country of birth in Mexico, and maternal education less than tenth grade. The single strongest predictor of having a child with an NTD was low maternal education (adjusted OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1-3.1). Low maternal education is an important predictor of having a child with an NTD. In order to further reduce the incidence of neural tube defects, interventions should target women of low educational status.

Adult↗

Are we ignoring youths with disabilities in foster care? An examination of their school performance.

This study examined the extent to which the academic achievement of adolescents receiving both foster care and special education services differs from the performance of youths involved in only foster care, special education, or general education. Extant school data were collected on 327 students, ages 13 through 21, who attended school in a large urban school district in Oregon. The study also collected information about students' general foster care experiences, such as length of time in care and type and number of placements. Analyses revealed that foster care youths in special education typically demonstrated lower performance on academic variables in contrast to one or more of the comparison groups. These youths also appeared to experience more restrictive special education placements than youths in special education only. Although foster care or special education status alone appears to place a student at risk of academic difficulties, the negative impact of interfacing with both systems appears multiplicative. Greater attention, commitment, and time must be given to the educational needs of foster care youths with disabilities by both education and child welfare professionals.

Adolescent↗

Educational level as a contextual and proximate determinant of all cause mortality in Danish adults.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To examine the educational level in the area of living as a determinant of all cause mortality, controlling for individual and other correlated contextual factors. DESIGN: Pooled data from two population based cohort studies were linked to social registers to obtain selected socioeconomic information at parish and individual level. A total of 18 344 men and women were followed up from 1980 until October 1999. SETTING: Copenhagen, Denmark. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: All cause mortality. RESULTS: During follow up 2614 men and women died. Educational status both at parish (hazard ratio (HR): 0.87 (95% CI 0.77 to 0.98) and individual level (HR: 0.76 (95% CI 0.64 to 0.88) were inversely associated with mortality, when comparing the higest educated groups with the least educated. However, at parish level the effect was only present, when information on subject's income, behaviour (smoking, exercise, alcohol use, and body mass index) and contextual factors (local area unemployment, income share, and household composition) were included in the Cox model. CONCLUSION: In this study the educational level of an area influenced subject's mortality, but first after adjustment for behavioural and other contextual risk factors. Neighbourhood education is one of different characteristics of adverse social conditions in an area increasing mortality.

Adult↗

Socioeconomic status and trends in risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in the Danish MONICA population, 1982-1992.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The decline in cardiovascular mortality in Denmark during the 1980s has been greatest in the highest socioeconomic groups of the population. This study examines whether the increased social inequality in cardiovascular mortality has been accompanied by a different trend in cardiovascular risk factors in different educational groups. DESIGN: Data from three cross sectional WHO MONICA surveys conducted in 1982-84, 1987, and 1991-92, were analysed to estimate trends in biological (weight, height, body mass index, blood pressure, and serum lipids) and behavioural (smoking, physical activity during leisure, and eating habits) risk factors in relation to educational status. SETTING: County of Copenhagen, Denmark. PARTICIPANTS: 6695 Danish men and women of ages 30, 40, 50, and 60 years. MAIN RESULTS: The prevalence of smoking and heavy smoking decreased during the study but only in the most educated groups. In fact, the prevalence of heavy smoking increased in the least educated women. There was no significant interaction for the remaining biological and behavioural risk factors between time of examination and educational level, indicating that the trend was the same in the different educational groups. However, a summary index based on seven cardiovascular risk factors improved, and this development was only seen in the most educated men and women. CONCLUSION: The difference between educational groups in prevalence of smoking increased during the 1980s, and this accounted for widening of an existing social difference in the total cardiovascular risk.

Adult↗

Trends in healthy life expectancy in the United States, 1970-1990: gender, racial, and educational differences.

This paper examines healthy life expectancy by gender and education for whites and African Americans in the United States at three dates: 1970, 1980 and 1990. There are large racial and educational differences in healthy life expectancy at each date and differences by education in healthy life expectancy are even larger than differences in total life expectancy. Large racial differences exist in healthy life expectancy at lower levels of education. Educational differences in healthy life expectancy have been increasing over time because of widening differentials in both mortality and morbidity. In the last decade, a compression of morbidity has begun among those of higher educational status; those of lower status are still experiencing expansion of morbidity.

Adult↗

[The Mini-Mental State Examination as a selected diagnostic test for dementia: a Colombian population study. GENECO].

INTRODUCTION: Folstein's Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) is widely used as screening test for cognitive impairment. OBJECTIVE: To test a Spanish version of the MMSE in a population of high illiteracy rate. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Population-based survey of a stratified random sample of urban and rural residents of five regions of Colombia, followed by neurological and neuropsychological evaluation of suspect cases (phase 2). Dementia was diagnosed using DSM-IV criteria. RESULTS: 1,611 subjects age 50 or older filled out both the WHO Protocol for Epidemiologic Studies of Neurological Disorders and a Spanish version of the MMSE; 55.2% of them had three or less years of schooling; 536 individuals with scores below cutoff points were sent to phase 2. Of the population with satisfactory scores in MMSE 366 (34.0%) were evaluated by neurologists to exclude other neurological conditions. Twelve cases of dementia were diagnosed among individuals with scores below cutoff point and one among subjects with high scores. Age-adjusted prevalence was 8.1 per thousand subjects age 50 or over (95% CI: 3.7-12.5); and 34.2 per thousand for ages 75 or over (95% CI: 12.2-56.2). Sensitivity and specificity were 92.3 and 53.7%; 16 of the 19 questions show significant differences (p < 0.001) according to educational level. A gender gap is significant in low educational levels (p < 0.001) but not in subjects with more than five years of schooling. CONCLUSIONS: MMSE scores correlated closely with level of education. Low specificity leads to many non-demented subjects with low educational status requiring further investigation.

Aged↗

Indicators of abdominal adiposity in middle-aged participants of the SU.VI.MAX study: relationships with educational level, smoking status and physical inactivity.

OBJECTIVES: Abdominal fat accumulation is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Identifying the demographic and lifestyle correlates of abdominal adiposity is an important step to target at-risk populations in prevention programs. There are few data of this kind in France. METHODS: Anthropometric indicators of overall (body mass index, BMI) and abdominal (waist hip ratio, WHR; waist circumference, WC) adiposity, educational level, smoking status, and physical activity were assessed in 6,705 middle-aged men and women participating in the SU.VI.MAX study. RESULTS: The likelihood of being obese was increased more than twice in physically inactive subjects of both genders after adjustment for age, smoking status and educational level (OR=2.22, CI95%: 1.74-2.83 in men; OR=2.38, CI95%: 1.84-3.09 in women). Having a high WHR (>=0.95 in men, >=0.80 in women) was more likely in subjects >=50 y, in current smokers, and less likely in men with higher education. The likelihood of having a high WHR was also increased in physically inactive subjects of both genders after adjustment for age, BMI, smoking status and educational level (OR=1.33, CI95%: 1.10-1.60 in men; OR=1.46, CI95%: 1.22-1.74 in women). Having a high WC (>=102 cm in men, >=88 cm in women) was positively associated with age and also with physical inactivity (OR=1.63, CI95%: 1.20-2.22 in women). CONCLUSIONS: These cross-sectional data suggest significant positive associations of physical inactivity with both the WHR and WC, independently of overall adiposity as assessed by the BMI.

Abdomen↗

Pap smear rates among Haitian immigrant women in eastern Massachusetts.

OBJECTIVE: Given limited prior evidence of high rates of cervical cancer in Haitian immigrant women in the U.S., this study was designed to examine self-reported Pap smear screening rates for Haitian immigrant women and compare them to rates for women of other ethnicities. METHODS: Multi-ethnic women at least 40 years of age living in neighborhoods with large Haitian immigrant populations in eastern Massachusetts were surveyed in 2000-2002. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to examine the effect of demographic and health care characteristics on Pap smear rates. RESULTS: Overall, 81% (95% confidence interval 79%, 84%) of women in the study sample reported having had a Pap smear within three years. In unadjusted analyses, Pap smear rates differed by ethnicity (p=0.003), with women identified as Haitian having a lower crude Pap smear rate (78%) than women identified as African American (87%), English-speaking Caribbean (88%), or Latina (92%). Women identified as Haitian had a higher rate than women identified as non-Hispanic white (74%). Adjustment for differences in demographic factors known to predict Pap smear acquisition (age, marital status, education level, and household income) only partially accounted for the observed difference in Pap smear rates. However, adjustment for these variables as well as those related to health care access (single site for primary care, health insurance status, and physician gender) eliminated the ethnic difference in Pap smear rates. CONCLUSIONS: The lower crude Pap smear rate for Haitian immigrants relative to other women of color was in part due to differences in (1) utilization of a single source for primary care, (2) health insurance, and (3) care provided by female physicians. Public health programs, such as the cancer prevention programs currently utilized in eastern Massachusetts, may influence these factors. Thus, the relatively high Pap rate among women in this study may reflect the success of these programs. Public health and elected officials will need to consider closely how implementing or withdrawing these programs may impact immigrant and minority communities.

Adult↗

[Psychic and somatic findings in jaw or facial pain of unclear origin. Comparison of patients with severe and mild symptoms].

BACKGROUND: Both for medical and dental specialists, patients with facial arthromyalgia (FAM) and acute or chronic atypical facial pain (AFP) often represent a clinical challenge. Only few empirical studies address the possible interaction between facial pain and increased psychosocial stress with a thereby heightened risk for a chronic course of disease. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether FAM or AFP - patients initially presenting with high vs. low pain intensity differ in somatic, psychosocial and socioeconomic parameters. METHOD: We chose to study a population with a primary diagnosis of myofascial pain of the jaw muscles or atypical facial pain and excluded patients with disc displacement, acute arthritis and severe arthrosis. Within nine months, 124 consecutive patients with FAM ( n=108) or AFP ( n=16) were referred to the departments of maxillary surgery, dentistry or neurology of two interdisciplinary academic pain centers. Using the patients'ratings on a 100 mm visual analogue scale concerning their pain intensity, the group was divided in a subgroup initially presenting with low (VAS</=5; n=50) and high pain (VAS>5; n=45). Psychometric evaluation was conducted with the SCL-90R (general psychopathology), the State-Trait-Anger-Expression Inventory (STAXI) and a special questionnaire addressing different aspects of chronic pain (modified SBAS-IV). All patients were assessed by a maxillary surgeon/specialized dentist with the help of a detailed, standardized clinical examination (Helkimo-Index). RESULTS: The group of FAM-/AFP - patients according to our inclusion-/exclusion - criteria presenting with a high pain intensity showed more psychosocial withdrawal ( p=0.013), a worse self-rated psychological status ( p=0.033) and a trend towards more somatization ( p=0.093) than patients with lower pain intensity. There was no correlation between initial pain intensity and somatic parameters of disease as assessed by the standardized clinical examination. Low educational status proved to be the best predictor (p<0.001) for belonging to the high (extensive) pain group. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that FAM-/ AFP - patients initially presenting with a high pain intensity have an increased risk for psychosocial stress and maladaptive coping behaviour. As both variables are empirically validated risk factors for a chronic course in pain-related disease, these patients should be of special interest for an interdisciplianary therapeutic setting including psychotherapeutic approaches.

Acute Disease↗

Trends in overweight and obesity in Portugal: the National Health Surveys 1995-6 and 1998-9.

OBJECTIVE: To assess overweight and obesity trends in the Portuguese population. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: National Health Surveys, conducted in 1995-6 (17,989 men; 20,249 women) and 1998-9 (17,923 men; 20,302 women), were used. RESULTS: In men, the prevalence of overweight and obesity increased from 39.9% (95% CI: 39.2 to 40.6) and 10.3% (95% CI: 9.9 to 10.7), respectively, in 1995-6, to 42.5% (95% CI: 41.8 to 43.2) and 11.5% (95% CI: 11.0 to 12.0), respectively, in 1998-9. In women, prevalence of obesity increased from 12.7% (95% CI: 12.2 to 13.2) in 1995-6 to 14.2% (95% CI: 13.7 to 14.6) in 1998-9, whereas the prevalence of overweight remained stable: 32.2% (95% CI: 31.6 to 32.9) in 1995-6 and 32.3% (95% CI: 31.6 to 32.9) in 1998-9. In men, prevalence of overweight and obesity were higher among former smokers and educational group of 6 to 12 years, and prevalence of obesity was higher in the Lisbon region. In women, prevalence of overweight and obesity were higher among never smokers, and prevalence of obesity was higher among educational group of -6 years. Prevalence of obesity was higher in the Alentejo region, and overweight was higher in the Center region. Finally, prevalence of obesity increased in both sexes for all strata studied (age, smoking status, educational level, and geographic region), whereas prevalence of overweight increased only in men. DISCUSSION: In Portugal, overweight and obesity levels are related to sociodemographic factors; the increase in obesity levels stresses the need for preventive measures.

Adult↗