bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Knowledge and Experience of Young People regarding Drug Abuse between 1969 and 1974
Authors: Wright J. D. 
Published: January 2017

A trend survey was carried out by anonymous questionnaire, with an additional 10 per cent interview sample, of the knowledge and experience of drug abuse among fourth-year pupils in three Wolverhampton secondary schools in 1969 and 1974, with additional reference to a smaller survey in 1968. The survey shows the range of drugs known to the groups, their contact with drugs and drug takers, their sources of information about drugs and the reasons given for taking drugs. Changes between the earlier and later surveys are discussed. The findings suggest that between 1969 and 1974: There was a decrease in interest in and a continued ignorance of drugs; An increasing minority were in contact with drugs; That amphetamines and LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) were less, and sedatives more, available; That parties and public houses had become more, and coffee bars less, important as sources of supply; That these young people, who are predominantly not drug takers and not in contact with drugs, consider that social and situational pressures are more important than mental or personality stress as the reasons for drug taking. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Effective Police Administration: Criminal Investigations in Japan
Authors: Masakatsu Okabe 
Published: January 2017

Japan has maintained a very low crime rate and a correspondingly high clearance rate for a long time, but recently the circumstances surrounding criminal investigation have been changing remarkably. In order to compare criminal investigations among the developed countries, it will be very informative to consider the situation in Japan. This article gives a brief introduction to the conditions for, and characteristics of, police criminal investigations in Japan. The first part explains the background to investigations, for example limited legal competence, the cooperative attitude of citizens and changing circumstances in recent times (the increase in the number of offences, new demands from the public and victim support). In the second part, the characteristics of police criminal investigations are noted, that is organised investigations, forensic investigations and countermeasures under the new criminal situation.
Intergenerational Health Disparities: Socioeconomic Status, Women's Health Conditions, and Child Behavior Problems
Authors: Kahn Robert S. , Wilson Kathryn , Wise Paul H. 
Published: January 2017

Objective. Relatively little is known about the intergenerational mechanisms that lead to social disparities in child health. We examined whether the association between low socioeconomic status (SES) and child behavior problems is mediated by maternal health conditions and behavior. Methods. Prospective cohort data (1979–1998) on 2,677 children and their mothers were obtained from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. SES, the Child Behavior Problems Index (BPI), and maternal smoking, depressive symptoms, and alcohol use before, during, and after pregnancy were examined. Results. Lower income and lower maternal education were associated with increased child BPI scores. Adjustment for maternal smoking, depressive symptoms, and alcohol use attenuated the associations between SES and child BPI by 26% to 49%. These maternal health conditions often occurred together, persisted over time, and were associated with the mother's own childhood SES and pre-pregnancy health. Conclusions. Social disparities in women's health conditions may help shape the likelihood of behavior problems in the subsequent generation. Improved public health programs and services for disadvantaged women across the lifecourse may not only address their own urgent health needs, but reduce social disparities in the health and well-being of their children.
Trends in Maternal and Infant Health in Poor Urban Neighborhoods: Good News from the 1990s, but Challenges Remain
Authors: Howell Embry M. , Pettit Kathryn L. S. , Kingsley G. Thomas 
Published: January 2017

Objectives. During the 1990s, numerous public policy changes occurred that may have affected the health of mothers and infants in low-income neighborhoods. This article examines trends in key maternal and child health indicators to determine whether disparities between high-poverty neighborhoods and other neighborhoods have declined. Methods. Using neighborhood-level vital statistics and U.S. Census data, we categorized “neighborhoods” (Census tracts) as being high poverty (greater than 30% of population below the federal poverty level in 1990) or not. We compared trends in four key indicators—births to teenagers, late prenatal care, low birthweight; and infant mortality—over the 1990s among high-poverty and other neighborhoods in Cuyahoga County, Ohio; Denver, Colorado; Marion County, Indiana; and Oakland, California. Results. In all four metropolitan areas, trends in high-poverty neighborhoods were more favorable than in other neighborhoods. The most consistently positive trend was the reduction in the rate of teen births. The metropolitan areas with the most intensive programs to improve maternal and child health—Cuyahoga County and Oakland—saw the most consistent improvement across all indicators. Still, great disparities between high-poverty and other neighborhoods remain, and only Oakland shows promise of achieving some of the Healthy People 2010 maternal and child health goals in its high-poverty neighborhoods. Conclusions. While there has been a reduction in maternal and infant health disparities between high-poverty and other neighborhoods, much work remains to eliminate disparities and achieve the 2010 goals. Small area data are useful in isolating the neighborhoods that should be targeted. Experience from the 1990s suggests that a combination of several intensive interventions can be effective at reducing disparities.
Disparities in Access to Care and Satisfaction among U.S. Children: The Roles of Race/Ethnicity and Poverty Status
Authors: Shi Leiyu , Stevens Gregory D. 
Published: January 2017

Objectives. The study assessed the progress made toward reducing racial and ethnic disparities in access to health care among U.S. children between 1996 and 2000. Methods. Data are from the Household Component of the 1996 and 2000 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Bivariate associations of combinations of race/ethnicity and poverty status groups were examined with four measures of access to health care and a single measure of satisfaction. Logistic regression was used to examine the association of race/ethnicity with access, controlling for sociodemographic factors associated with access to care. To highlight the role of income, we present models with and without controlling for poverty status. Results. Racial and ethnic minority children experience significant deficits in accessing medical care compared with whites. Asians, Hispanics, and blacks were less likely than whites to have a usual source of care, health professional or doctor visit, and dental visit in the past year. Asians were more likely than whites to be dissatisfied with the quality of medical care in 2000 (but not 1996), while blacks and Hispanics were more likely than whites to be dissatisfied with the quality of medical care in 1996 (but not in 2000). Both before and after controlling for health insurance coverage, poverty status, health status, and several other factors associated with access to care, these disparities in access to care persisted between 1996 and 2000. Conclusions. Continued monitoring of racial and ethnic differences is necessary in light of the persistence of racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in access to care. Given national goals to achieve equity in health care and eliminate racial/ethnic disparities in health, greater attention needs to be paid to the interplay of race/ethnicity factors and poverty status in influencing access.
Poverty Experience, Race, and Child Health
Authors: Malat Jennifer , Oh Hyun Joo , Hamilton Mary Ann 
Published: January 2017

Objectives. Studies that examine children's poverty and health at one point in time do not account for some children experiencing poverty briefly and others living in poverty for much of their lives. The objective of this study was to determine how duration of poverty and child race are related to child health. Methods. To assess these relationships, we analyzed data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and its Child Development Supplement. Ordinary least squares regression was used to estimate bivariate and multivariate models predicting caregiver-rated child health. The regression models assessed the statistical effect of the proportion of childhood in poverty and child race on child health, controlling for child sex, age, parental education, whether the household includes two parents, and family poverty in the last year. Results. Increasing proportion of childhood in poverty is associated with worse health status. In addition, African American children are more likely than white children to have lower-rated health status. The analysis does not support the hypothesis that poverty more strongly affects the health of African American children. Conclusions. Increasing exposure to family poverty negatively affects child health. Future research would benefit from more studies that utilize longitudinal measures of childhood poverty. We suggest that public policies to reduce childhood poverty exposure would improve child health.
Overweight in Southeastern Pennsylvania Children: 2002 Household Health Survey Data
Authors: Rappaport Elizabeth B. , Robbins Jessica M. 
Published: January 2017

Objective. The authors sought to estimate the prevalence of overweight and risk for overweight and to examine relationships between body mass index (BMI) and socioeconomic and demographic characteristics among children in Philadelphia and four neighboring counties. Methods. Data from the 2002 Philadelphia Health Management Corporation Household Health Survey was examined. Results. Of 2,621 children aged 2 to 17 years, 36% were overweight or at risk for overweight and 23% were overweight. Prevalences of overweight and at risk for overweight were higher among younger children than among older children and adolescents. African American, Hispanic, and Asian children had higher prevalences than non-Hispanic white children. Childhood overweight was positively associated with household poverty, lower educational status, and higher BMI in the adult survey respondents. Conclusions. The observed inverse relationship between age and the prevalence of overweight among Southeastern Pennsylvania children and adolescents differs from previous reports of the prevalence of overweight in samples of U.S. children and adolescents. The high prevalence of overweight among children aged 2 to 9 years should focus attention on improving nutrition and increasing opportunities for physical activity and exercise among preschool and early school-age children.
Enrollment of Racial/Ethnic Minorities in NIAID-Funded Networks of HIV Vaccine Trials in the United States, 1988 to 2002
Authors: Djomand Gaston , Katzman Joanna , diTommaso Dante , Hudgens Michael G. , Counts George W. , Koblin Beryl A. , Sullivan Patrick S. 
Published: January 2017

Objective. The purpose of this study was to analyze enrollment of racial/ethnic minorities in Phase I and Phase II HIV vaccine trials in the U.S. conducted by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)-funded networks from 1988 to 2002. Methods. A centralized database was searched for all NIAID-funded networks of HIV vaccine trial enrollment data in the U.S. from 1988 through 2002. The authors reviewed data from Phase I or Phase II preventive HIV vaccine trials that included HIV-1 uninfected participants at low to moderate or high risk for HIV infection based on self-reported risk behaviors. Of 66 identified trials, 55 (52 Phase I, 3 Phase II) met selection criteria and were used for analyses. Investigators extracted data on participant demographics using statistical software. Results. A total of 3,731 volunteers enrolled in U.S. NIAID-funded network HIV vaccine trials from 1988 to 2002. Racial/ethnic minority participants represented 17% of the overall enrollment. By pooling data across all NIAID-funded networks from 1988 to 2002, the proportion of racial/ethnic minority participants was significantly greater (Fisher's exact test p-value <0.001) in Phase II trials (278/1,061 or 26%) than in Phase I trials (347/2,670 or 13%). By generalized estimating equations, the proportion of minorities in Phase I trials increased over time ( p=0.017), indicating a significant increase in racial/ethnic minority participants from 1988 to 2002. Conclusions. There has been a gradual increase in racial/ethnic minority participation in NIAID-funded network HIV vaccine trials in the U.S. since 1988. In the light of recent efficacy trial results, it is essential to continue to increase the enrollment of diverse populations in HIV vaccine research.
Socioeconomic Status and Breastfeeding Initiation among California Mothers
Authors: Heck Katherine E. , Braveman Paula , Cubbin Catherine , Chávez Gilberto F. , Kiely John L. 
Published: January 2017

Objectives. To examine multiple dimensions of socioeconomic status and breastfeeding among a large, random sample of ethnically diverse women. Methods. This study used logistic regression analysis to examine the influence of a range of socioeconomic factors on the chances of ever breastfeeding among a stratified random sample of 10,519 women delivering live births in California for 1999 through 2001. Measures of socioeconomic status included family income as a percentage of the federal poverty level, maternal education, paternal education, maternal occupation, and paternal occupation. Results. Consistent with previous research, there was a marked socioeconomic gradient in breastfeeding. Women with higher family incomes, those who had or whose partners had higher education levels, and women who had or whose partners had professional or executive occupations were more likely than their counterparts to breastfeed. After adjustment for many potential confounders, maternal and paternal education remained positively associated with breastfeeding, while income and occupation were no longer significant. Compared with other racial or ethnic groups, foreign-born Latina women were the most likely to breastfeed. Conclusions. The significant association of maternal and paternal education with breastfeeding, even after adjustment for income, occupation, and many other factors, suggests that social policies affecting educational attainment may be important factors in breastfeeding. Breastfeeding rates may be influenced by health education specifically or by more general levels of schooling among mothers and their partners. The continuing importance of racial/ethnic differences after adjustment for socioeconomic factors could reflect unmeasured socioeconomic effects, cultural differences, and/or policies in Latin American countries.
Weather and the Transmission of Bacillary Dysentery in Jinan, Northern China: A Time-Series Analysis
Authors: Zhang Ying , Bi Peng , Hiller Janet E. 
Published: January 2017

Objectives. This article aims to quantify the relationship between weather variations and bacillary dysentery in Jinan, a city in northern China with a temperate climate, to reach a better understanding of the effect of weather variations on enteric infections. Methods. The weather variables and number of cases of bacillary dysentery during the period 1987–2000 has been studied on a monthly basis. The Spearman correlation between each weather variable and dysentery cases was conducted. Seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) models were used to perform the regression analyses. Results. Maximum temperature (one-month lag), minimum temperature (one-month lag), rainfall (one-month lag), relative humidity (without lag), and air pressure (one-month lag) were all significantly correlated with the number of dysentery cases in Jinan. After controlling for the seasonality, lag time, and long-term trend, the SARIMA model suggested that a 1°C rise in maximum temperature might relate to more than 10% (95% confidence interval 10.19, 12.69) increase in the cases of bacillary dysentery in this city. Conclusions. Weather variations have already affected the transmission of bacillary dysentery in China. Temperatures could be used as a predictor of the number of dysentery cases in a temperate city in northern China. Public health interventions should be undertaken at this stage to adapt and mitigate the possible consequences of climate change in the future.
HIV-M. Leprae Interaction: Can HAART Modify the Course of Leprosy?
Authors: Sarno Euzenir Nunes , Illarramendi Ximena , Nery José A. Costa , Sales Anna M. , Gutierrez-Galhardo Maria C. , Penna Maria L. Fernandes , Sampaio Elizabeth Pereira , Kaplan Gilla 
Published: January 2017

It has been speculated that, as seen in tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) co-infection may exacerbate the pathogenesis of leprosy lesions and/or lead to increased susceptibility to leprosy. However, to date, HIV infection has not appeared to increase susceptibility to leprosy. In contrast, initiation of antiretroviral treatment (ART) has been reported to be associated with anecdotal activation of M. leprae infection and exacerbation of existing leprosy lesions. To determine whether ART is associated with worsening of the manifestations of leprosy, a cohort of leprosy patients recruited between 1996 and 2006 at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ) Leprosy Outpatient Clinic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was studied longitudinally. ART treatment of HIV/leprosy co-infection was associated with the tuberculoid type, paucibacillary disease, and lower bacillary loads. CD4 lymphocyte counts were higher among HIV/leprosy patients at the time of leprosy diagnosis, while viral loads were lower compared with the time of HIV diagnosis. The conclusion was that ART and immune reconstitution were critical factors driving the development and/or clinical appearance of leprosy lesions.
Public Health and Social Work: Training Dual Professionals for the Contemporary Workplace
Authors: Ruth Betty J. , Sisco Sarah , Wyatt Jamie , Bethke Christina , Bachman Sara S. , Piper Tinka Markham 
Published: January 2017

Objectives. The emergence of new, complex social health concerns demands that the public health field strengthen its capacity to respond. Academic institutions are vital to improving the public health infrastructure. Collaborative and transdisciplinary practice competencies are increasingly viewed as key components of public health training. The social work profession, with its longstanding involvement in public health and emphasis on ecological approaches, has been a partner in many transdisciplinary community-based efforts. The more than 20 dual-degree programs in public health and social work currently offered reflect this collaborative history. This study represents an exploratory effort to evaluate the impact of these programs on the fields of public health and social work. Methods. This study explored motivations, perspectives, and experiences of 41 graduates from four master of social work/master of public health (MSW/MPH) programs. Four focus groups were conducted using traditional qualitative methods during 2004. Results. Findings suggest that MSW/MPH alumni self-selected into dual programs because of their interest in the missions, ethics, and practices of both professions. Participants highlighted the challenges and opportunities of dual professionalism, including the struggle to better define public health social work in the workplace. Conclusions. Implications for academic public health focus on how schools can improve MSW/MPH programs to promote transdisciplinary collaboration. Increased recognition, better coordination, and greater emphasis on marketing to prospective employers were suggested. A national evaluation of MSW/MPH graduates could strengthen the roles and contributions of public health social work to the public health infrastructure. A conceptual framework, potentially based on developmental theory, could guide this evaluation of the MSW/MPH training experience.
Using a Web-Based Simulation as a Problem-Based Learning Experience: Perceived and Actual Performance of Undergraduate Public Health Students
Authors: Spinello Elio F. , Fischbach Ronald 
Published: January 2017

Objectives. This study investigated the use of a Web-based community health simulation as a problem-based learning (PBL) experience for undergraduate students majoring in public health. The study sought to determine whether students who participated in the online simulation achieved differences in academic and attitudinal outcomes compared with students who participated in a traditional PBL exercise. Methods. Using a nonexperimental comparative design, 21 undergraduate students enrolled in a health-behavior course were each randomly assigned to one of four workgroups. Each workgroup was randomly assigned the semester-long simulation project or the traditional PBL exercise. Survey instruments were used to measure students' attitudes toward the course, their perceptions of the learning community, and perceptions of their own cognitive learning. Content analysis of final essay exams and group reports was used to identify differences in academic outcomes and students' level of conceptual understanding of health-behavior theory. Results. Findings indicated that students participating in the simulation produced higher mean final exam scores compared with students participating in the traditional PBL ( p=50.03). Students in the simulation group also outperformed students in the traditional group with respect to their understanding of health-behavior theory ( p=50.04). Students in the simulation group, however, rated their own level of cognitive learning lower than did students in the traditional group ( p=50.03). Conclusions. By bridging time and distance constraints of the traditional classroom setting, an online simulation may be an effective PBL approach for public health students. Recommendations include further research using a larger sample to explore students' perceptions of learning when participating in simulated real-world activities. Additional research focusing on possible differences between actual and perceived learning relative to PBL methods and student workgroup dynamics is also recommended.