bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Basic Health, Women’s Health, and Mental Health Among Internally Displaced Persons in Nyala Province, South Darfur, Sudan
Authors: Kim Glen , Torbay Rabih , Lawry Lynn 
Published: December 2006

Objectives. We assessed basic health, women’s health, and mental health among Sudanese internally displaced persons in South Darfur. Methods. In January 2005, we surveyed 6 registered internally displaced persons camps in Nyala District. Using systematic random sampling, we surveyed 1293 households, interviewing 1 adult female per household (N=1274); respondents’ households totaled 8643 members. We inquired about respondents’ mental health, opinions on women’s rights, and the health status of household members. Results. A majority of respondents had access to rations, shelter, and water. Sixty-eight percent (861 of 1266) used no birth control, and 53% (614 of 1147) reported at least 1 unattended birth. Thirty percent (374 of 1238) shared spousal decisions on timing and spacing of children, and 49% (503 of 1027) reported the right to refuse sex. Eighty-four percent (1043 of 1240) were circumcised. The prevalence of major depression was 31% (390 of 1253). Women also expressed limited rights regarding marriage, movement, and access to health care. Eighty-eight percent (991 of 1121) supported equal educational opportunities for women. Conclusions. Humanitarian aid has relieved a significant burden of this displaced population’s basic needs. However, mental and women’s health needs remain largely unmet. The findings indicate a limitation of sexual and reproductive rights that may negatively affect health.
Maternal Obesity in Early Pregnancy and Risk of Spontaneous and Elective Preterm Deliveries: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Smith Gordon C.S. , Shah Imran , Pell Jill P. , Crossley Jennifer A. , Dobbie Richard 
Published: December 2006

Objectives. We sought to determine the association between maternal body mass index and risk of preterm delivery. Methods. We assessed 187 290 women in Scotland and estimated adjusted odds ratios for spontaneous and elective preterm deliveries among overweight, obese, and morbidly obese women relative to normal-weight women. Results. Among nulliparous women, the risk of requiring an elective preterm delivery increased with increasing BMI, whereas the risk of spontaneous preterm labor decreased. Morbidly obese nulliparous women were at increased risk of all-cause preterm deliveries, neonatal death, and delivery of an infant weighing less than 1000 g who survived to 1 year of age (a proxy for severe long-term disability). By contrast, obesity and elective preterm delivery were only weakly associated among multiparous women. Conclusions. Obese nulliparous women are at increased risk of elective preterm deliveries. This in turn leads to an increased risk of perinatal mortality and is likely to lead to increased risks of long-term disability among surviving offspring.
Ethics in Public Health Research
Authors: Barr Donald A. 
Published: December 2006

Public–private partnerships have become a common approach to health care problems worldwide. Many public–private partnerships were created during the late 1990s, but most were focused on specific diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Recently there has been enthusiasm for using public–private partnerships to improve the delivery of health and welfare services for a wider range of health problems, especially in developing countries. The success of public–private partnerships in this context appears to be mixed, and few data are available to evaluate their effectiveness. This analysis provides an overview of the history of health-related public–private partnerships during the past 20 years and describes a research protocol commissioned by the World Health Organization to evaluate the effectiveness of public–private partnerships in a research context.
Sexual and Drug Behavior Patterns and HIV and STD Racial Disparities: The Need for New Directions
Authors: Hallfors Denise Dion , Iritani Bonita J. , Miller William C. , Bauer Daniel J. 
Published: December 2006

Objectives. We used nationally representative data to examine whether individuals’ sexual and drug behavior patterns account for racial disparities in sexually transmitted disease (STD) and HIV prevalence. Methods. Data were derived from wave III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Participants were aged 18 to 26 years old; analyses were limited to non-Hispanic Blacks and Whites. Theory and cluster analyses yielded 16 unique behavior patterns. Bivariate analyses compared STD and HIV prevalences for each behavior pattern, by race. Logistic regression analyses examined within-pattern race effects before and after control for covariates. Results. Unadjusted odds of STD and HIV infection were significantly higher among Blacks than among Whites for 11 of the risk behavior patterns assessed. Across behavior patterns, covariates had little effect on reducing race odds ratios. Conclusions. White young adults in the United States are at elevated STD and HIV risk when they engage in high-risk behaviors. Black young adults, however, are at high risk even when their behaviors are normative. Factors other than individual risk behaviors and covariates appear to account for racial disparities, indicating the need for population-level interventions.
Best-Evidence Interventions: Findings From a Systematic Review of HIV Behavioral Interventions for US Populations at High Risk, 2000–2004
Authors: Lyles Cynthia M. , Kay Linda S. , Crepaz Nicole , Herbst Jeffrey H. , Passin Warren F. , Kim Angela S. , Rama Sima M. , Thadiparthi Sekhar , DeLuca Julia B. , Mullins Mary M. 
Published: December 2006

Objectives. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s HIV/AIDS Prevention Research Synthesis Team conducted a systematic review of US-based HIV behavioral intervention research literature from 2000 through 2004 to identify interventions demonstrating best evidence of efficacy for reducing HIV risk. Methods. Standard systematic review methods were used. Each eligible study was reviewed on the basis of Prevention Research Synthesis Team efficacy criteria that focused on 3 domains: study design, implementation and analysis, and strength of evidence. Results. Eighteen interventions met the criteria for best evidence. Four targeted HIV-positive individuals. Of those targeting populations at risk for HIV, 4 targeted drug users, 6 targeted adults at risk because of heterosexual behaviors only, 2 targeted men who have sex with men, and 2 targeted youths at high risk. Eight interventions focused on women, and 13 had study samples with more than 50% minority participants. Significant intervention effects included increased condom use and reductions in unprotected sexual intercourse, number of sexual partners, injection drug use or needle sharing, and newly acquired sexually transmitted infections. Conclusions. Most of the best-evidence interventions are directly applicable for populations in greatest need of effective prevention programs; however, important gaps still exist.
Assessment of HIV Testing of Urban Injection Drug Users: Implications for Expansion of HIV Testing and Prevention Efforts
Authors: Heimer Robert , Grau Lauretta E. , Curtin Erin , Khoshnood Kaveh , Singer Merrill 
Published: December 2006

Objectives. We sought to determine the extent of HIV testing among urban injection drug users (IDUs) to assess whether an expansion of targeted testing programs would be consistent with national goals to identify previously undetected infections. Methods. IDUs in 5 US cities (Oakland, Calif; Chicago, Ill; Hartford and New Haven, Conn; and Springfield, Mass) were recruited either by chain referral or time–location sampling. The IDUs were questioned about HIV testing, and factors associated with HIV testing were analyzed. Results. Ninety-three percent of 1543 IDUs had been tested. Among those tested but who did not report having been told that they were HIV seropositive, 90% had been tested within the past 3 years. Women and syringe-exchange customers were more likely to have been tested ever and in the recent past. We estimated the number of undetected infections among urban IDUs in the United States to be less than 40000. Conclusions. Testing for HIV has reached the vast majority of IDUs through the current options. Expending scarce prevention money to expand testing of IDUs is unlikely to be productive. Instead, resources should be used for proven HIV-prevention strategies including syringe exchange, drug treatment, and secondary prevention for those who are HIV positive
Transnational Tobacco Company Influence on Tax Policy During Privatization of a State Monopoly: British American Tobacco and Uzbekistan
Authors: Gilmore Anna , Collin Jeff , Townsend Joy 
Published: December 2006

Objectives. The International Monetary Fund encourages privatization of state-owned tobacco industries. Privatization tends to lower cigarette prices, which encourages consumption. This could be countered with effective tax policies. We explored how investment by British American Tobacco (BAT) influenced tax policy in Uzbekistan during privatization there. Methods. We obtained internal documents from BAT and analyzed them using a hermeneutic process to create a chronology of events. Results. BAT thoroughly redesigned the tobacco taxation system in Uzbekistan. It secured (1) a reduction of approximately 50% in the excise tax on cigarettes, (2) an excise system to benefit its brands and disadvantage those of its competitors (particularly Philip Morris), and (3) a tax stamp system from which it hoped to be exempted, because this would likely facilitate its established practice of cigarette smuggling and further its competitive advantage.. Conclusions. Privatization can endanger effective tobacco excise policies. The International Monetary Fund should review its approach to privatization and differentiate the privatization of an industry whose product kills from privatization of other industries.
Informed Consent: An International Researchers’ Perspective
Authors: Rivera Roberto , Borasky David , Rice Robert , Carayon Florence , Wong Emelita 
Published: December 2006

We reported 164 researchers’ recommendations for information that should be included in the informed consent process. These recommendations were obtained during training workshops conducted in Africa, Europe, and the United States. The 8 elements of informed consent of the US Code of Federal Regulations were used to identify 95 items of information (“points”), most related to benefits and research description. Limited consensus was found among the 3 workshops: of the 95 points, only 27 (28%) were identified as useful by all groups. These points serve as a springboard for identifying information applicable in different geographic areas and indicate the need for involving a variety of individuals and stakeholders, with different research and cultural perspectives, in the development of informed consent, particularly for research undertaken in international settings.
Promises and Challenges of Faith-Based AIDS Care and Support in Mozambique
Authors: Agadjanian Victor , Sen Soma 
Published: December 2006

Objectives. We sought to examine the role of religious organizations in the provision of HIV/AIDS-related assistance in Africa. Methods. We used data collected from Christian religious organizations in southern Mozambique. Bivariate comparisons and logistic regression analysis of survey data were performed. We conducted an analysis of the qualitative data to complement the quantitative results. Results. Our analysis revealed little involvement of religious organizations in provision of assistance. Most assistance was decentralized and consisted of psychological support and some personal care and household help. Material or financial help was rare. Assistance to nonmembers of congregations was reported more often than to members. Members of larger and better–secularly connected congregations were more likely to report assistance than were members of smaller and less–secularly engaged ones. Assistance was reported more in cities than in rural areas. Women were more likely than men to report providing assistance to congregation members, and the reverse was true for assistance provided to nonmembers. The cooperation of religious organizations in provision of assistance was hindered by financial constraints and institutional rivalry. Conclusions. Policy efforts to involve religious organizations in provision of HIV/AIDS-related assistance should take into account that organization’s resources, institutional goals, and social characteristics.
Correlates of Past-Year Mental Health Service Use Among Latinos: Results From the National Latino and Asian American Study
Authors: Alegría Margarita , Mulvaney-Day Norah , Woo Meghan , Torres Maria , Gao Shan , Oddo Vanessa 
Published: December 2006

Objectives. We examined correlates and rates of past-year mental health service use in a national sample of Latinos residing in the United States. Methods. We used data from the National Latino and Asian American Study, a national epidemiological household survey of Latinos. Results. Cultural factors such as nativity, language, age at migration, years of residence in the United States, and generational status were associated with whether or not Latinos had used mental health services. However, when the analysis was stratified according to past-year psychiatric diagnoses, these associations held only among those who did not fulfill criteria for any of the psychiatric disorders assessed. Rates of mental health service use among those who did not fulfill diagnostic criteria were higher among Puerto Ricans and US-born Latinos than among non–Puerto Ricans and foreign-born Latinos. Conclusions. Rates of mental health service use among Latinos appear to have increased substantially over the past decade relative to rates reported in the 1990s. Cultural and immigration characteristics should be considered in matching mental health services to Latinos who need preventive services or who are symptomatic but do not fulfill psychiatric disorder criteria.
Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders Across Latino Subgroups in the United States
Authors: Alegría Margarita , Mulvaney-Day Norah , Torres Maria , Polo Antonio , Cao Zhun , Canino Glorisa 
Published: December 2006

Objectives. We examined the prevalence of depressive, anxiety, and substance use disorders among Latinos residing in the United States. Methods. We used data from the National Latino and Asian American Study, which included a nationally representative sample of Latinos. We calculated weighted prevalence rates of lifetime and past-year psychiatric disorders across different sociodemographic, ethnic, and immigration groups. Results. Lifetime psychiatric disorder prevalence estimates were 28.1% for men and 30.2% for women. Puerto Ricans had the highest overall prevalence rate among the Latino ethnic groups assessed. Increased rates of psychiatric disorders were observed among US-born, English-language-proficient, and third-generation Latinos. Conclusions. Our results provide important information about potential correlates of psychiatric problems among Latinos that can inform clinical practice and guide program development. Stressors associated with cultural transmutation may exert particular pressure on Latino men. Continued attention to environmental influences, especially among third-generation Latinos, is an important area for substance abuse program development.
The Mental Health of Black Caribbean Immigrants: Results from the National Survey of American Life
Authors: Williams David R. , Haile Rahwa , González Hector M. , Neighbors Harold , Baser Raymond , Jackson James S. 
Published: December 2006

Objectives. We examined the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among Black Caribbean immigrant (“Caribbean Black”) and African American populations and the correlates of psychiatric disorders among the Caribbean Black population. Methods. We conducted descriptive and age-adjusted analyses of the data from the National Survey of American Life—an in-person household mental health survey of noninstitutionalized US Blacks. We assessed psychiatric disorders as defined by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Results. Compared with African American men, Caribbean Black men had higher risks for 12-month rates of psychiatric disorders. Caribbean Black women had lower odds for 12-month and lifetime psychiatric disorders compared with African American women. Risks varied by ethnicity, immigration history, and generation status within the Caribbean sample. First-generation Caribbean Blacks had lower rates of psychiatric disorders compared with second- or third-generation Caribbean Blacks, and, compared with first-generation Carribbean Blacks, third-generation Caribbean Blacks had markedly elevated rates of psychiatric disorders. Conclusions. Mental health risks were associated with ethnic diversity within the US Black population. Increased exposure to minority status in the United States was associated with higher risks for psychiatric disorders among Black Caribbean immigrants, which possibly reflects increased societal stress and downward social mobility associated with being Black in America.
Immigration-Related Factors and Mental Disorders Among Asian Americans
Authors: Takeuchi David T. , Zane Nolan , Hong Seunghye , Chae David H. , Gong Fang , Gee Gilbert C. , Walton Emily , Sue Stanley , Alegría Margarita 
Published: December 2006

Objectives. We examined lifetime and 12-month rates of any depressive, anxiety, and substance abuse disorders in a national sample of Asian Americans. We focused on factors related to nativity and immigration as possible correlates of mental disorders. Methods. Data were derived from the National Latino and Asian American Study, the first national epidemiological survey of Asian Americans in the United States. Results. The relationships between immigration-related factors and mental disorders were different for men and women. Among women, nativity was strongly associated with lifetime disorders, with immigrant women having lower rates of most disorders compared with US-born women. Conversely, English proficiency was associated with mental disorders for Asian men. Asian men who spoke English proficiently generally had lower rates of lifetime and 12-month disorders compared with nonproficient speakers. Conclusions. For Asian Americans, immigration-related factors were associated with mental disorders, but in different ways for men and women. Future studies will need to examine gender as an important factor in specifying the association between immigration and mental health.
Explaining Recent Declines in Adolescent Pregnancy in the United States: The Contribution of Abstinence and Improved Contraceptive Use
Authors: Santelli John S. , Lindberg Laura Duberstein , Finer Lawrence B. , Singh Susheela 
Published: December 2006

Objectives. We explored the relative contributions of declining sexual activity and improved contraceptive use to the recent decline in adolescent pregnancy rates in the United States. Methods. We used data from 1995 and 2002 for women 15 to 19 years of age to develop 2 indexes: the contraceptive risk index, summarizing the overall effectiveness of contraceptive use among sexually active adolescents (including nonuse), and the overall pregnancy risk index, calculated according to the contraceptive risk index score and the percentage of individuals reporting sexual activity. Results. The contraceptive risk index declined 34% overall and 46% among adolescents aged 15 to 17 years. Improvements in contraceptive use included increases in the use of condoms, birth control pills, withdrawal, and multiple methods and a decline in nonuse. The overall pregnancy risk index declined 38%, with 86% of the decline attributable to improved contraceptive use. Among adolescents aged 15 to 17 years, 77% of the decline in pregnancy risk was attributable to improved contraceptive use. Conclusions. The decline in US adolescent pregnancy rates appears to be following the patterns observed in other developed countries, where improved contraceptive use has been the primary determinant of declining rates.
Use of Mental Health–Related Services Among Immigrant and US-Born Asian Americans: Results From the National Latino and Asian American Study
Authors: Abe-Kim Jennifer , Takeuchi David T. , Hong Seunghye , Zane Nolan , Sue Stanley , Spencer Michael S. , Appel Hoa , Nicdao Ethel , Alegría Margarita 
Published: December 2006

Objectives. We examined rates of mental health–related service use (i.e., any, general medical, and specialty mental health services) as well as subjective satisfaction with and perceived helpfulness of care in a national sample of Asian Americans, with a particular focus on immigration-related factors. Methods. Data were derived from the National Latino and Asian American Study (2002–2003). Results. About 8.6% of the total sample (n=2095) sought any mental health–related services; 34.1% of individuals who had a probable diagnosis sought any services. Rates of mental health–related service use, subjective satisfaction, and perceived helpfulness varied by birthplace and by generation. US-born Asian Americans demonstrated higher rates of service use than did their immigrant counterparts. Third-generation or later individuals who had a probable diagnosis had high (62.6%) rates of service use in the previous 12 months. Conclusions. Asian Americans demonstrated lower rates of any type of mental health–related service use than did the general population, although there are important exceptions to this pattern according to nativity status and generation status. Our results underscore the importance of immigration-related factors in understanding service use among Asian Americans.
Auction Bids and Shopping Choices
Authors: Lusk Jayson L , Schroeder Ted C. 
Published: December 2006

Abstract
Economists and marketers are often interested in estimating demand for new products and in valuing other non-market goods. Due to the increasing recognition that elicited valuations are sensitive to whether decisions are hypothetical, economists have begun to utilize incentive compatible mechanisms with real goods and real money. This paper investigates preferences expressed in two of the most popular elicitation formats: experimental auctions and discrete choice experiments. We compare the bidding behavior of consumers in four different incentive compatible auctions to the behavior of consumers who made non-hypothetical discrete choices between five goods. Despite the fact that the choice task and auction mechanisms are incentive compatible, we find that auction bids were significantly lower, as much as two times lower in many cases, than valuations implied from choices. We also find that auction data imply own-price elasticities of demand for higher quality products that are significantly more elastic than those implied from choice data. Nevertheless, for the five goods evaluated, individuals' preference orderings were consistent across value elicitation methods. These findings hold important implications for economists' view of preferences and may provide some insight into retailers' prevalent use of markets with posted-prices: individuals were more willing to part with their cash when making choices versus bids.