bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Smoking and depression: a community survey.
Authors: Frerichs R R , Aneshensel C S , Clark V A , Yokopenic P
Published: November 2008

Smoking status and symptoms of mental depression were determined as part of a community survey of adults in Los Angeles County. Nearly 42 per cent of the males and 31 per cent of the females wee current smokers. Smokers compared to nonsmokers reported significantly higher levels of depression as measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies--Depression (CES-D) index (10.02 vs 8.76, p < .05). The differences were not significant, however, when analyzed by sex. Furthermore, there were no significant differences in the CES-D score when comparing those who had never smoked, ex-smokers, current smokers who wanted to quit, and current smokers who did not want to quit. After controlling in a linear regression analysis for the effects of income, age, employment status, and sex, none of the smoking status variables contributed significantly to explaining the variance of the CES-D score. While both mental depression and smoking are individually major public health problems, the results of this investigation suggest that there is little relationship between the two in the general community.
Evaluation of the Rhode Island Child Restraint Law
Authors: Williams Allan F. , Wells JoAnn K.
Published: November 2008

In Rhode Island, a law went into force July 1, 1980, requiring drivers to transport children who are in the front seats of vehicles in properly used child restraints. In the fourth month of the law, restraint use and travel in rear seats had increased moderately; the net result was an increase in proper restraint use in rear seats (11 to 23 per cent) and a decrease in unrestrained, front seat travel (41 to 26 per cent). (Am J Public Health 1981;71:742-743.)
Asbestos in Vermont schools: findings of a statewide on-site investigation.
Authors: Novick L F , Rice C , Freedman M A , Jillson D
Published: November 2008

Materials containing asbestos were found in 75 per cent of 336 Vermont Schools constructed or renovated between 1946 and 1974, with two-fifths of the materials in student exposure areas. Findings from visits to all schools contrasted with an earlier investigation relying on self-reporting. Of 105 schools with student exposure disclosed by the current survey, only eight had been identified in the earlier effort. Ceiling tiles, previously not believed to contain substantial asbestos material, constituted a source of student exposure in 36 schools.
Validity of synthetic estimates of problem-drinker prevalence.
Authors: Furst C J , Beckman L J , Nakamura C Y
Published: November 2008

For the purpose of evaluating their validity, survey-based synthetic estimates of problem-drinker prevalence in California's counties were correlated with social indicators of alcohol abuse. Prevalence estimates were predictive of automobile accidents and drunk-driving arrests but not of other problems. Data on drinking practices from a statewide survey provide more valid estimates than national survey data. Taking into account empirical and other factors impinging upon the validity of this prevalence formula, it is concluded that synthetic estimates provide a defensible but limited basis for estimating needs for alcoholism services in small areas.
Cognitive and health measures following early nutritional supplementation: a sibling study.
Authors: Hicks L E , Langham R A , Takenaka J
Published: November 2008

A battery of cognitive measures, an adjustment measure, and multiple health indices were obtained for sibling pairs who differed in the timing of their participation in the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) several years earlier, with participation during the perinatal period occurring for one sibling, but after one year of age for the other. Results indicated that the perinatally supplemented group showed significant enhancement of most intellectual and behavioral measures in the current home and school setting, including IQ, attention span, visual-motor synthesis, and school grade-point average when compared with the group supplemented later. Of the health assessments, most trends were in the expected direction, but only height for age values were significantly different for the two groups.
A diarrhea clinic in rural Bangladesh: influence of distance, age, and sex on attendance and diarrheal mortality.
Authors: Rahaman M M , Aziz K M , Munshi M H , Patwari Y , Rahman M
Published: November 2008

Attendance rates at a diarrhea clinic were monitored in a defined population in rural Bangladesh. Weekly home visits were also carried out to determine diarrheal attacks in communities within six miles of the clinic. Within the first one mile radius, 90 per cent of diarrheal cases came to the clinic for treatment. At two miles the attendance fell to 70 per cent for males and 40 per cent for females. On an average, the greater the distance to the clinic, the more severe was the degree of dehydration on presentation, requiring more frequent use of intravenous fluid. Mortality secondary to diarrhea was significantly reduced only within a two-mile radius of the clinic.
Prevalene of perimenstrual symptoms.
Authors: Woods N F , Most A , Dery G K
Published: November 2008

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of perimenstrual symptoms (PMS) in a free-living population of US women and to determine if prevalence estimates varied with parity, contraceptive status, characteristics of the menstrual cycle, and selected demographic variables. We identified all households from a census listing for five southeastern city neighborhoods that offered variation in racial composition and socioeconomic status. We ascertained all households in which there was one nonpregnant woman between the ages of 18 and 35 years per household. Of the 241 eligible women, 179 (74 per cent) participated in the study. Trained interviewers administered the Moos Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ) and other demographic measures to women between March and July 1979. Symptoms with a prevalence greater than 30 per cent included weight gain, headache, skin disorders, cramps, anxiety, backache, fatigue, painful breasts, irritability, mood swings, depression, or tension. Only 2 to 8 per cent of women found most of these severe or disabling. The exceptions were severe cramps reported by 17 per cent of women and severe premenstrual and menstrual irritability by 12 per cent. Cramps, backaches, fatigue, and tension were most prevalent during the menstruum; weight gain, skin disorders, painful breasts, swelling, irritability, mood swings, and depression were more prevalent in the premenstruum. Parity, oral contraceptive use, age, employment, education, and income were negatively associated with selected PMS. Use of an IUD, having long menstrual cycles, long menstrual flow, or heavy menstrual flow, and being able to predict the next period were positively associated with selected PMS. Race had both positive and negative effects on PMS.
Bats in the belfry: an outbreak of histoplasmosis.
Authors: Bartlett P C , Vonbehren L A , Tewari R P , Martin R J , Eagleton L , Isaac M J , Kulkarni P S
Published: November 2008

The belfry and attic of a 100-year-old school building located in central Illinois were infested with a colony of big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus). During the week of April 14, 1980, four workers disturbed the piles of bat droppings in the attic, causing dust to become airborne. Seven to 10 days later, all four workers developed symptoms and chest x-ray findings compatible with acute pulmonary histoplasmosis. Their sera had complement fixation (CF) titers of greater than or equal to 1:32 with fungal antigens and showed M and/or H bands by immunodiffusion tests. An additional 73 persons who had visited the building were also studied, leading to the finding of 16 additional cases of acute pulmonary histoplasmosis, identified on the basis of positive serologies and compatible symptoms. H. capsulatum was isolated from the sputum of one patient and from the soil beneath the hole in the building's eaves where the bats had been entering the attic. Cases were associated with exposure to the attic and with total hours of building exposure when compared with controls. The epidemic curve suggests that sporadic exposures occurred during the spring of 1980, with an epidemic occurring after the bat droppings were disturbed by the four workers.
Rural health care delivery amidst federal retrenchment: lessons from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Rural Practice Project.
Authors: Moscovice I S , Rosenblatt R A
Published: November 2008

This paper examines the experience of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Rural Practice Project (RPP), a major non-governmental effort in the last decade concentrating on the direct delivery of rural health services. The nine RPP sites started prior to 1977 showed a slow but steady increase in their utilization levels and improvement in their financial status during their initial operational years. The tempo of their development was remarkably similar to that of federally sponsored practices in underserved rural areas. After four years of operation, all of the practices had completed their period of grant support; the practices survived in all cases, with almost all of the practices still retaining community sponsorship, salaried physicians, and a commitment to comprehensive care. Practices in sparsely populated rural areas and in areas with fewer hospital beds grew more slowly than those set in rural areas with higher population density and more ancillary resources. We conclude that the use of time-limited initial subsidies is an effective strategy in starting new rural practices in underserved areas and that those practices have a good chance of surviving their start-up phase.
Pesticides in groundwater: the aldicarb story in Suffolk County, NY.
Authors: Zaki M H , Moran D , Harris D
Published: November 2008

Aldicarb, a carbamate pesticide, was detected for the first time in groundwater in Suffolk County, New York, in August 1979. Although all laboratory and field studies indicated that the pesticide could not reach groundwater, a combination of circumstances allowed its residues not only to reach groundwater but also to be ingested by humans. Inquiries in hospitals and poison control centers did not reveal any cases of carbamate poisoning. The extensive monitoring program, conducted by the County in cooperation with the federal and state agencies and the Union Carbide Corporation, showed that 1,121 (13.5 per cent) of the 8,404 wells examined exceeded the state recommended guidelines of 7 ppb. Of the contaminated wells 52 per cent contained adicarb between 8 and 30 ppb, 32 per cent between 31 and 75 ppb, and 16 per cent more that 75 ppb. Residents whose wells exceeded the guideline were advised not to use the water for drinking or cooking purposes and to obtain an alternate source of potable water. The Union Carbide Corporation provided those residents with activated carbon filtration units. The incident raises several serious issues, such as the testing of pesticides under field conditions prior to registration and during their use, the validity of the recommended actionable levels, and the paucity of long-term epidemiologic studies of the health effects resulting from consumption of pesticides in trace concentrations.
The interaction of cigarette smoking, oral contraceptive use, and cardiovascular risk factor variables in children: the Bogalusa Heart Study.
Authors: Webber L S , Hunter S M , Baugh J G , Srinivasan S R , Sklov M C , Berenson G S
Published: November 2008

Two separate surveys were conducted in a total biracial population of children ages 8-17 years to determine the effects of cigarette smoking and oral contraceptive use on blood pressure and serum lipids and lipoproteins. Information regarding smoking habits and oral contraceptive use was obtained from detailed questionnaires. For White boys and White and Black girls, a small but statistically significant decrease in diastolic blood pressure levels for cigarette smokers when compared to non-smokers was noted. A significant increase among cigarette smokers in beta-lipoprotein cholesterol, pre-beta-lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides as well as a decrease in alpha-lipoprotein cholesterol was noted, especially for White girls. This change in lipoprotein levels for cigarette smokers was noted in both surveys. Oral contraceptive users had higher total cholesterol and beta-lipoprotein cholesterol and lower alpha-lipoprotein cholesterol than nonusers. After adjusting for oral-contraceptive use, particularly among White girls, cigarette smokers still demonstrated high pre-beta-lipoprotein cholesterol and lower alpha-lipoprotein cholesterol levels than non-smokers. These results suggest that the lipid and lipoprotein response to cigarette smoking and oral contraceptive use is to increase cardiovascular risk.
Rubella screening and vaccination program for US Air Force trainees: an analysis of findings.
Authors: Blouse L E , Lathrop G D , Dupuy H J , Ball R J
Published: November 2008

A preventive medicine program of rubella control for trainees at the Air Force Military Training Center, Lackland AFB, Texas, was begun in October 1977. Incoming trainees were screened for rubella susceptibility, and female trainees were additionally screened for pregnancy. During the period October 1977 to December 1978, an overall rubella susceptibility rate of 17.3 per cent was determined for 71,387 trainees entering basic training. Flights (50 persons each) to which these trainees are assigned varied widely in susceptibility from 0.0-47.7 per cent. Comparisons of susceptibility rates for trainees for for geographic areas and states indicated the highest overall percentage of susceptibles were from the Pacific geographic area with California showing the highest susceptibility (24.5 per cent). Race specific susceptibility rates were found to differ significantly between Whites and Blacks, 17.6 vs 14.8 per cent, respectively. The immunization program was effective as judged by a dampening of the incidence of clinical rubella at the basic training center and at other secondary training centers.
Changes in Age and Sex Specific Tonsillectomy Rates: United States, 1970-1977
Authors: Freeman Jean L. , Jekel James F. , Freeman Daniel H.
Published: November 2008

National estimates of tonsillectomy rates were generated from the Hospital Discharge Survey for the years 1970 and 1977. A comparison of the rates over the seven-year period revealed significant declines in T&A for all age and sex categories and in tonsillectomy alone for males aged 20 through 29. It was also observed that sex differences found in 1970 persisted in 1977. (Am J Public Health 1982; 72:488-491.)
Ectopic pregnancy in New York City, 1975-1980.
Authors: Budnick L D , Pakter J
Published: November 2008

Seventy-three non-federal acute care New York City hospitals were asked to report the number of ectopic pregnancies. These reports were compared with legally required certificates of termination of pregnancy (fetal death certificates). The number of ectopic pregnancies reported via the questionnaire was six times the number reported on the certificates of termination of pregnancy. Based on the hospital survey, ectopic pregnancies increased from 1,457 in 1975 to 2,080 in 1980. The number of ectopic pregnancies per 1,000 conceptions per year increased 48.5 percent, from 6.48 in 1975 to 9.62 in 1980 (p less than .001). Of the 30 fatalities related to an ectopic pregnancy, 93.4 percent were Black or Hispanic and two-thirds were single. An unexplained finding was that 75 per cent of the fatal tubal pregnancies were right-sided (p less than .01). At least one-half of the deaths were attributable to physician error and one-fifth were attributable to patient neglect. Ectopic pregnancy continues to be overlooked and misdiagnosed. Increased physician suspicion of this complication in the susceptible population is needed to decrease fatalities.
Home pregnancy testing kits: prevalence of use, false-negative rates, and compliance with instructions.
Authors: Valanis B G , Perlman C S
Published: November 2008

This study investigated the prevalence of home pregnancy kit use, incidence of false-negative results, and compliance with testing procedures. Among 144 pregnant women, identified through three health care settings, prevalence of test-kit use was 28.5 per cent. The false-negative rate was 24.3 per cent. Total compliance with instructions was reported by only 32 per cent of users. Women testing less than nine days after menstrual period was due had false-negative rates of 33 per cent contrasted with 21 per cent for those testing after the nine days.
Spontaneous abortions in an industrialized community in Finland.
Authors: Hemminki K , Kyyrönen P , Niemi M L , Koskinen K , Sallmén M , Vainio H
Published: November 2008

Spontaneous abortions were analyzed in an industrialized Finnish community according to the occupation and workplace of both the women and their husbands. Information about spontaneous abortions and births was obtained from the hospital discharge register, and data about the women and their families were collected from census files. When compared with all women employed outside the home, women who worked at a textile plant (factory A, a clothing manufacturer) had an increased rate of spontaneous abortion (16.7 per cent vs 11.4 per cent). The rate of spontaneous abortions among women employed at factory A differed according to the husband's workplace. The odds ratio for women employed at factor A whose husbands worked at a large metallurgical factory was 3.8, whereas the odds ratio for women whose husbands worked elsewhere was 1.2. Between 1973 and 1976, the rate of spontaneous abortions in this town was consistently lower for the summer period. (May-August) than for the other periods of the year.
An evaluation of subsidized rural primary care programs: I. A typology of practice organizations.
Authors: Sheps C G , Wagner E H , Schonfeld W H , DeFriese G H , Bachar M , Brooks E F , Gillings D B , Guild P A , Konrad T R , McLaughlin C P , Ricketts T C , Seipp C , Stein J S
Published: November 2008

The design of a comprehensive evaluation of subsidized rural primary care programs on a large national scale is described, Its major purpose is to derive data whose analysis will answer major policy questions about the factors influencing the outcome of the major types of such programs in different communities. This first paper also delineates a typology which was developed of five principal organizational forms of these programs. This classification appears to provide suitable operational definitions of forms of rural practice as a basis for evaluating the differential impact of alternative types of primary care programs.
Physicians' Opinions of Expanded Clinical Pharmacy Services
Authors: Ritchey Ferris J. , Raney Marilyn R. , Keith Thomas D.
Published: November 2008

A statistical interaction model explaining 27 per cent of the variation in physicians' attitudes toward clinical pharmacy among 180 Alabama physicians is presented. Young primary care physicians who prescribe drugs with a low risk of adverse reactions are the most favorable toward pharmacists practicing clinical tasks. Older solo-practice physicians who lack exposure to clinical pharmacy are the least favorable. The implications for the wider acceptance of clinical pharmacy are discussed in terms of its resources of professional power. (Am J Public Health 1983; 73:96-101.)
An assessment of the Environmental Protection Agency's asbestos hazard evaluation algorithm.
Authors: Findley M E , Rose V E , Cutter G R , Windsor R A
Published: November 2008

We performed an exploratory evaluation of the Environmental Protection Agency's algorithm for assessment of risk of exposure to asbestos in buildings. Observers scored five sites using the algorithm. One group (N = 23) conducted their assessments relying only on written instructions, while another (N = 20) was trained in the use of the algorithm. Five professional industrial hygienists, experienced in risk assessment, also used the algorithm on the same sites. A wide range of highly variable results, for both untrained and trained observers coupled with poor comparability with expert's scores raise concern as to the reliability of this assessment tool. The development of a valid and reliable "lay" index of risk is still needed.
Perinatal characteristics of newborns relinquished at birth.
Authors: Yogman M W , Herrera C , Bloom K
Published: November 2008

Demographic, perinatal, and newborn characteristics of single mothers relinquishing their newborns for adoption (N = 111) were compared with randomly selected and matched groups of mothers keeping their infants. Relinquishing mothers were younger, more apt to be Caucasian, Catholic, primiparous, and economically independent of government assistance, less likely to plan their pregnancies, and later starting prenatal care. In general, their pregnancies and infants were at no higher neonatal risk than those of other single mothers.
Validation of self-reported smoking behavior: biochemical analyses of cotinine and thiocyanate.
Authors: Haley N J , Axelrad C M , Tilton K A
Published: November 2008

Biochemical determinations of plasma and salivary cotinine and thiocyanate were used to differentiate smokers from non-smokers and to follow daily smoking patterns in smokers. Results indicate that cotinine is better suited than thiocyanate to determine smoking status in large scale epidemiologic studies and to follow alterations in smoking behavior over periods of time. Salivary cotinine is a reliable alternative to plasma for validation of smoking status and for following changes in daily smoking patterns.
Fatality rates and regulatory policies in bituminous coal mining, United States, 1959-1981.
Authors: Weeks J L , Fox M
Published: November 2008

In the eleven years prior to the passage of the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969, fatality rates changed little for underground miners and were increasing for surface miners. Following implementation of the 1969 Act, both rates decreased. Beginning in 1979, and continuing into the first six months of 1982, both rates increased. These associations suggest that current relaxation of regulations and policies for coal mine safety are unwarranted.
Alcohol consumption and diabetes mellitus mortality in different countries.
Authors: Keilman P A
Published: November 2008

Alcohol consumption on a per capita country basis is associated with diabetes mortality rates for men. The relation is also positive for women, but not statistically significant. Countries that consume primarily beer have higher diabetes mortality rates than countries that consume primarily spirits or wine.
Personal versus telephone surveys for collecting household health data at the local level.
Authors: Weeks M F , Kulka R A , Lessler J T , Whitmore R W
Published: November 2008

Personal and telephone interview surveys were conducted simultaneously during 1981 in the same area (four counties in the area of Tampa Bay, Florida) and utilizing the same interview schedule. Following completion of the surveys, validity checks were made with the medical providers reported by a subsample of respondents to each mode. The telephone survey yielded a lower response rate but cost less than half the personal interview. There was some evidence of nonresponse bias in the telephone survey, and some relatively minor differences in responses were found between the two modes, but there was no conclusive evidence that the response differences resulted from mode effects. Telephone respondents appeared to be somewhat more accurate in their reporting of visits to medical providers, although accuracy comparisons must be interpreted with caution in view of the disparate success experienced for the two modes in securing permission forms for the release of medical record information.
Community surveillance of stroke in persons under 70 years old: contribution of uncontrolled hypertension.
Authors: Barker W H , Feldt K S , Feibel J H
Published: November 2008

In 1979, a community-wide hospital surveillance system was established in Monroe County, New York (population 702,000), to investigate the continuing contribution of uncontrolled high blood pressure (HBP) to the occurrence of stroke. This paper reports findings among 200 consecutive strokes in persons under 71 years of age. Average age was 58. There was a prestroke history of HBP in 129 (65 per cent) cases. Two-thirds of the 129 had other predisposing conditions (heart disease, diabetes, previous cerebrovascular accident) and 95 per cent had one or more other cardiovascular risk factors (smoking, elevated cholesterol, obesity). Over 90 per cent had visited a physician during the year prior to stroke (average of four visits). Elevated pressures (DBP greater than or equal to 95 or SBP greater than or equal to 160) were recorded at half or more of the visits for 45 per cent of the patients; these cases were classified as uncontrolled. Reduction of "unnecessary" strokes in persons under age 71 should be achievable by giving increased attention to those already under medical care for hypertension who have co-existing stroke risk conditions and cardiovascular risk factors.
Developmental abilities of children exposed to polybrominated biphenyls (PBB).
Authors: Seagull E A
Published: November 2008

To investigate whether ingestion of polybrominated biphenyls has an adverse effect on the neuropsychological development of young children exposed in utero and in infancy, five tests of the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities were administered to a group of 19 PBB-exposed Michigan children. When the data for the exposed group were analyzed according to body burden of PBB as determined by fat biopsy, correlations ranging from -.5228 to -.3004 were found between the natural logarithms of the children's fat PBB values and their standardized scores on the developmental scales. Four of the five correlations were significant at p less than .05. Multivariate analysis of covariance confirmed the existence of a significant main effect for fat PBB level, with parental education held constant. Children with higher body burdens of PBB (greater than .100 ppm) scored significantly lower than exposed children with lower body burdens on the same four tests, and on a composite score representing overall performance. These results suggest the existence of an inverse relationship between body levels of PBB and some developmental abilities in young children.
Environmental politics and science: the case of PBB contamination in Michigan.
Authors: Reich M R
Published: November 2008

This article examines how politics and science interacted against a background of uncertainty to shape policy in the case of environmental contamination by polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) in Michigan. In 1973, between 500 and 1,000 pounds of the flame retardant PBB were accidentally shipped and used instead of the dairy feed additive magnesium oxide, resulting in the widespread contamination of animal feeds, animals, and human food products. The contamination was initially perceived as the private trouble of a single farmer. The problem next became a public issue as public and private institutions grappled with questions of illness, safety, and disposal. To gain influence over those institutions, dissatisfied individuals and groups then turned the PBB contamination into a political controversy. The final section of the present article analyzes how science and politics interacted in: the ways bureaucratic organizations defined the three problems of contamination; the role political controversy played in redefining problems and influencing policy; and the political roles of scientists in controversies over environmental contamination.
Effects of Breastfeeding on IUD Performance
Authors: Cole Lynda Painter , McCann Margaret F. , Higgins James E. , Waszak Cynthia S.
Published: November 2008

The effect that lactation might have on intrauterine device (IUD) performance was investigated by using data from a series of multicenter clinical trials. Life-table methods were applied to compare breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding women with respect to IUD expulsion, accidental pregnancy, IUD removal for various reasons, and overall continuation of IUD use. Results indicate that breastfeeding does not increase the risk of expulsion or other events, whether the device is inserted immediately (within ten minutes) or more than 42 days after delivery. (Am J Public Health 1983; 73:384-388.)
Characteristics of physician visits for back symptoms: a national perspective.
Authors: Cypress B K
Published: November 2008

There are no national data on the extent of back problems in the population of the United States, but it is known that back symptoms is the second leading symptomatic reason expressed by patients for visiting physicians. To provide insight into the scope of this problem, data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys of 1977 and 1978 were examined using the sex of the patient and the physician's degree (MD or DO) as control variables, and typical encounter characteristics as dependent variables. Males 45-64 years of age had the highest visit rate, and visit rates for men 15-64 years of age were higher than those of women the same age. Common diagnoses were sprains and strains, arthritis and rheumatism, displacement of intervertebral disc, and diseases of urinary tract, with men more likely than women to have injuries. DOs were more likely to treat accidental injuries than were MDs. It is recommended that differential diagnosis be taken into account before studying sex differences in complaints.
Mental health treatment and medical care utilization in a fee-for-service system: outpatient mental health treatment following the onset of a chronic disease.
Authors: Schlesinger H J , Mumford E , Glass G V , Patrick C , Sharfstein S
Published: November 2008

Charges for medical services of persons covered by the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Federal Employees Program from 1974 through 1978 who were first diagnosed as having one of four chronic diseases in 1975 and within one year began mental health treatment (MHT) were compared with persons who also were first diagnosed as having one of these diseases in 1975 but had no subsequent MHT. In the third year following the diagnosis, those having seven to 20 MHT visits had medical charges $309 lower and those having over 21 MHT visits had medical charges $284 lower than the comparison group. The savings in medical charges over three years of the group having seven to 20 MHT visits were a function of lower use of inpatient services and roughly equaled the cost of 20 MHT visits. Outpatient mental health treatment can be included in a fee-for-service medical care system to improve the quality and appropriateness of care and, if not extensive, may also serve to lower medical care costs.
A Hospital-Based Influenza Immunization Program, 1977-78
Authors: Fedson David S. , Kessler Harold A.
Published: November 2008

An influenza immunization program on General Medicine inpatient and outpatient units immunized a greater proportion of patients than did physicians on medical subspecialty units. Many patients hospitalized with influenza and other respiratory conditions had been discharged earlier in the year or seen in outpatient clinics. Previous hospital care may be a useful marker for identifying many high-risk patients who could receive influenza vaccine in organized programs for hospital-based immunization. (Am J Public Health 1983; 73:442-445.)
Quantitative relationships of Candida albicans infections and dressing patterns in Nigerian women.
Authors: Elegbe I A , Elegbe I
Published: November 2008

Candida albicans colony counts were far higher in patients with vaginitis wearing tight fitting clothing than in patients wearing loose fitting clothing. In Ile-Ife, Nigeria, tight fitting dresses, woolen and corduroy jeans, coupled with nylon underwear, appear to create an environment favorable to Candida albicans colonization.
Effectiveness of public health nurse home visits to primarous mothers and their infants.
Authors: Barkauskas V H
Published: November 2008

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of public health nurse postpartum home visits by comparing the health outcomes of 67 randomly selected mother-infant pairs who had received such services with 43 randomly selected mother-infant pairs who had not received them. Health outcome variables were mother's health and health services utilization, infant's health and health services utilization, and mother's parenting practices. Data were collected from birth certificates, health service records, and by home interviews and observations at six months postpartum. No significant differences were noted between home-visited and not-home-visited mother-infant pairs for the majority of health outcome variables. Major, differential health assets and liabilities between groups of Black and White mother-infant pairs were observed.
Conditions for the chemical and physical inactivation of the K. Fu. strain of the agent of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
Authors: Walker A S , Inderlied C B , Kingsbury D T
Published: November 2008

The unusual resistance of the "unconventional viruses" to inactivation by the commonly used disinfectants has led to a high degree of apprehension regarding patients with any form of dementia. The rapid adaptation of a newly acquired isolate of the agent of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) to mice made possible this large scale study of its heat and chemical stability. The agent showed a decrease in titer of approximately two logs following incubation at 80 degrees C for 30 minutes with no additional loss at 80 degrees C for up to 500 minutes. There was greater than a three log decrease in titer at 100 degrees C for 30 minutes and temperatures of 115 degrees and 130 degrees C completely inactivated the agent. Treatment with sodium hypochlorite at three concentrations (0.33 per cent, 0.66 per cent and 1.31 per cent) showed inactivation of greater than 99 per cent at each. Crude agent preparations were not inactivated by sodium dodecylsulfate at detergent to protein ratios up to 4:1. These results suggest that those hospital supplies which resist autoclaving may be adequately disinfected by autoclaving for at least 30 minutes. Treatment of surfaces with solutions of sodium hypochlorite (household bleach) at concentrations of 15 to 25 per cent is also effective. Detergent treatment of contaminated surfaces or materials is inadequate for proper decontamination.
Characteristics of cancer patient referrals to home care: a regional perspective.
Authors: Oleske D , Hauck W W , Heide E
Published: November 2008

Records of 609 cancer patients referred in 1979 to home health agencies in rural and urban health service regions in Illinois were abstracted. There was no difference in the overall utilization of home care between the two regions, but significant differences in referral characteristics were found between the two regions with respect to patient's disability level, disease stage, presence of concurrent medical conditions, and living arrangement, and to the source of referral.
Spontaneous abortions after the Three Mile Island nuclear accident: a life table analysis.
Authors: Goldhaber M K , Staub S L , Tokuhata G K
Published: November 2008

A study was conducted to determine whether the incidence of spontaneous abortion was greater than expected near the Three Mile Island (TMI) nuclear power plant during the months following the March 28, 1979 accident. All persons living within five miles of TMI were registered shortly after the accident, and information on pregnancy at the time of the accident was collected. After one year, all pregnancy cases were followed up and outcomes ascertained. Using the life table method, it was found that, given pregnancies after four completed weeks of gestation counting from the first day of the last menstrual period, the estimated incidence of spontaneous abortion (miscarriage before completion of 16 weeks of gestation) was 15.1 per cent for women pregnant at the time of the TMI accident. Combining spontaneous abortions and stillbirths (delivery of a dead fetus after 16 weeks of gestation), the estimated incidence was 16.1 per cent for pregnancies after four completed weeks of gestation. Both incidences are comparable to baseline studies of fetal loss.
Reassurance through prenatal diagnosis and willingness to bear children after age 35.
Authors: Roghmann K J , Doherty R A
Published: November 2008

This study reports on a survey of 2,209 women age 25-45; most were married. Respondents were asked about their reproductive plans and whether prenatal reassurance might influence their reproductive intentions. For almost two-thirds of the age 35-45 respondents, either the woman or her husband had already chosen sterilization; of those able to bear children, but with uncertain plans, 25 per cent of 35-39 year olds and 12.8 per cent of 40-45 year olds indicated an increased willingness to have children if they were reassured that their baby had none of the birth defects detectable by amniocentesis.
The survival benefit of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a paramedic served metropolitan area.
Authors: Guzy P M , Pearce M L , Greenfield S
Published: November 2008

We investigated the survival benefit bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for out-of-hospital emergencies in a paramedic served area of metropolitan Los Angeles. Clinical information for all events occurring between January 1 and December 31, 1978 was obtained from paramedic report forms and hospital medical records. Bystander CPR was performed for 93 cases and, of these, 20 (22 per cent) survived to hospital discharge, as compared to 7 (5 per cent) of the 150 patients not receiving bystander CPR (p less than 0.001). Twelve (27 per cent) of the 45 patients in ventricular fibrillation (VF) who had bystander CPR survived, as compared to 4 (6 per cent) of 70 VF patients without bystander CPR (p less than 0.01). We conclude that bystander CPR, initiated prior to arrival of paramedics, produced a fourfold improvement in survival. Overall there was a 10 per cent survival rate at hospital discharge. Survival rates reported from Seattle may not necessarily be generalized to larger cities.
The epidemiology of heat-related deaths, Texas--1950, 1970-79, and 1980.
Authors: Greenberg J H , Bromberg J , Reed C M , Gustafson T L , Beauchamp R A
Published: November 2008

A study of the deaths during a 1980 heat wave in Texas revealed death rates that were highest in males, the elderly, Blacks and those engaged in heavy labor, the latter two factors perhaps reflecting socioeconomic status. The data suggest that persistent high temperatures were related to death to a greater degree than the temperature peaks reached. Higher heat death rates in earlier years are believed to be attributable to the limited availability of air conditioning in those years.
Controlling the rise in cesarean section rates by the dissemination of information from vital records.
Authors: Williams R L , Chen P M
Published: November 2008

The recent rapid increase in cesarean childbirth is a source of growing public health concern. We suggest that one method of ameliorating the rise would be to disseminate hospital-specific cesarean section rates. To make such rates comparable between hospitals, it is necessary to adjust for variations in maternal and newborn factors associated with cesarean section. We therefore applied an indirect standardization technique to three years of California vital records data. The results show sizable variations in cesarean section rates among individual hospitals and by hospital type, both before and after standardization. For such a method to be effective, complete and accurate information from birth certificates is an obvious prerequisite.
Effects of a low cholesterol eating plan on plasma lipids: results of a three-year community study.
Authors: Reeves R S , Foreyt J P , Scott L W , Mitchell R E , Wohlleb J , Gotto A M
Published: November 2008

In an attempt to demonstrate whether individuals with average plasma lipids would accept a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, members of a community organization were taught the HELP Your Heart Eating Plan. Results of 282 individuals suggest that reduced dietary cholesterol from selected foods could be sustained for up to 36 months. While both plasma cholesterol and triglycerides fell during a year of instruction, both rose to above initial values by 36 months. Overall, the results suggest that adults may be willing to accept a new style of eating temporarily but are not committed to making permanent dietary changes.
Adult cancer prevention in primary care: contrasts among primary care practice settings in Québec.
Authors: Battista R N , Spitzer W O
Published: November 2008

Four strata of Québec primary care (general practitioner) physicians were delineated: fee-for-service physicians in urban and in rural settings, salaried physicians in Community Health Centers (CLSCs) and physicians reimbursed per session in Family Medicine Teaching Centers (FMCs). Physicians in CLSCs and FMCs did more mammographies in women aged 50 to 59, more testing for occult blood in stools of patients aged 45 and over, more Papanicolaou tests, and pursued preventive activities in a broader range of medical encounters than fee-for-service physicians.
The usefulness of the Denver Developmental Screening Test to predict kindergarten problems in a general community population.
Authors: Cadman D , Chambers L W , Walter S D , Feldman W , Smith K , Ferguson R
Published: November 2008

The Denver Developmental Screening Test (DDST) was administered to 2,569 children five to seven months prior to starting kindergarten in September 1980 in a geographically well-defined community. The test was administered by trained public health nurses. At the end of the 1980-1981 school year, all 163 kindergarten teachers in the area completed a rating form for each child in their class. The rating form determined global ratings of: 1) learning abilities; 2) classroom behavior; 3) amount of special attention required; and 4) referrals to special education services outside the classroom. The specificity of the DDST in predicting kindergarten teacher ratings was 99 per cent for all areas. Test sensitivity varied from 5 per cent to 10 per cent in detecting problems in the four areas. The predictive values of an positive test varied from 31 per cent for behavior problems to 62 per cent for extra attention required in the classroom. Negative test predictive values varied from 79 per cent to 93 per cent. These results based on kindergarten teacher ratings suggest that, because of the low sensitivity and modest predictive value, the DDST may be relatively inefficient to use in a school entry screening program in a general community population of children.
Behavioral problems among patients in skilled nursing facilities.
Authors: Zimmer J G , Watson N , Treat A
Published: November 2008

This survey of a 33 per cent random sample (1,139) of 3,456 patients in 42 skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) in upstate New York yielded 64.2 per cent with significant behavioral problems. Of these, 257 (22.6 per cent) of the total sample had what were defined as "serious" problems (i.e., excluding those with only impaired judgment and/or physical restraint orders). Details of the problem behaviors of this group, their previous history, current management, frequency of psychiatric consultation, and adequacy of documentation were analyzed. Median age was the same as the general SNF population, a slightly lower proportion was female, and, while 66.5 per cent had diagnoses indicating organic brain syndrome, very few had specific psychiatric diagnoses, and only 4.7 per cent had been admitted from a psychiatric facility. The attending physician had noted the behavioral problem in the record in only 9.7 per cent and had requested psychiatric consultation in 14.8 per cent of these "serious" cases. The need for more staff training in mental health care, and more physician and psychiatric consultative assistance are discussed.
Personal health practices and mortality among the elderly.
Authors: Branch L G , Jette A M
Published: November 2008

Research on young and middle-aged adults has demonstrated a correlation between certain personal health practices and reduced mortality. This investigation examines the generalizability of these findings to elders who have survived into their seventh and eighth decades. Using data from the Massachusetts Health Care Panel Study, we examined the association of physical activity, cigarette smoking, hours of sleep, alcohol consumption, and number of meals with five-year mortality rates. For elderly women, never having smoked cigarettes is the only personal health practice that achieves a statistically significant multivariate relationship with lower mortality. None of the personal health practices are related significantly to mortality among elderly men.
Hospital use by the elderly in Poland and the United States.
Authors: Bacon W E , Wotjyniak B , Krzyzanowski M
Published: November 2008

Hospital use by elderly patients in Poland and the United States was compared using data from the 1980 General Hospital Morbidity Study (Poland) and the National Hospital Discharge Survey (US). Discharge and days-of-care rates were higher in the US but average lengths of stay were longer in Poland. All three measures increased with advancing age in the US but remained relatively constant or decreased with age in Poland. Although the most frequent causes of hospitalization were similar in the two countries, the characteristic use patterns across age were evident for most frequently occurring disease conditions. The greater use of hospitals in the US is not associated with marked differences between the two countries in health status of the elderly.
Mortality among laundry and dry cleaning workers in Oklahoma.
Authors: Duh R W , Asal N R
Published: November 2008

The mortality experience of 440 laundry and dry cleaning workers for the period 1975-81 was analyzed, using Oklahoma death certificate data. Results did not show an overall increase in total cancer, but an elevated risk was found for homicide, lung cancer, and kidney cancer. A decrease in risk was noted for ischemic heart disease and for breast cancer.
The California Automated Mortality Linkage System (CAMLIS).
Authors: Arellano M G , Petersen G R , Petitti D B , Smith R E
Published: November 2008

The California Automated Mortality Linkage System (CAMLIS), established in 1981 to facilitate the conduct of follow-up studies in the State of California, employs a combination of deterministic and probabilistic linkage decision criteria to perform the death clearance function. The system was evaluated against four traditional death clearance procedures and the performance of each procedure measured in terms of measures of sensitivity and specificity. Only one procedure was associated with a specificity lower than 0.99; for that one, the specificity was 0.93. There was much greater fluctuation in the observed sensitivity levels. In one of the procedures, CAMLIS demonstrated a sensitivity of 0.97 versus 0.79 for the Social Security Administration. A comparison against the National Death Index (NDI) produced sensitivities of 0.89 for CAMLIS and 0.94 for the NDI. An assessment of manual search procedures using a file of Japanese names produced a CAMLIS sensitivity measure of 0.92 compared with 0.93 for the manual search. Another manual search procedure using microfiche copies of the state death index produced a CAMLIS sensitivity of 0.97; in this evaluation, the sensitivity of the manual search was defined as 1.0. Another measure of performance of a death clearance procedure is its predictive value in identifying a person who has died; CAMLIS generated predictive values in these evaluations that ranged from 0.93 through 0.99, contrasted with the NDI value of 0.59.