bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Chinese Herbal Medicine and Interferon in the Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized, Controlled Trials
Authors: McCulloch Michael , Broffman Michael , Gao Jin , Colford John M. 
Published: December 2008

Objectives. This meta-analysis was conducted to examine the effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine (either alone or with interferon alfa) in treating chronic hepatitis B. Methods. We searched the TCMLARS, AMED, CISCOM, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Collaboration databases and then hand-searched the articles’ bibliographies. Results. Chinese herbal medicine significantly increased seroreversion of HBsAg and was equivalent to interferon alfa in seroreversion of HBeAg and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA; Chinese herbal medicine combined with interferon alfa significantly increased seroreversion of HBsAg, HBeAg, and HBV DNA. The Chinese herbal medicine active component bufotoxin combined with interferon alfa significantly increased HBeAg and HBV DNA seroreversion. The Chinese herbal medicine active component kurorinone was equivalent to interferon alfa in seroreversion of HBeAg and HBV DNA. Conclusions. Although the quality of existing studies was poor, these data suggest that further trials of Chinese Herbal Medicine and interferon in chronic hepatitis B infection are justified.
Comparing the Satisfaction of Low Back Pain Patients Randomized to Receive Medical or Chiropractic Care: Results From the UCLA Low-Back Pain Study
Authors: Hertzman-Miller Ruth P. , Morgenstern Hal , Hurwitz Eric L. , Yu Fei , Adams Alan H. , Harber Philip , Kominski Gerald F. 
Published: December 2008

Objectives. This study examined the difference in satisfaction between patients assigned to chiropractic vs medical care for treatment of low back pain in a managed care organization. Methods. Satisfaction scores (on a 10–50 scale) after 4 weeks of follow-up were compared among 672 patients randomized to receive medical or chiropractic care. Results. The mean satisfaction score for chiropractic patients was greater than the score for medical patients (crude difference = 5.5; 95% confidence interval = 4.5, 6.5). Self-care advice and explanation of treatment predicted satisfaction and reduced the estimated difference between chiropractic and medical patients’ satisfaction. Conclusions. Communication of advice and information to patients with low back pain increases their satisfaction with providers and accounts for much of the difference between chiropractic and medical patients’ satisfaction.
Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Among Persons With Diabetes Mellitus: Results of a National Survey
Authors: Yeh Gloria Y. , Eisenberg David M. , Davis Roger B. , Phillips Russell S. 
Published: December 2008

Objectives. This study sought to characterize the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among persons with diabetes mellitus residing in the United States. Methods. Data from a 1997–1998 national survey (n = 2055) on CAM use were examined. Results. Ninety-five respondents reported having diabetes, of whom 57% reported CAM use in the past year; fewer respondents (35%) reported use specifically for diabetes. Therapies used for diabetes included solitary prayer/spiritual practices (28%), herbal remedies (7%), commercial diets (6%), and folk remedies (3%). Excluding solitary prayer, only 20% of respondents used CAM to treat diabetes. Conclusions. The prevalence of CAM therapy use among persons with diabetes is comparable to that among the general population. Use of CAM therapies specifically to treat diabetes, however, is much less common.
Massage Therapy and Frequency of Chronic Tension Headaches
Authors: Quinn Christopher , Chandler Clint , Moraska Albert 
Published: December 2008

Objectives. The effect of massage therapy on chronic nonmigraine headache was investigated. Methods. Chronic tension headache sufferers received structured massage therapy treatment directed toward neck and shoulder muscles. Headache frequency, duration, and intensity were recorded and compared with baseline measures. Results. Compared with baseline values, headache frequency was significantly reduced within the first week of the massage protocol. The reduction of headache frequency continued for the remainder of the study (P = .009). The duration of headaches tended to decrease during the massage treatment period (P = .058). Headache intensity was unaffected by massage (P = .19). Conclusions. The muscle-specific massage therapy technique used in this study has the potential to be a functional, nonpharmacological intervention for reducing the incidence of chronic tension headache.
The Jerusalem Experience: Three Decades of Service, Research, and Training in Community-Oriented Primary Care
Authors: Epstein Leon , Gofin Jaime , Gofin Rosa , Neumark Yehuda 
Published: December 2008

Community-oriented primary care (COPC) developed and was tested over nearly 3 decades in the Hadassah Community Health Center in Jerusalem, Israel. Integration of public health responsibility with individual-based clinical management of patients formed the cornerstone of the COPC approach. A family medicine practice and a mother and child preventive service provided the frameworks for this development. The health needs of the community were assessed, priorities determined, and intervention programs developed and implemented on the basis of detailed analysis of the factors responsible for defined health states. Ongoing health surveillance facilitated evaluation, and the effectiveness of interventions in different population groups was illustrated. The center’s international COPC involvement has had effects on primary health care policy worldwide.
Reductions in Injury Crashes Associated With Red Light Camera Enforcement in Oxnard, California
Authors: Retting Richard A. , Kyrychenko Sergey Y. 
Published: December 2008

Objectives. This study estimated the impact of red light camera enforcement on motor vehicle crashes in one of the first US communities to employ such cameras—Oxnard, California. Methods. Crash data were analyzed for Oxnard and for 3 comparison cities. Changes in crash frequencies were compared for Oxnard and control cities and for signalized and nonsignalized intersections by means of a generalized linear regression model. Results. Overall, crashes at signalized intersections throughout Oxnard were reduced by 7% and injury crashes were reduced by 29%. Right-angle crashes, those most associated with red light violations, were reduced by 32%; right-angle crashes involving injuries were reduced by 68%. Conclusions. Because red light cameras can be a permanent component of the transportation infrastructure, crash reductions attributed to camera enforcement should be sustainable. (Am J Public Health. 2002;92:1822–1825)
Rearrest Rates After Incarceration for DWI: A Comparative Study in a Southwestern US County
Authors: Kunitz Stephen J. , Woodall W. Gill , Zhao Hongwei , Wheeler Denise R. , Lillis Robert , Rogers Everett 
Published: December 2008

Objectives. This study was undertaken to assess a 28-day detention and treatment program’s effect, in a multiethnic county with high rates of alcohol-related arrests and crashes, on first-time offenders sentenced for driving while impaired (DWI). Methods. We used comparison of baseline characteristics, survival curves of subsequent arrest, and Cox proportional hazards regression to examine probability of rearrest of those sentenced and those not sentenced to the program. Results. Probability of not being rearrested was significantly higher for the treatment group after adjustment for covariates. At 5 years, probability of not being rearrested for the treatment vs the nontreatment group was 76.6% vs 59.9%. Conclusions. Results suggest that this county’s program has significantly affected rearrest rates for Native Americans, Hispanics, and non-Hispanic Whites.
Ethnic Differences in Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine at Midlife: Longitudinal Results From SWAN Participants
Authors: Bair Yali A. , Gold Ellen B. , Greendale Gail A. , Sternfeld Barbara , Adler Shelley R. , Azari Rahman , Harkey Martha 
Published: December 2008

Objectives. We estimated the prevalence and longitudinal correlates of use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) at midlife among participants of the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN). Methods. Multiple logistic regression was used to evaluate the relationship between baseline survey–reported symptoms and use of herbal, spiritual, and physical manipulation therapies 1 year later. Results. Almost half of all women had used CAM in the past year. Baseline psychological symptoms were associated with subsequent use of spiritual therapies among White and Chinese women. Baseline CAM use was a major predictor of subsequent use in White, Japanese, and Chinese women. Conclusions. Baseline CAM use, rather than presence of symptoms, was the major predictor of subsequent CAM use. Premenopausal health behaviors are important determinants of choice of therapy during midlife.
The Defense Medical Surveillance System and the Department of Defense Serum Repository: Glimpses of the Future of Public Health Surveillance
Authors: Rubertone Mark V. , Brundage John F. 
Published: December 2008

The Defense Medical Surveillance System (DMSS) is the central repository of medical surveillance data for the US armed forces. The DMSS integrates data from sources worldwide in a continuouslyexpanding relational database that documents the military and medical experiences of servicemembers throughout their careers. The Department of Defense Serum Repository (DoDSR) is a central archive of sera drawn from servicemembers for medical surveillance purposes. Currently, the DMSS contains data relevant to more than 7 million individuals who have served in the armed forces since 1990, and the DoDSR contains more than 27 million specimens that are linkable to data in the DMSS. Recent applications of the DMSS and DoDSR provide glimpses of the capabilities and uses of comprehensive public health surveillance systems.
Allocating HIV-Prevention Resources: Balancing Efficiency and Equity
Authors: Kaplan Edward H. , Merson Michael H. 
Published: December 2008

The primary goal of HIV prevention is to prevent as many infections as possible. This requires allocating HIV-prevention resources according to costeffectiveness principles: those activities that prevent more infections per dollar are favored over those that prevent fewer. This is not current practice in the United States, where prevention resources from the federal government to the states flow in proportion to reported AIDS cases. Although such allocations might be considered equitable, more infections could be prevented for the same expenditures were cost-effectiveness principles invoked. The downside of pure cost-effective allocations is that they violate common norms of equity. In this article, we argue for a middle ground that promotes both equity and efficiency in allocating federal HIV-prevention resources.
Development of a Prototype System for Statewide Asthma Surveillance
Authors: Deprez Ronald D. , Asdigian Nancy L. , Oliver L. Christine , Anderson Norman , Caldwell Edgar , Baggott Lee Ann 
Published: December 2008

Objectives. We developed and evaluated a statewide and community-level asthma surveillance system. Methods. Databases and measures included a community prevalence survey, hospital admissions data, emergency department/outpatient clinic visit records, and a physician survey of diagnosis and treatment practices. We evaluated the system in 5 Maine communities varying in population and income. Results. Asthma hospitalizations were high in the rural/low-socioeconomic-status communities studied, although diagnosed asthma was low. Males were more likely than females to experience asthma symptoms, although they were less likely to have been diagnosed with asthma or to have used hospital-based asthma care. Conclusions. Databases were useful for estimating asthma burden and identifying service needs as well as high-risk groups. They were less useful in estimating severity or in identifying environmental risks.
HIV Prevalence Among Foreign- and US-Born Clients of Public STD Clinics
Authors: Harawa Nina T. , Bingham Trista A. , Cochran Susan D. , Greenland Sander , Cunningham William E. 
Published: December 2008

Objectives. We examined differences in HIV seroprevalence and the likely timing of HIV infection by birth region. Methods. We analyzed unlinked HIV antibody data on 61 120 specimens from 7 public health centers in Los Angeles County from 1993 to 1999. Results. Most (87%) immigrant clients were Central American/Mexican–born. HIV prevalence was similar for US- and foreign-born clients (1.8% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.7%, 1.9%] and 1.6% [95% CI = 1.5%, 1.8%], respectively). Seroprevalence was high among sub-Saharan African females and low among Asian/Pacific Islander males and females. For HIV-positive immigrants, the average age at and time since immigration were 20.6 years and 12.3 years, respectively. Conclusions. The relatively young age at arrival and long time since arrival for HIVpositive foreign-born clients suggest that most were infected after immigration.
Racial Differences in Prenatal Care Use in the United States: Are Disparities Decreasing?
Authors: Alexander Greg R. , Kogan Michael D. , Nabukera Sara 
Published: December 2008

Objectives. We examined trends and racial disparities (White, African American) in trimester of prenatal care initiation and adequacy of prenatal care utilization for US women and specific high-risk subgroups, e.g., unmarried, young, or less-educated mothers. Methods. Data from 1981–1998 US natality files on singleton live births to US resident mothers were examined. Results. Overall, early and adequate use of care improved for both racial groups, and racial disparities in prenatal care use have been markedly reduced, except for some young mothers. Conclusions. While improvements are evident, it is doubtful that the Healthy People 2000 objective for prenatal care will soon be attained for African Americans or Whites. Further efforts are needed to understand influences on and to address barriers to prenatal care.
The Correspondence Between Interracial Births and Multiple-Race Reporting
Authors: Parker Jennifer D. , Madans Jennifer H. 
Published: December 2008

Objectives. Race-specific health statistics are routinely reported in scientific publications; most describe health disparities across groups. Census 2000 showed that 2.4% of the US population identifies with more than 1 race group. We examined the hypothesis that multiple-race reporting is associated with interracial births by comparing parental race reported on birth certificates with reported race in a national health survey. Methods. US natality data from 1968 through 1998 and National Health Interview Survey data from 1990 through 1998 were compared, by year of birth. Results. Overall multiple-race survey responses correspond to expectations from interracial births. However, there are discrepancies for specific multiple-race combinations. Conclusions. Projected estimates of the multiple-race population can be only partially informed by vital records.
Chiropractic Health Care in Health Professional Shortage Areas in the United States
Authors: Smith Monica , Carber Lynne 
Published: December 2008

Objectives. We compared chiropractic practice volume in areas of high versus areas of low or no shortages of primary care providers. Methods. Using data from a cross-sectional survey of US chiropractors and data from the Bureau of Health Professions’ Area Resource File, we conducted multiple linear and logistic regression modeling of the effects of rural or Health Professional Shortage Area location on chiropractic practice volume and wait times. Results. Chiropractors in rural and high-shortage areas have busier, higher-volume practices than do those in other locales (after control for other chiropractors in the same market service area). Conclusions. Chiropractic providers render a substantial amount of care to underserved and rural populations. Health policy planners should consider the full complement of providers available to improve access to care. (Am J Public Health. 2002;92:2001–2009)
Health Care Revival Renews, Rekindles, and Revives
Authors: Lawson Erma , Young Azzie 
Published: December 2008

In a Black community in Boston, Mass, a community health center developed a faith-based initiative to improve the health of community residents. In partnership with a steering committee composed of community health advocates, church leaders, and community leaders, the community health center planned and implemented annual Health Care Revival meetings at which screening activities and dissemination of health information are integrated with inspirational singing and scripture readings. The success of the Health Care Revival initiative is demonstrated by an increased use of community health center services after each revival meeting, by participants' evaluations, and by an increase in the number of community health improvement projects begun as a direct result of the Health Care Revival initiative.
Adolescent Same-Sex Romantic Attractions and Relationships: Implications for Substance Use and Abuse
Authors: Russell Stephen T. , Driscoll Anne K. , Truong Nhan 
Published: December 2008

Objectives. Nationally representative data were used to examine associations of romantic attractions and relationships with substance use and abuse. Methods. Data from the Add Health Study were examined. Youths reporting same-sex and both-sex romantic attractions and relationships were compared with those reporting opposite-sex attractions. Survey regression and logistic regression were used to control for sample design effects. Results. In the case of certain outcomes, romantic attraction affected males differently than females. Youths with both-sex attractions were at a somewhat higher risk for substance use and abuse than were heterosexual youths; females with same-sex attractions were also at higher risk for some outcomes. Sexual-minority youths varied little from heterosexual youths in regard to trajectories of substance use and abuse. Conclusions. These findings highlight the importance of distinguishing between youths with only same-sex attractions and those with both-sex attractions. These findings also call into question previous findings indicating that sexual-minority youths are automatically “at risk.”
Knowledge of Welfare Reform Program Provisions Among Families of Children With Chronic Conditions
Authors: Smith Lauren A. , Wise Paul H. , Wampler Nina S. 
Published: December 2008

Objectives. This study examined the knowledge of and application for health-related welfare program provisions among beneficiaries with children who have chronic conditions. Methods. We administered a survey to 143 parents of children aged 3 to 16 years with asthma or sickle cell anemia in 2 clinical settings. Results. Respondents indicated incomplete knowledge of work requirements (69.9%) and work exemptions (50.3%). Applications for work exemptions were rare, even among Supplemental Security Income recipients (30%). Conclusions. Welfare beneficiaries with children who have chronic conditions show limited knowledge and use of program provisions, placing them at risk for penalties or benefit termination.
Boards of Health as Venues for Clean Indoor Air Policy Making
Authors: Dearlove Joanna V. , Glantz Stanton A. 
Published: December 2008

Objectives. This study sought to determine the tobacco industry's strategies for opposing health board actions and to identify elements necessary for public health to prevail. Methods. Newspaper articles, personal interviews, and tobacco industry documents released through litigation were reviewed. Results. Twenty-five instances in which the tobacco industry opposed health board regulations were identified. It was shown that the tobacco industry uses 3 strategies against health boards: “accommodation” (tobacco industry public relations campaigns to accommodate smokers in public places), legislative intervention, and litigation. These strategies are often executed with the help of tobacco industry front groups or allies in the hospitality industry. Conclusions. Although many tobacco control advocates believe that passing health board regulations is easier than the legislative route, this is generally not the case. The industry will often attempt to involve the legislature in fighting the regulations, forcing advocates to fight a battle on 2 fronts. It is important for health boards to verify their authority over smoking restrictions and refrain from considering nonhealth factors (including industry claims of adverse economic impacts) so as to withstand court challenges.
The SUCCESS Project: The Effect of Program Format and Incentives on Participation and Cessation in Worksite Smoking Cessation Programs
Authors: Hennrikus Deborah J. , Jeffery Robert W. , Lando Harry A. , Murray David M. , Brelje Kerrin , Davidann Beth , Baxter Judith S. , Thai Dzung , Vessey John , Liu Jane 
Published: December 2008

Objectives. This study examined the effect of program format and incentives on participation and cessation in worksite smoking cessation programs. Methods. Twenty-four worksites were randomized to 6 conditions that differed in cessation program format and the use of incentives. Programs were offered for 18 months in each worksite. A total of 2402 cigarette smokers identified at baseline were surveyed 12 and 24 months later to assess participation in programs and cessation. Results. A total of 407 (16.9%) of the smoker cohort registered for programs; on the 12- and 24-month surveys, 15.4% and 19.4% of the cohort, respectively, reported that they had not smoked in the previous 7 days. Registration for programs in incentive sites was almost double that of no-incentive sites (22.4% vs 11.9%), but increased registration did not translate into significantly greater cessation rates. Program type did not affect registration or cessation rates. Conclusions. Although incentives increase rates of registration in worksite smoking cessation programs, they do not appear to increase cessation rates. Phone counseling seems to be at least as effective as group programs for promoting smoking cessation in worksites.
The Differential Effects of Face-to-Face and Computer Interview Modes
Authors: Newman Jessica Clark , Des Jarlais Don C. , Turner Charles F. , Gribble Jay , Cooley Phillip , Paone Denise 
Published: December 2008

Objectives. This study assessed the differential effects of face-to-face interviewing and audio-computer assisted self-interviewing (audio-CASI) on categories of questions. Methods. Syringe exchange program participants (n = 1417) completed face-to-face interviews or audio-CASI. The questionnaire was categorized into the groups “stigmatized behaviors,” “neutral behaviors,” and “psychological distress.” Interview modes were compared for questions from each category. Results. Audio-CASI elicited more frequent reporting of “stigmatized behaviors” than face-to-face interviews. Face-to-face interviewing elicited more frequent reporting of “psychological distress” than audio-CASI. Conclusions. Responding to potentially sensitive questions should not be seen as merely “providing data,” but rather as an activity with complex motivations. These motivations can include maintaining social respect, obtaining social support, and altruism. Ideally, procedures for collecting self-report data would maximize altruistic motivation while accommodating the other motives.