Body mass index (BMI)-for-age and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among high school students in Tehran.

PubMed

Jalali-Farahani, S; Chin, Y S; Amiri, P; Mohd Taib, M N

2014-09-01

The study aimed to determine the association between body mass index (BMI)-for-age and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among high school students in Tehran. A total of 465 high school students (227 girls and 238 boys) and their parents were participated in this cross-sectional study. Body weight and height of the students were measured. For assessing HRQOL, both adolescent self-report and parent proxy-report of the Persian version of Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL™4.0) questionnaire were completed by adolescents and their parents respectively. The prevalence of overweight and obesity (38.5%) was higher than severe thinness and thinness (2.8%). Mean of adolescent self-reported and parent proxy-reported HRQOL total score were 80.26 ± 12.07 and 81.30 ± 14.08 respectively. In terms of HRQOL subscale scores, the highest subscale score of HRQOL was reported in social functioning (87.27 ± 14.40) and the lowest score was reported in emotional functioning (69.83 ± 18.69). Based on adolescent self-report, adolescent boys had significantly higher mean score for total and all subscale scores of HRQOL compared with girls (P < 0.05). BMI-for-age was inversely correlated to adolescent self-reported HRQOL total score (r = -0.25, P < 0.05). Based on adolescents self-report, HRQOL total score was significantly different by body weight status (F = 16.16, P < 0.05). Normal weight adolescents had significantly higher HRQOL total score compared with overweight (mean difference: 7.32; P < 0.05) and obese adolescents (mean difference: 9.10, P < 0.05). The HRQOL total score was not significantly different between normal weight and underweight adolescents (mean difference: 1.65, P = 0.96). However, based on parent proxy-reports, HRQOL total score was not significantly different by body weight status (F = 2.64, P = 0.059). More than one-third of adolescents were overweight and obese. BMI-for-age was inversely correlated to adolescent self-reported HRQOL. Based on adolescents' perspective, overweight and obese adolescents had poorer HRQOL compared with normal weight adolescents. Intervention studies are needed to improve the HRQOL of overweight and obese adolescents in Tehran. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Sex differences in dreaming during short propofol sedation for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.

PubMed

Xu, Guanghong; Liu, Xuesheng; Sheng, Qiying; Yu, Fengqiong; Wang, Kai

2013-10-02

Previous reports suggest that sex differences may exist in dreaming under anesthesia, but their results were inconclusive. The current study explored sex differences in the incidence and content of dreams during short propofol sedation for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and investigated whether sex differences or dream content affect patient satisfaction with sedation. A total of 200 patients (100 men and 100 women) undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy participated in this study. Patients were interviewed with the modified Brice questionnaire about the incidence and the content of dreams, and satisfaction with sedation was assessed. The results showed that the incidence of dreaming was significantly higher in men (31%) than in women (17%) (P=0.02), but recovery time was similar. In men, 45% (14/31) of dreamers reported positive emotional content and only 6% (2/31) reported negative emotional content. In contrast, in women, 18% (3/17) reported positive and 29% (5/17) reported negative content (P=0.04). Men reported dreams that were more vivid, meaningful, familiar, and memorable (P<0.01). No significant sex differences were observed in the emotional intensity of dreams, and emotional content did not influence patients' satisfaction. In sum, sex differences existed in dreaming during short propofol sedation despite similar recovery time and matching in terms of age. Men reported dreaming more frequently and had a higher incidence of recall for their dream narratives. In particular, men reported significantly more positive emotional content, less negative emotional content, and more meaningful content. Dreamer satisfaction with sedation was not influenced by sex or dream content.

Female disability disadvantage: a global perspective on sex differences in physical function and disability.

PubMed

Wheaton, Felicia V; Crimmins, Eileen M

2016-07-01

The objectives were to determine whether women always fare more poorly in terms of physical function and disability across countries that vary widely in terms of their level of development, epidemiologic context and level of gender equality. Sex differences in self-reported and objective measures of disability and physical function were compared among older adults aged 55-85 in the United States of America, Taiwan, Korea, Mexico, China, Indonesia and among the Tsimane of Bolivia using population-based studies collected between 2001 and 2011. Data were analysed using logistic and ordinary least-squares regression. Confidence intervals were examined to see whether the effect of being female differed significantly between countries. In all countries, women had consistently worse physical functioning (both self-reported and objectively measured). Women also tended to report more difficulty with activities of daily living (ADL), although differences were not always significant. In general, sex differences across measures were less pronounced in China. In Korea, women had significantly lower grip strength, but sex differences in ADL difficulty were non-significant or even reversed. Education and marital status helped explain sex differences. Overall, there was striking similarity in the magnitude and direction of sex differences across countries despite considerable differences in context, although modest variations in the effect of sex were observed.

Improving Communication of Diagnostic Radiology Findings through Structured Reporting

PubMed Central

Panicek, David M.; Berk, Alexandra R.; Li, Yuelin; Hricak, Hedvig

2011-01-01

Purpose: To compare the content, clarity, and clinical usefulness of conventional (ie, free-form) and structured radiology reports of body computed tomographic (CT) scans, as evaluated by referring physicians, attending radiologists, and radiology fellows at a tertiary care cancer center. Materials and Methods: The institutional review board approved the study as a quality improvement initiative; no written consent was required. Three radiologists, three radiology fellows, three surgeons, and two medical oncologists evaluated 330 randomly selected conventional and structured radiology reports of body CT scans. For nonradiologists, reports were randomly selected from patients with diagnoses relevant to the physician’s area of specialization. Each physician read 15 reports in each format and rated both the content and clarity of each report from 1 (very dissatisfied or very confusing) to 10 (very satisfied or very clear). By using a previously published radiology report grading scale, physicians graded each report’s effectiveness in advancing the patient’s position on the clinical spectrum. Mixed-effects models were used to test differences between report types. Results: Mean content satisfaction ratings were 7.61 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.12, 8.16) for conventional reports and 8.33 (95% CI: 7.82, 8.86) for structured reports, and the difference was significant (P < .0001). Mean clarity satisfaction ratings were 7.45 (95% CI: 6.89, 8.02) for conventional reports and 8.25 (95% CI: 7.68, 8.82) for structured reports, and the difference was significant (P < .0001). Grade ratings did not differ significantly between conventional and structured reports. Conclusion: Referring clinicians and radiologists found that structured reports had better content and greater clarity than conventional reports. © RSNA, 2011 Supplemental material: http://radiology.rsna.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1148/radiol.11101913/-/DC1 PMID:21518775

Assessment of health-related quality of life in children with cancer: consistency and agreement between parent and child reports.

PubMed

Russell, Kathryn M W; Hudson, Melissa; Long, Alanna; Phipps, Sean

2006-05-15

In pediatric settings, measures of health-related quality of life (HRQL) are often obtained by proxy, especially from parents, but the correlation between parental report and patient report has not been clearly established. In the current study, the authors examined the agreement between child and parent reports of HRQL in children with cancer (both those receiving treatment and those off treatment) and healthy controls. Two groups of children with cancer who differed with regard to treatment status (n = 199) and a group of healthy control children (n = 108) were assessed using a standardized measure of HRQL. Both children and parents reported on the child's HRQL using parallel forms of the Children's Health Questionnaire. Significant parent-child correlations were found for all 10 HRQL scales, and these correlations were higher in the cancer groups compared with controls. Parents in the cancer groups tended to underestimate the HRQL of their children compared with the child report, although there were no significant parent-child mean differences in the group of patients who were off treatment and only 2 significant differences in the group of children receiving treatment. In contrast, parents in the control group tended to overestimate the HRQL of their children, and the parent-child differences were found to be larger, achieving statistical significance on 8 of 10 scales. Parents and children tend to report comparable child HRQL outcomes, and this is particularly true in oncology populations. In cases in which the child is either too young or too ill to provide a self-report, parent-reported HRQL can be viewed as a reliable substitute. Copyright 2006 American Cancer Society

Male and Female Ministers: Comparing Roman Catholic and Methodist Deacons on Personality Structure, Religious Beliefs, and Leadership Styles.

PubMed

Ferrari, Joseph R

2017-03-01

Christian deacons (50 Roman Catholic; 50 Methodist) self-reported their personality, religiosity, and leadership attributes, plus social desirability tendencies. There were no significant correlates between social desirability and any of these self-reported variables. Results also found no significant differences across Christian denominations on personality dimensions, religious and spirituality beliefs, or leadership styles. Also, there were no significant differences in self-reported personality, religiosity, or leadership among Catholic male deacons with Methodist female deacons only ( n = 43). Taken together, in the present exploratory study across denomination and gender, Christian deacons view themselves similarly in personality, religiosity, and overall leadership characteristics.

Impact of primary care exercise referral schemes on the health of patients with obesity

PubMed Central

Parretti, Helen M; Bartington, Suzanne E; Badcock, Tim; Hughes, Lucy; Duda, Joan L; Jolly, Kate

2017-01-01

Primary care exercise referral schemes (ERSs) are a potentially useful setting to promote physical activity (PA). It is not established, however, whether interventions to increase PA, such as ERSs, have differing health outcomes according to the participants’ body mass index (BMI). This paper summarizes evidence for the impact of primary care ERSs on the health of people with obesity and reports findings of a reanalysis of the EMPOWER study, providing the first data to report differential outcomes of ERSs by BMI category. Our literature review revealed a paucity of published data. A 2011 Health Technology Assessment review and 2015 update were identified, but normal-weight participants were neither excluded nor were results stratified by weight in the included studies. A study of the effect of exercise referral in overweight women reported a significantly greater increase in PA levels in the ERS group than the control group at 3 months. Reanalysis of the EMPOWER study data showed a significant improvement in PA at 3 months in both obese and overweight/normal BMI groups, with the effect size attenuated to 6 months. There was no significant difference from baseline to 6 months in blood pressure for either BMI category. At 6 months, there was a significant decrease in weight from baseline for the obese category. Comparison of crude mean differences between BMI groups revealed a significant mean difference in PA at 3 months favoring the overweight/normal BMI group, but not at 6 months. There were no further significant differences in unadjusted or adjusted mean differences for other outcomes at follow-up. We report some evidence of a differential impact of ERS on PA by BMI category. However, the effect of ERSs in primary care for patients with obesity remains unclear due to the small number of published studies that have reported outcomes by BMI category. Further research is needed. PMID:29033627

Is laser conditioning a valid alternative to conventional etching for aesthetic brackets?

PubMed

Sfondrini, M F; Calderoni, G; Vitale, M C; Gandini, P; Scribante, A

2018-03-01

ER:Yag lasers have been described as a more conservative alternative to conventional acid-etching enamel conditioning technique, when bonding conventional metallic orthodontic brackets. Since the use of aesthetic orthodontic brackets is constantly increasing, the purpose of the present report has been to test laser conditioning with different aesthetic brackets. Study Design: Five different aesthetic brackets (microfilled copolymer, glass fiber, sapphire, polyoxymethylene and sintered ceramic) were tested for shear bond strength and Adhesive Remnant Index scores using two different enamel conditioning techniques (acid etching and ER:Yag laser application). Two hundred bovine incisors were extracted, cleaned and embedded in resin. Specimens were then divided into 10 groups with random tables. Half of the specimens were conditioned with conventional orthophosphoric acid gel, the other half with ER:Yag laser. Different aesthetic brackets (microfilled copolymer, glass fiber, sapphire, polyoxymethylene and sintered ceramic) were then bonded to the teeth. Subsequently all groups were tested in shear mode with a Universal Testing Machine. Shear bond strength values and adhesive remnant index scores were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed. When considering conventional acid etching technique, sapphire, polyoxymethylene and sintered ceramic brackets exhibited the highest SBS values. Lowest values were reported for microfilled copolymer and glass fiber appliances. A significant decrease in SBS values after laser conditioning was reported for sapphire, polyoxymethylene and sintered ceramic brackets, whereas no significant difference was reported for microfilled copolymer and glass fiber brackets. Significant differences in ARI scores were also reported. Laser etching can significantly reduce bonding efficacy of sapphire, polyoxymethylene and sintered ceramic brackets.

“It Depends on What You Mean by ‘Disagree’”: Differences between Parent and Child Perceptions of Parent–Child Conflict

PubMed Central

Thomas, Sarah A.; Swan, Anna J.; Ehrlich, Katherine B.; Reynolds, Elizabeth K.; Suarez, Liza; Dougherty, Lea R.; MacPherson, Laura; Pabón, Shairy C.

2014-01-01

We examined a new structured interview of parent–child conflict that assesses parent and child perceptions of behavioral conflict about daily life topics (e.g., doing chores, homework), and whether discrepancies exist on beliefs about these topics. In a sample of 100 parents and children ages 10 to 17 years (M=13.5 years, 52 males, 57 % African-American), informants could reliably distinguish between perceived behavioral conflicts and perceived discrepant beliefs about topics. These scores were also significantly related to questionnaire reports of parent–child conflict. Parent and child questionnaire reports did not significantly differ, yet on the structured interview, parents reported significantly greater levels of perceived conflict and discrepant beliefs relative to child reports. Additionally, structured interview reports of conflict demonstrated incremental validity by relating to child self-reports of delinquent behaviors, when accounting for questionnaire conflict reports. The findings have implications for increasing understanding of the links between parent–child conflict and psychosocial outcomes. PMID:25210227

"It Depends on What You Mean by 'Disagree'": Differences between Parent and Child Perceptions of Parent-Child Conflict.

PubMed

De Los Reyes, Andres; Thomas, Sarah A; Swan, Anna J; Ehrlich, Katherine B; Reynolds, Elizabeth K; Suarez, Liza; Dougherty, Lea R; MacPherson, Laura; Pabón, Shairy C

2012-09-01

We examined a new structured interview of parent-child conflict that assesses parent and child perceptions of behavioral conflict about daily life topics (e.g., doing chores, homework), and whether discrepancies exist on beliefs about these topics. In a sample of 100 parents and children ages 10 to 17 years ( M =13.5 years, 52 males, 57 % African-American), informants could reliably distinguish between perceived behavioral conflicts and perceived discrepant beliefs about topics. These scores were also significantly related to questionnaire reports of parent-child conflict. Parent and child questionnaire reports did not significantly differ, yet on the structured interview, parents reported significantly greater levels of perceived conflict and discrepant beliefs relative to child reports. Additionally, structured interview reports of conflict demonstrated incremental validity by relating to child self-reports of delinquent behaviors, when accounting for questionnaire conflict reports. The findings have implications for increasing understanding of the links between parent-child conflict and psychosocial outcomes.

Mental health of elders in retirement communities: is loneliness a key factor?

PubMed

Bekhet, Abir K; Zauszniewski, Jaclene A

2012-06-01

Loneliness is often manifested by intense feelings of emptiness and abandonment and can lead to depression and suicide. The prevalence of loneliness in older adults is estimated to be 40%. This secondary analysis examined differences between elders reporting and elders not reporting loneliness and the effect of gender on resourcefulness and measures of physical and mental health within the context of L. C. Hawkley and J. T. Cacioppo's (2010) theoretical model of loneliness. A descriptive, comparative design was used to examine gender differences and associations among loneliness and indicators of physical and mental health. Results indicated that for overall health, and indicators of physical health (functional status and number chronic conditions), no significant differences were found between those who reported loneliness and those who reported no loneliness. There were significant differences, however, between lonely elders and nonlonely elders on indicators of mental health, including both anxiety and depressive symptoms. Differences between lonely elders and nonlonely elders on measures of resourcefulness approached significance. The findings from this study suggest that intervention programs designed to prevent or reduce loneliness in older adults may be beneficial for preserving their mental health. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Increasing the Efficiency on Producing Radiology Reports for Breast Cancer Diagnosis by Means of Structured Reports. A Comparative Study.

PubMed

Segrelles, J Damian; Medina, Rosana; Blanquer, Ignacio; Martí-Bonmatí, Luis

2017-05-18

Radiology reports are commonly written on free-text using voice recognition devices. Structured reports (SR) have a high potential but they are usually considered more difficult to fill-in so their adoption in clinical practice leads to a lower efficiency. However, some studies have demonstrated that in some cases, producing SRs may require shorter time than plain-text ones. This work focuses on the definition and demonstration of a methodology to evaluate the productivity of software tools for producing radiology reports. A set of SRs for breast cancer diagnosis based on BI-RADS have been developed using this method. An analysis of their efficiency with respect to free-text reports has been performed. The methodology proposed compares the Elapsed Time (ET) on a set of radiological reports. Free-text reports are produced with the speech recognition devices used in the clinical practice. Structured reports are generated using a web application generated with TRENCADIS framework. A team of six radiologists with three different levels of experience in the breast cancer diagnosis was recruited. These radiologists performed the evaluation, each one introducing 50 reports for mammography, 50 for ultrasound scan and 50 for MRI using both approaches. Also, the Relative Efficiency (REF) was computed for each report, dividing the ET of both methods. We applied the T-Student (T-S) test to compare the ETs and the ANOVA test to compare the REFs. Both tests were computed using the SPSS software. The study produced three DICOM-SR templates for Breast Cancer Diagnosis on mammography, ultrasound and MRI, using RADLEX terms based on BIRADs 5th edition. The T-S test on radiologists with high or intermediate profile, showed that the difference between the ET was only statistically significant for mammography and ultrasound. The ANOVA test performed grouping the REF by modalities, indicated that there were no significant differences between mammograms and ultrasound scans, but both have significant statistical differences with MRI. The ANOVA test of the REF for each modality, indicated that there were only significant differences in Mammography (ANOVA p = 0.024) and Ultrasound (ANOVA p = 0.008). The ANOVA test for each radiologist profile, indicated that there were significant differences on the high profile (ANOVA p = 0.028) and medium (ANOVA p = 0.045). In this work, we have defined and demonstrated a methodology to evaluate the productivity of software tools for producing radiology reports in Breast Cancer. We have evaluated that adopting Structured Reporting in mammography and ultrasound studies in breast cancer diagnosis improves the performance in producing reports.

Parental modeling, education and children's sports and TV time: the ENERGY-project.

PubMed

Fernández-Alvira, Juan M; Te Velde, Saskia J; Singh, Amika; Jiménez-Pavón, David; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Bere, Elling; Manios, Yannis; Kovacs, Eva; Jan, Nataša; Moreno, Luis A; Brug, Johannes

2015-01-01

We assessed whether differences in children's sports participation and television time according to parental education were mediated by parental modeling. Moreover, we explored the differences between parental and child reports on parental sports participation and television time as potential mediators. 5729 children and 5183 parents participating in the EuropeaN Energy balance Research to prevent excessive weight Gain among Youth (ENERGY-project) during 2010 in seven European countries provided information on sports participation and television time using validated self-report questionnaires. Multilevel country-specific mediation models analyzed the potential mediation effect of parental self-reports and child-reports on parental sports participation and television time. Significant mediation effect was found for parental self-reported television time in four countries (Greece, Hungary, The Netherlands and Slovenia), with the highest proportion for Slovenia (40%) and the lowest for Greece (21%). Child-reported parental television time showed mediation effect in Greece only. Parental self-reported sports participation showed significant mediation effect only in Greece. With child-reported parental sports participation, significant mediation was observed in Greece and Norway. Parental behaviors appear to be important in explaining parental educational differences in children's sports participation and television time. However, child reports on parental behavior appear to be more relevant than parents' self-reports as correlates of children's own sports participation and television time. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Frequency of Head-Impact–Related Outcomes by Position in NCAA Division I Collegiate Football Players

PubMed Central

Kiernan, Patrick T.; Kroshus, Emily; Daneshvar, Daniel H.; Montenigro, Philip H.; McKee, Ann C.; Stern, Robert A.

2015-01-01

Abstract Concussions and subconcussive impacts sustained in American football have been associated with short- and long-term neurological impairment, but differences in head impact outcomes across playing positions are not well understood. The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine has identified playing position as a key risk factor for concussion in football and one for which additional research is needed. This study examined variation in head impact outcomes across primary football playing positions in a group of 730 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Championship Series athletes, using a self-report questionnaire. Although there were no significant differences between position groups in the number of diagnosed concussions during the 2012 football season, there were significant differences between groups in undiagnosed concussions (p=0.008) and “dings” (p<0.001); offensive linemen reported significantly higher numbers than most other positions. Significant differences were found between position groups in the frequencies of several postimpact symptoms, including dizziness (p<0.001), headache (p<0.001), and seeing stars (p<0.001) during the 2012 football season, with offensive linemen reporting significantly more symptoms compared to most other groups. There were also positional differences in frequency of returning to play while symptomatic (p<0.001) and frequency of participating in full-contact practice (p<0.001). Offensive linemen reported having returned to play while experiencing symptoms more frequently and participating in more full-contact practices than other groups. These findings suggest that offensive linemen, a position group that experiences frequent, but low-magnitude, head impacts, develop more postimpact symptoms than other playing positions, but do not report these symptoms as a concussion. PMID:25155288

Frequency of head-impact-related outcomes by position in NCAA division I collegiate football players.

PubMed

Baugh, Christine M; Kiernan, Patrick T; Kroshus, Emily; Daneshvar, Daniel H; Montenigro, Philip H; McKee, Ann C; Stern, Robert A

2015-03-01

Concussions and subconcussive impacts sustained in American football have been associated with short- and long-term neurological impairment, but differences in head impact outcomes across playing positions are not well understood. The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine has identified playing position as a key risk factor for concussion in football and one for which additional research is needed. This study examined variation in head impact outcomes across primary football playing positions in a group of 730 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Championship Series athletes, using a self-report questionnaire. Although there were no significant differences between position groups in the number of diagnosed concussions during the 2012 football season, there were significant differences between groups in undiagnosed concussions (p=0.008) and "dings" (p<0.001); offensive linemen reported significantly higher numbers than most other positions. Significant differences were found between position groups in the frequencies of several postimpact symptoms, including dizziness (p<0.001), headache (p<0.001), and seeing stars (p<0.001) during the 2012 football season, with offensive linemen reporting significantly more symptoms compared to most other groups. There were also positional differences in frequency of returning to play while symptomatic (p<0.001) and frequency of participating in full-contact practice (p<0.001). Offensive linemen reported having returned to play while experiencing symptoms more frequently and participating in more full-contact practices than other groups. These findings suggest that offensive linemen, a position group that experiences frequent, but low-magnitude, head impacts, develop more postimpact symptoms than other playing positions, but do not report these symptoms as a concussion.

Fundamental frequency and perturbation measures of sustained vowels in Malaysian Malay children between 7 and 12 years old.

PubMed

Ting, Hua-Nong; Chia, See-Yan; Manap, Hany Hazfiza; Ho, Ai-Hui; Tiu, Kian-Yean; Abdul Hamid, Badrulzaman

2012-07-01

The study is going to investigate the fundamental frequency (F(0)) and perturbation measures of sustained vowels in 360 native Malaysian Malay children aged between 7 and 12 years using acoustical analysis. Praat software (Boersma and Weenink, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands) was used to analyze the F(0) and perturbation measures of the sustained vowels. Statistical analyses were conducted to determine the significant differences in F(0) and perturbation measures across the vowels, sex, and age groups. The mean F(0) of Malaysian Malay male and female children were reported at 240±34.88 and 254.48±23.35Hz, respectively. The jitter (Jitt), relative average perturbation (RAP), five-point period perturbation quotient (PPQ5), shimmer (Shim), and 11-point amplitude perturbation quotient (APQ11) of Malaysian male children were reported at 0.43±0.26%, 0.25±0.16%, 0.26±0.15%, 2.48±1.61%, and 1.75±1.04%, respectively. As for female children, the Jitt, RAP, PPQ5, Shim, and APQ11 were reported at 0.42±0.22%, 0.25±0.14%, 0.25±0.13%, 2.47±1.53%, and 1.75±1.10%, respectively. No significant differences in F(0) were reported across the Malay vowels for both males and females. Malay females had significantly higher F(0) than that in Malay males at the age of 8, 10, and 12 years. Malaysian Malay children underwent the nonsystematic decrement in F(0) across the age groups. Significant differences in F(0) were found across the age groups. Significant differences in perturbation measures were observed across the vowels in certain age groups of Malay males and females. Generally, no significant differences in perturbation measures between the sex were observed in all the age groups and vowels. No significant differences in all the perturbation measures across the age groups were reported in both Malaysian Malay male and female children. Copyright © 2012 The Voice Foundation. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Genetic Variance in Homophobia: Evidence from Self- and Peer Reports.

PubMed

Zapko-Willmes, Alexandra; Kandler, Christian

2018-01-01

The present twin study combined self- and peer assessments of twins' general homophobia targeting gay men in order to replicate previous behavior genetic findings across different rater perspectives and to disentangle self-rater-specific variance from common variance in self- and peer-reported homophobia (i.e., rater-consistent variance). We hypothesized rater-consistent variance in homophobia to be attributable to genetic and nonshared environmental effects, and self-rater-specific variance to be partially accounted for by genetic influences. A sample of 869 twins and 1329 peer raters completed a seven item scale containing cognitive, affective, and discriminatory homophobic tendencies. After correction for age and sex differences, we found most of the genetic contributions (62%) and significant nonshared environmental contributions (16%) to individual differences in self-reports on homophobia to be also reflected in peer-reported homophobia. A significant genetic component, however, was self-report-specific (38%), suggesting that self-assessments alone produce inflated heritability estimates to some degree. Different explanations are discussed.

A prospective cohort study investigating the effect of generalized joint hypermobility on outcomes after arthroscopic anterior shoulder stabilization.

PubMed

Koyonos, Loukas; Kraeutler, Matthew J; O'Brien, Daniel F; Ciccotti, Michael G; Dodson, Christopher C

2016-11-01

Generalized joint laxity has been proposed as a significant risk factor for failure after arthroscopic anterior shoulder stabilization. The purpose of this study was to prospectively measure joint mobility in patients undergoing arthroscopic anterior shoulder stabilization and to determine whether hypermobility is a risk factor for worse outcomes compared with patients having normal joint mobility. Patients with anterior shoulder instability were prospectively enrolled. Generalized joint hypermobility was measured using the Beighton Hypermobility Score and the Rowe, UCLA, SANE, SST, and WOSI scores were administered and reported as patient outcomes preoperatively and following arthroscopic anterior shoulder stabilization at 6 weeks, 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months postoperatively. Patients were stratified into two groups based on their Beighton Hypermobility Score, with scores ≥ 4/9 indicative of joint hypermobility. Sixteen patients with joint hypermobility (JH) and 18 non-hypermobile patients (NJH) were enrolled. At baseline, there were no significant differences in demographic characteristics or baseline patient-reported outcomes. Significantly more patients in the NJH group had SLAP tears (n = 10) compared to the JH group (n = 2) (p = .013). At all follow-up times, there were no significant differences between the NJH and JH groups with regard to patient-reported outcome scores (p > .05). In the JH group, 17% of patients reported recurrent instability at two years postoperatively compared to 25% of patients in the NJH group. There was no significant difference in failure rate (p = .67). There was no significant difference in patient-reported outcomes or recurrent instability in patients with versus without joint hypermobility undergoing arthroscopic anterior shoulder stabilization.

Ethnic differences in thermal pain responses: a comparison of South Asian and White British healthy males.

PubMed

Watson, Paul J; Latif, R Khalid; Rowbotham, David J

2005-11-01

The expression and report of pain is influenced by social environment and culture. Previous studies have suggested ethnically determined differences in report of pain threshold, intensity and affect. The influence of ethnic differences between White British and South Asians has remained unexplored. Twenty age-matched, male volunteers in each group underwent evaluation. Cold and warm perception and cold and heat threshold were assessed using an ascending method of limits. Magnitude estimation of pain unpleasantness and pain intensity were investigated with thermal stimuli of 46, 47, 48 and 49 degrees C. Subjects also completed a pain anxiety questionnaire. Data was analysed using t-test, Mann-Whitney and repeated measures analysis of variance as appropriate. There were no differences in cold and warm perception between the two groups. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups for heat pain threshold (P=0.006) and heat pain intensity demonstrated a significant effect for ethnicity (F=13.84, P=0.001). Although no group differences emerged for cold pain threshold and heat unpleasantness, South Asians demonstrated lower cold pain threshold and reported more unpleasantness at all temperatures but this was not statistically significant. Our study shows that ethnicity plays an important role in heat pain threshold and pain report, South Asian males demonstrated lower pain thresholds and higher pain report when compared with matched White British males. There were no differences in pain anxiety between the two groups and no correlations were identified between pain and pain anxiety Haemodynamic measures and anthropometry did not explain group differences.

The economic costs of malaria in four Kenyan districts: do household costs differ by disease endemicity?

PubMed

Chuma, Jane; Okungu, Vincent; Molyneux, Catherine

2010-06-02

Malaria inflicts significant costs on households and on the economy of malaria endemic countries. There is also evidence that the economic burden is higher among the poorest in a population, and that cost burdens differ significantly between wet and dry seasons. What is not clear is whether, and how, the economic burden of malaria differs by disease endemicity. The need to account for geographical and epidemiological differences in the estimation of the social and economic burden of malaria is well recognized, but there is limited data, if any, to support this argument. This study sought to contribute towards filling this gap by comparing malaria cost burdens in four Kenyan districts of different endemicity. A cross-sectional household survey was conducted during the peak malaria transmission season in the poorest areas in four Kenyan districts with differing malaria transmission patterns (n = 179 households in Bondo; 205 Gucha; 184 Kwale; 141 Makueni). There were significant differences in duration of fever, perception of fever severity and cost burdens. Fever episodes among adults and children over five years in Gucha and Makueni districts (highland endemic and low acute transmission districts respectively) lasted significantly longer than episodes reported in Bondo and Kwale districts (high perennial transmission and seasonal, intense transmission, respectively). Perceptions of illness severity also differed between districts: fevers reported among older children and adults in Gucha and Makueni districts were reported as severe compared to those reported in the other districts. Indirect and total costs differed significantly between districts but differences in direct costs were not significant. Total household costs were highest in Makueni (US$ 19.6 per month) and lowest in Bondo (US$ 9.2 per month). Cost burdens are the product of complex relationships between social, economic and epidemiological factors. The cost data presented in this study reflect transmission patterns in the four districts, suggesting that a relationship between costs burdens and the nature of transmission might exist, and that the same warrants more attention from researchers and policy makers.

Early sexual behavior in a sample of low-income, African American Children.

PubMed

Thigpen, Jeffry W

2009-01-01

This study describes the sexual behavior of 2- to 12-year-old African American children without known histories of sexual abuse and explores the relation of this behavior to gender and age. Primary caregivers were recruited from a public "Well Child" clinic and administered the Child Sexual Behavior Inventory (CSBI), a parental report measure that assesses a broad range of childhood sexual behaviors within 9 specific domains. CSBI data were collected on 249 African American children. Results indicate that African American children display a broad range of sexual behavior that was not reported to frequently occur. Sexual behaviors that involved requesting, planning, or forcing other children and adults into sexual activity were not reported. Although significant differences were not found between frequency levels of sexual behavior reported for boys and girls, the range of sexual behavior observed and reported for girls was narrower in comparison to boys. Significant differences were found between frequency levels of sexual behavior observed and reported for children of different ages. Analysis of the behavioral differences found between children of different ages indicates the emergence of a marked interest in sexuality as African American children approached puberty.

The Relationship of Gender and Ethnicity to Employment Among Adults Residing in Communal-living Recovery Homes.

PubMed

Belyaev-Glantsman, Olya; Jason, Leonard A; Ferrari, Joseph R

2009-01-01

This study examined employment and sources of income for different genders and ethnic groups residing in a substance abuse recovery homes called Oxford Houses. Men compared to women reported significantly higher mean income from employment as well as total income. African Americans compared to European Americans reported significantly more work in the past 30 days; however, the rate of pay between these two ethnic groups was not significantly different. Longer length of stay in Oxford House was related to higher incomes. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Sleep complaints affecting school performance at different educational levels.

PubMed

Pagel, James F; Kwiatkowski, Carol F

2010-01-01

The clear association between reports of sleep disturbance and poor school performance has been documented for sleepy adolescents. This study extends that research to students outside the adolescent age grouping in an associated school setting (98 middle school students, 67 high school students, and 64 college students). Reported restless legs and periodic limb movements are significantly associated with lower GPA's in junior high students. Consistent with previous studies, daytime sleepiness was the sleep variable most likely to negatively affects high school students. Sleep onset and maintenance insomnia were the reported sleep variables significantly correlated with poorer school performance in college students. This study indicates that different sleep disorder variables negatively affect performance at different age and educational levels.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms reporting in Malaysian adolescents: do adolescents, parents and teachers agree with each other?

PubMed

Wan Salwina, Wan Ismail; Baharudin, Azlin; Nik Ruzyanei, Nik Jaafar; Midin, Marhani; Rahman, Fairuz Nazri Abdul

2013-12-01

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a clinical diagnosis relying on persistence of symptoms across different settings. Information are gathered from different informants including adolescents, parents and teachers. In this cross-sectional study involving 410 twelve-year old adolescents, 37 teachers and 367 parents from seven schools in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, reliability of ADHD symptoms among the various informants were reported. ADHD symptoms (i.e. predominantly hyperactive, predominantly inattentive and combined symptoms) were assessed by adolescents, teachers and parents, using Conners-Wells' Adolescent Self-report Scale (CASS), Conner's Teachers Rating Scale (CTRS) and Conner's Parents Rating Scale (CPRS) respectively. For predominantly hyperactive symptoms, there were statistically significant, weak positive correlations between parents and teachers reporting (r=0.241, p<0.01). Statistically significant, weak positive correlations were found between adolescents and parents for predominantly inattentive symptoms (r=0.283, p<0.01). Correlations between adolescents and parents reporting were statistically significant but weak (r=0.294, p<0.01). Weak correlations exist between the different informants reporting ADHD symptoms among Malaysian adolescents. While multiple informant ratings are required to facilitate the diagnosis of ADHD, effort should be taken to minimize the disagreement in reporting and better utilize the information. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gender role expectations of pain: relationship to experimental pain perception

PubMed Central

Wise, Emily A.; Price, Donald D.; Myers, Cynthia D.; Heft, Marc W.; Robinson, Michael E.

2008-01-01

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of an individual’s Gender Role Expectations of Pain (GREP) on experimental pain report. One hundred and forty-eight subjects (87 females and 61 males) subjects underwent thermal testing and were asked to report pain threshold, pain tolerance, VAS ratings of pain intensity and unpleasantness, and a computerized visual analogue scales (VAS) rating of pain intensity during the procedure. Subjects completed the GREP questionnaire to assess sex-related stereotypic attributions of pain sensitivity, pain endurance, and willingness to report pain. Consistent with previous research, significant sex differences emerged for measures of pain threshold, pain tolerance, and pain unpleasantness. After statistically controlling for age, GREP scores were significant predictors of threshold, tolerance, and pain unpleasantness, accounting for an additional 7, 11, and 21% of the variance, respectively. Sex remained a significant predictor of pain tolerance in hierarchical regression analyses after controlling for GREP scores. Results provide support for two competing but not mutually exclusive hypotheses related to the sex differences in experimental pain. Both psychosocial factors and first-order, biological sex differences remain as viable explanations for differences in experimental pain report between the sexes. It appears that GREP do play a part in determining an individual’s pain report and may be contributing to the sex differences in the laboratory setting. PMID:11973007

Influence of the way of reporting alpha-Amylase values in saliva in different naturalistic situations: A pilot study

PubMed Central

Contreras-Aguilar, María Dolores; Escribano, Damián; Martínez-Subiela, Silvia; Martínez-Miró, Silvia; Rubio, Mónica; Tvarijonaviciute, Asta; Tecles, Fernando; Cerón, Jose J.

2017-01-01

The objective of this pilot study was to compare the different ways of measuring salivary alpha-amylase (sAA, enzymatic vs. concentration) and to evaluate the influence that the different ways of reporting the results can have in sAA interpretation. For this purpose, sAA was measured by direct quantification and also by an enzymatic assay in three different naturalistic situations, a physical stressor (situation 1) and two mental stressors of different intensity (situations 2 and 3). The results were expressed in three different ways (without correction, multiplied by flow rate and divided by protein concentration). sAA concentration and activity increased just after situations 1 and 3. When values were multiplied by the flow rate, significant changes after situation 1 were detected only for sAA activity but not for sAA concentration, being these changes of lower significance and magnitude that those observed for sAA activity without any correction. In addition, a significant increase in sAA activity was found at T+15 in situation 2. In situation 3 the significant decrease in sAA at T+15 disappeared. When values were divided by protein concentration, there were no significant changes in situations 1 or 3, but a decrease in situation 2 at T+0 and an increase at T+15. sAA activity and concentration showed a significant correlation in all situations. This pilot study points out that the way of expressing sAA can influence the results obtained in different stress models and also their interpretation. Therefore, how sAA is reported and the factors involved in the different ways of expressing sAA, should be taken into consideration for an objective interpretation of sAA values. PMID:28654668

Influence of the way of reporting alpha-Amylase values in saliva in different naturalistic situations: A pilot study.

PubMed

Contreras-Aguilar, María Dolores; Escribano, Damián; Martínez-Subiela, Silvia; Martínez-Miró, Silvia; Rubio, Mónica; Tvarijonaviciute, Asta; Tecles, Fernando; Cerón, Jose J

2017-01-01

The objective of this pilot study was to compare the different ways of measuring salivary alpha-amylase (sAA, enzymatic vs. concentration) and to evaluate the influence that the different ways of reporting the results can have in sAA interpretation. For this purpose, sAA was measured by direct quantification and also by an enzymatic assay in three different naturalistic situations, a physical stressor (situation 1) and two mental stressors of different intensity (situations 2 and 3). The results were expressed in three different ways (without correction, multiplied by flow rate and divided by protein concentration). sAA concentration and activity increased just after situations 1 and 3. When values were multiplied by the flow rate, significant changes after situation 1 were detected only for sAA activity but not for sAA concentration, being these changes of lower significance and magnitude that those observed for sAA activity without any correction. In addition, a significant increase in sAA activity was found at T+15 in situation 2. In situation 3 the significant decrease in sAA at T+15 disappeared. When values were divided by protein concentration, there were no significant changes in situations 1 or 3, but a decrease in situation 2 at T+0 and an increase at T+15. sAA activity and concentration showed a significant correlation in all situations. This pilot study points out that the way of expressing sAA can influence the results obtained in different stress models and also their interpretation. Therefore, how sAA is reported and the factors involved in the different ways of expressing sAA, should be taken into consideration for an objective interpretation of sAA values.

Immediate versus delayed self-reporting of symptoms and side effects during chemotherapy: does timing matter?

PubMed

Coolbrandt, Annemarie; Van den Heede, Koen; Vanhove, Ellen; De Bom, Ann; Milisen, Koen; Wildiers, Hans

2011-04-01

The aim of this study was to examine how patients recall symptoms at a delayed self-report. Accurate insight into toxicity symptoms during chemotherapy is essential so that nurses and doctors can assess therapeutic tolerance and adjust supportive care accordingly. A non-experimental, longitudinal design was employed. Using the Therapy-Related Symptoms Checklist (TRSC), respondents (n = 142) reported their initial symptoms during the first 7 days of the chemotherapy cycle at two different times: (1) each day of the first seven days after the chemotherapy administration (immediate self-report), and (2) at their next hospital visit for chemotherapy (delayed self-report). We compared the number and severity of symptoms and side effects reported in the immediate and delayed self-reports. Respondents reported significantly fewer symptoms and fewer severe symptoms in the delayed self-report. For 22 out of 25 symptoms the delayed-reported grade was significantly lower than the immediate-reported maximum grade. Compared to the immediate-reported median grade, significant differences occurred in only 10 out of the 25 symptoms. In all cases, except fatigue, the delayed-reported grade was significantly higher than the immediate-reported median grade. This study indicates that delayed self-report of chemotherapy side effects is not an appropriate measure of actual symptoms and side effects experienced by patients. Delayed self-report gives a weaker insight into actual symptom burden. Fatigue is at particular risk to be minimized at the delayed self-report. Therefore it is recommended to assess chemotherapy-related symptoms and side effects by means of immediate self-report. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluating the Impact of Parent-Reported Medical Home Status on Children's Health Care Utilization, Expenditures, and Quality: A Difference-in-Differences Analysis with Causal Inference Methods.

PubMed

Han, Bing; Yu, Hao; Friedberg, Mark W

2017-04-01

To evaluate the effects of the parent-reported medical home status on health care utilization, expenditures, and quality for children. Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) during 2004-2012, including a total of 9,153 children who were followed up for 2 years in the survey. We took a causal difference-in-differences approach using inverse probability weighting and doubly robust estimators to study how changes in medical home status over a 2-year period affected children's health care outcomes. Our analysis adjusted for children's sociodemographic, health, and insurance statuses. We conducted sensitivity analyses using alternative statistical methods, different approaches to outliers and missing data, and accounting for possible common-method biases. Compared with children whose parents reported having medical homes in both years 1 and 2, those who had medical homes in year 1 but lost them in year 2 had significantly lower parent-reported ratings of health care quality and higher utilization of emergency care. Compared with children whose parents reported having no medical homes in both years, those who did not have medical homes in year 1 but gained them in year 2 had significantly higher ratings of health care quality, but no significant differences in health care expenditures and utilization. Having a medical home may help improve health care quality for children; losing a medical home may lead to higher utilization of emergency care. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Location of colorectal cancer: colonoscopy versus surgery. Yield of colonoscopy in predicting actual location.

PubMed

Blum-Guzman, Juan Pablo; Wanderley de Melo, Silvio

2017-07-01

 Recent studies suggest that differences in biological characteristics and risk factors across cancer site within the colon and rectum may translate to differences in survival. It can be challenging at times to determine the precise anatomical location of a lesion with a luminal view during colonoscopy. The aim of this study is to determine if there is a significant difference between the location of colorectal cancers described by gastroenterologists in colonoscopies and the actual anatomical location noted on operative and pathology reports after colon surgery.  A single-center retrospective analysis of colonoscopies of patient with reported colonic masses from January 2005 to April 2014 (n = 380) was carried. Assessed data included demography, operative and pathology reports. Findings were compared: between the location of colorectal cancers described by gastroenterologists in colonoscopies and the actual anatomical location noted on operative reports or pathology samples.  We identified 380 colonic masses, 158 were confirmed adenocarcinomas. Of these 123 underwent surgical resection, 27 had to be excluded since no specific location was reported on their operative or pathology report. An absolute difference between endoscopic and surgical location was found in 32 cases (33 %). Of these, 22 (23 %) differed by 1 colonic segment, 8 (8 %) differed by 2 colonic segments and 2 (2 %) differed by 3 colonic segments.  There is a significant difference between the location of colorectal cancers reported by gastroenterologists during endoscopy and the actual anatomical location noted on operative or pathology reports after colon surgery. Endoscopic tattooing should be used when faced with any luminal lesions of interest.

Racial/Ethnic Differences in Sleep Disorders and Reporting of Trouble Sleeping Among Women of Childbearing Age in the United States.

PubMed

Amyx, Melissa; Xiong, Xu; Xie, Yiqiong; Buekens, Pierre

2017-02-01

Objectives Whether racial/ethnic differences in prevalence/reporting of sleep disorders exist in pregnant women/women of child-bearing age is unknown. Study objectives were to estimate prevalence of sleep disorders and to examine racial/ethnic differences in sleep disorders, reporting of sleep issues, and amount of sleep among women of child-bearing age (15-44 years) in the US. Methods Through a secondary analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2010 (3175 non-pregnant, 432 pregnant women in main analysis), prevalence of sleep disorders, reporting of sleep disorders to a physician/health professional, and amount of sleep were estimated overall, by pregnancy status, and by race/ethnicity stratified by pregnancy status. Racial/ethnic differences in reporting of trouble sleeping by pregnancy status were examined using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Results Prevalence of diagnosed sleep disorders among women of childbearing age was 4.9 % [3.9 % pregnant; 5.1 % non-pregnant (p < 0.01)]. Significantly fewer pregnant and non-pregnant minority women reported adequate sleep (7-8 h) than non-Hispanic white (white) women (p < 0.05). Among non-pregnant women, odds of report of trouble sleeping were significantly higher for white compared to black (aOR 0.47 [95 % CI 0.36, 0.61]) or Mexican-American women (aOR 0.29 [95 % CI 0.21, 0.41]); non-pregnant minority women were also significantly less likely to report trouble sleeping than white women when controlling for amount of sleep. Among pregnant women, these same trends were found. Discussion Compared to white women, minority women, despite reporting less adequate sleep, are less likely to report trouble sleeping, providing evidence of an important health disparity.

Behavioral Problems and Childhood Epilepsy: Parent vs Child Perspectives.

PubMed

Eom, Soyong; Caplan, Rochelle; Berg, Anne T

2016-12-01

To test whether the reported association between pediatric epilepsy and behavioral problems may be distorted by the use of parental proxy report instruments. Children in the Connecticut Study of Epilepsy were assessed 8-9 years after their epilepsy diagnosis (time-1) with the parent-proxy Child Behavior Check List (CBCL) (ages 6-18 years) or the Young Adult Self-Report (≥18 years of age). For children <18 years of age, parents also completed the Child Health Questionnaire, which contains scales for impact of child's illness on the parents. The same study subjects completed the Adult Self-Report 6-8 years later (time-2). Sibling controls were also tested. Case-control differences were examined for evidence suggesting more behavioral problems in cases with epilepsy than in controls based on proxy- vs self-report measures. At time-1, parent-proxy CBCL scores were significantly higher (worse) for cases than controls (n = 140 matched pairs). After adjustment for Child Health Questionnaire scales reflecting parent emotional and time impact, only 1 case-control difference on the CBCL remained significant. Self-reported Young Adult Self-Report scores did not differ between cases and controls (n = 42 pairs). At time-2, there were no significant self-reported case-control differences on the Adult Self-Report (n = 105 pairs). Parent-proxy behavior measures appear to be influenced by the emotional impact of epilepsy on parents. This may contribute to apparent associations between behavioral problems and childhood epilepsy. Self-report measures in older adolescents (>18 years of age) and young adults do not confirm parental perceptions. Evidence suggesting more behavioral problems in children with epilepsy should be interpreted in light of the source of information. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Racial/Ethnic Differences in Sleep Disorders and Reporting of Trouble Sleeping among Women of Childbearing Age in the United States

PubMed Central

Amyx, Melissa; Xiong, Xu; Xie, Yiqiong; Buekens, Pierre

2016-01-01

Objectives Whether racial/ethnic differences in prevalence/reporting of sleep disorders exist in pregnant women/women of child-bearing age is unknown. Study objectives were to estimate prevalence of sleep disorders and to examine racial/ethnic differences in sleep disorders, reporting of sleep issues, and amount of sleep among women of child-bearing age (15–44 years) in the US. Methods Through a secondary analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2010 (3175 non-pregnant, 432 pregnant women in main analysis), prevalence of sleep disorders, reporting of sleep disorders to a physician/health professional, and amount of sleep were estimated overall, by pregnancy status, and by race/ethnicity stratified by pregnancy status. Racial/ethnic differences in reporting of trouble sleeping by pregnancy status were examined using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Results Prevalence of diagnosed sleep disorders among women of childbearing age was 4.9% (3.9% pregnant; 5.1% non-pregnant [p<0.01]). Significantly fewer pregnant and non-pregnant minority women reported adequate sleep (7–8 hours) than non-Hispanic white (white) women (p<0.05). Among non-pregnant women, odds of report of trouble sleeping were significantly higher for white compared to black (aOR 0.47 [95% CI 0.36, 0.61]) or Mexican-American women (aOR 0.29 [95% CI 0.21, 0.41]); non-pregnant minority women were also significantly less likely to report trouble sleeping than white women when controlling for amount of sleep. Among pregnant women, these same trends were found. Discussion Compared to white women, minority women, despite reporting less adequate sleep, are less likely to report trouble sleeping, providing evidence of an important health disparity. PMID:27439422

Cross-cultural differences in female university students' attitudes toward homosexuals: a preliminary study.

PubMed

Span, Sherry A; Vidal, Lourdes A

2003-04-01

62 Caucasian, 61 Hispanic, and 44 Asian female undergraduates completed the Index of Homophobia by Hudson and Ricketts, seven items from the Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men Scale by Herek, and three questions on Affectional Orientation toward homosexuals from D'Augelli and Rose. Overall, familiarity with homosexuals as measured by self-reported number of homosexual friends correlated negatively with scores on the homophobia measures, but there were no significant differences among the groups' reported number of homosexual friends. Asian students scored significantly higher on the homophobia measures than Caucasian students. Both Asian and Hispanic students endorsed the statement significantly more often than Caucasian students that the university would be better if only heterosexuals attended. No significant differences in scores were found regarding attitudes toward lesbians versus gay men.

Off-site smartphone reading of CT images for patients with inconclusive diagnoses of appendicitis from on-call radiologists.

PubMed

Seong, Nak Jong; Kim, Bohyoung; Lee, Sungmin; Park, Hee Sun; Kim, Hyuk Jung; Woo, Hyunsik; Kang, Heung-Sik; Lee, Kyoung Ho

2014-07-01

The purpose of this study was to simulate a mobile consultation in patients with inconclusive diagnosis of appendicitis made by on-call radiologists, as well as to measure the diagnostic confidence and performance of the mobile consultation. Two off-site abdominal radiologists interpreted the CT images from 68 patients (including 29 patients with confirmed appendicitis) on a smart-phone for whom the preliminary CT reports by 25 in-house on-call radiologists were inconclusive. The smartphone readings were compared with the preliminary reports by on-call radiologists and with the original final reports by in-house abdominal radiologists. Heat maps, kappa statistics, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, and ROC curves were used for data analysis. The heat maps and kappa statistics showed that the smartphone readings were more similar to the final reports than to the preliminary reports. In diagnosing or ruling out appendicitis, the smartphone readings were more confident than the preliminary reports (p ≤ 0.01) and did not significantly differ in diagnostic confidence from the final reports (p ≥ 0.19). The AUCs of the smartphone readings (0.91 and 0.92) did not differ significantly from those of the preliminary (0.85) or final (0.97) reports (p ≥ 0.09). With the given study sample, the diagnostic performance of the off-site smartphone readings did not differ significantly from that of the in-house preliminary reports. However, the smartphone readings provided higher diagnostic confidence than the preliminary reports.

Differences in the Reporting of Racial and Socioeconomic Disparities among Three Large National Databases for Breast Reconstruction.

PubMed

Kamali, Parisa; Zettervall, Sara L; Wu, Winona; Ibrahim, Ahmed M S; Medin, Caroline; Rakhorst, Hinne A; Schermerhorn, Marc L; Lee, Bernard T; Lin, Samuel J

2017-04-01

Research derived from large-volume databases plays an increasing role in the development of clinical guidelines and health policy. In breast cancer research, the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results, National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, and Nationwide Inpatient Sample databases are widely used. This study aims to compare the trends in immediate breast reconstruction and identify the drawbacks and benefits of each database. Patients with invasive breast cancer and ductal carcinoma in situ were identified from each database (2005-2012). Trends of immediate breast reconstruction over time were evaluated. Patient demographics and comorbidities were compared. Subgroup analysis of immediate breast reconstruction use per race was conducted. Within the three databases, 1.2 million patients were studied. Immediate breast reconstruction in invasive breast cancer patients increased significantly over time in all databases. A similar significant upward trend was seen in ductal carcinoma in situ patients. Significant differences in immediate breast reconstruction rates were seen among races; and the disparity differed among the three databases. Rates of comorbidities were similar among the three databases. There has been a significant increase in immediate breast reconstruction; however, the extent of the reporting of overall immediate breast reconstruction rates and of racial disparities differs significantly among databases. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample and the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program report similar findings, with the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database reporting results significantly lower in several categories. These findings suggest that use of the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database may not be universally generalizable to the entire U.S.

Comprehensive molecular profiling of 718 Multiple Myelomas reveals significant differences in mutation frequencies between African and European descent cases

PubMed Central

Christofferson, Austin; Aldrich, Jessica; Jewell, Scott; Kittles, Rick A.; Derome, Mary; Craig, David Wesley; Carpten, John D.

2017-01-01

Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell malignancy with significantly greater incidence and mortality rates among African Americans (AA) compared to Caucasians (CA). The overall goal of this study is to elucidate differences in molecular alterations in MM as a function of self-reported race and genetic ancestry. Our study utilized somatic whole exome, RNA-sequencing, and correlated clinical data from 718 MM patients from the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation CoMMpass study Interim Analysis 9. Somatic mutational analyses based upon self-reported race corrected for ancestry revealed significant differences in mutation frequency between groups. Of interest, BCL7A, BRWD3, and AUTS2 demonstrate significantly higher mutation frequencies among AA cases. These genes are all involved in translocations in B-cell malignancies. Moreover, we detected a significant difference in mutation frequency of TP53 and IRF4 with frequencies higher among CA cases. Our study provides rationale for interrogating diverse tumor cohorts to best understand tumor genomics across populations. PMID:29166413

Health disparities among common subcultural identities of young gay men: physical, mental, and sexual health.

PubMed

Lyons, Anthony; Hosking, Warwick

2014-11-01

Researchers, policymakers, and health agencies have tended to treat gay men as a relatively homogeneous population, with little attention given to its many subcultural identities. In this study, we focused on young gay men and investigated a range of health-related differences according to common subcultural identities, such as Bear, Cub, and Twink. In a nationwide cross-sectional online survey of 1,034 Australian gay men aged 18-39 years, 44% reported a subcultural identity, the two most common being Cub (9%) and Twink (20%). Logistic and linear regression analyses compared Cub- and Twink-identified men and those without a subcultural identity (Non-identified) on a range of health-related outcomes. After adjusting for differences in age and body mass index (BMI), Twink-identified men had the highest risk profile overall, including significantly higher rates of smoking tobacco and alcohol consumption. They were also significantly more likely to report engaging in receptive anal sex. In addition, Cub-identified men were significantly more likely to report being in an ongoing relationship while Non-identified men were significantly less likely to report experiences of discrimination in the past 12 months. Differences on measures of mental health between the three groups were no longer significant after adjusting for age and BMI. In summary, we found numerous health-related differences according to subcultural identity that warrant further investigation by researchers, health agencies, and others concerned with further understanding and addressing health-related challenges of gay men.

Boys’ and Girls’ Relational and Physical Aggression in Nine Countries

PubMed Central

Lansford, Jennifer E.; Skinner, Ann T.; Sorbring, Emma; Di Giunta, Laura; Deater-Deckard, Kirby; Dodge, Kenneth A.; Malone, Patrick S.; Oburu, Paul; Pastorelli, Concetta; Tapanya, Sombat; Tirado, Liliana Maria Uribe; Zelli, Arnaldo; Al-Hassan, Suha M.; Alampay, Liane Peña; Bacchini, Dario; Bombi, Anna Silvia; Bornstein, Marc H.; Chang, Lei

2012-01-01

Distinguishing between relational and physical aggression has become a key feature of many developmental studies in North America and Western Europe, but very little information is available on relational aggression in more diverse cultural contexts. This study examined the factor structure of, gender differences in, and associations between relational and physical aggression in China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and the United States. Children ages 7 to 10 years (N = 1410) reported on their relationally and physically aggressive behavior. Relational and physical aggression shared a common factor structure across countries. Unsurprisingly, boys reported being more physically aggressive than girls across all nine countries; surprisingly, there were no significant gender differences in relational aggression. In all nine countries, relational and physical aggression were significantly correlated (average r = .49). The countries differed significantly in the mean levels of both relational and physical aggression that children reported using and with respect to whether children reported using more physical than relational aggression or more relational than physical aggression. Despite mean level differences in relational and physical aggression across countries, the findings provided support for cross-country similarities in associations between relational and physical aggression, as well as links between gender and aggression. PMID:23935227

Age-related gender differences in reporting ictal fear: analysis of case histories and review of the literature.

PubMed

Chiesa, Valentina; Gardella, Elena; Tassi, Laura; Canger, Raffaele; Lo Russo, Giorgio; Piazzini, Ada; Turner, Katherine; Canevini, Maria Paola

2007-12-01

To determine if there are age or gender-related differences in reporting fear as a symptom of epileptic seizure, all clinical charts of patients evaluated at the "C. Munari - Epilepsy Surgery Center" of Milan from 1990 to June 2005 were analyzed, looking for patients with ictal fear. Among the 2,530 clinical charts examined (1,330 male and 1,200 female), 265 patients were found with ictal fear (100 men, 165 women). The gender difference in reporting ictal fear was not so marked in the pediatric age group (98 girls, 74 boys), whereas in adult patients the difference was significant (158 women, 83 men). Interestingly, more men than women (14:3) had ictal fear during childhood that disappeared during adulthood. The literature review confirmed that ictal fear is significantly more common in women, though there is no gender difference in the pediatric age group.

Dating Competence as Related to Levels of Loneliness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prisbell, Marshall

1988-01-01

Investigates relationships between dating competence and loneliness. Concludes that individuals with low loneliness reported significantly greater skills in dating, proximity, satisfaction in dating, and frequency of dating. Reports no significant differences between individuals with high and low levels of loneliness on apprehension about dating,…

Prevalence of normoglycemic, prediabetic and diabetic A1c levels

PubMed Central

Aponte, Judith

2013-01-01

AIM: To investigate normoglycemic, prediabetic and diabetic A1c levels in those with prediabetes; and prediabetic and diabetic A1c levels in those with non-prediabetes. METHODS: The National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2008 and NHANES 2009-2010 were utilized to examine and compare trends and differences among five different ethnic groups (Mexican Americans, Other Hispanics, Non-Hispanic Whites, Non-Hispanic Blacks, Other/Multi-racials) with normoglycemic, prediabetic and diabetic A1c levels with self-reported prediabetes and prediabetic and diabetic A1c levels in those with self-reported non-prediabetes. Sample participants of the five ethnic groups were limited to those 20 years of age and older, who had completed the diabetes questionnaire and had A1c measured. Descriptive statistics were computed for all variables. χ2 were performed on all five ethnic groups to examine significant differences of normoglycemic, prediabetic and diabetic A1c levels in those with self-reported prediabetes, and prediabetic and diabetic A1c levels in those with self-reported non-prediabetes. RESULTS: This study demonstrates that of the five different ethnic groups from NHANES 2007-2008 to NHANES 2009-2010, Non-Hispanic Whites (6.5% increase) and Non-Hispanic Blacks (0.2% increase) were the only two groups with an increase in the number of self-reported prediabetes. Although the overall percentage of Mexican Americans who self-reported prediabetes had remained the same (5%) from NHANES 2007-2008 to NHANES 2009-2010, χ2 analysis showed significant differences when examining the different ranges of A1c levels (normoglycemic, prediabetic and diabetic). Among Mexican Americans who self-reported prediabetes, normoglycemic (P = 0.0001) and diabetic (P = 0.0001) A1c levels from NHANES 2007-2008 to NHANES 2009-2010. For Non-Hispanic Whites who self-reported prediabetes, prediabetic (P = 0.0222); and diabetic (P ≤ 0.0001) A1c levels from NHANES 2007-2008 to NHANES 2009-2010. For Non-Hispanic Blacks who self-reported prediabetes, there were significant differences (P = 0.0001) for all A1c levels (normoglycemic, prediabetic and diabetic A1c levels). For Other/Multi-racials with self-reported prediabetes there was significant differences in those with normoglycemic (P = 0.0104) and diabetic (P = 0.0067) A1c levels from NHANES 2007-2008 to NHANES 2009-2010. For all combined ethnic groups who self-reported not having prediabetes (non-prediabetes), 19.9% of those in NHANES 2007-2008 and 22.4% in the NHANES 2009-2010 showed to have prediabetic A1c levels. When separately examining each of the five ethnic groups who self-reported not having prediabetes, all showed an increase in those with prediabetic A1c levels from NHANES 2007-2008 to NHANES 2009-2010. Through χ2 analysis, all five ethnic groups who self-reported not having prediabetes showed significant differences (P < 0.0001) in all A1c levels (normoglycemic, prediabetic and diabetic) from NHANES 2007-2008 to NHANES 2009-2010. CONCLUSION: The findings highlight the need of prediabetes awareness and of education in the community as ways to reduce the number of people with prediabetes. PMID:24379926

Measuring changes in lipid and blood glucose values in the health and wellness program of Prudential Financial, Inc.

PubMed

Short, Meghan E; Goetzel, Ron Z; Young, Jared S; Kowlessar, Niranjana M; Liss-Levinson, Rivka C; Tabrizi, Maryam J; Roemer, Enid Chung; Sabatelli, Adriano A; Winick, Keith; Montes, Myrtho; Crighton, K Andrew

2010-08-01

To determine the effect of health promotion programs of Prudential Financial, Inc on biometric measures of blood lipids and glucose. Using actual biometric and self-reported measures of blood lipids and glucose values for the employees of Prudential Financial, Inc, we examined 1) the extent to which self-reported lipid and blood glucose values correlate to laboratory data, 2) whether self-reported and measured lipid values differ for physically active and sedentary employees, and 3) whether participation in a disease management program affects employees' lipid measures. We found significant differences in self-reported and measured total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein values, although these differences and those for all lipid and blood glucose values were not clinically meaningful. Supporting previous clinical studies, high-density lipoprotein values were significantly higher for fitness center users compared with sedentary employees. Finally, disease management participants showed a significant reduction in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein during a 3-year period compared with nonparticipants. On average, the employees of Prudential Financial, Inc were aware of and accurately reported their lipid and blood glucose levels. Results from this study support the value of evaluating corporate health promotion programs, using measured biometric outcomes.

Discord of Biological and Psychological Measures in a Group of Depressed African American and White Cancer Patients

PubMed Central

Zhang, Amy Y

2011-01-01

Objective: This study examined racial differences in the self-report of depressive symptoms by reference to biological states. Methods: The study used a convenience sample of 20 depressed cancer patients (CES-D ≥16) (15 African Americans and 5 Whites). Subjects completed depression assessment on a battery of psychological measures and provided blood and saliva samples. Laboratory tests were performed on biomarkers (serotonin, cortisol and IL-6). T-test was computed to examine racial differences on biological and psychological measures. Results: Depressed Whites had a significantly higher cortisol level than depressed African Americans, but no significant group difference was found on any self-reported psychological measures of depression. There was a trend that African Americans reported fewer depressive symptoms on psychological measures but exceeded Whites on the domain of somatization; however, such group differences did not approach statistic significance in this small sample. Conclusion: African Americans did not appear to underreport depression in consideration of their biological states, but had a tendency to report more somatic symptoms than Whites; this may be attributable to non-depression diseases or reporting behavior rather than somatic sensitivity. African Americans exhibited more mistrust in the health care system, which could affect the self-report of depression. There is a discord between biological and psychological measures of depression. Biomarkers prove to be useful for evaluating racial difference in the self-report of depression. Implication for Nursing: Nurses should be cautious of somatic complaints when assessing African American cancer patient’s depression. Establishing trust is essential for an accurate assessment of depression in African American cancer patients. PMID:22135714

The Role of Attention in Somatosensory Processing: A Multi-trait, Multi-method Analysis

PubMed Central

Puts, Nicolaas A. J.; Mahone, E. Mark; Edden, Richard A. E.; Tommerdahl, Mark; Mostofsky, Stewart H.

2016-01-01

Sensory processing abnormalities in autism have largely been described by parent report. This study used a multi-method (parent-report and measurement), multi-trait (tactile sensitivity and attention) design to evaluate somatosensory processing in ASD. Results showed multiple significant within-method (e.g., parent report of different traits)/cross-trait (e.g., attention and tactile sensitivity) correlations, suggesting that parent-reported tactile sensory dysfunction and performance-based tactile sensitivity describe different behavioral phenomena. Additionally, both parent-reported tactile functioning and performance-based tactile sensitivity measures were significantly associated with measures of attention. Findings suggest that sensory (tactile) processing abnormalities in ASD are multifaceted, and may partially reflect a more global deficit in behavioral regulation (including attention). Challenges of relying solely on parent-report to describe sensory difficulties faced by children/families with ASD are also highlighted. PMID:27448580

Does yoga shape body, mind and spiritual health and happiness: Differences between yoga practitioners and college students.

PubMed

Monk-Turner, Elizabeth; Turner, Charlie

2010-07-01

To assess the body, mind and spirit differences between yoga students compared with college students. Mind, body and spirit survey instruments administered to the two groups. Five indicators to measure mental wellness were significantly different between yoga practitioners and college students. On three of these five measures, college students reported more mental wellness than yoga practitioners - in other words, the relationship was the inverse of what was expected. College students reported maintaining stability in their life more often than yoga practitioners as well as more often experiencing satisfying interpersonal relationships. College students were also more likely than yoga practitioners to report being tolerant of others, whether or not they approved of their behavior or beliefs. Yoga practitioners were more likely than college students to report having strong morals and healthy values as well as the ability to express their feelings and consider the feelings of others. We found differences between yoga practitioners and college students on more than half of our spirit items (five of nine). Yoga practitioners were more likely than college students to report expressing their spirituality appropriately and in healthy ways, recognizing the positive contribution faith could make to the quality of life (significant at the 0.07 level), routinely undertaking new experiences to enhance spiritual health and having a positive outlook on life. Further, we found support for the proposition that yoga practitioners were more likely to report experiencing happiness within. Significant differences between yoga and college students were found on the body, mind and spirit measurement instrument. Further work needs to address the complexities of these relationships.

Peer support of complex health behaviors in prevention and disease management with special reference to diabetes: systematic reviews.

PubMed

Fisher, Edwin B; Boothroyd, Renée I; Elstad, Emily A; Hays, Laura; Henes, Amy; Maslow, Gary R; Velicer, Clayton

2017-01-01

Examine Peer Support (PS) for complex, sustained health behaviors in prevention or disease management with emphasis on diabetes prevention and management. PS was defined as emotional, motivational and practical assistance provided by nonprofessionals for complex health behaviors. Initial review examined 65 studies drawn from 1442 abstracts identified through PubMed, published 1/1/2000-7/15/2011. From this search, 24 reviews were also identified. Extension of the search in diabetes identified 30 studies published 1/1/2000-12/31/2015. In initial review, 54 of all 65 studies (83.1%) reported significant impacts of PS, 40 (61.5%) reporting between-group differences and another 14 (21.5%) reporting significant within-group changes. Across 19 of 24 reviews providing quantifiable findings, a median of 64.5% of studies reviewed reported significant effects of PS. In extended review of diabetes, 26 of all 30 studies (86.7%) reported significant impacts of PS, 17 (56.7%) reporting between-group differences and another nine (30.0%) reporting significant within-group changes. Among 19 of these 30 reporting HbA1c data, average reduction was 0.76 points. Studies that did not find effects of PS included other sources of support, implementation or methodological problems, lack of acceptance of interventions, poor fit to recipient needs, and possible harm of unmoderated PS. Across diverse settings, including under-resourced countries and health care systems, PS is effective in improving complex health behaviors in disease prevention and management including in diabetes.

Self-report measures in the study of comorbidity in children and adolescents with social phobia: research and clinical utility.

PubMed

Viana, Andres G; Rabian, Brian; Beidel, Deborah C

2008-06-01

We examined differences in self-reported anxiety and depression according to the number and pattern of DSM-IV comorbid diagnoses in 172 children and adolescents (mean age=11.87, S.D.=2.67; range=7-17) with a primary diagnosis of social phobia. Three hypotheses were tested: (1) children with comorbid anxiety disorders would show significantly higher scores than children with social phobia-only on self-report measures, (2) self-report measures would significantly differentiate between children with social phobia and comorbid internalizing versus externalizing disorders, and (3) self-report measures would significantly differentiate children according to the type of anxiety comorbidities present. Multinomial logistic regressions showed that children with three anxiety disorders scored significantly higher than children with one and two diagnoses on two of three self-report measures used. Logistic regressions revealed that children's scores on measures did not differ according to the nature of the comorbid diagnoses (internalizing vs. externalizing). Finally, ROC curves showed that the MASC and the SPAI-C accurately classified children with additional diagnoses of SAD and GAD, respectively. The potential of self-report measures to further our understanding of childhood anxiety comorbidity and the clinical implications of their use to screen for comorbidity are discussed along with suggestions for further study.

Self-report measures among transplant candidates: the impact of evaluative situations.

PubMed

Putzke, J D; Boll, T J; Williams, M A; Benza, R C; Kirklin, J K; McGiffin, D C

2001-03-01

Experiment 1 was a between-subjects design comparing transplant candidates completing self-report measures under an evaluative versus an anonymous research condition. A cardiac disease group and a healthy community group served as controls. Transplant candidates in the anonymous research condition reported significantly more depression, anxiety, and negative affectivity as compared with transplant candidates in the evaluative condition and community controls. In contrast, the evaluative transplant group (a) did not differ from the community controls on any of the self-report measures, and (b) reported significantly less depression than cardiac disease controls. Experiment 2 was a within-subjects design with transplant candidates completing self-report measures under both an evaluative and an anonymous research condition. Significantly greater anxiety was reported under the anonymous research condition. Social desirability was significantly related to change in self-reported anxiety and depression across conditions, but was unrelated to change in endorsement of personality characteristics.

Socially Desirable Responding and College Students with Dyslexia: Implications for the Assessment of Anxiety and Depression.

PubMed

Nelson, Jason M; Liebel, Spencer W

2018-02-01

We investigated self-reported depressive and anxiety-related symptoms among college students with dyslexia, with emphasis on the role of socially desirable responding (SDR) in understanding these reports. Analyses included examination of differences in self-reported depressive symptoms, anxiety-related symptoms, and SDR. We also examined the relationships among SDR, depressive symptoms, anxiety-related symptoms, and reading skills. Participants with dyslexia demonstrated significantly higher SDR than did participants without dyslexia, and higher SDR was significantly associated with lower self-reported depressive and anxiety-related symptoms. Moreover, higher SDR was significantly associated with lower reading skills. There was no group difference on anxiety-related symptoms, but participants with dyslexia had higher depressive symptoms than did participants without dyslexia when SDR was controlled. Implications for the assessment of anxiety and depression among college students with dyslexia are discussed. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Is sexual concordance related to awareness of physiological states?

PubMed

Suschinsky, Kelly D; Lalumière, Martin L

2012-02-01

Sexual concordance refers to the degree to which two aspects of human sexual arousal (genital response and self-reported sexual arousal) correspond with each other. Researchers have consistently reported a sex difference in sexual concordance: The relationship between genital responses and reported feelings of sexual arousal in men is positive and large, whereas the relationship in women is positive but much smaller than that seen in men. The study of interoception--people's awareness of their physiological states--reveals a similar sex difference: Men are more aware of a variety of (non-genital) responses (e.g., heart rate) than women in the laboratory. The purpose of the current study was to investigate whether the sex difference in sexual concordance was related to a broader sex difference in interoception. Twenty men and 20 women were presented with twelve 90 s sexual and non-sexual film clips while their genital responses, heart rate, and respiration rate were measured. Participants also estimated their physiological responses. As expected, men were significantly more sexually concordant than women. Men were also significantly more aware of their heart rate, but there was no significant sex difference in respiration rate awareness. Sexual concordance was not significantly correlated with either heart rate or respiration rate awareness. The results suggest that the sex difference in sexual concordance may be a unique phenomenon, separate from general awareness of physiological states.

Racial/Ethnic Differences in Self-Reported and Biologic Measures of Chronic Stress in Pregnancy

PubMed Central

Borders, Ann E.B.; Wolfe, Kaitlin; Qadir, Sameen; Kim, Kwang-Youn; Holl, Jane; Grobman, William

2015-01-01

Objective Racial differences in chronic maternal stress may contribute to disparities in pregnancy outcomes. The objective is to identify racial and ethnic differences in self-reported and biologic measures of stress between non-Hispanic black (NHB) and non-Hispanic white (NHW) pregnant women. Study Design NHB and NHW pregnant women were enrolled prior to 23 weeks gestation in this prospective cohort study. Equal numbers of women were recruited with public versus private insurance in each racial group. Self-reported stress was measured and blood samples collected in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters were analyzed for serum Epstein - Barr virus (EBV) antibody, C - reactive protein (CRP), corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), and adenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). Results 112 women were enrolled. NHW women reported more buffers against stress (p=0.04) and neighborhood satisfaction (p=0.02). NHB women reported more discrimination (p<0.001), food insecurity (p=0.04) and had significantly higher mean CRP levels and mean ACTH levels in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. Conclusion Significant differences in self-reported and biologic measures of chronic stress were identified between NHB and NHW pregnant women with similar economic characteristics. Future studies should investigate mechanisms underlying these differences and their relationship to pregnancy outcomes. PMID:25789817

Ethnic differences in medicinal plant use among University students: a cross-sectional survey of self-reported medicinal plant use at two Midwest Universities.

PubMed

Craft, Rachel; McClure, Katrina C; Corbett, Steven; Ferreira, Maria Pontes; Stiffarm, Ashley M; Kindscher, Kelly

2015-06-23

Numerous surveys of medicinal plant use among college students abound, but none compare use between students enrolled in two different Universities with significantly different ethnic compositions. The objective of this study is to compare medicinal plant use between two different ethnic college populations and explore differences between student medicinal plant users and non-users for comparison with previous research. Students (n = 721) at a large research university (n = 498) and a Pan-Tribal University for Native Americans (n = 233) completed surveys in October 2011 to assess past year medicinal plant use. The Mann-Whitney U test, Chi Square test, and General Linear Model were used to compare demographics and self-reported use of medicinal plants among students at both Universities and between past year users and non-users. Over 23% of university students surveyed reported past year medicinal plant use. Users were more likely to use commercial tobacco products and to report poorer health than non-users. While Native American student medicinal plant users reported significantly higher rates of commercial tobacco use, lower self-assessment of health, and less use of prescription medicine than non-Native users, no significant differences in prevalence of medicinal plant use were found between University student populations. Results are consistent with preexisting data showing higher rates of medicinal plant use among college students compared to the larger US population of adults and demonstrate previously documented health disparities in Native American populations compared to non-Native Americans.

Negative life events of anxiety disordered children: bad fortune, vulnerability, or reporter bias?

PubMed

Boer, Frits; Markus, Monica T; Maingay, Ragna; Lindhout, Ingeborg E; Borst, Sophie R; Hoogendijk, Thea H G

2002-01-01

This article seeks to examine the nature of negative life events of anxiety-disordered children: to what extent are they unique, to what extent are they shared with siblings, and when they are shared, is the impact similar or different? Twenty-five anxiety-disordered children aged 8 to 13 years, referred to a child psychiatric clinic, were compared with matched non-clinical controls, and with their nearest in age nonreferred sibling aged 6 to 13 years on the number of parent-reported stressful life events. Anxiety-disordered children differ significantly from well controls in the number of negative life events reported by their parents over their lifetime, and the year preceding referral. Anxiety disordered children also differ significantly from their non-referred nearest in age sibling in the number of negative life events, both non-shared and shared. The difference in shared events is due to differences in appraisal by the parents of the impact of a shared event on the respective children. The often reported finding that children with anxiety disorders have experienced more negative life events than their healthy peers is partially due to objective differences in the occurrence of these events, but may also reflect heightened vulnerability or reporter bias.

Validating self-reported food expenditures against food store and eating-out receipts.

PubMed

Tang, W; Aggarwal, A; Liu, Z; Acheson, M; Rehm, C D; Moudon, A V; Drewnowski, A

2016-03-01

To compare objective food store and eating-out receipts with self-reported household food expenditures. The Seattle Obesity Study II was based on a representative sample of King County adults, Washington, USA. Self-reported household food expenditures were modeled on the Flexible Consumer Behavior Survey (FCBS) Module from 2007 to 2009 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Objective food expenditure data were collected using receipts. Self-reported food expenditures for 447 participants were compared with receipts using paired t-tests, Bland-Altman plots and κ-statistics. Bias by sociodemographics was also examined. Self-reported expenditures closely matched with objective receipt data. Paired t-tests showed no significant differences between receipts and self-reported data on total food expenditures, expenditures at food stores or eating out. However, the highest-income strata showed weaker agreement. Bland-Altman plots confirmed no significant bias across both methods-mean difference: 6.4; agreement limits: -123.5 to 143.4 for total food expenditures, mean difference 5.7 for food stores and mean difference 1.7 for eating out. The κ-statistics showed good agreement for each (κ 0.51, 0.41 and 0.49 respectively. Households with higher education and income had significantly more number of receipts and higher food expenditures. Self-reported food expenditures using NHANES questions, both for food stores and eating out, serve as a decent proxy for objective household food expenditures from receipts. This method should be used with caution among high-income populations, or with high food expenditures. This is the first validation of the FCBS food expenditures question using food store and eating-out receipts.

Adolescents Transitioning to High School: Sex Differences in Bullying Victimization Associated With Depressive Symptoms, Suicide Ideation, and Suicide Attempts.

PubMed

Williams, Susan G; Langhinrichsen-Rohling, Jennifer; Wornell, Cory; Finnegan, Heather

2017-12-01

Adolescents transitioning to high school may be at greater risk of depression and suicide if they are victims of bullying behavior. This study explored sex differences in bullying victimization (physical, verbal/social, and cyberbullying) and the impact on depressive symptoms and suicidal behaviors in ninth-grade students ( N = 233). Females reported significantly more verbal/social and cyberbullying than male students. There were no significant sex differences in physical bullying; male students who reported physical bullying victimization were more likely to experience depressive symptoms. Verbal/social bullying predicted depressive symptoms in males and females. Females who reported being victims of cyberbullying were more likely to report depressive symptoms, suicide ideation, and suicide attempts. Eighteen students reported suicide attempts, and each also experienced verbal/social bullying. School nurses are positioned to reach out to transitioning students, screen for mental health issues, provide a safe place to talk about bullying experiences, and promote positive mental health.

The Relationship between Neighbourhood Green Space and Child Mental Wellbeing Depends upon Whom You Ask: Multilevel Evidence from 3083 Children Aged 12-13 Years.

PubMed

Feng, Xiaoqi; Astell-Burt, Thomas

2017-02-27

Recent reviews of the rapidly growing scientific literature on neighbourhood green space and health show strong evidence for protective and restorative effects on mental wellbeing. However, multiple informants are common when reporting mental wellbeing in studies of children. Do different informants lead to different results? This study utilised nationally representative data on Goodman's 25-item Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire reported by 3083 children (aged 12-13 years old), and their parents and teachers. Multilevel models were used to investigate whether similar associations between child mental wellbeing (as measured using the total difficulties score and the internalising and externalising subscales) and neighbourhood green space quantity and quality are obtained regardless of the informant. After adjustment for confounders, higher green space quantity and quality were associated with consistently more favourable child mental wellbeing on all three measures, regardless of the informant. However, associations with green space quantity were statistically significant ( p < 0.05) only for the parent-reported total difficulties score and the internalising subscale. Significant associations with green space quality were consistently observed for both parent- and child-reported outcomes. Teacher-reported outcomes were not significantly associated with green space exposure. Future studies of green space and child health should acknowledge when different informants of outcomes could lead to different conclusions.

The Relationship between Neighbourhood Green Space and Child Mental Wellbeing Depends upon Whom You Ask: Multilevel Evidence from 3083 Children Aged 12–13 Years

PubMed Central

Feng, Xiaoqi; Astell-Burt, Thomas

2017-01-01

Recent reviews of the rapidly growing scientific literature on neighbourhood green space and health show strong evidence for protective and restorative effects on mental wellbeing. However, multiple informants are common when reporting mental wellbeing in studies of children. Do different informants lead to different results? This study utilised nationally representative data on Goodman’s 25-item Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire reported by 3083 children (aged 12–13 years old), and their parents and teachers. Multilevel models were used to investigate whether similar associations between child mental wellbeing (as measured using the total difficulties score and the internalising and externalising subscales) and neighbourhood green space quantity and quality are obtained regardless of the informant. After adjustment for confounders, higher green space quantity and quality were associated with consistently more favourable child mental wellbeing on all three measures, regardless of the informant. However, associations with green space quantity were statistically significant (p < 0.05) only for the parent-reported total difficulties score and the internalising subscale. Significant associations with green space quality were consistently observed for both parent- and child-reported outcomes. Teacher-reported outcomes were not significantly associated with green space exposure. Future studies of green space and child health should acknowledge when different informants of outcomes could lead to different conclusions. PMID:28264461

Evaluation of the Performance of Texas Pavements Made with Different Coarse Aggregates

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-10-01

This report summarizes 23 years of work undertaken in Texas to understand the reasons for significant performance differences found in pavements placed around the state. To a significant degree, pavement performance can be predicted based on the conc...

Suicide Epidemics and Newspaper Reporting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Littmann, Sebastian K.

1985-01-01

Examines the relationship between suicide-related newspaper reports and a subway-suicide epidemic. More reports were published during the epidemic, without statistically significant differences between epidemic and nonepidemic years. There did not appear to be an excess of reports antecedent to the suicide. (Author/BL)

Noninvasive quantification of alveolar morphometry in elderly never- and ex-smokers

PubMed Central

Paulin, Gregory A; Ouriadov, Alexei; Lessard, Eric; Sheikh, Khadija; McCormack, David G; Parraga, Grace

2015-01-01

Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides a way to generate in vivo lung images with contrast sensitive to the molecular displacement of inhaled gas at subcellular length scales. Here, we aimed to evaluate hyperpolarized 3He MRI estimates of the alveolar dimensions in 38 healthy elderly never-smokers (73 ± 6 years, 15 males) and 21 elderly ex-smokers (70 ± 10 years, 14 males) with (n = 8, 77 ± 6 years) and without emphysema (n = 13, 65 ± 10 years). The ex-smoker and never-smoker subgroups were significantly different for FEV1/FVC (P = 0.0001) and DLCO (P = 0.009); while ex-smokers with emphysema reported significantly diminished FEV1/FVC (P = 0.02) and a trend toward lower DLCO (P = 0.05) than ex-smokers without emphysema. MRI apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) and CT measurements of emphysema (relative area–CT density histogram, RA950) were significantly different (P = 0.001 and P = 0.007) for never-smoker and ex-smoker subgroups. In never-smokers, the MRI estimate of mean linear intercept (260 ± 27 μm) was significantly elevated as compared to the results previously reported in younger never-smokers (210 ± 30 μm), and trended smaller than in the age-matched ex-smokers (320 ± 72 μm, P = 0.06) evaluated here. Never-smokers also reported significantly smaller internal (220 ± 24 μm, P = 0.01) acinar radius but greater alveolar sheath thickness (120 ± 4 μm, P < 0.0001) than ex-smokers. Never-smokers were also significantly different than ex-smokers without emphysema for alveolar sheath thickness but not ADC, while ex-smokers with emphysema reported significantly different ADC but not alveolar sheath thickness compared to ex-smokers without CT evidence of emphysema. Differences in alveolar measurements in never- and ex-smokers demonstrate the sensitivity of MRI measurements to the different effects of smoking and aging on acinar morphometry. PMID:26462748

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children with chronic liver disease in North East Iran using PedsQL™ 4.0.

PubMed

Tehranian, Shahrzad; Jafari, Seyedali; Yousofi, Jamshid; Kiani, Mohammadali; Seyedin, Saleh; Khakshour, Ali; Bagherian, Rita; Karami, Hasan; Kianifar, Hamidreza

2015-08-01

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is a concept that relates to an individual's perception of health status in relation to the culture and value systems in which they live, in addition to their expectations, goals, concerns, and living standards. Considering the size of the population affected by Chronic Liver Diseases (CLDs) and the severity and chronic nature of the symptoms, there is an emerging need to evaluate the quality of life of patients using a standard protocol. The aim of this study is to assess the HRQOL in children with CLD based on child self-report and parent proxy-report forms. A total of 164 children, 55 CLD and 109 healthy children (aged 6-17 years), upon referral from the Pediatric Department at Ghaem Hospital in Mashhad from 2010 to 2014 were enrolled in this case-control study. We used the PedsQL(TM) 4.0 generic score scale to assess the HRQOL in children with CLD compared to the control group based on child self- and parent proxy reports. According to the child self-reports, the total HRQOL in the case group (89.93±9.63) was significantly lower than control group (93.05±9.28) (p=0.006). We found significant differences in emotional functioning based on the CLD child self-reports (p=0.001) and their parent proxy-reports (p=0.002). Furthermore, there was a statistically significant correlation between the severity and physical functioning as reported by the Child-Pugh score (p=0.03, r= -0.31) and the MELD/PELD scores (p=0.01, r= -0.35), based on child self-reports. Gender, age of onset, CLD types, duration of the disease, and treatment showed no significant differences with total HRQOL. HRQOL is significantly lower in children with CLD in comparison to the normal population. We strongly recommend considering different aspects of quality of life, especially emotional functioning concomitant to the therapy programs.

Patients With Fibromyalgia Have Significant Autonomic Symptoms But Modest Autonomic Dysfunction.

PubMed

Vincent, Ann; Whipple, Mary O; Low, Phillip A; Joyner, Michael; Hoskin, Tanya L

2016-05-01

Research suggests that disordered autonomic function may be one contributor to deconditioning reported in fibromyalgia; however, no study to date has assessed these variables simultaneously with comprehensive measures. To characterize physical fitness and autonomic function with the use of clinically validated measures and subjective questionnaires between patients with fibromyalgia and healthy controls. Cross-sectional, observational, controlled study. Community sample of patients with fibromyalgia and healthy controls. Thirty patients with fibromyalgia and 30 pain and fatigue-free controls. Participants completed a battery of self-report questionnaires and physiological measures, including clinically validated measures of physical fitness and autonomic function. Six-Minute Walk Test total distance, maximal oxygen consumption as assessed by cardiopulmonary exercise testing, total steps using activity monitor, Composite Autonomic Scoring Scale as assessed by Autonomic Reflex Screen, total metabolic equivalents per week using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and self-reported autonomic symptoms via the 31-item Composite Autonomic Symptom Score questionnaire. Autonomic function, as assessed by self-report, was significantly different between patients and controls (P < .0001); in contrast, the only difference between patients and controls on the Autonomic Reflex Screen was in the adrenergic domain (P = .022), and these abnormalities were mild. Self-reported physical activity was not significantly different between patients and controls (P = .99), but levels of moderate and vigorous physical activity as measured by actigraphy were significantly lower in patients (P = .012 and P = .047, respectively). Exercise capacity (6-Minute Walk) was poorer in patients (P = .0006), but there was no significant difference in maximal volume of oxygen consumption (P = .07). Patients with fibromyalgia report more severe symptoms across all domains, including physical activity and autonomic symptoms, compared with controls, but the objective assessments only showed modest differences. Our results suggest that patients with widespread subjective impairment of function have only modest objective measures of autonomic dysfunction. We recommend that the primary treatment goal should be focused on restoration of function, which may also ameliorate symptoms. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Patients with Fibromyalgia Have Significant Autonomic Symptoms but Modest Autonomic Dysfunction

PubMed Central

Vincent, Ann; Whipple, Mary O.; Low, Phillip A.; Joyner, Michael; Hoskin, Tanya L.

2015-01-01

Background Research suggests that disordered autonomic function may be one contributor to deconditioning reported in fibromyalgia, however no study to date has simultaneously assessed these variables utilizing comprehensive measures. Objective To characterize physical fitness and autonomic function using clinically validated measures and subjective questionnaires between patients with fibromyalgia and healthy controls. Design Cross-sectional, observational, controlled study Setting Community sample of patients with fibromyalgia and healthy controls Participants 30 patients with fibromyalgia and 30 pain and fatigue-free controls Methods: Participants completed a battery of self-report questionnaires and physiological measures including clinically validated measures of physical fitness and autonomic function. Main Outcome Measurements 6 Minute Walk Test total distance, VO2 max as assessed by cardiopulmonary exercise testing, total steps using activity monitor, Composite Autonomic Scoring Scale as assessed by Autonomic Reflex Screen, total metabolic equivalents per week using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and self-reported autonomic symptoms using the 31-item Composite Autonomic Symptom Score questionnaire. Results Autonomic function, as assessed by self-report, was significantly different between patients and controls (p<.0001); in contrast, the only difference between patients and controls on the Autonomic Reflex Screen was in the adrenergic domain (p=.022), and these abnormalities were mild. Self-reported physical activity was not significantly different between patients and controls (p=.99), but levels of moderate and vigorous physical activity as measured by actigraphy, were significantly lower in patients (p=.012 and p=.047, respectively). Exercise capacity (6 Minute Walk) was poorer in patients (p=.0006), but there was no significant difference in maximal volume of oxygen consumption (p=.07). Conclusions Patients with fibromyalgia report more severe symptoms across all domains including physical activity and autonomic symptoms when compared to controls, but the objective assessments only showed modest differences. Our results suggest that patients with widespread subjective impairment of function have only modest objective measures of autonomic dysfunction. We recommend that the primary treatment goal should be focused on restoration of function which may also ameliorate symptoms. PMID:26314231

A surge of p-values between 0.041 and 0.049 in recent decades (but negative results are increasing rapidly too)

PubMed Central

Dodou, Dimitra

2015-01-01

It is known that statistically significant (positive) results are more likely to be published than non-significant (negative) results. However, it has been unclear whether any increasing prevalence of positive results is stronger in the “softer” disciplines (social sciences) than in the “harder” disciplines (physical sciences), and whether the prevalence of negative results is decreasing over time. Using Scopus, we searched the abstracts of papers published between 1990 and 2013, and measured longitudinal trends of multiple expressions of positive versus negative results, including p-values between 0.041 and 0.049 versus p-values between 0.051 and 0.059, textual reporting of “significant difference” versus “no significant difference,” and the reporting of p < 0.05 versus p > 0.05. We found no support for a “hierarchy of sciences” with physical sciences at the top and social sciences at the bottom. However, we found large differences in reporting practices between disciplines, with p-values between 0.041 and 0.049 over 1990–2013 being 65.7 times more prevalent in the biological sciences than in the physical sciences. The p-values near the significance threshold of 0.05 on either side have both increased but with those p-values between 0.041 and 0.049 having increased to a greater extent (2013-to-1990 ratio of the percentage of papers = 10.3) than those between 0.051 and 0.059 (ratio = 3.6). Contradictorily, p < 0.05 has increased more slowly than p > 0.05 (ratios = 1.4 and 4.8, respectively), while the use of “significant difference” has shown only a modest increase compared to “no significant difference” (ratios = 1.5 and 1.1, respectively). We also compared reporting of significance in the United States, Asia, and Europe and found that the results are too inconsistent to draw conclusions on cross-cultural differences in significance reporting. We argue that the observed longitudinal trends are caused by negative factors, such as an increase of questionable research practices, but also by positive factors, such as an increase of quantitative research and structured reporting. PMID:25650272

Chinese and US Middle-School Science Teachers' Autonomy, Motivation, and Instructional Practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robertson, Laura; Jones, M. Gail

2013-06-01

This study examined Chinese and US middle-school science teachers' perceptions of autonomy support. Previous research has documented the link between teachers' perceptions of autonomy and the use of student-oriented teaching practices for US teachers. But is not clear how the perception of autonomy may differ for teachers from different cultures or more specifically how motivation factors differ across cultures. The survey measured teachers' motivation, perceptions of constraints at work, perceptions of students' motivation, and level of autonomy support for students. Exploratory factor analysis of responses for the combined teacher sample (n = 201) was carried out for each of the survey assessments. Significance testing for Chinese (n = 107) and US (n = 94) teachers revealed significant differences in teachers' motivation and perceptions of constraints at work and no significant differences for perceptions of students' motivation or their level of autonomy support for students. Chinese teachers' perceptions of constraints at work, work motivation, and perceptions of student motivation were found to significantly predict teachers' autonomy support. For the US teachers, teacher motivation was the only significant predictor of teachers' autonomy support. A sub-sample of teachers (n = 19) was interviewed and results showed that teachers in both countries reported that autonomy was important to their motivation and the quality of science instruction they provided to students. The primary constraints on teaching reported by the US teachers related to materials and laboratory space while the Chinese teachers reported constraints related to the science curriculum and standards.

Sex Differences in the Association of Urinary Concentrations of Phthalates Metabolites with Self-Reported Diabetes and Cardiovascular Diseases in Shanghai Adults.

PubMed

Dong, Ruihua; Zhao, Shanzhen; Zhang, Han; Chen, Jingsi; Zhang, Meiru; Wang, Min; Wu, Min; Li, Shuguang; Chen, Bo

2017-06-05

Phthalate exposure was reported to be associated with diabetes mellitus (DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Yet, reported associations and the potential sex differences are inconsistent. We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 2330 participants in the Fall of 2012. Urinary metabolites of 10 phthalates were measured. The status of having DM and CVD-related outcomes were self-reported. In the overall study population, the logistic regression analyses showed that the urinary levels of mono-2-ethyl-5-oxohexyphthalate (MEOHP), mono-2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexylphthalate(MEHHP) and mono-2-ethyl-5-carboxypentylphthalate (MECPP) were positively associated with DM. Higher urinary levels of monomethyl phthalate (MMP) and mono-2-carboxymethyl-hexyl phthalate (MCMHP) were associated with increased odds of hyperlipidemia, while mono-2-ethylhexylphthalate (MEHP) was significantly inverse-associated with hyperlipidemia. We did not observe significant associations for other CVD-related outcomes with phthalate metabolites. When stratifying by sex, MEHHP, MEOHP, MECPP, MCMHP and the micromolar sums of the oxidative metabolites of DEHP (ΣDEHP ox ) were all significantly related to DM in males, but not in females. No significant sex differences were found in CVD-related outcomes, except the sporadic associations between phthalates and hyperlipidemia. These findings highlight the importance of investigating the sex-specific relationship between phthalates exposure and DM.

Population based allele frequencies of disease associated polymorphisms in the Personalized Medicine Research Project.

PubMed

Cross, Deanna S; Ivacic, Lynn C; Stefanski, Elisha L; McCarty, Catherine A

2010-06-17

There is a lack of knowledge regarding the frequency of disease associated polymorphisms in populations and population attributable risk for many populations remains unknown. Factors that could affect the association of the allele with disease, either positively or negatively, such as race, ethnicity, and gender, may not be possible to determine without population based allele frequencies.Here we used a panel of 51 polymorphisms previously associated with at least one disease and determined the allele frequencies within the entire Personalized Medicine Research Project population based cohort. We compared these allele frequencies to those in dbSNP and other data sources stratified by race. Differences in allele frequencies between self reported race, region of origin, and sex were determined. There were 19544 individuals who self reported a single racial category, 19027 or (97.4%) self reported white Caucasian, and 11205 (57.3%) individuals were female. Of the 11,208 (57%) individuals with an identifiable region of origin 8337 or (74.4%) were German.41 polymorphisms were significantly different between self reported race at the 0.05 level. Stratification of our Caucasian population by self reported region of origin revealed 19 polymorphisms that were significantly different (p = 0.05) between individuals of different origins. Further stratification of the population by gender revealed few significant differences in allele frequencies between the genders. This represents one of the largest population based allele frequency studies to date. Stratification by self reported race and region of origin revealed wide differences in allele frequencies not only by race but also by region of origin within a single racial group. We report allele frequencies for our Asian/Hmong and American Indian populations; these two minority groups are not typically selected for population allele frequency detection. Population wide allele frequencies are important for the design and implementation of studies and for determining the relevance of a disease associated polymorphism for a given population.

Radiological reporting that combine continuous speech recognition with error correction by transcriptionists.

PubMed

Ichikawa, Tamaki; Kitanosono, Takashi; Koizumi, Jun; Ogushi, Yoichi; Tanaka, Osamu; Endo, Jun; Hashimoto, Takeshi; Kawada, Shuichi; Saito, Midori; Kobayashi, Makiko; Imai, Yutaka

2007-12-20

We evaluated the usefulness of radiological reporting that combines continuous speech recognition (CSR) and error correction by transcriptionists. Four transcriptionists (two with more than 10 years' and two with less than 3 months' transcription experience) listened to the same 100 dictation files and created radiological reports using conventional transcription and a method that combined CSR with manual error correction by the transcriptionists. We compared the 2 groups using the 2 methods for accuracy and report creation time and evaluated the transcriptionists' inter-personal dependence on accuracy rate and report creation time. We used a CSR system that did not require the training of the system to recognize the user's voice. We observed no significant difference in accuracy between the 2 groups and 2 methods that we tested, though transcriptionists with greater experience transcribed faster than those with less experience using conventional transcription. Using the combined method, error correction speed was not significantly different between two groups of transcriptionists with different levels of experience. Combining CSR and manual error correction by transcriptionists enabled convenient and accurate radiological reporting.

Body dysmorphic symptoms: phenomenology and ethnicity.

PubMed

Marques, Luana; LeBlanc, Nicole; Weingarden, Hilary; Greenberg, Jennifer L; Traeger, Lara N; Keshaviah, Aparna; Wilhelm, Sabine

2011-03-01

Differences in the presentation of clinical features of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) across ethnic groups have received little investigation. The current study assessed BDD symptoms in an ethnically diverse sample of adults (n=401) using an online survey. Participants completed self-report measures assessing BDD symptoms, body parts of concern and BDD behaviors. Compared to Caucasian participants, no significant differences were found in body parts or behaviors reported by Latino or African American participants. Significant group differences did emerge between Asian and Caucasian participants. Specifically, Asians reported more concern with straight hair and dark skin and fewer body shape concerns than Caucasians. Asians also endorsed lower rates of grooming, touching body parts, and camouflaging and higher rates of exercise compared to Caucasians. Although most clinical features of BDD appear similar across ethnic groups, results showed some differences in body parts and behaviors between Caucasians and Asian Americans with BDD symptoms. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Impact of Worksite Clinics on Teacher Healthcare Utilization and Cost, Self-reported Health Status, and Student Academic Achievement growth in a Public School District.

PubMed

Engberg, John B; Harris-Shapiro, Jon; Hines, David; McCarver, Patti; Liu, Harry H

2018-05-29

To examine the impact of worksite clinics on healthcare utilization and cost, self-reported health status, and student achievement growth in a public school district. We used insurance claims, health risk assessment, and student achievement growth data for active teachers during 2007-2015. A difference-in-differences approach was applied to measure the impact of worksite clinics. Compared to using a community-based clinic as the usual source of primary care, using a worksite clinic was associated with significantly lower inpatient admissions (53 vs. 31 per 1,000 teacher years), annual healthcare cost ($5,043 vs. $4,298 in 2016 US dollars, a difference of $62 per teacher per month), and annual absent work hours (63 vs. 61). No significant differences were detected in self-reported health status or student achievement growth. Worksite clinics reduce teacher healthcare cost and absenteeism.

Correlates of Bulimia Nervosa: Early Family Mealtime Experiences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Debra A. F.; And Others

1993-01-01

Examined relationship of early mealtime experiences to later bulimia in 128 female college students. Found significant group differences among bulimics, nonbulimics, and repeat dieters on early meal experience questionnaire, with bulimic group reporting most negative and unusual experiences. Found significant differences among groups on depression…

Effects of a father-based in-home intervention on perceived stress and family dynamics in parents of children with autism.

PubMed

Bendixen, Roxanna M; Elder, Jennifer H; Donaldson, Susan; Kairalla, John A; Valcante, Greg; Ferdig, Richard E

2011-01-01

Parents of children with autism report high rates of stress. Parental differences in stress are inconsistent, with most research indicating that mothers report higher levels of stress than fathers. We explored parental differences before and after an in-home training program. Fathers were taught an intervention designed to improve their child's social reciprocity and communication; they then trained mothers. Stress was assessed with the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form, and family dynamics was assessed with the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales II. Both mothers and fathers reported high preintervention levels of stress. After intervention, fathers' stress was reduced, but not significantly, possibly because of the variability in fathers' scores; mothers' stress scores were significantly reduced. Parenting styles were significantly different before and after intervention. Interdisciplinary teams, including occupational therapists, nurses, and special educators, can work.together to have a positive impact on the lives of families of children with autism.

Impact of the 2009 AJCC staging guidelines for melanoma on the number of mitotic figures reported by dermatopathologists at one institution.

PubMed

Larson, Allison R; Rothschild, Brian; Walls, Andrew C; Granter, Scott R; Qureshi, Abrar A; Murphy, George F; Laga, Alvaro C

2015-08-01

In 2009 the revised seventh staging system for melanoma recommended the use of mitotic count to separate stage T1a from T1b. However, careful scrutiny of cases may lead to an inadvertent selection effect, with consequent increased reporting of mitotic counts. We investigated whether there is a significant increase in mitotic counts reported since 2009 for melanomas with a Breslow thickness of 1.0 mm or less. We conducted a retrospective, case-controlled study examining invasive melanoma cases at a large academic center. Mitotic counts were compared between pathology reports before 2009 (n = 61) and after 2009 (n = 125), with a subset of slides re-examined in a blinded fashion. Before the 2009 staging guidelines, 51% of cases had one or more mitosis reported compared to 38% after 2009 (p = 0.113). Blinded re-counting did not yield a significant difference when compared with the original pathology reports in either group. There was not a significant difference in the number of mitoses reported after the implementation of the new guidelines. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Examining the association between race, ethnicity, and health status: do assets matter?

PubMed

Boyas, Javier; Shobe, Marcia A; Hannam, Holly M

2009-10-01

The current study employs data from the 2004 Immigration and Intergenerational Mobility in Metropolitan Los Angeles (IIMMLA) study to examine the degree to which observed differences in self-reported health status between African Americans, Asians, Latinos, and non-Hispanic Whites in the United States can be attributed to differences in various indicators of socioeconomic status. Results of the multinomial logistic regression techniques suggest that socioeconomic indicators had varying significant effects in predicting self-reported health status among all racial and ethnic groups. Among African Americans, homeownership, income, and age played a significant role. Among Asian Americans, only income and age significantly predicted health status. Among Latinos, income, having a checking account, and age significantly shaped health status, while education, age, and homeownership significantly predicted health status among non-Hispanic Whites.

Indexing thoracic CT reports using a preliminary version of a standardized radiological lexicon (RadLex).

PubMed

Marwede, Dirk; Schulz, Thomas; Kahn, Thomas

2008-12-01

To validate a preliminary version of a radiological lexicon (RadLex) against terms found in thoracic CT reports and to index report content in RadLex term categories. Terms from a random sample of 200 thoracic CT reports were extracted using a text processor and matched against RadLex. Report content was manually indexed by two radiologists in consensus in term categories of Anatomic Location, Finding, Modifier, Relationship, Image Quality, and Uncertainty. Descriptive statistics were used and differences between age groups and report types were tested for significance using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney Test (significance level <0.05). From 363 terms extracted, 304 (84%) were found and 59 (16%) were not found in RadLex. Report indexing showed a mean of 16.2 encoded items per report and 3.2 Finding per report. Term categories most frequently encoded were Modifier (1,030 of 3,244, 31.8%), Anatomic Location (813, 25.1%), Relationship (702, 21.6%) and Finding (638, 19.7%). Frequency of indexed items per report was higher in older age groups, but no significant difference was found between first study and follow up study reports. Frequency of distinct findings per report increased with patient age (p < 0.05). RadLex already covers most terms present in thoracic CT reports based on a small sample analysis from one institution. Applications for report encoding need to be developed to validate the lexicon against a larger sample of reports and address the issue of automatic relationship encoding.

Gender differences in highway driving performance after administration of sleep medication: a review of the literature.

PubMed

Verster, Joris C; Roth, Thomas

2012-01-01

It is generally assumed that there are minimal gender differences in the safety and efficacy of central nervous system drugs, as is evidenced by men and women receiving the same drug dosage. There is, however, evidence that drugs may have a differential effect on performance in men and women, given reported differences in pharmacokinetics as well as the presence or absence and severity of adverse effects. It is especially important to verify whether gender differences in performance exist in case of activities that have potentially dangerous outcomes such as driving a car. This review summarizes the current scientific evidence on gender differences in driving performance after treatment with hypnotic drugs. A literature search was conducted to obtain all studies that conducted on-road driving tests to examine the effects hypnotic drugs on driving. Cross-references were checked and technical reports and raw data were obtained, if possible. Fourteen studies were evaluated. Many studies did not allow analyses of gender effects because only women were included. Others did not report data on gender analyses. Technical reports and additional data analyses revealed significant gender differences in driving performance the morning following bedtime administration of flurazepam (30 mg) and after middle-of-the-night administration of zolpidem (10 mg). No significant gender differences were found for ramelteon (8 mg), lormetazepam (1 and 2 mg), zaleplon (10 and 20 mg), and zopiclone (7.5 mg). Although the available data are limited, the results show that significant gender differences have been found for some drugs but not others. Therefore, in the future more research is needed to reveal potential gender differences and to determine what mediates them.

MR Spectroscopy Findings in Retired Professional Rugby League Players.

PubMed

Gardner, Andrew J; Iverson, Grant L; Wojtowicz, Magdalena; Levi, Christopher R; Kay-Lambkin, Frances; Schofield, Peter W; Zafonte, Ross; Shultz, Sandy R; Lin, Alexander P; Stanwell, Peter

2017-03-01

The aim of this study was to examine brain neurometabolite concentrations in retired rugby league players who had a history of numerous self-reported concussions. Participants were 16 retired professional rugby league players (ages 30-45 years) with an extensive history of concussion and participation in contact sports, and 16 age- and education-matched controls who had no history of neurotrauma or participation in contact sports. All completed a clinical interview, psychological and cognitive testing, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) investigation. MRS voxels were placed in posterior cingulate grey matter and parietal white matter. Neurometabolite concentrations were quantified using LCModel. It was hypothesized that retired athletes would differ on N-acetyl aspartate, myo-inositol, choline, glutamate, and glutathione. Retired players had significantly lower concentrations of grey matter glutathione (p=0.02, d=0.91). They did not significantly differ in concentrations of other neurometabolites. There were no significant differences between groups on measures of depression, anxiety, or cognitive functioning. The retired athletes reported significantly greater alcohol use (p<0.01; Cohen's d=1.49), and they had worse manual dexterity using their non-dominant hand (p=0.03; d=1.08). These preliminary findings suggest that MRS might be modestly sensitive to biochemical differences in athletes after their athletic careers have ended in the absence of clinical differences in cognitive performance and self-reported psychological functioning. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Differences in depression, anxiety, and quality of life between women with and without breast pain prior to breast cancer surgery.

PubMed

Kyranou, Maria; Paul, Steven M; Dunn, Laura B; Puntillo, Kathleen; Aouizerat, Bradley E; Abrams, Gary; Hamolsky, Deborah; West, Claudia; Neuhaus, John; Cooper, Bruce; Miaskowski, Christine

2013-04-01

Little is known about the relationships between pain, anxiety, and depression in women prior to breast cancer surgery. The purpose of this study was to evaluate for differences in anxiety, depression, and quality of life (QOL) in women who did and did not report the occurrence of breast pain prior to breast cancer surgery. We hypothesized that women with pain would report higher levels of anxiety and depression as well as poorer QOL than women without pain. A total of 390 women completed self-report measures of pain, anxiety depression, and QOL prior to surgery. Women with preoperative breast pain (28%) were significantly younger, had a lower functional status score, were more likely to be Non-white and to have gone through menopause. Over 37% of the sample reported clinically meaningful levels of depressive symptoms. Almost 70% of the sample reported clinically meaningful levels of anxiety. Patients with preoperative breast pain reported significantly higher depression scores and significantly lower physical well-being scores. No between group differences were found for patients' ratings of state and trait anxiety or total QOL scores. Our a priori hypotheses were only partially supported. Findings from this study suggest that, regardless of pain status, anxiety and depression are common problems in women prior to breast cancer surgery. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Association between pulmonary ureaplasma colonization and bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants: updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Lowe, John; Watkins, W John; Edwards, Martin O; Spiller, O Brad; Jacqz-Aigrain, Evelyne; Kotecha, Sarah J; Kotecha, Sailesh

2014-07-01

Previous meta-analyses have reported a significant association between pulmonary colonization with Ureaplasma and development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). However, because few studies reporting oxygen dependency at 36 weeks corrected gestation were previously available, we updated the systematic review and meta-analyses to evaluate the association between presence of pulmonary Ureaplasma and development of BPD. Five databases were searched for articles reporting the incidence of BPD at 36 weeks postmenstrual age (BPD36) and/or BPD at 28 days of life (BPD28) in Ureaplasma colonized and noncolonized groups. Pooled estimates were produced using random effects meta-analysis. Meta-regression was used to assess the influence of difference in gestational age between the Ureaplasma-positive and Ureaplasma-negative groups. The effects of potential sources of heterogeneity were also investigated. Of 39 studies included, 8 reported BPD36, 22 reported BPD28 and 9 reported both. The quality of studies was assessed as moderate to good. There was a significant association between Ureaplasma and development of BPD36 (odds ratio = 2.22; 95% confidence intervals: 1.42-3.47) and BPD28 (odds ratio = 3.04; 95% confidence intervals: 2.41-3.83). Sample size influenced the odds ratio, but no significant association was noted between BPD28 rates and difference in gestational age between Ureaplasma colonized and noncolonized infants (P = 0.96). Pulmonary colonization with Ureaplasma continues to be significantly associated with development of BPD in preterm infants at both 36 weeks postmenstrual age and at 28 days of life. This association at BPD28 persists regardless of difference in gestational age.

The effect of culture on pain sensitivity.

PubMed

Al-Harthy, M; Ohrbach, R; Michelotti, A; List, T

2016-02-01

Cross-cultural differences in pain sensitivity have been identified in pain-free subjects as well as in chronic pain patients. The aim was to assess the impact of culture on psychophysical measures using mechanical and electrical stimuli in patients with temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain and pain-free matched controls in three cultures. This case-control study compared 122 female cases of chronic TMD pain (39 Saudis, 41 Swedes and 42 Italians) with equal numbers of age- and gender-matched TMD-free controls. Pressure pain threshold (PPT) and tolerance (PPTo) were measured over one hand and two masticatory muscles. Electrical perception threshold and electrical pain threshold (EPT) and tolerance (EPTo) were recorded between the thumb and index fingers. Italian females reported significantly lower PPT in the masseter muscle than other cultures (P < 0.001) and in the temporalis muscle than Saudis (P = 0.003). Swedes reported significantly higher PPT in the thenar muscle than other cultures (P = 0.017). Italians reported significantly lower PPTo in all muscles than Swedes (P ≤ 0.006) and in the masseter muscle than Saudis (P < 0.001). Italians reported significantly lower EPTo than other cultures (P = 0.01). Temporomandibular disorder cases, compared to TMD-free controls, reported lower PPT and PPTo in all the three muscles (P < 0.001). This study found cultural differences between groups in the PPT, PPTo and EPTo. Overall, Italian females reported the highest sensitivity to both mechanical and electrical stimulation, while Swedes reported the lowest sensitivity. Mechanical pain thresholds differed more across cultures than did electrical pain thresholds. Cultural factors may influence response to type of pain test. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Self-reported alcohol intake and risk of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Wetherbee, Erin E; Niewoehner, Dennis E; Sisson, Joseph H; Lindberg, Sarah M; Connett, John E; Kunisaki, Ken M

2015-01-01

To evaluate the relationship between alcohol consumption and the risk of acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD). We conducted a secondary analysis of data previously collected in a large, multicenter trial of daily azithromycin in COPD. To analyze the relationship between amount of baseline self-reported alcohol consumption in the past 12 months and subsequent AECOPD, we categorized the subjects as minimal (<1 drink/month), light-to-moderate (1-60 drinks/month), or heavy alcohol users (>60 drinks/month). The primary outcome was time to first AECOPD and the secondary outcome was AECOPD rate during the 1-year study period. Of the 1,142 enrolled participants, 1,082 completed baseline alcohol questionnaires and were included in this analysis. Six hundred and forty-five participants reported minimal alcohol intake, 363 reported light-to-moderate intake, and 74 reported heavy intake. There were no statistically significant differences in median time to first AECOPD among minimal (195 days), light-to-moderate (241 days), and heavy drinkers (288 days) (P=0.11). The mean crude rate of AECOPD did not significantly differ between minimal (1.62 events per year) and light-to-moderate (1.44 events per year) (P=0.095), or heavy drinkers (1.68 events per year) (P=0.796). There were no significant differences in hazard ratios for AECOPD after adjustment for multiple covariates. Among persons with COPD at high risk of exacerbation, we found no significant relationship between self-reported baseline alcohol intake and subsequent exacerbations. The number of patients reporting heavy alcohol intake was small and further study is needed to determine the effect of heavy alcohol intake on AECOPD risk.

Differences between Subjective Balanced Occlusion and Measurements Reported With T-Scan III

PubMed Central

Lila-Krasniqi, Zana; Shala, Kujtim; Krasniqi, Teuta Pustina; Bicaj, Teuta; Ahmedi, Enis; Dula, Linda; Dragusha, Arlinda Tmava; Guguvcevski, Ljuben

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: The aetiology of Temporomandibular disorder is multifactorial, and numerous studies have addressed that occlusion may be of great importance in the pathogenesis of Temporomandibular disorder. AIM: The aim of this study is to determine if any direct relationship exists between balanced occlusion and Temporomandibular disorder and to evaluate the differences between subjective balanced occlusion and measurements reported with T-scan III electronic system. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 54 subjects were divided into three groups, selection based on anamnesis-responded to a Fonseca questionnaire and clinical measurements analysed with electronic system T-scan III. In the I study group were participants with fixed dentures with prosthetic ceramic restorations. In the II study group were symptomatic participants with TMD. In the third control group were healthy participants with full arch dentition that completed a subjective questionnaire that documented the absence of jaw pain, joint noise, locking and subjects without a history of TMD. The occlusal balance was reported subjectively through Fonseca questionnaire and compared with occlusion analysed with electronic system T-scan III. RESULTS: For attributive data were used percentage of the structure. Differences in P < 0.05 were considered significant. After distributing attributive data of occlusal balance subjectively reported and compared with measurements analysed with electronic system T-scan III were found significant difference P < 0.001 in all three groups. CONCLUSION: In our study, it was concluded that there were statistically significant differences of balanced occlusion in all three groups. Also it was concluded that subjective data are not exact with measurements reported with electronic device T-scan III. PMID:28932311

A comparison of dietary estimates from the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey to food and beverage purchase data.

PubMed

McMahon, Emma; Wycherley, Thomas; O'Dea, Kerin; Brimblecombe, Julie

2017-12-01

We compared self-reported dietary intake from the very remote sample of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (VR-NATSINPAS; n=1,363) to one year of food and beverage purchases from 20 very remote Indigenous Australian communities (servicing ∼8,500 individuals). Differences in food (% energy from food groups) and nutrients were analysed using t-test with unequal variance. Per-capita energy estimates were not significantly different between the surveys (899 MJ/person/day [95% confidence interval -152,1950] p=0.094). Self-reported intakes of sugar, cereal products/dishes, beverages, fats/oils, milk products/dishes and confectionery were significantly lower than that purchased, while intakes of meat, vegetables, cereal-based dishes, fish, fruit and eggs were significantly higher (p<0.05). Differences between methods are consistent with differential reporting bias seen in self-reported dietary data. Implications for public health: The NATSINPAS provides valuable, much-needed information about dietary intake; however, self-reported data is prone to energy under-reporting and reporting bias. Purchase data can be used to track population-level food and nutrient availability in this population longitudinally; however, further evidence is needed on approaches to estimate wastage and foods sourced outside the store. There is potential for these data to complement each other to inform nutrition policies and programs in this population. © 2017 Menzies School of Health Research.

Determinants of climate change awareness level in upper Nyakach Division, Kisumu County, Kenya.

PubMed

Ajuang, Chadwick O; Abuom, Paul O; Bosire, Esna K; Dida, Gabriel O; Anyona, Douglas N

2016-01-01

Improving the understanding of climate change awareness is one of the top priorities in climate change research. While the African continent is among the regions with the highest vulnerability to climate change, research on climate knowledge and awareness is lacking. Kenya is already grappling with the impacts of climate change, which are projected to increase in a non-linear and non-predictable manner. This study sought to determine climate change awareness levels among households residing in Upper Nyakach Division, Kisumu County, Kenya using common climate change markers viz heavy rainfall, floods, droughts and temperature. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted in which 384 household heads were selected as respondents from 11 sub-locations; all located within Upper Nyakach Division. A questionnaire was used to collect data. Most (90.9 %) respondents had observed changes in the overall climate. Awareness level of climate change varied significantly across the 11 sub-locations. To further gain insight unto which variables were the most significant determinant of climate change awareness in upper Nyakach division, Kisumu county, a Generalized Linear Model (GLM) with Poisson error distribution was built. The model indicated that sex of the household head, education level and age significantly influenced respondents' awareness to climate change markers. Most (87 %) households reported rising temperatures over the past 20 years. Over half (55.2 %) the respondents had observed declining rains, with significant differences being observed across age groups. Up to 75 % of the respondents reported increased droughts frequency over the last 20 years, with significant differences observed across gender. Most (86.7 %) respondents reported having observed changes in water sources with significant differences reported across age groups. The respondents reported an increased prevalence of malaria with significant differences being observed among the education levels and households' main livelihoods. The general population of the Upper Nyakach Divison is aware of changing global climate. However, more effort is required in mitigating climate change as per the local settings. Awareness campaign aimed at increasing knowledge of climate change markers among community members is recommended.

Worse self-reported outcomes but no limitations in performance-based measures in patients with long-standing hip and groin pain compared with healthy controls.

PubMed

Wörner, Tobias; Sigurðsson, Haraldur B; Pålsson, Anders; Kostogiannis, Ioannis; Ageberg, Eva

2017-01-01

This study aimed to evaluate patient-reported outcomes as well as lower extremity and trunk muscle function in patients with long-standing hip and groin pain, in comparison with matched, healthy controls. It was hypothesized that patients with long-standing hip and groin pain would report more deficiency on the Copenhagen Hip and Groin Outcome Score (HAGOS) and have worse outcomes on performance-based measures than healthy controls. Nineteen patients with long-standing hip and groin pain and 19 healthy, activity level-, age-, gender-, and weight-matched controls were assessed with the HAGOS for self-reported outcomes, and a parallel squat (w/kg), single-leg triple jump (cm), single-leg rise (n), barbell roll-out (% of height), and plank test (s) for performance-based measures. Independent sample t test was performed to assess between-group differences. The paired t test was used to analyse between-limb differences in unilateral performance tasks. The patients had worse scores than the controls in all HAGOS subscales (p ≤ 0.001), while no statistically significant differences were observed for any performance measure between groups or between symptomatic and non-symptomatic limbs. Despite significant self-reported functional limitations on the HAGOS, there were no significant differences between groups in performance-based strength or power measures. The results of this study highlight the need to identify performance-based measures, sensitive to functional deficiencies in patients with long-standing hip and groin pain in order to complement the clinical picture obtained by patient-reported outcomes such as the HAGOS. III.

How sudden is a compelling desire to void? An observational cystometric study on the suddenness of this sensation.

PubMed

De Wachter, Stefan; Wyndaele, Jean-Jacques

2008-04-01

To evaluate whether a compelling desire to void (CDV) is always perceived suddenly, or whether it can result from the gradual build-up of bladder-filling sensations. The pattern of filling sensations was evaluated during standard cystometric bladder filling in 75 patients who complained of urgency and showed detrusor overactivity during cystometry. Cystometric filling ended when a CDV was reported. The 'warning volume' is defined as the difference in volume between the first perception of filling and the volume at CDV. Different patterns of bladder-filling sensations were reported. A CDV occurred suddenly, without a preceding sensation in 13% of the patients, whereas 66% reported at least two normal preceding filling sensations before a CDV. The bladder volume at the CDV was significantly smaller in patients that reported no or just one preceding sensation compared with those that reported the normal pattern of two or three sensations (P < 0.005). The bladder volume at which the first filling perception was reported was not different regardless of whether it was described as a first sensation of filling, a first desire or a CDV (P = 0.42). The warning volumes were not different between patients with one or no standardized filling sensations (P = 0.7), but they were significantly smaller than in patients with two or three filling sensations (P = 0.85). A CDV can occur suddenly if normal filling sensation is disturbed, but also gradually if normal filling sensation is preserved. In cases of disturbed filling sensation, the volume at CDV and the warning volume are significantly lower.

Validating self-reported food expenditures against food store and eating-out receipts

PubMed Central

Tang, Wesley; Aggarwal, Anju; Liu, Zhongyuan; Acheson, Molly; Rehm, Colin D; Moudon, Anne Vernez; Drewnowski, Adam

2015-01-01

Objectives To compare objective food store and eating-out receipts with self-reported household food expenditures. Design and setting The Seattle Obesity Study (SOS II) was based on a representative sample of King County adults, Washington, USA. Self-reported household food expenditures were modeled on the Flexible Consumer Behavior Survey (FCBS) Module from 2007–2009 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Objective food expenditure data were collected using receipts. Self-reported food expenditures for 447 participants were compared to receipts using paired t-tests, Bland-Altman plots, and kappa statistics. Bias by socio-demographics was also examined. Results Self-reported expenditures closely matched with objective receipt data. Paired t-tests showed no significant differences between receipts and self-reported data on total food expenditures, expenditures at food stores, or eating out. However, the highest income strata showed weaker agreement. Bland Altman plots confirmed no significant bias across both methods - mean difference: 6.4; agreement limits: −123.5, 143.4 for total food expenditures, mean difference 5.7 for food stores, and mean difference 1.7 for eating-out. Kappa statistics showed good agreement for each (kappa 0.51, 0.41 and 0.49 respectively. Households with higher education and income had significantly more number of receipts and higher food expenditures. Conclusion Self-reported food expenditures using NHANES questions, both for food stores and eating-out, serve as a decent proxy for objective household food expenditures from receipts. This method should be used with caution among high income populations, or with high food expenditures. This is the first validation of the FCBS food expenditures question using food store and eating-out receipts. PMID:26486299

Interparental Conflict, Parenting Behavior, and Children's Friendship Quality as Correlates of Peer Aggression and Peer Victimization Among Aggressor/Victim Subgroups in South Korea.

PubMed

Shin, Jung-Hee; Hong, Jun Sung; Yoon, Jina; Espelage, Dorothy L

2014-07-01

The focus of this study was to examine whether interparental conflict, maternal parenting behaviors, and children's friendship quality varied as a function of peer aggression/victim subgroups among a sample of 227 elementary school children and their mothers in South Korea. Both self-report and peer-report data indicated that the majority of the students were uninvolved in peer aggression situations, and the number of participants in the subgroups (aggressors, victims, and aggressor-victims) varied depending on the source of report. According to the self-report data, victims and aggressor-victims reported a higher level of maternal rejection than uninvolved youth. Aggressors, victims, and aggressor-victims reported higher maternal neglect than uninvolved youth. The highest level of interparental conflict was reported by victims, followed by aggressors. Interestingly, no significant differences were found in positive functioning of friendship quality among the subgroups, although results indicated a significant difference among groups in negative friendship quality. © The Author(s) 2013.

Subjective memory complaints, depressive symptoms and cognition in patients attending a memory outpatient clinic.

PubMed

Lehrner, J; Moser, D; Klug, S; Gleiß, A; Auff, E; Dal-Bianco, P; Pusswald, G

2014-03-01

The goals of this study were to establish prevalence of subjective memory complaints (SMC) and depressive symptoms (DS) and their relation to cognitive functioning and cognitive status in an outpatient memory clinic cohort. Two hundred forty-eight cognitively healthy controls and 581 consecutive patients with cognitive complaints who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were included in the study. A statistically significant difference (p < 0.001) between control group and patient group regarding mean SMC was detected. 7.7% of controls reported a considerable degree of SMC, whereas 35.8% of patients reported considerable SMC. Additionally, a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001) between controls and patient group regarding Beck depression score was detected. 16.6% of controls showed a clinical relevant degree of DS, whereas 48.5% of patients showed DS. An analysis of variance revealed a statistically significant difference across all four groups (control group, SCI group, naMCI group, aMCI group) (p < 0.001). Whereas 8% of controls reported a considerable degree of SMC, 34% of the SCI group, 31% of the naMCI group, and 54% of the aMCI group reported considerable SMC. A two-factor analysis of variance with the factors cognitive status (controls, SCI group, naMCI group, aMCI group) and depressive status (depressed vs. not depressed) and SMC as dependent variable revealed that both factors were significant (p < 0.001), whereas the interaction was not (p = 0.820). A large proportion of patients seeking help in a memory outpatient clinic report considerable SMC, with an increasing degree from cognitively healthy elderly to aMCI. Depressive status increases SMC consistently across groups with different cognitive status.

Perspectives of physicians and nurses regarding end-of-life care in the intensive care unit.

PubMed

Festic, Emir; Wilson, Michael E; Gajic, Ognjen; Divertie, Gavin D; Rabatin, Jeffrey T

2012-02-01

The delivery of end-of-life care (EOLC) in the intensive care unit (ICU) varies widely among medical care providers. The differing opinions of nurses and physicians regarding EOLC may help identify areas of improvement. To explore the differences of physicians and nurses on EOLC in the ICU and how these differences vary according to self-reported proficiency level and primary work unit. Cross-sectional survey of 69 ICU physicians and 629 ICU nurses. Single tertiary care academic medical institution. A total of 50 physicians (72%) and 331 nurses (53%) participated in the survey. Significant differences between physicians and nurses were noted in the following areas: ability to safely raise concerns, do not resuscitate (DNR) decision making, discussion of health care directives, timely hospice referral, spiritual assessment documentation, utilization of social services, and the availability of EOLC education. In every domain of EOLC, physicians reported a more positive perception than nurses. Additional differences were noted among physicians based on experience, as well as among nurses based on their primary work unit and self-reported proficiency level. Even with an increased focus on improving EOLC, significant differences continue to exist between the perspectives of nurses and physicians, as well as physicians among themselves and nurses among themselves. These differences may represent significant barriers toward providing comprehensive, consistent, and coordinated EOLC in the ICU.

Oral health-related quality of life in Dutch children with cleft lip and/or palate.

PubMed

Bos, Annemieke; Prahl, Charlotte

2011-09-01

To investigate the oral health-related quality of life (OH-RQoL) of Dutch cleft lip and palate patients. It was hypothesized that (1) there is no difference between cleft patients' and their parents' reports of patients' OH-RQoL; (2) there are no gender differences; (3) there are no differences in OH-RQoL between cleft patients with regard to their symptoms; and (4) there is no difference between patients above and below 12 years of age. The sample consisted of 122 patients with clefts (age range, 8-15 years) and their parents. Respondents were recruited from the cleft palate team of Amsterdam. They completed the Child Oral Health-Related Quality of Life questionnaire (COHIP). Items were divided into five different subscales, and scores on all subscales were compared between and within groups. Patients' and parents' perceptions differed significantly on three of the five subscales. Girls and boys did not differ significantly with regard to their perception of reported OH-RQoL. The cleft lip and cleft lip and alveolus [CL(A)] subgroup scored significantly higher on the functional well-being subscale. The cleft patients aged 12 years and older scored significantly lower on the emotional well-being and oral symptoms subscales when compared with their younger peers. Only the second hypothesis was not rejected in this study. This means that parents are not interchangeable with regard to reporting on their children's perceptions related to OH-RQoL, that OH-RQoL changes with age, and that it is important that subgroups are respected when investigating OH-RQoL in cleft patients.

High Stakes Tests with Self-Selected Essay Questions: Addressing Issues of Fairness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lamprianou, Iasonas

2008-01-01

This study investigates the effect of reporting the unadjusted raw scores in a high-stakes language exam when raters differ significantly in severity and self-selected questions differ significantly in difficulty. More sophisticated models, introducing meaningful facets and parameters, are successively used to investigate the characteristics of…

Female medical students may accrue less student loan debt than their male colleagues in New Zealand.

PubMed

McHardy, Karina M; Janssen, Anna; Poole, Phillippa J

2008-05-09

To quantify the current level of actual student loan debt in New Zealand (NZ) medical students at the time of graduation, and to investigate how debt burden relates to gender and ethnicity. A questionnaire was distributed to all graduating students from The University of Auckland's School of Medicine in November 2006. This study looked specifically at debt attributable to a New Zealand Government Student Loan (NZGSL). The response rate was 88%. Eighty-seven percent of NZ residents in the survey had a NZGSL. Nearly three-quarters of all students (73%) reported a total NZGSL of over $45,000, with one-third reporting a total greater than $75,000. Overall, males appeared to have different borrowing behaviours than their female counterparts, as reflected in their higher loan totals. Females were also more likely to report that they had no student loan, despite comparable access to parental financial support, part-time work, and scholarships. The reported loan sizes of Maori and Pacific Island students did not differ significantly from those of other ethnicities. Only 11% of study respondents reported that the burden of a student loan had a significant impact on future career decisions. For the majority of Auckland medical graduates, student debt is significant and continues to be a burdensome issue. There appear to be differences in the borrowing behaviours of males and females in the medical school programme, while different ethnicities have similar debt burdens.

Detecting Changes in Newspaper Reporting of Suicide after a Statewide Social Marketing Campaign.

PubMed

Abbott, Michele; Ramchand, Rajeev; Chamberlin, Margaret; Marcellino, William

2018-06-01

A social marketing campaign was introduced in California in 2012, promoting media adherence to consensus-based guidelines on reporting about suicide. We examine adherence to these guidelines by applying quantitative scores to articles in California and a national control group in two six-month intervals prior to and following campaign implementation. Utilizing a difference-in-difference approach, we found no significant effect of the campaign, though the type of article content was a significant indicator of the overall score. Findings also demonstrated a nation-wide downward trend in the quality of reporting. Qualitative results suggest a need for more flexible guidelines in light of a technologically driven news culture.

Reliability and validity enhancement: a treatment package for increasing fidelity of self-report.

PubMed

Bornstein, P H; Hamilton, S B; Miller, R K; Quevillon, R P; Spitzform, M

1977-07-01

This study investigated the effects of reliability and validity "enhancers" on fidelity of self-report data in an analogue therapy situation. Under the guise of a Concentration Skills Training Program, 57 Ss were assigned randomly to one of the following conditions: (a) Reliability Enhancement; (b) Truth Talk; (c) No Comment Control. Results indicated significant differences among groups (p less than .05). In addition, tests of multiple comparisons revealed that Reliability Enhancement was significantly different from Truth Talk in occurrences of unreliability (p less than .05). These findings are discussed in light of the increased reliance on self-report data in behavioral intervention, and recommendations are made for future research.

Sex differences in educational encouragement and academic achievement.

PubMed

Khan, Aqeel

2012-08-01

Sex differences in educational encouragement and their predictiveness of academic achievement were examined among 442 secondary school students (M age = 13.2 yr., SD = 1.9). Education-related encouragement received from mothers, fathers, friends, and teachers was assessed. Academic achievement was based on student self-reports and grades. Female adolescents reported receiving statistically significantly more educational encouragement from their mothers, fathers, friends, and teachers than did male adolescents. In regression, sex and educational encouragement from parents, friends, and teachers were found to be significant predictors of academic achievement.

Cross-cultural and gender differences in childhood amnesia.

PubMed

MacDonald, S; Uesiliana, K; Hayne, H

2000-11-01

In two experiments, we examined cross-cultural and gender differences in adults' earliest memories. To do this, we asked male and female adults from three cultural backgrounds (New Zealand European, New Zealand Maori, and Asian) to describe and date their earliest personal memory. Consistent with past research, Asian adults reported significantly later memories than European adults, however this effect was due exclusively to the extremely late memories reported by Asian females. Maori adults, whose traditional culture includes a strong emphasis on the past, reported significantly earlier memories than adults from the other two cultural groups. Across all three cultures, the memories reported by women contained more information than the memories reported by men. These findings support the view that the age and content of our earliest memories are influenced by a wide range of factors including our culture and our gender. These factors must be incorporated into any comprehensive theory of autobiographical memory.

Sex differences in verbal and visual-spatial tasks under different hemispheric visual-field presentation conditions.

PubMed

Boyle, Gregory J; Neumann, David L; Furedy, John J; Westbury, H Rae

2010-04-01

This paper reports sex differences in cognitive task performance that emerged when 39 Australian university undergraduates (19 men, 20 women) were asked to solve verbal (lexical) and visual-spatial cognitive matching tasks which varied in difficulty and visual field of presentation. Sex significantly interacted with task type, task difficulty, laterality, and changes in performance across trials. The results revealed that the significant individual-differences' variable of sex does not always emerge as a significant main effect, but instead in terms of significant interactions with other variables manipulated experimentally. Our results show that sex differences must be taken into account when conducting experiments into human cognitive-task performance.

Using vignettes to rethink Latino-white disparities in self-rated health

PubMed Central

Bzostek, Sharon; Sastry, Narayan; Goldman, Noreen; Pebley, Anne; Duffy, Denise

2016-01-01

Researchers often rely on respondents’ self-rated health (SRH) to measure social disparities in health, but recent studies suggest that systematically different reporting styles across groups can yield misleading conclusions about disparities in SRH. In this study, we test whether this finding extends to ethnic differences in self-assessments of health in particular domains. We document differences between US-born whites and four Latino subgroups in respondents’ assessments of health in six health domains using data from the second wave of the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Study (N=1468). We use both conventional methods and an approach that uses vignettes to adjust for differential reporting styles. Our results suggest that despite consistent evidence from the literature that Latinos tend to rate their overall health more poorly than whites, and that Latino immigrants report worse SRH than US-born Latinos, this pattern is not true of self-reports in individual health domains. We find that at the bivariate level, US-born whites (and often US-born Mexicans) have significantly more pessimistic reporting styles than Latino immigrants. After adding controls, we find evidence of significantly different reporting styles for only one domain: US-born Mexicans and whites consistently interpret head pain more severely than the other Latino subgroups. Finally, we find that both before and after adjusting for differences in rating styles across groups, non-Mexican Latino immigrants report better social and physical functioning and less pain than other groups. Our findings underscore the advantages of domain-specific ratings when evaluating ethnic differences in self-assessments of health. We encourage researchers studying social disparities in health to consider respondents’ self-assessments in a variety of domains, and to also investigate (when possible) potential biases in their findings due to different reporting styles. The anchoring vignettes approach we use is one potential method for overcoming biases due to different rating styles across groups. PMID:26706402

Gender differences in clinicoepidemiological features of vitiligo: a cross-sectional analysis.

PubMed

Patil, Sharmila; Gautam, Manjyot; Nadkarni, Nitin; Saboo, Neha; Godse, Kiran; Setia, Maninder Singh

2014-01-01

Background. Vitiligo has important clinical and social consequences particularly in the pigmented skin. The present study was conducted to assess the differences in clinicoepidemiological presentation of vitiligo in males and females and to understand the factors associated with spread of vitiligo in them. Methods. This is a cross-sectional analysis of secondary clinical data of 168 vitiligo patients at a tertiary medical centre at Navi Mumbai. We used logistic regression models to estimate the association between gender and clinical characteristics of vitiligo and to evaluate the factors associated with spread of vitiligo. Results. There were no significant differences between the mean ages of males and females; however, males reported a longer duration of disease (6.9 (10.4) years) compared with females (4.9 (7.4) years). Males were significantly more likely to report a family history of vitiligo compared with females (adjusted OR (aOR): 16.87, 95% CI: 2.16 to 131.69). Even though females were more likely to report spread of lesions, the association was not statistically significant (OR: 1.21, 95% CI: 0.62 to 2.36). Discussion. The differences in the clinical presentations between genders highlight the need to understand the different factors (possibly genetic) that may play a part in the pathogenesis of this multifactorial disease in males and females.

Factors affecting the perception of whole-body vibration of occupational drivers: an analysis of posture and manual materials handling and musculoskeletal disorders

PubMed Central

Raffler, Nastaran; Ellegast, Rolf; Kraus, Thomas; Ochsmann, Elke

2016-01-01

Due to the high cost of conducting field measurements, questionnaires are usually preferred for the assessment of physical workloads and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). This study compares the physical workloads of whole-body vibration (WBV) and awkward postures by direct field measurements and self-reported data of 45 occupational drivers. Manual materials handling (MMH) and MSDs were also investigated to analyse their effect on drivers' perception. Although the measured values for WBV exposure were very similarly distributed among the drivers, the subjects' perception differed significantly. Concerning posture, subjects seemed to estimate much better when the difference in exposure was significantly large. The percentage of measured awkward trunk and head inclination were significantly higher for WBV-overestimating subjects than non-overestimators; 77 and 80% vs. 36 and 33%. Health complaints in terms of thoracic spine, cervical spine and shoulder–arm were also significantly more reported by WBV-overestimating subjects (42, 67, 50% vs. 0, 25, 13%, respectively). Although more MMH was reported by WBV-overestimating subjects, there was no statistical significance in this study. PMID:26114619

The Role of Gender in Neuropsychological Assessment in Healthy Adolescents.

PubMed

Mormile, Megan Elizabeth Evelyn; Langdon, Jody L; Hunt, Tamerah Nicole

2018-01-01

Research in college athletes has revealed significant gender differences in areas of verbal memory, visual memory, and reaction time. Additionally, research has focused on differences in neuropsychological components and gender in college populations; however, such differences in gender have not been documented in healthy adolescent populations. To identify potential differences between males and females using different components of a common computerized neuropsychological test. A computerized neuropsychological test battery (ImPACT®) was administered to 662 high-school age adolescent athletes (male: n = 451 female: n = 262). Differences between genders were calculated using a 1-way ANOVA. All statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 23.0. Significance levels were set a priori at P < .05. A 1-way ANOVA revealed statistically significant differences between males and females for composite reaction time (F 1,660  = 10.68, P = .001) and total symptom score (F 1,660  = 81.20, P < .001). However, no statistically significant differences were found between males and females in composite verbal memory, visual memory, visual motor, or impulse control (P > .05). Significant differences between males and females were discovered for composite reaction time and total symptom scores, with females reporting more symptoms and slower reaction times at a baseline assessment. Increased symptom reporting by females may be attributed to both hormonal differences and increased honesty. Quicker reaction times in males may support theories that repetition of activities and quicker muscle contraction are gender dependent. However, additional research is necessary to understand gender differences in adolescent athletes during periods of cognitive and physical maturation.

Organic contaminants, trace and major elements, and nutrients in water and sediment sampled in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nowell, Lisa H.; Ludtke, Amy S.; Mueller, David K.; Scott, Jonathon C.

2011-01-01

Considering all the information evaluated in this report, there were significant differences between pre-landfall and post-landfall samples for PAH concentrations in sediment. Pre-landfall and post-landfall samples did not differ significantly in concentrations or benchmark exceedances for most organics in water or trace elements in sediment. For trace elements in water, aquatic-life benchmarks were exceeded in almost 50 percent of samples, but the high and variable analytical reporting levels precluded statistical comparison of benchmark exceedances between sampling periods. Concentrations of several PAH compounds in sediment were significantly higher in post-landfall samples than pre-landfall samples, and five of seven sites with the largest differences in PAH concentrations also had diagnostic geochemical evidence of Deepwater Horizon Macondo-1 oil from Rosenbauer and others (2010).

Cross-cultural differences in psychosocial adaptation to isolated and confined environments.

PubMed

Palinkas, Lawrence A; Johnson, Jeffrey C; Boster, James S; Rakusa-Suszczewski, Stanislaw; Klopov, Valeri P; Fu, Xue Quan; Sachdeva, Usha

2004-11-01

Differences in patterns of psychosocial adaptation under conditions of prolonged isolation and confinement in Antarctica were examined to determine the extent to which they were influenced by national culture in general and the individualist-collectivist orientation of national cultures in particular. The Profile of Mood States and measures of structural and functional social support were administered over an 8-mo period (March through October) to 13 winter-over crews from 5 nations operating research stations in the Antarctic: United States (3 crews, n = 77), Poland (3 crews, n = 40), Russia (3 crews, n = 34), China (3 crews, n = 40), and India (1 crew, n = 26). Americans at South Pole Station reported significant increases in fatigue and anxiety and a significant decrease in vigor over the winter. During the same period, Russians at Vostok Station reported significant decreases in depression, anxiety, and confusion, and Indians at Maitri Station reported a significant decrease in anger. A significant decrease in social interaction with fellow crewmembers occurred at South Pole Station, Vostok Station, and Poland's Arctowski Station. Several differences were also observed between the five stations in correlations between mood scores and measures of structural and functional social support. An individualistic cultural orientation was significantly associated with low social support and low negative mood. Cultural background is associated with mood and social support as well as changes in these measures during the austral winter. Cultural differences in patterns of psychosocial adaptation must be considered in the formation and training of multinational crews for long duration missions in space.

A Twenty-year Survey of Pathologic Reports of Two Common Types of Chronic Periapical Lesions in Shiraz Dental School

PubMed Central

Safi, Laaya; Adl, Alireza; Azar, Mohammad Reza; Akbary, Raheleh

2008-01-01

Background and aims Accurate differential diagnosis between radicular cysts and periapical granulomas cannot be made from radiographs alone. Histological prevalence studies, therefore, assume special importance and may aid the clinician in making judgments regarding therapy. The incidence of radicular cysts has ranged with wide discrepancies in data. The purpose of this study was to evaluate recorded pathologic reports of two common types of chronic periapical lesion in Shiraz Dental School. Materials and methods In this study, biopsy reports of 227 specimens of chronic periapical lesions were reviewed. The following information was extracted from each report: patient’s gender, age, tooth associated with the lesion and the pathological diagnosis. Probable significant differences in the occurrence of lesions between different ages and genders were analyzed using chi-square test. Results 15.9% of the lesions were granulomas, and 84.1% were cysts. A slight difference in the occurrence of the lesions was found between males and females with no statistical significance (P > 0.005). The highest incidence of both lesions was in the third decade of life. No significant differences were found in age distribution of the lesions. The most common location for two lesions was the maxillary anterior teeth. Conclusion Histological differentiation between cysts and granulomas is not always accurate and serial sectioning of excisional biopsies is more valuable than randomized sectioning of curetted biopsies. PMID:23289061

Difference in Psychosocial Well-being Between Paternal and Maternal AIDS Orphans in Rural China

PubMed Central

Zhao, Qun; Li, Xiaoming; Fang, Xiaoyi; Zhao, Guoxiang; Zhao, Junfeng; Lin, Xiuyun; Stanton, Bonita

2009-01-01

This study compares psychosocial well-being between paternal and maternal orphans in rural China in a sample (N = 459) of children who had lost one parent to HIV and who were in family-based care. Measures included academic marks, education expectation, trusting relationships with current caregivers, self-reported health status, depression, loneliness, posttraumatic stress, and social support. No significant differences were found between maternal and paternal orphans, except that paternal orphans reported better trusting relationships with caregivers than maternal orphans. Children with a healthy surviving parent reported significantly better depression, loneliness, posttraumatic stress, and social support scores than children with a sick parent. Analyses revealed significance with regard to orphan status on academic marks and trusting relationships with caregivers while controlling for age, gender, surviving parent’s health status, and family SES. Findings underscore the importance of psychosocial support for children whose surviving parent is living with HIV or another illness. PMID:20133172

Body shape ideals across gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, race, and age in personal advertisements.

PubMed

Epel, E S; Spanakos, A; Kasl-Godley, J; Brownell, K D

1996-04-01

To assess body shape ideals across gender, sexual orientation, race, socio-economic status, and age, An analysis of personal advertisements was conducted across seven different publications which targeted the groups of interest. Women advertised body weight much less often than men, and lesbians reported body shape descriptors significantly less often than heterosexual women. Gay men and African-American men described their body shape significantly more often than did other groups. However, their reported body mass indices (BMI) were significantly different-African-American men reported a higher BMI, and gay men a lower BMI, than Euro-American heterosexual men. Race and sexual orientation may influence the importance of size of body shape ideals for men. For women, however, their advertised weights conformed to the thin ideal across all groups surveyed. Gender roles affecting body shape ideals and mate attraction are discussed.

Self-Reported Delinquency of High School Students in Metro Manila: Gender and Social Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gutierrez, Filomin C.; Shoemaker, Donald J.

2008-01-01

Self-report data were gathered from 633 students from public and private schools in metro Manila, Philippines. The study finds overall delinquency prevalence to be higher among males than females but not significantly different from one socioeconomic class to another. Gender and class differentials, however, are found for different types of…

Content of children's loss of control eating episodes assessed by self-report and laboratory test meal

PubMed Central

Theim, Kelly R.; Wilfley, Denise E.; Beach, Elizabeth; Tanofsky-Kraff, Marian; Goldschmidt, Andrea B.

2014-01-01

Pediatric loss of control (LOC) eating heightens risk for excessive weight gain and further disordered eating. Assessment of LOC typically involves self-report interview or laboratory test meal, although no study has concurrently examined data from both methods. We gathered eating episode data via interview (Child Eating Disorder Examination; ChEDE) and a laboratory test meal, among 22 overweight girls (aged 7-12 years) reporting LOC eating. Children consumed more energy during ChEDE episodes, although ChEDE and test meal episodes did not differ in macronutrient content. Episodes' correlation for amount consumed (grams) did not reach significance, p=.076. In exploratory analyses among the 7 children reporting LOC during the test meal, episodes were significantly correlated for grams consumed. Findings provide preliminary data to suggest that semi-structured interviews accurately capture children's LOC episode quantity. Episodes did not qualitatively differ, although children reported consuming more energy during self-reported episodes. Replication is warranted in larger studies. PMID:24019221

Aggression by Children Exposed to IPV: Exploring the Role of Child Depressive Symptoms, Trauma-Related Symptoms, & Warmth in Family Relationships.

PubMed

Piotrowski, Caroline C; Cameranesi, Margherita

2018-06-01

Multi-informant reports of aggression by siblings in families with and without a history of IPV were compared. Associations between aggressive behavior and child depressive and trauma-related symptoms, as well as maternal and sibling warmth were also explored. Mothers, observers and the siblings themselves reported on aggressive behaviour. Mothers reported on child trauma-related symptoms while children provided self-report on depressive symptoms and mother-child and sibling warmth. The frequency of observed aggression did not differ across groups on average, although more sibling dyads exposed to IPV engaged in aggression than those not exposed. Child reports of sibling aggression did not differ across groups but mothers reported significantly less aggressive behavior by children exposed to IPV than those not exposed. Regression results indicated that depressive and trauma-related symptoms were significant risk factors for aggression, while the role of mother-child and sibling warmth was more complex. Results were discussed within a developmental psychopathology framework.

The Effects of Measuring Emotion: Physiological Reactions to Emotional Situations Depend on whether Someone Is Asking

PubMed Central

Kassam, Karim S.; Mendes, Wendy Berry

2013-01-01

Measurement effects exist throughout the sciences–the act of measuring often changes the properties of the observed. We suggest emotion research is no exception. The awareness and conscious assessment required by self-report of emotion may significantly alter emotional processes. In this study, participants engaged in a difficult math task designed to induce anger or shame while their cardiovascular responses were measured. Half of the participants were asked to report on their emotional states and appraise their feelings throughout the experiment, whereas the other half completed a control questionnaire. Among those in the anger condition, participants assigned to report on their emotions exhibited qualitatively different physiological responses from those who did not report. For participants in the shame condition, there were no significant differences in physiology based on the self-report manipulation. The study demonstrates that the simple act of reporting on an emotional state may have a substantial impact on the body’s reaction to an emotional situation. PMID:23785407

Anxiety Sensitivity, Experiential Avoidance, and Mindfulness Among Younger and Older Adults: Age Differences in Risk Factors for Anxiety Symptoms.

PubMed

Mahoney, Colin T; Segal, Daniel L; Coolidge, Frederick L

2015-10-01

In this cross-sectional study, we examined age-related differences in anxiety sensitivity (AS), experiential avoidance (EA), and mindfulness among younger adult students (N=426; M age=20.1 years) and community-dwelling older adults (N=85; M age=71.8 years). Participants anonymously completed the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3, Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Geriatric Anxiety Scale, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Independent t tests indicated that younger adults reported significantly higher levels of AS and EA, whereas older adults reported significantly higher levels of trait mindfulness. Correlational analyses demonstrated that AS and EA were significantly associated with each other and with anxiety-related symptoms. However, trait mindfulness was significantly inversely related to AS, EA, and to trait and state anxiety. To date, these three factors have yet to be examined simultaneously within the context of age differences, and the present study illuminates these differences as well as their relationships. AS, EA, and low mindfulness appear to be significant correlates for anxiety-related symptoms in younger and older adults. © The Author(s) 2015.

Setting the Trajectory: Racial Disparities in Newborn Telomere Length

PubMed Central

Drury, Stacy S.; Esteves, Kyle; Hatch, Virginia; Woodbury, Margaret; Borne, Sophie; Adamski, Alys; Theall, Katherine P.

2015-01-01

Objective To explore racial differences in newborn telomere length (TL) and the effect moderation of the sex of the infant while establishing the methodology for the use of newborn blood spots for telomere length analyses. Study design Pregnant mothers were recruited from the Greater New Orleans area. TL was determined using MMQ-PCR on DNA extracted from infant blood spots. Demographic data and other covariates were obtained via maternal report prior to infant birth. Birth outcome data were obtained from medical records and maternal report. Results Black infants weighed significantly less than white infants at birth, and had significantly longer TL than White infants (p=0.0134), with the strongest effect observed in Black female infants. No significant differences in gestational age were present. Conclusions Significant racial differences in TL were present at birth in this sample, even after controlling for a range of birth outcomes and demographic factors. As longer initial TL is predictive of more rapid TL attrition across the life course, these findings provide evidence that, even at birth, biological vulnerability to early life stress may differ by race and sex. PMID:25681203

A Comparison of Sexual Side Effects of Antidepressants With and Without Naltrexone.

PubMed

Thapa, Mona; Petrakis, Ismene; Ralevski, Elizabeth

2017-01-01

The aim of the study was to compare the rate of sexual side effects of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor paroxetine versus the tricyclic antidepressant desipramine and to examine the effect of co-prescription of naltrexone on sexual side effects among participants in a randomized clinical trial. This was a secondary analysis (N = 88) of veterans who participated in a 12-week trial. All veterans were randomized into one of four treatment groups: (a) desipramine/naltrexone, (b) desipramine/placebo, (c) paroxetine/naltrexone, and (d) paroxetine/placebo. The main outcome measure was the frequency of sexual side effects consisting of "decreased sex drive" and/or "impotence" reported by veterans at each weekly visit. Approximately 61% of the veterans reported sexual side effects at least once during the trial, and 26.4% reported sexual side effects throughout the study. There were no significant differences in the frequency of sexual side effects among the four treatment groups. The results were similar when the comparison was made between the two antidepressant groups. There were no significant differences in the reporting of sexual side effects between those receiving desipramine and paroxetine. Also, the comparison between naltrexone and placebo did not alter the results. This is the first study to compare frequency of sexual side effect reporting between paroxetine and desipramine. We found no statistically significant differences in sexual side effect reporting between the two antidepressants. Also, the addition of naltrexone did not show any beneficial effect on the sexual side effect profile.

Perceptions of intimidation and bullying in dental schools: a multi-national study.

PubMed

Rowland, Michael L; Naidoo, Sudeshni; AbdulKadir, Rahimah; Moraru, Ruxandra; Huang, Boyen; Pau, Allan

2010-04-01

To determine first year dental students' perceptions of intimidation by instructors and bullying by fellow students. Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey of first year dental students from seven dental schools representing five countries; one each from Romania, South Africa, Australia and the U.S.A., and three from Malaysia. Self-report questionnaires were administered to participants at least six months after they had commenced their dental degree course during 2005-6. Over a third (34.6%) reported that they had been intimidated or badly treated by their tutors/instructors and 17% reported that they had been bullied or badly treated by their fellow students in the recent past. There were statistically significant differences in reports of intimidation by instructors between the different dental schools. Intimidation by instructors was associated with a history of medication use for stress, anxiety and depression, and perceived stress in the past month. There were no statistically significant variations in reports of bullying by fellow students between different dental schools. Bullying by fellow students was associated with dieting to lose weight, self-reported general health and perceived stress. This multi-national study highlights that intimidation and bullying is prevalent within dental teaching and training environments. Future research is needed to explore their impact on students' wellbeing and academic progress as well as on patient care. Dentists are the best recruiters for the profession. If the dental school experience is a negative one it can have significant impact on the future of the profession

Musculoskeletal disorders among nursing staff: a comparison of five hospitals in Uganda

PubMed Central

Munabi, Ian Guyton; Buwembo, William; Kitara, David Lagoro; Ochieng, Joseph; Nabirye, Rose Chalo; Mwaka, Erisa Sabakaki

2014-01-01

Introduction Low and middle income countries have severe nursing staff shortages which is associated with risk of poor quality of patient care and increased patient exposure to adverse events. This is accompanied with increased risk of musculoskeletal disorders to the nursing staff. This paper sets out to identify and compare factors associated with musculoskeletal disorders among nursing staff in 5 different hospitals in Uganda. Methods This was a cross sectional study on nurses from 5 different hospitals in Uganda. The study used a 12 month recall of reported Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) among nurses. Ethical approval was obtained. Logistic regression analysis and ANOVA were used. The level of significance was set at 0.05 for all statistical tests. Results There were 755 respondents of whom 433 (58.4%) were nurses. The prevalence of MSD at anybody site was 80.8%. There were significant differences in reported MSD among nursing staff across different hospital settings which were worse in the public hospitals as compared to the private and private not for profit hospitals (p <0.001). Age (adjusted OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01-1.06), self reported poor general health status (adj OR 4.5, 95% CI 2.8-7.24) and stress as suggested by waking up tired in the morning (adj OR 3.4, 95% CI 2.17-5.32) were significant associated factors for MSD in this population. Conclusiom Reported MSD among nursing staff across 5 different hospitals is worse in public as compared to private hospitals. Age, self reported poor general health status and stress were important factors for MSD in this population. PMID:25018829

Preoperative Delayed Gadolinium-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Cartilage (dGEMRIC) for Patients Undergoing Hip Arthroscopy: Indices Are Predictive of Magnitude of Improvement in Two-Year Patient-Reported Outcomes.

PubMed

Chandrasekaran, Sivashankar; Vemula, S Pavan; Lindner, Dror; Lodhia, Parth; Suarez-Ahedo, Carlos; Domb, Benjamin G

2015-08-19

Delayed gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of cartilage (dGEMRIC) has been used in the detection of chondropathy. Our study aimed to determine whether dGEMRIC indices are predictive of two-year patient-reported outcomes and pain scores following hip arthroscopy. Between August 2008 and April 2012, sixty-five patients (seventy-four hips) underwent primary hip arthroscopy with preoperative dGEMRIC and a minimum of two years of follow-up. Exclusion criteria were previous hip surgery, slipped capital femoral epiphysis, inflammatory arthropathy, Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease, and arthritis of >1 Tönnis grade. Patients were classified in two groups on the basis of a dGEMRIC cutoff of 323 msec, which was one standard deviation (SD) below the study cohort mean dGEMRIC index of 426 msec. Patient-reported outcome tools used included the modified Harris hip score (mHHS), the Nonarthritic Hip Score (NAHS), the Hip Outcome Score Activities of Daily Living (HOS-ADL), and the Hip Outcome Score Sport-Specific Subscale (HOS-SSS) as well as a visual analog scale (VAS) for pain and a patient satisfaction score. There were sixty-four hips that met the inclusion criteria; fifty-two (81.3%) had a minimum of two years of follow-up. Twelve of the sixty-four hips had a dGEMRIC index of <323 msec (Group 1), and fifty-two hips had a dGEMRIC index of ≥323 msec (Group 2). There was no significant difference between the groups with respect to age, sex, and body mass index. There was no significant difference between the groups in mean preoperative patient-reported outcome scores and the VAS for pain. At the two-year follow-up, Group 1 had significant improvement in the mHHS, whereas Group 2 demonstrated significant improvement in all patient-reported outcome scores and the VAS. The improvement in all patient-reported outcome scores was significantly larger for Group 2 compared with Group 1. There was no significant difference in patient satisfaction between groups and no significant correlation between dGEMRIC indices and the patient-reported outcome measures. Patients with a dGEMRIC index of ≥323 msec (less than one SD below the cohort mean) demonstrated significantly greater improvement in patient-reported outcome scores and the VAS for pain after hip arthroscopy. Copyright © 2015 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.

A mental health intervention for schoolchildren exposed to violence: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Stein, Bradley D; Jaycox, Lisa H; Kataoka, Sheryl H; Wong, Marleen; Tu, Wenli; Elliott, Marc N; Fink, Arlene

2003-08-06

No randomized controlled studies have been conducted to date on the effectiveness of psychological interventions for children with symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that has resulted from personally witnessing or being personally exposed to violence. To evaluate the effectiveness of a collaboratively designed school-based intervention for reducing children's symptoms of PTSD and depression that has resulted from exposure to violence. A randomized controlled trial conducted during the 2001-2002 academic year. Sixth-grade students at 2 large middle schools in Los Angeles who reported exposure to violence and had clinical levels of symptoms of PTSD. Students were randomly assigned to a 10-session standardized cognitive-behavioral therapy (the Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools) early intervention group (n = 61) or to a wait-list delayed intervention comparison group (n = 65) conducted by trained school mental health clinicians. Students were assessed before the intervention and 3 months after the intervention on measures assessing child-reported symptoms of PTSD (Child PTSD Symptom Scale; range, 0-51 points) and depression (Child Depression Inventory; range, 0-52 points), parent-reported psychosocial dysfunction (Pediatric Symptom Checklist; range, 0-70 points), and teacher-reported classroom problems using the Teacher-Child Rating Scale (acting out, shyness/anxiousness, and learning problems; range of subscales, 6-30 points). Compared with the wait-list delayed intervention group (no intervention), after 3 months of intervention students who were randomly assigned to the early intervention group had significantly lower scores on symptoms of PTSD (8.9 vs 15.5, adjusted mean difference, - 7.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], - 10.8 to - 3.2), depression (9.4 vs 12.7, adjusted mean difference, - 3.4; 95% CI, - 6.5 to - 0.4), and psychosocial dysfunction (12.5 vs 16.5, adjusted mean difference, - 6.4; 95% CI, -10.4 to -2.3). Adjusted mean differences between the 2 groups at 3 months did not show significant differences for teacher-reported classroom problems in acting out (-1.0; 95% CI, -2.5 to 0.5), shyness/anxiousness (0.1; 95% CI, -1.5 to 1.7), and learning (-1.1, 95% CI, -2.9 to 0.8). At 6 months, after both groups had received the intervention, the differences between the 2 groups were not significantly different for symptoms of PTSD and depression; showed similar ratings for psychosocial function; and teachers did not report significant differences in classroom behaviors. A standardized 10-session cognitive-behavioral group intervention can significantly decrease symptoms of PTSD and depression in students who are exposed to violence and can be effectively delivered on school campuses by trained school-based mental health clinicians.

Significantly Increased Odds of Reporting Previous Shoulder Injuries in Female Marines Based on Larger Magnitude Shoulder Rotator Bilateral Strength Differences

PubMed Central

Eagle, Shawn R.; Connaboy, Chris; Nindl, Bradley C.; Allison, Katelyn F.

2018-01-01

Background: Musculoskeletal injuries to the extremities are a primary concern for the United States (US) military. One possible injury risk factor in this population is side-to-side strength imbalance. Purpose: To examine the odds of reporting a previous shoulder injury in US Marine Corps Ground Combat Element Integrated Task Force volunteers based on side-to-side strength differences in isokinetic shoulder strength. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Male (n = 219) and female (n = 91) Marines were included in this analysis. Peak torque values from 5 shoulder internal/external rotation repetitions were averaged and normalized to body weight. The difference in side-to-side strength measurements was calculated as the absolute value of the limb difference divided by the mean peak torque of the dominant limb. Participants were placed into groups based on the magnitude of these differences: <10%, 10% to 20%, and >20%. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs were calculated. Results: When separated by sex, 13.2% of men reported an injury, while 5.5% of women reported an injury. Female Marines with >20% internal rotation side-to-side strength differences demonstrated increased odds of reporting a previous shoulder injury compared with female Marines with <10% strength differences (OR, 15.4; 95% CI, 1.4-167.2; P = .03 ) and female Marines with 10% to 20% strength differences (OR, 13.9; 95% CI, 1.3-151.2; P = .04). No significant ORs were demonstrated in male Marines. Conclusion: Marines with larger magnitude internal rotation strength differences demonstrated increased odds of reporting a previous shoulder injury compared with those with lesser magnitude differences. Additionally, female sex appears to drastically affect the increased odds of reporting shoulder injuries (OR, 13.9-15.4) with larger magnitude differences (ie, >20%) compared with those with lesser magnitude differences (ie, <10% and 10%-20%). The retrospective cohort design of this study cannot delineate cause and effect but establishes a relationship between female Marines and greater odds of larger magnitude strength differences after returning from an injury. PMID:29497623

Significantly Increased Odds of Reporting Previous Shoulder Injuries in Female Marines Based on Larger Magnitude Shoulder Rotator Bilateral Strength Differences.

PubMed

Eagle, Shawn R; Connaboy, Chris; Nindl, Bradley C; Allison, Katelyn F

2018-02-01

Musculoskeletal injuries to the extremities are a primary concern for the United States (US) military. One possible injury risk factor in this population is side-to-side strength imbalance. To examine the odds of reporting a previous shoulder injury in US Marine Corps Ground Combat Element Integrated Task Force volunteers based on side-to-side strength differences in isokinetic shoulder strength. Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Male (n = 219) and female (n = 91) Marines were included in this analysis. Peak torque values from 5 shoulder internal/external rotation repetitions were averaged and normalized to body weight. The difference in side-to-side strength measurements was calculated as the absolute value of the limb difference divided by the mean peak torque of the dominant limb. Participants were placed into groups based on the magnitude of these differences: <10%, 10% to 20%, and >20%. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs were calculated. When separated by sex, 13.2% of men reported an injury, while 5.5% of women reported an injury. Female Marines with >20% internal rotation side-to-side strength differences demonstrated increased odds of reporting a previous shoulder injury compared with female Marines with <10% strength differences (OR, 15.4; 95% CI, 1.4-167.2; P = .03 ) and female Marines with 10% to 20% strength differences (OR, 13.9; 95% CI, 1.3-151.2; P = .04). No significant ORs were demonstrated in male Marines. Marines with larger magnitude internal rotation strength differences demonstrated increased odds of reporting a previous shoulder injury compared with those with lesser magnitude differences. Additionally, female sex appears to drastically affect the increased odds of reporting shoulder injuries (OR, 13.9-15.4) with larger magnitude differences (ie, >20%) compared with those with lesser magnitude differences (ie, <10% and 10%-20%). The retrospective cohort design of this study cannot delineate cause and effect but establishes a relationship between female Marines and greater odds of larger magnitude strength differences after returning from an injury.

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children with chronic liver disease in North East Iran using PedsQL™ 4.0

PubMed Central

Tehranian, Shahrzad; Jafari, Seyedali; Yousofi, Jamshid; Kiani, Mohammadali; Seyedin, Saleh; Khakshour, Ali; Bagherian, Rita; Karami, Hasan; Kianifar, Hamidreza

2015-01-01

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is a concept that relates to an individual’s perception of health status in relation to the culture and value systems in which they live, in addition to their expectations, goals, concerns, and living standards. Considering the size of the population affected by Chronic Liver Diseases (CLDs) and the severity and chronic nature of the symptoms, there is an emerging need to evaluate the quality of life of patients using a standard protocol. The aim of this study is to assess the HRQOL in children with CLD based on child self-report and parent proxy-report forms. Methods: A total of 164 children, 55 CLD and 109 healthy children (aged 6–17 years), upon referral from the Pediatric Department at Ghaem Hospital in Mashhad from 2010 to 2014 were enrolled in this case-control study. We used the PedsQLTM 4.0 generic score scale to assess the HRQOL in children with CLD compared to the control group based on child self- and parent proxy reports. Results: According to the child self-reports, the total HRQOL in the case group (89.93±9.63) was significantly lower than control group (93.05±9.28) (p=0.006). We found significant differences in emotional functioning based on the CLD child self-reports (p=0.001) and their parent proxy-reports (p=0.002). Furthermore, there was a statistically significant correlation between the severity and physical functioning as reported by the Child-Pugh score (p=0.03, r= −0.31) and the MELD/PELD scores (p=0.01, r= −0.35), based on child self-reports. Gender, age of onset, CLD types, duration of the disease, and treatment showed no significant differences with total HRQOL. Conclusion: HRQOL is significantly lower in children with CLD in comparison to the normal population. We strongly recommend considering different aspects of quality of life, especially emotional functioning concomitant to the therapy programs. PMID:26396736

Do attitudes toward exercise vary with differences in mobility and disability status? - a study among low-income seniors.

PubMed

Bean, Jonathan F; Bailey, Allison; Kiely, Dan K; Leveille, Suzanne G

2007-08-15

To examine attitudes toward exercise among a vulnerable aged population characterized by low socioeconomic status, poor functional status and lack of available therapeutic exercise resources. This cross-sectional survey among public low-income housing residents (n = 94), aged > 70 years utilizes these assessments: Physician-based Assessment & Counseling for Exercise (PACE) scale, exercise self-efficacy score, Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scales. Readiness to exercise differed significantly (p < 0.001) across physical performance levels, and ADL and IADL groups. Exercise self-efficacy also differed significantly (p < 0.001) across performance levels. The highest performance level (score 7 - 12) had a significantly (p < 0.05) higher self-efficacy score (x=7.0+/-2.8) than the medium performance level (score 4 - 6) (x=5.3+/-2.8) and the lowest performance level (0 - 3) (x=4.3+/-2.5) groups. Exercise self-efficacy also differed significantly (p < 0.001) across ADL and IADL groups. However, interest in home-based or class-based exercise participation was high among all groups. More than 70% of subjects reported interest with no significant difference noted among groups. Attitudes toward exercise are significantly associated with observed physical function and self-reported disability among vulnerable older adults living in public low-income housing.

Parents’ Activity-Related Parenting Practices Predict Girls’ Physical Activity

PubMed Central

DAVISON, KIRSTEN KRAHNSTOEVER; CUTTING, TANJA M.; BIRCH, LEANN L.

2008-01-01

Purpose Using a sample of 180 9-yr-old girls and their parents, this study examined (a) parents’ activity-related parenting strategies and similarities and differences in such strategies for mothers and fathers, and (b) links between activity-related parenting strategies and girls’ physical activity patterns. Methods Measures of girls’ physical activity included the Children’s Physical Activity scale, participation in organized sports, and physical fitness. We developed a questionnaire to assess ways in which parents promote physical activity among their children. Results Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses identified two factors for each parent including logistic support of girls’ activity (i.e., enrolling girls in sports and driving them to events) and parents’ explicit modeling (i.e., the extent to which parents used their own behavior to encourage their daughters to be active). Mothers reported significantly higher levels of logistic support than fathers, whereas fathers reported higher levels of explicit modeling than mothers. Although mothers and fathers tended to report different methods of support, both methods were associated with higher physical activity among girls. Finally, girls reported significantly higher levels of physical activity when at least one parent reported high levels of overall support in comparison to no parents; no significant differences were identified for support from one versus two parents. Conclusion Results from this study indicate the positive contribution that parents can have on activity practices of their young daughters. PMID:12972881

Expert Review of Cervical Cytology: Does it Affect Patient Care?

PubMed

Mark, Jaron; Morrell, Kayla; Eng, Kevin; Alfiero, Alexandra; Frederick, Peter J

2018-04-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate whether expert review of outside cervical cytology affects patient care. A retrospective study was conducted of 424 new patient referrals for cervical dysplasia between 2004 and 2016 at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Records were analyzed for outside cervical cytology reports and compared with expert cervical cytology review. Differences between expert review and outside reports were documented. Charts with a difference were then assessed for additional evaluation and procedures performed. We specifically analyzed the data for cytology being upgraded or downgraded after expert review. Two hundred forty-six patient charts were eligible for this study. We identified 165 patients with congruent pathology reports. Of the 81 different reports, 41 led to significant pathologic differences. Twenty-four reports with different pathology were low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) upgraded to high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL). Six were HSIL downgraded to LSIL, 4 LSIL downgraded to negative, 3 AGC upgraded to HSIL, 2 AGC upgraded to cancer, 1 each for HSIL downgraded to negative, and AGC downgraded to negative. Of the 24 patients whose cytology changed from low grade to high grade, 17 underwent an excisional procedure and 1 had a laser ablative procedure. Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2 or 3 was found in 11 specimens. Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 1 was found in 4 of excisional specimens and no dysplasia found in 2. Expert review of cervical cytology significantly impacts patient management at a tertiary referral center, resulting in both upgrading and downgrading of community cytology reports.

Suicide attempt history, self-esteem, and suicide risk in a sample of 116 depressed voluntary inpatients.

PubMed

Palmer, Charles James

2004-12-01

116 consecutively admitted depressed inpatients were divided into three groups based on self-reported history of suicidal ideation and history of suicide attempt. Participants in Group 1 (M age 34.0, SD= 14.0), 13 men and 24 women, reported no history of suicidal ideation or history of suicide attempt. Group 2 (M age 34.0, SD= 8.6), 14 men and 25 women, reported having a history of suicidal ideation but no history of suicide attempt. Group 3 (M age 34.0 yr., SD=6.3), 14 men and 26 women, reported a history of suicidal ideation and at least one suicide attempt. Each participant completed the Suicide Risk Scale and the Self-esteem Scale. Analysis of variance with Tukey post hoc comparisons yielded a significant difference between Groups 1 and 2, between Groups 1 and 3, and between Groups 2 and 3 on the Suicide Risk Scale. There was a significant difference between Group 1 and Group 2 and between Group 1 and Group 3 on the Self-esteem Scale. These data indicated that suicide ideation and suicide attempt history significantly elevated suicide risk. Self-esteem was significantly decreased by suicide ideation and suicide attempt history.

Attitudes towards corporal punishment and reporting of abuse.

PubMed

Tirosh, Emanuel; Offer Shechter, Shlomit; Cohen, Ayala; Jaffe, Michael

2003-08-01

To assess physicians' attitudes towards corporal punishment in childhood and their subsequent actions regarding the reporting of child abuse. 107 physicians (95 pediatricians and 12 family practitioners) who work in hospitals and community clinics in northern Israel were interviewed. Of the participants, 16% were new immigrants. A structured interview was conducted by one of two pediatric residents. Attitudes towards corporal punishment were not influenced by the physicians' sex or specialty. Corporal punishment was approved by 58% of the physicians. A significant difference in attitudes towards corporal punishment between immigrants and Israeli born physicians was found (p=.004). Family practitioners and especially senior ones were found significantly less tolerant towards corporal punishment than pediatricians (p=.04). While reporting behavior was not found to be associated with parental status and the past experience of the physicians with child abuse, a significant effect of attitudes towards corporal punishment on reporting behavior was found (p=.01). (1) Corporal punishment is still perceived as an acceptable disciplinary act by a significant proportion of physicians responsible for the health care of children in our area. (2) Attitudes towards corporal punishment are different between immigrants and native born Israeli trained doctors and, unexpectedly, pediatricians were more tolerant of corporal punishment than family practitioners.

Self-reported voice problems among three groups of professional singers.

PubMed

Phyland, D J; Oates, J; Greenwood, K M

1999-12-01

A vocal health questionnaire was administered to three groups of professional singers and a "friendship-matched" group of nonsingers in Melbourne, Australia. The responses of 79 opera, 57 musical theatre and 31 contemporary (excluding rock) singers and 86 nonsingers were analysed. The questionnaire solicited information regarding biographical data speaking and singing voice-use behaviours, and vocal health over the previous 12 months in terms of experiences of vocal impairment, vocal disability, and handicap. Significant differences between singers and nonsingers in the prevalence and nature of voice problems were reported. Of the singers, 44% reported one or more occurrences of a diagnosed vocal condition compared to 21% of nonsingers and 69% of singers experienced vocal disability compared to only 41% of nonsingers, over the previous 12 months. In contrast, no significant differences were found between the three different styles of singers in their experience of vocal impairment, disability or handicap.

Gender Difference in the Prevalence of Eating Disorder Symptoms

PubMed Central

Striegel-Moore, Ruth H.; Rosselli, Francine; Perrin, Nancy; DeBar, Lynn; Wilson, G. Terence; May, Alexis; Kraemer, Helena C.

2009-01-01

Objective This study examined gender differences in prevalence of eating disorder symptoms including body image concerns (body checking or avoidance), binge eating, and inappropriate compensatory behaviors. Method A random sample of members (ages 18 to 35) of a health maintenance organization was recruited to complete a survey by mail or on-line. Items were drawn from the Patient Health Questionnaire and the Body Shape Questionnaire. Results Among the 3,714 women and 1,808 men who responded, men were more likely to report overeating whereas women were more likely to endorse loss of control while eating. Although statistically significant gender differences were observe, with women significantly more likely than men to report body checking and avoidance, binge eating, fasting, and vomiting, effect sizes (“Number Needed to Treat”) were small to moderate. Conclusions Few studies of eating disorders include men, yet our findings suggest that a substantial minority of men also report eating disorder symptoms. PMID:19107833

Psychosocial distress and functioning of Greek youth with cystic fibrosis: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Kostakou, Konstantina; Giannakopoulos, George; Diareme, Stavroula; Tzavara, Chara; Doudounakis, Stavros; Christogiorgos, Stelios; Bakoula, Chryssa; Kolaitis, Gerasimos

2014-01-01

To assess psychosocial functioning and distress of children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis compared to healthy controls. Thirty-six patients with cystic fibrosis aged 8-18 years (24 boys, mean age ± SD: 11.5 ± 2.6 years) and 31 sex- and age-matched healthy control subjects (18 boys, mean age ± SD: 12 ± 2.5 years) were enrolled in the study. In order to assess the self-esteem, social adjustment, and family functioning of these young people, the Culture-free Self-esteem Inventory, the Social Adjustment Scale-Self-Report, and the Family Assessment Device were administered. Emotional/ behavioral problems were assessed through the Youth Self Report and the Child Behavior Checklist given to both the subjects and their parents. No significant differences were found for self-esteem between the two study groups. Regarding social adjustment, children with cystic fibrosis reported significantly worse friendship and overall adjustment (P < 0.05). Moreover, no difference was found in the levels of family functioning between the two groups. No significant differences between the groups were found in emotional/ behavioral problems from the self-reports. On the contrary, parents of children with cystic fibrosis reported significantly higher levels of withdrawal/ depression, thought problems, and delinquent behavior (P ≤ 0.01) as compared to controls. Children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis appear to be a psychosocially vulnerable group. A biopsychosocial approach should emphasize the assessment and treatment of the psychosocial distress of these patients alongside multiple somatic treatments.

Gender Differences in Exercise Habits and Quality of Life Reports: Assessing the Moderating Effects of Reasons for Exercise

PubMed Central

Craft, Baine B.; Carroll, Haley A.; Lustyk, M. Kathleen B.

2016-01-01

Men and women report different exercise habits and reasons for exercise. Given that quality of life is affected by exercise habits and reasons for exercise, the present study explored gender differences among these variables. Participants reported quality of life, exercise habits, and motives. Results revealed that women (n = 108) reported significantly higher exercise and quality of life levels than men (n = 72). Women reported exercising for weight loss and toning more than men, whereas men reported exercising for enjoyment more than women. Reasons for exercise predicted quality of life for women over exercise. For men, exercise was the best predictor of quality of life. Ultimately, exercise is not beneficial for a woman's quality of life under all conditions. PMID:27668243

Hyperactives as young adults: preliminary report.

PubMed Central

Hechtman, L.; Weiss, G.; Finklestein, J.; Werner, A.; Benn, R.

1976-01-01

Thirty-five individuals aged 17 to 24 in whom severe chronic hyperactivity had been diagnosed 10 years before were studied together with 25 matched controls. There were no significant differences in mean height or weight or in electroencephalographic findings, but the mean pulse rate was significantly higher in the hyperactive group. Cognitive style tests indicated continued difficulty in reflection (resulting in more errors) but less impulsivity (longer reaction time) in the hyperactive individuals. Compared with controls, hyperactive subjects were continuing to have more scholastic difficulty, although this difference seemed to be less pronounced than 5 years before. Their adjustment in work situations and living arrangements did not differ significantly from that of the controls. Restlessness, both reported and observed, continued to be a problem for the hyperactive individuals, and socialization skills and sense of well-being continued to be poorer than in the controls. The hyperactive individuals did not show significantly more antisocial behaviour, nonmedical use of drugs or serious psychiatric disturbances. PMID:974949

Hyperactives as young adults: preliminary report.

PubMed

Hechtman, L; Weiss, G; Finklestein, J; Werner, A; Benn, R

1976-10-09

Thirty-five individuals aged 17 to 24 in whom severe chronic hyperactivity had been diagnosed 10 years before were studied together with 25 matched controls. There were no significant differences in mean height or weight or in electroencephalographic findings, but the mean pulse rate was significantly higher in the hyperactive group. Cognitive style tests indicated continued difficulty in reflection (resulting in more errors) but less impulsivity (longer reaction time) in the hyperactive individuals. Compared with controls, hyperactive subjects were continuing to have more scholastic difficulty, although this difference seemed to be less pronounced than 5 years before. Their adjustment in work situations and living arrangements did not differ significantly from that of the controls. Restlessness, both reported and observed, continued to be a problem for the hyperactive individuals, and socialization skills and sense of well-being continued to be poorer than in the controls. The hyperactive individuals did not show significantly more antisocial behaviour, nonmedical use of drugs or serious psychiatric disturbances.

Chronotype differences in suicidal behavior and impulsivity among suicide attempters.

PubMed

Selvi, Yavuz; Aydin, Adem; Atli, Abdullah; Boysan, Murat; Selvi, Fatih; Besiroglu, Lutfullah

2011-03-01

Morning- and evening-type individuals differ on a number of psychological and biological variables. There has been increasing interest in the relationship between chronotype and personality traits. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between impulsivity and chronotype in suicide attempters. Eighty-nine suicide attempters were included in the study, and systematic information on suicide attempts was recorded. The Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire was applied to determine chronotype, and attempter impulsivity was measured by the total score of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. Significant differences between chronotype and impulsivity scores were found. Evening-type subjects reported significantly higher impulsivity scores than both neither- and morning-types. A significant association between chronotype and type of suicide attempt was detected. The largest proportion of violent suicide attempters were evening-type subjects. Violent suicide attempters also reported significantly higher impulsivity scores than nonviolent attempters. Previous studies have pointed out possible relations between eveningness and impulsivity. Current findings suggest that eveningness may be a risk factor for violent suicide attempts by increasing impulsivity.

Childrearing style in families of anxiety-disordered children: between-family and within-family differences.

PubMed

Lindhout, Ingeborg E; Markus, Monica Th; Borst, Sophie R; Hoogendijk, Thea H G; Dingemans, Peter M A J; Boer, Frits

2009-06-01

This study examined whether (1) parents of anxiety-disordered (AD) children differed from those of non-clinical controls in their childrearing style, and whether (2) the child-rearing style of parents towards AD children is different from that towards their siblings. A clinical sample of 25 AD children, age range 8-13 years, was compared with 25 siblings and a non-clinical control group (n = 25). Childrearing was assessed by means of parental self-report, child report and through an expressed emotion interview measure. AD children perceived more parental rejection than non-clinical control children or the AD children's siblings. High-expressed emotion was scored significantly more often towards AD children than non-clinical control children, or their siblings. On [Symbol: see text]care' and [Symbol: see text]control' parental self-report showed some differences regarding AD children on the one hand and non-clinical control children or siblings of AD children on the other. These results suggest that the rearing of AD children differs significantly both from the rearing of their siblings and that of non-clinical control children.

Complexity in an Unexpected Place: Quantities in Selected Acquisition Reports

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-12-01

Chinook helicopters produced, there are actually four different variants of CH-47 helicopters within the current Army program. For each of these...variants, units produced 10 years ago are significantly different from new units coming off the line today. The CH-47 program is not unusual in showing...whereas in the budget submissions these are scattered throughout different exhibits and Services. Each SAR also reports all funding in both base

Differences in demographic, clinical, and symptom characteristics and quality of life outcomes among oncology patients with different types of pain.

PubMed

Posternak, Victoria; Dunn, Laura B; Dhruva, Anand; Paul, Steven M; Luce, Judith; Mastick, Judy; Levine, Jon D; Aouizerat, Bradley E; Hammer, Marylin; Wright, Fay; Miaskowski, Christine

2016-04-01

The purposes of this study, in oncology outpatients receiving chemotherapy (n = 926), were to: describe the occurrence of different types of pain (ie, no pain, only noncancer pain [NCP], only cancer pain [CP], or both CP and NCP) and evaluate for differences in demographic, clinical, and symptom characteristics, and quality of life (QOL) among the 4 groups. Patients completed self-report questionnaires on demographic and symptom characteristics and QOL. Patients who had pain were asked to indicate if it was or was not related to their cancer or its treatment. Medical records were reviewed for information on cancer and its treatments. In this study, 72.5% of the patients reported pain. Of the 671 who reported pain, 21.5% reported only NCP, 37.0% only CP, and 41.5% both CP and NCP. Across the 3 pain groups, worst pain scores were in the moderate to severe range. Compared with the no pain group, patients with both CP and NCP were significantly younger, more likely to be female, have a higher level of comorbidity, and a poorer functional status. In addition, these patients reported: higher levels of depression, anxiety, fatigue, and sleep disturbance; lower levels of energy and attentional function; and poorer QOL. Patients with only NCP were significantly older than the other 3 groups. The most common comorbidities in the NCP group were back pain, hypertension, osteoarthritis, and depression. Unrelieved CP and NCP continue to be significant problems. Oncology outpatients need to be assessed for both CP and NCP conditions.

Workplace conflict resolution and the health of employees in the Swedish and Finnish units of an industrial company.

PubMed

Hyde, Martin; Jappinen, Paavo; Theorell, Tores; Oxenstierna, Gabriel

2006-10-01

New patterns of working, the globalisation of production and the introduction of information technologies are changing the way we work. This new working environment has eliminated some risks whilst introducing others. The importance of the psychosocial working environment for the health of employees is now well documented, but the effects of managerial style have received relatively little attention. Yet management is an increasingly important aspect of companies' policies. In this paper, we examine the relationship between conflict management in the workplace and self-reported measures of stress, poor general health, exhaustion and sickness absence due to overstrain or fatigue. Our sample consists of non-supervisory employees (N = 9309) working in the Swedish and Finnish plants of a multinational forestry company who were surveyed in 2000. Bivariate analyses show that those who report that differences are resolved through discussion are least likely to report stress, poor general health, exhaustion or sickness absence. Those who report that authority is used or that no attempts are made to resolve differences have quite similar rates across all measures. Binary logistic regression analyses were performed for all health outcomes controlling for age, sex, occupational group, job complexity, job autonomy and support from superiors. Results show significantly lower likelihoods of reporting stress, poor general health, exhaustion or sickness absence amongst employees who report that differences of opinion are resolved through discussion compared to those who report that no attempts are made. No significant differences were found between those who reported that differences were resolved through use of authority and subjects in the 'no attempt' category. These results suggest that the workplace conflict resolution is important in the health of employees in addition to traditional psychosocial work environment risk factors.

Community-based and college-based needs assessment of physically disabled persons.

PubMed

Burnett, S E; Yerxa, E J

1980-03-01

A descriptive survey was conducted to determine the self-perceived needs of physically disabled persons as a preliminary step toward establishing or designing a knowledge base for occupational therapy intervention at a community college. Demographic and needs data were statistically compared with those from a sample of nondisabled college students. Significant differences in the confidence to perform congnitive/problem-solving, social/recreational, school/vocational, home and community mobility skills were found, with the disabled reporting lowered or less confidence. Confidence in performing basic activities of daily living was the only area in which the difference was not significant. No significant differences were obtained in general interests except that a higher frequency of disabled reported not wanting to participate in sports. The greatest amounts of interest were in crafts/fine arts and in social/recreational activities. Implications were drawn for occupational therapy programming to improve confidence in independent living skills by using the subjects' predominant interests.

A parent-report Gender Identity Questionnaire for Children: A cross-national, cross-clinic comparative analysis.

PubMed

Cohen-Kettenis, Peggy T; Wallien, Madeleine; Johnson, Laurel L; Owen-Anderson, Allison F H; Bradley, Susan J; Zucker, Kenneth J

2006-07-01

A one-factor, 14-item parent-report Gender Identity Questionnaire for Children (GIQC) was developed in a sample of 325 clinic-referred children with gender identity problems and 504 controls from Toronto, Canada (Johnson et al., 2004). In this study, we report a cross-national, cross-clinic comparative analysis of the GIQC on gender-referred children (N = 338) from Toronto and gender-referred children (N = 175) from Utrecht, The Netherlands. Across clinics, the results showed both similarities and differences. Gender-referred boys from Utrecht had a significantly higher total score (indicating more cross-gender behavior) than did gender-referred boys from Toronto, but there was no significant difference for girls. In the Toronto sample, the gender-referred girls had a significantly higher total score than the gender-referred boys, but there was no significant sex difference in the Utrecht sample. Across both clinics, gender-referred children who met the complete DSM criteria for gender identity disorder (GID) had a significantly higher cross-gender score than the gender-referred children who were subthreshold for GID (Cohen's d = 1.11). The results of this study provide the first empirical evidence of relative similarity in cross-gender behavior in a sample of gender-referred children from western Europe when compared to North American children. The results also provide some support for cross-clinic consistency in clinician-based diagnosis of GID.

Have CONSORT guidelines improved the quality of reporting of randomised controlled trials published in public health dentistry journals?

PubMed

Savithra, Prakash; Nagesh, Lakshminarayan Shetty

2013-01-01

To assess a) whether the quality of reporting of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) has improved since the formulation of the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement and b) whether there is any difference in reporting of RCTs between the selected public health dentistry journals. A hand search of the journals of public health dentistry was performed and four journals were identified for the study. They were Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology (CDOE), Community Dental Health (CDH), Journal of Public Health Dentistry (JPHD) and Oral Health and Preventive Dentistry (OHPD). A total of 114 RCTs published between 1990 and 2009 were selected. CONSORT guidelines were applied to each selected article in order to assess and determine any improvement since the publication of CONSORT guidelines. The chi-square test was employed to determine any statistical significant difference in quality of reporting of RCTs before and after the publication of the CONSORT guidelines. A comparison was also done to determine any statistically significant difference in quality of reporting of RCTs between the selected journals. Title, abstract, discussion and conclusion sections of the selected articles showed adherence to the CONSORT guidelines, whereas the compliance was poor with respect to the methodology section. The quality of reporting of RCTs is generally poor in public health dentistry journals. Overall, the quality of reporting has not substantially improved since the publication of CONSORT guidelines.

Bullying and victimization: prevalence and relationship to gender, grade level, ethnicity, self-esteem, and depression.

PubMed

Seals, Dorothy; Young, Jerry

2003-01-01

This study investigated the prevalence of bullying and victimization among students in grades 7 and 8. It also explored the relationship of bullying and victimization to gender, grade level, ethnicity, self-esteem, and depression. Three survey instruments were used to obtain data from a convenience sample of 454 public school students. Twenty-four percent reported bullying involvement. Chi-square tests indicated significantly more male than female bullying involvement, seventh graders reported more involvement than did eighth graders, and there were no statistically significant differences in involvement based on ethnicity. Both bullies and victims manifested higher levels of depression than did students who were neither bullies nor victims. There were no significant differences between groups in terms of self-esteem.

Active war in Sri Lanka: Children's war exposure, coping, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity.

PubMed

Soysa, Champika K; Azar, Sandra T

2016-01-01

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in response to active war is understudied among Sinhalese children in Sri Lanka. We investigated PTSD symptom severity in children using child (n = 60) and mother (n = 60) reports; child-reported war exposure and coping; as well as self-reported maternal PTSD symptom severity. The study addressed active war in 2 rural locations (acute and chronic community war exposure). Child-reports were significantly greater than mother-reports of child PTSD symptom severity. Furthermore, children's war exposure, child-reported and mother-reported child PTSD symptom severity, and maternal PTSD symptom severity were significantly greater in the acute versus chronic community war exposure location, but children's approach and avoidance coping did not significantly differ, indicating a potential ceiling effect. Children's war exposure significantly, positively predicted child-reported child PTSD symptom severity, controlling for age, gender, and maternal PTSD symptom severity, but only maternal PTSD symptom severity significantly, positively predicted mother-reported child PTSD symptom severity. Avoidance coping (in both acute and chronic war) significantly positively mediated the children's war exposure-child-reported child PTSD symptom severity relation, but not mother-reports of the same. Approach coping (in chronic but not acute war) significantly, positively mediated the children's war exposure-child-reported and mother-reported child PTSD symptom severity relations. We advanced the literature on long-term active war by confirming the value of children's self-reports, establishing that both approach and avoidance coping positively mediated the war-exposure-PTSD symptom severity relation, and that the mediation effect of approach coping was situationally moderated by acute verses chronic community war exposure among Sri Lankan children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Career satisfaction and surgical practice patterns among female ophthalmologists.

PubMed

Jinapriya, Delan; Cockerill, Rhonda; Trope, Graham E

2003-08-01

To identify gender differences in career satisfaction and practice patterns among Ontario ophthalmologists. Survey mailed to all Ontario female ophthalmologists (n = 65) and a random sample of male ophthalmologists (n = 72). Men reported performing more operations per month (p = 0.039) and more operations in the last typical year (p = 0.003). More men than women were doing laser refractive surgery (p = 0.004). There were no gender differences in the proportion performing eye surgery or in the hours worked per week or weeks worked per year. Women reported being primarily responsible for their children for significantly more hours per week than men (p = 0.0003). There were no gender differences in any of the parameters of career satisfaction evaluated: number of hours worked, number of hours in the operating room (OR), balance with personal life, flexibility of work schedules, ability to structure work, relationship with colleagues and relationship with OR staff. Despite spending significantly more hours as the primary supervisor of their children, female ophthalmologists were maintaining the same work week as their male colleagues and reported equal career satisfaction. Further investigation is needed to explore the differences between male and female ophthalmologists in the reported number of operations performed.

Sex differences in claimed and behavioral self-handicapping and ADHD symptomatology in emerging adults.

PubMed

Jaconis, Maryanne; Boyd, Stephen J; Hartung, Cynthia M; McCrea, Sean M; Lefler, Elizabeth K; Canu, Will H

2016-12-01

Although the research is clear that boys with ADHD have higher symptomatology and impairment than girls with ADHD, for adults the research is mixed. Some studies suggest no sex differences, whereas others suggest that women might have higher symptomatology and impairment. The present study examined sex differences in ADHD symptomatology and impairment, and the possible role of claimed and behavioral self-handicapping as an explanation for any differences. Claimed self-handicapping (CSH) involves reports of performance-inhibiting conditions, whereas behavioral self-handicapping (BSH) involves reporting more objective, intentional acts that could undermine performance. College students (N = 699) completed an online study. Sex differences were found for hyperactivity such that women reported higher levels, but not for inattention or impairment. The test of the indirect effect of sex through CSH was significant, suggesting that higher levels of CSH in women were associated with elevated ADHD symptoms and impairment. The test of the indirect effect of sex through BSH was also significant, suggesting that higher levels of BSH in men are associated with elevated symptoms of ADHD and impairment. These data extend the literature by suggesting that self-handicapping might at least partially explain differential self-reporting of ADHD symptoms and impairment in emerging adults across the sexes.

Exploring Neural Correlates of Different Dimensions in Drug Craving Self-Reports among Heroin Dependents.

PubMed

Hassani-Abharian, Peyman; Ganjgahi, Habib; Tabatabaei-Jafari, Hosein; Oghabian, Mohammad Ali; Mokri, Azarakhsh; Ekhtiari, Hamed

2015-10-01

Drug craving could be described as a motivational state which drives drug dependents towards drug seeking and use. Different types of self-reports such as craving feeling, desire and intention, wanting and need, imagery of use, and negative affect have been attributed to this motivational state. By using subjective self-reports for different correlates of drug craving along with functional neuroimaging with cue exposure paradigm, we investigated the brain regions that could correspond to different dimensions of subjective reports for heroin craving. A total of 25 crystalline-heroin smokers underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), while viewing heroin-related and neutral cues presented in a block-design task. During trial intervals, subjects verbally reported their subjective feeling of cue induced craving (CIC). After fMRI procedure, participants reported the intensity of their "need for drug use" and "drug use imagination" on a 0-100 visual analog scale (VAS). Afterwards, they completed positive and negative affect scale (PANAS) and desire for drug questionnaire (DDQ) with 3 components of "desire and intention to drug use," "negative reinforcement," and "loss of control." The study showed significant correlation between "subjective feeling of craving" and activation of the left and right anterior cingulate cortex, as well as right medial frontal gyrus. Furthermore, the "desire and intention to drug use" was correlated with activation of the left precentral gyrus, left superior frontal gyrus, and left middle frontal gyrus. Subjects also exhibited significant correlation between the "need for drug use" and activation of the right inferior temporal gyrus, right middle temporal gyrus, and right parahippocampal gyrus. Correlation between subjective report of "heroin use imagination" and activation of the cerebellar vermis was also observed. Another significant correlation was between the "negative affect" and activation of the left precuneus, right putamen, and right middle temporal gyrus. This preliminary study proposes different neural correlates for various dimensions of subjective craving self-reports. It could reflect multidimensionality of cognitive functions corresponding with drug craving. These cognitive functions could represent their motivational and affective outcomes in a single item "subjective craving feeling" or in self-reports with multiple dissociable items, such as intention, need, imagination, or negative feeling. The new psychological models of drug craving for covering various dimensions of subjective craving self-reports based on their neurocognitive correspondence could potentially modify craving assessments in addiction medicine.

The Episodicity of Verbal Reports of Personally Significant Autobiographical Memories: Vividness Correlates with Narrative Text Quality More than with Detailedness or Memory Specificity

PubMed Central

Habermas, Tilmann; Diel, Verena

2013-01-01

How can we tell from a memory report whether a memory is episodic or not? Vividness is required by many definitions, whereas detailedness, memory specificity, and narrative text type are competing definitions of episodicity used in research. We explored their correlations with vividness in personally significant autobiographical memories to provide evidence to support their relative claim to define episodic memories. In addition, we explored differences between different memory types and text types as well as between memories with different valences. We asked a lifespan sample (N = 168) of 8-, 12-, 16-, 20-, 40-, and 65-year-olds of both genders (N = 27, 29, 27, 27, 28, 30) to provide brief oral life narratives. These were segmented into thematic memory units. Detailedness of person, place, and time did not correlate with each other or either vividness, memory specificity, or narrative text type. Narrative text type, in contrast, correlated both with vividness and memory specificity, suggesting narrative text type as a good criterion of episodicity. Emotionality turned out to be an even better predictor of vividness. Also, differences between narrative, chronicle, and argument text types and between specific versus more extended and atemporal memories were explored as well as differences between positive, negative, ambivalent, neutral, contamination, and redemption memory reports. It is concluded that temporal sequentiality is a central characteristic of episodic autobiographical memories. Furthermore, it is suggested that the textual quality of memory reports should be taken more seriously, and that evaluation and interpretation are inherent aspects of personally significant memories. PMID:23966918

A national survey on violence and discrimination among people with disabilities.

PubMed

Dammeyer, Jesper; Chapman, Madeleine

2018-03-15

The aim of the study was to quantify levels of violence and discrimination among people with disabilities and analyze the effects of gender and the type and degree of disability. The study analyzed data on self-reported violence and discrimination from a Danish national survey of 18,019 citizens, of whom 4519 reported a physical disability and 1398 reported a mental disability. Individuals with disabilities reported significantly higher levels of violence than those without. Specifically, individuals reporting a mental disability reported higher levels of violence and discrimination. Significant gender differences were found with regard to type of violence: while men with disabilities were more likely to report physical violence, women with disabilities were more likely to report major sexual violence, humiliation and discrimination. Neither severity nor visibility of disability was found to be a significant factor for risk of violence. This large-scale study lends support to existing research showing that people with disabilities are at greater risk of violence than people without disabilities. Further, the study found that people with mental disabilities were significantly more likely to report all types of violence and discrimination than those with physical disabilities. The findings also show that gender is significant in explaining the type of violence experienced and the experience of discrimination.

Self-reported maternal parenting style and confidence and infant temperament in a multi-ethnic community: results from the Born in Bradford cohort.

PubMed

Prady, Stephanie L; Kiernan, Kathleen; Fairley, Lesley; Wilson, Sarah; Wright, John

2014-03-01

Ethnic minority children in the United Kingdom often experience health disadvantage. Parenting influences children's current and future health, but little is known about whether parenting behaviours and mother's perception of her infant vary by ethnicity. Using the Born in Bradford (BiB) birth cohort, which is located in an ethnically diverse and economically deprived UK city, we conducted a cross-sectional analysis of mother's self-reported parenting confidence, self-efficacy, hostility and warmth, and infant temperament at six months of age. We examined responses from women of Pakistani (N = 554) and White British (N = 439) origin. Pakistani mothers reported feeling more confident about their abilities as a parent. Significantly fewer Pakistani women adopted a hostile approach to parenting, an effect that was attenuated after adjustment for socioeconomic status and mental health. Overall, women with more self-efficacious, warm and less hostile parenting styles reported significantly fewer problems with their infant's temperaments. Of women with higher self-efficacy parenting styles, Pakistani mothers were significantly more likely than White British mothers to report more problematic infant temperaments, although absolute differences were small. It is unlikely that the ethnic variation seen in children's cognitive and behavioural outcomes in childhood is attributable to differences in parenting or infant characteristics reported at six months.

A comparison of observers' and self-report pain ratings for children with cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Hadden, Kellie L; LeFort, Sandra; OʼBrien, Michelle; Coyte, Peter C; Guerriere, Denise N

2015-01-01

This study aimed to examine (1) the relationship between children's self-reports of pain and their different care providers' pain ratings, (2) the relationship between different care providers' ratings of pain in children with cerebral palsy (CP), and (3) whether the child's level of disability influences care providers' pain ratings. Sixty-three children with CP were separated into 2 groups according to whether they were able to pass a self-report training task. Pain was rated using a Numerical Rating Scale and the Non-Communicating Children's Pain Checklist-Postoperative Version (NCCPC-PV). Children were observed during their regular physiotherapy sessions at 3 separate time segments (Baseline, Stretch Procedure, and Recovery). As anticipated, results showed that all observers reported significantly higher pain scores during a physiotherapy stretching procedure than the baseline and recovery segments. Observers' NCCPC-PV scores were significantly higher during the stretch procedure for the children who did not pass the self-report training task. Findings also indicated that parents tended to report significantly lower pain scores compared with both their children and other observers. The findings bring into question the accuracy of single-observer pain ratings for children with CP and possess implications for the management of pain in children with CP.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder: Gender differences and prevalence in a Pakistani medical student population

PubMed Central

Taqui, Ather M; Shaikh, Mehrine; Gowani, Saqib A; Shahid, Fatima; Khan, Asmatullah; Tayyeb, Syed M; Satti, Minahil; Vaqar, Talha; Shahid, Saman; Shamsi, Afreen; Ganatra, Hammad A; Naqvi, Haider A

2008-01-01

Background Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a psychiatric disorder characterized by a preoccupation with an imagined or slight defect which causes significant distress or impairment in functioning. Few studies have assessed gender differences in BDD in a non clinical population. Also no study assessed BDD in medical students. This study was designed to determine the point prevalence of BDD in Pakistani medical students and the gender differences in prevalence of BDD, body foci of concern and symptoms of BDD. Methods The medical students enrolled in a medical university in Karachi, Pakistan filled out a self-report questionnaire which assessed clinical features of BDD. BDD was diagnosed according to the DSM-IV criteria. Results Out of the 156 students, 57.1% were female. A total of 78.8% of the students reported dissatisfaction with some aspect of their appearance and 5.8% met the DSM-IV criteria for BDD. The male to female ratio for BDD was 1.7. Regarding gender differences in body foci of concern, the top three reported foci of concern in male students were head hair (34.3%), being fat (32.8%), skin (14.9%) and nose(14.9%), whereas in females they were being fat (40.4%), skin (24.7%) and teeth (18%). Females were significantly more concerned about being fat (p = 0.005). Male students were significantly more concerned about being thin (p = 0.01) and about head hair (p = 0.012). Conclusion BDD is fairly common in our medical student population, with a higher prevalence in males. Important gender differences in BDD symptomatology and reported body foci of concern were identified which reflected the influence of media on body image perception. The impact of cultural factors on the prevalence as well as gender differences in BDD symptomatology was also established. PMID:18400091

Post-treatment skin reactions reported by cancer patients differ by race, not by treatment or expectations

PubMed Central

Ryan, J L; Bole, C; Hickok, J T; Figueroa-Moseley, C; Colman, L; Khanna, R C; Pentland, A P; Morrow, G R

2007-01-01

Cancer patients may experience skin problems while undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Frequency of skin reactions may be influenced by skin pigmentation and psychological factors. A Symptom Inventory completed by 656 cancer patients nationwide before and after chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy plus radiation therapy was analysed to determine if treatment type, race (Black vs White), and pretreatment expectations influenced post-treatment skin reactions. Subsequent analysis of a local Symptom Inventory completed weekly for 5 weeks by 308 patients receiving radiation therapy examined severity of reported skin reactions. Significantly more patients receiving radiation therapy had stronger expectations of skin problems (62%) than patients receiving chemotherapy (40%, P=0.001) or chemotherapy plus radiation therapy (45%, P=0.003). Overall, expectations did not correlate with patient reported post-treatment skin problems in white (r=0.014, P=0.781) or black (r=0.021, P=0.936) patients. Although no significant difference was found between black and white patients in their pretreatment expectations of skin problems (P=0.32), black patients (10 out of 18, 56%) reported more skin problems than white patients (90 out of 393, 23%, P=0.001). Similarly, the local study showed that significantly more black patients (1 out of 5, 20%) reported severe skin reactions at the treatment site than white patients (12 out of 161, 8%). A direct correlation was observed between severity of skin problems and pain at the treatment site (r=0.541, P<0.001). Total radiation exposure did not significantly correlate with the report of skin problems at the treatment site for white or black patients. Overall, black patients reported more severe post-treatment skin problems than white patients. Our results suggest that symptom management for post-treatment skin reactions in cancer patients receiving radiation treatment could differ depending on their racial background. PMID:17565347

Resident assistant and college students' perceptions of alcohol use.

PubMed

King, John J; Borsari, Brian; Chen, Jie

2010-06-01

Resident assistants (RAs) are often involved in prevention efforts addressing the problem of college drinking. This project investigated the perceptions that 60 RAs and 662 college students have of each other's drinking and attitudes towards alcohol use. Students' self-reported frequency, quantity, and binge drinking levels were all significantly higher than their friends, students on campus, and RAs. RA perceptions of general student drinking were not significantly different than the self-reported use of students. Perceptions of RA alcohol use were significantly related to the students' self-reported drinking. Findings recommend the incorporation of RAs in social norms interventions for students. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

An Observational Study on Quantifying the Distance of Supercell-Boundary Interaction in the Great Plains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magee, Kathleen Marie

Several case studies and numerical simulations have confirmed that baroclinic boundaries provide enhanced horizontal and vertical vorticity, wind shear, helicity, and moisture that induce stronger updrafts, higher reflectivity, and stronger low-level rotation in supercells. However, the distance at which a boundary will provide such enhancement is less well-defined. Previous studies have identified distances ranging from 5 km to 200 km, and only focused on tornadogenesis rather than all forms of severe weather. To better aid short-term forecasts, the actual distances at which supercells produce severe weather in proximity to a boundary needs to be assessed. In this study, the distance between a large number of supercells and nearby surface boundaries (including warm fronts, stationary fronts, and outflow boundaries) is measured throughout the lifetime of each storm; the distance at which associated reports of large hail, strong winds, and tornadoes is also collected. Data is gathered from SPC storm reports, WPC surface analyses, ASOS archives, and NCDC radar archives. The Integrated Data Viewer (IDV) from Unidata is used to analyze the distance of the supercell from the boundary every twenty minutes. These distances are then used to interpolate the distance at which severe and significantly severe reports occurred; reports are grouped by severe type (tornado, hail, or wind), then by boundary type (warm front, stationary front, or outflow). Using these distributions, the range from the boundary at which each type of severe weather is produced is identified per boundary type to assist forecasters. Overall, the range at which tornadoes are more likely to be produced is generally closer to the boundary than hail and wind reports for all three boundary types, likely owing to the enhanced helicity present near a boundary. Statistical analyses are used to assess the sensitivity of report distributions to report type, boundary type, distance from the boundary, and boundary strength. The distance of different report types near the same boundary surprisingly did not test as statistically different, except for warm fronts; however, when comparing the distances of the same report type associated with different boundaries, statistically significant differences were found for different boundaries in which different report types are maximally produced. Temperature gradients are not as statistically different between boundaries, but the temperature gradient within the same boundary is statistically significant for the occurrence of tornadoes vs. hail. Additional analyses were conducted to complement the distributions of severe report distances. Previous research has demonstrated that the angle at which supercells interact with boundaries impacts tornado production; in the present dataset, supercells interacting at an angle less than 45° are not only more likely to produce tornadoes, but also more likely to produce significantly severe tornadoes. Additionally, other studies have suggested that the temperature gradient of a boundary is of minimal importance with regards to tornado production. Interestingly, the tornadoes in this study were associated with stronger temperature gradients than for hail or wind production, thus v implying that a stronger amount of baroclinically-generated horizontal vorticity is required for tornadogenesis, likely due to the enhanced low-level rotation.

Brand vs generic adverse event reporting patterns: An authorized generic-controlled evaluation of cardiovascular medications.

PubMed

Alatawi, Y; Rahman, Md M; Cheng, N; Qian, J; Peissig, P L; Berg, R L; Page, C D; Hansen, R A

2018-06-01

Some public scepticism exists about generics in terms of whether brand and generic drugs produce identical outcomes. This study explores whether adverse event (AE) reporting patterns are similar between brand and generic drugs, using authorized generics (AGs) as a control for possible generic drug perception biases. Events reported to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System from the years 2004-2015 were analysed. Drugs were classified as brand, AG or generic based on drug and manufacturer names. Reports were included if amlodipine, losartan, metoprolol extended release (ER) or simvastatin were listed as primary or secondary suspect drugs. Disproportionality analyses using the reporting odds ratio (ROR) assessed the relative rate of reporting labelled AEs compared to reporting these AEs with all other drugs. The Breslow-Day test compared RORs across brand, AG and generic. Interrupted time series analysis evaluated the impact of generic entry on reporting trends. Generics accounted for significant percentages of total U.S. reports, but AGs accounted for smaller percentages of reports, including for amlodipine (14.26%), losartan (1.48%), metoprolol ER (0.35%) and simvastatin (0.70%). Whereas the RORs were significantly different for multiple brand vs generic comparisons, the AG vs generic comparisons yielded fewer statistically significant findings. Namely, only the ROR for AG differed from generic for amlodipine with peripheral oedema (P < .01). Inconsistent reporting patterns were observed more between brand and generic compared with AG and generic. Use of AGs as a control for perception biases against generics is useful, but this approach can be limited by small AG report numbers. Requiring the manufacturer name to be printed on the prescription bottle or packaging could improve the accuracy of assignment for products being reported. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Dysfunctional workplace behavior among municipal employees in Spanish and Finnish cities: a cross-national comparison.

PubMed

Varhama, Lasse M; Báguena, María José; Toldos, María Paz; Beleña, María Angeles; Roldán, María Consuelo; Díaz, Amelia; Osterman, Karin; Björkqvist, Kaj

2010-04-01

A comparative study measuring differences in the prevalence of conflicts, burnout, bullying, and sexual harassment among municipal employees between two European cities was conducted using a self-report instrument, the Psychosocial Workplace Inventory. The cities were Valencia, Spain (n=1,007) and Vaasa, Finland (n=1,979). Significant differences were found between reports of employees from the two cities. The Spanish employees reported higher scores on every type of dysfunctional workplace behavior measured: conflicts, burnout, bullying, and sexual harassment.

Salary differences of male and female physician assistant educators.

PubMed

Coombs, Jennifer; Valentin, Virginia

2014-01-01

The Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) annual report has shown substantial salary differences between male and female physician assistant (PA) faculty. Despite this published difference between the salaries, very little research has been conducted on the subject. The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a significant difference between male and female PA faculty salaries. The researchers set out to determine if these differences could be further distinguished by education level, rank, or position. In addition, any difference between the percentages of male and female faculty promoted to higher ranks and in leadership positions was also explored. Salary, gender, degree, rank, and position were obtained and deidentified from the 25th PAEA annual report. SPSS Version 20 was used to analyze the data. Statistical analysis included descriptive measures and an independent t test. Data from only those PA educators who reported full-time employment were used. The final analysis included 477 PA faculty salaries. Female PA educators showed statistically significant lower annual incomes than their male counterparts. The income disparity persisted when differentiated by education, rank, and position. Higher percentages of male PA faculty members were found in higher ranks and in leadership positions. This study confirms previous reports that female PA faculty earn less than their male counterparts. With increasing numbers of female PAs entering academia, the lack of women in leadership positions and the wage disparity are concerning.

Applying Disruptive Preference Test Protocols to Increase the Number of "No Preference" Responses in the Placebo Pair, Using Chinese Consumers.

PubMed

Xia, Yixun; Zhong, Fang; O'Mahony, Michael

2016-09-01

One form of paired preference test protocol requires consumers to assess 2 pairs of products. One is the target pair under consideration, while the other is a putatively identical pair named the "placebo pair" which is also presented as a control. Counterintuitively, the majority of consumers report preferences when presented with the placebo pair. Their response frequencies are hypothesized to be those of consumers having "no preference" and are compared with the response frequencies elicited by a target pair, to determine whether the target pair elicits significant preferences. The primary goal of this paper was to study the robustness of 2 new so called disruptive protocols that reduced the proportion of consumers, who reported preferences when assessing a putatively identical pair of products. For this task, the tests were performed in a different language, in a different country, using different products from before. The results showed that the proportion of consumers reporting preferences for the placebo pair was reduced, confirming earlier work. Also, comparison of d' values showed a lack of significant overall differences between the placebo and target pairs, while chi-squared analyses indicated significant differences in the response frequencies. This indicated that the sample was segmented into 2 balanced groups with opposing preferences. © 2016 Institute of Food Technologists®

Differences between immigrant and non-immigrant groups in the use of primary medical care; a systematic review

PubMed Central

Uiters, Ellen; Devillé, Walter; Foets, Marleen; Spreeuwenberg, Peter; Groenewegen, Peter P

2009-01-01

Background Studies on differences between immigrant and non-immigrant groups in health care utilization vary with respect to the extent and direction of differences in use. Therefore, our study aimed to provide a systematic overview of the existing research on differences in primary care utilization between immigrant groups and the majority population. Methods For this review PubMed, PsycInfo, Cinahl, Sociofile, Web of Science and Current Contents were consulted. Study selection and quality assessment was performed using a predefined protocol by 2 reviewers independently of each other. Only original, quantitative, peer-reviewed papers were taken into account. To account for this hierarchical structure, logistic multilevel analyses were performed to examine the extent to which differences are found across countries and immigrant groups. Differences in primary care use were related to study characteristics, strength of the primary care system and methodological quality. Results A total of 37 studies from 7 countries met all inclusion criteria. Remarkably, studies performed within the US more often reported a significant lower use among immigrant groups as compared to the majority population than the other countries. As studies scored higher on methodological quality, the likelihood of reporting significant differences increased. Adjustment for health status and use of culture-/language-adjusted procedures during the data collection were negatively related to reporting significant differences in the studies. Conclusion Our review underlined the need for careful design in studies of differences in health care use between immigrant groups and the majority population. The results from studies concerning differences between immigrant and the majority population in primary health care use performed within the US might be interpreted as a reflection of a weaker primary care system in the US compared to Europe and Canada. PMID:19426567

Gender differences in motion sickness history and susceptibility to optokinetic rotation-induced motion sickness.

PubMed

Park, A H; Hu, S

1999-11-01

The present study investigated gender differences in motion sickness history and susceptibility to optokinetic rotation-induced motion sickness. The study included two phases. In Phase 1, 485 subjects filled out a survey of previous incidence of motion sickness. Results indicated that women reported significantly greater incidence of feeling motion sickness than did men on buses, on trains, on planes, in cars, and on amusement rides before the age of 12 yr; and on buses, on trains, on planes, in boats, on ships, in cars, on amusement rides, and on swings between the ages of 12 and 25 yr. Women also reported significantly higher incidence of being actually sick than did men on buses before the age of 12 yr and on buses, on ships, and in cars between the ages of 12 and 25 yr. In Phase 2, each of the 47 subjects viewed an optokinetic rotating-drum for 16 min. Subjects' subjective symptoms of motion sickness (SSMS) were obtained during drum rotation. The results showed that there were no significant differences on SSMS scores between men and women. Although women reported greater incidence in motion sickness history, women did not differ from men in severity of symptoms of motion sickness while viewing a rotating optokinetic drum.

A systematic review of cognitive decline in dementia with Lewy bodies versus Alzheimer’s disease

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Introduction The aim of this review was to investigate whether there is a faster cognitive decline in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) than in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) over time. Methods PsycINFO and Medline were searched from 1946 to February 2013. A quality rating from 1 to 15 (best) was applied to the included studies. A quantitative meta-analysis was done on studies with mini mental state examination (MMSE) as the outcome measure. Results A total of 18 studies were included. Of these, six (36%) reported significant differences in the rate of cognitive decline. Three studies reported a faster cognitive decline on MMSE in patients with mixed DLB and AD compared to pure forms, whereas two studies reported a faster decline on delayed recall and recognition in AD and one in DLB on verbal fluency. Mean quality scores for studies that did or did not differ were not significantly different. Six studies reported MMSE scores and were included in the meta-analysis, which showed no significant difference in annual decline on MMSE between DLB (mean 3.4) and AD (mean 3.3). Conclusions Our findings do not support the hypothesis of a faster rate of cognitive decline in DLB compared to AD. Future studies should apply recent diagnostic criteria, as well as extensive diagnostic evaluation and ideally autopsy diagnosis. Studies with large enough samples, detailed cognitive tests, at least two years follow up and multivariate statistical analysis are also needed. PMID:25478024

Frequency and severity of sexual harassment in pharmacy practice in Ohio.

PubMed

Broedel-Zaugg, K; Shaffer, V; Mawer, M; Sullivan, D L

1999-01-01

To determine the frequency and severity of sexual harassment in the pharmacy workplace for both male and female pharmacists, and to identify: (1) instigators, (2) places of occurrence, and (3) pharmacists' responses. Mailed survey using elements of the Sexual Experience Questionnaire (SEQ). One repeat mailing to nonrespondents. Community pharmacies, hospital pharmacies, other pharmacies in the state of Ohio. 789 randomly selected pharmacists registered in Ohio. Not applicable. Amount of gender harassment, unwanted sexual attention, and sexual coercion; differences in occurrences of sexual harassment between men and women; identification of instigators as colleagues, patients, or supervisors; identification of place of occurrence as community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, or elsewhere; pharmacists' responses and reactions. After two mailings, 265 usable surveys were returned for a response rate of 34%. Women differed significantly from men in total occurrences of sexual harassment, with men reporting 183 instances of sexual harassment and women reporting 281 such experiences. Instigators were colleagues (43%), patients (30%), and superiors (27%). Men reported 143 experiences of unwanted sexual attention, whereas women reported 272 such occurrences. Colleagues were responsible for 47% of instances of unwanted sexual attention, patients were responsible for 37%, and superiors 16%. No significant differences were found between men and women in total number of occurrences of sexual coercion. Sexual harassment in the workplace has been experienced by both male and female pharmacists. Women experienced more hostile work environment harassment than did men. However, quid pro quo harassment did not differ significantly between the sexes.

Emerging adults' perspectives on their relationships with mothers with mental illness: implications for caregiving.

PubMed

Abraham, Kristen M; Stein, Catherine H

2012-10-01

Guided by a life course perspective, the current study examined whether emerging adults with and without mothers with affective disorders viewed their relationships with their mothers differently, and whether aspects of the emerging adult-mother relationship were associated with reports of caregiving for mothers. Reports from emerging adults with mothers with affective disorders (n = 46) were compared to reports from emerging adults with mothers without mental illness (n = 64). Results indicated that emerging adults with mothers with affective disorders reported significantly lower levels of affection, felt obligation, reciprocity, and future caregiving intentions, and significantly higher levels of role reversal in their relationships with their mothers. Reported current caregiving levels did not differ between emerging adults with and without mothers with affective disorders. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses generally indicated higher levels of felt obligation were associated with higher levels of caregiving, regardless of maternal mental health status. Results and future research directions are discussed from a life course perspective. © 2012 American Orthopsychiatric Association.

The CAT: A Gender-Inclusive Measure of Controlling and Abusive Tactics.

PubMed

Hamel, John; Jones, Daniel N; Dutton, Donald G; Graham-Kevan, Nicola

2015-01-01

Research has consistently found that partner violence, defined as physical abuse between married, cohabitating, or dating partners, is not the only type of abuse with long-term deleterious effects on victims. Male and female victims alike report that emotional abuse, along with controlling behaviors, are often as or more traumatic. Existing instruments used to measure emotional abuse and control have either been limited to male-perpetrated behaviors, as conceived in the well-known Duluth "Power and Control" wheel, or field tested on dating or general population samples. This study discusses the genesis and evolution of a gender-inclusive instrument, the Controlling and Abusive Tactics (CAT) Questionnaire, which was field tested on males and females with both a clinical and general population sample. For perpetration, a preliminary comparison across gender found no significant differences across gender for the great majority of items, with women reporting significantly higher rates on 9 items, and men reporting significantly higher rates on 6 items. Women reported higher rates of received abuse than men on 28 of 30 items in which gender differences were found to be significant, but both males and females reported higher victimization than perpetration rates on all items. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses resulted in the CAT-2, a valid and reliable instrument appropriate for clinical use by treatment providers as well as for research purposes.

[Response to treatment of patients abusing the "dappou drug" who participated in a group relapse prevention program: a comparison with patients abusing methamphetamine].

PubMed

Hikitsuchi, Emi; Matsumoto, Toshihiko; Wada, Kiyoshi; Tanibuchi, Yuko; Takano, Ayumi; Imamura, Fumi; Kawachi, Hiraku; Wakabayashi, Asako; Kato, Takashi

2014-12-01

In this study, we compared the efficacy of a group relapse prevention program using the cognitive behavioral therapy-based workbook, Serigaya Methamphetamine Relapse Prevention Program (SMARPP), between patients abusing the so-called "dappou drugs" (designer drug in Japan, and those abusing methamphetamine (MAP). Both groups participated in the SMARPP at the Center Hospital, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry. Results showed that, no significant differences were found in the rates of participation in the program or self-reported frequency of drug or alcohol use between the patients abusing "dappou drugs" or MAP. However, patients using "dappou drugs" reported no significant increase in their confidence in their ability to resist the temptation to use drugs on the self- report drug abuse scales after the SMARPP intervention, while patients abusing MAP reported a significant positive difference in their ability to resist temptation. In addition, insight into substance abuse problems and motivation to participate in further treatment slightly declined in those using "dappou drugs," while there was a significant increase reported by the patients using MAP. These results suggested that the SMARPP might not be as effective for patients abusing "dappou drugs" as for those abusing MAP. The development of a relapse prevention program specifically designed for patients abusing "dappou drugs" is required.

Is perceived family dysfunction related to comorbid psychopathology? A study at an eating disorder day treatment program.

PubMed

Wisotsky, Willo; Dancyger, Ida; Fornari, Victor; Swencionis, Charles; Fisher, Martin; Schneider, Marcie; Wisotsky, William

2006-01-01

The role of the family in the development of eating disorders has been a predominant research focus. However, few studies of patients in an eating disorder (ED) day treatment program (DTP) have explored the relationship between self-reported family system functioning, self-reported comorbid psychopathology and current comorbid psychological symptom status. This study examined patients at presentation to an ED DTP, their self-reported perception of family functioning and the relationship with characteristics of their own comorbid psychopathology characteristics. Medical records of 51 day treatment female patients, ranging in age from 12 to 26 years, were examined by ED diagnosis and family type (using the FACES-II), and for significant differences on four self-report measures: SCL-90, EDI-2, BDI and TAS-20. Using MANOVA analyses and Bonferroni comparisons, significant differences on the self-report instruments for the entire sample and for the AN and BN patients were obtained when studying patients within different family types as defined by FACES-II. These data specific to DTP patients support previous findings for both IP and OP ED family studies. Overall, as family functioning was perceived to be more dysfunctional, the level of self-reported eating pathology and current comorbid psychological symptoms was also more severe.

Quality of Life as reported by school children and their parents: a cross-sectional survey

PubMed Central

Jozefiak, Thomas; Larsson, Bo; Wichstrøm, Lars; Mattejat, Fritz; Ravens-Sieberer, Ulrike

2008-01-01

Background Comprehensive evidence exists regarding the discrepancy between children's reports and parents' by proxy reports on emotional and behavioural problems. However, little is yet known about factors influencing the extent to which child self- and parent by proxy reports differ in respect of child Quality of Life (QoL). The aim of the study was to investigate the degree of discrepancy between child and parent by proxy reports as measured by two different QoL instruments. Methods A representative Norwegian sample of 1997 school children aged 8–16 years, and their parents were studied using the Inventory of Life Quality (ILC) and the 'Kinder Lebensqualität Fragebogen' (KINDL). Child and parent reports were compared by t-test, and correlations were calculated by Pearson product moment coefficient. Psychometric aspects were examined in regard to both translated QoL instruments (internal consistency by Cronbach's alpha and test-retest reliability by intraclass correlation coefficients). Results Parents evaluated the QoL of their children significantly more positively than did the children. Correlations between mother-child and father-child reports were significant (p < 0.01) and similar but low to moderate (r = 0.32; and r = 0.30, respectively, for the KINDL, and r = 0.30 and r = 0.26, respectively, for the ILC). Mother and father reports correlated moderately highly (r = 0.54 and r = 0.61 for the KINDL and ILC, respectively). No significant differences between correlations of mother-daughter/son and father-daughter/son pairs in regard to reported child QoL were observed on either of the two instruments. Conclusion In the present general population sample, parents reported higher child QoL than did their children. Concordance between child and parent by proxy report was low to moderate. The level of agreement between mothers and fathers in regard to their child's QoL was moderate. No significant impact of parent and child gender in regard to agreement in ratings of child QoL was found. Both the child and parent versions of the Norwegian translations of the KINDL and ILC can be used in surveys of community populations, but in regard to the self-report of 9–10 years old children, only the KINDL total QoL scale or the ILC are recommended. PMID:18489777

Configural and scalar invariance of the center for epidemiologic studies depression scale in Egypt and Canada: Differential symptom emphasis across cultures and genders.

PubMed

Huang, Vivian; Beshai, Shadi; Korol, Stephanie; Nicholas Carleton, R

2017-04-01

Depression is a significant contributor of global disease burden. Previous studies have revealed cross-cultural and gender differences in the presentation of depressive symptoms. Using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D), the present study examined differences in self-reported somatic, negative affective, and anhedonia symptoms of depression among Egyptian and Canadian university students. A total of 338 university students completed study questionnaires from two major universities in Egypt (n=152) and Canada (n=186). Symptom domains were calculated based on the 14-item model of the CES-D. We found significant culture by gender interactions of total CES-D scores, wherein Egyptian females reported higher scores compared to their Canadian and Egyptian male counterparts. Limitations include using analogue student samples and using only one self-report measure to examine different depressive symptom domains. Findings of this study provided support that males and females may differentially report depressive symptoms across cultures. Implications of these results are further discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of the Wilson Sex Fantasy Questionnaire among child molesters and nonsexual forensic offenders.

PubMed

Baumgartner, Jerome V; Scalora, Mario J; Huss, Matthew T

2002-01-01

The Wilson Sex Fantasy Questionnaire (WSFQ; Wilson, 1978) is a 40-item self-report questionnaire that assesses 4 types of sexual fantasies: Exploratory, Intimate, Impersonal, and Sadomasochistic. The goal of the present study was to examine the differences between child molesters (n = 64) and nonsexual offenders (n = 41) on the WSFQ. Comparisons included the four underlying factors, 2 factors associated with the fantasizer's role in the fantasy (active vs. passive), and 2 items most closely related to sexual molestation behavior. Results found that molesters reported higher scores on the Exploratory and Intimate subscales, as well as overall fantasy. Scores on the Impersonal and Sadomasochistic subscales were not significantly different. Molesters also reported higher scores on fantasies where they were the actor, and higher scores on fantasies most closely related to sexual molestation behavior. Subsequent analyses found that both offender groups reported significantly lower levels of fantasies than college comparison subjects and noncriminal sexual deviants. Differences among the 2 study groups are discussed in terms of social and cognitive characteristics of molesters.

Perceptions of distress and positive consequences following exposure to a major disaster amongst a well-studied cohort.

PubMed

Fergusson, David M; Boden, Joseph M; Horwood, L John; Mulder, Roger T

2015-04-01

Research on the impact of natural disasters on health and well-being faces several methodological challenges, including: sampling issues; exposure assessment; and outcome measurement. The present study used a comprehensive measure of disaster exposure to assess relationships between exposure to the Canterbury (New Zealand) Earthquakes of 2010-2011 and both: (a) self-reported distress and (b) positive outcomes; and also investigated gender differences in reports. Data were gathered from the Christchurch Health and Development Study, a 35-year longitudinal study. The study examined data from 495 individuals exposed to the Canterbury Earthquakes for who complete data on exposure and reactions to the earthquakes at age 35 were available. Participants with higher levels of exposure to the earthquakes reported significantly (p<0.0001) higher levels of distress due to fear, death and injury, and disruption caused by the earthquakes. Higher levels of exposure to the earthquakes were also associated with significantly (p<0.0001) higher levels of reporting positive consequences following the earthquakes. Women reported significantly (p<0.0001) greater distress than men and significantly (p<0.001) greater positive consequences. Higher levels of exposure to disaster were associated with higher levels of distress, but also with higher levels of self-reported positive outcomes, with females reporting higher levels of both positive and negative outcomes. The findings highlight the need for comprehensive assessment of disaster exposure, to consider gender and other group differences in reactions to disaster exposure, and for studies of disasters to examine both positive and negative consequences. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2014.

Discovering Recurring Anomalies in Text Reports Regarding Complex Space Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zane-Ulman, Brett; Srivastava, Ashok N.

2005-01-01

Many existing complex space systems have a significant amount of historical maintenance and problem data bases that are stored in unstructured text forms. For some platforms, these reports may be encoded as scanned images rather than even searchable text. The problem that we address in this paper is the discovery of recurring anomalies and relationships between different problem reports that may indicate larger systemic problems. We will illustrate our techniques on data from discrepancy reports regarding software anomalies in the Space Shuttle. These free text reports are written by a number of different penp!e, thus the emphasis and wording varies considerably.

The relationship between functional capacity and community responsibilities in middle-aged and older Latinos of Mexican origin with chronic psychosis.

PubMed

Cardenas, Veronica; Mausbach, Brent T; Barrio, Concepcion; Bucardo, Jesus; Jeste, Dilip; Patterson, Thomas

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between scores on the UCSD Performance-based Skills Assessment (UPSA), a performance-based measure of functional capacity, and level of patient community responsibilities (i.e., work for pay; volunteer work; attend school; household duties) in a Latino sample. Participants were 58 middle-aged and older Latinos of Mexican origin (mean age=48.8 years) with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. We conducted an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), controlling for age, symptoms of psychosis, and participant language, to determine if greater participation in community responsibilities was associated with higher functional capacity, as measured by the UPSA. Results indicated significant group differences in UPSA scores (F=5.11, df=2, 51; p=.009), with patients reporting only a single community responsibility having significantly higher UPSA scores than those reporting zero community responsibilities (p=.016) and those reporting two responsibilities scoring significantly higher than those reporting zero community responsibility (p=.008). There were no differences found between those reporting one and those reporting two community responsibilities (p=.256). In contrast, no group differences were observed on the Dementia Rating Scale, a global measure of cognitive functioning (F=2.14, df=2, 51; p=.128). These results provide initial support for the validity of the UPSA in Latino patients of Mexican origin, and suggest that improvement in functional capacity (i.e., UPSA scores) may be associated with increased capacity for greater community involvement in this population.

The Relationship between Functional Capacity and Community Responsibilities in Middle-aged and Older Latinos of Mexican Origin with Chronic Psychosis

PubMed Central

Cardenas, Veronica; Mausbach, Brent T.; Barrio, Concepcion; Bucardo, Jesus; Jeste, Dilip; Patterson, Thomas

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between scores on the UCSD Performance-based Skills Assessment (UPSA), a performance-based measure of functional capacity, and level of patient community responsibilities (i.e., work for pay; volunteer work; attend school; household duties) in a Latino sample. Participants were 58 middle-aged and older Latinos of Mexican origin (mean age = 48.8 years) with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. We conducted an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), controlling for age, symptoms of psychosis, and participant language, to determine if greater participation in community responsibilities was associated with higher functional capacity, as measured by the UPSA. Results indicated significant group differences in UPSA scores (F = 5.11, df = 2,51; p = .009), with patients reporting only a single community responsibility having significantly higher UPSA scores than those reporting zero community responsibilities (p = .016) and those reporting two responsibilities scoring significantly higher than those reporting zero community responsibility (p = .008). There were no differences found between those reporting one and those reporting two community responsibilities (p= .256). In contrast, no group differences were observed on the Dementia Rating Scale, a global measure of cognitive functioning (F = 2.14, df = 2,51; p = .128). These results provide initial support for the validity of the UPSA in Latino patients of Mexican origin, and suggest that improvement in functional capacity (i.e., UPSA scores) may be associated with increased capacity for greater community involvement in this population. PMID:17936585

Association between prospective registration and overall reporting and methodological quality of systematic reviews: a meta-epidemiological study.

PubMed

Ge, Long; Tian, Jin-Hui; Li, Ya-Nan; Pan, Jia-Xue; Li, Ge; Wei, Dang; Xing, Xin; Pan, Bei; Chen, Yao-Long; Song, Fu-Jian; Yang, Ke-Hu

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in main characteristics, reporting and methodological quality between prospectively registered and nonregistered systematic reviews. PubMed was searched to identify systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials published in 2015 in English. After title and abstract screening, potentially relevant reviews were divided into three groups: registered non-Cochrane reviews, Cochrane reviews, and nonregistered reviews. For each group, random number tables were generated in Microsoft Excel, and the first 50 eligible studies from each group were randomly selected. Data of interest from systematic reviews were extracted. Regression analyses were conducted to explore the association between total Revised Assessment of Multiple Systematic Review (R-AMSTAR) or Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) scores and the selected characteristics of systematic reviews. The conducting and reporting of literature search in registered reviews were superior to nonregistered reviews. Differences in 9 of the 11 R-AMSTAR items were statistically significant between registered and nonregistered reviews. The total R-AMSTAR score of registered reviews was higher than nonregistered reviews [mean difference (MD) = 4.82, 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.70, 5.94]. Sensitivity analysis by excluding the registration-related item presented similar result (MD = 4.34, 95% CI: 3.28, 5.40). Total PRISMA scores of registered reviews were significantly higher than nonregistered reviews (all reviews: MD = 1.47, 95% CI: 0.64-2.30; non-Cochrane reviews: MD = 1.49, 95% CI: 0.56-2.42). However, the difference in the total PRISMA score was no longer statistically significant after excluding the item related to registration (item 5). Regression analyses showed similar results. Prospective registration may at least indirectly improve the overall methodological quality of systematic reviews, although its impact on the overall reporting quality was not significant. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rate and predictors of negative effects of psychotherapy in psychiatric and psychosomatic inpatients.

PubMed

Rheker, Julia; Beisel, Sylvia; Kräling, Svenja; Rief, Winfried

2017-08-01

Studies examining the rates of negative effects of psychotherapy are rare and the reported rates differ widely. To be able to calculate adequate benefit-cost ratios in conjunction with different samples and settings, we need a deeper understanding of these effects. We therefore investigated whether different treatment settings would reveal varying rates and kinds of negative effects by recruiting patients from a psychiatric (n=93) and a psychosomatic rehabilitation (n=63) hospital. Negative effects of psychotherapy were assessed with the Inventory for the Assessment of Negative Effects of Psychotherapy post-treatment. To investigate whether patients' pre-treatment expectations have an influence on reported negative effects, patients filled in the Patient Questionnaire on Therapy Expectation and Evaluation prior to treatment begin. Patients from the psychiatric hospital reported an average 1.41 negative effects, with 58.7% reporting at least one negative effect. Those from the psychosomatic hospital reported 0.76 negative effects on average, with 45.2% of patients reporting at least one negative effect. The differences between these samples are significant. The two samples' top three reported types of negative effects are that patients had experienced more downs during or just before the end of the therapy, that patients had difficulty making important decisions without the therapist, and that patients were concerned that colleagues or friends might find out about the therapy. A regression analysis revealed that the clinical setting (psychosomatic rehabilitation hospital vs. psychiatric hospital) and expectations in the form of hope of improvement were significant predictors for negative effects of psychotherapy. Our study highlights the need to examine the negative effects of psychotherapy in different settings and samples to better evaluate the benefit-cost ratios of treatments for different patient groups. It also shows that we need guidelines for assessing and reporting negative effects. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dispositional optimism and physical wellbeing: the relevance of culture, gender, and socioeconomic status.

PubMed

Khallad, Yacoub

2013-01-01

The present study examined the relationship between dispositional optimism and physical wellbeing (as reflected in physical symptom reporting) in two groups of American and Jordanian college students. It also assessed moderation effects of culture, gender, and socioeconomic status (SES). Participants were administered a questionnaire consisting of items pertaining to dispositional optimism (as measured by the Revised Life Orientation Test, LOT-R) along with items assessing physical symptom reporting and sociodemographic factors (e.g., gender, socioeconomic status). The results revealed significant negative correlations between dispositional optimism and physical symptom reporting for both American and Jordanian participants, although the magnitude of the correlation for the American group was noticeably larger than that for the Jordanian group. The results also showed that women, especially Jordanians, were more likely than men to report physical symptoms. Among Jordanians, physical symptom reporting was more common among those of lower SES. No statistically significant differences in physical symptom reporting were found between American men and women or between the two cultural groups. Multiple regression analyses revealed no statistically significant interactions between optimism and cultural background, optimism and gender, or optimism and SES. Overall, the results suggest that optimism is the factor most predictive of physical symptom reporting, followed by SES and gender. These results corroborate previous findings on the relationship between dispositional optimism and physical wellbeing, and point to crosscultural differences in relationship patterns. These differences suggest that although personality characteristics such as optimism may play an important role in the physical wellbeing of both Western and non-Western groups, the influence of sociodemographic factors such as gender and SES and their interaction with cultural variables must not be overlooked.

Rheumatology training experience across Europe: analysis of core competences.

PubMed

Sivera, Francisca; Ramiro, Sofia; Cikes, Nada; Cutolo, Maurizio; Dougados, Maxime; Gossec, Laure; Kvien, Tore K; Lundberg, Ingrid E; Mandl, Peter; Moorthy, Arumugam; Panchal, Sonia; da Silva, José A P; Bijlsma, Johannes W

2016-09-23

The aim of this project was to analyze and compare the educational experience in rheumatology specialty training programs across European countries, with a focus on self-reported ability. An electronic survey was designed to assess the training experience in terms of self-reported ability, existence of formal education, number of patients managed and assessments performed during rheumatology training in 21 core competences including managing specific diseases, generic competences and procedures. The target population consisted of rheumatology trainees and recently certified rheumatologists across Europe. The relationship between the country of training and the self-reported ability or training methods for each competence was analyzed through linear or logistic regression, as appropriate. In total 1079 questionnaires from 41 countries were gathered. Self-reported ability was high for most competences, range 7.5-9.4 (0-10 scale) for clinical competences, 5.8-9.0 for technical procedures and 7.8-8.9 for generic competences. Competences with lower self-reported ability included managing patients with vasculitis, identifying crystals and performing an ultrasound. Between 53 and 91 % of the trainees received formal education and between 7 and 61 % of the trainees reported limited practical experience (managing ≤10 patients) in each competence. Evaluation of each competence was reported by 29-60 % of the respondents. In adjusted multivariable analysis, the country of training was associated with significant differences in self-reported ability for all individual competences. Even though self-reported ability is generally high, there are significant differences amongst European countries, including differences in the learning structure and assessment of competences. This suggests that educational outcomes may also differ. Efforts to promote European harmonization in rheumatology training should be encouraged and supported.

Race/Ethnicity and gender differences in health intentions and behaviors regarding exercise and diet for adults with type 2 diabetes: A cross-sectional analysis

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Self-management is the cornerstone of diabetes control and prevention of complications; however, it is undetermined whether differences in intention to adopt healthy lifestyles and actual healthy behavior exist across race/ethnic groups. This study evaluated the differences across racial-ethnic groups in self-reported medical advice received and health intentions and behaviors among adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods A cross-sectional analysis of the 2007 SHIELD US survey ascertained self-reported health intentions and behaviors for regular exercise, diet, and weight management among Non-Hispanic Caucasian (n = 2526), Non-Hispanic African-American (n = 706), and Hispanic (n = 179) respondents with type 2 diabetes. Results A similar proportion of respondents from each race-gender group (43%-56%) reported receiving healthcare advice to increase their exercise (P = 0.32). Significantly more minorities reported an intention to follow the exercise recommendation compared with Non-Hispanic Caucasians (P = 0.03). More Non-Hispanic African-American (29%) and Hispanic (27%) men reported exercising regularly compared with other race-gender groups (P = 0.02). Significantly more Non-Hispanic Caucasian women (74%) and Hispanic women (79%) reported trying to lose weight compared with other groups (P < 0.0001). Conclusions Differences in health intentions and healthy behaviors were noted across race-gender groups. More Non-Hispanic African-American men reported an intention to follow advice on exercising and self-report of exercising regularly was also higher compared with other race-gender groups. More Hispanic men reported high physical activity levels than other groups. Despite an increased willingness to follow healthcare recommendations for diet, >50% of respondents were obese among all race-gender groups. PMID:21729303

Race/Ethnicity and gender differences in health intentions and behaviors regarding exercise and diet for adults with type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional analysis.

PubMed

Gavin, James R; Fox, Kathleen M; Grandy, Susan

2011-07-05

Self-management is the cornerstone of diabetes control and prevention of complications; however, it is undetermined whether differences in intention to adopt healthy lifestyles and actual healthy behavior exist across race/ethnic groups. This study evaluated the differences across racial-ethnic groups in self-reported medical advice received and health intentions and behaviors among adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A cross-sectional analysis of the 2007 SHIELD US survey ascertained self-reported health intentions and behaviors for regular exercise, diet, and weight management among Non-Hispanic Caucasian (n = 2526), Non-Hispanic African-American (n = 706), and Hispanic (n = 179) respondents with type 2 diabetes. A similar proportion of respondents from each race-gender group (43%-56%) reported receiving healthcare advice to increase their exercise (P = 0.32). Significantly more minorities reported an intention to follow the exercise recommendation compared with Non-Hispanic Caucasians (P = 0.03). More Non-Hispanic African-American (29%) and Hispanic (27%) men reported exercising regularly compared with other race-gender groups (P = 0.02). Significantly more Non-Hispanic Caucasian women (74%) and Hispanic women (79%) reported trying to lose weight compared with other groups (P < 0.0001). Differences in health intentions and healthy behaviors were noted across race-gender groups. More Non-Hispanic African-American men reported an intention to follow advice on exercising and self-report of exercising regularly was also higher compared with other race-gender groups. More Hispanic men reported high physical activity levels than other groups. Despite an increased willingness to follow healthcare recommendations for diet, >50% of respondents were obese among all race-gender groups.

The Clinician Perspective on Sex Differences in Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jamison, Rene; Bishop, Somer L.; Huerta, Marisela; Halladay, Alycia K.

2017-01-01

Research studies using existing samples of individuals with autism spectrum disorders have identified differences in symptoms between males and females. Differences are typically reported in school age and adolescence, with similarities in symptom presentation at earlier ages. However, existing studies on sex differences are significantly limited,…

Paraphilic Interests: An Examination of Sex Differences in a Nonclinical Sample.

PubMed

Dawson, Samantha J; Bannerman, Brittany A; Lalumière, Martin L

2016-02-01

Little research has been conducted to examine paraphilic sexual interests in nonclinical samples. The little that exists suggests that atypical sexual interests are more common in men than in women, but the reasons for this difference are unknown. In this study, we explored the prevalence of paraphilic interests in a nonclinical sample of men and women. We expected that men would report greater arousal (or less repulsion) toward various paraphilic acts than women. We also examined putative correlates of paraphilias in an attempt to explain the sex difference. In all, 305 men and 710 women completed an online survey assessing sexual experiences, sexual interests, as well as indicators of neurodevelopmental stress, sex drive, mating effort, impulsivity, masculinity/femininity, and socially desirable responding. As expected, significant sex differences were found, with men reporting significantly less repulsion (or more arousal) to the majority of paraphilic acts than women. Using mediation analysis, sex drive was the only correlate to significantly and fully mediate the sex difference in paraphilic interests. In other words, sex drive fully accounted for the sex difference in paraphilic interests. The implications of these findings for understanding the etiology of atypical sexual interests are discussed. © The Author(s) 2014.

REVIEW OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF REFRIGERATOR/FREEZER GASKETS

EPA Science Inventory

The report gives results of an investigation of the significance of heat leakage through gaskets in household refrigerator/freezers, explores different design features, and suggests further study if necessary. he report gives results of an extensive literature review, interviews ...

REVIEW OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF REFRIGERATOR/FREEZER GASKETS

EPA Science Inventory

The report gives results of an investigation of the significance of heat leakage through gaskets in household refrigerator/freezers, explores different design features, and suggests further study if necessary. The report gives results of an extensive literature review, interviews...

Physiological and subjective sexual arousal in self-identified asexual women.

PubMed

Brotto, Lori A; Yule, Morag A

2011-08-01

Asexuality can be defined as a lifelong lack of sexual attraction. Empirical research on asexuality reveals significantly lower self-reported sexual desire and arousal and lower rates of sexual activity; however, the speculation that there may also be an impaired psychophysiological sexual arousal response has never been tested. The aim of this study was to compare genital (vaginal pulse amplitude; VPA) and subjective sexual arousal in asexual and non-asexual women. Thirty-eight women between the ages of 19 and 55 years (10 heterosexual, 10 bisexual, 11 homosexual, and 7 asexual) viewed neutral and erotic audiovisual stimuli while VPA and self-reported sexual arousal and affect were measured. There were no significant group differences in the increased VPA and self-reported sexual arousal response to the erotic film between the groups. Asexuals showed significantly less positive affect, sensuality-sexual attraction, and self-reported autonomic arousal to the erotic film compared to the other groups; however, there were no group differences in negative affect or anxiety. Genital-subjective sexual arousal concordance was significantly positive for the asexual women and non-significant for the other three groups, suggesting higher levels of interoceptive awareness among asexuals. Taken together, the findings suggest normal subjective and physiological sexual arousal capacity in asexual women and challenge the view that asexuality should be characterized as a sexual dysfunction.

Opioid-induced constipation negatively impacts pain management, productivity, and health-related quality of life: findings from the National Health and Wellness Survey.

PubMed

Bell, Timothy; Annunziata, Kathy; Leslie, John B

2009-01-01

To characterize the impact of opioid-induced constipation (OIC) on healthcare resource use, work productivity, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients receiving chronic opioid therapy. Data were collected via Internet questionnaires during the international National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS) 2004 from individuals aged > or = 18 years who reported taking opioids for > or = 6 months. Healthcare resource utilization, Work Productivity, and Activity Impairment, and Short-Form 8 (SF-8) questionnaire responses were compared between those who did or did not report OIC. Data were available from 2,430 individuals receiving opioids, of whom 359 reported OIC. Participants with OIC reported significantly more physician visits (mean difference 3.84 visits; p < 0.05) and alternative care provider visits (mean difference 1.73 visits; p < 0.05) over the previous 6 months than those without OIC; however, no significant differences in emergency room visits or number of days of hospitalization were observed. Respondents with OIC also reported significantly greater time missed from work, impairment while working, overall work impairment, and activity impairment (p < 0.05 for all comparisons). HRQOL scores were significantly lower in the OIC group than those without OIC on both the physical and mental components of the SF-8 questionnaire (p < 0.05 for both comparisons). The survey results reflect a negative impact of OIC on individuals' HRQOL and on society in terms of healthcare resource use and work productivity beyond that imposed by patients' pain conditions. These findings indicate a need for effective treatment for opioid-induced constipation in patients receiving chronic opioid therapy.

Are there gender differences in associations of effort-reward imbalance at work with self-reported doctor-diagnosed depression? Prospective evidence from the German Socio-Economic Panel.

PubMed

Wege, Natalia; Li, Jian; Siegrist, Johannes

2018-05-01

Cohort studies established elevated risks of depression among employees experiencing psychosocial stress at work, defined by 'job strain' or 'effort-reward imbalance' (ERI). Yet, conflicting evidence exists on whether the strength of these associations varies by gender. We explore this question in a nationally representative sample of working women and men where work stress (ERI) was related to reported depression over a 2-year follow-up. Data were derived from the panel waves 2011 and 2013 of the German Socio-Economic Panel. Work stress was assessed by validated short scales of the ERI questionnaire, and doctor-diagnosed depression reported in 2013 (after excluding cases reported in 2011) was used as outcome variable. The sample with full data in 2013 consisted of 6693 participants (49.4% women). In 2011, men scored significantly higher than women on the scale 'effort' and on the 'effort-reward ratio', whereas no significant gender differences for 'reward' and 'over-commitment' were observed. Women reported a diagnosed depression almost twice as often as men (4.2 vs. 2.6%). Associations of all ERI scales with depression were statistically significant, with no noticeable differences in the strength of associations between women and men. Risk of depression was higher among men and women with effort-reward imbalance [RR (risk ratio) of 1.82; 95% CI (confidence interval) 1.36-2.44 and RR of 1.88; 95% CI 1.51-2.33, respectively]. Despite higher effort and slightly higher effort-reward ratio among men interaction terms between gender, work stress and depression were generally not significant. While gender inequities in the labour market are persisting stress-reducing worksite health promotion programs should apply equally for men and women.

Motor Function in Former Professional Football Players with History of Multiple Concussions.

PubMed

Tarazi, Apameh; Tator, Charles H; Wennberg, Richard; Ebraheem, Ahmed; Green, Robin E A; Collela, Brenda; Saverino, Christina; Khodadadi, Mozghan; Misquitta, Karen; Tartaglia, Maria Carmela

2018-04-15

The objective of this study was to assess the incidence of motor impairment in former professional Canadian Football League (ex-CFL) players with multiple concussions. We investigated motor symptoms and signs in 45 ex-CFL players with multiple concussions and 25 age- and education-matched healthy controls with no history of concussion. Neurological assessment included items from the SCAT3 (Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 3) and the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part III (UPDRS-Part III). A performance-based measurement of manual motor function was undertaken using the Grooved Pegboard test. Cognition was measured with patient-reported outcomes for memory, executive and behavioral symptoms as well as performance-based measures of memory and executive function. Symptoms of anxiety and depression were measured using the Personality Assessment Inventory. There was no significant difference between the ex-CFL players and controls on the UPDRS-Part III scores, and neither group reported clinically significant motor complaints. Ex-CFL players did not perform differently from control subjects on the Grooved Pegboard test. In contrast, with regard to cognitive and mood testing, players were more symptomatic: The ex-CFL players reported significantly more memory (77.8% vs. 16%, respectively, p < 0.001), executive (53.3% vs. 8%, respectively, p < 0.001), and behavioral symptoms (66.7% vs. 20%, respectively, p < 0.001). No significant differences were found when comparing ex-CFL players and controls in performance on memory and executive tests. In summary, in a group of retired CFL players who self-reported declines in memory, executive and behavioral symptoms, no motor symptoms were reported and no motor signs were detected.

Meta-analysis of Specific Music Therapy Measures and Their Implications for the Health Care System.

PubMed

Llovet, Aliza K

The purpose of the activity reported in this article was to conduct an exhaustive search of the Journal of Music Therapy, filter the articles on the desired parameters, and organize data for analysis and interpretation. Specifically, the researcher studied whether (a) there was a significant difference in physiological measures, (b) there was a significant difference in quality of life, (c) there was a significant difference in satisfaction levels, (d) there was a significant difference in pain reduction, (e) there was a significant difference in procedural length, (f) there was a significant difference in length of stay, and (g) whether the overall effect size and 95% confidence level support the recommendation of music therapy in the health care setting. Twenty-four studies met criteria for inclusion in the systematic review. Results revealed an overall effect size of d = 0.61. However, results of the 95% confidence interval included 0, which suggests that there may not be a statistically significant difference in the health care setting on desired measures. Further results and implications are discussed within the article.

The Genomic Revolution and Beliefs about Essential Racial Differences: A Backdoor to Eugenics?

PubMed Central

Phelan, Jo C.; Link, Bruce G.; Feldman, Naumi M.

2014-01-01

Could the explosion of genetic research in recent decades affect our conceptions of race? In Backdoor to Eugenics, Duster argues that reports of specific racial differences in genetic bases of disease, in part because they are presented as objective facts whose social implications are not readily apparent, may heighten public belief in more pervasive racial differences. We tested this hypothesis with a multi-method study. A content analysis showed that news articles discussing racial differences in genetic bases of disease increased significantly between 1985 and 2008 and were significantly less likely than non–health-related articles about race and genetics to discuss social implications. A survey experiment conducted with a nationally representative sample of 559 adults found that a news-story vignette reporting a specific racial difference in genetic risk for heart attacks (the Backdoor Vignette) produced significantly greater belief in essential racial differences than did a vignette portraying race as a social construction or a no-vignette condition. The Backdoor Vignette produced beliefs in essential racial differences that were virtually identical to those produced by a vignette portraying race as a genetic reality. These results suggest that an unintended consequence of the genomic revolution may be the reinvigoration of age-old beliefs in essential racial differences. PMID:24855321

Body image and eating disordered behavior in a community sample of Black and Hispanic women.

PubMed

Hrabosky, Joshua I; Grilo, Carlos M

2007-01-01

The current study examined body image concerns and eating disordered behaviors in a community sample of Black and Hispanic women. In addition, this study explored whether there are ethnic differences in the correlates or in the prediction of body image concerns. Participants were 120 (67 Black and 53 Hispanic) women who responded to advertisements to participate in a study of women and health. Participants completed a battery of established self-report measures to assess body image, eating disordered behaviors, and associated psychological domains. Black and Hispanic women did not differ significantly in their self-reports of body image, eating disordered behaviors, or associated psychological measures. Comparisons performed separately within both ethnic groups revealed significant differences by weight status, with a general graded patterning of greater concerns in obese than overweight than average weight groups. In terms of predicting body image, multiple regression analyses testing a number of variables, including BMI, performed separately for Black and Hispanic women revealed that eating concern and depressive affect were significant predictors of body image concern for both groups. Overall, Black and Hispanic women differed little in their self-reports of body image, eating-disordered features, and depressive affect. Higher weight was associated with a general pattern of increased body image concerns and features of eating disorders in both groups and with binge eating in Black women. Eating concerns and depressive affect emerged as significant independent predictors of body image for both ethnic groups.

Significant Figures in Measurements with Uncertainty: A Working Criterion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vilchis, Abraham

2017-01-01

Generally speaking, students have difficulty reporting out measurements and estimates of quantities used in the laboratory, and with handling the significant figures associated with them. When required to make calculation involving quantities with different numbers of significant figures, they have difficulty in assigning the corresponding digits…

The Effects of a Prenatal Course Including PREP for Effective Family Living on Self-Esteem and Parenting Attitudes of Adolescents: A Brief Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emmons, Rachelle D.; Nystul, Michael S.

1994-01-01

Questionnaires administered to three groups--one treatment, two comparison--of adolescent females indicated no significant difference in self-concept among the three groups. Significant differences were found in parental attitudes, with the treatment group scoring higher on democratic parenting attitudes than the other two groups. (RJM)

Seasonal field metabolic rates of American martens in Wisconsin

Treesearch

Jonathan H. Gilbert; Patrick A Zollner; Adam K. Green; John L. Wright

2009-01-01

We report on FMR of free-living American martens (Martes americana) in autumn and winter in northern Wisconsin. Mean body mass was significantly higher in males (1099 ± 43 [S.E.] g) than females (737 ± 28 g), with no significant difference by season. Daily mass change rates of martens did not differ from zero, and mass change rate...

Setting the trajectory: racial disparities in newborn telomere length.

PubMed

Drury, Stacy S; Esteves, Kyle; Hatch, Virginia; Woodbury, Margaret; Borne, Sophie; Adamski, Alys; Theall, Katherine P

2015-05-01

To explore racial differences in newborn telomere length (TL) and the effect moderation of the sex of the infant while establishing the methodology for the use of newborn blood spots for TL analyses. Pregnant mothers were recruited from the Greater New Orleans area. TL was determined via monochrome multiplex quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction on DNA extracted from infant blood spots. Demographic data and other covariates were obtained via maternal report before the infant's birth. Birth outcome data were obtained from medical records and maternal report. Black infants weighed significantly less than white infants at birth and had significantly longer TL than white infants (P=.0134), with the strongest effect observed in black female infants. No significant differences in gestational age were present. Significant racial differences in TL were present at birth in this sample, even after we controlled for a range of birth outcomes and demographic factors. Because longer initial TL is predictive of more rapid TL attrition across the life course, these findings provide evidence that, even at birth, biological vulnerability to early life stress may differ by race and sex. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Premarital Sexual Behavior and Attitudes Toward Marriage and Divorce among Young Women as a Function of Their Mothers' Marital Status.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kinnaird, Keri L.; Gerrard, Meg

1986-01-01

Investigated attitudes and sexual activity of young unmarried women from different family structures. Intact family respondents reported most positive attitudes toward marriage; reconstituted family respondents reported most accepting attitudes toward divorce. Divorced and reconstituted family subjects reported significantly more sexual experience…

The systemizing quotient: an investigation of adults with Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism, and normal sex differences.

PubMed Central

Baron-Cohen, Simon; Richler, Jennifer; Bisarya, Dheraj; Gurunathan, Nhishanth; Wheelwright, Sally

2003-01-01

Systemizing is the drive to analyse systems or construct systems. A recent model of psychological sex differences suggests that this is a major dimension in which the sexes differ, with males being more drawn to systemize than females. Currently, there are no self-report measures to assess this important dimension. A second major dimension of sex differences is empathizing (the drive to identify mental states and respond to these with an appropriate emotion). Previous studies find females score higher on empathy measures. We report a new self-report questionnaire, the Systemizing Quotient (SQ), for use with adults of normal intelligence. It contains 40 systemizing items and 20 control items. On each systemizing item, a person can score 2, 1 or 0, so the SQ has a maximum score of 80 and a minimum of zero. In Study 1, we measured the SQ of n = 278 adults (114 males, 164 females) from a general population, to test for predicted sex differences (male superiority) in systemizing. All subjects were also given the Empathy Quotient (EQ) to test if previous reports of female superiority would be replicated. In Study 2 we employed the SQ and the EQ with n = 47 adults (33 males, 14 females) with Asperger syndrome (AS) or high-functioning autism (HFA), who are predicted to be either normal or superior at systemizing, but impaired at empathizing. Their scores were compared with n = 47 matched adults from the general population in Study 1. In Study 1, as predicted, normal adult males scored significantly higher than females on the SQ and significantly lower on the EQ. In Study 2, again as predicted, adults with AS/HFA scored significantly higher on the SQ than matched controls, and significantly lower on the EQ than matched controls. The SQ reveals both a sex difference in systemizing in the general population and an unusually strong drive to systemize in AS/HFA. These results are discussed in relation to two linked theories: the 'empathizing-systemizing' (E-S) theory of sex differences and the extreme male brain (EMB) theory of autism. PMID:12639333

Coverage and quality: A comparison of Web of Science and Scopus databases for reporting faculty nursing publication metrics.

PubMed

Powell, Kimberly R; Peterson, Shenita R

Web of Science and Scopus are the leading databases of scholarly impact. Recent studies outside the field of nursing report differences in journal coverage and quality. A comparative analysis of nursing publications reported impact. Journal coverage by each database for the field of nursing was compared. Additionally, publications by 2014 nursing faculty were collected in both databases and compared for overall coverage and reported quality, as modeled by Scimajo Journal Rank, peer review status, and MEDLINE inclusion. Individual author impact, modeled by the h-index, was calculated by each database for comparison. Scopus offered significantly higher journal coverage. For 2014 faculty publications, 100% of journals were found in Scopus, Web of Science offered 82%. No significant difference was found in the quality of reported journals. Author h-index was found to be higher in Scopus. When reporting faculty publications and scholarly impact, academic nursing programs may be better represented by Scopus, without compromising journal quality. Programs with strong interdisciplinary work should examine all areas of strength to ensure appropriate coverage. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mental and Reproductive Health Correlates of Academic Performance among Debre Berhan University Female Students, Ethiopia: The Case of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder.

PubMed

Alemu, Sisay Mulugeta; Habtewold, Tesfa Dejenie; Haile, Yohannes Gebreegziabhere

2017-01-01

Globally 3 to 8% of reproductive age women are suffering from premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Several mental and reproductive health-related factors cause low academic achievement during university education. However, limited data exist in Ethiopia. The aim of the study was to investigate mental and reproductive health correlates of academic performance. Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted with 667 Debre Berhan University female students from April to June 2015. Academic performance was the outcome variable. Mental and reproductive health characteristics were explanatory variables. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test of association was applied to examine group difference in academic performance. Among 529 students who participated, 49.3% reported mild premenstrual syndrome (PMS), 36.9% reported moderate/severe PMS, and 13.8% fulfilled PMDD diagnostic criteria. The ANOVA test of association revealed that there was no significant difference in academic performance between students with different level of PMS experience ( F -statistic = 0.08, p value = 0.93). Nevertheless, there was a significant difference in academic performance between students with different length of menses ( F -statistic = 5.15, p value = 0.006). There was no significant association between PMS experience and academic performance, but on the other hand, the length of menses significantly associated with academic performance.

Pesticide durability and the evolution of resistance: A novel application of survival analysis.

PubMed

Brevik, Kristian; Schoville, Sean D; Mota-Sanchez, David; Chen, Yolanda H

2018-03-01

Arthropod pests are widely perceived to evolve resistance to insecticides at different rates. Although widespread "successful" species are assumed to evolve quickly and minor pests slowly, few studies have utilized published data on resistance events to test for differences among species. Using 532 records from the Arthropod Pesticide Resistance Database covering 20 species, we applied a survival analysis to model the number of generations from insecticide introduction to the first report of arthropod resistance, providing one of the most comprehensive analyses of this question to date. Our approach tested: 1) whether successful pests evolve resistance faster than close relatives, 2) whether species differ significantly in the time to demonstrate resistance, and 3) whether different insecticide classes differ in durability (length of time an insecticide is used before resistance arises). We found that species differed significantly in the amount of time it took for resistance to be reported. Overall, the median duration between the introduction of an insecticide and the first report of resistance was 66 generations (95% c.i. 60-78 generations), and highly-resistant arthropods did not evolve resistance faster than their relatives. Insecticide durability did not differ by the mode of action or year of introduction. Arthropod species significantly varied in how rapidly they evolve resistance to new insecticides, regardless of their chemistry. Visualization of the history of insecticide resistance provides information to be used for understanding how pesticide resistance evolved and how it can best be managed. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

A controlled study of a simulated workplace laboratory for adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Fried, Ronna; Surman, Craig; Hammerness, Paul; Petty, Carter; Faraone, Stephen; Hyder, Laran; Westerberg, Diana; Small, Jacqueline; Corkum, Lyndsey; Claudat, Kim; Biederman, Joseph

2012-12-30

Despite an extant literature documenting that adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at increased risk for significant difficulties in the workplace, there is little documentation of the underlying factors associated with these impairments. The main aim of this study was to examine specific deficiencies associated with ADHD on workplace performance in a simulated workplace laboratory relative to controls. Participants were 56 non-medicated young adults with DSM-IV ADHD and 63 age- and sex-matched controls without ADHD. Participants spent 10h in a workplace simulation laboratory. Areas assessed included: (1) simulated tasks documented in a government report (SCANS) often required in workplace settings (taxing vigilance; planning; cooperation; attention to detail), (2) observer ratings, and (3) self-reports. Robust findings were found in the statistically significant differences on self-report of ADHD symptoms found between participants with ADHD and controls during all workplace tasks and periods of the workday. Task performance was found to be deficient in a small number of areas, and there were a few statistically significant differences identified by observer ratings. Symptoms reported by participants with ADHD in the simulation including internal restlessness, intolerance of boredom and difficulty maintaining vigilance were significant and could adversely impact workplace performance over the long-term. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differences in child versus parent reports of the child's health-related quality of life in children with epilepsy and healthy siblings.

PubMed

Baca, Christine Bower; Vickrey, Barbara G; Hays, Ron D; Vassar, Stefanie D; Berg, Anne T

2010-01-01

Self versus proxy perspectives may produce different results that are important for clinical decision-making and for assessing outcomes in research studies. We examined differences in child versus parent report of the child's health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in a large prospective, community-based study of newly diagnosed childhood epilepsy that included children with epilepsy (case) and sibling controls. HRQOL was assessed 8 to 9 years after initial diagnosis of epilepsy in a subset of 143 case-control matched pairs using the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ), a generic HRQOL measure with child (CHQ-CF87), and parent (CHQ-PF50) versions. There were no significant differences between self-reported case and sibling control HRQOL scores on 9 of 11 scales or 2 global items. Nevertheless, parent ratings were significantly better (higher HRQOL) for sibling controls compared with epilepsy cases on 10 of 12 scales, global behavior and general health items, and the physical and psychosocial summary scores (P≤0.05). Parent-child agreement was low for cases and controls (kappa 0.27-0.33) for three single-item questions with the same wording on parent and child versions. Parent ratings of the case's HRQOL were often significantly associated with 5-year remission status and current antiepileptic drug use, but the case's self-reported HRQOL scores were not. In contrast, current pharmacoresistance was often associated with the child and parent ratings of the child's HRQOL. Children with epilepsy report HRQOL that is comparable to that of sibling controls, while parents rate children with epilepsy as having lower HRQOL than sibling controls. Measuring outcomes in studies of this population should incorporate both perspectives. © 2010, International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR).

Does Encouragement by Others Increase Rape Reporting? Findings from a National Sample of Women

PubMed Central

Paul, Lisa A.; Zinzow, Heidi M.; McCauley, Jenna L.; Kilpatrick, Dean G.; Resnick, Heidi S.

2014-01-01

Our study explores the role of victims' consultation with others about whether or not to report their rape to police. Three groups were observed within this sample of 435 rape victims from a national telephone household probability sample of women: those who did not consult with anyone about reporting (n = 364), those who consulted with someone and were encouraged to report to police (n = 40), and those who consulted with someone and were not encouraged to report (n = 31). Descriptive analyses indicated that the encouraged group was more likely to report to police than either of the other two groups (which did not differ from each other). Because there were no differences between the two consulting groups on demographic or rape-related variables, they were combined in subsequent analyses. Consulting with others about whether to report, peri-traumatic fear of injury or death, assault perpetration by a stranger, and concerns about contracting a sexually transmitted disease were significant predictors of reporting to police after controlling for other significant predictors in a multivariate regression analysis. Implications of these findings are discussed, including the benefits and consequences of formal rape reporting for victims, and the role that disclosure recipients may have in assisting victims post-rape (e.g., encouragement of reporting, emotional support). PMID:25431519

Gender Differences in Perceived Social Support and Stressful Life Events in Depressed Patients.

PubMed

Soman, S; Bhat, S M; Latha, K S; Praharaj, S K

2016-03-01

To study the gender differences in perceived social support and life events in patients with depression. A total of 118 patients aged 18 to 60 years, with depressive disorder according to the DSM-IV-TR, were evaluated using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and Presumptive Stressful Life Events Scale. The perceived social support score was significantly higher in males than females (p < 0.001). Males perceived significantly higher social support from friends than females (p < 0.001), whereas support from significant others was higher in females. There was a higher mean number of total life events as well as specific type of life events in males that became apparent after controlling for education (p < 0.05). Financial loss or problems was the most commonly reported life event in both males and females. Work-related problems were more commonly reported by males, whereas family and marital conflict were more frequently reported by females. Perceived social support and stressful life events were higher in males with depression than females.

Enhanced Precision of the New Hologic Horizon Model Compared With the Old Discovery Model Is Less Evident When Fewer Vertebrae Are Included in the Analysis.

PubMed

McNamara, Elizabeth A; Kilim, Holly P; Malabanan, Alan O; Whittaker, LaTarsha G; Rosen, Harold N

The International Society for Clinical Densitometry guidelines recommend using locally derived precision data for spine bone mineral densities (BMDs), but do not specify whether data derived from L1-L4 spines correctly reflect the precision for spines reporting fewer than 4 vertebrae. Our experience suggested that the decrease in precision with successively fewer vertebrae is progressive as more vertebrae are excluded and that the precision for the newer Horizon Hologic model might be better than that for the previous model, and we sought to quantify. Precision studies were performed on Hologic densitometers by acquiring spine BMD in fast array mode twice on 30 patients, according to International Society for Clinical Densitometry guidelines. This was done 10 different times on various Discovery densitometers, and once on a Horizon densitometer. When 1 vertebral body was excluded from analysis, there was no significant deterioration in precision. When 2 vertebrae were excluded, there was a nonsignificant trend to poorer precision, and when 3 vertebrae were excluded, there was significantly worse precision. When 3 or 4 vertebrae were reported, the precision of the spine BMD measurement was significantly better on the Hologic Horizon than on the Discovery, but the difference in precision between densitometers narrowed and was no longer significant when 1 or 2 vertebrae were reported. The results suggest that (1) the measurement of in vivo spine BMD on the new Hologic Horizon densitometer is significantly more precise than on the older Discovery model; (2) the difference in precision between the Horizon and Discovery models decreases as fewer vertebrae are included; (3) the measurement of spine BMD is less precise as more vertebrae are excluded, but still quite reasonable even when only 1 vertebral body is included; and (4) when 3 vertebrae are reported, L1-L4 precision data can reasonably be used to report significance of changes in BMD. When 1 or 2 vertebrae are reported, precision data for 1 or 2 vertebrae, respectively, should be used, because the exclusion of 2-3 vertebrae significantly worsens precision. Copyright © 2016 International Society for Clinical Densitometry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Measuring the elastic properties of fine wire.

PubMed

Fallen, C T; Costello, J; Crawford, G; Schmidt, J A

2001-01-01

The elastic moduli of fine wires made from MP35N and 304SS used in implantable biomedical devices are assumed to be the same as those published in the literature. However, the cold working required to manufacture the wire significantly alters the elastic moduli of the material. We describe three experiments performed on fine wire made from MP35N and 304SS. The experimentally determined Young's and shear modulus of both wire types were significantly less than the moduli reported in the literature. Young's modulus differed by as much as 26%, and the shear modulus differed by as much as 14% from reported values.

Chinese hyper-susceptibility to vection-induced motion sickness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stern, Robert M.; Hu, Senqi; Leblanc, Ree; Koch, Kenneth L.

1993-01-01

Little is known about the factors that control individual differences in susceptible to motion sickness. A serendipitous observation in our laboratory that most Chinese subjects become motion sick prompted this study. We used a rotating optokinetic drum to provoke motion sickness and compared gastric responses and symptom reports of Chinese, European-American, and African-American subjects. There was no difference in the responses of European-American and African-American subjects; however, Chinese subjects showed significantly greater disturbances in gastric activity and reported significantly more severe symptoms. We suggest that this hypersusceptibility presents a natural model for the study of physiological mechanisms of nausea and other symptoms of motion sickness.

Intrapersonal and interpersonal sexual behaviors of Chinese university students: gender differences in prevalence and correlates.

PubMed

Chi, Xinli; Bongardt, Daphne van de; Hawk, Skyler T

2015-01-01

The main aim of the present study was to investigate gender differences among university students in contemporary China regarding (1) the prevalence of various types of intrapersonal and interpersonal sexual behaviors and (2) their sociodemographic and psychosocial predictors. A total of 1,397 university students (M(age) = 20.3 years) completed related questionnaires. Intrapersonal behaviors (i.e., sexual fantasizing, solitary masturbation, and viewing pornography) were generally reported more frequently than interpersonal behaviors (i.e., petting, oral sex, and intercourse). Gender differences were most evident for intrapersonal sexual behaviors, all of which were reported more frequently by men. Men reported significantly more heterosexual intercourse than women but not petting or oral sex. Several correlates (i.e., age, educational aspiration, family income, urbanity, relationship experience, and Internet use) were significant predictors of various intrapersonal and interpersonal sexual behaviors. Gender significantly moderated these correlations in three cases: Family income was a stronger negative predictor of intercourse for women, romantic relationship history was a stronger positive predictor of intercourse for men, and Internet use was a stronger positive predictor of sexual fantasizing for men. We discuss the implications of these findings for sexuality education and sexual health policies and practices in contemporary China.

A test of theory of planned behavior in Korea: participation in alcohol-related social gatherings.

PubMed

Park, Hee Sun; Lee, Dong Wook

2009-12-01

Two studies are reported using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to predict and explain joining and not joining alcohol-related social gatherings among Korean undergraduates in various engineering majors. Specifically, considering that the attitudinal component of TPB is behavioral-outcome-based, the current study investigated whether the outcomes of engaging in a behavior and of not engaging in a behavior would similarly predict intentions to engage in a behavior and intentions to not engage in a behavior. The current study also examined whether intentions to engage and intentions to not engage would be significantly related to self-reported behavior a week later. Participants in Study 1 reported TPB components (attitudes toward behavior, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intentions) concerning joining alcohol-related social gatherings. Participants in Study 2 reported TPB components concerning not joining alcohol-related social gatherings. Additionally, a week later, the participants in both studies reported their participation in alcohol-related social gatherings from the past week. Generally, the results showed that the TPB components were significantly associated with undergraduates' intentions to join and intentions to not join. Specifically, conversation-related attitudes and senior-junior relationship-related attitudes were significantly related to intentions to join, and only group-related attitudes were significantly related to intentions to not join. Intentions to join and intentions to not join were not significantly related to self-reported behavior of joining alcohol-related social gatherings a week later. The findings from the current research provide some evidence that joining or not joining alcohol-related social gatherings may not be mere behavioral opposites, predictable by the presence or absence of the same behavioral outcomes. These two aspects of the behavior may require assessment of different behavioral outcomes or different assessments of the same behavioral outcomes.

Gender, culture, and sex-typed cognitive abilities.

PubMed

Reilly, David

2012-01-01

Although gender differences in cognitive abilities are frequently reported, the magnitude of these differences and whether they hold practical significance in the educational outcomes of boys and girls is highly debated. Furthermore, when gender gaps in reading, mathematics and science literacy are reported they are often attributed to innate, biological differences rather than social and cultural factors. Cross-cultural evidence may contribute to this debate, and this study reports national gender differences in reading, mathematics and science literacy from 65 nations participating in the 2009 round of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Consistently across all nations, girls outperform boys in reading literacy, d = -.44. Boys outperform girls in mathematics in the USA, d = .22 and across OECD nations, d = .13. For science literacy, while the USA showed the largest gender difference across all OECD nations, d = .14, gender differences across OECD nations were non-significant, and a small female advantage was found for non-OECD nations, d = -.09. Across all three domains, these differences were more pronounced at both tails of the distribution for low- and high-achievers. Considerable cross-cultural variability was also observed, and national gender differences were correlated with gender equity measures, economic prosperity, and Hofstede's cultural dimension of power distance. Educational and societal implications of such gender gaps are addressed, as well as the mechanisms by which gender differences in cognitive abilities are culturally mediated.

Psychosocial correlates of immediate versus delayed reconstruction of the breast.

PubMed

Wellisch, D K; Schain, W S; Noone, R B; Little, J W

1985-11-01

Two groups of consecutive patients from two different plastic surgical practice populations were evaluated to determine psychosocial differences between those who underwent immediate (n = 25) versus delayed (n = 38) breast reconstruction. Psychological assessment consisted of a standardized symptom inventory (BSI) and a specially designed self-report questionnaire investigating reactions unique to mastectomy and reconstruction. Both groups were extremely equivalent with regard to sociodemographic data, with the typical subject being a well-educated and employed Caucasian wife. Verbal reports of physical complaints revealed no significant differences between the two groups except for difficulty with arm movement, which was statistically higher for the immediate group (p = 0.006.). This difference most likely was due to the axillary dissection being performed simultaneously at the time of reconstruction. The relationship between timing of reconstruction and self-reported distress over the mastectomy experience revealed that only 25 percent of the women who underwent immediate repair reported "high distress" in recalling their mastectomy surgery compared with 60 percent of the delayed reconstruction group (p = 0.02). In reference to the two scales measuring psychological symptoms, a general trend was present, with the delayed group scoring higher (although not statistically significantly) on 9 of our 12 scales. Ninety-six percent of the immediate group and 89 percent of the delayed group reported satisfaction with results.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Barnacle geese achieve significant energetic savings by changing posture.

PubMed

Tickle, Peter G; Nudds, Robert L; Codd, Jonathan R

2012-01-01

Here we report the resting metabolic rate in barnacle geese (Branta leucopsis) and provide evidence for the significant energetic effect of posture. Under laboratory conditions flow-through respirometry together with synchronous recording of behaviour enabled a calculation of how metabolic rate varies with posture. Our principal finding is that standing bipedally incurs a 25% increase in metabolic rate compared to birds sitting on the ground. In addition to the expected decrease in energy consumption of hindlimb postural muscles when sitting, we hypothesise that a change in breathing mechanics represents one potential mechanism for at least part of the observed difference in energetic cost. Due to the significant effect of posture, future studies of resting metabolic rates need to take into account and/or report differences in posture.

Long term respiratory sequelae of whooping cough in a nationally representative sample.

PubMed Central

Britten, N; Wadsworth, J

1986-01-01

The long term respiratory consequences of whooping cough in childhood were sought among members of the National Survey of Health and Development. Peak expiratory flow rate was measured when the survey members were 36 years old and seven respiratory symptoms were reported at the same time. Peak expiratory flow rate was slightly reduced in those who had had whooping cough as a child, and this difference became non-significant when other factors were taken into account. Unexpectedly, chronic cough was significantly less likely to be reported by those who had had whooping cough, and this difference remained significant only among men after other factors had been taken into account. This study failed to show a long term detrimental effect of whooping cough on the respiratory system. PMID:3081115

Barnacle Geese Achieve Significant Energetic Savings by Changing Posture

PubMed Central

Tickle, Peter G.; Nudds, Robert L.; Codd, Jonathan R.

2012-01-01

Here we report the resting metabolic rate in barnacle geese (Branta leucopsis) and provide evidence for the significant energetic effect of posture. Under laboratory conditions flow-through respirometry together with synchronous recording of behaviour enabled a calculation of how metabolic rate varies with posture. Our principal finding is that standing bipedally incurs a 25% increase in metabolic rate compared to birds sitting on the ground. In addition to the expected decrease in energy consumption of hindlimb postural muscles when sitting, we hypothesise that a change in breathing mechanics represents one potential mechanism for at least part of the observed difference in energetic cost. Due to the significant effect of posture, future studies of resting metabolic rates need to take into account and/or report differences in posture. PMID:23071672

Finger ridge count correlations among four tribes of Andhra Pradesh, India.

PubMed

Kusuma, Y S; Babu, B V; Naidu, J M

2002-06-01

The present paper reports the distribution of finger ridge count correlations among four tribal populations from Andhra Pradesh, India viz., Dulia, Kotia, Manne Dora and Manzai Mali, and examines the intra and inter population variation. Higher correlations are recorded in left hands compared to right hands, but they are not significant. The homologous fingers exhibit a stronger correlation. In all the tribes, the correlations between right hand fingers are relatively higher among women when compared to men. Regarding inter population variation Dulia men differ significantly from the men of Manne Dora and the Manzai Mali tribes, and Kotia women also differ from the women of the Manne Dora significantly. The average correlation coefficient of the present populations is similar to other Indian populations reported earlier but lower than African and European populations.

The effect of additional physiotherapy to hospital inpatients outside of regular business hours: a systematic review.

PubMed

Brusco, Natasha K; Paratz, Jennifer

2006-12-01

Provision of out of regular business hours (OBH) physiotherapy to hospital inpatients is widespread in the hospital setting. This systematic review evaluated the effect of additional OBH physiotherapy services on patient length of stay (LOS), pulmonary complications, discharge destination, discharge mobility status, quality of life, cost saving, adverse events, and mortality compared with physiotherapy only within regular business hours. A literature search was completed on databases with citation tracking using key words. Two reviewers completed data extraction and quality assessment independently by using modified scales for historical cohorts and case control studies as well as the PEDro scale for randomized controlled trials and quasi-randomised controlled trials. This search identified nine articles of low to medium quality. Four reported a significant reduction in LOS associated with additional OBH physiotherapy, with two articles reporting overall significance and two reporting only for specific subgroups. Two studies reported significant reduction in pulmonary complications for two different patient groups in an intensive care unit (ICU) with additional OBH physiotherapy. Three studies accounted for discharge destination and/or discharge mobility status with no significant difference reported. Quality of life, adverse events, and mortality were not reported in any studies. Cost savings were considered in three studies, with two reporting a cost saving. This systematic review was unable to conclude that the provision of additional OBH physiotherapy made significant improvement to patient outcomes for all subgroups of inpatients. One study in critical care reported that overnight physiotherapy decreased LOS and reduced pulmonary complications of patients in the ICU. However, the studies in the area of orthopaedics, neurology, postcardiac surgery, and rheumatology, which all considered additional daytime weekend physiotherapy intervention, did not provide strong evidence to indicate effective reduction in patient LOS or improving patient discharge mobility status or discharge destination. Investigation should continue in this area, but future trials should ensure factors such as random allocation, groups equal at baseline, blinded investigators, and proven intervention are included in the study design.

Analysis of the Astronomy Diagnostic Test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brogt, Erik; Sabers, Darrell; Prather, Edward E.; Deming, Grace L.; Hufnagel, Beth; Slater, Timothy F.

Seventy undergraduate class sections were examined from the database of Astronomy Diagnostic Test (ADT) results of Deming and Hufnagel to determine if course format correlated with ADT normalized gain scores. Normalized gains were calculated for four different classroom scenarios: lecture, lecture with discussion, lecture with lab, and lecture with both lab and discussion. Statistical analysis shows that there are no significant differences in normalized gain among the self- reported classroom formats. Prerequisites related to mathematics courses did show differences in normalized gain. Of all reported course activities, only the lecture and the readings for the course correlate significantly with the normalized gain. This analysis suggests that the ADT may not have enough sensitivity to measure differences in the effectiveness of different course formats because of the wide range of topics that the ADT addresses with few questions. Different measures of gain and their biases are discussed. We argue that the use of the normalized gain is not always warranted because of its strong bias toward high pretest scores.

Bovine dopamine receptors DRD1, DRD4, and DRD5: genetic polymorphisms and diversities among ten cattle breeds.

PubMed

Sifuentes-Rincón, A M; Trejo-Tapia, A G; Randel, R D; Ambriz-Morales, P; Parra-Bracamonte, G M

2016-02-22

The aim of this study was to analyze the allelic frequency distribution and segregation among breeds and/or between different cattle genetic groups of four novel single nucleotide polymorphisms of the bovine DRD1 and DRD5 genes and one reported SNP from the DRD4 gene. One hundred and nine-animals from ten different cattle breeds were genotyped and allelic frequencies for each locus were estimated. There were significant differences in the allelic frequencies (P < 0.05) among breeds for the DRD1 and DRD5 markers. The allelic frequencies for markers DRD1-825A>G and DRD5-378C>T were also significantly different between groups differing in genetic background. Because differences in temperament have been reported between Bos taurus taurus and B. taurus indicus breeds and their crosses, further studies are needed to investigate if any association exists between described markers and cattle behavior traits.

Bystander's willingness to report theft, physical assault, and sexual assault: the impact of gender, anonymity, and relationship with the offender.

PubMed

Nicksa, Sarah C

2014-01-01

This research examines bystander willingness to report three different crimes to the police or campus authorities among a college student sample (n = 295). Twelve original vignettes varied anonymity when reporting, bystander's relationship with the offender (friend or stranger), and crime type. A factorial analysis of variance showed that main effects were found for crime type, bystander's gender, and bystander's relationship with the offender; anonymity was not significant. The physical assault was the most likely to be reported (4.47), followed by theft (3.26), and sexual assault (2.36). Women were more likely than men to report each crime type, and bystanders who were good friends of the offender were less likely to report than strangers. No two- or three-way interactions were significant, but a significant four-way interaction indicated that anonymity, relationship with the offender, and bystander's gender predicted willingness to report for the sexual assault scenario.

Treatment patterns among physician specialties in the management of fibromyalgia: results of a cross-sectional study in the United States.

PubMed

McNett, Michael; Goldenberg, Don; Schaefer, Caroline; Hufstader, Meghan; Baik, Rebecca; Chandran, Arthi; Zlateva, Gergana

2011-03-01

Fibromyalgia (FM) is characterized by persistent and widespread pain and often associated with other symptoms and comorbidities. Thus, FM patients seek care from multiple physician specialties. This study compared prescribing patterns, patient-reported outcomes (PROs), healthcare resource use (HRU), and direct costs related to FM in routine clinical practice across physician specialties. This cross-sectional, observational study recruited 203 FM subjects from 20 community-based physician offices (eight primary care, six rheumatology, three neurology, three psychiatry). Subjects completed questions about pain, other symptoms, quality of life, productivity, treatment effectiveness and satisfaction, and out-of-pocket expenses related to FM; site staff recorded subjects' treatment and HRU based on medical chart review. Results were compared across specialties. Statistical significance was evaluated at the 0.05 level. Annual direct costs associated with FM were calculated in 2009 US dollars. Subject demographic and clinical characteristics were not significantly different across physician specialties, except psychiatry subjects had the highest mean number of co-morbid conditions; p < 0.001. PROs were similar across physician specialties except fatigue; neurology subjects reported the highest levels. There were no significant differences in subject-reported outcomes of medication effectiveness (p = 0.782) and medication satisfaction (p = 0.338) for FM. Psychiatry subjects had more FM-related physician visits compared to other specialties (p = 0.013) and a higher proportion received diagnostic tests related to FM (p = 0.013). The mean (SD) number of FM prescription medications prescribed per subject was highest in the primary care and lowest in the neurology group; p = 0.024. The proportion of hypnotic (p = 0.001), muscle relaxant (p = 0.005), anxiolytic (p = 0.005), anti-epileptic (p = 0.007), and other medications (p = 0.044) prescribed for FM were significantly different across specialties. Overall direct medical costs did not differ significantly (p = 0.284) across specialties. Patient characteristics were similar across specialties, except with regards to comorbidity burden. This study noted significant differences among physician specialties in HRU and treatment patterns among medications, diagnostics, and outpatient visits. Consistent with other studies, this study did not identify a dominant strategy for FM management across physician specialties as overall per patient medical costs and subject-reported treatment satisfaction were similar. Future research to better characterize differences among physician specialties in FM management, as well as the reasons for these differences, would be useful.

Reporting Heterogeneity and Health Disparities Across Gender and Education Levels: Evidence From Four Countries.

PubMed

Molina, Teresa

2016-04-01

I use anchoring vignettes from Indonesia, the United States, England, and China to study the extent to which differences in self-reported health across gender and education levels can be explained by the use of different response thresholds. To determine whether statistically significant differences between groups remain after adjusting thresholds, I calculate standard errors for the simulated probabilities, largely ignored in previous literature. Accounting for reporting heterogeneity reduces the gender gap in many health domains across the four countries, but to varying degrees. Health disparities across education levels persist and even widen after equalizing thresholds across the two groups.

The Premature Ejaculation Profile: validation of self-reported outcome measures for research and practice.

PubMed

Patrick, Donald L; Giuliano, François; Ho, Kai Fai; Gagnon, Dennis D; McNulty, Pauline; Rothman, Margaret

2009-02-01

To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Premature Ejaculation Profile (PEP), a self-reported outcome instrument for evaluating domains of PE and its treatment, comprised of four single-item measures, a profile, and an index score. Data were from men participating in observational studies in the USA (PE, 207 men; non-PE, 1380) and Europe (PE, 201; non-PE, 914) and from men with PE (1238) participating in a phase III randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of dapoxetine. The PEP contains four measures: perceived control over ejaculation, personal distress related to ejaculation, satisfaction with sexual intercourse, and interpersonal difficulty related to ejaculation, each assessed on five-point response scales. Test-retest reliability, known-groups validity, and ability to detect a patient-reported global impression of change (PGI) in condition were evaluated for the individual PEP measures and a PEP index score (the mean of all four measures). Profile analysis was conducted using multivariate analysis of variance. All PEP measures showed acceptable reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.66 to 0.83) and mean scores for all measures differed significantly between PE and non-PE groups (P < 0.001). Men who reported a reduction in PE with treatment in the phase III trial had significantly greater scores on each of the four measures. The PEP profiles of men with and without PE differed significantly (P < 0.001) in both observational studies; higher levels of PGI were associated with higher PEP profiles (P < 0.001). The PEP index score also showed acceptable reliability and was significantly different between the PE and non-PE groups (P < 0.001). Men who reported an improvement in PE with treatment in the phase III trial had significantly greater PEP index scores. In the phase III trial, nausea was the most common adverse event with dapoxetine. The PEP provides a reliable, valid, and interpretable measure for use in monitoring outcomes of men with PE.

Activating lay health influencers to promote tobacco cessation.

PubMed

Muramoto, Myra L; Hall, John R; Nichter, Mark; Nichter, Mimi; Aickin, Mikel; Connolly, Tim; Matthews, Eva; Campbell, Jean Z; Lando, Harry A

2014-05-01

To evaluate the effect of tobacco cessation brief-intervention (BI) training for lay "health influencers," on knowledge, self-efficacy and the proportion of participants reporting BI delivery post-training. Randomized, community-based study comparing In-person or Web-based training, with mailed materials. In-person and Web-training groups had significant post-training cessation knowledge and self-efficacy gains. All groups increased the proportion of individuals reporting BIs at follow-up, with no significant between-group differences. Irrespective of participants' prior intervention experience, 80%-86% reported BIs within the past 90 days; 71%-79% reported >1 in the past 30. Web and In-person training significantly increase health influencer cessation knowledge and self-efficacy. With minimal prompting and materials, even persons without BI experience can be activated to encourage tobacco cessation.

Anger, hostility, and aggression among Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans reporting PTSD and subthreshold PTSD.

PubMed

Jakupcak, Matthew; Conybeare, Daniel; Phelps, Lori; Hunt, Stephen; Holmes, Hollie A; Felker, Bradford; Klevens, Michele; McFall, Miles E

2007-12-01

Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans were grouped by level of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology and compared on self-report measures of trait anger, hostility, and aggression. Veterans who screened positive for PTSD reported significantly greater anger and hostility than those in the subthreshold-PTSD and non-PTSD groups. Veterans in the subthreshold-PTSD group reported significantly greater anger and hostility than those in the non-PTSD group. The PTSD and subthreshold-PTSD groups did not differ with respect to aggression, though both groups were significantly more likely to have endorsed aggression than the non-PTSD group. These findings suggest that providers should screen for anger and aggression among Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans who exhibit symptoms of PTSD and incorporate relevant anger treatments into early intervention strategies.

Comparison of lifestyle and practice patterns between male and female Canadian ophthalmologists.

PubMed

McAlister, Chryssa; Jin, Ya-Ping; Braga-Mele, Rosa; DesMarchais, Beatrice F; Buys, Yvonne M

2014-06-01

To identify sex differences in lifestyle and practice patterns of Canadian ophthalmologists. Web-based national survey. Members of the Canadian Ophthalmological Society. A 48-item questionnaire was sent electronically. Analysis of results was completed using χ(2) and Fisher's exact tests where appropriate. Of 385 respondents (30%), 102 were female and 283 male. Several statistically significant differences exist in lifestyle and practice patterns. Fifty-one percent of females operate less than 2 days per month as compared with 36% of males (p = 0.01) despite similar clinical hours. No statistically significant differences were found in other practice pattern parameters including laser refractive surgery, hospital affiliation, university appointment/rank, and number of peer-review publications. Ninety percent of males and 81% of females report having ≥1 children, but males report greater number of children (p < 0.001). Females are commonly the primary caregiver, whereas males report their partner as primary caregiver (p < 0.001). Fifty-two percent of females are unhappy with the amount of parental leave (p < 0.001). Fifty-one percent of females believe that childbearing slowed or markedly slowed career progress, as compared with 15% of males (p < 0.001). Both female (83%) and male (87%) ophthalmologists report high career satisfaction (p = 0.43). Differences in practice patterns between males and females in our analysis surround surgical time, with no difference seen in other practice patterns or academic achievements. Differences in family patterns surround household and childrearing duties. Despite differences, both males and females report high satisfaction across several professional and personal parameters. Compared with previous studies, this suggests a change in practice patterns over time. Copyright © 2014 Canadian Ophthalmological Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Factors influencing agreement between child self-report and parent proxy-reports on the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 (PedsQL) generic core scales.

PubMed

Cremeens, Joanne; Eiser, Christine; Blades, Mark

2006-08-30

In situations where children are unable or unwilling to respond for themselves, measurement of quality of life (QOL) is often obtained by parent proxy-report. However the relationship between child self and parent proxy-reports has been shown to be poor in some circumstances. Additionally the most appropriate statistical method for comparing ratings between child and parent proxy-reports has not been clearly established. The objectives of this study were to assess the: 1) agreement between child and parent proxy-reports on an established child QOL measure (the PedsQL) using two different statistical methods; 2) effect of chronological age and domain type on agreement between children's and parents' reports on the PedsQL; 3) relationship between parents' own well-being and their ratings of their child's QOL. One hundred and forty-nine healthy children (5.5 - 6.5, 6.5 - 7.5, and 7.5 - 8.5 years) completed the PedsQL. One hundred and three of their parents completed these measures in relation to their child, and a measure of their own QOL (SF-36). Consistency between child and parent proxy-reports on the PedsQL was low, with Intra-Class correlation coefficients ranging from 0.02 to 0.23. Correlations were higher for the oldest age group for Total Score and Psychosocial Health domains, and for the Physical Health domain in the youngest age group. Statistically significant median differences were found between child and parent-reports on all subscales of the PedsQL. The largest median differences were found for the two older age groups. Statistically significant correlations were found between parents' own QOL and their proxy-reports of child QOL across the total sample and within the middle age group. Intra-Class correlation coefficients and median difference testing can provide different information on the relationship between parent proxy-reports and child self-reports. Our findings suggest that differences in the levels of parent-child agreement previously reported may be an artefact of the statistical method used. In addition, levels of agreement can be affected by child age, domains investigated, and parents' own QOL. Further studies are needed to establish the optimal predictors of levels of parent-child agreement.

Libet's experiment: Questioning the validity of measuring the urge to move.

PubMed

Dominik, Tomáš; Dostál, Daniel; Zielina, Martin; Šmahaj, Jan; Sedláčková, Zuzana; Procházka, Roman

2017-03-01

The time of subjectively registered urge to move (W) constituted the central point of most Libet-style experiments. It is therefore crucial to verify the W validity. Our experiment was based on the assumption that the W time is inferred, rather than introspectively perceived. We used the rotating spot method to gather the W reports together with the reports of the subjective timing of actual movement (M). The subjects were assigned the tasks in two different orders. When measured as first in the respective session, no significant difference between W and M values was found, which suggests that uninformed subjects tend to confuse W for M reports. Moreover, we found that W values measured after the M task were significantly earlier than W values measured before M. This phenomenon suggests that the apparent difference between W and M values is in fact caused by the subjects' previous experience with M measurements. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Drug use, travel and HIV risk.

PubMed

Lee, D; Bell, D C; Hinojosa, M

2002-08-01

A study was conducted to examine the travel experiences of a community sample of 160 drug users and 44 non-users recruited as part of a study of HIV risk. Of the sample, 47% (96/204) reported intercity travel in the previous ten years. Results showed that men were more likely to travel than women, Anglos more than minorities, and young persons more than old. When travellers testing HIV-seropositive (n = 13) were compared with seronegative travellers, HIV-positive travellers reported more sex while travelling than HIV-negative persons, but virtually all of the difference reported involved sex with condoms. There were no significant differences in sex risk behaviours while travelling between drug users and non-drug users, or in sex risk behaviors between drug injectors and non-injectors. Travellers had fewer injection partners while travelling than they had while at home. There was also a significant difference in number of sex partners with whom a condom was not used, with fewer sex partners while travelling.

Parents of Children With Food Allergy: Gender Differences in Perceived Impact and Perceived Food Allergy Severity

PubMed Central

Dahlquist, Lynnda M.; Hahn, Amy L.; Bollinger, Mary Elizabeth

2017-01-01

Objective To compare fathers’ and mothers’ perceptions of the impact and severity of their child’s food allergy and their levels of involvement in allergy-related care. Methods One hundred parents of children with food allergy (50 mother–father pairs) rated the severity of their child’s food allergies and completed the Food Allergy Impact Scale. A subset of 52 parents reported how often they engaged in food allergy-related care. Results Mothers reported more impact than fathers for meal preparation, family social activities, and stress and free time, and significantly greater involvement in allergy-related care. Fathers who reported more frequent medical appointment attendance perceived meal preparation as being significantly more impacted by food allergy than fathers who were less involved. Conclusions Fathers who are less involved may be buffered from experiencing the impact of their child’s health condition. Differences in involvement rather than other gender differences may explain discrepancies in mothers’ and fathers’ illness perceptions. PMID:27424484

Quality of Life for Dementia Caregiving Dyads: Effects of Incongruent Perceptions of Everyday Care and Values.

PubMed

Moon, Heehyul; Townsend, Aloen L; Whitlatch, Carol J; Dilworth-Anderson, Peggye

2017-08-01

This dyadic study investigated incongruence in care recipients' (CRs') and caregivers' (CGs') perceptions of (a) CRs' involvement in decision making and (b) how much CRs value social relations as predictors of subjective quality of life (QOL) of CRs with mild-to-moderate dementia and their primary family CGs. A secondary analysis of cross-sectional, dyadic data from in-person interviews with 205 CRs with mild-to-moderate dementia and their primary family CGs Incongruence was operationalized in two ways: absolute difference and direction of difference. Paired t tests and multilevel modeling were used to analyze differences. CGs reported CRs were significantly less involved in decision making and valued social relations significantly less than CRs. Greater incongruence on CRs' values significantly predicted lower QOL of CG and CR. When CGs reported that CRs valued social relationships less than the CR himself/herself reported, CGs' and CRs' QOL was significantly lower compared with QOL for dyads where there was no incongruence on CRs' values. Incongruent perceptions of CRs' involvement in decisions were not a significant predictor of QOL. This study provides evidence for the importance of assessing both CRs' and CGs' QOL, as well as incongruence in their perceptions in domains that may affect both of their QOL. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Attitudes toward science and science knowledge of intellectually gifted and average students in third, seventh, and eleventh grades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrington, Byron L.; Hendricks, Bryan

A questionnaire regarding attitudes toward science and scientific knowledge (Yager & Yager, 1985b) was administered to 143 intellectually gifted (IQ > 130) and intellectually average third-, seventh-, and eleventh-grade students. Measures of internal reliability on four attitude subscales and a content knowledge subscale are reported. Three-way ANOVAs comparing grade, sex, and ability revealed significant differences between average and gifted students in attitudes toward being a scientist, usefulness of science, and, as might be expected, in knowledge of science. Similarly, there were significant differences between grades on attitudes toward teachers and toward science classes, with the most favorable attitudes expressed in third grade, next most favorable in eleventh grade, and clearly more negative attitudes expressed by students in seventh grade. There also was a significant interaction between grade level and ability regarding attitudes toward science classes. In contrast to what might be expected from reported differences between males and females in attitudes toward science, gender as a separate variable did not have a significant main effect in any of the comparisons.

Thinner Cortex in Collegiate Football Players With, but not Without, a Self-Reported History of Concussion

PubMed Central

Bellgowan, Patrick S.F.; Bergamino, Maurizio; Ling, Josef M.; Mayer, Andrew R.

2016-01-01

Abstract Emerging evidence suggests that a history of sports-related concussions can lead to long-term neuroanatomical changes. The extent to which similar changes are present in young athletes is undetermined at this time. Here, we tested the hypothesis that collegiate football athletes with (n = 25) and without (n = 24) a self-reported history of concussion would have cortical thickness differences and altered white matter integrity relative to healthy controls (n = 27) in fronto-temporal regions that appear particularly susceptible to traumatic brain injury. Freesurfer software was used to estimate cortical thickness, fractional anisotropy was calculated in a priori white matter tracts, and behavior was assessed using a concussion behavioral battery. Groups did not differ in self-reported symptoms (p > 0.10) or cognitive performance (p > 0.10). Healthy controls reported significantly higher happiness levels than both football groups (all p < 0.01). Contrary to our hypothesis, no differences in fractional anisotropy were observed between our groups (p > 0.10). However, football athletes with a history of concussion had significantly thinner cortex in the left anterior cingulate cortex, orbital frontal cortex, and medial superior frontal cortex relative to healthy controls (p = 0.02, d = −0.69). Further, football athletes with a history of concussion had significantly thinner cortex in the right central sulcus and precentral gyrus relative to football athletes without a history of concussion (p = 0.03, d = −0.71). No differences were observed between football athletes without a history of concussion and healthy controls. These results suggest that previous concussions, but not necessarily football exposure, may be associated with cortical thickness differences in collegiate football athletes. PMID:26061068

Thinner Cortex in Collegiate Football Players With, but not Without, a Self-Reported History of Concussion.

PubMed

Meier, Timothy B; Bellgowan, Patrick S F; Bergamino, Maurizio; Ling, Josef M; Mayer, Andrew R

2016-02-15

Emerging evidence suggests that a history of sports-related concussions can lead to long-term neuroanatomical changes. The extent to which similar changes are present in young athletes is undetermined at this time. Here, we tested the hypothesis that collegiate football athletes with (n = 25) and without (n = 24) a self-reported history of concussion would have cortical thickness differences and altered white matter integrity relative to healthy controls (n = 27) in fronto-temporal regions that appear particularly susceptible to traumatic brain injury. Freesurfer software was used to estimate cortical thickness, fractional anisotropy was calculated in a priori white matter tracts, and behavior was assessed using a concussion behavioral battery. Groups did not differ in self-reported symptoms (p > 0.10) or cognitive performance (p > 0.10). Healthy controls reported significantly higher happiness levels than both football groups (all p < 0.01). Contrary to our hypothesis, no differences in fractional anisotropy were observed between our groups (p > 0.10). However, football athletes with a history of concussion had significantly thinner cortex in the left anterior cingulate cortex, orbital frontal cortex, and medial superior frontal cortex relative to healthy controls (p = 0.02, d = -0.69). Further, football athletes with a history of concussion had significantly thinner cortex in the right central sulcus and precentral gyrus relative to football athletes without a history of concussion (p = 0.03, d = -0.71). No differences were observed between football athletes without a history of concussion and healthy controls. These results suggest that previous concussions, but not necessarily football exposure, may be associated with cortical thickness differences in collegiate football athletes.

Dealing with nuclear-related emotions: an investigation of the despair and empowerment process

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lilly-Weber, J.M.

1986-01-01

The main goal of this study was to determine the short-term and follow-up effectiveness of despair and empowerment workshops. Such workshops are designed to encourage the expression of feelings related to the nuclear threat (as well as other planetary issues), and to generate a greater sense of personal powerfulness. Results were as follows. At pretest, experimental workshop participants reported a significantly lower level of nuclear-related denial, and were found to be significantly more politically active than control participants. When controlling for these pretest differences, no significant differences were found across conditions at post-test or follow-up. In addition, experimental workshop participantsmore » were found to report significantly more powerfulness than nonworkshop control participants at post-test, but no significant post-test differences were found between the two workshop conditions. Open ended evaluation questions, asked only of experimental workshop participants, suggested that most participants responded favorably to the despair and empowerment workshops - particularly in reference to being given the opportunity to express their nuclear-related concerns and to feel supported by others. In summary, this study provides some evidence, despite mixed results, of the effectiveness of despair and empowerment workshops.« less

Sex Differences in Reported Adverse Drug Reactions of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors.

PubMed

Ekhart, Corine; van Hunsel, Florence; Scholl, Joep; de Vries, Sieta; van Puijenbroek, Eugene

2018-02-26

Several studies have investigated sex as a risk factor for the occurrence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and found that women are more likely to experience ADRs than men. The aim of this explorative study was to investigate whether differences exist in reported ADRs of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for men and women in the database of the Netherlands Pharmacovigilance Centre Lareb. A ratio of reports concerning women and men, corrected for the number of users, was calculated for all the ADRs reported on SSRIs. We found that 16 ADRs were statistically significantly more reported in women than men, and four ADRS were reported more in men than women. ADRs more reported in women than men when using SSRIs were usually dose-related ADRs or commonly occurring ADRs. Differences in the pharmacokinetics of SSRIs between men and women may explain why these reports of dose-related ADRs when using SSRIs concern women more than men.

The effect of rTMS over the inferior parietal lobule on EEG sensorimotor reactivity differs according to self-reported traits of autism in typically developing individuals.

PubMed

Puzzo, Ignazio; Cooper, Nicholas R; Cantarella, Simona; Fitzgerald, Paul B; Russo, Riccardo

2013-12-06

Previous research suggested that EEG markers of mirror neuron system activation may differ, in the normal population as a function of different levels of the autistic spectrum quotient; (AQ). The present study aimed at modulating the EEG sensorimotor reactivity induced by hand movement observation by means of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) applied to the inferior parietal lobule. We examined how the resulting rTMS modulation differed in relation to the self-reported autistic traits in the typically developing population. Results showed that during sham stimulation, all participants had significantly greater sensorimotor alpha reactivity (motor cortex-C electrodes) when observing hand movements compared to static hands. This sensorimotor alpha reactivity difference was reduced during active rTMS stimulation. Results also revealed that in the average AQ group at sham there was a significant increase in low beta during hand movement than static hand observation (pre-motor areas-FC electrodes) and that (like alpha over the C electrodes) this difference is abolished when active rTMS is delivered. Participants with high AQ scores showed no significant difference in low beta sensorimotor reactivity between active and sham rTMS during static hand or hand movement observation. These findings suggest that unlike sham, active rTMS over the IPL modulates the oscillatory activity of the low beta frequency of a distal area, namely the anterior sector of the sensorimotor cortex, when participants observe videos of static hand. Importantly, this modulation differs according to the degree of self-reported traits of autism in a typically developing population. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Patient costs associated with accessing HIV/AIDS care in Malawi

PubMed Central

Pinto, Andrew D; van Lettow, Monique; Rachlis, Beth; Chan, Adrienne K; Sodhi, Sumeet K

2013-01-01

Introduction The decentralization of HIV services has been shown to improve equity in access to care for the rural poor of sub-Saharan Africa. This study aims to contribute to our understanding of the impact of decentralization on costs borne by patients. Such information is valuable for economic evaluations of anti-retroviral therapy programmes that take a societal perspective. We compared costs reported by patients who received care in an urban centralized programme to those in the same district who received care through rural decentralized care (DC). Methods A cross-sectional survey on patient characteristics and costs associated with accessing HIV care was conducted, in May 2010, on 120 patients in centralized care (CC) at a tertiary referral hospital and 120 patients in DC at five rural health centres in Zomba District, Malawi. Differences in costs borne by each group were compared using χ2 and t-tests, and a regression model was developed to adjust for confounders, using bootstrapping to address skewed cost data. Results There was no significant difference between the groups with respect to sex and age. However, there were significant differences in socio-economic status, with higher educational attainment (p<0.001), personal income (p=0.007) and household income per person (p=0.005) in CC. Travel times were similar (p=0.65), as was time waiting at the clinic (p=0.63) and total time spent seeking care (p=0.65). There was a significant difference in travel-related expenses (p<0.001) related to the type of travel participants noted that they used. In CC, 60% of participants reported using a mini-bus to reach the clinic; in DC only 4% reported using a mini-bus, and the remainder reported travelling on foot or by bicycle. There were no significant differences between the groups in the amount of lost income reported or other out-of-pocket costs. Approximately 91 Malawi Kwacha (95% confidence intervals: 1–182 MKW) or US$0.59 represents the adjusted difference in total costs per visit between CC and DC. Conclusions Even within a system of HIV/AIDS care where patients do not pay to see clinicians or for most medications, they still incur costs. We found that most costs are travel related. This has important implications for poorer patients who live at a distance from health facilities for whom these costs may be significant. PMID:23517716

Genetic Heterogeneity of Self-Reported Ancestry Groups in an Admixed Brazilian Population

PubMed Central

Lins, Tulio C; Vieira, Rodrigo G; Abreu, Breno S; Gentil, Paulo; Moreno-Lima, Ricardo; Oliveira, Ricardo J; Pereira, Rinaldo W

2011-01-01

Background Population stratification is the main source of spurious results and poor reproducibility in genetic association findings. Population heterogeneity can be controlled for by grouping individuals in ethnic clusters; however, in admixed populations, there is evidence that such proxies do not provide efficient stratification control. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation of self-reported with genetic ancestry and the statistical risk of grouping an admixed sample based on self-reported ancestry. Methods A questionnaire that included an item on self-reported ancestry was completed by 189 female volunteers from an admixed Brazilian population. Individual genetic ancestry was then determined by genotyping ancestry informative markers. Results Self-reported ancestry was classified as white, intermediate, and black. The mean difference among self-reported groups was significant for European and African, but not Amerindian, genetic ancestry. Pairwise fixation index analysis revealed a significant difference among groups. However, the increase in the chance of type 1 error was estimated to be 14%. Conclusions Self-reporting of ancestry was not an appropriate methodology to cluster groups in a Brazilian population, due to high variance at the individual level. Ancestry informative markers are more useful for quantitative measurement of biological ancestry. PMID:21498954

Gender Differences in Deviance and Health Risk Behaviors Among Young-Adults Undergraduate Students.

PubMed

Korn, Liat; Bonny-Noach, Hagit

2018-01-02

Deviant and health risk behaviors among young-adults are associated with many adverse outcomes. This study aims to evaluate a broad variety of behaviors by gender differences and their contribution to predicting cannabis use in undergraduate students. This research is based on a structured, self-reported anonymous questionnaire distributed to 1,432 young adult undergraduate students at an Israeli University, 533 males and 899 females (mean age 27.4; SD 6.01). The findings demonstrate a significant proportion of sampled young adults reported to be involved in deviant and health risk behaviors and that all risky behaviors were more frequently significant in males than in females. Among drivers 72% reported speeding, 60% reported failure to keep distance, 44% reported being involved at a car accident as a driver, 40% reported not stopping at a stop sign, and quarter reported driving after drinking alcohol. These findings also expand how certain risk behaviors contribute to predicting cannabis use. The relatively high prevalence of some of these risky behaviors among normative young adults suggests that risky behaviors are considered as normative behavior for this group, especially among man, and therefore, policymakers need to consider prevention and harm reduction interventions relevant to this risk group.

Suicidal behavior, negative affect, gender, and self-reported delinquency in college students.

PubMed

Langhinrichsen-Rohling, Jennifer; Arata, Catalina; Bowers, David; O'Brien, Natalie; Morgan, Allen

2004-01-01

The associations among suicidal behavior, negative affect, and delinquency were assessed via an anonymous self-report survey administered to male and female college students ( N = 383). Contrary to our hypothesized results, there were no gender differences in rates of suicidal ideation and attempts. Confirming our hypotheses about gender differences, college men did report significantly more delinquent behavior than college women. College men also scored higher on the suicide-proneness scale, which contained a mixture of death-related, risk-related, and negative self- and health-related items. Furthermore, as predicted, college students with a history of depression, suicide ideation, and/or suicide attempts all reported significantly more delinquent behavior. Self-reported delinquency and current levels of depressive symptomology emerged as significant predictors of suicide-prone behavior for both college men and women, explaining 34% of the variance for women and 17% for men. Levels of engagement in suicide-prone behavior and feelings of depression were elevated in college students with any type of juvenile arrest history. Students with an arrest history were also more likely to have had a diagnosis of depression and to have engaged in suicide ideation in their past. These findings suggest there are complex links between depression, delinquency, and suicidal behavior in college men and women.

Gender-Specificity of Women's and Men's Self-Reported Attention to Sexual Stimuli.

PubMed

Huberman, Jackie S; Maracle, Amanda C; Chivers, Meredith L

2015-01-01

Men's sexual arousal is largely dependent on the actor's gender in a sexual stimulus (gender-specific), whereas for women, particularly androphilic women, arousal is less dependent on gender (gender-nonspecific). According to information-processing models of sexual response, sexual arousal requires that attention be directed toward sexual cues. We evaluated whether men's and women's self-reported attention to sexual stimuli of men or women were consistent with genital responses and self-reported arousal. We presented gynephilic men (n = 21) and women (n = 22) and androphilic men (n = 16) and women (n = 33) with audiovisual stimuli depicting men or women engaged in sexual activities. Genital responses were continuously recorded and, following each stimulus, participants reported the amount of attention paid to the video and feelings of sexual arousal. Self-reported attention was gender-specific for men and gender-nonspecific for women, and generally mirrored genital responses and self-reported arousal. Gender-specificity of genital responses significantly predicted gender-specificity of self-reported arousal; however, for men only, this effect was significantly mediated by gender-specificity of self-reported attention. Gender differences in gender-specificity of sexual arousal may be partially accounted for by differences in gender-specificity of self-reported attention, although attention may play a greater role in men's sexual arousal than women's.

Sleep Duration, Sleep Hygiene, and Insomnia in Adolescents with Asthma

PubMed Central

Meltzer, Lisa J.; Ullrich, Maureen; Szefler, Stanley J.

2014-01-01

Background There is a need to understand more about modifiable health behaviors that may be related to asthma control. Sleep is one such health behavior that has received little attention in pediatric asthma research. Objective To examine sleep duration, sleep hygiene, and insomnia in adolescents with and without asthma. Methods Adolescents (n=298, 51% male, 12–17 years, 48% with asthma) from the general community completed an on-line survey that included the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire, the Children’s Report of Sleep Patterns, and the Insomnia Severity Index. Results Sleep duration did not differ between asthma groups, yet more adolescents with severe asthma reported insufficient weekday sleep (44%) versus adolescents without asthma (31%). Significant asthma group differences were found for sleep hygiene, with adolescents with severe asthma reporting poorer sleep hygiene. Almost twice as many adolescents with severe asthma reported clinically significant insomnia than adolescents with mild or no asthma. Sleep hygiene variables were correlated with insomnia, although these associations did not differ between adolescents with and without severe asthma. Finally, both insomnia severity and asthma severity were significant predictors of daytime sleepiness, however asthma severity accounted for only 2% of the variance, compared to 28% of the variance accounted for by insomnia severity. Conclusions Many adolescents with severe asthma regularly obtain insufficient sleep, have poor sleep hygiene, and experience clinically significant insomnia. It is important to ask adolescents with asthma about sleep duration, sleep hygiene, and insomnia as there are effective interventions that can improve sleep for these youth. PMID:25213049

How similar are the smoking and drinking habits of men and women in non-manual jobs?

PubMed

Emslie, Carol; Hunt, Kate; Macintyre, Sally

2002-03-01

Men used to be more likely to smoke and drink heavily than women. However, as social roles changed, so have gender differences in health-related behaviours. This paper explores whether gender differences in these behaviours persist or disappear among men and women occupying similar social roles: working in the same non-manual jobs in Britain. Self-completion questionnaires were distributed to full-time employees in a bank (n = 2,139) and a university (n = 1,611). Response rates were 76% and 67% respectively. Respondents were asked whether they smoked currently. Men who reported drinking more than 21 units of alcohol, and women who reported drinking more than 14 units, in the last week were classed as 'heavy' drinkers. In both organizations there were no significant gender differences in smoking, but men were significantly more likely than women to report drinking 'heavily'. Employees in clerical jobs in the university were more than twice as likely as their more senior colleagues to smoke, but were significantly less likely to report drinking 'heavily' in both organizations. High masculinity scores among both men and women were associated with smoking and 'heavy' drinking. Men and women occupying similar social roles are equally likely to smoke but men are significantly more likely to drink 'heavily'. The relationship between paid work variables and these health behaviours are similar for both men and women. The association between high masculinity scores and health-damaging behaviours in both men and women points to the importance of considering gender role orientation, rather than just comparing men and women.

Differences in Self-Reported Physical Limitation Among Older Women and Men in Ismailia, Egypt

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Objectives. This study explores the reasons for gender differences in self-reported physical limitation among older adults in Ismailia, Egypt. Method. 435 women and 448 men, 50 years and older in Ismailia, Egypt, participated in a social survey and tests of physical performance. Ordered logit models were estimated to compare unadjusted gender differences in reported disability with these differences adjusted sequentially for (a) age and objective measures of physical performance, (b) self-reported morbidities and health care use, and (c) social and economic attributes. Results. Compared with men, women more often reported higher levels of limitation in activities of daily living (ADLs), upper-extremity range of motion (ROM), and lower-extremity gross mobility (GM). Adjusting for age and objective measures of physical performance, women and men had similar odds of self-reporting difficulty with ADLs. With sequential adjustments for the remaining variables, women maintained significantly higher odds of self-reported difficulty with upper-extremity ROM and lower-extremity GM. Discussion. Cross-culturally, gender differences in self-reported disability may arise from objective and subjective perceptions of disability. Collectively, these results and those from prior studies in Bangladesh and the United States suggest that gender gaps in self-reported physical limitation may be associated with the degree of gender equality in society. PMID:22929399

Secondary school accident reporting in one education authority.

PubMed

Williams, W R; Latif, A H A; Sibert, J

2002-01-01

Secondary schools appear to have very different accident rates when they are compared on the basis of accident report returns. The variation may be as a result of real differences in accident rates or different reporting procedures. This study investigates accident reporting from secondary schools and, in particular, the role of the school nurse. Accident form returns covering a 2-year period were collected for statistical analysis from 13 comprehensive schools in one local education authority in Wales. School sites were visited in the following school year to obtain information about accident records held on site and accident reporting procedures. The main factors determining the number of school accident reports submitted to the education authority relate to differences in recording and reporting procedures, such as the employment of a nurse and the policy of the head teacher/safety officer on submitting accident returns. Accident and emergency department referrals from similar schools may show significant differences in specific injuries and their causes. The level of school accident activity cannot be gauged from reports submitted to the education authority. Lack of incentives for collecting good accident data, in conjunction with the degree of complacency in the current system, suggest that future accident rates and reporting activity are unlikely to change.

Differences in self-reported physical limitation among older women and men in Ismailia, Egypt.

PubMed

Khadr, Zeinab; Yount, Kathryn

2012-09-01

This study explores the reasons for gender differences in self-reported physical limitation among older adults in Ismailia, Egypt. 435 women and 448 men, 50 years and older in Ismailia, Egypt, participated in a social survey and tests of physical performance. Ordered logit models were estimated to compare unadjusted gender differences in reported disability with these differences adjusted sequentially for (a) age and objective measures of physical performance, (b) self-reported morbidities and health care use, and (c) social and economic attributes. Compared with men, women more often reported higher levels of limitation in activities of daily living (ADLs), upper-extremity range of motion (ROM), and lower-extremity gross mobility (GM). Adjusting for age and objective measures of physical performance, women and men had similar odds of self-reporting difficulty with ADLs. With sequential adjustments for the remaining variables, women maintained significantly higher odds of self-reported difficulty with upper-extremity ROM and lower-extremity GM. Cross-culturally, gender differences in self-reported disability may arise from objective and subjective perceptions of disability. Collectively, these results and those from prior studies in Bangladesh and the United States suggest that gender gaps in self-reported physical limitation may be associated with the degree of gender equality in society.

Constraints of recreational sport participation: measurement invariance and latent mean differences across sex and physical activity status.

PubMed

Liu, Jing Dong; Chung, Pak Kwong; Chen, Wing Ping

2014-10-01

The purpose of the current study was to (a) examine the measurement invariance of the Constraint Scale of Sport Participation across sex and physical activity status among the undergraduate students (N = 630) in Hong Kong and (b) compare the latent mean differences across groups. Measurement invariance of the Constraint Scale of Sport Participation across sex of and physical activity status of the participants was examined first. With receiving support on the measurement invariance across groups, latent mean differences of the scores across groups were examined. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the configural, metric, scalar, and structural invariance of the scale was supported across groups. The results of latent mean differences suggested that the women reported significantly higher constraints on time, partner, psychology, knowledge, and interest than the men. The physically inactive participants reported significantly higher scores on all constraints except for accessibility than the physically active participants.

Influence of stimulus frequency and probe size on vibration-induced alleviation of acute orofacial pain.

PubMed

Hansson, P; Ekblom, A

1986-01-01

The pain-relieving effect of vibratory stimulation, using different stimulus parameters, and placebo stimulation in acute orofacial pain is reported. The influence of 10-, 100-, and 200-Hz vibrations on pain reduction was studied in 96 patients; two different probe sizes were used. 54 out of 76 patients, receiving vibrations at any of the above frequencies, reported relief of pain to some extent, while only 6 out of 20 patients receiving placebo treatment experienced pain alleviation. No significant differences were found between the different frequencies and probe sizes used regarding the pain-relieving effect. However, placebo stimulation was significantly less effective than any kind of vibratory stimulation. Induction time for pain relief was significantly shorter using the larger probe as compared to using the smaller probe, regardless of frequency. The results indicate that the vibratory frequency (10-200 Hz) for activation of pain-inhibitory mechanisms is not critical in acute orofacial pain. Also, spatial summation from vibration-sensitive afferents seems to be of importance for a fast activation of the inhibitory systems.

Sexual Victimization and Subsequent Police Reporting by Gender Identity Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Adults.

PubMed

Langenderfer-Magruder, Lisa; Walls, N Eugene; Kattari, Shanna K; Whitfield, Darren L; Ramos, Daniel

2016-01-01

Prevalence of sexual victimization among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) persons is frequently found to be higher than the prevalence reported by their heterosexual peers. Transgender individuals are often included solely as part of larger LGBTQ research samples, potentially obfuscating differences between sexual orientation and gender identity. In this study, the authors examined sexual assault/rape in a large convenience sample of LGBTQ adults (N = 1,124) by respondents' gender identity (cisgender, transgender) to determine whether differences exist in lifetime prevalence of sexual assault/rape and subsequent police reporting. Findings indicate transgender individuals report having experienced sexual assault/rape more than twice as frequently as cisgender LGBQ individuals. Authors found no statistically significant difference in reporting sexual violence to police. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Medication adherence and symptom reduction in adults treated with mixed amphetamine salts in a randomized crossover study.

PubMed

Adler, Lenard A; Lynch, Lauren R; Shaw, David M; Wallace, Samantha P; Ciranni, Michael A; Briggie, Alexis M; Kulaga, Agatha; O'Donnell, Katherine E; Faraone, Stephen V

2011-09-01

The study objectives were to 1) evaluate medication adherence for adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treated with 3 times daily (TID) mixed amphetamine salts immediate release (MAS IR) versus once-daily (qAM) MAS extended release (MAS XR) in a randomized, crossover study; and 2) to examine the associations between adherence and efficacy for MAS IR and MAS XR. Sixty-two adults with ADHD were enrolled and 49 completed the study. The treatment condition order (TID-qAM or qAM-TID) was counterbalanced across participants, with an intervening washout period of ≥ 7 days. Adherence was assessed via 3 measures: 1) self-report, 2) pill count, and 3) the Medication Event Monitoring System (MEMS(®)). The primary efficacy measure was the ADHD Rating Scale (ADHD-RS); secondary measures included the Time-Sensitive ADHD Symptom Scale (TASS) and Clinical Global Impressions-Severity of Illness (CGI-S) scale. Adherence to treatment as measured by self-report and pill count was not significantly different between MAS XR and MAS IR. Adherence was significantly better for MAS XR than MAS IR for all of the MEMS(®) measures. The mean change in ADHD-RS, TASS, and CGI-S scores at endpoint was significantly improved for both MAS IR and MAS XR and did not differ significantly between groups. There was not a significant adherence by efficacy interaction. Adults with ADHD adhered equally well with MAS IR as with MAS XR when assessed by pill count and self-report, but not by the MEMS(®) measures. Both treatments significantly reduced ADHD symptoms, and efficacy was not significantly different between groups. Adherence was not associated with treatment outcome.

Topical anaesthesia for needle-related pain in newborn infants.

PubMed

Foster, Jann P; Taylor, Christine; Spence, Kaye

2017-02-04

Hospitalised newborn neonates frequently undergo painful invasive procedures that involve penetration of the skin and other tissues by a needle. One intervention that can be used prior to a needle insertion procedure is application of a topical local anaesthetic. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical anaesthetics such as amethocaine and EMLA in newborn term or preterm infants requiring an invasive procedure involving puncture of skin and other tissues with a needle. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PubMed, Embase and CINAHL up to 15 May 2016; previous reviews including cross-references, abstracts, and conference proceedings. We contacted expert informants. We contacted authors directly to obtain additional data. We imposed no language restrictions. Randomised, quasi-randomised controlled trials, and cluster and cross-over randomised trials that compared the topical anaesthetics amethocaine and eutectic mixture of local anaesthetics (EMLA) in terms of anaesthetic efficacy and safety in newborn term or preterm infants requiring an invasive procedure involving puncture of skin and other tissues with a needle DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: From the reports of the clinical trials we extracted data regarding clinical outcomes including pain, number of infants with methaemoglobin level 5% and above, number of needle prick attempts prior to successful needle-related procedure, crying, time taken to complete the procedure, episodes of apnoea, episodes of bradycardia, episodes of oxygen desaturation, neurodevelopmental disability and other adverse events. Eight small randomised controlled trials met the inclusion criteria (n = 506). These studies compared either EMLA and placebo or amethocaine and placebo. No studies compared EMLA and amethocaine. We were unable to meta-analyse the outcome of pain due to differing outcome measures and methods of reporting. For EMLA, two individual studies reported a statistically significant reduction in pain compared to placebo during lumbar puncture and venepuncture. Three studies found no statistical difference between the groups during heel lancing. For amethocaine, three studies reported a statistically significant reduction in pain compared to placebo during venepuncture and one study reported a statistically significant reduction in pain compared to placebo during cannulation. One study reported no statistical difference between the two groups during intramuscular injection.One study reported no statistical difference between EMLA and the placebo group for successful venepuncture at first attempt. One study similarly reported no statistically significant difference between Amethocaine and the placebo group for successful cannulation at first attempt.Risk for local redness, swelling or blanching was significantly higher with EMLA (typical risk ratio (RR) 1.65, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.24 to 2.19; typical risk difference (RD) 0.17, 95% CI 0.09 to 0.26; n = 272; number needed to treat for an additional harmful outcome (NNTH) 6, 95% CI 4 to 11; I 2 = 92% indicating considerable heterogeneity) although not for amethocaine (typical RR 2.11, 95% CI 0.72 to 6.16; typical RD 0.05, 95% CI -0.02 to 0.11, n = 221). These local skin reactions for EMLA and amethocaine were reported as short-lasting. Two studies reported no methaemoglobinaemia with single application of EMLA. The quality of the evidence on outcomes assessed according to GRADE was low to moderate. Overall, all the trials were small, and the effects of uncertain clinical significance. The evidence regarding the effectiveness or safety of the interventions studied is inadequate to support clinical recommendations. There has been no evaluation regarding any long-term effects of topical anaesthetics in newborn infants.High quality studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of topical anaesthetics such as amethocaine and EMLA for needle-related pain in newborn term or preterm infants are required. These studies should aim to determine efficacy of these topical anaesthetics and on homogenous groups of infants for gestational age. While there was no methaemoglobinaemia in the studies that reported methaemoglobin, the efficacy and safety of EMLA, especially in very preterm infants, and for repeated application, need to be further evaluated in future studies.

Power training using pneumatic machines vs. plate-loaded machines to improve muscle power in older adults.

PubMed

Balachandran, Anoop T; Gandia, Kristine; Jacobs, Kevin A; Streiner, David L; Eltoukhy, Moataz; Signorile, Joseph F

2017-11-01

Power training has been shown to be more effective than conventional resistance training for improving physical function in older adults; however, most trials have used pneumatic machines during training. Considering that the general public typically has access to plate-loaded machines, the effectiveness and safety of power training using plate-loaded machines compared to pneumatic machines is an important consideration. The purpose of this investigation was to compare the effects of high-velocity training using pneumatic machines (Pn) versus standard plate-loaded machines (PL). Independently-living older adults, 60years or older were randomized into two groups: pneumatic machine (Pn, n=19) and plate-loaded machine (PL, n=17). After 12weeks of high-velocity training twice per week, groups were analyzed using an intention-to-treat approach. Primary outcomes were lower body power measured using a linear transducer and upper body power using medicine ball throw. Secondary outcomes included lower and upper body muscle muscle strength, the Physical Performance Battery (PPB), gallon jug test, the timed up-and-go test, and self-reported function using the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) and an online video questionnaire. Outcome assessors were blinded to group membership. Lower body power significantly improved in both groups (Pn: 19%, PL: 31%), with no significant difference between the groups (Cohen's d=0.4, 95% CI (-1.1, 0.3)). Upper body power significantly improved only in the PL group, but showed no significant difference between the groups (Pn: 3%, PL: 6%). For balance, there was a significant difference between the groups favoring the Pn group (d=0.7, 95% CI (0.1, 1.4)); however, there were no statistically significant differences between groups for PPB, gallon jug transfer, muscle muscle strength, timed up-and-go or self-reported function. No serious adverse events were reported in either of the groups. Pneumatic and plate-loaded machines were effective in improving lower body power and physical function in older adults. The results suggest that power training can be safely and effectively performed by older adults using either pneumatic or plate-loaded machines. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Speech Research: A Report on the Status and Progress of Studies on the Nature of Speech, Instrumentation for Its Investigation, and Practical Applications, Status Report, April 1-June 30, 1982.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haskins Labs., New Haven, CT.

Research reports on the nature of speech, instrumentation for its investigation, and practical applications of research are provided in this status report covering the period of April 1 through June 30, 1982. The 13 reports deal with the following topics: (1) the functional significance of physiological tremor, (2) differences between experienced…

Portion Sizes from 24-Hour Dietary Recalls Differed by Sex among Those Who Selected the Same Portion Size Category on a Food Frequency Questionnaire.

PubMed

Kang, Minji; Park, Song-Yi; Boushey, Carol J; Wilkens, Lynne R; Monroe, Kristine R; Le Marchand, Loïc; Kolonel, Laurence N; Murphy, Suzanne P; Paik, Hee-Young

2018-05-08

Accounting for sex differences in food portions may improve dietary measurement; however, this factor has not been well examined. The aim of this study was to examine sex differences in reported food portions from 24-hour dietary recalls (24HDRs) among those who selected the same portion size category on a quantitative food frequency questionnaire (QFFQ). This study was conducted with a cross-sectional design. Participants (n=319) were members of the Hawaii-Los Angeles Multiethnic Cohort who completed three 24HDRs and a QFFQ in a calibration study conducted in 2010 and 2011. Portions of individual foods reported from 24HDRs served as the outcome measures. Mean food portions from 24HDRs were compared between men and women who reported the same portion size on the QFFQ, after adjustment for race/ethnicity using a linear regression model. Actual amount and the assigned amount of the selected portion size in the QFFQ were compared using one-sample t test for men and women separately. Of 163 food items with portion size options listed in the QFFQ, 32 were reported in 24HDRs by ≥20 men and ≥20 women who selected the same portion size in the QFFQ. Although they chose the same portion size on the QFFQ, mean intake amounts from 24HDRs were significantly higher for men than for women for "beef/lamb/veal," "white rice," "brown/wild rice," "lettuce/tossed salad," "eggs cooked/raw," "whole wheat/rye bread," "buns/rolls," and "mayonnaise in sandwiches." For men, mean portions of 14 items from the 24HDRs were significantly different from the assigned amounts for QFFQ items (seven higher and seven lower), whereas for women, mean portions of 14 items were significantly lower from the assigned amounts (with five significantly higher). These sex differences in reported 24HDR food portions-even among participants who selected the same portion size on the QFFQ-suggest that the use of methods that account for differences in the portions consumed by men and women when QFFQs are quantified may provide more accurate absolute dietary intakes. Copyright © 2018 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessing the Validity of Self-Reported Stress-Related Growth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frazier, Patricia A.; Kaler, Matthew E.

2006-01-01

The purpose of these studies was to assess the validity of self-reported stress-related growth (SRG). In Study 1, individuals with breast cancer (n = 70) generally did not report greater well-being than a matched comparison group (n = 70). In Study 2, there were no significant differences in well-being between undergraduate students who said that…

Sampling And Resolution Enhancement Techniques For The Infrared Analysis Of Adsorbed Proteins.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuller, Michael P.; Singh, Bal R.

1989-12-01

In this report, we have analyzed the secondary structures of the dichain form of tetanus neurotoxin using. FT-IR and circular dichroic spectroscopies for a-helix, β-sheets, β-turns and random coils. These results indicate that the secondary structures are significantly different from those reported in earlier studies in that it shows much higher content of ordered structures (~50%) which could be significant for the function of the neurotoxin.

Comparison of the PTSD Checklist (PCL) Administered via a Mobile Device Relative to a Paper Form.

PubMed

Price, Matthew; Kuhn, Eric; Hoffman, Julia E; Ruzek, Josef; Acierno, Ron

2015-10-01

Mobile devices are increasingly used to administer self-report measures of mental health symptoms. There are significant differences, however, in the way that information is presented on mobile devices compared to the traditional paper forms that were used to administer such measures. Such differences may systematically alter responses. The present study evaluated if and how responses differed for a self-report measure, the PTSD Checklist (PCL), administered via mobile device relative to paper and pencil. Participants were 153 trauma-exposed individuals who completed counterbalanced administrations of the PCL on a mobile device and on paper. PCL total scores (d = 0.07) and item responses did not meaningfully or significantly differ across administrations. Power was sufficient to detect a difference in total score between administrations determined by prior work of 3.46 with a d = 0.23. The magnitude of differences between administration formats was unrelated to prior use of mobile devices or participant age. These findings suggest that responses to self-report measures administered via mobile device are equivalent to those obtained via paper and they can be used with experienced as well as naïve users of mobile devices. Copyright © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

Cross-Cultural Differences in Sibling Power Balance and Its Concomitants Across Three Age Periods.

PubMed

Buist, Kirsten L; Metindogan, Aysegül; Coban, Selma; Watve, Sujala; Paranjpe, Analpa; Koot, Hans M; van Lier, Pol; Branje, Susan J T; Meeus, Wim H J

2017-06-01

We examined cross-cultural differences in (1) sibling power balance and (2) the associations between sibling power balance and internalizing and externalizing problems in three separate cross-cultural studies (early childhood, late childhood, and adolescence). The early childhood samples consisted of 123 Turkish and 128 Dutch mothers (mean age for children was 4.9 years). In the late childhood samples, self-report data were collected from 124 Indian and 129 Dutch children (mean age 10.9 years). In the adolescent samples self-report data were collected from 165 ethnic Moroccan and 165 ethnic Dutch adolescents (mean age 15.2 years). In all studies, questionnaire data on sibling power imbalance and internalizing and externalizing problems were collected. Results showed only one significant cross-cultural difference in sibling power imbalance: The Indian sample reported more sibling power imbalance than the Dutch. Links between sibling power imbalance and problem behavior were highly similar between the different cultural samples. The only significant difference was a stronger impact of sibling power imbalance on externalizing problems for the Dutch compared to the Turkish sample. Concluding, few cross-cultural differences were found in sibling power imbalance. Across cultures and age groups, more sibling power imbalance was linked to more internalizing and externalizing problems. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Sex-Related Differences in Self-Reported Neurocognitive Impairment among High-Risk Cocaine Users in Methadone Maintenance Treatment Program.

PubMed

Shrestha, Roman; Huedo-Medina, Tania B; Copenhaver, Michael M

2015-01-01

Previous research has suggested possible sex-related differences in executive functioning among cocaine users; however, no studies specifically explain sex-related differences in neurocognitive impairment (NCI) among cocaine users receiving clinical care. Knowledge about this association can aid in the development of targeted prevention strategies to reduce adverse health outcomes. This study was designed to examine the sex-related differences in NCI among high-risk cocaine users receiving substance-abuse treatment. The Neuropsychological Impairment Scale (NIS) was administered to 199 cocaine users (98 men; 101 women), receiving methadone maintainance treatment, to assess self-reported NCI by identifying the patients' awareness of neuropsychological symptoms. We used T-test comparison to find differences in NCI between men and women and multiple regression analysis to explore the relative contribution of sex to NCI. Consistent with prior work, high NCI was evident within this sample, as indicated by high scores on most of the NIS subscales. Women reported greater impairment than men, as evidenced by significantly higher scores on several NIS subscales, after controlling for demographic and other confounding variables. Interestingly, cocaine craving significantly predicted NCI among men but not among women, as suggested by the significant association between cocaine craving and all except one of the NIS subscales. These findings suggest that cocaine users enter into treatment with a range of NCI - with women having significantly more neurocognitive deficits than men - that may contribute to differential treatment outcomes. This highlights the need to include additional services such as neuropsychological screening and sex-specific treatment programs to optimally reduce adverse health outcomes in these high-risk, cognitively impaired patients.

Comparison of behavioral profiles for anxiety-related comorbidities including ADHD and selective mutism in children.

PubMed

Levin-Decanini, Tal; Connolly, Sucheta D; Simpson, David; Suarez, Liza; Jacob, Suma

2013-09-01

Elucidating differences in social-behavioral profiles of children with comorbid presentations, utilizing caregiver as well as teacher reports, will refine our understanding of how contextual symptoms vary across anxiety-related disorders. In our pediatric anxiety clinic, the most frequent diagnoses and comorbidities were mixed anxiety (MA; ≥ 1 anxiety disorder; N = 155), anxiety with comorbid attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (MA/ADHD, N = 47) and selective mutism (SM, N = 48). Behavioral measures (CPRS, CTRS) were analyzed using multiple one-way multivariate analyses of covariance tests. Differences between the three diagnostic groups were examined using completed parent and teacher reports (N = 135, 46, and 48 for MA, MA/ADHD, and SM groups, respectively). Comparisons across the MA, MA/ADHD, and SM groups indicate a significant multivariate main effect of group for caregiver and teacher responses (P < 0.01). Caregivers reported that children with SM are similar in profile to those with MA, and both groups were significantly different from the MA/ADHD group. Teachers reported that children with SM had more problems with social behaviors than with the MA or MA/ADHD groups. Further comparison indicates a significant main effect of group (P < 0.001), such that children with SM have the greatest differences in behavior observed by teachers versus caregivers. Clinical profiles between MA/ADHD, MA, and SM groups varied, illustrating the importance of multi-rater assessment scales to capture subtle distinctions and to inform treatment planning given that comorbidities occur frequently in children who present with anxiety. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Comparison of Behavioral Profiles for Anxiety-Related Comorbidities including ADHD and Selective Mutism in Children

PubMed Central

Levin-Decanini, Tal; Connolly, Sucheta D.; Simpson, David; Suarez, Liza; Jacob, Suma

2013-01-01

Background Elucidating differences in social-behavioral profiles of children with comorbid presentations, utilizing caregiver as well as teacher reports, will refine our understanding of how contextual symptoms vary across anxiety-related disorders. Methods In our pediatric anxiety clinic, the most frequent diagnoses and comorbidities were mixed anxiety (MA; ≥ 1 anxiety disorder; N = 155), anxiety with comorbid attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (MA/ADHD, N = 47) and selective mutism (SM, N = 48). Behavioral measures (CPRS, CTRS) were analyzed using multiple one-way multivariate analyses of covariance tests. Differences between the three diagnostic groups were examined using completed parent and teacher reports (N = 135, 46 and 48 for MA, MA/ADHD and SM groups, respectively). Results Comparisons across the MA, MA/ADHD and SM groups indicate a significant multivariate main effect of group for caregiver and teacher responses (p < 0.01). Caregivers reported that children with SM are similar in profile to those with MA, and both groups were significantly different from the MA/ADHD group. Teachers reported that children with SM had more problem social behaviors than either the MA or MA/ADHD groups. Further comparison indicates a significant main effect of group (p < 0.001), such that children with SM have the greatest differences in behavior observed by teachers versus caregivers. Conclusions Clinical profiles between MA/ADHD, MA and SM groups varied, illustrating the importance of multi-rater assessment scales to capture subtle distinctions and to inform treatment planning given that comorbidities occur frequently in children who present with anxiety. PMID:23526795

Disability, psychiatric symptoms, and quality of life in infertile women: a cross-sectional study in Turkey.

PubMed

Sezgin, Hacer; Hocaoglu, Cicek; Guvendag-Guven, Emine Seda

2016-04-25

Infertility is a major life crisis which can lead to the development of psychiatric symptoms and negative effects on the quality of life of affected couples, but the magnitude of the effects may vary depending on cultural expectations. We compare the level of psychiatric symptoms, disability, and quality of life in fertile and infertile women in urban Turkey. This cross-sectional study enrolled 100 married women being treated for infertility at the outpatient department of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of the Rize Education and Research Hospital and a control group of 100 fertile married women. All study participants were evaluated with a socio-demographic data screening form, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Brief Disability Questionnaire (BDQ), and the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). The mean anxiety subscale score and depression subscale score of HADS were slightly higher in the infertile group than in controls, but the differences were not statistically significant. The proportion of subjects with clinically significant anxiety (i.e., anxiety subscale score of HADS ≥11) was significantly higher in infertile women than in fertile women (31% v. 17%, χ (2)=5.37, p=0.020), but the proportion with clinically significant depressive symptoms (i.e., depression subscale score of HADS >8) was not significantly different (43% v. 33%, χ (2)=2.12, p=0.145). Self-reported disability over the prior month was significantly worse in the infertile group than in the controls, and 4 of the 8 subscales of the SF-36 - general health, vitality, social functioning, and mental health - were significantly worse in the infertile group. Compared to infertile women who were currently working, infertile women who were not currently working reported less severe depression and anxiety and better general health, vitality, and mental health. Married women from urban Turkey seeking treatment for infertility do not have significantly more severe depressive symptoms than fertile married controls, but they do report greater physical and psychological disability and a poorer quality of life. The negative effects of infertility were more severe in infertile women who were employed than in those who were not employed. Larger follow-up studies are needed to assess the reasons for the differences between these results and those reported in western countries which usually report a higher prevalence of depression and anxiety in infertile patients.

Self-reported health and cortisol awakening response in parents of people with asperger syndrome: the role of trait anger and anxiety, coping and burden.

PubMed

Ruiz-Robledillo, N; Moya-Albiol, L

2013-11-01

Caring for offspring with autism spectrum disorders entails high levels of stress for a long period of time and is associated with several types of health complaints. Few studies have focused on specific effects of particular disorders in the spectrum. This study was carried out with the aim of evaluating the global health of parents of people with Asperger syndrome (N = 53) compared to those of typically developing children (N = 54) through self-reported measures (medication consumption and somatic symptoms) and biological markers (cortisol awakening response [CAR]). Additionally, we analysed various psychological variables as potential predictors of caregiver health. We found that caregivers take more medication and have worse self-reported health than controls, but there were no significant differences in CAR between the groups. However, after controlling for negative affect, differences between groups in CAR reached significance. With regards to predictor variables, anxiety trait, cognitive-coping style, burden and anger temperament were significantly associated with caregiver's self-reported health. These findings underline the need to develop interventions that foster improvements in the health of caregivers, reduce their burden and enhance their quality of life.

Gender differences in flashbulb memories elicited by the Clarence Thomas hearings.

PubMed

Morse, C K; Woodward, E M; Zweigenhaft, R L

1993-08-01

American students and other adults aged 19-75 completed a questionnaire about flashbulb memories and recollections of autobiographical events elicited by the Senate hearings for confirmation of Clarence Thomas as a Supreme Court Justice. The respondents were less likely to recall vivid image memories than were respondents in earlier studies about memories of the assassinations of John Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, and Martin Luther King. Women were significantly more likely than men to report vivid image memories and recall of autobiographical events elicited by the hearings, but they did not differ significantly from men in the ratings of these memories. Women were also significantly more likely than men to report specific memories of having been victims of sexual harassment and abuse. Women recalled reconsidering incidents in which they might have been victims of sexual harassment more often than men did. Exposure to media coverage did not differ by gender, although the amount of coverage paid attention to did correlate with the number of personal memories elicited.

The location of pain and urgency sensations during cystometry.

PubMed

Veit-Rubin, Nikolaus; Cartwright, Rufus; Esmail, Alisha; Digesu, G Alessandro; Fernando, Ruwan; Khullar, Vikram

2017-03-01

The relationship between bladder pain and urinary urgency sensations is poorly understood. We analyzed the relationship between locations and intensities of urgency and pain sensations felt during filling cystometry. Participants completed the King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ) to indicate presence of bladder pain or urgency. During cystometry, participants scored the intensity of urgency and pain, both in the suprapubic and the urethral region, on a VAS scale of 0-10 at a baseline, at first desire, normal desire, strong desire to void, and at maximum cystometric capacity during filling. We allocated the participants to six groups; those reporting urgency or not, pain or not, both symptoms and neither. Friedman's Test was used to ascertain if all scores increased significantly, the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test was used to demonstrate the difference between scores, and agreement for findings during cystometry was tested with Mann-Whitney U. A total of 68 women participated; 38 participants reported pain, 57 reported urgency, and 33 reported both symptoms. Pain and urgency scores significantly increased during cystometry (P < 0.0001). For participants reporting pain, suprapubic pain was rated significantly higher than urethral pain. Participants reporting both symptoms, felt more urgency than pain, and again pain more suprapubically than urethrally. Participants reporting only urgency scored suprapubic and urethral urgency similarly at all desires. Pain and urgency are well differentiated sensations and are felt at different locations although pain is seemingly easier localized. Neurourol. Urodynam. 36:620-625, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Validation analysis of informant's ratings of cognitive function in African Americans and Nigerians

PubMed Central

Shen, Jianzhao; Gao, Sujuan; Unverzagt, Frederick W.; Ogunniyi, Adesola; Baiyewu, Olusegun; Gureje, Oye; Hendrie, Hugh C.; Hall, Kathleen S.

2011-01-01

SUMMARY Objectives To examine informant validity using the Community Screening Interview for Dementia (CSI ‘D’) both cross-sectionally and longitudinally in two very different cultures and to explore the effects of informants and study participants’ characteristics on the validity of informants’ reports. Methods Elderly African Americans age 65 years and older residing in Indianapolis, USA and elderly Yoruba Nigerians age 65 years and older residing in Ibadan, Nigeria were assessed on cognitive functioning using the CSI ‘D’ at baseline (1992–1993) and five-year follow-up (1997–1998). At baseline, the informant validity in both samples was evaluated against participants’ cognitive tests using Pearson correlation and regular regression models. At follow-up, informants ratings on cognitive decline were assessed against participants’ cognitive decline scores from baseline to follow-up using biserial correlation and logistic regressions. Results At baseline, informants’ reports on cognitive functioning significantly correlated with cognitive scores in both samples (Indianapolis:r = –0.43, p < 0.001; Ibadan:r = –0.47, p < 0.001). The participant–informant relationships significantly affected the informants’ reports in the two samples with different patterns (p = 0.005 for Indianapolis and p < 0.001 for Ibadan) at a given level of cognitive functioning. African Americans spouses reported more cognitive problems, while siblings reported more problems for the Yoruba Nigerians. At follow-up, informants’ ratings on cognitive decline significantly correlated with the cognitive decline scores (Indianapolis r = 0.38, p < 0.001; Ibadan r = 0.32, p < 0.001). The characteristics of study participants and informants had little impact on the informants’ ratings on cognitive decline. Conclusions Informant reports are valid in assessing the cognitive functioning of study participants both cross-sectionally and longitudinally in two very different cultures, languages and environments. PMID:16802282

Controlled human exposure to methyl tertiary butyl ether in gasoline: symptoms, psychophysiologic and neurobehavioral responses of self-reported sensitive persons.

PubMed Central

Fiedler, N; Kelly-McNeil, K; Mohr, S; Lehrer, P; Opiekun, R E; Lee, C; Wainman, T; Hamer, R; Weisel, C; Edelberg, R; Lioy, P J

2000-01-01

The 1990 Clean Air Act mandated oxygenation of gasoline in regions where carbon monoxide standards were not met. To achieve this standard, methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) was increased to 15% by volume during winter months in many locations. Subsequent to the increase of MTBE in gasoline, commuters reported increases in symptoms such as headache, nausea, and eye, nose, and throat irritation. The present study compared 12 individuals selected based on self-report of symptoms (self-reported sensitives; SRSs) associated with MTBE to 19 controls without self-reported sensitivities. In a double-blind, repeated measures, controlled exposure, subjects were exposed for 15 min to clean air, gasoline, gasoline with 11% MTBE, and gasoline with 15% MTBE. Symptoms, odor ratings, neurobehavioral performance on a task of driving simulation, and psychophysiologic responses (heart and respiration rate, end-tidal CO(2), finger pulse volume, electromyograph, finger temperature) were measured before, during, and immediately after exposure. Relative to controls, SRSs reported significantly more total symptoms when exposed to gasoline with 15% MTBE than when exposed to gasoline with 11% MTBE or to clean air. However, these differences in symptoms were not accompanied by significant differences in neurobehavioral performance or psychophysiologic responses. No significant differences in symptoms or neurobehavioral or psychophysiologic responses were observed when exposure to gasoline with 11% MTBE was compared to clean air or to gasoline. Thus, the present study, although showing increased total symptoms among SRSs when exposed to gasoline with 15% MTBE, did not support a dose-response relationship for MTBE exposure nor the symptom specificity associated with MTBE in epidemiologic studies. Images Figure 1 Figure 2 PMID:10964796

Exercise in prevention and treatment of anxiety and depression among children and young people.

PubMed

Larun, L; Nordheim, L V; Ekeland, E; Hagen, K B; Heian, F

2006-07-19

Depression and anxiety are common psychological disorders for children and adolescents. Psychological (e.g. psychotherapy), psychosocial (e.g. cognitive behavioral therapy) and biological (e.g. SSRIs or tricyclic drugs) treatments are the most common treatments being offered. The large variety of therapeutic interventions give rise to questions of clinical effectiveness and side effects. Physical exercise is inexpensive with few, if any, side effects. To assess the effects of exercise interventions in reducing or preventing anxiety or depression in children and young people up to 20 years of age. We searched the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (latest issue available), MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ERIC and Sportdiscus up to August 2005. Randomised trials of vigorous exercise interventions for children and young people up to the age of 20, with outcome measures for depression and anxiety. Two authors independently selected trials for inclusion, assessed methodological quality and extracted data. The trials were combined using meta-analysis methods. A narrative synthesis was performed when the reported data did not allow statistical pooling. Sixteen studies with a total of 1191 participants between 11 and 19 years of age were included.Eleven trials compared vigourous exercise versus no intervention in a general population of children. Six studies reporting anxiety scores showed a non-significant trend in favour of the exercise group (standard mean difference (SMD) (random effects model) -0.48, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.97 to 0.01). Five studies reporting depression scores showed a statistically significant difference in favour of the exercise group (SMD (random effects model) -0.66, 95% CI -1.25 to -0.08). However, all trials were generally of low methodological quality and they were highly heterogeneous with regard to the population, intervention and measurement instruments used. One small trial investigated children in treatment showed no statistically significant difference in depression scores in favour of the control group (SMD (fixed effects model) 0.78, 95% CI -0.47 to 2.04). No studies reported anxiety scores for children in treatment. Five trials comparing vigorous exercise to low intensity exercise show no statistically significant difference in depression and anxiety scores in the general population of children. Three trials reported anxiety scores (SMD (fixed effects model) -0.14, 95% CI -0.41 to 0.13). Two trials reported depression scores (SMD (fixed effects model) -0.15, 95% CI -0.44 to 0.14). Two small trials found no difference in depression scores for children in treatment (SMD (fixed effects model) -0.31, 95% CI -0.78 to 0.16). No studies reported anxiety scores for children in treatment. Four trials comparing exercise with psychosocial interventions showed no statistically significant difference in depression and anxiety scores in the general population of children. Two trials reported anxiety scores (SMD (fixed effects model) -0.13, 95% CI -0.43 to 0.17). Two trials reported depression scores (SMD (fixed effects model) 0.10, 95% CI-0.21 to 0.41). One trial found no difference in depression scores for children in treatment (SMD (fixed effects model) -0.31, 95% CI -0.97 to 0.35). No studies reported anxiety scores for children in treatment. Whilst there appears to be a small effect in favour of exercise in reducing depression and anxiety scores in the general population of children and adolescents, the small number of studies included and the clinical diversity of participants, interventions and methods of measurement limit the ability to draw conclusions. It makes little difference whether the exercise is of high or low intensity. The effect of exercise for children in treatment for anxiety and depression is unknown as the evidence base is scarce.

Two different solicitation methods for obtaining information on adverse events associated with methylphenidate in adolescents: a 12-week multicenter, open-label study.

PubMed

Lee, Moon-Soo; Lee, Soyoung I; Hong, Sungdo D; Kim, Ji-Hoon; Choi, Jeewook; Joung, Yoo-Sook

2013-02-01

We explored two different methods of determining adverse events (AEs) among methylphenidate (MPH)-treated adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We performed a 12-week open label study of osmotic-release oral system (OROS) MPH in adolescents with ADHD who were recruited from four child and adolescent psychiatric outpatient clinics. The AEs were evaluated via a two-step procedure at weeks 1, 3, 6, and 12. The first step was to ask a general question to subjects and their parents regarding AEs. The second step included an AE evaluation process by the investigators, which was performed using a drug-specific checklist. One-way repeated measures ANOVA were used to compare the number of AEs reported by patients and their parents compared with the number reported by clinicians. This statistical technique was also used to compare the number of AEs reported by various sources (i.e., patients, parents, and clinicians) at weeks 1, 3, 6, and 12. Of the 55 participants (43 males, 12 females) between the ages of 12 and 18 enrolled in this study, 47 participants completed the trial. When the number of AEs reported by patients, parents and clinicians were compared, there were no statistically significant differences. When the numbers of AEs obtained from the three different information sources at each study visit were compared, we noted differences. At week 6, the number of AEs evaluated by clinical investigators was higher than those reported by patients and their parents (p=0.003). Although the results did not reach statistical significance, the number of AEs reported by clinical investigators appeared to be greater than those obtained from patients or parents at weeks 3 and 12. The number of AEs reported by patients and their parents were similar at every visit. There were some differences in the pattern of AEs reported between patients and their parents. Clinicians should supplement the subjective report on AEs from patients or their parents with a more drug-specific checklist to obtain drug side effects more effectively. As there are some differences in the pattern of AEs reported by patients and their parents, it is generally recommended that clinicians obtain information from both parties when possible.

Ecstasy (MDMA) and high prevalence psychiatric symptomatology: somatic anxiety symptoms are associated with polydrug, not ecstasy, use.

PubMed

Bedi, G; Van Dam, N T; Redman, J

2010-02-01

Although previous studies have examined anxiety and depression in ecstasy (+/-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine; MDMA) users, it remains unclear whether symptoms are associated specifically with ecstasy or with polydrug use in general. We compared mean symptomatology and clinically significant symptoms in 45 ecstasy polydrug, 48 cannabis polydrug and 40 legal drug users, who completed standardised self-report anxiety and depression symptom measures. We further examined whether group differences were secondary to increased somatic symptom reporting, which may reflect acute/subacute drug effects. Anxiety and depression scores were higher in polydrug than legal drug users, with no difference between ecstasy and cannabis groups. There was no difference in numbers meeting criteria for clinically significant depression or 'moderate' or 'severe' anxiety, but the polydrug group contained more individuals reporting at least 'mild' anxiety symptoms than the legal drug control. Multivariate analyses indicated that anxiety alone was sufficient to discriminate groups. Polydrug users reported more somatic anxiety symptoms than legal drug users, but endorsed equivalent numbers of non-somatic symptoms. High prevalence psychiatric symptomatology in ecstasy polydrug users may be associated with polydrug rather than ecstasy use. Higher ratings in polydrug users appear to be secondary to increased somatic symptom reporting, suggesting possible impacts of drug effects on symptom endorsement.

A comparison of demographic and psychosexual characteristics of women with primary versus secondary provoked vestibulodynia.

PubMed

Brotto, Lori A; Sadownik, Leslie A; Thomson, Sydney; Dayan, Marcy; Smith, Kelly B; Seal, Brooke N; Moses, Melissa; Zhang, Areiyu

2014-05-01

Provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is a distressing genital pain condition affecting approximately 12% of premenopausal women. It has been speculated that primary (ie, lifelong) and secondary (ie, acquired) PVD may represent 2 distinct conditions with different etiologies. There is also evidence that primary and secondary PVD subtypes may respond differently to conventional treatments. The goal of this study was to compare the demographic, clinical, and psychosexual characteristics of a large sample of premenopausal women with primary and secondary PVD. A total of 132 premenopausal women (n=42 primary; n=90 secondary) with PVD who sought treatment in a Multidisciplinary Vulvodynia Program completed demographic questions and a battery of validated self-report measures before treatment. Women with primary PVD had a longer duration of PVD as well as more time before diagnosis. Women with secondary PVD reported significantly more clitoral hood pain, higher overall vestibular pain levels, more overall sexual dysfunction and sex-related distress, and proportionately more intercourse occasions that were painful. Women with primary pain stated they had significantly more dysmenorrhea and were more likely to report that their partners were unaware of their PVD symptoms. There were no significant subtype differences on any psychological measure but a trend towards higher magnification of symptoms in women with secondary PVD. Overall the findings suggest some important differences in the characteristics of women with primary versus secondary PVD which may have management-related implications.

Do young people attending addiction services differ from those attending youth mental health services?

PubMed

Christie, Grant; Merry, Sally; Robinson, Elizabeth

2010-07-01

We aimed to describe and compare the self-reported substance use, psychopathology and psychosocial morbidity in adolescents attending two adolescent outpatient services, a triage-based mental health service and an engagement-focused addiction service in Auckland, New Zealand. A naturalistic cross-section of 131 (addiction service = 67, mental health service = 64) 14-18-year-old boys and girls attending each service completed a standardised screening and assessment instrument, the Drug Use Screening Inventory-Revised. The Drug Use Screening Inventory-Revised measures self-reported problems across 10 domains of functioning, including substance use, behaviour, psychiatric symptoms and school and family functioning. Descriptive statistics were used to provide an overview of the self-reported morbidity in each group and t-tests were used to determine differences between the two groups. Adolescents attending the addiction service reported significantly more problems with substance use, school performance and peer relationships than those attending the mental health service. There was no significant difference in reported psychiatric symptoms, behavioural problems, social competency, health problems, family problems, difficulties in work functioning or leisure time between the two groups. Young people presenting to engagement-focused substance use services report similar difficulties to those at mental health services across most areas of psychosocial functioning. Addiction services may require equivalent staffing expertise and workforce development to that in mental health to effectively meet young people's needs.

Methodological considerations and future insights for 24-hour dietary recall assessment in children.

PubMed

Foster, Emma; Bradley, Jennifer

2018-03-01

Dietary assessment has come under much criticism of late to the extent that it has been questioned whether self-reported methods of dietary assessment are worth doing at all. Widespread under-reporting of energy intake, limitations due to memory, changes to intake due to the burden of recording and social desirability bias all impact significantly on the accuracy of the dietary information collected. Under-reporting of energy intakes has long been recognized as a problem in dietary research with doubly labeled water measures of energy expenditure uncovering significant under-reporting of energy intakes across different populations and different dietary assessment methods. In this review we focus on dietary assessment with children with particular attention on the 24-hour dietary recall method. We look at the level of under-reporting of energy intakes and how this tends to change with age, gender and body mass index. We discuss potential alternatives to self-reported (or proxy-reported) dietary assessment methods with children, such as biomarkers, and how these do not enable the collection of information important to public health nutrition such as the cooking method, the mixture of foods eaten together or the context in which the food is consumed. We conclude that despite all of the challenges and flaws, the data collected using self-reported dietary assessment methods are extremely valuable. Research into dietary assessment methodology has resulted in significant increases in our understanding of the limitations of self-reported methods and progressive improvements in the accuracy of the data collected. Hence, future investment in dietary surveillance and in improving self-reported methods of intake can make vital contributions to our understanding of dietary intakes and are thus warranted. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characterization of Change and Significance for Clinical Findings in Radiology Reports Through Natural Language Processing.

PubMed

Hassanpour, Saeed; Bay, Graham; Langlotz, Curtis P

2017-06-01

We built a natural language processing (NLP) method to automatically extract clinical findings in radiology reports and characterize their level of change and significance according to a radiology-specific information model. We utilized a combination of machine learning and rule-based approaches for this purpose. Our method is unique in capturing different features and levels of abstractions at surface, entity, and discourse levels in text analysis. This combination has enabled us to recognize the underlying semantics of radiology report narratives for this task. We evaluated our method on radiology reports from four major healthcare organizations. Our evaluation showed the efficacy of our method in highlighting important changes (accuracy 99.2%, precision 96.3%, recall 93.5%, and F1 score 94.7%) and identifying significant observations (accuracy 75.8%, precision 75.2%, recall 75.7%, and F1 score 75.3%) to characterize radiology reports. This method can help clinicians quickly understand the key observations in radiology reports and facilitate clinical decision support, review prioritization, and disease surveillance.

Differences in the use of everyday technology among persons with MCI, SCI and older adults without known cognitive impairment.

PubMed

Malinowsky, Camilla; Kottorp, Anders; Wallin, Anders; Nordlund, Arto; Björklund, Eva; Melin, Ilse; Pernevik, Anette; Rosenberg, Lena; Nygård, Louise

2017-07-01

To use valid subjective reports sensible to cognitive decline is vital to identify very early signs of dementia development. Use of everyday technology (ET) has been shown to be sensitive to differentiate adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) from controls, but the group with subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) has not yet been examined. This study aims to investigate and compare self-perceived ability in ET use and number of ETs reported as actually used in a sample of older adults with SCI, MCI, and older adults with no known cognitive impairment, i.e. Older adults with MCI (n = 29), SCI ( n = 26), and controls (n = 30) were interviewed with the short version of the Everyday Technology Use Questionnaire (S-ETUQ) to capture self-perceived ability in ET use and number of ETs used. To generate individual measures of ability to use ET, Rasch analysis was used. The measures were then compared group-wise using ANCOVA. The numbers of ETs used were compared group-wise with ANOVA. Controls versus SCI and MCI differed significantly regarding ETs reported as used, but not SCI versus MCI. Similarly, in ability to use ET, controls versus SCI and MCI differed significantly but not SCI versus MCI. The significantly lower numbers of ETs reported as actually used and the lower ability in SCI and MCI groups compared to controls suggest that ET use is affected already in very minor cognitive decline. This indicates that self-reported ET use based on the S-ETUQ is sensitive to detect changes already in SCI.

A community based study on the prevalence and factors affecting smoking in Kampong Jenderam Hilir, Sepang, Selangor.

PubMed

Rampal, L; Narasimman, S

2003-03-01

i) To determine the prevalence of smoking among the community aged 15 and above in Kg. Jenderam Hilir in Sepang District, Selangor state. ii) To determine the relationship between smoking and age, sex, household income and education. iii) To determine the parental and peer influence on smoking in Kg Jenderam Hilir. A study was conducted in Kg. Jenderam Hilir, Sepang. All residents aged 15 years and above from all the 381 households of Kg. Jenderam Hilir were included in this study. A standardized pre-tested structured questionnaire was used in this study. Out of 894 respondents interviewed 69% were males compared to 3.9% of the females (overall 33.6%) reported to have smoked at least once in his/her lifetime. The difference was statistically significant. The mean duration of smoking was 17.7 years. The age at which smoking was first attempted ranged from 4 years to 51 years with a mean of 18.7 years. The mean initiation age for the males was significantly lower as compared to the mean initiation age for the females. The prevalence of current smokers was significantly higher amongst males (52.8%) as compared to the females (1.4%). The prevalence of smoking among current smokers increased with age (p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of smoking by household income and educational level. The mean number of cigarettes smoked by males was significantly higher than the females (p < 0.05). The mean duration of smoking among current smokers was 20 years. There was a significant difference in the level of addiction to smoking and the duration of smoking (p < 0.05). The high level of addiction increased with the duration of smoking (p < 0.05). Sixty five percent of the current smokers reported to have tried to quit smoking while 26% of ever smokers had reported to quit smoking and remained nonsmokers. The quit ratio was calculated to be 26.0%. The quit ratio was 52.6% among those with college or university education. There was a significant difference in the quit ratio by education level (p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in smokers whose parents were smokers as compared to nonsmokers whose parents were smokers. However, there was a significant association between smoking and peer influence (p < 0.01).

Personality and lipid level differences associated with homosexual and bisexual identity in men.

PubMed

Snyder, P J; Weinrich, J D; Pillard, R C

1994-08-01

Self-identified homosexual (n = 30), bisexual (n = 29), and heterosexual (n = 31) men were compared on measures of gender-typical behavior, sex role, ego strength, and lipid levels. Homosexual men differed significantly from the heterosexual men on the gender-typical behavior and feminine sex-role measure (both in adulthood and in childhood), and several trends and significant differences were found on the biochemical measures of lipid levels (especially when 7 obese men were removed from the analyses). As a rule, the bisexual men were different from the heterosexual men on the above measures, but were indistinguishable from the homosexual men. Bisexuals differed from both of the other two groups, however, by scoring lower on the ego strength scale and by reporting themselves to be more often troubled, lonely, and depressed. We caution that the lipid analyses were made on single blood samples and require an extended replication; however, we report the data because of their possible theoretical interest and because they replicate work of 20 years ago.

Associations Between Parenting Styles and Perceived Child Effortful Control Within Chinese Families in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Taiwan

PubMed Central

Huang, Ching-Yu; Cheah, Charissa S. L.; Lamb, Michael E.; Zhou, Nan

2017-01-01

The current study examined the associations between parentally perceived child effortful control (EC) and the parenting styles of 122 Chinese mothers (36 first-generation Chinese immigrants in the United Kingdom, 40 first-generation Chinese immigrants in the United States, and 46 Taiwanese mothers) of 5- to 7-year-old (M age = 5.82 years, SD = .805; 68 boys and 54 girls) children. The findings showed significant cultural group differences in mothers’ reported authoritarian parenting style. Significant associations also emerged between mothers’ reports of their children’s EC and some parenting dimensions, although there were no cultural group differences in perceived child EC. Different patterns of associations between perceived child EC and parenting styles in these three groups also demonstrated heterogeneity within the Chinese population, and highlighted the need to consider differences between original and receiving societies when seeking to understand parenting and child development in different immigrant groups. PMID:29276309

Associations Between Parenting Styles and Perceived Child Effortful Control Within Chinese Families in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Taiwan.

PubMed

Huang, Ching-Yu; Cheah, Charissa S L; Lamb, Michael E; Zhou, Nan

2017-07-01

The current study examined the associations between parentally perceived child effortful control (EC) and the parenting styles of 122 Chinese mothers (36 first-generation Chinese immigrants in the United Kingdom, 40 first-generation Chinese immigrants in the United States, and 46 Taiwanese mothers) of 5- to 7-year-old ( M age = 5.82 years, SD = .805; 68 boys and 54 girls) children. The findings showed significant cultural group differences in mothers' reported authoritarian parenting style. Significant associations also emerged between mothers' reports of their children's EC and some parenting dimensions, although there were no cultural group differences in perceived child EC. Different patterns of associations between perceived child EC and parenting styles in these three groups also demonstrated heterogeneity within the Chinese population, and highlighted the need to consider differences between original and receiving societies when seeking to understand parenting and child development in different immigrant groups.

Education Level of Catholic Hispanic Deacons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferrari, Joseph R.

2016-01-01

The present study assessed self-reported religiosity, spirituality, faith-related behaviors, leadership styles, and personality dimensions of 156 Hispanic Catholic deacons, based on varied educational degrees assisting in Hispanic (n = 91) or non-Hispanic (n = 65) parishes. Results found no significant differences on any self-reported variables…

Influence of BMI in nephrolithiasis in an Appalachian pediatric population: A single-center experience.

PubMed

Murphy, Margaret O; Erpelding, Scott G; Chishti, Aftab S; Dugan, Adam; Ziada, Ali; Kiessling, Stefan G

2018-06-07

The prevalence of pediatric nephrolithiasis has increased significantly in the past 20 years. Metabolic abnormalities predisposing adults to nephrolithiasis in obese patients include increased urinary sodium and uric acid excretion as well as low urine pH; however, limited data are available in the pediatric population. The aim was to investigate whether obese pediatric patients presenting with nephrolithiasis have a unique metabolic profile similar to reported findings in obese adults with nephrolithiasis. A retrospective chart review was performed in children aged 1-18 years seen at Kentucky Children's Hospital between 2010 and 2016. Inclusion criteria included all patients with documented stones confirmed by ultrasonography or computed tomography. A total of 111 patient charts were reviewed in the study with a mean age of 11.8 ± 4.2 years. Seventy patients (63%) had a normal BMI and 41 patients (37%) were considered overweight/obese. There was no statistically significant relationship between BMI and stone recurrence. Obese patients had significantly decreased levels of urinary citrate, oxalate, magnesium, and potassium with significant elevations of urinary urea nitrogen, ammonia, and low urine pH compared with normal weight patients (Summary Figure). Several groups have reported on metabolic findings within obese and non-obese pediatric patients. A Turkish study reported increased oxalate excretion and hypocitraturia in obese patients while a Korean study also reported increased rates of hypocitraturia in recurrent stone formers. Similar to these studies, we did find significant differences in citrate within our study population; however, we found significantly lower levels of urinary oxalate in obese patients. The majority of these studies do not report an association with BMI and urine pH although this has been reported in the adult population and our findings support an inverse relationship between body mass index (BMI) and pH. Our group found a higher level of calcium phosphate stones, supporting of Eisner's findings that high BMI is associated with increased supersaturation of calcium phosphate. Limitations of our study include being a single center and retrospective in nature. Our study demonstrates differences in types of stones and urinary metabolites in an obese pediatric population suggestive of different metabolic profiles contributing to stone disease. We report similar association between BMI and urine pH, urinary potassium, and citrate. This study confirmed our primary hypothesis that obese pediatric patients would have a different urinary mineral profile as evidenced by lower levels of citrate and potassium and low urine pH; however, obese patients did not exhibit significantly elevated urinary sodium and uric acid when normalized to weight, as described in the adult population. Our study did not confirm our secondary hypothesis that stone composition would be associated with BMI status or stone recurrence. Copyright © 2018 Journal of Pediatric Urology Company. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Substance Use and Mental Health Stigma in Veterans With Co-Occurring Disorders.

PubMed

Harnish, Autumn; Corrigan, Patrick; Byrne, Thomas; Pinals, Debra A; Rodrigues, Stephanie; Smelson, David

2016-01-01

This pilot study examined whether substance use or mental illness was more stigmatizing among individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse problems. This study included 48 individuals with co-occurring substance use and mental health problems enrolled in a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services funded treatment program. Subjects received a baseline assessment that included addiction, mental health, and stigma measures. The sample consisted primarily of White males with an average age of 38 years. Substance abuse was found to be more stigmatizing than mental illness, F(1, 47) = 14.213, p < .001, and stigma varied across four different levels of stigma (Aware, Agree, Apply, and Harm), F(2.099, 98.675) = 117.883, p < .001. The interaction between type and level of stigma was also significant, F(2.41, 113.284) = 20.250, p < .001, indicating that differences in reported stigma between types varied across levels of stigma. Post hoc tests found a significant difference between all levels of stigma except for the comparison between Apply and Harm. Reported stigma was significantly higher for substance abuse than mental illness at the Aware and Agree levels. In addition, pairwise comparisons found significant differences between all levels of stigma with the exception of the comparison between Apply and Harm, indicating a pattern whereby reported stigma generally decreased from the first level (Aware stage) to subsequent levels. These results have important implications for treatment, suggesting the need to incorporate anti-stigma interventions for individuals with co-occurring disorders with a greater focus on substance abuse.

Understanding how deployment experiences change over time: Comparison of female and male OEF/OIF and Gulf War veterans.

PubMed

Fox, Annie B; Walker, Brian E; Smith, Brian N; King, Daniel W; King, Lynda A; Vogt, Dawne

2016-03-01

Despite increased attention to the evolving nature of war, the unique challenges of contemporary deployment, and women's changing role in warfare, few studies have examined differences in deployment stressors across eras of service or evaluated how gender differences in deployment experiences have changed over time. Using data collected from two national survey studies, we examined war cohort and gender differences in veterans' reports of both mission-related and interpersonal stressors during deployment. Although Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans reported more combat experiences and greater preparedness for deployment compared to Gulf War veterans, Gulf War veterans reported higher levels of other mission-related stressors, including difficult living and working environment, perceived threat, and potential exposure to nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons. Gender differences also emerged, with men reporting greater exposure to mission-related stressors and women reporting higher levels of interpersonal stressors. However, the size and nature of gender differences did not differ significantly when comparing veterans of the two eras. By understanding how risk factors for PTSD differ based on war era and gender, veterans' experiences can be better contextualized. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Spatial clustering by disease severity among reported Rocky Mountain spotted fever cases in the United States, 2001-2005.

PubMed

Adjemian, Jennifer Zipser; Krebs, John; Mandel, Eric; McQuiston, Jennifer

2009-01-01

Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) occurs throughout much of the United States, ranging in clinical severity from moderate to fatal infection. Yet, little is known about possible differences among severity levels across geographic locations. To identify significant spatial clusters of severe and non-severe disease, RMSF cases reported to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were geocoded by county and classified by severity level. The statistical software program SaTScan was used to detect significant spatial clusters. Of 4,533 RMSF cases reported, 1,089 hospitalizations (168 with complications) and 23 deaths occurred. Significant clusters of 6 deaths (P = 0.05, RR = 11.4) and 19 hospitalizations with complications (P = 0.02, RR = 3.45) were detected in southwestern Tennessee. Two geographic areas were identified in north-central North Carolina with unusually low rates of severity (P = 0.001, RR = 0.62 and P = 0.001, RR = 0.45, respectively). Of all hospitalizations, 20% were clustered in central Oklahoma (P = 0.02, RR = 1.43). Significant geographic differences in severity were observed, suggesting that biologic and/or anthropogenic factors may be impacting RMSF epidemiology in the United States.

Comparison of self-reported emotional and behavioural problems in adolescents from Greece and Finland.

PubMed

Kapi, Aikaterini; Veltsista, Alexandra; Sovio, Ulla; Järvelin, Marjo-Riitta; Bakoula, Chryssa

2007-08-01

To compare self-reported emotional and behavioural problems among Greek and Finnish adolescents. Youth Self-Report scores were analysed for 3373 Greek adolescents aged 18 years and 7039 Finnish adolescents aged 15-16 years from the general population in both countries. The impact of country, gender, place of residence, socioeconomic status (SES) and family stability on the scores was evaluated. Only country and gender yielded small to medium effect on the scores. Greek boys scored significantly higher than Finns on 10 of the 11 YSR syndromes, particularly on the anxious/depressed scale. Greek girls scored significantly lower than Finnish girls on the somatic complaints and delinquent behaviour scales. In general, girls scored higher than boys on both internalising and externalising problems. The gender by country interaction revealed that Finnish girls reported more externalising problems. The main differences marked in this comparison were the higher level of anxiety and depression in Greeks than Finns and the higher level of externalising problems in Finnish girls than boys. Cultural standards could play an important role in explaining these differences. Overall, it seems that only a small number of differences exist between a northern and southern European region.

Activating Lay Health Influencers to Promote Tobacco Cessation

PubMed Central

Muramoto, Myra L.; Hall, John R.; Nichter, Mark; Nichter, Mimi; Aickin, Mikel; Connolly, Tim; Matthews, Eva; Campbell, Jean Z.; Lando, Harry A.

2014-01-01

Objective Evaluate the effect of tobacco cessation brief-intervention (BI) training for lay “health influencers,” on knowledge, self-efficacy and the proportion of participants reporting BI delivery post-training. Methods Randomized, community-based study comparing In-person or Web-based training, with mailed materials. Results In-person and Web-training groups had significant post-training cessation knowledge and self-efficacy gains. All groups increased the proportion of individuals reporting BIs at follow-up, with no significant between-group differences. Irrespective of participants’ prior intervention experience, 80–86% reported BIs within the past 90 days; 71–79% reported ≥1 in the past 30. Conclusions Web and In-person training significantly increase health influencer cessation knowledge and self-efficacy. With minimal prompting and materials, even persons without BI experience can be activated to encourage tobacco cessation. PMID:24636035

Facilitating Improvements in Laboratory Report Writing Skills with Less Grading: A Laboratory Report Peer-Review Process†

PubMed Central

Brigati, Jennifer R.; Swann, Jerilyn M.

2015-01-01

Incorporating peer-review steps in the laboratory report writing process provides benefits to students, but it also can create additional work for laboratory instructors. The laboratory report writing process described here allows the instructor to grade only one lab report for every two to four students, while giving the students the benefits of peer review and prompt feedback on their laboratory reports. Here we present the application of this process to a sophomore level genetics course and a freshman level cellular biology course, including information regarding class time spent on student preparation activities, instructor preparation, prerequisite student knowledge, suggested learning outcomes, procedure, materials, student instructions, faculty instructions, assessment tools, and sample data. T-tests comparing individual and group grading of the introductory cell biology lab reports yielded average scores that were not significantly different from each other (p = 0.13, n = 23 for individual grading, n = 6 for group grading). T-tests also demonstrated that average laboratory report grades of students using the peer-review process were not significantly different from those of students working alone (p = 0.98, n = 9 for individual grading, n = 6 for pair grading). While the grading process described here does not lead to statistically significant gains (or reductions) in student learning, it allows student learning to be maintained while decreasing instructor workload. This reduction in workload could allow the instructor time to pursue other high-impact practices that have been shown to increase student learning. Finally, we suggest possible modifications to the procedure for application in a variety of settings. PMID:25949758

Facilitating improvements in laboratory report writing skills with less grading: a laboratory report peer-review process.

PubMed

Brigati, Jennifer R; Swann, Jerilyn M

2015-05-01

Incorporating peer-review steps in the laboratory report writing process provides benefits to students, but it also can create additional work for laboratory instructors. The laboratory report writing process described here allows the instructor to grade only one lab report for every two to four students, while giving the students the benefits of peer review and prompt feedback on their laboratory reports. Here we present the application of this process to a sophomore level genetics course and a freshman level cellular biology course, including information regarding class time spent on student preparation activities, instructor preparation, prerequisite student knowledge, suggested learning outcomes, procedure, materials, student instructions, faculty instructions, assessment tools, and sample data. T-tests comparing individual and group grading of the introductory cell biology lab reports yielded average scores that were not significantly different from each other (p = 0.13, n = 23 for individual grading, n = 6 for group grading). T-tests also demonstrated that average laboratory report grades of students using the peer-review process were not significantly different from those of students working alone (p = 0.98, n = 9 for individual grading, n = 6 for pair grading). While the grading process described here does not lead to statistically significant gains (or reductions) in student learning, it allows student learning to be maintained while decreasing instructor workload. This reduction in workload could allow the instructor time to pursue other high-impact practices that have been shown to increase student learning. Finally, we suggest possible modifications to the procedure for application in a variety of settings.

Fewer Ups and Downs: Daily Stressors Mediate Age Differences in Negative Affect

PubMed Central

Luong, Gloria; Almeida, David M.; Ryff, Carol; Sturm, Maggie; Love, Gayle

2010-01-01

The current study examined age differences in daily stressors, positive events (uplifts), and their associations with emotional experience among healthy older women. Women (N = 101, 63–93 years old) reported their daily experiences across 1 week. Older age was related to fewer stressors and less frequent negative affect. However, the association between negative affect and age was no longer significant after accounting for the occurrence of daily stressors. Older age was not significantly related to positive affect, although positive uplifts were reported less frequently with age. Findings provide a contextual explanation for emotional experience in very late life, where reduced exposure to stressors partially explains age-related reductions in negative affect. PMID:20123699

Fewer ups and downs: daily stressors mediate age differences in negative affect.

PubMed

Charles, Susan Turk; Luong, Gloria; Almeida, David M; Ryff, Carol; Sturm, Maggie; Love, Gayle

2010-05-01

The current study examined age differences in daily stressors, positive events (uplifts), and their associations with emotional experience among healthy older women. Women (N = 101, 63-93 years old) reported their daily experiences across 1 week. Older age was related to fewer stressors and less frequent negative affect. However, the association between negative affect and age was no longer significant after accounting for the occurrence of daily stressors. Older age was not significantly related to positive affect, although positive uplifts were reported less frequently with age. Findings provide a contextual explanation for emotional experience in very late life, where reduced exposure to stressors partially explains age-related reductions in negative affect.

Trends in colorectal cancer screening over time for persons with and without chronic disability.

PubMed

Iezzoni, Lisa I; Kurtz, Stephen G; Rao, Sowmya R

2016-07-01

Persons with disabilities have often experienced disparities in routine cancer screening. However, with civil rights protections from the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, such disparities may diminish over time. To examine whether disability disparities exist for colorectal cancer screening and whether these screening patterns have changed over time. We analyzed National Health Interview Survey responses from civilian, non-institutionalized U.S. residents 50-75 years old from selected years between 1998 and 2010. We specified 7 chronic disability indicators using self-reported functional impairments, activity/participation limitations, and expected duration. Separately for women and men, we conducted bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses examining associations of self-reported colorectal cancer screening services with sociodemographic factors and disability type. Patterns of chronic disability differed somewhat between women and men; disability rates generally rose over time. For both women and men, colorectal cancer screening rates increased substantially from 1998 through 2010. Over time, relatively few statistically significant differences were reported in colorectal cancer screening rates between nondisabled persons and individuals with various disabilities. In 2010, reported screening rates were generally comparable between nondisabled and disabled persons. In the few statistically significant differences, persons with disabilities almost always reported higher colorectal cancer screening rates than nondisabled individuals. According to national survey data, reported use of colorectal cancer screening is similar between nondisabled persons and individuals with a variety of different disability types. Despite physical demands of some colorectal cancer screening tests, disparities do not appear between populations with and without disability. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender and Cultural Differences in Internet Use: A Study of China and the UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Nai; Kirkup, Gill

2007-01-01

This study investigates differences in use of, and attitudes toward the Internet and computers generally for Chinese and British students, and gender differences in this cross-cultural context. Two hundred and twenty Chinese and 245 British students' responses to a self-report survey questionnaire are discussed. Significant differences were found…

Mental health outcomes in US and UK military personnel returning from Iraq.

PubMed

Sundin, Josefin; Herrell, Richard K; Hoge, Charles W; Fear, Nicola T; Adler, Amy B; Greenberg, Neil; Riviere, Lyndon A; Thomas, Jeffrey L; Wessely, Simon; Bliese, Paul D

2014-03-01

Research of military personnel who deployed to the conflicts in Iraq or Afghanistan has suggested that there are differences in mental health outcomes between UK and US military personnel. To compare the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), hazardous alcohol consumption, aggressive behaviour and multiple physical symptoms in US and UK military personnel deployed to Iraq. Data were from one US (n = 1560) and one UK (n = 313) study of post-deployment military health of army personnel who had deployed to Iraq during 2007-2008. Analyses were stratified by high- and low-combat exposure. Significant differences in combat exposure and sociodemographics were observed between US and UK personnel; controlling for these variables accounted for the difference in prevalence of PTSD, but not in the total symptom level scores. Levels of hazardous alcohol consumption (low-combat exposure: odds ratio (OR) = 0.13, 95% CI 0.07-0.21; high-combat exposure: OR = 0.23, 95% CI 0.14-0.39) and aggression (low-combat exposure: OR = 0.36, 95% CI 0.19-0.68) were significantly lower in US compared with UK personnel. There was no difference in multiple physical symptoms. Differences in self-reported combat exposures explain most of the differences in reported prevalence of PTSD. Adjusting for self-reported combat exposures and sociodemographics did not explain differences in hazardous alcohol consumption or aggression.

Investigating the Similarities and Differences between Practitioners of Second and Third Wave Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies

PubMed Central

Brown, Lily A.; Gaudiano, Brandon A.; Miller, Ivan W.

2013-01-01

There has been much discussion in the literature recently regarding the conceptual and techniual differences between so-called second (e.g., Beckian cognitive therapy) and third “wave” (e.g., acceptance and commitment therapy) behavior therapies. Previous research has not addressed the potential similarities and differences among the practitioners of these types of approaches. The current study examined possible differences in the characteristics of second wave (n=55) and third wave cognitive-behavioral therapists (n=33) using an internet-based survey. There were differences found at the technique level between the two groups. As expected, third wave therapists reported greater use of mindfulness/acceptance techniques. Also, third wave therapists reported greater use of exposure techniques and second wave therapists reported greater use of cognitive restructuring and relaxation techniques. In general, third wave clinicians were more eclectic at the technique level, and demonstrated significantly greater use of family systems techniques, existential/humanistic techniques, and the total number of techniques used. No significant differences were found on the attitudinal measures administered, including reliance on an intuitive thinking style, acceptance of complementary and alternative therapies and related health beliefs, or most attitudes toward evidence-based practices. We did not identify many differences between second wave and third wave therapists other than in terms of the techniques they employ. The clinical and research implications for these findings are discussed. PMID:21324946

Mental and Reproductive Health Correlates of Academic Performance among Debre Berhan University Female Students, Ethiopia: The Case of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder

PubMed Central

Alemu, Sisay Mulugeta; Haile, Yohannes Gebreegziabhere

2017-01-01

Background Globally 3 to 8% of reproductive age women are suffering from premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Several mental and reproductive health-related factors cause low academic achievement during university education. However, limited data exist in Ethiopia. The aim of the study was to investigate mental and reproductive health correlates of academic performance. Methods Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted with 667 Debre Berhan University female students from April to June 2015. Academic performance was the outcome variable. Mental and reproductive health characteristics were explanatory variables. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test of association was applied to examine group difference in academic performance. Result Among 529 students who participated, 49.3% reported mild premenstrual syndrome (PMS), 36.9% reported moderate/severe PMS, and 13.8% fulfilled PMDD diagnostic criteria. The ANOVA test of association revealed that there was no significant difference in academic performance between students with different level of PMS experience (F-statistic = 0.08, p value = 0.93). Nevertheless, there was a significant difference in academic performance between students with different length of menses (F-statistic = 5.15, p value = 0.006). Conclusion There was no significant association between PMS experience and academic performance, but on the other hand, the length of menses significantly associated with academic performance. PMID:28630874

Providing Mailing Cost Reimbursements: The Effect on Reporting Timeliness of Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Virginia.

PubMed

Vasiliu, Oana E; Stover, Jeffrey A; Mays, Marissa J E; Bissette, Jennifer M; Dolan, Carrie B; Sirbu, Corina M

2009-01-01

We investigated the effect of providing mailing cost reimbursements to local health departments on the timeliness of the reporting of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in Virginia. The Division of Disease Prevention, Virginia Department of Health, provided mailing cost reimbursements to 31 Virginia health districts from October 2002 to December 2004. The difference (in days) between the diagnosis date (or date the STD paperwork was initiated) and the date the case/STD report was entered into the STD surveillance database was used in a negative binomial regression model against time (as divided into three periods-before, during, and after reimbursement) to estimate the effect of providing mailing cost reimbursements on reporting timeliness. We observed significant decreases in the number of days between diagnosis and reporting of a case, which were sustained after the reimbursement period ended, in 25 of the 31 health districts included in the analysis. We observed a significant initial decrease (during the reimbursement period) followed by a significant increase in the after-reimbursement phase in one health district. Two health districts had a significant initial decrease, while one health district had a significant decrease in reporting timeliness in the period after reimbursement. Two health districts showed no significant changes in the number of days to report to the central office. Providing reimbursements for mailing costs was statistically associated with improved STD reporting timeliness in almost all of Virginia's health districts. Sustained improvement after the reimbursement period ended is likely indicative of improved local health department reporting habits.

Prevalence of self-reported food allergy in U.S. adults: 2001, 2006, and 2010

PubMed Central

Bruns, Richard; Luccioli, Stefano

2015-01-01

Background: Epidemiologic evidence indicates that food allergies are increasing in the population. Information on a change in self-reported food allergy (srFA) in adults over time is lacking. Objective: To report the prevalence of srFA and compare differences at three time points over a decade. Methods: We analyzed srFA and reported physician-diagnosed food allergy in >4000 U.S. adults who participated in the 2010 U.S. Food and Drug Administration Food Safety Survey. Information on causative food(s), reaction severity characteristics, and various diagnostic factors was also analyzed. We compared 2010 Food Safety Survey data with 2006 and 2001 data, and highlighted relevant differences. Results: SrFA prevalence increased significantly, to 13% in 2010 and 14.9% in 2006 compared with 9.1% in 2001 (p < 0.001). Physician diagnosed food allergy was 6.5% in 2010, which was not significantly different compared with 7.6% in 2006 and 5.3% in 2001. SrFA increased in both men and women, non-Hispanic white and black adults, 50–59 year olds, and in adults with a high school or lower education. In 2010, milk, shellfish, and fruits were the most commonly reported food allergens, similar to 2001. Also, in 2010, 15% of reactions reportedly required a hospital visit and 8.4% were treated with epinephrine. Minor differences in reaction severity characteristics were noted among the surveys. Conclusions: Analysis of survey results indicates that the prevalence of srFA increased among U.S. adults from 2001 to 2010 and that adults are increasingly self-reporting FAs without obtaining medical diagnosis. Improved education about food allergies is needed for this risk group. PMID:26453524

Prevalence of self-reported food allergy in U.S. adults: 2001, 2006, and 2010.

PubMed

Verrill, Linda; Bruns, Richard; Luccioli, Stefano

2015-01-01

Epidemiologic evidence indicates that food allergies are increasing in the population. Information on a change in self-reported food allergy (srFA) in adults over time is lacking. To report the prevalence of srFA and compare differences at three time points over a decade. We analyzed srFA and reported physician-diagnosed food allergy in >4000 U.S. adults who participated in the 2010 U.S. Food and Drug Administration Food Safety Survey. Information on causative food(s), reaction severity characteristics, and various diagnostic factors was also analyzed. We compared 2010 Food Safety Survey data with 2006 and 2001 data, and highlighted relevant differences. SrFA prevalence increased significantly, to 13% in 2010 and 14.9% in 2006 compared with 9.1% in 2001 (p < 0.001). Physician diagnosed food allergy was 6.5% in 2010, which was not significantly different compared with 7.6% in 2006 and 5.3% in 2001. SrFA increased in both men and women, non-Hispanic white and black adults, 50-59 year olds, and in adults with a high school or lower education. In 2010, milk, shellfish, and fruits were the most commonly reported food allergens, similar to 2001. Also, in 2010, 15% of reactions reportedly required a hospital visit and 8.4% were treated with epinephrine. Minor differences in reaction severity characteristics were noted among the surveys. Analysis of survey results indicates that the prevalence of srFA increased among U.S. adults from 2001 to 2010 and that adults are increasingly self-reporting FAs without obtaining medical diagnosis. Improved education about food allergies is needed for this risk group.

Prevalence of self reported food allergy in US adults: 2001, 2006, and 2010.

PubMed

Verrill, L; Bruns, R; Luccioli, S

2015-10-08

Epidemiologic evidence indicates that food allergies are increasing in the population. Information on a change in self-reported food allergy (srFA) in adults over time is lacking. To report the prevalence of srFA and compare differences at three time points over a decade. We analyzed srFA and reported physician-diagnosed food allergy in 4000 U.S. adults who participated in the 2010 U.S. Food and Drug Administration Food Safety Survey. Information on causative food(s), reaction severity characteristics, and various diagnostic factors was also analyzed. We compared 2010 Food Safety Survey data with 2006 and 2001 data, and highlighted relevant differences. SrFA prevalence increased significantly, to 13% in 2010 and 14.9% in 2006 compared with 9.1% in 2001 (p less than 0.001). Physician diagnosed food allergy was 6.5% in 2010, which was not significantly different compared with 7.6% in 2006 and 5.3% in 2001. SrFA increased in both men and women, non-Hispanic white and black adults, 50-59 year olds, and in adults with a high school or lower education. In 2010, milk, shellfish, and fruits were the most commonly reported food allergens, similar to 2001. Also, in 2010, 15% of reactions reportedly required a hospital visit and 8.4% were treated with epinephrine. Minor differences in reaction severity characteristics were noted among the surveys. Analysis of survey results indicates that the prevalence of srFA increased among U.S. adults from 2001 to 2010 and that adults are increasingly self-reporting FAs without obtaining medical diagnosis. Improved education about food allergies is needed for this risk group.

Adolescents conceived by IVF: parenting and psychosocial adjustment.

PubMed

Colpin, H; Bossaert, G

2008-12-01

A follow-up study was conducted in mid-adolescence on parenting and the child's psychosocial development after in vitro fertilization (IVF). The first phase of the study had compared 31 IVF families and 31 families with a naturally conceived child when the children were 2 years old (Colpin et al., 1995). Of these, 24 IVF families and 21 control families participated again when the children were 15-16 years old. Fathers, mothers and adolescents completed questionnaires assessing parenting style and stress, and adolescent psychosocial adjustment. No significant differences were found in self- or adolescent-reported parenting style, or in parenting stress between IVF mothers and mothers in the control group, nor between IVF fathers and fathers in the control group. Neither did we find significant differences in self- or parent-reported behavioural problems between adolescents conceived by IVF and those conceived naturally. Comparison of behavioural problems between IVF adolescents informed or not informed about the IVF conception did not reveal significant differences. Parenting and 15-16-year-old adolescents' psychosocial adjustment did not differ significantly between IVF families and control families. This study is, to the best of our knowledge, the first psychosocial follow-up in mid-adolescence, and adds to the evidence that IVF children and their parents are well-adjusted. Large-scale studies in adolescence are needed to support these findings.

Gender, Culture, and Sex-Typed Cognitive Abilities

PubMed Central

Reilly, David

2012-01-01

Although gender differences in cognitive abilities are frequently reported, the magnitude of these differences and whether they hold practical significance in the educational outcomes of boys and girls is highly debated. Furthermore, when gender gaps in reading, mathematics and science literacy are reported they are often attributed to innate, biological differences rather than social and cultural factors. Cross-cultural evidence may contribute to this debate, and this study reports national gender differences in reading, mathematics and science literacy from 65 nations participating in the 2009 round of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Consistently across all nations, girls outperform boys in reading literacy, d = −.44. Boys outperform girls in mathematics in the USA, d = .22 and across OECD nations, d = .13. For science literacy, while the USA showed the largest gender difference across all OECD nations, d = .14, gender differences across OECD nations were non-significant, and a small female advantage was found for non-OECD nations, d = −.09. Across all three domains, these differences were more pronounced at both tails of the distribution for low- and high-achievers. Considerable cross-cultural variability was also observed, and national gender differences were correlated with gender equity measures, economic prosperity, and Hofstede’s cultural dimension of power distance. Educational and societal implications of such gender gaps are addressed, as well as the mechanisms by which gender differences in cognitive abilities are culturally mediated. PMID:22808072

Teacher Quality Indicators as Predictors of Instructional Assessment Practices in Science Classrooms in Secondary Schools in Barbados

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogunkola, Babalola J.; Archer-Bradshaw, Ramona E.

2013-02-01

This study investigated the self-reported instructional assessment practices of a selected sample of secondary school science teachers in Barbados. The study sought to determine if there were statistically significant differences in the instructional assessment practices of teachers based on their sex and teacher quality (teaching experience, professional qualification and teacher academic qualification). It also sought to determine the extent to which each of these four selected variables individually and jointly affected the teachers' report of their instructional assessment practices. A sample of 55 science teachers from nine secondary schools in Barbados was randomly selected to participate in this study. Data was collected by means of a survey and was analyzed using the means and standard deviations of the instructional assessment practices scores and linear, multiple and binary logistic regression. The results of the study were such that the majority of the sample reported good overall instructional assessment practices while only a few participants reported moderate assessment practices. The instructional assessment practices in the area of student knowledge were mostly moderate as indicated by the sample. There were no statistically significant differences between or among the mean scores of the teachers' reported instructional assessment practices based on sex ( t = 0.10; df = 53; p = 0.992), teaching experience ( F[4,50] = 1.766; p = 0.150), the level of professional qualification (F[3,45] = 0.2117; p = 0.111) or the level of academic qualification (F[2,52] = 0.504; p = 0.607). The independent variables (teacher sex, teaching experience, teacher professional qualification or teacher academic qualification) were not significant predictors of the instructional assessment practices scores. However, teacher sex was a significant predictor of the teachers' report of good instructional assessment practices. The study also found that the joint effect of the variables teacher sex, teaching experience, teacher professional qualification and teacher academic qualification was not significant in predicting the instructional assessment practices scores of the science teachers. However, the joint effect of these variables was statistically significant ( X 2 = 18.482; df = 10; p = 0.047) in predicting the teachers' reported use of good instructional assessment practices. The best predictor of teachers' report of good instructional assessment practices, though not statistically significant, was the diploma in education professional qualification.

Changes in total body water during spaceflight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leach, Carolyn S.; Inners, L. D.; Charles, John B.

1991-01-01

Total body water (TBW) changes occurring in humans as a consequence of prolonged exposure to microgravity were measured in five male crewmembers of Space Shuttle missions STS-61C and STS-26. It was found that the inflight mean TBW values were significantly different from the preflight and postflight values, while the preflight TBW values were not significantly different from the postflight values. It was also found that individuals may differ in the rate at which they respond to weightlessness. Of the three crewmen who reported experiencing no symptoms of space motion sickness (SMS), two had not exhibited a decrease of TBW at the time of measurements (24 hrs after launch), while the two crewmen who reported SMS of intermediate severity showed a decrease of several kg by 24 hrs, suggesting that dehydration might be an important factor affecting the rate of TBW decrease.

Cutting film violence: effects on perceptions, enjoyment, and arousal.

PubMed

Berry, M; Gray, T; Donnerstein, E

1999-10-01

The authors investigated the effects of cutting specific graphic scenes of film violence on self-reports of arousal, enjoyability, and perceptions of violence among a sample of U.S. students. In 3 studies, they varied film exposure from 1 1/2 min in the 1st study to a complete motion picture (American vs. British version of same film) in the 3rd. In all 3 studies, the participants rated the cut versions as less violent than the uncut versions. The participants distinguished quite subtle differences in levels of violence, even when the cuts were minor and contextualized within an entire movie. Cutting the movie significantly increased its enjoyability for the women; for the men, there was no significant difference. Cutting violent films made no difference in arousal for the men but substantially lowered self-report levels of arousal for the women.

Nutritional and cognitive status of entry-level primary school children in Zomba, rural Malawi.

PubMed

Nkhoma, Owen W W; Duffy, Maresa E; Davidson, Philip W; Cory-Slechta, Deborah A; McSorley, Emeir M; Strain, J J; O'Brien, Gerard M

2013-05-01

Entry-level Malawian children (n = 226) aged 6-8 years from two public primary schools, one a participant in a national school feeding programme (FP), the other not, were investigated for differences in nutritional and cognitive status. Stunted growth (42%) and underweight (25%) were prevalent, with no significant differences between the schools, although the school attended was a significant predictor of mid-upper arm circumference. Previous attendance at a community-based childcare centre was significantly associated with lower body weight and height. There were no significant differences in memory, reversal learning and attention outcomes between the schools. These findings report no major significant difference in nutrition or cognitive statuses between the schools, and on this basis suggest that both schools were equally in need of FP participation. More inclusive interventions and broadening/review of FP participation criteria are recommended.

Toy-playing behavior, sex-role orientation, spatial ability, and science achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tracy, Dyanne M.

The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the possible relationships among children's extracurricular toy-playing habits, sex-role orientations, spatial abilities, and science achievement. Data were gathered from 282 midwestern, suburban, fifth-grade students. It was found that boys had significantly higher spatial skills than girls. No significant differences in spatial ability were found among students with different sex-role orientations. No significant differences in science achievement were found between girls and boys, or among students with the four different sex-role orientations. Students who had high spatial ability also had significantly higher science achievement scores than students with low spatial ability. Femininely oriented boys who reported low playing in the two-dimensional, gross-body-movement, and proportional-arrangement toy categories scored significantly higher on the test of science achievement than girls with the same sex-role and toy-playing behavior.

Critical assessment of high-circulation print newspaper coverage of the Institute of Medicine report Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D.

PubMed

Hatfield, Daniel P; Sweeney, Kathryn P; Lau, Joseph; Lichtenstein, Alice H

2014-08-01

To evaluate high-circulation US and Canadian newspaper coverage of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D and assess pre-report and post-report reporter-specific vitamin D-related coverage. Two independent reviewers analysed the newspaper articles. The key report findings cited, proportion of sentences describing the IOM report and proportion of sentences describing critical viewpoints on the report were calculated. The content of articles written by reporters with a history of pre-report vitamin D-related articles was compared with that of articles written by reporters without such a history. Factiva and LexisNexis searches of the top thirty US and three English-language Canadian print newspapers, by circulation. Articles on the IOM report published from 30 November to 21 December 2010 and previous vitamin D-related articles written by the same reporters. Only ten articles met inclusion/exclusion criteria. Articles inconsistently cited the key findings in the IOM report. Reporters with a history of pre-report articles highlighting the benefits of vitamin D dedicated a greater proportion of sentences to viewpoints critical of the IOM report (P < 0·01). There was no significant difference between pre-report publication history and proportion of sentences focused on the IOM report. A borderline-significant difference (P = 0·058) was observed between pre-report articles highlighting the benefits of vitamin D and the absence of reference to potential risks of vitamin D overconsumption. Our findings suggest that newspaper articles did not consistently or comprehensively report the IOM recommendations and that pre-report publication history of reporters was related to post-report article content.

Parent-Child Agreement on Parent-to-Child Maltreatment.

PubMed

Compier-de Block, Laura H C G; Alink, Lenneke R A; Linting, Mariëlle; van den Berg, Lisa J M; Elzinga, Bernet M; Voorthuis, Alexandra; Tollenaar, Marieke S; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J

2017-01-01

Parent-child agreement on child maltreatment was examined in a multigenerational study. Questionnaires on perpetrated and experienced child maltreatment were completed by 138 parent-child pairs. Multi-level analyses were conducted to explore whether parents and children agreed about levels of parent-to-child maltreatment (convergence), and to examine whether parents and children reported equal levels of child maltreatment (absolute differences). Direct and moderating effects of age and gender were examined as potential factors explaining differences between parent and child report. The associations between parent- and child-reported maltreatment were significant for all subtypes, but the strength of the associations was low to moderate. Moreover, children reported more parent-to-child neglect than parents did. Older participants reported more experienced maltreatment than younger participants, without evidence for differences in actual exposure. These findings support the value of multi-informant assessment of child maltreatment to improve accuracy, but also reveal the divergent perspectives of parents and children on child maltreatment.

Optimal assessment of parenting, or how I learned to stop worrying and love reporter disagreement.

PubMed

Schofield, Thomas J; Parke, Ross D; Coltrane, Scott; Weaver, Jennifer M

2016-08-01

The purpose of this study was to examine differences and similarities across ratings of parenting by preadolescents, parents, and observers. Two hundred forty-one preadolescents rated their parents on warmth and harshness. Both mothers and fathers self-reported on these same dimensions, and observers rated each parents' warmth and harshness during a 10 min interaction task with the preadolescent. For the majority of outcomes assessed, the differences between preadolescent, parent, and observer ratings accounted for significant amounts of variance, beyond the levels accounted for by the average of their reports. A replication sample of 929 mother-child dyads provided a similar pattern of results. This methodology can help standardize the study of reporter differences, supports modeling of rater-specific variance as true score, and illustrates the benefits of collecting parenting data from multiple reporters. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

High-dose tranexamic acid reduces intraoperative and postoperative blood loss in posterior lumbar interbody fusion.

PubMed

Kushioka, Junichi; Yamashita, Tomoya; Okuda, Shinya; Maeno, Takafumi; Matsumoto, Tomiya; Yamasaki, Ryoji; Iwasaki, Motoki

2017-03-01

OBJECTIVE Tranexamic acid (TXA), a synthetic antifibrinolytic drug, has been reported to reduce blood loss in orthopedic surgery, but there have been few reports of its use in spine surgery. Previous studies included limitations in terms of different TXA dose regimens, different levels and numbers of fused segments, and different surgical techniques. Therefore, the authors decided to strictly limit TXA dose regimens, surgical techniques, and fused segments in this study. There have been no reports of using TXA for prevention of intraoperative and postoperative blood loss in posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF). The purpose of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of high-dose TXA in reducing blood loss and its safety during single-level PLIF. METHODS The study was a nonrandomized, case-controlled trial. Sixty consecutive patients underwent single-level PLIF at a single institution. The first 30 patients did not receive TXA. The next 30 patients received 2000 mg of intravenous TXA 15 minutes before the skin incision was performed and received the same dose again 16 hours after the surgery. Intra- and postoperative blood loss was compared between the groups. RESULTS There were no statistically significant differences in preoperative parameters of age, sex, body mass index, preoperative diagnosis, or operating time. The TXA group experienced significantly less intraoperative blood loss (mean 253 ml) compared with the control group (mean 415 ml; p < 0.01). The TXA group also had significantly less postoperative blood loss over 40 hours (mean 321 ml) compared with the control group (mean 668 ml; p < 0.01). Total blood loss in the TXA group (mean 574 ml) was significantly lower than in the control group (mean 1080 ml; p < 0.01). From 2 hours to 40 hours, postoperative blood loss in the TXA group was consistently significantly lower. There were no perioperative complications, including thromboembolic events. CONCLUSIONS High-dose TXA significantly reduced both intra- and postoperative blood loss without causing any complications during or after single-level PLIF.

Genetic and environmental contributions to anxiety among Chinese children and adolescents--a multi-informant twin study.

PubMed

Chen, Jie; Yu, Jing; Li, Xinying; Zhang, Jianxin

2015-05-01

Child and adolescent anxiety has become a major public health concern in China, but little was known about the etiology of anxiety in Chinese children and adolescents. The present study aimed to investigate genetic and environmental influences on trait anxiety among Chinese children and adolescents. Rater, sex, and age differences on these estimates were also examined. Self-reported and parent-reported child's trait anxiety was collected from 1,104 pairs of same-sex twins aged 9-18 years. Genetic models were fitted to data from each informant to determine the genetic (A), shared (C), and non-shared environmental (E) influences on trait anxiety. The parameter estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of A, C, E on self-reported trait anxiety were 50% [30%, 60%], 5% [0%, 24%], 45% [40%, 49%]. For parent-reported data, the corresponding parameter estimates were 63% [47%, 78%], 13% [1%, 28%], and 24% [22%, 27%], respectively. The heritability of anxiety was higher in girls for self-reported data, but higher in boys for parent-reported data. There was no significant age difference in genetic and environmental contributions for self-reported data, but a significant increase of heritability with age for parent-reported data. The trait anxiety in Chinese children and adolescents was highly heritable. Non-shared environmental factors also played an important role. The estimates of genetic and environmental effects differed by rater, sex and age. Our findings largely suggest the cross-cultural generalizability of the etiological model of child and adolescent anxiety. © 2014 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Adverse drug event profile associated with pregabalin among patients with and without cancer: analysis of a spontaneous reporting database.

PubMed

Kose, Eiji

2018-03-25

Pregabalin is used for the relief of neuropathic pain in patients with and without cancer. However, no report has examined whether there is a difference in the adverse drug event (ADE) profile of pregabalin in each context. We aimed to establish whether pregabalin's ADE profile was different between patients with and without cancer. This study was based on the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database, which is a spontaneous reporting database. Reports obtained from the JADER database were analysed from April 2004 to December 2016 for ADEs, using reporting odds ratios (RORs), a method of disproportionality analysis. We evaluated the association between the RORs and ADEs of pregabalin and compared the age, dosage and time at which ADEs occurred in patients with and without cancer. The primary outcome was RORs. Secondary outcomes were expression age and time-to-onset of ADE among patients with and without cancer. In total, 426 216 reports from the JADER database were analysed. The major side effects associated with pregabalin among both patient groups were interstitial pneumonia, renal failure, liver failure, altered consciousness, heart failure and rhabdomyolysis. The pregabalin dose was significantly higher in patients with cancer than in those without cancer. Furthermore, the times to reporting of interstitial pneumonia, altered consciousness and liver failure were significantly shorter in patients with cancer than in those without cancer. The ADE profiles of pregabalin were broadly similar among patients with and without cancer, but time-to-onset and type of some ADEs may be different. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms in adults with autism spectrum disorders.

PubMed

Johnston, Kate; Dittner, Antonia; Bramham, Jessica; Murphy, Clodagh; Knight, Anya; Russell, Ailsa

2013-08-01

Features of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and impairments on neuropsychological, tests of attention have been documented in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). To date, there has been a lack of research comparing attention in adults with ASD and adults with ADHD. In study 1, 31 adults with ASD and average intellectual function completed self-report measures of ADHD symptoms. These were compared with self-report measures of ADHD symptoms in 38 adults with ADHD and 29 general population controls. In study 2, 28 adults with a diagnosis of ASD were compared with an age- and intelligence quotient-matched sample of 28 adults with ADHD across a range of measures of attention. Study 1 showed that 36.7% of adults with ASD met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV criteria for current ADHD "caseness" (Barkley Current self-report scores questionnaire). Those with a diagnosis of pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified were most likely to describe ADHD symptoms. The ASD group differed significantly from both the ADHD and control groups on total and individual symptom self-report scores. On neuropsychological testing, adults with ASD and ADHD showed comparable performance on tests of selective attention. Significant group differences were seen on measures of attentional switching; adults with ADHD were significantly faster and more inaccurate, and individuals with Asperger's syndrome showed a significantly slower and more accurate response style. Self-reported rates of ADHD among adults with ASD are significantly higher than in the general adult population and may be underdiagnosed. Adults with ASD have attentional difficulties on some neuropsychological measures. © 2013 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Vital Signs Are Not Associated with Self-Reported Acute Pain Intensity in the Emergency Department.

PubMed

Daoust, Raoul; Paquet, Jean; Bailey, Benoit; Lavigne, Gilles; Piette, Éric; Sanogo, Karine; Chauny, Jean-Marc

2016-01-01

This study aimed to ascertain the association between self-reported pain intensity and vital signs in both emergency department (ED) patients and a subgroup of patients with diagnosed conditions known to produce significant pain. We performed a retrospective analysis of real-time, archived data from an electronic medical record system at an urban teaching hospital and regional community hospital. We included consecutive ED patients ≥16 years old who had a self-reported pain intensity ≥1 as measured during triage, from March 2005 to December 2012. The primary outcome was vital signs for self-reported pain intensity levels (mild, moderate, severe) on an 11-point verbal numerical scale. Changes in pain intensity levels were also compared to variations in vital signs. Both analyses were repeated on a subgroup of patients with diagnosed conditions recognized to produce significant pain: fracture, dislocation, or renal colic. We included 153,567 patients (mean age of 48.4±19.3 years; 55.5% women) triaged with pain (median intensity of 7/10±3). Of these, 8.9% of patients had diagnosed conditions recognized to produce significant pain. From the total sample, the difference between mild and severe pain categories was 2.7 beats/minutes (95% CI: 2.4-3.0) for heart rate and 0.13 mm Hg (95% CI: -0.26-0.52) for systolic blood pressure. These differences generated small effect sizes and were not clinically significant. Results were similar for patients who experienced changes in pain categories and for those conditions recognized to produce significant pain. Health care professionals cannot use vital signs to estimate or substantiate self-reported pain intensity levels or changes over time.

A Social Domain Approach to Informant Discrepancies in Parental Solicitation and Family Rules.

PubMed

Metzger, Aaron; Babskie, Elizabeth; Olson, Rebecca; Romm, Katelyn

2016-10-01

An extensive body of research has explored the effects of parental monitoring on adolescent outcomes, but studies consistently find substantial discrepancies between parent and adolescent reports of different monitoring behaviors. Little research has examined whether parents and adolescents are more or less discrepant when reporting on parents' rules or solicitation for different adolescent problem and health risk behaviors and few studies have explored potential explanatory variables to explicate individual variability in parent-adolescent discrepant reporting. To address this gap in the literature, the current study examined discrepancies in mother-adolescent reports of family rules and solicitation across five distinct adolescent behaviors: personal behaviors and four different risk behaviors (alcohol-related, cyber, over- and under-eating). Participants were 143 mother-adolescent dyads (Adolescent M age  = 14.42, SD = 1.73, range = 12-18, 81 % white, 60 % female). Mean-level discrepancies between maternal and adolescent reports significantly differed by category of adolescent behavior and also varied as a function of reported parental monitoring behavior (rules vs. solicitation). Discrepancies in mother-adolescent reports of behavior-specific rules and solicitation were positively associated with discrepancies in mother and adolescent judgments of the harmfulness of the activities. The results demonstrate that discrepancies in mother-adolescent reports of family process differ by category of adolescent behavior and may be undergirded by differences in mother and adolescent informational assumptions about the potential harm involved with different activities.

Dream Recall Frequencies and Dream Content in Wilson's Disease with and without REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder: A Neurooneirologic Study.

PubMed

Tribl, Gotthard G; Trindade, Mateus C; Schredl, Michael; Pires, Joana; Reinhard, Iris; Bittencourt, Thais; Lorenzi-Filho, Geraldo; Alves, Rosana Cardoso; de Andrade, Daniel Ciampi; Fonoff, Erich T; Bor-Seng-Shu, Edson; Machado, Alexandre A; Teixeira, Manoel J; Barbosa, Egberto R

2016-01-01

Objective. Violent dream content and its acting out during rapid eye movement sleep are considered distinctive for rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder (RBD). This study reports first quantitative data on dreaming in a cohort of patients with treated Wilson's disease (WD) and in patients with WD with RBD. Methods. Retrospective questionnaires on different dimensions of dreaming and a prospective two-week home dream diary with self-rating of emotions and blinded, categorical rating of content by an external judge. Results. WD patients showed a significantly lower dream word count and very few other differences in dream characteristics compared to age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Compared to WD patients without RBD, patients with WD and RBD reported significantly higher nightmare frequencies and more dreams with violent or aggressive content retrospectively; their prospectively collected dream reports contained significantly more negative emotions and aggression. Conclusions. The reduction in dream length might reflect specific cognitive deficits in WD. The lack of differences regarding dream content might be explained by the established successful WD treatment. RBD in WD had a strong impact on dreaming. In accordance with the current definition of RBD, violent, aggressive dream content seems to be a characteristic of RBD also in WD.

Dream Recall Frequencies and Dream Content in Wilson's Disease with and without REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder: A Neurooneirologic Study

PubMed Central

Trindade, Mateus C.; Schredl, Michael; Pires, Joana; Reinhard, Iris; Bittencourt, Thais; Lorenzi-Filho, Geraldo; Alves, Rosana Cardoso; de Andrade, Daniel Ciampi; Fonoff, Erich T.; Bor-Seng-Shu, Edson; Machado, Alexandre A.; Teixeira, Manoel J.; Barbosa, Egberto R.

2016-01-01

Objective. Violent dream content and its acting out during rapid eye movement sleep are considered distinctive for rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder (RBD). This study reports first quantitative data on dreaming in a cohort of patients with treated Wilson's disease (WD) and in patients with WD with RBD. Methods. Retrospective questionnaires on different dimensions of dreaming and a prospective two-week home dream diary with self-rating of emotions and blinded, categorical rating of content by an external judge. Results. WD patients showed a significantly lower dream word count and very few other differences in dream characteristics compared to age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Compared to WD patients without RBD, patients with WD and RBD reported significantly higher nightmare frequencies and more dreams with violent or aggressive content retrospectively; their prospectively collected dream reports contained significantly more negative emotions and aggression. Conclusions. The reduction in dream length might reflect specific cognitive deficits in WD. The lack of differences regarding dream content might be explained by the established successful WD treatment. RBD in WD had a strong impact on dreaming. In accordance with the current definition of RBD, violent, aggressive dream content seems to be a characteristic of RBD also in WD. PMID:27051076

Defining travel-associated cases of enteric fever.

PubMed

Freedman, Joanne; Lighton, Lorraine; Jones, Jane

2014-01-01

There is no internationally recognized case-definition for travel-associated enteric fever in non-endemic countries. This study describes the patterns of case reporting between 2007 and 2011 as travel-associated or not from the surveillance data in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (EWNI), before and after a change in the time component of the case-definition in January 2011. It examines in particular the role of a time frame based on the reported typical incubation period in defining a case of travel-associated enteric fever. The results showed no significant differences in the distribution of cases of enteric fever in regards to the interval between the onset and UK arrival in 2011 compared to 2007-2010 (p=0.98 for typhoid and paratyphoid A); the distribution for paratyphoid B was also similar in both time periods. During 2007-2010, 93% (1730/1853) of all of the cases were classified as travel-associated compared to 94% (448/477) in 2011. This difference was not statistically significant. Changing the time component of the definition of travel-associated enteric fever did not make a significant difference to the proportion of travel-associated cases reported by investigators. Our analysis suggests that time might be subordinate to other considerations when investigators classify a case as travel-associated. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diminished facial emotion expression and associated clinical characteristics in Anorexia Nervosa.

PubMed

Lang, Katie; Larsson, Emma E C; Mavromara, Liza; Simic, Mima; Treasure, Janet; Tchanturia, Kate

2016-02-28

This study aimed to investigate emotion expression in a large group of children, adolescents and adults with Anorexia Nervosa (AN), and investigate the associated clinical correlates. One hundred and forty-one participants (AN=66, HC= 75) were recruited and positive and negative film clips were used to elicit emotion expressions. The Facial Activation Coding system (FACES) was used to code emotion expression. Subjective ratings of emotion were collected. Individuals with AN displayed less positive emotions during the positive film clip compared to healthy controls (HC). There was no significant difference between the groups on the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS). The AN group displayed emotional incongruence (reporting a different emotion to what would be expected given the stimuli, with limited facial affect to signal the emotion experienced), whereby they reported feeling significantly higher rates of negative emotion during the positive clip. There were no differences in emotion expression between the groups during the negative film clip. Despite this individuals with AN reported feeling significantly higher levels of negative emotions during the negative clip. Diminished positive emotion expression was associated with more severe clinical symptoms, which could suggest that these individuals represent a group with serious social difficulties, which may require specific attention in treatment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hyaluronic acid injection therapy for osteoarthritis of the knee: concordant efficacy and conflicting serious adverse events in two systematic reviews.

PubMed

O'Hanlon, Claire E; Newberry, Sydne J; Booth, Marika; Grant, Sean; Motala, Aneesa; Maglione, Margaret A; FitzGerald, John D; Shekelle, Paul G

2016-11-04

The prevalence of knee osteoarthritis (OA)/degenerative joint disease (DJD) is increasing in the USA. Systematic reviews of treatment efficacy and adverse events (AEs) of hyaluronic acid (HA) injections report conflicting evidence about the balance of benefits and harms. We review evidence on efficacy and AEs of intraarticular viscosupplementation with HA in older individuals with knee osteoarthritis and account for differences in these conclusions from another systematic review. We searched PubMed and eight other databases and gray literature sources from 1990 to December 12, 2014. Double-blind placebo-controlled randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting functional outcomes or quality-of-life; RCTs and observational studies on delay/avoidance of arthroplasty; RCTs, case reports, and large cohort studies and case series assessing safety; and systematic reviews reporting on knee pain were considered for inclusion. A standardized, pre-defined protocol was applied by two independent reviewers to screen titles and abstracts, review full text, and extract details on study design, interventions, outcomes, and quality. We compared our results with those of a prior systematic review and found them to be discrepant; our analysis of why this discrepancy occurred is the focus of this manuscript. Eighteen RCTs reported functional outcomes: pooled analysis of ten placebo-controlled, blinded trials showed a standardized mean difference of -0.23 (95 % confidence interval (CI) -0.45 to -0.01) favoring HA at 6 months. Studies reported few serious adverse events (SAEs) and no significant differences in non-serious adverse events (NSAEs) (relative risk (RR) [95 % CI] 1.03 [0.93-1.15] or SAEs (RR [95 % CI] 1.39 [0.78-2.47]). A recent prior systematic review reported similar functional outcomes, but significant SAE risk. Differences in SAE inclusion and synthesis accounted for the disparate conclusions. Trials show a small but significant effect of HA on function on which recent systematic reviews agree, but lack of AE synthesis standardization leads to opposite conclusions about the balance of benefits and harms. A limitation of the re-analysis of the prior systematic review is that it required imputation of missing data.

Factors associated with reporting of medication errors by Israeli nurses.

PubMed

Kagan, Ilya; Barnoy, Sivia

2008-01-01

This study investigated medication error reporting among Israeli nurses, the relationship between nurses' personal views about error reporting, and the impact of the safety culture of the ward and hospital on this reporting. Nurses (n = 201) completed a questionnaire related to different aspects of error reporting (frequency, organizational norms of dealing with errors, and personal views on reporting). The higher the error frequency, the more errors went unreported. If the ward nurse manager corrected errors on the ward, error self-reporting decreased significantly. Ward nurse managers have to provide good role models.

Assessment of life stress in gay and bisexual men with the gay affect and life events scale.

PubMed

Malcolm, James P

2002-01-01

The Gay Affect and Life Events Scale (GALES) was administered to a sample of gay-identified and non-gay-identified behaviourally bisexual married men (n = 186) and a comparative sample of never-married gay-identified men (n = 33). All participants in the study reported moderate levels of life stress in the preceding six months. No significant differences were found between the ever-married and never-married groups on the Overall Stress Value Score (OSV) of the GALES. Among the ever-married, those who identified as gay/homosexual reported significantly higher life stress than those who identified as bisexual. No differences were found within the ever-married between those who remained with their heterosexual partner and those who had separated. Difficulties in the use of the Nott and Vedhara (1995) version of the GALES with both gay men and populations of behaviourally bisexual men are reported.

Psychological comorbidities and their relationship to self-reported handicap in samples of dizzy patients.

PubMed

Piker, Erin G; Jacobson, Gary P; McCaslin, Devin L; Grantham, Sarah L

2008-04-01

Factors such as anxiety, depression, somatic awareness, autonomic symptoms, and differences in coping strategies are known to affect dizziness handicap. We studied these factors in 63 consecutive "dizzy" patients. This sample was subgrouped into normals and patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, compensated and uncompensated unilateral peripheral vestibular system impairment, or abnormal vestibular evoked myogenic potential as a single significant diagnostic finding. Results showed that (1) anxiety and depression occur with greater frequency in dizzy patients than in the normal population; (2) the magnitude of anxiety, depression, somatization, and autonomic symptoms does not differ significantly in subgroups of patients; (3) women tended to report greater handicap and somatic/autonomic symptoms; and (4) Dizziness Handicap Inventory total scores were correlated with patients' complaints of somatic/autonomic symptoms, anxiety, depression, and coping strategies. These findings suggest that self-reported measures represent unique pieces of information important for the management of dizzy patients.

Enzyme replacement therapy for Anderson-Fabry disease.

PubMed

El Dib, Regina; Gomaa, Huda; Carvalho, Raíssa Pierri; Camargo, Samira E; Bazan, Rodrigo; Barretti, Pasqual; Barreto, Fellype C

2016-07-25

Anderson-Fabry disease is an X-linked defect of glycosphingolipid metabolism. Progressive renal insufficiency is a major source of morbidity, additional complications result from cardio- and cerebro-vascular involvement. Survival is reduced among affected males and symptomatic female carriers.This is an update of a Cochrane review first published in 2010, and previously updated in 2013. To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of enzyme replacement therapy compared to other interventions, placebo or no interventions, for treating Anderson-Fabry disease. We searched the Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Disorders Group's Inborn Errors of Metabolism Trials Register (date of the most recent search: 08 July 2016). We also searched 'Clinical Trials' on The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Embase and LILACS (date of the most recent search: 24 September 2015). Randomized controlled trials of agalsidase alfa or beta in participants diagnosed with Anderson-Fabry disease. Two authors selected relevant trials, assessed methodological quality and extracted data. Nine trials comparing either agalsidase alfa or beta in 351 participants fulfilled the selection criteria.Both trials comparing agalsidase alfa to placebo reported on globotriaosylceramide concentration in plasma and tissue; aggregate results were non-significant. One trial reported pain scores measured by the Brief Pain Inventory severity, there was a statistically significant improvement for participants receiving treatment at up to three months, mean difference -2.10 (95% confidence interval -3.79 to -0.41; at up to five months, mean difference -1.90 (95% confidence interval -3.65 to -0.15); and at up to six months, mean difference -2.00 (95% confidence interval -3.66 to -0.34). There was a significant difference in the Brief Pain Inventory pain-related quality of life at over five months and up to six months, mean difference -2.10 (95% confidence interval -3.92 to -0.28) but not at other time points. Death was not an outcome in either of the trials.One of the three trials comparing agalsidase beta to placebo reported on globotriaosylceramide concentration in plasma and tissue and showed significant improvement: kidney, mean difference -1.70 (95% confidence interval -2.09 to -1.31); heart, mean difference -0.90 (95% confidence interval -1.18 to -0.62); and composite results (renal, cardiac, and cerebrovascular complications and death), mean difference -4.80 (95% confidence interval -5.45 to -4.15). There was no significant difference between groups for death; no trials reported on pain.Only two trials compared agalsidase alfa to agalsidase beta. One of them showed no significant difference between the groups regarding adverse events, risk ratio 0.36 (95% confidence interval 0.08 to 1.59), or any serious adverse events; risk ratio 0.30; (95% confidence interval 0.03 to 2.57).Two trials compared different dosing schedules of agalsidase alfa. One of them involved three different doses (0.2 mg/kg every two weeks; 0.1 mg/kg weekly and; 0.2 mg/kg weekly), the other trial evaluated two further doses to the dosage schedules: 0.4 mg/kg every week and every other week. Both trials failed to show significant differences with various dosing schedules on globotriaosylceramide levels. No significant differences were found among the schedules for the primary efficacy outcome of self-assessed health state, or for pain scores.One trial comparing agalsidase alfa to agalsidase beta showed no significant difference for any adverse events such as dyspnoea and hypertension.The methodological quality of the included trials was generally unclear for the random sequence generation and allocation concealment. Trials comparing enzyme replacement therapy to placebo show significant improvement with enzyme replacement therapy in regard to microvascular endothelial deposits of globotriaosylceramide and in pain-related quality of life. There is, however, no evidence identifying if the alfa or beta form is superior or the optimal dose or frequency of enzyme replacement therapy. With regards to safety, adverse events (i.e., rigors, fever) were more significant in the agalsidase beta as compared to placebo. The long-term influence of enzyme replacement therapy on risk of morbidity and mortality related to Anderson-Fabry disease remains to be established. This review highlights the need for continued research into the use of enzyme replacement therapy for Anderson-Fabry disease.

Autograft versus nonirradiated allograft tissue for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a systematic review.

PubMed

Mariscalco, Michael W; Magnussen, Robert A; Mehta, Divyesh; Hewett, Timothy E; Flanigan, David C; Kaeding, Christopher C

2014-02-01

An autograft has traditionally been the gold standard for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), but the use of allograft tissue has increased in recent years. While numerous studies have demonstrated that irradiated allografts are associated with increased failure rates, some report excellent results after ACLR with nonirradiated allografts. The purpose of this systematic review was to determine whether the use of nonirradiated allograft tissue is associated with poorer outcomes when compared with autografts. Patients undergoing ACLR with autografts versus nonirradiated allografts will demonstrate no significant differences in graft failure risk, laxity on postoperative physical examination, or differences in patient-oriented outcome scores. Systematic review. A systematic review was performed to identify prospective or retrospective comparative studies (evidence level 1, 2, or 3) of autografts versus nonirradiated allografts for ACLR. Outcome data included graft failure based on clinical findings and instrumented laxity, postoperative laxity on physical examination, and patient-reported outcome scores. Studies were excluded if they did not specify whether the allograft had been irradiated. Quality assessment and data extraction were performed by 2 examiners. Nine studies comparing autografts and nonirradiated allografts were included. Six of the 9 studies compared bone-patellar tendon-bone (BPTB) autografts with BPTB allografts. Two studies compared hamstring tendon autografts to hamstring tendon allografts, and 1 study compared hamstring tendon autografts to tibialis anterior allografts. The mean patient age in 7 of 9 studies ranged from 24.5 to 32 years, with 1 study including only patients older than 40 years and another not reporting patient age. The mean follow-up duration was 24 to 94 months. Six of 9 studies reported clinical graft failure rates, 8 of 9 reported postoperative instrumented laxity measurements, 7 of 9 reported postoperative physical examination findings, and all studies reported patient-reported outcome scores. This review demonstrated no statistically significant difference between autografts and nonirradiated allografts in any outcome measure. No significant differences were found in graft failure rate, postoperative laxity, or patient-reported outcome scores when comparing ACLR with autografts to nonirradiated allografts in this systematic review. These findings apply to patients in their late 20s and early 30s. Caution is advised when considering extrapolation of these findings to younger, more active cohorts.

Hazards of benchmarking complications with the National Trauma Data Bank: numerators in search of denominators.

PubMed

Kardooni, Shahrzad; Haut, Elliott R; Chang, David C; Pierce, Charles A; Efron, David T; Haider, Adil H; Pronovost, Peter J; Cornwell, Edward E

2008-02-01

Complication rates after trauma may serve as important indicators of quality of care. Meaningful performance benchmarks for complication rates require reference standards from valid and reliable data. Selection of appropriate numerators and denominators is a major consideration for data validity in performance improvement and benchmarking. We examined the suitability of the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) as a reference for benchmarking trauma center complication rates. We selected the five most commonly reported complications in the NTDB v. 6.1 (pneumonia, urinary tract infection, acute respiratory distress syndrome, deep vein thrombosis, myocardial infarction). We compared rates for each complication using three different denominators defined by different populations at risk. A-all patients from all 700 reporting facilities as the denominator (n = 1,466,887); B-only patients from the 441 hospitals reporting at least one complication (n = 1,307,729); C-patients from hospitals reporting at least one occurrence of each specific complication, giving a unique denominator for each complication (n range = 869,675-1,167,384). We also looked at differences in hospital characteristics between complication reporters and nonreporters. There was a 12.2% increase in the rate of each complication when patients from facilities not reporting any complications were excluded from the denominator. When rates were calculated using a unique denominator for each complication, rates increased 25% to 70%. The change from rate A to rate C produced a new rank order for the top five complications. When compared directly, rates B and C were also significantly different for all complications (all p < 0.01). Hospitals that reported complication information had significantly higher annual admissions and were more likely to be designated level I or II trauma centers and be university teaching hospitals. There is great variability in complication data reported in the NTDB that may introduce bias and significantly influence rates of complications reported. This potential for bias creates a challenge for appropriately interpreting complication rates for hospital performance benchmarking. We recognize the value of large aggregated registries such as the NTDB as a valuable tool for benchmarking and performance improvement purposes. However, we strongly advocate the need for conscientious selection of numerators and denominators that serve as the basic foundation for research.

Effects of rearview cameras and rear parking sensors on police-reported backing crashes.

PubMed

Cicchino, Jessica B

2017-11-17

The objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of rearview cameras, rear parking sensors, and both systems combined in preventing police-reported backing crashes. Negative binomial regression was used to compare rates of police-reported backing crash involvements per insured vehicle year in 22 U.S. states during 2009-2014 between passenger vehicle models with backing technologies and the same vehicle models where the optional systems were not purchased, controlling for other factors affecting crash risk. Rearview cameras were examined from four automakers, rear parking sensors from 2 automakers, and both systems combined from a single automaker. Rearview cameras reduced backing crash involvement rates by 17%. Reductions were larger for drivers 70 and older (36%) than for drivers younger than 70 (16%); however, estimates for older and younger drivers did not differ significantly from one another. The Buick Lucerne's rear parking sensor system reduced backing crash involvement rates significantly by 34%, but the reduction for Mercedes-Benz vehicles fit with a sensor system was small and not statistically significant. When averaged between the 2 automakers, effects were significantly larger for drivers 70 and older (38% reduction) than for drivers younger than 70 (1% increase); effects were significant for older but not younger drivers. Backing crash involvement rates were 13% lower among Mercedes-Benz vehicles with a rearview camera and parking sensors than among vehicles without, but this finding was not significant. Rearview cameras are effective in preventing police-reported backing crashes. Effects of rear parking sensors are less straightforward; it is unclear whether the Buick Lucerne system's benefits are due to the older age of its drivers, characteristics of the vehicle or system, or a combination. Systems may be especially beneficial to older drivers who might have limitations that make backing challenging. Although effect estimates did not differ significantly between older and younger drivers for both system types, the magnitude of the differences was large and the pattern of results was consistent across 6 of the 7 systems examined. When rear visibility systems become required equipment on new passenger vehicles in 2018, rearview cameras can be expected to prevent 1 in 6 backing crashes reported to police that involve equipped vehicles.

Transfer of preterm infants from incubator to open cot at lower versus higher body weight.

PubMed

New, Karen; Flenady, Vicki; Davies, Mark W

2011-09-07

A key criterion for discharging preterm infants home from nurseries is their ability to maintain temperature once transferred from incubators to open cots. The timing of transfer is important given the preterm infant's immature thermoregulatory mechanisms. To determine the effects of body weight in transferring preterm infants from incubators to unheated open cots. Electronic databases, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, clinical trials registers and the abstracts of the Society for Pediatric Research were searched. Randomised and quasi-randomised controlled trials comparing transfer of preterm infants from incubators to unheated open cots at lower and higher body weights. Data collection and analysis was performed in accordance with the methods of the Cochrane Neonatal Review Group. Four eligible studies were identified. Two of the identified trials were assessed as having good methodological quality. Two studies reported daily weight gain (calculated as growth velocity); the lower body weight group had a significantly greater daily weight gain [pooled mean difference (MD) 2.66 (95% confidence interval (CI)1.37 to 3.95). One study reported a larger proportion of infants transferred at the higher body weight had an episode of low temperature in the first 72 hours; while no difference between the two groups was found in the proportion of infants experiencing cold stress post-transfer to discharge. Two studies report no difference between the two groups in requiring an overhead heater for temperature maintenance [pooled RR 1.43 (95% CI 0.35 to 1.18). No statistically significant difference was shown for proportion of infants returning to an incubator [three studies (N = 336) [pooled RR 1.78 (95% CI 0.77 to 4.08].Two studies report there was no statistically significant difference in time spent in an open cot post transfer to discharge; while one study found infants transferred at lower weights had a significantly reduced length of stay [MD -9.00 (95% CI -13.29 to -4.71), a second study found no differences between the two groups [MD 0.30 (95% CI -5.11 to 5.71). In these two studies not breastfeeding at discharge was not significantly different between the lower and higher body weight groups [pooled RR 1.02 (95% CI 0.69 to 1.51). Medically stable preterm infants can be transferred to unheated open cots at a lower body weight of 1600 grams without adverse effects on temperature stability or weight gain. Earlier transfer does not necessarily result in earlier discharge.

Motivational readiness for active commuting by university students: incentives and barriers.

PubMed

Cole, Rachel; Leslie, Eva; Donald, Maria; Cerin, Ester; Neller, Anne; Owen, Neville

2008-12-01

Walking for transport can contribute significantly to health-enhancing physical activity. We examined the associations of stages of motivational readiness for active transport with perceived barriers and incentives to walking to and from university among students. Mail-back surveys were completed by 781 students in a regional university in south-east Queensland. They identified one of eight options on motivational readiness for active commuting, which were then classified as: pre-contemplation; contemplation-preparation; or, action-maintenance. Open-ended questions were used to identify relevant barriers and incentives. Logistic regressions were used to examine the barriers and incentives that distinguished between those at different stages of motivational readiness. Barriers most frequently reported were long travel distances, inconvenience and time constraints. Incentives most frequently reported were shorter travel distance, having more time, supportive infrastructure and better security. Those not considering active commuting (pre-contemplation) were significantly more likely to report shorter travel distance as an incentive compared to those in contemplation-preparation. Those in contemplation-preparation were significantly more likely to report lack of motivation, inadequate infrastructure, shorter travel distance and inconvenience as barriers; and, having more time, supportive infrastructure, social support and incentive programs as encouragement. Different barriers and incentives to walking to or from university exist for students in the different stages of motivational readiness for active commuting. Interventions targeted specifically to stage of motivational readiness may be potentially helpful in increasing activity levels, through active transport.

Binge Eating, Purging, or Both: Eating Disorder Psychopathology Findings from an Internet Community Survey

PubMed Central

Roberto, Christina A.; Grilo, Carlos M.; Masheb, Robin M.; White, Marney A.

2010-01-01

Objective This study aimed to compare bulimia nervosa (BN), binge eating disorder (BED), and purging disorder (PD) on clinically significant variables and examine the utility of once versus twice-weekly diagnostic thresholds for disturbed eating behaviors. Method 234 women with BN, BED, or PD were identified through self-report measures via an online survey and categorized based on either once-weekly or twice-weekly disturbed eating behaviors. Results BN emerged as a more severe disorder than BED and PD. The three groups differed significantly in self-reported restraint and disinhibition and the BN and BED groups reported higher levels of depression than PD. For BN, those engaging in behaviors twice-weekly versus once-weekly were more symptomatic. Discussion The BN, BED, and PD groups differed in clinically meaningful ways. Future research need to clarify the relationship between mood disturbances and eating behaviors. Reducing the twice-weekly behavior threshold for BN would capture individuals with clinically significant eating disorders, though the twice-weekly threshold may provide important information about disorder severity for both BN and BED. PMID:19862702

Women with breast cancer: self-reported distress in early survivorship.

PubMed

Lester, Joanne; Crosthwaite, Kara; Stout, Robin; Jones, Rachel N; Holloman, Christopher; Shapiro, Charles; Andersen, Barbara L

2015-01-01

To identify and compare levels of distress and sources of problems among patients with breast cancer in early survivorship. Descriptive, cross-sectional. A National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. 100 breast cancer survivors were selected to represent four time points in the cancer trajectory. Distress was self-reported using the Distress Thermometer and its 38-item problem list. Analysis of variance and chi-square analyses were performed as appropriate. Distress scores, problem reports, and time groups. Participants scored in range of the cutoff of more than 4 (range = 4.1-5.1) from treatment through three months post-treatment. At six months post-treatment, distress levels were significantly lower. Significant differences were found between groups on the total problem list score (p = 0.007) and emotional (p = 0.01) and physical subscale scores (p = 0.003). Comparison of groups at different points in the cancer trajectory found similar elevated levels from diagnosis through three months. Distress remained elevated in early survivorship but significantly decreased at six months post-treatment. Interventions to reduce or prevent distress may improve outcomes in early survivorship.

Nocturnal Eating: Association with Binge Eating, Obesity, and Psychological Distress

PubMed Central

Striegel-Moore, Ruth H.; Rosselli, Francine; Wilson, G. Terence; Perrin, Nancy; Harvey, Kate; DeBar, Lynn

2009-01-01

Objective To examine clinical correlates of nocturnal eating, a core behavioral symptom of night eating syndrome. Method Data from 285 women who had participated in a two-stage screening for binge eating were utilized. Women (n = 41) who reported one or more nocturnal eating episodes in the past 28 days on the Eating Disorder Examination and women who did not report nocturnal eating (n =244) were compared on eating disorder symptomatology, Body Mass Index (BMI), and on measures of psychosocial adjustment. Results Nocturnal eaters were significantly more likely to report binge eating and differed significantly from non-nocturnal eaters (with responses indicating greater disturbance) on weight and shape concern, eating concern, self-esteem, depression, and functional impairment, but not on BMI or dietary restraint. Group differences remained significant in analyses adjusting for binge eating. Conclusions This study confirms the association between nocturnal eating and binge eating previously found in treatment seeking samples yet also suggests that the elevated eating disorder symptoms and decreased psychosocial adjustment observed in nocturnal eaters is not simply a function of binge eating. PMID:19708071

Bisphosphonate therapy for osteogenesis imperfecta.

PubMed

Dwan, Kerry; Phillipi, Carrie A; Steiner, Robert D; Basel, Donald

2016-10-19

Osteogenesis imperfecta is caused by a genetic defect resulting in an abnormal type I collagen bone matrix which typically results in multiple fractures with little or no trauma. Bisphosphonates are used in an attempt to increase bone mineral density and reduce these fractures in people with osteogenesis imperfecta. This is an update of a previously published Cochrane Review. To assess the effectiveness and safety of bisphosphonates in increasing bone mineral density, reducing fractures and improving clinical function in people with osteogenesis imperfecta. We searched the Cochrane Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Disorders Group Inborn Errors of Metabolism Trials Register which comprises references identified from comprehensive electronic database searches, handsearches of journals and conference proceedings. We additionally searched PubMed and major conference proceedings.Date of the most recent search of the Cochrane Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Disorders Group's Inborn Errors of Metabolism Register: 28 April 2016. Randomised and quasi-randomised controlled trials comparing bisphosphonates to placebo, no treatment, or comparator interventions in all types of osteogenesis imperfecta. Two authors independently extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of the included trials. Fourteen trials (819 participants) were included. Overall, the trials were mainly at a low risk of bias, although selective reporting was an issue in several of the trials. Data for oral bisphosphonates versus placebo could not be aggregated; a statistically significant difference favouring oral bisphosphonates in fracture risk reduction and number of fractures was noted in two trials. No differences were reported in the remaining three trials which commented on fracture incidence. Five trials reported data for spine bone mineral density; all found statistically significant increased lumbar spine density z scores for at least one time point studied. For intravenous bisphosphonates versus placebo, aggregated data from two trials showed no statistically significant difference for the number of participants with at least one fracture, risk ratio 0.56 (95% confidence interval 0.30 to 1.06). In the remaining trial no statistically significant difference was noted in fracture incidence. For spine bone mineral density, no statistically significant difference was noted in the aggregated data from two trials, mean difference 9.96 (95% confidence interval -2.51 to 22.43). In the remaining trial a statistically significant difference in mean per cent change in spine bone mineral density z score favoured intravenous bisphosphonates at six and 12 months. Data describing growth, bone pain, and functional outcomes after oral or intravenous bisphosphonate therapy, or both, as compared to placebo were incomplete among all studies, but do not show consistent improvements in these outcomes. Two studies compared different doses of bisphosphonates. No differences were found between doses when bone mineral density, fractures, and height or length z score were assessed. One trial compared oral versus intravenous bisphosphonates and found no differences in primary outcomes. Two studies compared the intravenous bisphosphonates zoledronic acid and pamidronate. There were no significant differences in primary outcome. However, the studies were at odds as to the relative benefit of zoledronic acid over pamidronate for lumbosacral bone mineral density at 12 months. Bisphophonates are commonly prescribed to individuals with osteogenesis imperfecta. Current evidence, albeit limited, demonstrates oral or intravenous bisphosphonates increase bone mineral density in children and adults with this condition. These were not shown to be different in their ability to increase bone mineral density. It is unclear whether oral or intravenous bisphosphonate treatment consistently decreases fractures, though multiple studies report this independently and no studies report an increased fracture rate with treatment. The studies included here do not show bisphosphonates conclusively improve clinical status (reduce pain; improve growth and functional mobility) in people with osteogenesis imperfecta. Given their current widespread and expected continued use, the optimal method, duration of therapy and long-term safety of bisphosphonate therapy require further investigation. In addition, attention should be given to long-term fracture reduction and improvement in quality of life indicators.

Bisphosphonate therapy for osteogenesis imperfecta.

PubMed

Dwan, Kerry; Phillipi, Carrie A; Steiner, Robert D; Basel, Donald

2014-07-23

Osteogenesis imperfecta is caused by a genetic defect resulting in an abnormal type I collagen bone matrix which typically results in multiple fractures with little or no trauma. Bisphosphonates are used in an attempt to increase bone mineral density and reduce these fractures in people with osteogenesis imperfecta. To assess the effectiveness and safety of bisphosphonates in increasing bone mineral density, reducing fractures and improving clinical function in people with osteogenesis imperfecta. We searched the Cochrane Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Disorders Group Inborn Errors of Metabolism Trials Register which comprises references identified from comprehensive electronic database searches, handsearches of journals and conference proceedings. We additionally searched PubMed and major conference proceedings.Date of the most recent search: 07 April 2014. Randomised and quasi-randomised controlled trials comparing bisphosphonates to placebo, no treatment, or comparator interventions in all types of osteogenesis imperfecta. Two authors independently extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of the included trials. Fourteen trials (819 participants) were included. Overall, the trials were mainly at a low risk of bias, although selective reporting was an issue in several of the trials. Data for oral bisphosphonates versus placebo could not be aggregated; a statistically significant difference favouring oral bisphosphonates in fracture risk reduction and number of fractures was noted in two trials. No differences were reported in the remaining three trials which commented on fracture incidence. Five trials reported data for spine bone mineral density; all found statistically significant increased lumbar spine density z scores for at least one time point studied. For intravenous bisphosphonates versus placebo, aggregated data from two trials showed no statistically significant difference for the number of participants with at least one fracture, risk ratio 0.56 (95% confidence interval 0.30 to 1.06). In the remaining trial no statistically significant difference was noted in fracture incidence. For spine bone mineral density, no statistically significant difference was noted in the aggregated data from two trials, mean difference 9.96 (95% confidence interval -2.51 to 22.43). In the remaining trial a statistically significant difference in mean per cent change in spine bone mineral density z score favoured intravenous bisphosphonates at six and 12 months. Data describing growth, bone pain, and functional outcomes after oral or intravenous bisphosphonate therapy, or both, as compared to placebo were incomplete among all studies, but do not show consistent improvements in these outcomes. Two studies compared different doses of bisphosphonates. No differences were found between doses when bone mineral density, fractures, and height or length z score were assessed. One study compared oral versus intravenous bisphosphonates and found no differences in primary outcomes. Two studies compared the intravenous bisphosphonates zoledronic acid and pamidronate. There were no significant differences in primary outcome. However, the studies were at odds as to the relative benefit of zoledronic acid over pamidronate for lumbosacral bone mineral density at 12 months. Bisphophonates are commonly prescribed to individuals with osteogenesis imperfecta. Current evidence, albeit limited, demonstrates oral or intravenous bisphosphonates increase bone mineral density in children and adults with this condition. These were not shown to be different in their ability to increase bone mineral density. It is unclear whether oral or intravenous bisphosphonate treatment consistently decreases fractures, though multiple studies report this independently and no studies report an increased fracture rate with treatment. The studies included here do not show bisphosphonates conclusively improve clinical status (reduce pain; improve growth and functional mobility) in people with osteogenesis imperfecta. Given their current widespread and expected continued use, the optimal method, duration of therapy and long-term safety of bisphosphonate therapy require further investigation. In addition, attention should be given to long-term fracture reduction and improvement in quality of life indicators.

Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate safety for women and their infants during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

PubMed

Mofenson, Lynne M; Baggaley, Rachel C; Mameletzis, Ioannis

2017-01-14

Pregnant/lactating women in some sub-Saharan Africa settings are at substantial risk of HIV acquisition and could benefit from preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), but safety data in pregnancy/lactation are limited. Systematic data review through August 2016. We reviewed research reports/conference abstracts with maternal/child adverse outcome data in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected pregnant/lactating women receiving TDF alone or in combination with other drugs compared with non-TDF regimens. In total, 26 articles in HIV-infected and seven in HIV-uninfected women were identified. No statistically significant differences were observed between TDF and comparison non-TDF regimens in pregnancy incidence, stillbirth/pregnancy loss, preterm delivery less than 37 weeks, low birth weight <2500/<1500 g, small for gestational age, birth defects, or infant (>14 days) or maternal mortality. One study reported significantly higher very preterm delivery (<34 weeks) and neonatal mortality with TDF versus non-TDF antiretroviral therapy (ART), but no significant difference between TDF ART and zidovudine/single-dose nevirapine. Most studies report normal infant linear growth; one study showed slightly lower, and one higher 1-year length-for-age z-score in TDF ART-exposed infants. No significant differences were reported in abnormal laboratory values or bone markers between TDF and non-TDF-exposed infants in four studies. Lower maternal bone mineral density was observed at 74 weeks postpartum in breastfeeding women on TDF ART compared with no ART in one study. Given available safety data, there does not appear to be a safety-related rationale for prohibiting PrEP during pregnancy/lactation or for discontinuing PrEP in HIV-uninfected women receiving PrEP who become pregnant and are at continuing risk of HIV acquisition.

Variations in a university subject pool as a function of earlier or later participation and self-report: a replication and extension.

PubMed

Bernard, Larry C; Walsh, R Patricia

2002-10-01

The present study replicated and extended earlier research on temporal sampling effects in university subject pools. Data were obtained from 236 participants, 79 men and 157 women, in a university subject pool during a 15-wk. semester. Without knowing the purpose of the study, participants self-selected to participate earlier (Weeks 4 and 5; n = 105) or later (Weeks 14 and 15; n = 131). Three hypotheses were investigated: (1) that the personality patterns of earlier and later participants on the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised and the Personality Research Form differ significantly, with earlier participants scoring higher on the latter scales reflecting social responsibility and higher on former Conscientiousness and Neuroticism scales; (2) that there are similar significant differences between participants in the earlier and later groups compared to the male and female college normative samples for the two tests: and (3) that earlier participants will have higher actual Scholastic Assessment Test scores and Grade Point Averages. Also investigated was whether participants' foreknowledge that their actual Scholastic Assessment Test scores and Grade Point Averages would be obtained would affect their accuracy of self-report. In contrast to prior research, neither the first nor second hypothesis was supported by the current study; there do not appear to be consistent differences on personality variables. However, the third hypothesis was supported. Earlier participants had higher actual high school Grade Point Average, college Grade Point Average, and Scholastic Assessment Test Verbal scores. Foreknowledge that actual Scholastic Assessment Test scores and Grade Point Averages would be obtained did not affect the accuracy of self-report. In addition, later participants significantly over-reported their scores, and significantly more women than men and more first-year than senior-year subjects participated in the early group.

Comparing the Self-Report and Measured Smartphone Usage of College Students: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Lee, Heyoung; Ahn, Heejune; Nguyen, Trung Giang; Choi, Sam-Wook; Kim, Dae Jin

2017-03-01

Nowadays smartphone overuse has become a social and medical concern. For the diagnosis and treatment, clinicians use the self-report information, but the report data often does not match actual usage pattern. The paper examines the similarity and variance in smartphone usage patterns between the measured data and self-reported data. Together with the self-reported data, the real usage log data is collected from 35 college students in a metropolitan region of Northeast Asia, using Android smartphone monitoring application developed by the authors. The unconscious users underestimate their usage time by 40%, in spite of 15% more use in the actual usage. Messengers are most-used application regardless of their self-report, and significant preference to SNS applications was observed in addict group. The actual hourly pattern is consistent with the reported one. College students use more in the afternoon, when they have more free time and cannot use PCs. No significant difference in hourly pattern is observed between the measured and self-report. The result shows there are significant cognitive bias in actual usage patterns exists in self report of smartphone addictions. Clinicians are recommended to utilize measurement tools in diagnosis and treatment of smartphone overusing subjects.

Critical difference applied to exercise-induced salivary testosterone and cortisol using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA): distinguishing biological from statistical change.

PubMed

Hayes, Lawrence D; Sculthorpe, Nicholas; Young, John D; Baker, Julien S; Grace, Fergal M

2014-12-01

Due to its noninvasive, convenient, and practical nature, salivary testosterone (sal-T) and cortisol (sal-C) are frequently used in a clinical and applied setting. However, few studies report biological and analytical error and even fewer report the 'critical difference' which is the change required before a true biological difference can be claimed. It was hypothesized that (a) exercise would result in a statistically significant change in sal-C and sal-T and (b) the exercise-induced change would be within the critical difference for both salivary hormones. In study 1, we calculated the critical difference of sal-T and sal-C of 18 healthy adult males aged 23.2 ± 3.0 years every 60 min in a seated position over a 12-h period (08:00-20:00 hours [study 1]). As proof-of-concept, sal-C and sal-T was also obtained pre and at 5 and 60 min post a maximal exercise protocols in a separate group of 17 healthy males (aged 20.1 ± 2.8 years [study 2]). The critical difference of sal-T calculated as 90 %. For sal-C, the critical difference was 148 % (study 1). Maximal exercise was associated with a statistically significant (p < 0.05) changes in sal-T and sal-C. However, these changes were all within the critical difference range. Results from this investigation indicate that a large magnitude of change for sal-C and sal-T is required before a biologically significant mean change can be claimed. Studies utilizing sal-T and sal-C should appreciate the critical difference of these measures and assess the biological significance of any statistical changes.

Ethnic differences in self reported health in Malmö in southern Sweden

PubMed Central

Lindstrom, M; Sundquist, J; Ostergren, P

2001-01-01

STUDY OBJECTIVE—The aim of this study was to investigate ethnic differences in self reported health in the city of Malmö, Sweden, and whether these differences could be explained by psychosocial and economic conditions.
DESIGN/SETTING/PARTICIPANTS—The public health survey in Malmö 1994 was a cross sectional study. A total of 5600 people aged 20-80 years completed a postal questionnaire. The participation rate was 71%. The population was categorised according to country of origin: born in Sweden, other Western countries, Yugoslavia, Poland, Arabic speaking countries and all other countries. The multivariate analysis was performed using a logistic regression model in order to investigate the importance of possible confounders on the differences by country of origin in self reported health. Finally, variables measuring psychosocial and economic conditions were introduced into the model.
MAIN RESULTS—The odds ratios of having poor self reported health were significantly higher among men born in other Western countries, Yugoslavia, Arabic speaking countries and in the category all other countries, as well as among women born in Yugoslavia, Poland and all other countries, compared with men and women born in Sweden. The multivariate analysis including age and education did not change these results. A huge reduction of the odds ratios was observed for men and women born in Yugoslavia, Arabic speaking countries and all other countries, and for women born in Poland after the introduction of the social network, social support and economic factors into the multivariate model.
CONCLUSIONS—There were significant ethnic group differences in self reported health. These differences were greatly reduced by psychosocial and economic factors, which suggest that these factors may be important determinants of self rated health in certain minority groups.


Keywords: self reported health; social network; social support PMID:11154248

[Analysis of acute pesticide poisoning in Ningbo city from 2011 to 2016].

PubMed

Li, X H; Leng, P B; Mao, G C; Wang, A H

2018-01-20

Objective: To analyze the characteristics of acute pesticide poisoning in Ningbo, and to provide scientific basis for the prevention and control strategy. Methods: In February 2017, the pesticide poisoning report card of Ningbo from 2011 to 2016 was drawn from the China Disease Control and prevention information system. The data of the report card was organized by Excel and analyzed by SPSS19.0 software. Results: 2593 cases of acute pesticide poisoning were reported in Ningbo from 2011 to 2016, 125 deaths, and the case fatality rate was 4.82%. The productive pesticide poisoning and unproductive pesticide poisoning were 299 and 2294, respectively, the ratio was 1: 7.67. The case fatality rate were 0.33% and 5.41%, respectively. The difference was statistically significant (χ(2)=14.83, P<0.01). The productive Pesticide poisoning mainly occurred from July to September (55.85%) , the unproductive pesticides mainly occurred from April to June (30.64%) and July to September (30.34%). The seasonal distribution of the pesticide poisoning in the two groups was statistically significant (χ2=82.21, P<0.01). The productive pesticide poisoning in male (80.27%) was significantly higher than the proportion of unproductive pesticide poisoning (52.09%) , the differences in gender composition between the two types of pesticide poisoning was significant (χ2=84.97, P<0.01). The productive pesticide poisoning from 55 to 65 years old group was in the largest number (35.45%) , and the distribution of unproductive pesticide poisoning was uniform in each age group including 25 years old and above, the difference in age composition between two types of pesticide poisoning was statistically significant (χ2=177.84, P<0.01). All of the 10 counties of Ningbo had reports of pesticide poisoning. The counties with more reports were Ninghai county (18.28%) , Fenghua district (14.69%) and Yuyao (12.42%). The acute pesticide poisoning was mainly caused by pesticides and herbicides, mainly in organophosphorus (45.74%) and paraquat (16.81%) . Conclusions: At present, the pesticide poisoning in Ningbo is given priority to unproductive pesticide poisoning currently, seasonal distribution characteristics was obvious, and occurred both in different sex and age groups, suggesting that the relevant departments should carry out targeted health education, and strengthen the management of high toxic and highly toxic pesticides.

Scrub typhus causing neonatal hepatitis with acute liver failure-A case series.

PubMed

Vajpayee, Shailja; Gupta, R K; Gupta, M L

2017-05-01

Neonatal hepatitis with acute liver failure due to varied etiology including various infections is reported in the past. Scrub typhus as a cause of neonatal hepatitis has rarely been reported in literature. A high index of clinical suspicion is required for early diagnosis and timely treatment. Severity and prognosis of the disease varies widely because several different strains of Orientia tsutsugamushi exist with different virulence. Delayed diagnosis can result in complication and significant morbidity and mortality. Here, we report three cases of neonatal hepatitis with acute liver failure caused by scrub typhus to increase awareness.

Accuracy of self-reported height, weight and waist circumference in a Japanese sample.

PubMed

Okamoto, N; Hosono, A; Shibata, K; Tsujimura, S; Oka, K; Fujita, H; Kamiya, M; Kondo, F; Wakabayashi, R; Yamada, T; Suzuki, S

2017-12-01

Inconsistent results have been found in prior studies investigating the accuracy of self-reported waist circumference, and no study has investigated the validity of self-reported waist circumference among Japanese individuals. This study used the diagnostic standard of metabolic syndrome to assess the accuracy of individual's self-reported height, weight and waist circumference in a Japanese sample. Study participants included 7,443 Japanese men and women aged 35-79 years. They participated in a cohort study's baseline survey between 2007 and 2011. Participants' height, weight and waist circumference were measured, and their body mass index was calculated. Self-reported values were collected through a questionnaire before the examination. Strong correlations between measured and self-reported values for height, weight and body mass index were detected. The correlation was lowest for waist circumference (men, 0.87; women, 0.73). Men significantly overestimated their waist circumference (mean difference, 0.8 cm), whereas women significantly underestimated theirs (mean difference, 5.1 cm). The sensitivity of self-reported waist circumference using the cut-off value of metabolic syndrome was 0.83 for men and 0.57 for women. Due to systematic and random errors, the accuracy of self-reported waist circumference was low. Therefore, waist circumference should be measured without relying on self-reported values, particularly in the case of women.

Women's motivations to have sex in casual and committed relationships with male and female partners.

PubMed

Armstrong, Heather L; Reissing, Elke D

2015-05-01

Women report a wide variety of reasons to have sex (e.g., Meston & Buss, 2010), and while it is reasonable to assume that those reasons may vary based on the context of the relationship, this assumption has not yet been tested. The purpose of this study was to explore how relationship type, sexual attraction, and the gender of one's partner interact and affect the sexual motivations of women. A total of 510 women (361 who reported exclusively other-sex attraction and 149 who reported same-sex/bisexual attraction) completed the YSEX? questionnaire. Participants rated their sexual motivations for casual sex and sex in a committed relationship with male and/or female partners, depending on reported sexual attraction. Results showed that relationship type affected reported motivation for sex: physical motivations were more strongly endorsed for casual sex, whereas emotional motivations were more strongly endorsed for sex in committed relationships. No significant differences in motivation were reported between women who reported same-sex attraction and those who did not. Women who reported bisexual attraction and identified as being lesbian, bisexual, or another sexual minority reported no significant differences in motivation for sex with male or female partners. The results of this study highlight the importance of relationship context when discussing sexual motivation and suggest a high degree of similarity in motivation for women, regardless of sexual orientation or gender of partner.

Health smart cards: differing perceptions of emergency department patients and staff.

PubMed

Mohd Rosli, Reizal; Taylor, David McD; Knott, Jonathan C; Das, Atandrila; Dent, Andrew W

2009-02-01

An analytical, cross-sectional survey of 270 emergency department patients and 92 staff undertaken in three tertiary referral hospital emergency departments was completed to compare the perceptions of patients and staff regarding the use of health smart cards containing patient medical records. The study recorded data on a range of health smart card issues including awareness, privacy, confidentiality, security, advantages and disadvantages, and willingness to use. A significantly higher proportion of staff had heard of the card. The perceived disadvantages reported by patients and staff were, overall, significantly different, with the staff reporting more disadvantages. A significantly higher proportion of patients believed that they should choose what information is on the card and who should have access to the information. Patients were more conservative regarding what information should be included, but staff were more conservative regarding who should have access to the information. Significantly fewer staff believed that patients could reliably handle the cards. Overall, however, the cards were considered acceptable and useful, and their introduction would be supported.

Combined Sciatic and Lumbar Plexus Nerve Blocks for the Analgesic Management of Hip Arthroscopy Procedures: A Retrospective Review.

PubMed

Jaffe, J Douglas; Morgan, Theodore Ross; Russell, Gregory B

2017-06-01

Hip arthroscopy is a minimally invasive alternative to open hip surgery. Despite its minimally invasive nature, there can still be significant reported pain following these procedures. The impact of combined sciatic and lumbar plexus nerve blocks on postoperative pain scores and opioid consumption in patients undergoing hip arthroscopy was investigated. A retrospective analysis of 176 patients revealed that compared with patients with no preoperative peripheral nerve block, significant reductions in pain scores to 24 hours were reported and decreased opioid consumption during the post anesthesia care unit (PACU) stay was recorded; no significant differences in opioid consumption out to 24 hours were discovered. A subgroup analysis comparing two approaches to the sciatic nerve block in patients receiving the additional lumbar plexus nerve block failed to reveal a significant difference for this patient population. We conclude that peripheral nerve blockade can be a useful analgesic modality for patients undergoing hip arthroscopy.

Comparison of methodological quality of positive versus negative comparative studies published in Indian medical journals: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Charan, Jaykaran; Chaudhari, Mayur; Jackson, Ryan; Mhaskar, Rahul; Reljic, Tea; Kumar, Ambuj

2015-01-01

Objectives Published negative studies should have the same rigour of methodological quality as studies with positive findings. However, the methodological quality of negative versus positive studies is not known. The objective was to assess the reported methodological quality of positive versus negative studies published in Indian medical journals. Design A systematic review (SR) was performed of all comparative studies published in Indian medical journals with a clinical science focus and impact factor >1 between 2011 and 2013. The methodological quality of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool, and the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for observational studies. The results were considered positive if the primary outcome was statistically significant and negative otherwise. When the primary outcome was not specified, we used data on the first outcome reported in the history followed by the results section. Differences in various methodological quality domains between positive versus negative studies were assessed by Fisher's exact test. Results Seven journals with 259 comparative studies were included in this SR. 24% (63/259) were RCTs, 24% (63/259) cohort studies, and 49% (128/259) case–control studies. 53% (137/259) of studies explicitly reported the primary outcome. Five studies did not report sufficient data to enable us to determine if results were positive or negative. Statistical significance was determined by p value in 78.3% (199/254), CI in 2.8% (7/254), both p value and CI in 11.8% (30/254), and only descriptive in 6.3% (16/254) of studies. The overall methodological quality was poor and no statistically significant differences between reporting of methodological quality were detected between studies with positive versus negative findings. Conclusions There was no difference in the reported methodological quality of positive versus negative studies. However, the uneven reporting of positive versus negative studies (72% vs 28%) indicates a publication bias in Indian medical journals with an impact factor of >1. PMID:26109118

Depression following adult, non-penetrating traumatic brain injury: a meta-analysis examining methodological variables and sample characteristics.

PubMed

Osborn, A J; Mathias, J L; Fairweather-Schmidt, A K

2014-11-01

Depression is one of the most frequently reported psychological problems following TBI, however prevalence estimates vary widely. Methodological and sampling differences may explain some of this variability, but it is not known to what extent. Data from 99 studies examining the prevalence of clinically diagnosed depression (MDD/dysthymia) and self-reports of depression (clinically significant cases or depression scale scores) following adult, non-penetrating TBI were analysed, taking into consideration diagnostic criteria, measure, post-injury interval, and injury severity. Overall, 27% of people were diagnosed with MDD/dysthymia following TBI and 38% reported clinically significant levels of depression when assessed with self-report scales. Estimates of MDD/dysthymia varied according to diagnostic criteria (ICD-10: 14%; DSM-IV: 25%; DSM-III: 47%) and injury severity (mild: 16%; severe: 30%). When self-report measures were used, the prevalence of clinically significant cases of depression differed between scales (HADS: 32%; CES-D: 48%) method of administration (phone: 26%; mail 46%), post-injury interval (range: 33-42%), and injury severity (mild: 64%; severe: 39%). Depression is very common after TBI and has the potential to impact on recovery and quality of life. However, the diagnostic criteria, measure, time post-injury and injury severity, all impact on prevalence rates and must therefore be considered for benchmarking purposes. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of the Safety of Seven Iodinated Contrast Media

PubMed Central

Seong, Jong-Mi; Choi, Nam-Kyong; Lee, Joongyub; Chang, Yoosoo; Kim, Ye-Jee; Yang, Bo Ram; Jin, Xue-Mei; Kim, Ju-Young

2013-01-01

We aimed to determine the characteristic adverse events (AEs) of iodinated contrast media (IOCM) and to compare the safety profiles of different IOCM. This study used the database of AEs reports submitted by healthcare professionals from 15 Regional Pharmacovigilance Centers between June 24, 2009 and December 31, 2010 in Korea. All reports of IOCM, including iopromide, iohexol, iopamidol, iomeprol, ioversol, iobitridol and iodixanol, were analyzed. Safety profiles were compared between different IOCM at the system organ level using the proportional reporting ratio (PRR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Among a total of 48,261 reports, 6,524 (13.5%) reports were related to the use of IOCM. Iopromide (45.5%), iohexol (16.9%), iopamidol (14.3%) and iomeprol (10.3%) were identified as frequently reported media. 'Platelet, bleeding & clotting disorders' (PRR, 29.6; 95%CI, 1.9-472.6) and 'urinary system disorders' (PRR, 22.3; 95% CI, 17.1-29.1) were more frequently reported for iodixanol than the other IOCM. In conclusion, the frequency of AEs by organ class was significantly different between individual media. These differences among different IOCM should be considered when selecting a medium among various IOCM and when monitoring patients during and after its use to ensure optimum usage and patient safety. PMID:24339697

Meta-Analysis of Human Factors Engineering Studies Comparing Individual Differences, Practice Effects and Equipment Design Variations.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-02-21

Approvoid foT public 90Ieleol, 2* . tJni7nited " - . - o . - ’--. * . -... . 1 UNCLASSIFIED S, E CURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE-" REPORT DOCUMENTATION...ACCESSION NO. 11. TITLE (Include Security Classification) . Veta -Analysis of Human Factors Engineering Studies Comparing Individual Differences, Practice...Background C Opportunity D Significance E History III. PHASE I FINAL REPORT A Literature Review B Formal Analysis C Results D Implications for Phase II IV

Assessing Faculty Publication Productivity: Issues of Equity. ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Creamer, Elizabeth G.

This digest summarizes a report of a study of the research literature on faculty publication productivity, with special emphasis on gender as a factor in publishing productivity. Major issues addressed by the report include: (1) the existence of significant gender and race differences in publishing productivity, with women and minorities…

Mothers and fathers of very low-birthweight infants: similarities and differences in the first year after birth.

PubMed

Feeley, Nancy; Gottlieb, Laurie; Zelkowitz, Phyllis

2007-01-01

To compare the psychosocial adjustment and the quality of interaction with their infant of mothers and fathers of very low-birthweight infants at two time points in the first year of the infant's life. Quantitative, longitudinal design. Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of two Canadian urban hospitals. Sixty-one couples who had an infant born weighing less than 1,500 g. State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Parenting Sense of Competence questionnaire, and the Support in Parenting Questionnaire were completed at 3 and 9 months of age. Parent-infant interaction was observed at 9 months and scored with the Nursing Child Assessment Teaching Scale. Fathers' reported parenting self-efficacy was significantly lower than mothers' at both 3 and 9 months of age. Fathers reported more received support than mothers, and the amount of support that both mothers and fathers reported increased significantly from the 3-month to the 9-month assessment. Mothers and fathers reported similar levels of anxiety and perceived helpfulness of the support they received and were equally sensitive and responsive in interactions with their infants at 9 months of age. Similarities and differences between mothers and fathers were observed. It is important for nurses to assess mothers and fathers, how any differences are perceived by the couple, and how any differences might be affecting them during the neonatal intensive care unit hospitalization and in early months after discharge.

JPL Test Effectiveness Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shreck, Stephanie; Sharratt, Stephen; Smith, Joseph F.; Strong, Edward

2008-01-01

1) The pilot study provided meaningful conclusions that are generally consistent with the earlier Test Effectiveness work done between 1992 and 1994: a) Analysis of pre-launch problem/failure reports is consistent with earlier work. b) Analysis of post-launch early mission anomaly reports indicates that there are more software issues in newer missions, and the no-test category for identification of post-launch failures is more significant than in the earlier analysis. 2) Future work includes understanding how differences in Missions effect these analyses: a) There are large variations in the number of problem reports and issues that are documented by the different Projects/Missions. b) Some missions do not have any reported environmental test anomalies, even though environmental tests were performed. 3) Each project/mission has different standards and conventions for filling out the PFR forms, the industry may wish to address this issue: a) Existing problem reporting forms are to document and track problems, failures, and issues (etc.) for the projects, to ensure high quality. b) Existing problem reporting forms are not intended for data mining.

Behavior and Attention Problems in Eight-Year-Old Children with Prenatal Opiate and Poly-Substance Exposure: A Longitudinal Study

PubMed Central

Slinning, Kari; Moe, Vibeke; Walhovd, Kristine B.

2016-01-01

Multiple studies have found that children born to mothers with opioid or poly-substance use during pregnancy have more behavior and attention problems and lower cognitive functioning than non-exposed children. The present study aimed to investigate whether behavior and attention problems are more prominent than general cognitive deficits in this risk group and whether the problems wane or increase over time. This prospective longitudinal cross-informant study compared 72 children who were prenatally exposed to heroin and multiple drugs with a group of 58 children without known prenatal risk factors. Group differences in caregivers’ and teachers’ reports of the children’s behavior and attention problems based on the Child Behavior Check List and the ADHD Rating Scale were compared based on group differences in general cognitive functioning at 4 ½ and 8 ½ years of age. Both parent and teacher reports suggest that the exposed group has significantly more problems in several behavioral areas than the comparison group, particularly with regard to attention problems. The preschool teachers had already reported these problems when the children were 4 ½ years old, whereas the caregivers reported these problems mainly when the children were 8 ½ years old. The group differences in behavioral and attentional problems were not significantly greater and some were even significantly smaller than the group differences in general cognitive abilities. These findings suggest that children subject to prenatally drug exposure have increasing problems in multiple areas related to behavior from preschool age to 8 ½ years but that these problems do not seem to be specific; i.e., they are not more severe than the problems with general cognitive abilities found for this group. PMID:27336798

Self-reported prevalence and health correlates of functional limitation among Massachusetts elderly Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, and non-Hispanic white neighborhood comparison group.

PubMed

Tucker, K L; Falcon, L M; Bianchi, L A; Cacho, E; Bermudez, O I

2000-02-01

Limited data suggest that Puerto Ricans experience greater disability than other ethnic groups, but few studies have examined the factors associated with this apparent difference. We describe the prevalence of functional limitation and disability in a representative sample of Puerto Rican and Dominican elders in Massachusetts, and in a neighborhood comparison group of non-Hispanic whites (NHWs). We then relate disability scores, based on both prevalence and severity of ADL or IADL limitation, with self-reported history of diagnosed health conditions--adjusting for age, sex, body mass index (BMI; weight kg/height m(2)), income, education, living alone, smoking, and alcohol use. Seventy-five percent of Dominican women and 73% of Puerto Rican women reported difficulty with at least one ADL, compared with 64% of NHW women. Puerto Rican men reported significantly more limitation than did NHW or Dominican men. Conditions significantly associated with at least two disability measures among the NHW included smoking, former heavy alcohol use, arthritis, cataract, respiratory disease, and high BMI, but not stroke, diabetes, history of heart attack, or depression. The patterns for Puerto Ricans differed, with the strongest associations between disability and stroke, arthritis, diabetes, and depression, followed by history of heart attack, high BMI, cataract, poverty status, and respiratory disease. Only arthritis and depression were consistently significantly associated with disability among this smaller sample of Dominican elders. Functional limitation and disability are more prevalent among Puerto Ricans and among Dominican women than among neighborhood NHWs in Massachusetts. Greater disability is associated with the presence of chronic health conditions, which differ by ethnic group. Additional research is needed to further define the social and health factors that contribute to these ethnic differences.

Have the attitudes of Australian squash players towards protective eyewear changed over the past decade?

PubMed Central

Eime, R; Finch, C

2002-01-01

Objective: To assess indicative trends in the use of protective eyewear by Australian squash players and their attitudes towards its use since 1989. Methods: Data were extracted from three Australian surveys of squash players conducted in 1989, 1995, and 2000. Responses to directly similar attitudinal questions relating to protective eyewear use from each survey were compared. The proportion of players giving each response was calculated for each survey, along with 95% confidence intervals for the differences between the 2000 survey and those from the earlier surveys. Results: Self reported use of protective eyewear ranged from 10.0% in 1989, to 8.6% in 1995, and 18.8% in 2000. However, only 8.9% of the players surveyed in 2000 actually wore appropriate standards approved/polycarbonate lens eyewear. This can be compared with 8.0% and 2.0% of players who reported wearing appropriate polycarbonate lens eyewear in the 1989 and 1995 surveys respectively. Compared with the 1995 survey, significantly more players in 2000 believed that more players should wear protective eyewear (95% confidence interval (CI) for difference 1 to 18). A significantly higher proportion of players also supported the compulsory use of protective eyewear by juniors in 2000 than in both 1989 (95% CI for difference 6 to 24) and 1995 (95% CI for difference 5 to 22). No other attitudes had significantly changed over the decade. Conclusion: These data suggest that self reported use of protective eyewear has probably increased over the past decade. However, many players report wearing inappropriate eyewear. A transition from positive attitudes to appropriate eyewear behaviours is required before mandatory protective eyewear use can be effectively introduced. PMID:12453839

Assessment of Maximum Aerobic Capacity and Anaerobic Threshold of Elite Ballet Dancers.

PubMed

Wyon, Matthew A; Allen, Nick; Cloak, Ross; Beck, Sarah; Davies, Paul; Clarke, Frances

2016-09-01

An athlete's cardiorespiratory profile, maximal aerobic capacity, and anaerobic threshold is affected by training regimen and competition demands. The present study aimed to ascertain whether there are company rank differences in maximal aerobic capacity and anaerobic threshold in elite classical ballet dancers. Seventy-four volunteers (M 34, F 40) were recruited from two full-time professional classical ballet companies. All participants completed a continuous incremental treadmill protocol with a 1-km/hr speed increase at the end of each 1-min stage until termination criteria had been achieved (e.g., voluntary cessation, respiratory exchange ratio <1.15, HR ±5 bpm of estimated HRmax). Peak VO2 (5-breathe smooth) was recorded and anaerobic threshold calculated using ventilatory curve and ventilatory equivalents methods. Statistical analysis reported between-subject effects for gender (F1,67=35.18, p<0.001) and rank (F1,67=8.67, p<0.001); post hoc tests reported soloists (39.5±5.15 mL/kg/min) as having significantly lower VO2 peak than artists (45.9±5.75 mL/kg/min, p<0.001) and principal dancers (48.07±3.24 mL/kg/min, p<0.001). Significant differences in anaerobic threshold were reported for age (F1,67=7.68, p=0.008) and rank (F1,67=3.56, p=0.034); post hoc tests reported artists (75.8±5.45%) having significantly lower anaerobic threshold than soloists (80.9±5.71, p<0.01) and principals (84.1±4.84%, p<0.001). The observed differences in VO2 peak and anaerobic threshold between the ranks in ballet companies are probably due to the different rehearsal and performance demands.

Behavior and Attention Problems in Eight-Year-Old Children with Prenatal Opiate and Poly-Substance Exposure: A Longitudinal Study.

PubMed

Nygaard, Egil; Slinning, Kari; Moe, Vibeke; Walhovd, Kristine B

2016-01-01

Multiple studies have found that children born to mothers with opioid or poly-substance use during pregnancy have more behavior and attention problems and lower cognitive functioning than non-exposed children. The present study aimed to investigate whether behavior and attention problems are more prominent than general cognitive deficits in this risk group and whether the problems wane or increase over time. This prospective longitudinal cross-informant study compared 72 children who were prenatally exposed to heroin and multiple drugs with a group of 58 children without known prenatal risk factors. Group differences in caregivers' and teachers' reports of the children's behavior and attention problems based on the Child Behavior Check List and the ADHD Rating Scale were compared based on group differences in general cognitive functioning at 4 ½ and 8 ½ years of age. Both parent and teacher reports suggest that the exposed group has significantly more problems in several behavioral areas than the comparison group, particularly with regard to attention problems. The preschool teachers had already reported these problems when the children were 4 ½ years old, whereas the caregivers reported these problems mainly when the children were 8 ½ years old. The group differences in behavioral and attentional problems were not significantly greater and some were even significantly smaller than the group differences in general cognitive abilities. These findings suggest that children subject to prenatally drug exposure have increasing problems in multiple areas related to behavior from preschool age to 8 ½ years but that these problems do not seem to be specific; i.e., they are not more severe than the problems with general cognitive abilities found for this group.

Syntax and reading comprehension: a meta-analysis of different spoken-syntax assessments.

PubMed

Brimo, Danielle; Lund, Emily; Sapp, Alysha

2018-05-01

Syntax is a language skill purported to support children's reading comprehension. However, researchers who have examined whether children with average and below-average reading comprehension score significantly different on spoken-syntax assessments report inconsistent results. To determine if differences in how syntax is measured affect whether children with average and below-average reading comprehension score significantly different on spoken-syntax assessments. Studies that included a group comparison design, children with average and below-average reading comprehension, and a spoken-syntax assessment were selected for review. Fourteen articles from a total of 1281 reviewed met the inclusionary criteria. The 14 articles were coded for the age of the children, score on the reading comprehension assessment, type of spoken-syntax assessment, type of syntax construct measured and score on the spoken-syntax assessment. A random-effects model was used to analyze the difference between the effect sizes of the types of spoken-syntax assessments and the difference between the effect sizes of the syntax construct measured. There was a significant difference between children with average and below-average reading comprehension on spoken-syntax assessments. Those with average and below-average reading comprehension scored significantly different on spoken-syntax assessments when norm-referenced and researcher-created assessments were compared. However, when the type of construct was compared, children with average and below-average reading comprehension scored significantly different on assessments that measured knowledge of spoken syntax, but not on assessments that measured awareness of spoken syntax. The results of this meta-analysis confirmed that the type of spoken-syntax assessment, whether norm-referenced or researcher-created, did not explain why some researchers reported that there were no significant differences between children with average and below-average reading comprehension, but the syntax construct, awareness or knowledge, did. Thus, when selecting how to measure syntax among school-age children, researchers and practitioners should evaluate whether they are measuring children's awareness of spoken syntax or knowledge of spoken syntax. Other differences, such as participant diagnosis and the format of items on the spoken-syntax assessments, also were discussed as possible explanations for why researchers found that children with average and below-average reading comprehension did not score significantly differently on spoken-syntax assessments. © 2017 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

Is There a Right Ear Advantage in Congenital Aural Atresia?

PubMed

Reed, Robert; Hubbard, Matthew; Kesser, Bradley W

2016-12-01

To compare speech/language development and academic progress between children with right versus left congenital aural atresia (CAA). Case control survey and review of audiometric data. Tertiary care academic practice. Children with unilateral CAA. Demographic and audiometric data; rates of grade retention, use of any hearing or learning resource, and behavioral problems. No significant differences in grade retention rate, utilization of amplification, speech language therapy, use of an individualized education program, or frequency modulated system were found between children with right versus left CAA. Children with left CAA were significantly more likely to be enrolled in special education programs (p = 0.026). Differences in reported communication problems approached significance with more difficulty noted in the right ear group (p = 0.059). Left CAA patients were also more likely to have reported behavioral problems (p = 0.0039). Contrary to the hypothesis that a normal hearing right ear confers a language advantage in patients with unilateral hearing loss, children with left CAA (normal right ear) were statistically more likely to be enrolled in a special education program and have behavioral problems. Reported communication problems were more common in right CAA patients, but this did not reach statistical significance. No differences were found in use of amplification, frequency modulated system, individualized education program, or grade retention. Further investigation of both the clinical implications and underlying psychoacoustics of unilateral hearing loss and the identification and habilitation of "at risk" unilateral hearing loss children is warranted.

Illness intrusiveness explains race-related quality-of-life differences among women with systemic lupus erythematosus.

PubMed

Devins, G M; Edworthy, S M

2000-01-01

Our objective was to investigate whether quality of life in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) differs across ethnoracial groups and to identify factors that may explain race-related differences. Self-administered questionnaire data from 335 White, 40 Black, and 30 Asian women with SLE were obtained from a multi-center database. Measures assessed illness intrusiveness, psychological well-being, depressive symptoms, musculoskeletal pain, and learned helplessness. Extent of SLE disease activity was indexed by self-reported functional-system involvement. Educational attainment was indicated by number of years in school. Principal-components analysis reduced the four psychosocial measures to a single factor score. This represented psychosocial well-being In path analysis. Psychosocial well-being differed significantly across the three groups, with Whites reporting the highest, and Blacks the lowest, levels. Path analysis indicated that illness intrusiveness accounted for this race-related difference. Although disease activity was significantly associated with psychosocial well-being, it did not differ across ethnoracial groups. Illness intrusiveness and educational attainment emerged as independent mediators of the race-related difference in psychosocial well-being. We conclude that race-related quality-of-life differences exist among women with SLE and are mediated independently by illness intrusiveness and educational attainment.

Self-Reported Cognitive Outcomes in Patients With Brain Metastases Before and After Radiation Therapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cole, Ansa Maer; Scherwath, Angela; Ernst, Gundula

Purpose: Patients with brain metastases may experience treatment-related cognitive deficits. In this study, we prospectively assessed the self-reported cognitive abilities of patients with brain metastases from any solid primary cancer before and after irradiation of the brain. Methods and Materials: The treatment group (TG) consisted of adult patients (n=50) with brain metastases who received whole or partial irradiation of the brain without having received prior radiation therapy (RT). The control group (CG) consisted of breast cancer patients (n=27) without cranial involvement who were treated with adjuvant RT. Patients were recruited between May 2008 and December 2010. Self-reported cognitive abilities weremore » acquired before RT and 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after irradiation. The information regarding the neurocognitive status was collected by use of the German questionnaires for self-perceived deficits in attention (FEDA) and subjectively experienced everyday memory performance (FEAG). Results: The baseline data showed a high proportion of self-perceived neurocognitive deficits in both groups. A comparison between the TG and the CG regarding the course of self-reported outcomes after RT showed significant between-group differences for the FEDA scales 2 and 3: fatigue and retardation of daily living activities (P=.002) and decrease in motivation (P=.032) with an increase of attention deficits in the TG, but not in the CG. There was a trend towards significance in FEDA scale 1: distractibility and retardation of mental processes (P=.059) between the TG and the CG. The FEAG assessment presented no significant differences. An additional subgroup analysis within the TG was carried out. FEDA scale 3 showed significant differences in the time-related progress between patients with whole-brain RT and those receiving hypofractionated stereotactic RT (P=.025), with less decrease in motivation in the latter group. Conclusion: Self-reported attention declined in patients with brain metastases after RT to the brain, whereas it remained relatively stable in breast cancer patients.« less

A Multisite Study of the Relationships between Blast Exposures and Symptom Reporting in a Post-Deployment Active Duty Military Population with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

PubMed Central

Miller, Kelly J.; Lange, Rael T.; Cooper, Douglas B.; Tate, David F.; Bailie, Jason; Brickell, Tracey A.; French, Louis M.; Asmussen, Sarah; Kennedy, Jan E.

2014-01-01

Abstract Explosive devices have been the most frequent cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI) among deployed contemporary U.S. service members. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of previous cumulative blast exposures (that did or did not result in TBI) on later post-concussion and post-traumatic symptom reporting after sustaining a mild TBI (MTBI). Participants were 573 service members who sustained MTBI divided into four groups by number of blast exposures (1, 2, 3, and 4–10) and a nonblast control group. Post-concussion symptoms were measured using the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (NSI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms using the Post-traumatic Checklist-Civilian version (PCL-C). Results show groups significantly differed on total NSI scores (p<0.001), where symptom endorsement increased as number of reported blast exposures increased. Total NSI scores were significantly higher for the 3– and 4–10 blast groups compared with the 1- and 2-blast groups with effect sizes ranging from small to moderate (d=0.31 to 0.63). After controlling for PTSD symptoms using the PCL-C total score, NSI total score differences remained between the 4–10-blast group and the 1- and 2-blast groups, but were less pronounced (d=0.35 and d=0.24, respectively). Analyses of NSI subscale scores using PCL-C scores as a covariate revealed significant between-blast group differences on cognitive, sensory, and somatic, but not affective symptoms. Regression analyses revealed that cumulative blast exposures accounted for a small but significant amount of the variance in total NSI scores (4.8%; p=0.009) and total PCL-C scores (2.3%; p<0.001). Among service members exposed to blast, post-concussion symptom reporting increased as a function of cumulative blast exposures. Future research will need to determine the relationship between cumulative blast exposures, symptom reporting, and neuropathological changes. PMID:25036531

Red flags in the clinical interview may forecast invalid neuropsychological testing.

PubMed

Keesler, Michael E; McClung, Kirstie; Meredith-Duliba, Tawny; Williams, Kelli; Swirsky-Sacchetti, Thomas

2017-04-01

Evaluating assessment validity is expected in neuropsychological evaluation, particularly in cases with identified secondary gain, where malingering or somatization may be present. Assessed with standalone measures and embedded indices, all within the testing portion of the examination, research on validity of self-report in the clinical interview is limited. Based on experience with litigation-involved examinees recovering from mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), it was hypothesized that inconsistently reported date of injury (DOI) and/or loss of consciousness (LOC) might predict invalid performance on neurocognitive testing. This archival study examined cases of litigation-involved mTBI patients seen at an outpatient neuropsychological practice in Philadelphia, PA. Coded data included demographic variables, performance validity measures, and consistency between self-report and medicolegal records. A significant relationship was found between the consistency of examinees' self-report with records and their scores on performance validity testing, X 2 (1, N = 84) = 24.18, p < .01, Φ = .49. Post hoc testing revealed significant between-group differences in three of four comparisons, with medium to large effect sizes. A final post hoc analysis found significance between the number of performance validity tests (PVTs) failed and the extent to which an examinee incorrectly reported DOI r(83) = .49, p < .01. Using inconsistently reported LOC and/or DOI to predict an examinee's performance as invalid had a 75% sensitivity and a 75% specificity. Examinees whose reported DOI or LOC differs from records may be more likely to fail one or more PVTs, suggesting possible symptom exaggeration and/or under performance on cognitive testing.s.

Performance-based measures and behavioral ratings of executive function in diagnosing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children.

PubMed

Tan, Alexander; Delgaty, Lauren; Steward, Kayla; Bunner, Melissa

2018-04-16

Deficits in real-world executive functioning (EF) are a frequent characteristic of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, the predictive value of using performance-based and behavioral rating measures of EF when diagnosing ADHD remains unclear. The current study investigates the use of performance-based EF measures and a parent-report questionnaire with established ecological validity and clinical utility when diagnosing ADHD. Participants included 21 healthy controls, 21 ADHD-primary inattentive, and 21 ADHD-combined type subjects aged 6-15 years. A brief neuropsychological battery was administered to each subject including common EF assessment measures. Significant differences were not found between groups on most performance-based EF measures, whereas significant differences (p < 0.05) were found on most parent-report behavioral rating scales. Furthermore, performance-based measures did not predict group membership above chance levels. Results further support differences in predictive value of EF performance-based measures compared to parent-report questionnaires when diagnosing ADHD. Further research must investigate the relationship between performance-based and behavioral rating measures when assessing EF in ADHD.

Parents of Children With Food Allergy: Gender Differences in Perceived Impact and Perceived Food Allergy Severity.

PubMed

Hoehn, Jessica L; Dahlquist, Lynnda M; Hahn, Amy L; Bollinger, Mary Elizabeth

2017-03-01

To compare fathers' and mothers' perceptions of the impact and severity of their child's food allergy and their levels of involvement in allergy-related care. One hundred parents of children with food allergy (50 mother-father pairs) rated the severity of their child's food allergies and completed the Food Allergy Impact Scale. A subset of 52 parents reported how often they engaged in food allergy-related care. Mothers reported more impact than fathers for meal preparation, family social activities, and stress and free time, and significantly greater involvement in allergy-related care. Fathers who reported more frequent medical appointment attendance perceived meal preparation as being significantly more impacted by food allergy than fathers who were less involved. Fathers who are less involved may be buffered from experiencing the impact of their child's health condition. Differences in involvement rather than other gender differences may explain discrepancies in mothers' and fathers' illness perceptions. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Self-reported experience of bullying of students who stutter: relations with life satisfaction, life orientation, and self-esteem.

PubMed

Blood, Gordon W; Blood, Ingrid M; Tramontana, G Michael; Sylvia, Anna J; Boyle, Michael P; Motzko, Gina R

2011-10-01

Self-reported self-esteem, life orientation, satisfaction with life, and bullying were examined in relation to victimization experiences among 54 students who stuttered and 54 students who did not stutter. Those who stuttered reported greater, i.e., clinically significant, victimization (44.4%) than students who did not stutter (9.2%). Significant differences were found between means for self-esteem and life orientation, with students who stuttered reporting lower self-esteem and less optimistic life orientation than those who did not stutter. In both groups of students, high victimization scores had statistically significant negative correlations with optimistic life orientation, high self-esteem, and high satisfaction with life scores. Given the increased likelihood of students who stuttered being bullied, the negative relation of adjustment variables and bullying, and the potentially negative long-term effects of bullying, increased vigilance and early intervention are discussed.

Validity of self-reported lunch recalls in Swedish school children aged 6-8 years.

PubMed

Hunsberger, Monica; Pena, Pablo; Lissner, Lauren; Grafström, Lisen; Vanaelst, Barbara; Börnhorst, Claudia; Pala, Valeria; Eiben, Gabriele

2013-09-18

Previous studies have suggested that young children are inaccurate reporters of dietary intake. The purpose of this study was to validate a single recall of the previous day's school lunch reported by 6-8 year old Swedish children and to assess teacher-recorded intake of the same meal in a standardized food journal. An additional research question was whether parents could report their child's intake of the previous day's lunch. Subjects constituted a convenience sample from the large, multi-country study Identification and prevention of Dietary- and lifestyle-induced health EFfects In Children and infantS (IDEFICS). Validations of both children's recalls and teachers' records were made by comparing results with the duplicate plate reference method. Twenty-five children (12 boys/13 girls) aged 6-8 years participated in the validation study at one school in western Sweden. Children were accurate self-reporters of their dietary intake at lunch, with no significant difference between reported and weighed intake (Mean difference (SD): 7(50) kcals, p=0.49). Teachers significantly over-reported intake (Mean difference (SD): 65(79) kcals, p=0.01). For both methods, child-reported and teacher-recorded, correlations with weighed intake were strong (Pearson's correlations r=0.92, p<0.001 and r=0.83, p<0.001 respectively). Bland-Altman plots showed strong agreement between child-reported and weighed intakes but confirmed systematic differences between teacher-records and weighed intakes. Foods were recalled by children with a food-match rate of 90%. In all cases parents themselves were unable to report on quantities consumed and only four of 25 children had parents with knowledge regarding food items consumed. Children 6-8 years of age accurately recalled their school lunch intake for one occasion while teachers recorded with less accuracy. Our findings suggest that children as young as six years of age may be better able to report on their dietary intake than previously suggested, at least for one main meal at school. Teacher-recorded intake provides a satisfactory estimate but with greater systematic deviation from the weighed intake. Parents were not able to report on their children's school lunches consumed on the previous day.

Cultural Socialization in Families with Adopted Korean Adolescents: A Mixed-Method, Multi-Informant Study

PubMed Central

Kim, Oh Myo; Reichwald, Reed; Lee, Richard M.

2012-01-01

Transracial, transnational families understand and transmit cultural socialization messages in ways that differ from same-race families. This study explored the ways in which transracial, transnational adoptive families discuss race and ethnicity and how these family discussions compared to self-reports from adoptive parents and adolescents regarding the level of parental engagement in cultural socialization. Of the thirty families with at least one adolescent-aged child (60% female, average age 17.8 years) who was adopted from South Korea, nine families acknowledged racial and ethnic differences, six families rejected racial and ethnic differences, and fifteen families held a discrepancy of views. Parents also reported significantly greater engagement in cultural socialization than adolescents’ reports of parental engagement. However, only adolescent self-reports of parental engagement in cultural socialization matched the qualitative coding of family conversations. PMID:24235782

The relationship of sex and sexual orientation to self-esteem, body shape satisfaction, and eating disorder symptomatology

PubMed Central

Yean, Chetra; Benau, Erik M.; Dakanalis, Antonios; Hormes, Julia M.; Perone, Julie; Timko, C. Alix

2013-01-01

There is increasing interest in understanding what role, if any, sex and sexual orientation play in body dissatisfaction, its correlates to distress, and its relationship to disordered eating. The goals of the present study were to examine: (a) differences in sex and sexual orientation in internalization of societal pressure to modify physical appearance, components of body image dissatisfaction, self-esteem, and eating disorder symptomatology and (b) whether the internalization-eating disorder symptomatology was mediated by the different components of body image dissatisfaction and low self-esteem. The present data support several key trends in the literature: men generally reported less body dissatisfaction, internalization of socio-cultural standards of beauty, drive for thinness, and disordered eating, but a greater drive for muscularity than women; results also indicated that different components of body image dissatisfaction and low self-esteem partially mediated the relationship between internalization and eating disorder symptomatology. Gay men reported significantly more body dissatisfaction, internalization, eating disorder symptomatology, drive for thinness, and drive for muscularity than heterosexual men. Compared to heterosexual women, lesbians reported increased drive for muscularity, lower self-esteem, and lower internalization; however, they did not significantly differ on body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness or disordered eating. Correlation coefficients between body shape dissatisfaction and several aspects of mental distress were significantly larger for gay men than heterosexual men; the same coefficients did not differ between lesbian women and heterosexual women. Results of path analyses indicated that the relationship between internalization and disordered eating differs for gay and heterosexual men but not for lesbian and heterosexual women. These results call attention to lesbians as a generally understudied population. PMID:24348441

GnRH agonist for triggering of final oocyte maturation: time for a change of practice?

PubMed

Humaidan, P; Kol, S; Papanikolaou, E G

2011-01-01

GnRH agonist (GnRHa) triggering has been shown to significantly reduce the occurrence of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) compared with hCG triggering; however, initially a poor reproductive outcome was reported after GnRHa triggering, due to an apparently uncorrectable luteal phase deficiency. Therefore, the challenge has been to rescue the luteal phase. Studies now report a luteal phase rescue, with a reproductive outcome comparable to that seen after hCG triggering. This narrative review is based on expert presentations and subsequent group discussions supplemented with publications from literature searches and the authors' knowledge. Moreover, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were identified and analysed either in fresh IVF cycles with embryo transfer (ET), oocyte donation cycles or cycles without ET; risk differences were calculated regarding pregnancy rate and OHSS rate. In fresh IVF cycles with ET (9 RCTs) no OHSS was reported after GnRHa triggering [0% incidence in the GnRHa group: risk difference 5% (with 95% CI: -0.07 to 0.02)]. Importantly, the delivery rate improved significantly after modified luteal support [6% risk difference in favour of the HCG group (95% CI: -0.14 to 0.2)] when compared with initial studies with conventional luteal support [18% risk difference (95% CI: -0.36 to 0.01)]. In oocyte donation cycles (4 RCTs) the OHSS incidence is 0% [10% risk difference (95% CI: 0.02-0.40)]. GnRHa triggering is a valid alternative to hCG triggering, resulting in an elimination of OHSS. After modified luteal support there is now a non-significant difference of 6% in delivery rate in favour of hCG triggering.

Is Motor Learning Mediated by tDCS Intensity?

PubMed Central

van den Berg, Femke E.; Nitsche, Michael A.; Thijs, Herbert; Wenderoth, Nicole; Meesen, Raf L. J.

2013-01-01

Although tDCS has been shown to improve motor learning, previous studies reported rather small effects. Since physiological effects of tDCS depend on intensity, the present study evaluated this parameter in order to enhance the effect of tDCS on skill acquisition. The effect of different stimulation intensities of anodal tDCS (atDCS) was investigated in a double blind, sham controlled crossover design. In each condition, thirteen healthy subjects were instructed to perform a unimanual motor (sequence) learning task. Our results showed (1) a significant increase in the slope of the learning curve and (2) a significant improvement in motor performance at retention for 1.5 mA atDCS as compared to sham tDCS. No significant differences were reported between 1 mA atDCS and sham tDCS; and between 1.5 mA atDCS and 1 mA atDCS. PMID:23826272

Prospective clinical observational study evaluating gender-associated differences of preoperative pain intensity.

PubMed

Tafelski, Sascha; Kerper, Léonie F; Salz, Anna-Lena; Spies, Claudia; Reuter, Eva; Nachtigall, Irit; Schäfer, Michael; Krannich, Alexander; Krampe, Henning

2016-07-01

Previous studies reported conflicting results concerning different pain perceptions of men and women. Recent research found higher pain levels in men after major surgery, contrasted by women after minor procedures. This trial investigates differences in self-reported preoperative pain intensity between genders before surgery.Patients were enrolled in 2011 and 2012 presenting for preoperative evaluation at the anesthesiological assessment clinic at Charité University hospital. Out of 5102 patients completing a computer-assisted self-assessment, 3042 surgical patients with any preoperative pain were included into this prospective observational clinical study. Preoperative pain intensity (0-100 VAS, visual analog scale) was evaluated integrating psychological cofactors into analysis.Women reported higher preoperative pain intensity than men with median VAS scores of 30 (25th-75th percentiles: 10-52) versus 21 (10-46) (P < 0.001). Adjusted multiple regression analysis showed that female gender remained statistically significantly associated with higher pain intensity (P < 0.001). Gender differences were consistent across several subgroups especially with varying patterns in elderly. Women scheduled for minor and moderate surgical procedures showed largest differences in overall pain compared to men.This large clinical study observed significantly higher preoperative pain intensity in female surgical patients. This gender difference was larger in the elderly potentially contradicting the current hypothesis of a primary sex-hormone derived effect. The observed variability in specific patient subgroups may help to explain heterogeneous findings of previous studies.

Working overtime in community mental health: Associations with clinician burnout and perceived quality of care.

PubMed

Luther, Lauren; Gearhart, Timothy; Fukui, Sadaaki; Morse, Gary; Rollins, Angela L; Salyers, Michelle P

2017-06-01

Funding cuts have increased job demands and threatened clinicians' ability to provide high-quality, person-centered care. One response to increased job demands is for clinicians to work more than their official scheduled work hours (i.e., overtime). We sought to examine the frequency of working overtime and its relationships with job characteristics, work-related outcomes, and quality of care in community health clinicians. One hundred eighty-two clinicians completed demographic and job characteristics questions and measures of burnout, job satisfaction, turnover intention, work-life conflict, and perceived quality of care. Clinicians also reported the importance of reducing stress and their confidence in reducing their stress. Clinicians who reported working overtime were compared to clinicians that did not on demographic and job characteristics and work-related outcomes. Ninety-four clinicians (52%) reported working overtime in a typical week. Controlling for exempt status and group differences in time spent supervising others, those working overtime reported significantly increased burnout and work-life conflict and significantly lower job satisfaction and quality of care than those not working overtime. Clinicians working overtime also reported significantly greater importance in reducing stress but less confidence in their ability to reduce stress than those not working overtime. There were no significant group differences for turnover intention. Working overtime is associated with negative consequences for clinician-related work outcomes and perceived quality of care. Policies and interventions aimed at reducing overtime and work-related stress and burnout may be warranted in order to improve quality of care. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Tofacitinib or adalimumab versus placebo: patient-reported outcomes from a phase 3 study of active rheumatoid arthritis.

PubMed

Strand, Vibeke; van Vollenhoven, Ronald F; Lee, Eun Bong; Fleischmann, Roy; Zwillich, Samuel H; Gruben, David; Koncz, Tamas; Wilkinson, Bethanie; Wallenstein, Gene

2016-06-01

To evaluate effects of tofacitinib or adalimumab on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in patients with moderate to severe RA and inadequate responses to MTX. In this 12-month, phase 3, randomized controlled trial (ORAL Standard), patients (n = 717) receiving background MTX were randomized to tofacitinib 5 or 10 mg twice daily (BID), adalimumab 40 mg once every 2 weeks or placebo. PROs included HAQ-Disability Index, Patient Global Assessment of Arthritis, Patient Assessment of Arthritis Pain, health-related quality of life (Short Form-36 [SF-36]), fatigue (Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue) and sleep (Medical Outcomes Study-Sleep). At month 3, tofacitinib 10 mg BID treatment resulted in significant changes from baseline vs placebo across all PROs, sustained to month 12, with the highest number of patients reporting improvements ⩾minimum clinically important differences vs placebo (P < 0.05). Changes from baseline at month 3 with tofacitinib 5 mg BID and adalimumab were similar and statistically significant vs placebo across most PROs, excluding SF-36 Mental Component Score and Social Functioning, Role Emotional, and Mental Health domains, with significantly more patients reporting improvements ⩾minimum clinically important differences. Numbers Needed to Treat were lowest for tofacitinib 10 mg BID and similar between tofacitinib 5 mg BID and adalimumab. Patients with moderate to severe RA and inadequate responses to MTX reported improvements across a broad range of PROs with tofacitinib 5 and 10 mg BID and adalimumab that were significantly superior to placebo. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology.

Tofacitinib or adalimumab versus placebo: patient-reported outcomes from a phase 3 study of active rheumatoid arthritis

PubMed Central

Strand, Vibeke; van Vollenhoven, Ronald F.; Lee, Eun Bong; Fleischmann, Roy; Zwillich, Samuel H.; Gruben, David; Koncz, Tamas; Wilkinson, Bethanie

2016-01-01

Objective. To evaluate effects of tofacitinib or adalimumab on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in patients with moderate to severe RA and inadequate responses to MTX. Methods. In this 12-month, phase 3, randomized controlled trial (ORAL Standard), patients (n = 717) receiving background MTX were randomized to tofacitinib 5 or 10 mg twice daily (BID), adalimumab 40 mg once every 2 weeks or placebo. PROs included HAQ-Disability Index, Patient Global Assessment of Arthritis, Patient Assessment of Arthritis Pain, health-related quality of life (Short Form-36 [SF-36]), fatigue (Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue) and sleep (Medical Outcomes Study-Sleep). Results. At month 3, tofacitinib 10 mg BID treatment resulted in significant changes from baseline vs placebo across all PROs, sustained to month 12, with the highest number of patients reporting improvements ⩾minimum clinically important differences vs placebo (P < 0.05). Changes from baseline at month 3 with tofacitinib 5 mg BID and adalimumab were similar and statistically significant vs placebo across most PROs, excluding SF-36 Mental Component Score and Social Functioning, Role Emotional, and Mental Health domains, with significantly more patients reporting improvements ⩾minimum clinically important differences. Numbers Needed to Treat were lowest for tofacitinib 10 mg BID and similar between tofacitinib 5 mg BID and adalimumab. Conclusion. Patients with moderate to severe RA and inadequate responses to MTX reported improvements across a broad range of PROs with tofacitinib 5 and 10 mg BID and adalimumab that were significantly superior to placebo. PMID:26929445

Working Overtime in Community Mental Health: Associations with Clinician Burnout and Perceived Quality of Care

PubMed Central

Luther, Lauren; Gearhart, Timothy; Fukui, Sadaaki; Morse, Gary; Rollins, Angela L.; Salyers, Michelle P.

2017-01-01

Objective Funding cuts have increased job demands and threatened clinicians’ ability to provide high-quality, person-centered care. One response to increased job demands is for clinicians to work more than their official scheduled work hours (i.e., overtime). We sought to examine the frequency of working overtime and its relationships with job characteristics, work-related outcomes, and quality of care in community health clinicians. Methods One hundred and eighty-two clinicians completed demographic and job characteristics questions and measures of burnout, job satisfaction, turnover intention, work-life conflict, and perceived quality of care. Clinicians also reported the importance of reducing stress and their confidence in reducing their stress. Clinicians who reported working overtime were compared to clinicians that did not on demographic and job characteristics and work-related outcomes. Results Ninety-four clinicians (52%) reported working overtime in a typical week. Controlling for exempt status and group differences in time spent supervising others, those working overtime reported significantly increased burnout and work-life conflict and significantly lower job satisfaction and quality of care than those not working overtime. Clinicians working overtime also reported significantly greater importance in reducing stress but less confidence in their ability to reduce stress than those not working overtime. There were no significant group differences for turnover intention. Conclusions and Implications for Practice Working overtime is associated with negative consequences for clinician-related work outcomes and perceived quality of care. Policies and interventions aimed at reducing overtime and work-related stress and burnout may be warranted in order to improve quality of care. PMID:27786520

Differences in sexual guilt and desire in east Asian and Euro-Canadian men.

PubMed

Brotto, Lori A; Woo, Jane S T; Gorzalka, Boris B

2012-01-01

Differences in sexual desire between individuals of East Asian and European descent are well-documented, with East Asian individuals reporting lower sexual desire. The mechanisms that underlie this disparity have received little empirical attention. Recent research has found that sex guilt, "a generalized expectancy for self-mediated punishment for violating or for anticipating violating standards of proper sexual conduct" (Mosher & Cross, 1971 , p. 27), mediates the relationship between culture and sexual desire in East Asian and Euro-Canadian women. The goal of this study was to explore this role of sex guilt in men. Male Euro-Canadian (n = 38) and East Asian (n = 45) university students completed online questionnaires. The East Asian men reported significantly lower sexual desire and significantly higher sex guilt. Sex guilt was a significant mediator of the relationship between ethnicity and sexual desire, as well as a significant mediator between mainstream acculturation and sexual desire. Among the East Asian men, mainstream acculturation was significantly and negatively correlated with sex guilt such that increasing mainstream acculturation was associated with less sex guilt. The diagnostic and clinical implications of the findings are discussed.

Differences in Symptom Reporting Between Males and Females at Baseline and After a Sports-Related Concussion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Brown, Dana A; Elsass, Julie A; Miller, Ashley J; Reed, Lauren E; Reneker, Jennifer C

2015-07-01

Concussion literature and treatment guidelines are inconclusive regarding the role of sex in symptom reporting at baseline and post-concussion. Although empirical evidence is lacking, it is generally regarded that females have a more severe symptomatic presentation than males at all time-points on the concussion spectrum. Our objective was to determine whether differences exist between males and females at baseline (pre-season/before concussion) or post-concussion for self-reported (1) prevalence of individual symptoms and (2) total symptom scores in high school and college athletes. Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational cohort studies; level of evidence, 1. A computerized search of the PubMed, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, and Scopus databases was performed. Meta-analysis Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines were followed. Criteria for inclusion were (1) self-report of symptoms at any time within the concussion spectrum, including baseline and after concussion, (2) study sample included high school and/or collegiate athletes aged 12-26 years, (3) concussions occurred during participation in sport, and (4) symptom reporting was separated by sex. The Quality Assessment Tool for Cohort Studies, Q-Coh, was utilized for quality assessment. Twenty-one studies met the criteria for inclusion: seventeen had good quality and four, acceptable quality. At baseline, females had significantly higher odds than males of reporting the individual symptoms of vision/hearing problems, headache/migraine, difficulty concentrating, energy/sleep disturbances, and emotional disturbances. Post-concussion, only one symptom demonstrated significant differences between males and females, with females demonstrating lower odds of reporting confusion than males. Statistically, at baseline and post-concussion, females had significantly higher total symptom scores on the Post-Concussion Scale (PCS) and the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 2 (SCAT2), but when the standard mean difference was interpreted after back-transformation, these results were clinically insignificant. The symptomatic presentation of males and females, most notably the prevalence of specific symptoms, is very divergent. Females had higher total symptom scores at baseline and post-concussion, however, clinically this cannot be interpreted as a meaningful difference. It is possible that these differences can be explained by normal hormonal changes associated with the menstrual cycle. The implications of these findings are that symptomatic presentation during an individual female's menstrual cycle needs to be taken into consideration post-concussion when making return-to-play decisions, as returning to a completely asymptomatic level may not be a reasonable expectation.

The boundary between hypochondriasis and obsessive-compulsive disorder: a cross-sectional study from the Netherlands.

PubMed

Greeven, Anja; van Balkom, Anton J L M; van Rood, Yanda R; van Oppen, Patricia; Spinhoven, Philip

2006-11-01

To investigate similarities and differences between the symptom profiles of patients with hypochondriasis and those of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and to compare the contamination/cleaning OCD subtype to other OCD subtypes. Between January 1998 and July 2002, 76 patients diagnosed with hypochondriasis (N = 31) or OCD (N = 45) (DSM-IV criteria) and 25 subjects with no formal DSM-IV diagnosis were compared with regard to the extent of diagnosis-specific symptoms, the number and nature of physical symptoms, and whether these symptoms evoked fear. The analyses were repeated after subdividing the OCD patients into the contamination/cleaning and other OCD subgroups. Patients with hypochondriasis and OCD differed significantly from each other on the extent of diagnosis-specific symptoms (all p < .001). Patients with hypochondriasis reported significantly more obsessive-compulsive symptoms and patients with OCD reported significantly more hypochondriacal symptoms than did the healthy control-group members (all p < .05). Neither group differed significantly from the other on the number and nature of feared physical symptoms. The contamination/cleaning OCD subtype did not differ significantly from other OCD subtypes in either the severity of hypochondriacal symptoms or the number of feared physical symptoms. Hypochondriasis and OCD can be distinguished on the basis of diagnosis-specific symptoms, although they share a number of similarities. In addition, although patients with the contamination/cleaning OCD subtype tend to be afraid of contracting diseases, the differences between the symptom profiles of these patients and those of patients with hypochondriasis exceed the similarities. Our results confirm that the 2 conditions are separable and valid diagnoses.

Shear bond strength of one-step self-etch adhesives: pH influence

PubMed Central

Poggio, Claudio; Beltrami, Riccardo; Scribante, Andrea; Colombo, Marco; Chiesa, Marco

2015-01-01

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the shear bond strength of four one-step self-etch adhesives with different pH values to enamel and dentin. Materials and Methods: In this in vitro study, 200 bovine permanent mandibular incisors were used. Four one-step self-etch adhesives with different pH values were tested both on enamel and on dentin: Adper™ Easy Bond Self-Etch Adhesive (pH = 0.8-1), Futurabond NR (pH=2), G-aenial Bond (pH = 1.5), Clearfil S3 Bond (pH = 2.7). After adhesive systems application, a nanohybrid composite resin was inserted into the bonded surface. The specimens were placed in a universal testing machine. The shear bond strength was performed at a cross-head speed of 1 mm/min until the sample rupture. The shear bond strength values (MPa) of the different groups were compared with analysis of variance after that Kolmogorov and Smirnov tests were applied to assess normality of distributions. P < 0.05 was considered as significant. Results: In enamel shear bond strength, the highest shear bond strength values were reported with Futurabond NR (P < 0.01); however, no significant differences were found with Clearfil S3 Bond. The others adhesive systems showed lower shear bond strength values with significant differences between them (P < 0.05). When comparing the dentin shear bond strength, the lowest shear bond strength values were reported with Clearfil S3 Bond (P < 0.05), while there were no significant differences among the other three products (P > 0.05). Conclusion: The pH values of adhesive systems did not influence significantly their shear bond strength to enamel or dentin. PMID:26005459

Psychopathological profile of patients with different forms of bruxism.

PubMed

Bayar, Gurkan Rasit; Tutuncu, Recep; Acikel, Cengizhan

2012-02-01

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the prevalence of psychopathological symptoms in patients who self-reported different forms of bruxism by means of clinical and anamnestic diagnostic criteria. Eighty-five participants were divided into four groups as sleep bruxers (12), awake bruxers (24), sleep-awake bruxers (33), and non-bruxers (16). A self-report symptom inventory questionnaire (Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R)) was filled out by all groups to determine their psychopathological symptoms. As regards mean psychopathological scores, patients with sleep-awake bruxism endorsed the highest scores. In addition, patients with awake bruxism showed higher scores than patients with sleep bruxism and non-bruxism in most SCL-90-R subscales. Kruskal-Wallis test revealed significant differences between groups in any of the SCL-90-R subscales, except for the psychoticism subscale. Mann-Whitney test followed by Bonferroni's test correction between non-bruxer and sleep-awake bruxer groups revealed significant differences in depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, global severity index, positive symptom distress index, and positive symptom total in all SCL-90-R subscales. Statistical analysis of our study showed that differences between groups were significant in all SCL-90-R subscales except for the psychoticism subscale. Better distinction of bruxism forms may help to develop new treatment strategies for bruxism disorder.

Transhistorical variations in personality and their association with experiences of parental rearing.

PubMed

Lundberg, M; Perris, C; Schlette, P; Adolfsson, R

1999-10-01

A population sample comprised of 765 subjects (367 males and 398 females), in the age range of 15-81 years, completed the EMBU, a reliable questionnaire aimed at assessing experiences of parental rearing, and the TCI, a self-report questionnaire aimed at assessing dimensions of temperament and character. The study had three main aims: 1) to verify, on a larger scale, previous findings suggesting the occurrence of significant associations between experiences of parental rearing and aspects of temperament and character, 2) to assess possible variations in temperament and character in cohorts of subjects who have grown up in different historical epochs, and 3) to investigate to what extent transgenerational differences in parental rearing are detectable in different associations with various dimensions of personality. Several, albeit small, significant and meaningful associations between experiences of parental rearing and both temperament and character dimensions have been found, adding support to the robustness of previously reported results obtained in an independent smaller series. Also, several significant differences among subjects in different age groups have been found, both concerning temperament variables and character dimensions. Finally, the results show that associations between experiences of parental rearing and dimensions of temperament and character are most pronounced in subjects belonging to the youngest cohort and almost nil in the cohort comprising the oldest subjects.

Equivocal or ambiguous terminologies in pathology: focus of continuous quality improvement?

PubMed

Idowu, Michael O; Wiles, Austin; Wan, Wen; Wilkinson, David S; Powers, Celeste N

2013-11-01

Ambiguous terminologies introduce uncertainty into pathology reports and may be misinterpreted by clinicians. Although absolute diagnostic certainty in all cases is not attainable, nevertheless, unbridled use of equivocal or ambiguous terminologies may lead to additional, sometimes unnecessary, tests and/or procedures directly or indirectly leading to increase in health care costs, as well as patient and clinician dissatisfaction. We evaluated the degree of certainty attributed to the commonly used ambiguous terminologies ("consistent with," "compatible with," "indicative of," "favor," "suggestive of," "suspicious for," "not excluded," "cannot exclude," "not ruled out," "not definite for," "not specific for," "indeterminate," "not identified") used in pathology reports by groups of attending physicians and their respective trainees using an online survey. There is no statistical difference in the interpretation of each terminology between attending pathologists and pathology trainees. There is also no significant difference between pathology and other attending groups for majority of the terminologies. However, there are significant differences between at least 2 of the 4 attending physician categories in the following pathology terminologies: "consistent with" (overall P=0.01), "compatible with" (P=0.02), "not excluded" (P=0.008), and "cannot exclude" (P=0.01). The pairwise comparisons among the 4 specialties show that there is significant difference in the interpretation of the degree of certainty between pathology and medicine in terms of "not excluded" (P=0.007) and "cannot exclude" (P=0.03). Focused peer review or monitoring of pathology reports with ambiguous terminologies may reduce their use and represent a worthwhile and achievable goal.

Beyond the Binary: Differences in Eating Disorder Prevalence by Gender Identity in a Transgender Sample.

PubMed

Diemer, Elizabeth W; White Hughto, Jaclyn M; Gordon, Allegra R; Guss, Carly; Austin, S Bryn; Reisner, Sari L

2018-01-01

Purpose: To investigate whether the prevalence of eating disorders (EDs) differs across diverse gender identity groups in a transgender sample. Methods: Secondary analysis of data from Project VOICE, a cross-sectional study of stress and health among 452 transgender adults (ages 18-75 years) residing in Massachusetts. Age-adjusted logistic regression models were fit to compare the prevalence of self-reported lifetime EDs in female-to-male (FTM), male-to-female (MTF), and gender-nonconforming participants assigned male at birth (MBGNC) to gender-nonconforming participants assigned female at birth (FBGNC; referent). Results: The age-adjusted odds of self-reported ED in MTF participants were 0.14 times the odds of self-reported ED in FBGNC participants ( p =0.022). In FTM participants, the age-adjusted odds of self-reported ED were 0.46 times the odds of self-reported ED in FBGNC participants, a marginally significant finding ( p =0.068). No statistically significant differences in ED prevalence were found for MBGNC individuals. Conclusions: Gender nonconforming individuals assigned a female sex at birth appear to have heightened lifetime risk of EDs relative to MTF participants. Further research into specific biologic and psychosocial ED risk factors and gender-responsive intervention strategies are urgently needed. Training clinical providers and ensuring competency of treatment services beyond the gender binary will be vital to addressing this disparity.

Beyond the Binary: Differences in Eating Disorder Prevalence by Gender Identity in a Transgender Sample

PubMed Central

Diemer, Elizabeth W.; White Hughto, Jaclyn M.; Gordon, Allegra R.; Guss, Carly; Austin, S. Bryn; Reisner, Sari L.

2018-01-01

Abstract Purpose: To investigate whether the prevalence of eating disorders (EDs) differs across diverse gender identity groups in a transgender sample. Methods: Secondary analysis of data from Project VOICE, a cross-sectional study of stress and health among 452 transgender adults (ages 18–75 years) residing in Massachusetts. Age-adjusted logistic regression models were fit to compare the prevalence of self-reported lifetime EDs in female-to-male (FTM), male-to-female (MTF), and gender-nonconforming participants assigned male at birth (MBGNC) to gender-nonconforming participants assigned female at birth (FBGNC; referent). Results: The age-adjusted odds of self-reported ED in MTF participants were 0.14 times the odds of self-reported ED in FBGNC participants (p=0.022). In FTM participants, the age-adjusted odds of self-reported ED were 0.46 times the odds of self-reported ED in FBGNC participants, a marginally significant finding (p=0.068). No statistically significant differences in ED prevalence were found for MBGNC individuals. Conclusions: Gender nonconforming individuals assigned a female sex at birth appear to have heightened lifetime risk of EDs relative to MTF participants. Further research into specific biologic and psychosocial ED risk factors and gender-responsive intervention strategies are urgently needed. Training clinical providers and ensuring competency of treatment services beyond the gender binary will be vital to addressing this disparity. PMID:29359198

Aspiration and sclerotherapy versus hydrocoelectomy for treating hydrocoeles.

PubMed

Shakiba, Behnam; Heidari, Kazem; Jamali, Arsia; Afshar, Kourosh

2014-11-13

Hydrocoeles are common cystic scrotal abnormalities, described as a fluid-filled collection between the visceral and parietal layers of the tunica vaginalis of the scrotum. There are two approaches for treatment of hydrocoeles: surgical open hydrocoelectomy and aspiration followed by sclerotherapy.  We compared the benefits and harms of aspiration and sclerotherapy versus hydrocoelectomy for the management of hydrocoeles. We searched the Cochrane Renal Group's Specialised Register to 2 August 2014 through contact with the Trials' Search Co-ordinator using search terms relevant to this review. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-RCTs comparing aspiration and sclerotherapy versus hydrocoelectomy for the management of hydrocoeles. Two authors independently extracted data and assessed risk of bias in the included studies. Random effects meta-analyses were performed using relative risk (RR) for dichotomous outcomes and mean differences (MD) for continuous outcomes, with 95% confidence intervals (CI). We found four small studies that met the inclusion criteria. These studies enrolled 275 patients with 282 hydroceles. Participants were randomised to aspiration and sclerotherapy (155 patients with 159 hydroceles) and surgery (120 patients with 123 hydroceles). All studies were assessed as having low or unclear risk of bias for selection bias, detection bias, attrition bias and selective reporting bias. Blinding was not possible for participants and investigators based on the type of interventions. Blinding for statisticians was not reported in any of included studies.There were no significant difference in clinical cure between the two groups (3 studies, 215 participants: RR 0.45, 95% CI 0.18 to 1.10), however there was significant heterogeneity (I² = 95%). On further investigation one study contributed all of the heterogeneity. This could be due to the agent used or perhaps due to the fact that this is a much older study than the other two studies included in this analysis. When this study was removed from the analysis the heterogeneity was 0% and the result was significant (in favour of surgery) (2 studies, 136 participants: RR 0.74; 95% CI 0.64 to 0.85).There was a significant increase in recurrence in those who received sclerotherapy compared with surgery (3 studies, 196 participants: RR 9.37, 95% CI 1.83 to 48.4). One study reported a non-significant decrease in fever in the sclerotherapy group (60 participants: RR 0.25, 95% CI 0.06 to 1.08). There was an increased number of infections in the surgery group however this increase was not statistically significant (4 studies, 275 participants): RR 0.31, 95% CI 0.09 to 1.05; I² = 0%). Three studies reported the frequency of pain in the surgery group was higher than aspiration and sclerotherapy group but because of different measurement tools applied in these studies, we could not pool the results. Radiological cure was not reported in any of the included studies. There was no significant difference in haematoma formation between the two groups (3 studies, 189 participants: RR 0.57, 95% CI 0.17 to 1.90; I² = 0%). Only one study reported patient satisfaction at three and six months; there was no significant difference between the two groups. Postoperative complications as well as cost and time to work resumption were less in the aspiration and sclerotherapy group; however the recurrence rate was higher. The cure rate in short-term follow-up was similar between the groups, however there is significant uncertainty in this result due to the high heterogeneity. There is a great need for further methodologically rigorous RCTs that assess the effectiveness of different type of sclerosant agents, sclerosing solution concentration and injection volume for the treatment of hydrocoeles. It is important that the RCTs have sufficiently large sample size and long follow-up period. Studies should evaluate clinical outcomes such as pain, recurrence, satisfaction, complications and cure using validated instruments. The protocols for all studies should be registered in clinical trial registries and the reports of these studies should conform with international guidelines of trial reporting such as CONSORT. Cost-effectiveness studies should also be undertaken.

Perfectionism and Ethnicity: Implications for Depressive Symptoms and Self-Reported Academic Achievement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castro, Jennifer R.; Rice, Kenneth G.

2003-01-01

Examines ethnic differences in perfectionism among Asian American, African American, and Caucasian American college students. Analyses revealed that Asian American students scored significantly higher than the other groups on perfectionism subscales. Perfectionism explained significant variations in depressive symptoms for Asian Americans and…

Problems of Maltreated Runaway Youth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kurtz, P. David; And Others

1991-01-01

Shelter staff from 8 states completed Client Information Records on 2,019 runaways. Found significant differences in problems reported by physically abused and sexually abused runaways when compared to nonabused runaway peers. Runaways who were both physically and sexually maltreated were significantly more vulnerable and much worse off than those…

Swallowing Quality of Life After Zona Incerta Deep Brain Stimulation.

PubMed

Sundstedt, Stina; Nordh, Erik; Linder, Jan; Hedström, Johanna; Finizia, Caterina; Olofsson, Katarina

2017-02-01

The management of Parkinson's disease (PD) has been improved, but management of signs like swallowing problems is still challenging. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) alleviates the cardinal motor symptoms and improves quality of life, but its effect on swallowing is not fully explored. The purpose of this study was to examine self-reported swallowing-specific quality of life before and after caudal zona incerta DBS (cZI DBS) in comparison with a control group. Nine PD patients (2 women and 7 men) completed the self-report Swallowing Quality of Life questionnaire (SWAL-QOL) before and 12 months after cZI DBS surgery. The postoperative data were compared to 9 controls. Median ages were 53 years (range, 40-70 years) for patients and 54 years (range, 42-72 years) for controls. No significant differences were found between the pre- or postoperative scores. The SWAL-QOL total scores did not differ significantly between PD patients and controls. The PD patients reported significantly lower scores in the burden subscale and the symptom scale. Patients with PD selected for cZI DBS showed good self-reported swallowing-specific quality of life, in many aspects equal to controls. The cZI DBS did not negatively affect swallowing-specific quality of life in this study.

Differences in cultural beliefs and values among African American and European American men with prostate cancer.

PubMed

Hughes Halbert, Chanita; Barg, Frances K; Weathers, Benita; Delmoor, Ernestine; Coyne, James; Wileyto, E Paul; Arocho, Justin; Mahler, Brandon; Malkowicz, S Bruce

2007-07-01

Although cultural values are increasingly being recognized as important determinants of psychological and behavioral outcomes following cancer diagnosis and treatment, empirical data are not available on cultural values among men. This study evaluated differences in cultural values related to religiosity, temporal orientation, and collectivism among African American and European American men. Participants were 119 African American and European American men who were newly diagnosed with early-stage and locally advanced prostate cancer. Cultural values were evaluated by self-report using standardized instruments during a structured telephone interview. After controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, African American men reported significantly greater levels of religiosity (Beta = 24.44, P < .001) compared with European American men. African American men (Beta = 6.30, P < .01) also reported significantly greater levels of future temporal orientation. In addition, men with more aggressive disease (eg, higher Gleason scores) (Beta = 5.11, P < .01) and those who were pending treatment (Beta = -6.42, P < .01) reported significantly greater levels of future temporal orientation. These findings demonstrate that while ethnicity is associated with some cultural values, clinical experiences with prostate cancer may also be important. This underscores the importance of evaluating the effects of both ethnicity and clinical factors in research on the influence of cultural values on cancer prevention and control.

Prevalence and Frequency of Heterosexual Anal Intercourse Among Young People: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PubMed

Owen, Branwen N; Brock, Patrick M; Butler, Ailsa R; Pickles, Michael; Brisson, Marc; Baggaley, Rebecca F; Boily, Marie-Claude

2015-07-01

We aim to assess if heterosexual anal intercourse (AI) is commonly practiced and how frequently it is practiced by young people. We searched PubMed for articles published 1975 to July 2014 reporting data on the proportion of young people (mean age <25) practicing heterosexual AI (AI prevalence) and on number of AI acts (AI frequency). Stratified random-effects meta-analysis and meta-regression were used to produce summary estimates and assess the influence of participant and study characteristics on AI prevalence. Eighty-three and thirteen of the 136 included articles reported data on lifetime AI prevalence and monthly AI frequency, respectively. Estimates were heterogenous. Overall summary estimates of lifetime AI prevalence were 22 % (95 % confidence interval 20-24) among sexually active young people, with no statistically significant differences by gender, continent or age. Prevalence increased significantly with confidentiality of interview method and, among males and in Europe, by survey year. Prevalence did not significantly differ by recall period. An estimated 3-24 % of all reported sex acts were AI. Reported heterosexual AI is common but variable among young people worldwide. To fully understand its impact on STI spread, more and better quality data on frequency of unprotected AI, and trends over time are required.

Decision-making and cognitive abilities: A review of associations between Iowa Gambling Task performance, executive functions, and intelligence.

PubMed

Toplak, Maggie E; Sorge, Geoff B; Benoit, André; West, Richard F; Stanovich, Keith E

2010-07-01

The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) has been used to study decision-making differences in many different clinical and developmental samples. It has been suggested that IGT performance captures abilities that are separable from cognitive abilities, including executive functions and intelligence. The purpose of the current review was to examine studies that have explicitly examined the relationship between IGT performance and these cognitive abilities. We included 43 studies that reported correlational analyses with IGT performance, including measures of inhibition, working memory, and set-shifting as indices of executive functions, as well as measures of verbal, nonverbal, and full-scale IQ as indices of intelligence. Overall, only a small proportion of the studies reported a statistically significant relationship between IGT performance and these cognitive abilities. The majority of studies reported a non-significant relationship. Of the minority of studies that reported statistically significant effects, effect sizes were, at best, small to modest, and confidence intervals were large, indicating that considerable variability in performance on the IGT is not captured by current measures of executive function and intelligence. These findings highlight the separability between decision-making on the IGT and cognitive abilities, which is consistent with recent conceptualizations that differentiate rationality from intelligence. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Developmental changes in consistency of autobiographical memories: adolescents' and young adults' repeated recall of recent and distance events.

PubMed

Larkina, Marina; Merrill, Natalie A; Bauer, Patricia J

2017-09-01

Autobiographical memories contribute continuity and stability to one's self yet they also are subject to change: they can be forgotten or be inconsistently remembered and reported. In the present research, we compared the consistency of two reports of recent and distant personal events in adolescents (12- to 14-year-olds) and young adults (18- to 23-year-olds). In line with expectations of greater mnemonic consistency among young adults relative to adolescents, adolescents reported the same events 80% of the time compared with 90% consistency among young adults; the significant difference disappeared after taking into consideration narrative characteristics of individual memories. Neither age group showed high levels of content consistency (30% vs. 36%); young adults were more consistent than adolescents even after controlling for other potential predictors of content consistency. Adolescents and young adults did not differ in consistency of estimating when their past experiences occurred. Multilevel modelling indicated that the level of thematic coherence of the initial memory report and ratings of event valence significantly predicted memory consistency at the level of the event. Thematic coherence was a significant negative predictor of content consistency. The findings suggest a developmental progression in the robustness and stability of personal memories between adolescence and young adulthood.

Gender differences in self-reported withdrawal symptoms and reducing or quitting smoking three years later: A prospective, longitudinal examination of U.S. adults

PubMed Central

Weinberger, Andrea H.; Platt, Jonathan; Shuter, Jonathan; Goodwin, Renee D.

2016-01-01

Background Little is known about gender differences in withdrawal symptoms among smokers in the community. This study used longitudinal epidemiologic data to examine gender differences in current smokers’ report of withdrawal symptoms during past quit attempts and the relationship between withdrawal symptoms and the odds of reducing or quitting smoking three years later. Methods Data were drawn from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC; Wave 1, 2001–2001, n=43,093; Wave 2, 2004–2005, n=34,653). Analyses were conducted on respondents who reported current daily cigarette smoking at Wave 1 (n=6,911). Withdrawal symptoms during past quit attempts were assessed at Wave 1. Current smoking status was assessed at Wave 2. Results Wave 1 current smoking women, compared to men, were more likely to endorse any withdrawal symptoms, withdrawal-related discomfort, and withdrawal-related relapse (ps<0.0001). Women endorsed a greater number of withdrawal symptoms than men (M=2.37, SE=0.05 versus M=1.78, SE=0.04; p<0.0001). The odds of reducing and quitting smoking were significantly lower for respondents who reported any Wave 1 withdrawal symptoms, withdrawal-related discomfort, and withdrawal-related relapse. These relationships did not differ for women versus men. Among men, the odds of reducing smoking at Wave 2 decreased significantly with each cumulative withdrawal symptom compared to women (β interaction= 0.87; p=0.01). Conclusions Women were more likely to report withdrawal while the relationship between withdrawal symptoms and decreased likelihood of reducing smoking was stronger in men. Identifying gender differences in withdrawal can help develop strategies to help reduce withdrawal for both men and women. PMID:27350655

Spouses, Adult Children, and Children-in-Law as Caregivers of Older Adults: A Meta-Analytic Comparison

PubMed Central

Pinquart, Martin; Sörensen, Silvia

2015-01-01

The present meta-analysis integrates the results from 168 empirical studies on differences between caregiving spouses, adult children, and children-in-law. Spouses differ from children and children-in-law significantly with regard to sociodemographic variables; also, they provide more support but report fewer care recipient behavior problems. Spouse caregivers report more depression symptoms, greater financial and physical burden, and lower levels of psychological well-being. Higher levels of psychological distress among spouses are explained mostly—but not completely—by higher levels of care provision. Few differences emerge between children and children-in-law, but children-in-law perceive the relationship with the care recipient as less positive and they report fewer uplifts of caregiving. PMID:21417538

Enhancing nurses' ethical practice: development of a clinical ethics program.

PubMed

McDaniel, C

1998-06-01

There is increasing attention paid to ethics under managed care; however, few clinical-based ethics programs are reported. This paper reports the assessment and outcomes of one such program. A quasi-experimental research design with t-tests is used to assess the outcome differences between participants and control groups. There are twenty nurses in each; they are assessed for comparability. Differences are predicted on two outcomes using reliable and valid measures: nurses' time with their patients in ethics discussions, and nurses' opinions regarding their clinical ethics environments. Results reveal a statistically significant difference (p <.05) between the two groups, with modest positive change in the participants. Additional exploratory analyses are reported on variables influential in health care services.

Gender Differences in Symptoms and Care Delivery for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

PubMed Central

Raparla, Swetha; Plauschinat, Craig A.; Giardino, Nicholas D.; Rogers, Barbara; Beresford, Julien; Bentkover, Judith D.; Schachtner-Appel, Amy; Curtis, Jeffrey L.; Martinez, Fernando J.; Han, MeiLan K.

2012-01-01

Abstract Background Morbidity and mortality for women with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are increasing, and little is known about gender differences in perception of COPD care. Methods Surveys were administered to a convenience sample of COPD patients to evaluate perceptions about symptoms, barriers to care, and sources of information about COPD. Results Data on 295 female and 273 male participants were analyzed. With similar frequencies, women and men reported dyspnea and rated their health as poor/very poor. Although more women than men reported annual household income <$30,000, no significant gender differences in frequency of health insurance, physician visits, or ever having had spirometry were detected. In adjusted models (1) women were more likely to report COPD diagnostic delay (odds ratio [OR] 1.66, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13-2.45, p=0.01), although anxiety (OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.10-3.06, p=0.02) and history of exacerbations (OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.08-2.37, p=0.01) were also significant predictors, (2) female gender was associated with difficulty reaching one's physician (OR 2.54, 95% CI 1.33-4.86, p=0.004), as was prior history of exacerbations (OR 2.25, 95% CI 1.21-4.20, p=0.01), and (3) female gender (OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.10-4.21, p=0.02) was the only significant predictor for finding time spent with their physician as insufficient. Conclusions Significant gender-related differences in the perception of COPD healthcare delivery exist, revealing an opportunity to better understand what influences these attitudes and to improve care for both men and women. PMID:23210491

Gender differences in symptoms and care delivery for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

PubMed

Martinez, Carlos H; Raparla, Swetha; Plauschinat, Craig A; Giardino, Nicholas D; Rogers, Barbara; Beresford, Julien; Bentkover, Judith D; Schachtner-Appel, Amy; Curtis, Jeffrey L; Martinez, Fernando J; Han, MeiLan K

2012-12-01

Morbidity and mortality for women with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are increasing, and little is known about gender differences in perception of COPD care. Surveys were administered to a convenience sample of COPD patients to evaluate perceptions about symptoms, barriers to care, and sources of information about COPD. Data on 295 female and 273 male participants were analyzed. With similar frequencies, women and men reported dyspnea and rated their health as poor/very poor. Although more women than men reported annual household income <$30,000, no significant gender differences in frequency of health insurance, physician visits, or ever having had spirometry were detected. In adjusted models (1) women were more likely to report COPD diagnostic delay (odds ratio [OR] 1.66, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13-2.45, p=0.01), although anxiety (OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.10-3.06, p=0.02) and history of exacerbations (OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.08-2.37, p=0.01) were also significant predictors, (2) female gender was associated with difficulty reaching one's physician (OR 2.54, 95% CI 1.33-4.86, p=0.004), as was prior history of exacerbations (OR 2.25, 95% CI 1.21-4.20, p=0.01), and (3) female gender (OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.10-4.21, p=0.02) was the only significant predictor for finding time spent with their physician as insufficient. Significant gender-related differences in the perception of COPD healthcare delivery exist, revealing an opportunity to better understand what influences these attitudes and to improve care for both men and women.

Gender and ethnic differences in chronic myelogenous leukemia prognosis and treatment response: a single-institution retrospective study

PubMed Central

Lee, Justin P; Birnstein, Elliott; Masiello, David; Yang, Dongyun; Yang, Allen S

2009-01-01

Background In the last decade the importance of ethnicity, socio-economic and gender differences in relation to disease incidence, diagnosis, and prognosis has been realized. Differences in these areas have become a major health policy focus in the United States. Our study was undertaken to examine the demographic and clinical features of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patients presenting initially at the LAC+USC Medical Center, which serves an ethnically diverse population. Results Patients were evenly split by gender, overwhelmingly Hispanic (60.9%), and quite young (median age 39, range 17–65) compared with previously reported CML patient populations. Previous CML studies identified significant anemia (Hgb <12 g/dl), significant thrombocytosis (platelets >450 × 109/l), and significant leukocytosis (WBC >50 × 109/l) as significant adverse pretreatment prognostic factors. Using these indicators, in addition to the validated Hasford and Sokal scores, patients were stratified and analyzed via gender and ethnicity. A significantly greater proportion of women presented with significant anemia (p = 0.019, Fisher's exact test) and significant thrombocytosis (p = 0.041, Fisher's exact test) compared to men, although no differences were found in risk stratification or treatment response. MCV values for women were significantly (p = 0.02, 2-sample t-test) lower than those for men, suggesting iron deficiency anemia. Focusing on ethnicity, Hispanics as a whole had significantly lower Hasford risk stratification (p = 0.046, Fisher's exact test), and significantly greater likelihood (p = 0.016, Fisher's exact test) of achieving 3-month complete haematological remission (CHR) compared with non-Hispanics at LAC+USC Medical Center, though differences in treatment outcome were no longer significant with analysis limited to patients treated with first-line imatinib. Conclusion Female CML patients at LAC+USC Medical Center present with more significant adverse pre-treatment prognostic factors compared to men, but achieve comparable outcomes. Hispanic patients present with lower risk profile CML and achieve better treatment responses compared to non-Hispanic patients as a whole; these ethnic differences are no longer significant when statistical analysis is limited to patients given imatinib as first-line therapy. Our patients achieve response rates inferior to those of large-scale national studies. This constellation of findings has not been reported in previous studies, and is likely reflective of a unique patient population. PMID:19630970

Ethnic/racial differences in the prevalence of injurious spanking and other child physical abuse in a National Survey of Adolescents.

PubMed

Hawkins, Alesia Oscea; Danielson, Carla Kmett; de Arellano, Michael A; Hanson, Rochelle F; Ruggiero, Kenneth J; Smith, Daniel W; Saunders, Benjamin E; Kilpatrick, Dean G

2010-08-01

Limited research has examined whether similar patterns in injurious spanking and other forms of child physical abuse (CPA) exist across specific ethnic/racial groups. The authors examined and compared differences in the lifetime prevalence of injurious spanking and CPA in two national samples of adolescents across ethnic/racial groups and over time. Participants were 4,023 youth (12-17 years) and 3,614 youth (12-17 years) who participated in the 1995 National Survey of Adolescents (NSA) and 2005 National Survey of Adolescents-Replication (NSA-R), respectively. Adolescents, who were identified through random digit dial procedures, completed a telephone interview assessment. Results indicated significant ethnic/racial variation across groups in reports of injurious spanking in the NSA and the NSA-R samples; however, significant differences were not observed within groups between the two samples over time. Ethnic/racial differences also were found between groups in reports of CPA in the NSA-R sample. Limitations and future directions of this research are discussed.

Intrapersonal characteristics of body-related guilt, shame, pride, and envy in Canadian adults.

PubMed

Pila, Eva; Brunet, Jennifer; Crocker, Peter R E; Kowalski, Kent C; Sabiston, Catherine M

2016-03-01

This study examined differences in body-related shame, guilt, pride, and envy based on intrapersonal characteristics of sex, age, and weight status in 527 Canadian adults. Compared to men, women reported significantly higher shame and guilt contextualized to the body. No sex differences were observed for envy or pride. Middle-aged adults reported higher shame and lower pride compared with young adults, whereas no age differences were observed with body-related guilt. Meanwhile, shame and guilt were highest for individuals who had overweight or obese weight status, and pride was highest in individuals with average weight status. Overall, effect sizes were small and there were no significant interaction effects between sex, age, and weight status across body-related emotions. Further research is needed to capture similarities and differences of body-related self-conscious emotions between intrapersonal characteristics, to aid the development of intervention strategies to manage this important dimension of body image. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Is There Really a Relationship Between Empathy and Aggression? Evidence From Physiological and Self-Report Measures.

PubMed

Gantiva, Carlos; Cendales, Rocio; Díaz, Maite; González, Yesenia

2018-05-01

A strong relationship between empathy and aggression has traditionally been argued, but a recent meta-analysis showed that this relationship is surprisingly weak. However, none of the studies that were analyzed in the meta-analysis used physiological measures of empathy to assess differences between aggressive and nonaggressive subjects. The present study evaluated the activity of the corrugator and zygomatic muscles, galvanic skin response, and heart rate response to pictures with different social content in 30 aggressive and 30 nonaggressive subjects. Self-report measures of emotion and empathy were also evaluated. The results did not show significant differences in any of the physiological measures of affective empathy or subjective measures of emotion. Significant differences were found only in cognitive empathy, in which nonaggressive subjects had higher scores than aggressive subjects. These results suggest that intervention programs should focus on increasing cognitive empathy and exploring other variables, such as emotional self-regulation and callous-unemotional traits. We also suggest exploring other ways of understanding affective empathy.

[Comment on] Statistical discrimination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chinn, Douglas

In the December 8, 1981, issue of Eos, a news item reported the conclusion of a National Research Council study that sexual discrimination against women with Ph.D.'s exists in the field of geophysics. Basically, the item reported that even when allowances are made for motherhood the percentage of female Ph.D.'s holding high university and corporate positions is significantly lower than the percentage of male Ph.D.'s holding the same types of positions. The sexual discrimination conclusion, based only on these statistics, assumes that there are no basic psychological differences between men and women that might cause different populations in the employment group studied. Therefore, the reasoning goes, after taking into account possible effects from differences related to anatomy, such as women stopping their careers in order to bear and raise children, the statistical distributions of positions held by male and female Ph.D.'s ought to be very similar to one another. Any significant differences between the distributions must be caused primarily by sexual discrimination.

Performance evaluation of three computed radiography systems using methods recommended in American Association of Physicists in Medicine Report 93

PubMed Central

Muhogora, Wilbroad; Padovani, Renato; Bonutti, Faustino; Msaki, Peter; Kazema, R.

2011-01-01

The performances of three clinical computed radiography (CR) systems, (Agfa CR 75 (with CRMD 4.0 image plates), Kodak CR 850 (with Kodak GP plates) and Kodak CR 850A (with Kodak GP plates)) were evaluated using six tests recommended in American Association of Physicists in Medicine Report 93. The results indicated variable performances with majority being within acceptable limits. The variations were mainly attributed to differences in detector formulations, plate readers’ characteristics, and aging effects. The differences of the mean low contrast scores between the imaging systems for three observers were statistically significant for Agfa and Kodak CR 850A (P=0.009) and for Kodak CR systems (P=0.006) probably because of the differences in ages. However, the differences were not statistically significant between Agfa and Kodak CR 850 (P=0.284) suggesting similar perceived image quality. The study demonstrates the need to implement quality control program regularly. PMID:21897559

Performance evaluation of three computed radiography systems using methods recommended in American Association of Physicists in Medicine Report 93.

PubMed

Muhogora, Wilbroad; Padovani, Renato; Bonutti, Faustino; Msaki, Peter; Kazema, R

2011-07-01

The performances of three clinical computed radiography (CR) systems, (Agfa CR 75 (with CRMD 4.0 image plates), Kodak CR 850 (with Kodak GP plates) and Kodak CR 850A (with Kodak GP plates)) were evaluated using six tests recommended in American Association of Physicists in Medicine Report 93. The results indicated variable performances with majority being within acceptable limits. The variations were mainly attributed to differences in detector formulations, plate readers' characteristics, and aging effects. The differences of the mean low contrast scores between the imaging systems for three observers were statistically significant for Agfa and Kodak CR 850A (P=0.009) and for Kodak CR systems (P=0.006) probably because of the differences in ages. However, the differences were not statistically significant between Agfa and Kodak CR 850 (P=0.284) suggesting similar perceived image quality. The study demonstrates the need to implement quality control program regularly.

Are reporting radiographers fulfilling the role of advanced practitioner?

PubMed

Milner, R C; Snaith, B

2017-02-01

Advanced practice roles are emerging in all disciplines at a rapid pace and reporting radiographers are ideally placed to work at such level. Advanced practitioners should demonstrate expert practice and show progression into three other areas of higher level practice. Most existing literature has focussed on the image interpretation aspect of the role, however there is little evidence that plain film reporting radiographers are undertaking activities beyond image interpretation and fulfilling the role of advanced practitioner. Letters were posted to every acute NHS trust in the UK, inviting reporting radiographers to complete an online survey. Both quantitative and qualitative information was sought regarding demographics and roles supplementary to reporting. A total of 205 responses were analysed; 83.3% of reporting radiographers describe themselves as advanced practitioner, however significantly less are showing progression into the four core functions of higher level practice. A total of 97.0% undertake expert practice, 54.7% have a leadership role, 19.8% provide expert lectures and 71.1% have roles encompassing service development or research, though most of these fall into the service development category. 34.5% felt that they were aware of the differences between extended and advanced practice though much less (9.3%) could correctly articulate the difference. Few individuals are aware of the difference between extended and advanced practice. Though the majority of plain film reporting radiographers identify themselves as advanced practitioners, significantly less evidence all four core functions of higher level practice. The number of individuals undertaking research and providing expert-level education is low. Copyright © 2016 The College of Radiographers. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Do Japanese American women really have fewer hot flashes than European Americans? The Hilo Women's Health Study.

PubMed

Brown, Daniel E; Sievert, Lynnette Leidy; Morrison, Lynn A; Reza, Angela M; Mills, Phoebe S

2009-01-01

Many studies have found a significantly lower frequency of reported hot flashes (HFs) in Japanese and Japanese American (JA) populations, leading to speculation about possible dietary, genetic, or cultural differences. These studies have relied on subjective reports of HFs. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to compare both reported and objective HFs measured by sternal and nuchal skin conductance among JA and European American (EA) women. Two surveys of HF frequencies were carried out among women of either EA or JA ethnicity; aged 45 to 55 years; living in Hilo, Hawaii; and not using exogenous hormones. The first was a postal questionnaire (n = 325); the second was carried out during a clinical study of HFs (n = 134). Women in the second group underwent 24-hour ambulatory and 3-hour laboratory monitoring for objective HFs measured through skin conductance at sternal and nuchal sites. Subjective HFs were recorded on the monitor or in a diary. JAs were significantly less likely to report having had HFs in the previous 2 weeks compared with EAs (postal sample: JAs, 30.9%; EAs, 43.9%; chi(2) = 6.9, P < 0.01; monitored sample: JAs, 26.1%; EAs, 46.6%; chi(2) = 5.3, P < 0.05). JAs were also significantly less likely to report experiencing other symptoms (15 of 30 in the postal sample; 6 of 30 in the monitored sample) than EAs. However, JAs did not significantly differ in likelihood of reporting subjective HFs during the 24-hour ambulatory period (JAs, 51.1%; EAs, 55.8%; chi(2) = 0.3, NS), nor in percentage of individuals displaying one or more objective HFs as measured by the skin conductance monitor (JAs, 77.8%; EAs, 72.1%; chi(2) = 0.5, NS). JAs also did not have a significantly fewer number of objective HFs (t = 0.2, NS) nor of subjective HFs (t = 0.8, NS) during the monitoring period, and these results were unchanged when analyses controlled for menopause status and body mass index. The common finding of fewer reported HFs in people of Japanese ancestry may be a consequence of reporting bias: JAs report fewer symptoms of many conditions compared with people from other ethnic groups. This is probably due to cultural conceptions of what is appropriate to report.

Do Japanese American Women Really Have Fewer Hot Flashes than European Americans? The Hilo Women's Health Study

PubMed Central

Brown, Daniel E.; Sievert, Lynnette Leidy; Morrison, Lynn A.; Reza, Angela M.; Mills, Phoebe S.

2009-01-01

Objective Many studies have found a significantly lower frequency of reported hot flashes (HFs) in Japanese and Japanese American (JA) populations, leading to speculation about possible dietary, genetic, or cultural differences. These studies have relied upon subjective reports of HFs. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to compare both reported and objective HFs measured by sternal and nuchal skin conductance among JA and European American (EA) women. Design Two surveys of hot flash frequencies were carried out among women of either EA or JA ethnicity, aged 45-55, living in Hilo, Hawaii, and not using exogenous hormones. The first was a postal questionnaire (N=325), the second was carried out during a clinical study of hot flashes (N=134). Women in the second group underwent 24-hour ambulatory and 3-hour laboratory monitoring for objective HFs measured through skin conductance at sternal and nuchal sites. Subjective HFs were recorded on the monitor, or in a diary. Results JAs were significantly less likely to report having had HFs in the previous two weeks compared with EAs (postal sample: JAs: 30.9%, EAs: 43.9%, χ2=6.9, p < .01; monitored sample: JAs: 26.1%, EAs: 46.6%, χ2=5.3, p < 0.05). JAs were also significantly less likely to report experiencing other symptoms (15 out of 30 in the postal sample; 6 of 30 in the monitored sample) than EAs. However, JAs did not significantly differ in likelihood of reporting subjective HFs during the 24-hour ambulatory period (JAs: 51.1%, EAs: 55.8%, χ2=0.3, ns), nor in percentage of individuals displaying one or more objective HFs as measured by the skin conductance monitor (JAs: 77.8%, EAs: 72.1%, χ2=0.5, ns). JAs also did not have a significantly fewer number of objective HFs (t=0.2, ns) nor of subjective HFs (t = 0.8, ns) during the monitoring period, and these results were unchanged when analyses controlled for menopausal status and BMI. Conclusions The common finding of fewer reported HFs in people of Japanese ancestry may be a consequence of reporting bias: JAs report fewer symptoms of many conditions compared to people from other ethnic groups. This is likely due to cultural conceptions of what is appropriate to report. PMID:19367185

Enabling the Discovery of Recurring Anomalies in Aerospace System Problem Reports using High-Dimensional Clustering Techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Srivastava, Ashok, N.; Akella, Ram; Diev, Vesselin; Kumaresan, Sakthi Preethi; McIntosh, Dawn M.; Pontikakis, Emmanuel D.; Xu, Zuobing; Zhang, Yi

2006-01-01

This paper describes the results of a significant research and development effort conducted at NASA Ames Research Center to develop new text mining techniques to discover anomalies in free-text reports regarding system health and safety of two aerospace systems. We discuss two problems of significant importance in the aviation industry. The first problem is that of automatic anomaly discovery about an aerospace system through the analysis of tens of thousands of free-text problem reports that are written about the system. The second problem that we address is that of automatic discovery of recurring anomalies, i.e., anomalies that may be described m different ways by different authors, at varying times and under varying conditions, but that are truly about the same part of the system. The intent of recurring anomaly identification is to determine project or system weakness or high-risk issues. The discovery of recurring anomalies is a key goal in building safe, reliable, and cost-effective aerospace systems. We address the anomaly discovery problem on thousands of free-text reports using two strategies: (1) as an unsupervised learning problem where an algorithm takes free-text reports as input and automatically groups them into different bins, where each bin corresponds to a different unknown anomaly category; and (2) as a supervised learning problem where the algorithm classifies the free-text reports into one of a number of known anomaly categories. We then discuss the application of these methods to the problem of discovering recurring anomalies. In fact the special nature of recurring anomalies (very small cluster sizes) requires incorporating new methods and measures to enhance the original approach for anomaly detection. ?& pant 0-

Best Practices and Barriers to Obesity Prevention in Head Start: Differences Between Director and Teacher Perceptions.

PubMed

Byrd-Williams, Courtney; Dooley, Erin E; Sharma, Shreela V; Chuang, Ru-Jye; Butte, Nancy; Hoelscher, Deanna M

2017-12-21

Practices and barriers to promoting healthy eating and physical activity at Head Start centers may influence children's energy balance behaviors. We examined differences between directors' and teachers' perspectives on best practices and barriers to promoting healthy eating and physical activity in Head Start centers. We conducted a cross-sectional study of directors (n = 23) and teachers (n = 113) at 23 Head Start centers participating in the baseline assessment of the Texas Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration study. Participants completed surveys about practices and barriers to promoting healthy eating and physical activity. Multilevel regression models examined differences between director and teacher responses. More than half of directors and teachers reported meeting most best practices related to nutrition and physical activity; few directors or teachers (<25%) reported conducting physical activity for more than 60 minutes a day, and less than 40% of teachers helped children attend to satiety cues. Significantly more directors than teachers reported meeting 2 nutrition-related best practices: "Teachers rarely eat less healthy foods (especially sweets, salty snacks, and sugary drinks) in front of children" and "Teachers talk to children about trying/enjoying new foods" (P < .05). No barrier to healthy eating or physical activity was reported by more than 25% of directors or teachers. Significantly more teachers than directors reported barriers to healthy eating, citing lack of food service staff support, limited time, and insufficient funds (P < .05). More barriers to healthy eating were reported than were barriers to physical activity indicating that more support may be needed for healthy eating. Differences between responses of directors and teachers may have implications for future assessments of implementation of best practices and barriers to implementation related to nutrition and physical activity in early care and education centers.

Treadmill Exercise Improves Fitness and Reduces Craving and Use of Cocaine in Individuals with Concurrent Cocaine and Tobacco-use Disorder

PubMed Central

De La Garza, Richard; Yoon, Jin H.; Thompson-Lake, Daisy G.Y.; Haile, Colin N.; Eisenhofer, Joel D.; Newton, Thomas F.; Mahoney, James J.

2016-01-01

Exercise may be a useful treatment for substance use disorders. Participants (N=24) included treatment-seeking individuals with concurrent cocaine and tobacco-use disorder (cigarette smokers). Participants were randomized to either running or walking (30 min per session, 3 times per week) or sitting (control condition) for 4 consecutive weeks. Several metrics indicated significant differences among runners, walkers, and sitters during sessions, including mean distance covered and calories burned. In addition, remote physiological monitoring showed that the groups differed significantly according to mean maximum heart rate (HR), respiration, and locomotor activity. Across the 4-week study, exercise improved fitness measures including significantly decreasing resting HR. Though not statistically significant, exercise improved abstinence from cocaine and increased self-reports of no cocaine use in last 24h. In general, reductions in tobacco use and craving were not as robust. To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the effects of a multi-week exercise program in individuals with concurrent cocaine and tobacco-use disorder. The data clearly show significant improvements in basic fitness measures and several indices reveal that exercise improved both self-report and biochemically verified reports of cocaine abstinence. Taken together, the data from this study provides preliminary evidence for the efficacy of exercise for improving fitness and reducing cocaine use. PMID:27541349

Premilitary intimate partner violence and attrition from the U.S. Navy.

PubMed

Merrill, Lex L; Stander, Valerie A; Thomsen, Cynthia J; Crouch, Julie L; Milner, Joel S

2006-12-01

A prospective study of U.S. Navy recruits (N = 5,498) examined whether premilitary intimate partner violence (IPV) was associated with attrition. Overall, more than one-fourth of recruits reported premilitary physical IPV and more than two-thirds reported premilitary verbal IPV. Women reported more perpetration and receipt of IPV than men, and married or cohabiting respondents reported more IPV than single respondents. Both perpetration and receipt of IPV significantly predicted attrition within 4 years. However, after controlling for other forms of IPV, only receipt of physical IPV significantly predicted attrition. In only one analysis did associations between IPV and attrition vary according to marital status or gender; premilitary receipt of verbal IPV had different effects on women and men.

Perceived Ease of Access to Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Substances in Rural and Urban US Students

PubMed Central

Warren, Jacob C.; Smalley, K. Bryant; Barefoot, K. Nikki

2015-01-01

Introduction Ease of access to substances has been shown to have a direct and significant relationship with substance use for school-aged children. Previous research involving rural samples of middle and high school students reveals that perceived ease of access to substances is a significant predictor of recent use among rural adolescents; however, it is unclear if perceived access to substances varies between rural and urban areas. The purpose of the current study was to examine rural-urban differences in perceived ease of access to alcohol, smoking and chewing tobacco, marijuana, and seven other substances in order to better inform and promote future substance use prevention and programming efforts in rural areas. Methods Data were analyzed from the 2013 Georgia Student Health Survey II, administered in all public and interested private/charter schools in the state of Georgia. A total of 513,909 students (18.2% rural) indicated their perceived ease of access to 11 substances on a 4-point Likert-type scale. Rural-urban differences were investigated using chi-square analysis. Results In general, it appeared the rural-urban differences fell along legal/illicit lines. For middle school students, a significant difference in perceived ease of access was found for each substance, with rural students reporting greater access to smoking tobacco, chewing tobacco, and steroids, and urban students reporting greater access to alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, inhalants, ecstasy, methamphetamine, hallucinogens, and prescription drugs. Rural high school students reported higher access to alcohol, smoking tobacco, chewing tobacco, and steroids, with urban students reporting higher access to marijuana, cocaine, inhalants, ecstasy, and hallucinogens. Perceptions of ease of access more than doubled for each substance in both geographies between middle and high school. Conclusions In summary, the current study found multiple and fairly consistent differences between rural and urban students’ perceived ease of access to a variety of substances, with rural students reporting higher levels of access to legal substances and urban students reporting higher levels of access predominantly to illicit substances. Most troubling were the high levels of perceived access to substances, however, particularly in high school students, with more than half even of rural students reporting at least somewhat easy access to marijuana, and more than 60% of both rural and urban high school students reporting easy access to alcohol. Future research should investigate ways to decrease the perceptions of access to substances in order to prevent use and abuse. PMID:26518286

Effects of ethnicity and socioeconomic status on body composition in an admixed, multiethnic population in Hawaii.

PubMed

Brown, Daniel E; Hampson, Sarah E; Dubanoski, Joan P; Murai, Amy Stone; Hillier, Teresa A

2009-01-01

This study determined ethnic differences in anthropometric measures of a sample of adults in Hawaii, examining the effects of differing degrees of ethnic admixing and socioeconomic status (SES) on the measures. Adults who had attended elementary school in Hawaii underwent anthropometric measurements and answered questionnaires about their educational attainment, income, age, cultural identity, ethnic ancestry, and health. Individuals reporting Asian American cultural identity had significantly lower mean body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) than others, whereas those with Hawaiian/Pacific Islander cultural identity had significantly higher BMI and WC. Educational attainment, but not reported family income and age, was significantly related to BMI and WC, and differences in educational attainment accounted for the increased mean BMI and WC in Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders, but did not account for the lower mean BMI and WC among Asian Americans. Higher percentage of Asian ancestry was significantly correlated with lower BMI and WC, whereas higher percentage of Hawaiian/Pacific Islander ancestry was significantly correlated with increased BMI and WC. Differences in education accounted for the significantly increased BMI in participants with a higher percentage of Hawaiian/Pacific Islander ancestry, but did not entirely account for the lower BMI in individuals with a higher percentage of Asian American ancestry. These results suggest that the high rate of obesity and its sequelae seen in Pacific Islanders may be more a result of socioeconomic status and lifestyle than of genetic propensity, whereas the lower rates of obesity observed in Asian American populations are less directly influenced by socioeconomic factors. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Effects of Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Status on Body Composition in an Admixed, Multiethnic Population in Hawaii

PubMed Central

Brown, Daniel E.; Hampson, Sarah E.; Dubanoski, Joan P.; Murai, Amy Stone; Hillier, Teresa A.

2009-01-01

This study determined ethnic differences in anthropometric measures of a sample of adults in Hawaii, examining the effects of differing degrees of ethnic admixing and socioeconomic status (SES) on the measures. Adults who had attended elementary school in Hawaii underwent anthropometric measurements and answered questionnaires about their educational attainment, income, age, cultural identity, ethnic ancestry, and health. Individuals reporting Asian American cultural identity had significantly lower mean body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) than others, while those with Hawaiian/Pacific Islander cultural identity had significantly higher BMI and WC. Educational attainment, but not reported family income and age, was significantly related to BMI and WC, and differences in educational attainment accounted for the increased mean BMI and WC in Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders, but did not account for the lower mean BMI and WC among Asian Americans. Higher percentage of Asian ancestry was significantly correlated with lower BMI and WC, whereas higher percentage of Hawaiian/Pacific Islander ancestry was significantly correlated with increased BMI and WC. Differences in education accounted for the significantly increased BMI in participants with a higher percentage of Hawaiian/Pacific Islander ancestry, but did not entirely account for the lower BMI in individuals with a higher percentage of Asian American ancestry. These results suggest that the high rate of obesity and its sequelae seen in Pacific Islanders may be more a result of socioeconomic status and lifestyle than of genetic propensity, while the lower rates of obesity observed in Asian American populations are less directly influenced by socioeconomic factors. PMID:19213005

Characterizing adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity-disorder and comorbid borderline personality disorder: ADHD symptoms, psychopathology, cognitive functioning and psychosocial factors.

PubMed

O'Malley, G K; McHugh, L; Mac Giollabhui, N; Bramham, J

2016-01-01

To characterize adults with comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity-disorder (ADHD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD) with regard to ADHD symptoms, psychopathology, cognitive functioning and psychosocial factors. A between-group design compared a group of individuals diagnosed with ADHD (n=40) with a group diagnosed with BPD and who also met the criteria for ADHD (ADHD+BPD) (n=20). Significant differences were observed for both childhood and current impulsivity symptoms, whereby ADHD+BPD exhibited increased impulsivity; no differences on self-report and cognitive measures of impulsivity were reported. The ADHD+BPD group scored significantly higher on measures of depression, anxiety and numerous other axis I and II conditions. The ADHD+BPD group scored significantly lower on most measures of intellectual functioning and attention, however largely not on those relating to response inhibition. Furthermore, group differences were observed for psychosocial factors, including education, substance use and criminal record. Comorbid ADHD and BPD is characterized by more symptoms of impulsivity, additional psychopathology, comparatively lower intellectual and attentional functioning and increased psychosocial difficulties. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Comparison of macro-gravimetric and micro-colorimetric lipid determination methods.

PubMed

Inouye, Laura S; Lotufo, Guiherme R

2006-10-15

In order to validate a method for lipid analysis of small tissue samples, the standard macro-gravimetric method of Bligh-Dyer (1959) [E.G. Bligh, W.J. Dyer, Can. J. Biochem. Physiol. 37 (1959) 911] and a modification of the micro-colorimetric assay developed by Van Handel (1985) [E. Van Handel, J. Am. Mosq. Control Assoc. 1 (1985) 302] were compared. No significant differences were observed for wet tissues of two species of fish. However, limited analysis of wet tissue of the amphipod, Leptocheirusplumulosus, indicated that the Bligh-Dyer gravimetric method generated higher lipid values, most likely due to the inclusion of non-lipid materials. Additionally, significant differences between the methods were observed with dry tissues, with the micro-colorimetric method consistently reporting calculated lipid values greater than as reported by the gravimetric method. This was most likely due to poor extraction of dry tissue in the standard Bligh-Dyer method, as no significant differences were found when analyzing a single composite extract. The data presented supports the conclusion that the micro-colorimetric method described in this paper is accurate, rapid, and minimizes time and solvent use.

Camper characteristics differ at public and commercial campgrounds in New England

Treesearch

Wilbur F. LaPage

1967-01-01

Early findings from a 5-year panel survey of New England campers' changing leisure habits are reported. A significant number of campers interviewed at four commercial campgrounds differed in their camping behavior from campers at four state park and national forest campgrounds. The most apparent differences are the higher degree of mobility and the larger dollar...

Optic Nerve Head Measurements With Optical Coherence Tomography: A Phantom-Based Study Reveals Differences Among Clinical Devices

PubMed Central

Agrawal, Anant; Baxi, Jigesh; Calhoun, William; Chen, Chieh-Li; Ishikawa, Hiroshi; Schuman, Joel S.; Wollstein, Gadi; Hammer, Daniel X.

2016-01-01

Purpose Optical coherence tomography (OCT) can monitor for glaucoma by measuring dimensions of the optic nerve head (ONH) cup and disc. Multiple clinical studies have shown that different OCT devices yield different estimates of retinal dimensions. We developed phantoms mimicking ONH morphology as a new way to compare ONH measurements from different clinical OCT devices. Methods Three phantoms were fabricated to model the ONH: One normal and two with glaucomatous anatomies. Phantoms were scanned with Stratus, RTVue, and Cirrus clinical devices, and with a laboratory OCT system as a reference. We analyzed device-reported ONH measurements of cup-to-disc ratio (CDR) and cup volume and compared them with offline measurements done manually and with a custom software algorithm, respectively. Results The mean absolute difference between clinical devices with device-reported measurements versus offline measurements was 0.082 vs. 0.013 for CDR and 0.044 mm3 vs. 0.019 mm3 for cup volume. Statistically significant differences between devices were present for 16 of 18 comparisons of device-reported measurements from the phantoms. Offline Cirrus measurements tended to be significantly different from those from Stratus and RTVue. Conclusions The interdevice differences in CDR and cup volume are primarily caused by the devices' proprietary ONH analysis algorithms. The three devices yield more similar ONH measurements when a consistent offline analysis technique is applied. Scan pattern on the ONH also may be a factor in the measurement differences. This phantom-based study has provided unique insights into characteristics of OCT measurements of the ONH. PMID:27409500

Communication skills of medical students during the OSCE: Gender-specific differences in a longitudinal trend study.

PubMed

Graf, Joachim; Smolka, Robert; Simoes, Elisabeth; Zipfel, Stephan; Junne, Florian; Holderried, Friederike; Wosnik, Annette; Doherty, Anne M; Menzel, Karina; Herrmann-Werner, Anne

2017-05-02

Communication skills are essential in a patient-centred health service and therefore in medical teaching. Although significant differences in communication behaviour of male and female students are known, gender differences in the performance of students are still under-reported. The aim of this study was to analyse gender differences in communication skills of medical students in the context of an OSCE exam (OSCE = Objective Structured Clinical Examination). In a longitudinal trend study based on seven semester-cohorts, it was analysed if there are gender differences in medical students' communication skills. The students (self-perception) and standardized patients (SP) (external perception) were asked to rate the communication skills using uniform questionnaires. Statistical analysis was performed by using frequency analyses and t-tests in SPSS 21. Across all ratings in the self- and the external perception, there was a significant gender difference in favour of female students performing better in the dimensions of empathy, structure, verbal expression and non-verbal expression. The results of male students deteriorated across all dimensions in the external perception between 2011 and 2014. It is important to consider if gender-specific teaching should be developed, considering the reported differences between female and male students.

Youth Attitudes and Military Service: Findings from Two Decades of Monitoring the Future National Samples of American Youth

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-06-01

data have focused on drug use and related factors, the study content is much broader (as the title implies) and includes vocational and educational ...over time. The present reporting, in contrast, focuses primarily on trend data and certain subgroup differences, using simple statistics (percentages...report are included on all forms of the 8th and 10th grade surveys. Tests for the statistical significance of mean differences between data collected in

Asymptomatic corneal staining associated with the use of balafilcon silicone-hydrogel contact lenses disinfected with a polyaminopropyl biguanide-preserved care regimen.

PubMed

Jones, Lyndon; MacDougall, Nancy; Sorbara, L Gina

2002-12-01

To compare subjective symptoms and signs in a group of individuals who wear silicone-hydrogel lenses on a daily wear basis while they sequentially used two differing care regimens. Fifty adapted soft-lens wearers were fitted with a silicone-hydrogel lens material (PureVision, Bausch & Lomb). The lenses were worn on a daily wear basis for two consecutive 1-month periods, during which the subjects used either a Polyquad (polyquaternium-1) -based system or a polyaminopropyl biguanide (PHMB) -based system, using a double-masked, randomized, crossover experimental design. Significant levels of relatively asymptomatic corneal staining were observed when subjects used the PHMB-based system, with 37% of subjects demonstrating a level of staining consistent with a classical solution-based toxicity reaction. Only 2% of the subjects exhibited such staining when using the Polyquad-based system. These results were significantly different (p < 0.001). Significant symptoms were not correlated with the degree of staining, with no differences in lens comfort or overall preference being reported between the regimens (p = NS). The only statistically significant difference in symptoms related to minor differences in stinging after lens insertion being reported, with the Polyquad-based system demonstrating less stinging (p < 0.008). Practitioners who fit silicone-hydrogel contact lenses on a daily wear basis should be wary of the potential for certain PHMB-containing multipurpose care systems to invoke corneal staining. Switching to non-PHMB based regimens will eliminate this complication in most instances.

Comparison of virtual reality based therapy with customized vestibular physical therapy for the treatment of vestibular disorders.

PubMed

Alahmari, Khalid A; Sparto, Patrick J; Marchetti, Gregory F; Redfern, Mark S; Furman, Joseph M; Whitney, Susan L

2014-03-01

We examined outcomes in persons with vestibular disorders after receiving virtual reality based therapy (VRBT) or customized vestibular physical therapy (PT) as an intervention for habituation of dizziness symptoms. Twenty subjects with vestibular disorders received VRBT and 18 received PT. During the VRBT intervention, subjects walked on a treadmill within an immersive virtual grocery store environment, for six sessions approximately one week apart. The PT intervention consisted of gaze stabilization, standing balance and walking exercises individually tailored to each subject. Before, one week after, and at six months after the intervention, subjects completed self-report and balance performance measures. Before and after each VRBT session, subjects also reported symptoms of nausea, headache, dizziness, and visual blurring. In both groups, significant improvements were noted on the majority of self-report and performance measures one week after the intervention. Subjects maintained improvements on self report and performance measures at six months follow up. There were not between group differences. Nausea, headache, dizziness and visual blurring increased significantly during the VRBT sessions, but overall symptoms were reduced at the end of the six-week intervention. While this study did not find a difference in outcomes between PT and VRBT, the mechanism by which subjects with chronic dizziness demonstrated improvement in dizziness and balance function may be different.

Discrepancy in reports of support exchanges between parents and adult offspring: within- and between-family differences.

PubMed

Kim, Kyungmin; Zarit, Steven H; Birditt, Kira S; Fingerman, Karen L

2014-04-01

Using data from 929 parent-child dyads nested in 458 three-generation families (aged 76 for the oldest generation, 50 for the middle generation, and 24 for the youngest generation), this study investigated how discrepancies in reports of support that parents and their adult offspring exchanged with one another vary both within and between families, and what factors explain variations in dyadic discrepancies. We found substantial within- and between-family differences in dyadic discrepancies in reports of support exchanges. For downward exchanges (from parents to offspring), both dyad-specific characteristics within a family (e.g., gender composition, relative levels of relationship quality, and family obligation) and shared family characteristics (e.g., average levels of relationship quality) showed significant effects on dyadic discrepancies. For upward exchanges (from offspring to parents), however, only dyad-specific characteristics (e.g., gender composition, coresidence, relative levels of positive relationship quality, and family obligation) were significantly associated with discrepancies. Discrepancies in support exchanges were mainly associated with dyad-specific characteristics, but they also appeared to be influenced by family emotional environments. The use of multiple informants revealed that families differ in discrepancies in reports of exchanges, which has implications for quality of family life as well as future exchanges. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Discrepancy in Reports of Support Exchanges between Parents and Adult Offspring: Within- and Between-Family Differences

PubMed Central

Kim, Kyungmin; Zarit, Steven H.; Birditt, Kira S.; Fingerman, Karen L.

2014-01-01

Using data from 929 parent-child dyads nested in 458 three-generation families (aged 76 for the oldest generation, 50 for the middle generation, and 24 for the youngest generation), this study investigated how discrepancies in reports of support that parents and their adult offspring exchanged with one another vary both within and between families, and what factors explain variations in dyadic discrepancies. We found substantial within- and between-family differences in dyadic discrepancies in reports of support exchanges. For downward exchanges (from parents to offspring), both dyad-specific characteristics within a family (e.g., gender composition, relative levels of relationship quality, and family obligation) and shared family characteristics (e.g., average levels of relationship quality) showed significant effects on dyadic discrepancies. For upward exchanges (from offspring to parents), however, only dyad-specific characteristics (e.g., gender composition, coresidence, relative levels of positive relationship quality, and family obligation) were significantly associated with discrepancies. Discrepancies in support exchanges were mainly associated with dyad-specific characteristics, but they also appeared to be influenced by family emotional environments. The use of multiple informants revealed that families differ in discrepancies in reports of exchanges, which has implications for quality of family life as well as future exchanges. PMID:24548009

A comparative analysis of Patient-Reported Expanded Disability Status Scale tools.

PubMed

Collins, Christian DE; Ivry, Ben; Bowen, James D; Cheng, Eric M; Dobson, Ruth; Goodin, Douglas S; Lechner-Scott, Jeannette; Kappos, Ludwig; Galea, Ian

2016-09-01

Patient-Reported Expanded Disability Status Scale (PREDSS) tools are an attractive alternative to the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) during long term or geographically challenging studies, or in pressured clinical service environments. Because the studies reporting these tools have used different metrics to compare the PREDSS and EDSS, we undertook an individual patient data level analysis of all available tools. Spearman's rho and the Bland-Altman method were used to assess correlation and agreement respectively. A systematic search for validated PREDSS tools covering the full EDSS range identified eight such tools. Individual patient data were available for five PREDSS tools. Excellent correlation was observed between EDSS and PREDSS with all tools. A higher level of agreement was observed with increasing levels of disability. In all tools, the 95% limits of agreement were greater than the minimum EDSS difference considered to be clinically significant. However, the intra-class coefficient was greater than that reported for EDSS raters of mixed seniority. The visual functional system was identified as the most significant predictor of the PREDSS-EDSS difference. This analysis will (1) enable researchers and service providers to make an informed choice of PREDSS tool, depending on their individual requirements, and (2) facilitate improvement of current PREDSS tools. © The Author(s), 2015.

Navigation-assisted versus conventional total knee replacement: no difference in patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) at 1 and 2 years.

PubMed

Singisetti, Kiran; Muthumayandi, Karthikeyan; Abual-Rub, Zaid; Weir, David

2015-11-01

Navigation technique for total knee replacement has been shown to improve accuracy of prosthesis alignment in several studies. The purpose was to compare the patient-reported outcome measures in primary total knee replacement (TKR) using navigation versus conventional surgical technique at 1- and 2-year follow-up. A retrospective review of prospectively collected patient-reported outcome data for 351 consecutively performed primary TKR was included in the study. The study group (N = 113) included patients who had Triathlon TKR using articular surface mounted (ASM Stryker) navigation technique and control group (N = 238) included patients who had Triathlon TKR using conventional jig. In addition to the WOMAC (Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index) and SF-36 (Medical Outcomes Trust Short Form-36), a short self-report questionnaire evaluating the level of satisfaction, quality of life and whether patients would undergo knee replacement again. WOMAC: no significant difference between the groups was noted in mean WOMAC pain, function and stiffness scores at 1- and 2-year follow-up. SF-36: no significant difference between the groups was seen except in the physical function component of score at 1 year (p = 0.019). Navigation group mean 56.78 (CI 51.06-62.5) versus conventional group mean 48.34 (44.68-52.01) but this difference was not observed at 2-year follow-up. The overall patient-reported outcome scores improved after total knee replacement but appear to be comparable in both groups at 1- and 2-year follow-up.

Comparison of untreated adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with normal controls: a review and statistical analysis of the literature.

PubMed

Rushton, Paul R P; Grevitt, Michael P

2013-04-20

Review and statistical analysis of studies evaluating health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in adolescents with untreated adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) using Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) outcomes. To apply normative values and minimum clinical important differences for the SRS-22r to the literature. Identify whether the HRQOL of adolescents with untreated AIS differs from unaffected peers and whether any differences are clinically relevant. The effect of untreated AIS on adolescent HRQOL is uncertain. The lack of published normative values and minimum clinical important difference for the SRS-22r has so far hindered our interpretation of previous studies. The publication of this background data allows these studies to be re-examined. Using suitable inclusion criteria, a literature search identified studies examining HRQOL in untreated adolescents with AIS. Each cohort was analyzed individually. Statistically significant differences were identified by using 95% confidence intervals for the difference in SRS-22r domain mean scores between the cohorts with AIS and the published data for unaffected adolescents. If the lower bound of the confidence interval was greater than the minimum clinical important difference, the difference was considered clinically significant. Of the 21 included patient cohorts, 81% reported statistically worse pain than those unaffected. Yet in only 5% of cohorts was this difference clinically important. Of the 11 cohorts included examining patient self-image, 91% reported statistically worse scores than those unaffected. In 73% of cohorts this difference was clinically significant. Affected cohorts tended to score well in function/activity and mental health domains and differences from those unaffected rarely reached clinically significant values. Pain and self-image tend to be statistically lower among cohorts with AIS than those unaffected. The literature to date suggests that it is only self-image which consistently differs clinically. This should be considered when assessing the possible benefits of surgery.

Relationship between Omnibus and Post-hoc Tests: An Investigation of performance of the F test in ANOVA.

PubMed

Chen, Tian; Xu, Manfei; Tu, Justin; Wang, Hongyue; Niu, Xiaohui

2018-02-25

Comparison of groups is a common statistical test in many biomedical and psychosocial research studies. When there are more than two groups, one first performs an omnibus test for an overall difference across the groups. If this null is rejected, one then proceeds to the next step of post-hoc pairwise group comparisons to determine sources of difference. Otherwise, one stops and declares no group difference. A common belief is that if the omnibus test is significant, there must exist at least two groups that are significantly different and vice versa. Thus, when the omnibus test is significant, but no post-hoc between-group comparison shows significant difference, one is bewildered at what is going on and wondering how to interpret the results. At the end of the spectrum, when the omnibus test is not significant, one wonders if all post-hoc tests will be non-significant as well so that stopping after a nonsignificant omnibus test will not lead to any missed opportunity of finding group difference. In this report, we investigate this perplexing phenomenon and discuss how to interpret such results.

Differences in Antipsychotic-Related Adverse Events in Adult, Pediatric, and Geriatric Populations.

PubMed

Sagreiya, Hersh; Chen, Yi-Ren; Kumarasamy, Narmadan A; Ponnusamy, Karthik; Chen, Doris; Das, Amar K

2017-02-26

In recent years, antipsychotic medications have increasingly been used in pediatric and geriatric populations, despite the fact that many of these drugs were approved based on clinical trials in adult patients only. Preliminary studies have shown that the "off-label" use of these drugs in pediatric and geriatric populations may result in adverse events not found in adults. In this study, we utilized the large-scale U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adverse Events Reporting System (AERS) database to look at differences in adverse events from antipsychotics among adult, pediatric, and geriatric populations. We performed a systematic analysis of the FDA AERS database using MySQL by standardizing the database using structured terminologies and ontologies. We compared adverse event profiles of atypical versus typical antipsychotic medications among adult (18-65), pediatric (age < 18), and geriatric (> 65) populations. We found statistically significant differences between the number of adverse events in the pediatric versus adult populations with aripiprazole, clozapine, fluphenazine, haloperidol, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, and thiothixene, and between the geriatric versus adult populations with aripiprazole, chlorpromazine, clozapine, fluphenazine, haloperidol, paliperidone, promazine, risperidone, thiothixene, and ziprasidone (p < 0.05, with adjustment for multiple comparisons). Furthermore, the particular types of adverse events reported also varied significantly between each population for aripiprazole, clozapine, haloperidol, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, and ziprasidone (Chi-square, p < 10 -6 ). Diabetes was the most commonly reported side effect in the adult population, compared to behavioral problems in the pediatric population and neurologic symptoms in the geriatric population. We also found discrepancies between the frequencies of reports in AERS and in the literature. Our analysis of the FDA AERS database shows that there are significant differences in both the numbers and types of adverse events among these age groups and between atypical and typical antipsychotics. It is important for clinicians to be mindful of these differences when prescribing antipsychotics, especially when prescribing medications off-label.

Differences in Looking at Own- and Other-Race Faces Are Subtle and Analysis-Dependent: An Account of Discrepant Reports.

PubMed

Arizpe, Joseph; Kravitz, Dwight J; Walsh, Vincent; Yovel, Galit; Baker, Chris I

2016-01-01

The Other-Race Effect (ORE) is the robust and well-established finding that people are generally poorer at facial recognition of individuals of another race than of their own race. Over the past four decades, much research has focused on the ORE because understanding this phenomenon is expected to elucidate fundamental face processing mechanisms and the influence of experience on such mechanisms. Several recent studies of the ORE in which the eye-movements of participants viewing own- and other-race faces were tracked have, however, reported highly conflicting results regarding the presence or absence of differential patterns of eye-movements to own- versus other-race faces. This discrepancy, of course, leads to conflicting theoretical interpretations of the perceptual basis for the ORE. Here we investigate fixation patterns to own- versus other-race (African and Chinese) faces for Caucasian participants using different analysis methods. While we detect statistically significant, though subtle, differences in fixation pattern using an Area of Interest (AOI) approach, we fail to detect significant differences when applying a spatial density map approach. Though there were no significant differences in the spatial density maps, the qualitative patterns matched the results from the AOI analyses reflecting how, in certain contexts, Area of Interest (AOI) analyses can be more sensitive in detecting the differential fixation patterns than spatial density analyses, due to spatial pooling of data with AOIs. AOI analyses, however, also come with the limitation of requiring a priori specification. These findings provide evidence that the conflicting reports in the prior literature may be at least partially accounted for by the differences in the statistical sensitivity associated with the different analysis methods employed across studies. Overall, our results suggest that detection of differences in eye-movement patterns can be analysis-dependent and rests on the assumptions inherent in the given analysis.

Differences in Looking at Own- and Other-Race Faces Are Subtle and Analysis-Dependent: An Account of Discrepant Reports

PubMed Central

Arizpe, Joseph; Kravitz, Dwight J.; Walsh, Vincent; Yovel, Galit; Baker, Chris I.

2016-01-01

The Other-Race Effect (ORE) is the robust and well-established finding that people are generally poorer at facial recognition of individuals of another race than of their own race. Over the past four decades, much research has focused on the ORE because understanding this phenomenon is expected to elucidate fundamental face processing mechanisms and the influence of experience on such mechanisms. Several recent studies of the ORE in which the eye-movements of participants viewing own- and other-race faces were tracked have, however, reported highly conflicting results regarding the presence or absence of differential patterns of eye-movements to own- versus other-race faces. This discrepancy, of course, leads to conflicting theoretical interpretations of the perceptual basis for the ORE. Here we investigate fixation patterns to own- versus other-race (African and Chinese) faces for Caucasian participants using different analysis methods. While we detect statistically significant, though subtle, differences in fixation pattern using an Area of Interest (AOI) approach, we fail to detect significant differences when applying a spatial density map approach. Though there were no significant differences in the spatial density maps, the qualitative patterns matched the results from the AOI analyses reflecting how, in certain contexts, Area of Interest (AOI) analyses can be more sensitive in detecting the differential fixation patterns than spatial density analyses, due to spatial pooling of data with AOIs. AOI analyses, however, also come with the limitation of requiring a priori specification. These findings provide evidence that the conflicting reports in the prior literature may be at least partially accounted for by the differences in the statistical sensitivity associated with the different analysis methods employed across studies. Overall, our results suggest that detection of differences in eye-movement patterns can be analysis-dependent and rests on the assumptions inherent in the given analysis. PMID:26849447

Emotional and Behavioral Disturbances in Adolescents Involved in Witchcraft and Satanism.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burket, Roger C.; And Others

1994-01-01

Examined inpatient medical records of 157 consecutive adolescent admissions to private psychiatric hospital. Ten patients with interest in witchcraft and Satanism had significantly more diagnoses of identity disorder, alcohol abuse, and hallucinogen abuse. One-half reported history of self-mutilation. Found no significant difference in criminal…

Behavioral Treatment and Normal Educational and Intellectual Functioning in Young Autistic Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lovaas, O. Ivar

1987-01-01

Reports the results of behavior modification treatment for two groups of similarly constituted, young autistic children. Pretreatment measures revealed no significant differences between the intensively treated experimental group and the minimally treated control groups. At follow-up, experimental group subjects (N=19) did significantly better…

Can Good Concept Mappers Be Good Problem Solvers in Science?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okebukola, Peter Akinsola

1992-01-01

Describes a study of concept mapping as a means of learning problem-solving skills. Concludes that the concept mapping subjects were significantly more successful at solving biological test questions than were the controls. Reports no significant differences between cooperative and individual mapping and mixed results for gender. (DK)

After Chemotherapy Treatment for Maternal Cancer During Pregnancy, Is Breastfeeding Possible?

PubMed

Stopenski, Stephen; Aslam, Anum; Zhang, Xinmin; Cardonick, Elyce

2017-03-01

To report breastfeeding complaints of women diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy and correlate success with characteristics of their treatment. This is a prospective cohort study of women diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy who attempted breastfeeding. We surveyed participants about breast engorgement, milk let down, and consistent breast milk production through mailed questionnaires. Treatment details, including the type and number of chemotherapy cycles given during pregnancy and antepartum or postpartum depression, were collected. A single pathologist evaluated surgical specimens to note lactational changes while blinded to patient's treatment. The primary endpoint was successful breastfeeding without reporting any lack of or decreased breast milk production. When comparing women who underwent chemotherapy during pregnancy to women who did not, there was a significant difference in reporting a lack of or a perceived decrease in breast milk supply and the need to provide supplemental feeding to their infants (63.5% and 9%, respectively, p < 0.001). In the women who received chemotherapy, there was no significant difference in maternal age, cancer type, or stage with regard to breastfeeding difficulties. Gestational age at the first cycle and the number of cycles were significant factors associated with breastfeeding difficulties (p = 0.006 and p = 0.0003, respectively). Antepartum and postpartum depression was not associated with decreased breast milk production. A lack of lactational changes and significant lobular atrophy were noted in the women given neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Women who undergo chemotherapy during a pregnancy are more likely to report breastfeeding difficulties.

Parents bereaved by infant death: sex differences and moderation in PTSD, attachment, coping and social support.

PubMed

Christiansen, Dorte M; Olff, Miranda; Elklit, Ask

2014-01-01

Parents bereaved by infant death experience a wide range of symptomatology, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that may persist for years after the loss. Little research has been conducted on PTSD in fathers who have lost an infant. Mothers report most symptoms to a greater extent than fathers, but not much is known about other sex differences following infant death. The present cross-sectional study examined sex differences in PTSD and sex differences in the relationship between PTSD severity and related variables. Subjects were 361 mothers and 273 fathers who had lost an infant either late in pregnancy, during birth or in the first year of life. Participants filled out questionnaires between 1.2 months and 18 years after the loss (M = 3.4 years). Mothers reported significantly more PTSD symptoms, attachment anxiety, emotion-focused coping and feeling let down, but significantly lower levels of attachment avoidance than fathers. Attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance and emotion-focused coping were significantly more strongly associated with PTSD severity in mothers than fathers, but only when examined alone. When all variables and time since the loss were examined together, there were no longer any significant moderation effects of sex. Persistent posttraumatic symptomatology exists in both mothers and fathers long after the loss. There are several sex differences in severity and correlates of PTSD, and a few moderation effects were identified for attachment and emotion-focused coping. Overall, more similarities than differences were found between mothers and fathers in the associations between PTSD and covariates. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Typologies of Caregiving Families: Family Congruence and Individual Well-Being.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pruchno, Rachel A.; And Others

1997-01-01

Used data from 252 female primary caregivers, their husbands, and children to create family typologies based on the extent of similarities among reports of elder behaviors. Results indicate that families characterized by high agreement and those characterized by low agreement significantly differed from one another. Other findings are reported.…

CALIFORNIA, ANNUAL FARM LABOR REPORT, 1961.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LENHART, MARGOT W.

STATISTICAL TRENDS AND GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS IN DIFFERENT AREAS TO AID DIFFERENT TYPES OF FARMERS WERE PRESENTED. BETWEEN 1960 AND 1961, CALIFORNIA'S OVERALL CROP PRODUCTION ROSE BY ALMOST ONE PERCENT, WHILE TOTAL ACREAGE HARVESTED AND VALUE OF PRODUCTION DECLINED SLIGHTLY. FARMING UNDERWENT SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN MANY COMMUNITIES. MORE MACHINES AND…

Relationship Between Mood Disturbance and Sleep Quality in Oncology Outpatients at the Initiation of Radiation Therapy

PubMed Central

Van Onselen, Christina; Dunn, Laura B.; Lee, Kathryn; Dodd, Marylin; Koetters, Theresa; West, Claudia; Paul, Steven M.; Aouizerat, Bradley E.; Wara, William; Swift, Patrick; Miaskowski, Christine

2010-01-01

Purpose of the research The purpose of this study was to describe the occurrence of significant mood disturbance and evaluate for differences in sleep quality among four mood groups (i.e., neither anxiety nor depression, only anxiety, only depression, anxiety and depression) prior to the initiation of radiation therapy (RT). Methods and sample Patients (n=179) with breast, prostate, lung, and brain cancer were evaluated prior to the initiation of RT using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and the Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory. Differences in sleep disturbance among the four mood groups were evaluated using analyses of variance. Key results While 38% of the patients reported some type of mood disturbance, 57% of the patients reported sleep disturbance. Patients with clinically significant levels of anxiety and depression reported the highest levels of sleep disturbance. Conclusions Overall, oncology patients with mood disturbances reported more sleep disturbance than those without mood disturbance. Findings suggest that oncology patients need to be assessed for mood and sleep disturbances. PMID:20080444

Pregnancy outcomes among U.S. Gulf War veterans: a population-based survey of 30,000 veterans.

PubMed

Kang, H; Magee, C; Mahan, C; Lee, K; Murphy, F; Jackson, L; Matanoski, G

2001-10-01

We evaluated an association between veterans' Gulf War service and reported adverse pregnancy outcomes. We conducted a health survey in which selected reproductive outcomes of a population-based sample of 15,000 Gulf War veterans representing four military branches and three unit components (active, reserve, and National Guard) were compared to those of 15,000 non-Gulf veteran controls. Male Gulf veterans, compared with their non-Gulf veteran controls, reported a significantly higher rate of miscarriage (odds ratio [OR] = 1.62; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.32-1.99). Female Gulf veterans also reported more miscarriages than their respective controls, although their excess was not statistically significant (OR= 1.35; CI = 0.97-1.89). Both men and women deployed to the Gulf theater reported significant excesses of birth defects among their liveborn infants. These excess rates also extended to the subset of "moderate to severe" birth defects [males: OR= 1.78 (CI = 1.19-2.66); females: OR = 2.80 (CI = 1.26-6.25)]. No statistically significant differences by deployment status were found among men or women for stillbirths, pre-term deliveries or infant mortality. The risk of veterans reporting birth defects among their children was significantly associated with veteran's military service in the Gulf War. This observation needs to be confirmed by a review of medical records to rule out possible reporting bias.

Sex Differences in Youth-Reported Depressive Symptomatology and Unwanted Internet Sexual Solicitation

PubMed Central

Leaf, Philip J; Diener-West, Marie

2004-01-01

Background As the number of youths using the Internet regularly increase, so too does the number of youths potentially vulnerable to negative experiences online. Clinicians, policy makers, and parents need to better understand the Internet and factors related to positive and negative experiences online. Objective Primarily to investigate the association between youth-reported depressive symptomatology and unwanted Internet sexual solicitation and secondarily to identify sex differences in related characteristics of affected youth. Methods Data from the Youth Internet Safety Survey were analyzed to investigate the association between reported depressive symptomatology and unwanted Internet sexual solicitation. The Youth Internet Safety Survey was a nationally-representative, cross-sectional telephone survey. Youth participants (N = 1501) were English speakers between the ages of 10 and 17 years who had accessed the Internet at least 6 times in the previous 6 months and had resided in the household for at least 2 weeks in the previous year. Eighty-two percent of contacted households agreed to participate. Each participant was asked to indicate whether any of the 9 symptoms of major depression defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) had been present within the previous month. Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds of reporting an unwanted sexual solicitation online for youths with mild or major depressive symptomatology versus no symptomatology. A parsimonious, multivariate model of significant youth characteristics was identified separately for males and females. Results Youths who report major depressive-like symptoms were 3.5 times more likely (odds ratio, 3.54; 95% confidence interval, 2.19-5.71) to also report an unwanted sexual solicitation online compared to youths with mild/no symptomatology. After adjusting for significant Internet and psychosocial characteristics, male Internet users who report major depressive-like symptomatology were 2.5 times more likely to also indicate an unwanted Internet solicitation (adjusted odds ratio, 2.72; 95% CI, 1.15-6.40); significant differences were not observed among otherwise-similar females. Further, among youths reporting an Internet solicitation (N = 283), youths with major depressive-like symptomatology were twice as likely to report feeling emotionally distressed by the incident compared to youths with mild/no symptomatology (odds ratio, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.03-5.02). Conclusions While the majority of youths report positive experiences online, some youths may be more vulnerable to negative experiences. Cross-sectional results indicate that the report of depressive symptomatology is significantly related to the concurrent report of an unwanted Internet sexual solicitation, especially for young males. Future research should focus on parsing out the temporality of events and identifying additional populations of vulnerable youths online. PMID:15111271

Evaluation of Three Different Processing Techniques in the Fabrication of Complete Dentures

PubMed Central

Chintalacheruvu, Vamsi Krishna; Balraj, Rajasekaran Uttukuli; Putchala, Lavanya Sireesha; Pachalla, Sreelekha

2017-01-01

Aims and Objectives: The objective of the present study is to compare the effectiveness of three different processing techniques and to find out the accuracy of processing techniques through number of occlusal interferences and increase in vertical dimension after denture processing. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 18 patients indicated for complete denture fabrication was selected for the study and they were divided into three subgroups. Three processing techniques, compression molding and injection molding using prepolymerized resin and unpolymerized resin, were used to fabricate dentures for each of the groups. After processing, laboratory-remounted dentures were evaluated for number of occlusal interferences in centric and eccentric relations and change in vertical dimension through vertical pin rise in articulator. Data were analyzed using statistical test ANOVA and SPSS software version 19.0 by IBM was used. Results: Data obtained from three groups were subjected to one-way ANOVA test. After ANOVA test, results with significant variations were subjected to post hoc test. Number of occlusal interferences with compression molding technique was reported to be more in both centric and eccentric positions as compared to the two injection molding techniques with statistical significance in centric, protrusive, right lateral nonworking, and left lateral working positions (P < 0.05). Mean vertical pin rise (0.52 mm) was reported to more in compression molding technique as compared to injection molding techniques, which is statistically significant (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Within the limitations of this study, injection molding techniques exhibited less processing errors as compared to compression molding technique with statistical significance. There was no statistically significant difference in processing errors reported within two injection molding systems. PMID:28713763

Evaluation of Three Different Processing Techniques in the Fabrication of Complete Dentures.

PubMed

Chintalacheruvu, Vamsi Krishna; Balraj, Rajasekaran Uttukuli; Putchala, Lavanya Sireesha; Pachalla, Sreelekha

2017-06-01

The objective of the present study is to compare the effectiveness of three different processing techniques and to find out the accuracy of processing techniques through number of occlusal interferences and increase in vertical dimension after denture processing. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 18 patients indicated for complete denture fabrication was selected for the study and they were divided into three subgroups. Three processing techniques, compression molding and injection molding using prepolymerized resin and unpolymerized resin, were used to fabricate dentures for each of the groups. After processing, laboratory-remounted dentures were evaluated for number of occlusal interferences in centric and eccentric relations and change in vertical dimension through vertical pin rise in articulator. Data were analyzed using statistical test ANOVA and SPSS software version 19.0 by IBM was used. Data obtained from three groups were subjected to one-way ANOVA test. After ANOVA test, results with significant variations were subjected to post hoc test. Number of occlusal interferences with compression molding technique was reported to be more in both centric and eccentric positions as compared to the two injection molding techniques with statistical significance in centric, protrusive, right lateral nonworking, and left lateral working positions ( P < 0.05). Mean vertical pin rise (0.52 mm) was reported to more in compression molding technique as compared to injection molding techniques, which is statistically significant ( P < 0.001). Within the limitations of this study, injection molding techniques exhibited less processing errors as compared to compression molding technique with statistical significance. There was no statistically significant difference in processing errors reported within two injection molding systems.

Effect of species, breed, and age on bacterial load in bovine and bubaline semen

PubMed Central

Sannat, Chandrahas; Nair, Ajit; Sahu, S. B.; Sahasrabudhe, S. A.; Kumar, Ashish; Gupta, Amit Kumar; Shende, R. K.

2015-01-01

Aim: The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of species, breed and age on bacterial load in fresh and frozen semen of Cattle and Buffalo bull. Materials and Methods: Present study covered 56 cow and 10 buffalo bulls stationed at Central Semen Station Anjora, Durg (Chhattisgarh). Impact of breeds on bacterial load in semen was assessed using six breeds of cattle viz. Sahiwal, Gir, Red Sindhi, Tharparkar, Jersey and Holstein Friesian (HF) cross. Cow bulls were categorized into four different groups based on their age (<4 years, 4-5 years, 5-6 years and > 6 years) to study variation among age groups. Bacterial load was measured in fresh and frozen semen samples from these bulls using the standard plate count (SPC) method and count was expressed as colony forming unit (CFU) per ml of semen. Results: Higher bacterial load was reported in fresh (2.36 × 104 ± 1943 CFU/ml) and frozen (1.00 × 10 ± 90 CFU/ml) semen of cow bulls as compared to buffalo bulls (1.95 × 104 ± 2882 and 7.75 × 102 ± 160 CFU/ml in fresh and frozen semen, respectively). Jersey bull showed significantly higher bacterial count (p < 0.05) both in fresh (4.07 × 104 ± 13927 CFU/ml) and frozen (1.92 × 103 ± 178 CFU/ml) semen followed by HF cross, Sahiwal, Gir, Red Sindhi and Tharparkar bull. Bulls aged < 4 years and more than 6 years yielded increased bacterial load in their semen. Although a minor variation was reported between species and among age groups, no significant differences were measured. Conclusion: Bacterial load in semen did not differ significantly between species and age groups; however significant variation was reported among different breeds. Bulls of Jersey breed showed significantly higher bacterial load in semen as compared to the crossbred and indigenous bull. PMID:27047115

Concomitant use of ipratropium and tiotropium in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

PubMed

Cole, Jennifer M; Sheehan, Amy Heck; Jordan, Joseph K

2012-12-01

To describe the current data evaluating the efficacy and safety of ipratropium used in combination with tiotropium in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A literature search using MEDLINE (1966-August 2012) and EMBASE (1973-August 2012) was conducted using the search terms ipratropium, tiotropium, combination drug therapy, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. References of identified articles were reviewed for additional relevant citations. All English-language articles regarding the concomitant use of ipratropium and tiotropium were reviewed. Two prospective randomized controlled trials have demonstrated increases in bronchodilation with ipratropium when added to maintenance tiotropium therapy, suggesting potential benefits during short-term, combined use. One study reported significantly higher peak forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV(1)) responses with both ipratropium (230 mL) and fenoterol (315 mL) compared to placebo (178 mL) when added to maintenance tiotropium. The peak response with fenoterol was significantly higher than with ipratropium (FEV(1) difference = 84 mL). Another study reported a mean difference in FEV(1) of 81 mL (95% CI 27 to 136) with albuterol versus placebo and a mean difference in FEV(1) of 68 mL (95% CI 3 to 132) with ipratropium versus placebo. The difference between albuterol and ipratropium when added to maintenance tiotropium was not significant. One large observational study reported a significantly higher risk of acute urinary retention in individuals receiving combination therapy with a short- and long-acting anticholinergic agent compared to those receiving monotherapy (OR 1.84; 95% CI 1.25 to 2.71). Individuals at highest risk were men and those with evidence of benign prostatic hypertrophy. While ipratropium may provide spirometric improvements in lung function for patients receiving tiotropium maintenance therapy, the clinical significance of these improvements has not been documented and the risk of anticholinergic adverse effects is increased with combination therapy. Further studies evaluating the safety and efficacy of concomitant ipratropium and tiotropium are warranted before combination use can be recommended for select patients.

The Clitoral Photoplethysmograph: A Pilot Study Examining Discriminant and Convergent Validity.

PubMed

Suschinsky, Kelly D; Shelley, Amanda J; Gerritsen, Jeroen; Tuiten, Adriaan; Chivers, Meredith L

2015-12-01

The clitoral photoplethysmograph (CPP) is a relatively new device used to measure changes in clitoral blood volume (CBV); however, its construct validity has not yet been evaluated. To evaluate the discriminant and convergent validity of the CPP. For discriminant validity, CBV responses should differ between sexual and nonsexual emotional films if the CPP accurately assesses clitoral vasocongestion associated with sexual arousal; for convergent validity, CBV responses should significantly correlate with subjective reports of sexual arousal. Twenty women (M age = 21.2 years, SD = 3.4) watched neutral, anxiety-inducing, exhilarating, and sexual (female-male sex) audiovisual stimuli while their genital responses were measured simultaneously using vaginal and clitoral photoplethysmographs and CPPs. Most of these participants continuously reported sexual arousal throughout each stimulus (n = 16), and all reported their sexual and nonsexual affect before and after each stimulus; subjective responses were recorded via button presses using a keypad. Vaginal pulse amplitude (VPA), CBV, and self-reported sexual arousal and nonsexual affect were used as main outcome measures. CBV demonstrated both discriminant and convergent validity. CBV responses were similar to VPA responses and self-reported sexual arousal; all responses differed significantly as a function of stimulus content, with the sexual stimulus eliciting greater relative changes than nonsexual stimuli. CBV, but not VPA, was significantly (negatively) correlated with continuous self-reported sexual arousal during the shorter sexual stimulus. CBV was significantly negatively correlated with VPA for the shorter sexual stimulus. CBV may be a valid measure of women's genital sexual arousal that provides complementary information to VPA and correlates with self-reported sexual arousal. Given our relatively small sample size, and that this is among the first research to use the CPP, the current findings must be replicated. More research using the CPP and other devices is required for a more comprehensive description of women's physiological sexual arousal. © 2015 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

Interventions for older persons reporting memory difficulties: a randomized controlled pilot study.

PubMed

Cohen-Mansfield, Jiska; Cohen, Rinat; Buettner, Linda; Eyal, Nitza; Jakobovits, Hanna; Rebok, George; Rotenberg-Shpigelman, Shlomit; Sternberg, Shelley

2015-05-01

The objective of this study is to compare three different interventions for persons who report memory difficulties: health promotion, cognitive training, and a participation-centered course, using a single-blind, randomized controlled design. Participants were 44 Israeli adults with memory complaints, aged 65 years or older. The main outcome variable was the Global Cognitive Score assessed using the MindStreams(®) mild cognitive impairment assessment, a computerized cognitive assessment. The Mini-Mental State Examination and the self-report of memory difficulties were also utilized. To assess well-being, the UCLA Loneliness Scale-8 was used. Health was evaluated by self-report instruments. All three interventions resulted in significant improvement in cognitive function as measured by the computerized cognitive assessment. All approaches seemed to decrease loneliness. The only variable which showed a significant difference among the groups is the self-report of memory difficulties, in which the cognitive training group participants reported greater improvement than the other groups. Multiple approaches should be offered to older persons with memory complaints. The availability of diverse options would help fit the needs of a heterogeneous population. An educational media effort to promote the public's understanding of the efficacy of these multiple approaches is needed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Ethnic differences in smoking rate, nicotine dependence, and cessation-related variables among adult smokers in Hawaii.

PubMed

Herzog, Thaddeus A; Pokhrel, Pallav

2012-12-01

This study tests hypotheses concerning ethnic disparities in daily cigarette smoking rates, nicotine dependence, cessation motivation, and knowledge and past use of cessation methods (e.g., counseling) and products (e.g., nicotine patch) in a multiethnic sample of smokers in Hawaii. Previous research has revealed significant differences in smoking prevalence among Native Hawaiians, Filipinos, Japanese, and Caucasians in Hawaii. However, no study has examined differences in dependence and cessation-related knowledge and practices among smokers representing these ethnic groups. Participants were recruited through newspaper advertisement as part of a larger smoking cessation intervention study. Participants (N = 919; M age = 45.6, SD = 12.7; 48 % women) eligible to participate provided self-report data through mail and telephone. Participants included 271 self-identified Native Hawaiians, 63 Filipinos, 316 Caucasians, 145 "East Asians" (e.g., Japanese, Chinese), and 124 "other" (e.g., Hispanic, African-American). Pair-wise comparisons of means, controlling for age, gender, income, education, and marital status, indicated that Native Hawaiian smokers reported significantly higher daily smoking rates and higher levels of nicotine dependence compared to East Asians. Native Hawaiian smokers reported significantly lower motivation to quit smoking than Caucasians. Further, Filipino and Native Hawaiian smokers reported lesser knowledge of cessation methods and products, and less frequent use of these methods and products than Caucasians. The results suggest that Native Hawaiian and Filipino smokers could be underserved with regard to receiving cessation-related advice, and may lack adequate access to smoking cessation products and services. In addition, cessation interventions tailored for Native Hawaiian smokers could benefit from a motivational enhancement component.

7208 Victims of domestic and public violence; an exploratory study based on the reports of assaulted individuals reporting to the police.

PubMed

Reijnders, U J L; Ceelen, M

2014-05-01

In this study, the data of 7208 victims (children and adults) of domestic and public violence were analysed after they reported this to the police in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. In this analysis the characteristics of these intentional injuries were collected and compared. Despite some significant differences, there is no clear, specific way to distinguish between public and domestic violence. Therefore, it is more efficient for doctors to limit their focus to the differences between accidental and intentional injuries. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Neurological and mental health outcomes among conventional and organic farmers in Indiana, USA.

PubMed

Khan, Khalid M; Baidya, Retushi; Aryal, Ashamsa; Farmer, James R; Valliant, Julia

2018-06-20

Every farming method, whether conventional or organic, has been associated with some sort of risky behaviors leading to health issues among farmers. Substantial evidence is not available in the literature to determine whether the magnitudes of health outcomes vary between conventional and organic farmers. The study investigated whether self-reported neurological and mental health symptoms differ between conventional and organic farmers living in Indiana, USA. A self-reported questionnaire survey collected information from 200 conventional and 157 organic farmers of Indiana on demographic characteristics, depression and neurological symptoms. Statistical analyses were conducted to observe the differences in self-reported symptoms by groups of farmers. It was observed that the conventional farmers had significantly higher age-adjusted mean neurological symptom score (p<0.01) than the organic farmers. Regression models revealed positive and significant associations of conventional farming with total (β =1.34; p=0.02), sensory (β =0.83; p=0.001) and behavioural (β =0.09; p=0.03) symptoms after accounting for age, income, education and years in farming. Positive but non-significant associations were also observed in conventional farmers with cognitive and motor symptoms, and with all subscales of depression symptoms in the adjusted models. The findings obtained suggest the importance of a larger study to further explain the difference in mental and neurological health effects in these two categories of farmers.

Clinical management issues vary by specialty in the Victorian Audit of Surgical Mortality: a retrospective observational study

PubMed Central

Vinluan, Jessele; Retegan, Claudia; Chen, Andrew; Beiles, Charles Barry

2014-01-01

Objective Clinical management issues are contributory factors to mortality. The aim of this study was to use data from the Victorian Audit of Surgical Mortality (VASM), an educational peer-review process for surgeons, to discover differences in the incidence of these issues between surgical specialties in order to focus attention to areas of care that might be improved. Design This study used retrospectively analysed observational data from VASM. Clinical management issues between eight specialties were assessed using χ2 analysis. Data sources VASM data were reported by participating public and private health services, the Coroner and self-reporting surgeons across Victoria. Results A total of 2946 specific clinical issues as deficiencies of care were reported. 15% of cases had significant issues of care. The most common clinical management issue was the delay in delivery of treatment. Other clinical issues included the quality of communication and documentation, preoperative and postoperative care, adverse events and protocol issues. There were significant differences in issues between specialties. Conclusions The clinical management issues presented across surgical specialties were similar; however, five issues of clinical care differed significantly in frequency across surgical specialties. The three main issues varying among specialties were complications after operation, communication and postoperative care. Addressing these clinical management issues via the peer-review process may impact positively on patient care. PMID:24980043

Quality of Life During Treatment With Chemohormonal Therapy: Analysis of E3805 Chemohormonal Androgen Ablation Randomized Trial in Prostate Cancer.

PubMed

Morgans, Alicia K; Chen, Yu-Hui; Sweeney, Christopher J; Jarrard, David F; Plimack, Elizabeth R; Gartrell, Benjamin A; Carducci, Michael A; Hussain, Maha; Garcia, Jorge A; Cella, David; DiPaola, Robert S; Patrick-Miller, Linda J

2018-04-10

Purpose Chemohormonal therapy with docetaxel and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT+D) for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer improves overall survival as compared with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) alone. We compared the quality of life (QOL) between patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer who were treated with ADT+D and those who were treated with ADT alone. Methods Men were randomly assigned to ADT+ D (six cycles) or to ADT alone. QOL was assessed by Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Prostate (FACT-P), FACT-Taxane, Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue, and the Brief Pain Inventory at baseline and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to examine changes over time. Mixed-effect models compared the QOL between arms at each time point. Results Seven hundred ninety men were randomly assigned (ADT+D [n = 397] and ADT[ n = 393]) and completed FACT-P (90% at baseline, 86% at 3 months, 83% at 6 months, 78% at 9 months, and 77% at 12 months). ADT+D patients reported a statistically significant decline in FACT-P at 3 months ( P < .001) but FACT-P did not differ significantly between baseline and 12 months ( P = .38). ADT+D FACT-P scores were significantly lower at 3 months ( P = .02) but significantly higher at 12 months ( P = .04) when compared with ADT FACT-P scores. Differences did not exceed the minimal clinically important difference at any time point. ADT+D patients reported significantly lower Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue scores at 3 months than did ADT patients ( P < .001). Over time, both arms reported significantly poorer FACT-Taxane scores ( P < .001) when compared with baseline. Brief Pain Inventory scores were similar between arms. Conclusion Although ADT+D was associated with statistically worse QOL at 3 months, QOL was better at 12 months for ADT+D patients than for ADT patients. Both arms reported a similar minimally changed QOL over time, suggesting that ADT+D is not associated with a greater long-term negative impact on QOL.

Eight years secular trends of physical self-esteem among Swedish adolescents.

PubMed

Raustorp, Anders

2010-01-01

The main aim of this study was to explore secular trends between 2000 and 2008 in physical self esteem by comparing cross sectional cohorts of young adolescents. Data of physical self esteem, mean steps per day and body mass index (BMI) were collected in comparable cohorts comprising 191 (103 girls) (2000) and 170 adolescents (101 girls) (2008) in a middle class Swedish community. There was a significant higher Global Self-esteem in the cohort 2008 compared with the 2000 cohort both in boys (p = .004) and girls (p = .018). Regarding Physical Self-worth, both boys and girls reported higher mean values in 2008, which were however not significant. Boys classified overweight/obese showed a significant lower value in Global Self-esteem (p = .001) in the 2008 cohort when compared with the overweight/obese in the 2000 cohort, but all other domains showed non significant differences. Girls classified overweight/obese showed a significant lower value in Physical Strength (p = .023), in the 2008 cohort when compared with the overweight/ obese in the 2000 cohort, but all other domains showed non significant differences. There was significantly higher Global Self-esteem in the cohort 2008 compared with the 2000 cohort both in boys and girls, and regarding Physical Self-worth, both boys and girls reported higher mean values in 2008 that were not significant. In the overweight/obese adolescents group, the only significant difference was a lower perceived Physical Strength in girls in 2008 and a significant lower Global Self-esteem in boys in 2008. Enhanced focus on physical activity in society and actions taken by the school might have influenced the result.

Young Adult Cannabis Users Report Greater Propensity for Risk-Taking Only in Non-Monetary Domains

PubMed Central

Gilman, Jodi M.; Calderon, Vanessa; Curran, Max T.; Evins, A. Eden

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND Though substance use is often associated with elevated risk-taking in real-world scenarios, many risk-taking tasks in experimental psychology using financial gambles fail to find significant differences between individuals with substance use disorders and healthy controls. We assessed whether participants using marijuana would show a greater propensity for risk-taking in distinct domains including, but not limited to, financial risk-taking. METHODS In the current study, we assessed risk-taking in young adult (age 18–25) regular marijuana users and in non-using control participants using a domain-specific risk-taking self-report scale (DOSPERT) encompassing five domains of risk-taking (social, financial, recreational, health/safety, and ethical). We also measured behavioral risk-taking using a laboratory monetary risk-taking task. RESULTS Marijuana users and controls reported significant differences on the social, health/safety, and ethical risk-taking scales, but no differences in the propensity to take recreational or financial risks. Complementing the self-report finding, there were no differences between marijuana users and controls in their performance on the laboratory risk-taking task. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that financial risk-taking may be less sensitive than other domains of risk-taking in assessing differences in risky behavior between those who use marijuana and those who do not. In order to more consistently determine whether increased risk-taking is a factor in substance use, it may be necessary to use both monetary risk-taking tasks and complementary assessments of non-monetary-based risk-taking measures. PMID:25577478

Gender differences in correlates of colorectal cancer screening among Black Medicare beneficiaries in Baltimore.

PubMed

Martinez, Kathryn A; Pollack, Craig E; Phelan, Darcy F; Markakis, Diane; Bone, Lee; Shapiro, Gary; Wenzel, Jennifer; Howerton, Mollie; Johnson, Lawrence; Garza, Mary A; Ford, Jean G

2013-06-01

Previous research has shown colorectal cancer (CRC) screening disparities by gender. Little research has focused primarily on gender differences among older Black individuals, and reasons for existing gender differences remain poorly understood. We used baseline data from the Cancer Prevention and Treatment Demonstration Screening Trial. Participants were recruited from November 2006 to March 2010. In-person interviews were used to assess self-reported CRC screening behavior. Up-to-date CRC screening was defined as self-reported colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy in the past 10 years or fecal occult blood testing in the past year. We used multivariable logistic regression to examine the association between gender and self-reported screening, adjusting for covariates. The final model was stratified by gender to examine factors differentially associated with screening outcomes for males and females. The final sample consisted of 1,552 female and 586 male Black Medicare beneficiaries in Baltimore, Maryland. Males were significantly less likely than females to report being up-to-date with screening (77.5% vs. 81.6%, P = 0.030), and this difference was significant in the fully adjusted model (OR: 0.72; 95% confidence interval, 0.52-0.99). The association between having a usual source of care and receipt of cancer screening was stronger among males compared with females. Although observed differences in CRC screening were small, several factors suggest that gender-specific approaches may be used to promote screening adherence among Black Medicare beneficiaries. Given disproportionate CRC mortality between White and Black Medicare beneficiaries, gender-specific interventions aimed at increasing CRC screening may be warranted among older Black patients.

Sex-related differences in serum cotinine concentrations in daily cigarette smokers.

PubMed

Gan, Wen Qi; Cohen, Sigal Ben-Zaken; Man, S F Paul; Sin, Don D

2008-08-01

Self-reported use of cigarettes generally underestimates the true cigarette exposure of smokers. Serum cotinine is considered the best biomarker to evaluate tobacco exposure. This study determined whether or not there were any significant differences in serum cotinine concentrations between men and women when they reported smoking the same number of cigarettes per day. We analyzed cotinine and tobacco consumption data on 680 women and 840 men, aged 20 years or older, who smoked at least 100 cigarettes during their lifetime and were still actively smoking at the time of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (1999-2002). Overall, compared with men, women reported smoking fewer cigarettes per day (16.1 vs. 18.7, p<.001) and had lower serum cotinine concentrations (1163.3 nmol/L vs. 1343.9 nmol/L, p<.001). Women were more likely than men to smoke filtered (p = .018) and mentholated (p<.001) cigarettes. After adjustment for the number of cigarettes smoked per day, age, race, body mass index, poverty status, the use of either menthol or regular cigarettes, and the nicotine content in cigarettes, female compared with male smokers had lower serum cotinine concentrations (difference of 117.6 nmol/L; 95% CI = 42.6-192.6, p = .003). The difference was particularly notable in moderate to heavy smokers (i.e., those who smoked more than 15 cigarettes/day). These findings indicate that significant sex-related differences exist in serum cotinine levels among smokers, which suggests that self-reports may overestimate cigarette exposure in women compared with men.

TOXICOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF REALISTIC EMISSIONS OF SOURCE AEROSOLS (TERESA): APPLICATION TO POWER PLANT-DERIVED PM2.5

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Annette Rohr

2005-03-31

This report documents progress made on the subject project during the period of September 1, 2004 through February 28, 2005. The TERESA Study is designed to investigate the role played by specific emissions sources and components in the induction of adverse health effects by examining the relative toxicity of coal combustion and mobile source (gasoline and/or diesel engine) emissions and their oxidative products. The study involves on-site sampling, dilution, and aging of coal combustion emissions at three coal-fired power plants, as well as mobile source emissions, followed by animal exposures incorporating a number of toxicological endpoints. The DOE-EPRI Cooperative Agreementmore » (henceforth referred to as ''the Agreement'') for which this technical progress report has been prepared covers the performance and analysis of field experiments at the first TERESA plant, located in the Upper Midwest and henceforth referred to as Plant 0, and at two additional coal-fired power plants (Plants 1 and 2) utilizing different coal types and with different plant configurations. During this reporting period, all fieldwork at Plant 0 was completed. Stack sampling was conducted in October to determine if there were significant differences between the in-stack PM concentrations and the diluted concentrations used for the animal exposures. Results indicated no significant differences and therefore confidence that the revised stack sampling methodology described in the previous semiannual report is appropriate for use in the Project. Animal exposures to three atmospheric scenarios were carried out. From October 4-7, we conducted exposures to oxidized emissions with the addition of secondary organic aerosol (SOA). Later in October, exposures to the most complex scenario (oxidized, neutralized emissions plus SOA) were repeated to ensure comparability with the results of the June/July exposures where a different stack sampling setup was employed. In November, exposures to oxidized emissions were performed. Stage I toxicological assessments were carried out in Sprague-Dawley rats. Biological endpoints included breathing pattern/pulmonary function; in vivo chemiluminescence (an indicator of oxidative stress); blood cytology; bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid analysis; and histopathology. No significant differences between exposed animals and sham animals (exposed to filtered air) were observed for any of the endpoints; histopathological results are pending and will be reported in the next semiannual report. The scenarios evaluated during this reporting period were slightly modified from those originally proposed. We substituted a new scenario, secondary aerosol + SOA, to investigate the effects of a strongly acidic aerosol with a biogenic component. Since we did not observe any biological response to this scenario, the neutralized secondary aerosol scenario (i.e., oxidized emissions + ammonia) was deemed unnecessary. Moreover, in light of the lack of response observed in the Stage I assessment, it was decided that a Stage II assessment (evaluation of cardiac function in a compromised rat model) was unlikely to provide useful information. However, this model will be employed at Plant 1 and/or 2. During this reporting period, significant progress was made in planning for fieldwork at Plant 1. Stack sampling was carried out at the plant in mid-December to determine the concentration of primary particles. It was found that PM{sub 2.5} mass concentrations were approximately three times higher than those observed at Plant 0. In mid-February, installation and setup for the mobile laboratories began. Animal exposures are scheduled to begin at this plant on March 21, 2005. During the next reporting period, we will initiate fieldwork at Plant 1. At either or both Plants 1 and 2, a detailed Stage II assessment will be performed, even if no significant findings are observed in Stage I. The next semiannual report is expected to include a detailed description of the fieldwork at Plant 1, including toxicological findings and interpretation.« less

Touch massage: a pilot study of a complex intervention.

PubMed

Lindgren, Lenita; Lehtipalo, Stefan; Winsö, Ola; Karlsson, Marcus; Wiklund, Urban; Brulin, Christine

2013-11-01

To report and evaluate a complex touch massage intervention according to the British Medical Research Council framework. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of touch massage on levels of anxiety and physiological stress in patients scheduled for elective aortic surgery. The use of touch massage has increased during the past decade but no systematic studies have been implemented to investigate the effectiveness of such treatment. It is important to conduct multidisciplinary investigations into the effects of complex interventions such as touch massage. For this, the British Medical Research Council has provided a useful framework to guide the development, piloting, evaluation and reporting of complex intervention studies. A pilot study with a randomized controlled design including 20 patients (10 + 10) scheduled for elective aortic surgery. Selected outcome parameters included; self-reported anxiety, measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Form Y instrument, and physiological stress, measured by heart rate variability, blood pressure, respiratory frequency, oxygen saturation and concentrations of cortisol, insulin and glucose in serum. There were significant differences in self-reported anxiety levels before and after touch massage (p = 0.007), this was not observed in the control group (p = 0.833). There was a significant difference in self-reported anxiety levels between the touch massage group and the control group after touch massage and rest (p = 0.001). There were no significant differences in physiological stress-related outcome parameters between patients who received touch massage and controls. In our study, touch massage decreased anxiety levels in patients scheduled for elective aortic surgery, and the British Medical Research Council framework was a useful guideline for the development, evaluation and reporting of a touch massage intervention. Touch massage can reduce patients' anxiety levels and is thus an important nursing intervention in intensive and post-operative care. © 2013 The Authors. Nursing in Critical Care © 2013 British Association of Critical Care Nurses.

Adolescents with current major depressive disorder show dissimilar patterns of age-related differences in ACC and thalamus

PubMed Central

Hagan, Cindy C.; Graham, Julia M.E.; Tait, Roger; Widmer, Barry; van Nieuwenhuizen, Adrienne O.; Ooi, Cinly; Whitaker, Kirstie J.; Simas, Tiago; Bullmore, Edward T.; Lennox, Belinda R.; Sahakian, Barbara J.; Goodyer, Ian M.; Suckling, John

2015-01-01

Objective There is little understanding of the neural system abnormalities subserving adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD). In a cross-sectional study we compare currently unipolar depressed with healthy adolescents to determine if group differences in grey matter volume (GMV) were influenced by age and illness severity. Method Structural neuroimaging was performed on 109 adolescents with current MDD and 36 healthy controls, matched for age, gender, and handedness. GMV differences were examined within the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and across the whole-brain. The effects of age and self-reported depressive symptoms were also examined in regions showing significant main or interaction effects. Results Whole-brain voxel based morphometry revealed no significant group differences. At the whole-brain level, both groups showed a main effect of age on GMV, although this effect was more pronounced in controls. Significant group-by-age interactions were noted: A significant regional group-by-age interaction was observed in the ACC. GMV in the ACC showed patterns of age-related differences that were dissimilar between adolescents with MDD and healthy controls. GMV in the thalamus showed an opposite pattern of age-related differences in adolescent patients compared to healthy controls. In patients, GMV in the thalamus, but not the ACC, was inversely related with self-reported depressive symptoms. Conclusions The depressed adolescent brain shows dissimilar age-related and symptom-sensitive patterns of GMV differences compared with controls. The thalamus and ACC may comprise neural markers for detecting these effects in youth. Further investigations therefore need to take both age and level of current symptoms into account when disaggregating antecedent neural vulnerabilities for MDD from the effects of MDD on the developing brain. PMID:25685707

Adolescents with current major depressive disorder show dissimilar patterns of age-related differences in ACC and thalamus.

PubMed

Hagan, Cindy C; Graham, Julia M E; Tait, Roger; Widmer, Barry; van Nieuwenhuizen, Adrienne O; Ooi, Cinly; Whitaker, Kirstie J; Simas, Tiago; Bullmore, Edward T; Lennox, Belinda R; Sahakian, Barbara J; Goodyer, Ian M; Suckling, John

2015-01-01

There is little understanding of the neural system abnormalities subserving adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD). In a cross-sectional study we compare currently unipolar depressed with healthy adolescents to determine if group differences in grey matter volume (GMV) were influenced by age and illness severity. Structural neuroimaging was performed on 109 adolescents with current MDD and 36 healthy controls, matched for age, gender, and handedness. GMV differences were examined within the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and across the whole-brain. The effects of age and self-reported depressive symptoms were also examined in regions showing significant main or interaction effects. Whole-brain voxel based morphometry revealed no significant group differences. At the whole-brain level, both groups showed a main effect of age on GMV, although this effect was more pronounced in controls. Significant group-by-age interactions were noted: A significant regional group-by-age interaction was observed in the ACC. GMV in the ACC showed patterns of age-related differences that were dissimilar between adolescents with MDD and healthy controls. GMV in the thalamus showed an opposite pattern of age-related differences in adolescent patients compared to healthy controls. In patients, GMV in the thalamus, but not the ACC, was inversely related with self-reported depressive symptoms. The depressed adolescent brain shows dissimilar age-related and symptom-sensitive patterns of GMV differences compared with controls. The thalamus and ACC may comprise neural markers for detecting these effects in youth. Further investigations therefore need to take both age and level of current symptoms into account when disaggregating antecedent neural vulnerabilities for MDD from the effects of MDD on the developing brain.

Concordance of parent proxy report and child self-report of posttraumatic stress in children with cancer and healthy children: influence of parental posttraumatic stress.

PubMed

Clawson, Ashley H; Jurbergs, Niki; Lindwall, Jennifer; Phipps, Sean

2013-11-01

This study examined the relationships between parental posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), child PTSS, and parent-child concordance for child PTSS. Participants were children with cancer (n = 199), and healthy children (n = 108) and their parents. Children self-reported on PTSS and parents completed measures of child and parent PTSS. In the cancer group, child and parent reports of child PTSS were significantly correlated with no mean differences between reporters. In contrast, correlations were non-significant in the control group, and parents reported significantly lower levels of child PTSS than children. Increased parental PTSS was associated with better concordance in the cancer group but not in the control group. In fact, in the cancer group, parent-child concordance was strongest at the highest level of parental PTSS. Parents of children with cancer were found to be accurate reporters of their children's distress, even with high levels of reported personal distress. In contrast, parents of healthy children appear primarily influenced by personal distress when reporting child PTSS. Although multiple informant assessments are always desirable, it appears that utilization of a single informant may be reasonable in the cancer setting when access to informants is limited. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Comparing the Self-Report and Measured Smartphone Usage of College Students: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Lee, Heyoung; Nguyen, Trung Giang; Choi, Sam-Wook; Kim, Dae Jin

2017-01-01

Objective Nowadays smartphone overuse has become a social and medical concern. For the diagnosis and treatment, clinicians use the self-report information, but the report data often does not match actual usage pattern. The paper examines the similarity and variance in smartphone usage patterns between the measured data and self-reported data. Methods Together with the self-reported data, the real usage log data is collected from 35 college students in a metropolitan region of Northeast Asia, using Android smartphone monitoring application developed by the authors. Results The unconscious users underestimate their usage time by 40%, in spite of 15% more use in the actual usage. Messengers are most-used application regardless of their self-report, and significant preference to SNS applications was observed in addict group. The actual hourly pattern is consistent with the reported one. College students use more in the afternoon, when they have more free time and cannot use PCs. No significant difference in hourly pattern is observed between the measured and self-report. Conclusion The result shows there are significant cognitive bias in actual usage patterns exists in self report of smartphone addictions. Clinicians are recommended to utilize measurement tools in diagnosis and treatment of smartphone overusing subjects. PMID:28326119

Use of parks or playgrounds: reported access to drinking water fountains among US adults, 2009.

PubMed

Park, Sohyun; Sherry, Bettylou; Wethington, Holly; Pan, Liping

2012-03-01

As a first step to determining the public availability of drinking water, self-reported access to water fountains in parks and playgrounds was examined. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on a convenience sample of 4163 US adults (aged ≥ 18 years) using the 2009 HealthStyles Survey. The outcome measure was reported access to water fountains in parks/playgrounds. Among those who reported using parks/playgrounds, multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the associations between sociodemographic variables and reported access to water fountains. About half (54.7%) of participants used parks/playgrounds. Among those, 55.0% reported access to water fountains. Factors significantly associated with reported access to water fountains were being male [odds ratio (OR) = 1.42; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.09, 1.85] and living in the Pacific region (versus East North Central region, OR = 2.56; 95% CI = 1.61, 4.06). Age, race/ethnicity, household income, marital status, education, smoking and physical activity were not significantly associated with reported access to water fountains. Among 54.7% of adults using parks/playgrounds, reported access to water fountains was significantly differed by sex and region. This study provides information that can be considered when developing interventions to increase access to drinking water in public facilities.

Dimensions of Perceived Racism and Self-Reported Health: Examination of Racial/Ethnic Differences and Potential Mediators

PubMed Central

Hausmann, Leslie R. M.; Jhalani, Juhee; Pencille, Melissa; Atencio-Bacayon, Jennifer; Kumar, Asha; Kwok, Jasmin; Ullah, Jahanara; Roth, Alan; Chen, Daniel; Crupi, Robert; Schwartz, Joseph

2016-01-01

Background Many details of the negative relationship between perceived racial/ethnic discrimination and health are poorly understood. Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine racial/ ethnic differences in the relationship between perceived discrimination and self-reported health, identify dimensions of discrimination that drive this relationship, and explore psychological mediators. Methods Asian, Black, and Latino(a) adults (N=734) completed measures of perceived racial/ethnic discrimination, self-reported health, depression, anxiety, and cynical hostility. Results The association between perceived discrimination and poor self-reported health was significant and did not differ across racial/ethnic subgroups. Race-related social exclusion and threat/harassment uniquely contributed to poor health for all groups. Depression, anxiety, and cynical hostility fully mediated the effect of social exclusion on health, but did not fully explain the effect of threat. Conclusions Our results suggest that noxious effects of race-related exclusion and threat transcend between-group differences in discriminatory experiences. The effects of race-related exclusion and threat on health, however, may operate through different mechanisms. PMID:21374099

Dimensions of tinnitus-related complaints reported by patients and their significant others: protocol for a systematic review

PubMed Central

Haider, Haúla; Fackrell, Kathryn; Kennedy, Veronica; Hall, Deborah A

2016-01-01

Introduction Over 70 million people in Europe and >50 million people in the USA are reported to experience tinnitus (the sensation of noise in the absence of any corresponding sound source). Tinnitus is a multidimensional concept. Individual patients may report different profiles of tinnitus-related symptoms which may each require a tailored management approach and an appropriate measure of therapeutic benefit. This systematic review concerns the patient perspective and has the purpose to find what symptoms are reported by people who experience tinnitus and by their significant others. Methods and analysis This protocol lays out the methodology to define what dimensions of tinnitus-related symptoms patients and their significant others report as being a problem. Methods are defined according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses for Protocols (PRISMA-P) 2015 and data will be collated in a narrative synthesis. Findings will contribute to the eventual establishment of a Core Domain Set for clinical trials of tinnitus. Ethics and dissemination No ethical issues are foreseen. Findings will be reported at national and international ENT and audiology conferences and in a peer-reviewed journal. Trial registration number CRD42015020629. PMID:27855082

National Patient Safety Program in Brazil: Incidents Reported Between 2014 and 2017.

PubMed

Faustino, Tássia Nery; Batalha, Edenise Maria Santos da Silva; Vieira, Silvana Lima; Nicole, Andressa Garcia; Morais, Alexandre Souza; Tronchin, Daisy Maria Rizatto; Melleiro, Marta Maria

2018-05-16

The aim of the study was to analyze the patient safety incidents reported to the Brazilian National Health Surveillance System from March 2014 to March 2017. A documentary study that used the records of the incidents published in the Reports of Adverse Events (AE) in Brazil. The following variables were selected: number of incidents by type, type of health service, hospital unit, and degree of harm. To find whether there was a significant difference across the Brazilian regions by notifications related to general incidents, AE, and deaths, the analysis of variance and the Tukey tests were used. A total of 109,082 incidents were reported, of which 75,088 were AE, with 649 deaths. In relation to the types of incidents reported, there was a higher frequency in the categories other (30.04%) and failures during health care (26.72%). A total of 93.90% of the incidents occurred in hospitals, with 54,950 cases registered in hospitalization units and 30,141 cases in intensive care units. Statistically significant differences across the Brazilian regions were observed in the number of incidents (P = 0.004), AE (P = 0.004), and deaths (P = 0.024). A significant underreporting of incidents was found in Brazil, demonstrating only the tip of a giant iceberg. More than half of the incidents were reported as AE and were registered in hospitals, reiterating the importance of establishing public health policies at national, state, and municipal levels, with adequate supervision of the health service regarding the implementation of the Patient Safety Nuclei and the preparation of new protocols based on the most prevalent incidents.

Sleep and its associations with perceived and objective cognitive impairment in individuals with multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Hughes, Abbey J; Parmenter, Brett A; Haselkorn, Jodie K; Lovera, Jesus F; Bourdette, Dennis; Boudreau, Eilis; Cameron, Michelle H; Turner, Aaron P

2017-08-01

Problems with sleep and cognitive impairment are common among people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The present study examined the relationship between self-reported sleep and both objective and perceived cognitive impairment in MS. Data were obtained from the baseline assessment of a multi-centre intervention trial (NCT00841321). Participants were 121 individuals with MS. Nearly half (49%) of participants met the criteria for objective cognitive impairment; however, cognitively impaired and unimpaired participants did not differ on any self-reported sleep measures. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of participants met the criteria for 'poor' sleep, and poorer sleep was significantly associated with greater levels of perceived cognitive impairment. Moreover, the relationships between self-reported sleep and perceived cognitive impairment were significant beyond the influence of clinical and demographic factors known to influence sleep and cognitive functioning (e.g. age, sex, education level, disability severity, type of MS, disease duration, depression and fatigue). However, self-reported sleep was not associated with any measures of objective cognitive impairment. Among different types of perceived cognitive impairment, poor self-reported sleep was most commonly related to worse perceived executive function (e.g. planning/organization) and prospective memory. Results from the present study emphasize that self-reported sleep is significantly and independently related to perceived cognitive impairment in MS. In terms of clinical implications, interventions focused on improving sleep may help improve perceived cognitive function and quality of life in this population; however, the impact of improved sleep on objective cognitive function requires further investigation. © 2017 European Sleep Research Society.

Prevalence of victimization and exposure to violence in a sample of Hispanic Americans: a research note.

PubMed

Miller, Holly Ventura; Lopez, Kristina M

2015-05-01

Research on the growing U.S. Hispanic population has increased in recent years, although much of this work has examined differences between the foreign- and native-born or between Hispanics and non-Hispanics. Fewer studies have explored within-group differences (Mexican vs. Puerto Rican vs. Cuban, etc.) and none have assessed variability in the prevalence of victimization across these diverse groups. Unfortunately, the available evidence is somewhat inconclusive regarding the prevalence of victimization among Hispanics and relative to other demographic groups such as Whites and Blacks. This study first aims to provide clarification as to the prevalence of Hispanic victimization relative to non-Hispanic Whites (NHW) and non-Hispanic Blacks (NHB). Then, we assess within-group differences for the Hispanic subsample for each of the victimization measures. Using Wave IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), we estimate the prevalence of various forms of criminal victimization and exposure to violence for Hispanics, NHW, and NHB. Results suggest that significant differences exist between Hispanics and both NHW and NHB. More specifically, Hispanics were less likely to report most of the victimization outcomes than either group. Significant differences in victimization were also observed between Hispanic subgroups. Generally, Mexicans and Puerto Ricans were most likely to report victimization whereas Cubans and Chicanos (with the exception of property crime) were least likely to report victimization. © The Author(s) 2014.

Do stigma and its psychosocial impact differ between Asian-born Chinese immigrants and Western-born Caucasians with head and neck cancer?

PubMed

Lebel, Sophie; Payne, Ada Y M; Mah, Kenneth; Irish, Jonathan; Rodin, Gary; Devins, Gerald M

2016-07-01

Stigma appears to influence emotional distress and well-being in cancer survivors, but cross-cultural differences have been ignored. Previous studies suggest that stigma may be especially relevant for survivors of Asian origin. However, their study designs (e.g. focused on female cancers, qualitative designs, and an absence of comparison groups) limit the strength of this conclusion. We hypothesized that (1) Asian-born Chinese immigrants (AI) would report more perceived cancer-related stigma than Western-born Caucasians (WBC); and (2) the impact of stigma on emotional distress and well-being would be greater in AI as compared to WBC. Head and neck cancer survivors (n = 118 AI and n = 404 WBC) completed measures of well-being, emotional distress, and a three-item indicator of stigma in structured interviews. The majority of respondents (59%) reported one or more indicators of stigma. Stigma correlated significantly with emotional distress (r = .13, p = .004) and well-being (r = -.09, p = .032). Contrary to our hypotheses, WBCs and AIs did not differ in reported stigma nor did we detect differences in its psychosocial impact. Stigma exerts a deleterious psychosocial impact on head and neck cancer survivors. It did not differ significantly between AI and WBC survivors.

Antecedents and consequences of binge eating episodes in women with an eating disorder.

PubMed

Kjelsås, E; Børsting, I; Gudde, C Buch

2004-03-01

The aim of this study was to explore antecedents and sequelae of binge eating episodes. A sample of eating disorders (n = 154 women) was selected from a total of 1849 female respondents (out of 2500) recruited as part of a general population-based survey. Included participants met DSM-III-R criteria for anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN) or eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) based on the Survey for Eating Disorders (SEDs). Preliminary criteria for binge eating disorder (BED) were added. Results indicated that the most frequently reported antecedents and consequences of binge eating were emotional and physiological factors. There were significant differences between the different ED subgroups in their frequency of binge eating episodes. Regarding antecedents of a binge eating episode, the SEDs-defined ED subgroups had overall differences in frequency on "stomach feeling". In particular, the BN-group reported "euphoria" more frequently than the BED and EDNOS-groups. Concerning consequences of a binge eating episode, there were overall differences between the ED subgroups on "fall asleep", and in addition a borderline significance was found for "disturbed by others" (p = 0.059). None of the eight women in the AN group reported "euphoria" as a factor that terminated a binge eating episode. The findings may have important implications with regard to prevention and treatment of ED.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder and trichotillomania: a phenomenological comparison

PubMed Central

Lochner, Christine; Seedat, Soraya; du Toit, Pieter L; Nel, Daniel G; Niehaus, Dana JH; Sandler, Robin; Stein, Dan J

2005-01-01

Background Similarities between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and trichotillomania (TTM) have been widely recognized. Nevertheless, there is evidence of important differences between these two disorders. Some authors have conceptualized the disorders as lying on an OCD spectrum of conditions. Methods Two hundred and seventy eight OCD patients (n = 278: 148 male; 130 female) and 54 TTM patients (n = 54; 5 male; 49 female) of all ages were interviewed. Female patients were compared on select demographic and clinical variables, including comorbid axis I and II disorders, and temperament/character profiles. Results OCD patients reported significantly more lifetime disability, but fewer TTM patients reported response to treatment. OCD patients reported higher comorbidity, more harm avoidance and less novelty seeking, more maladaptive beliefs, and more sexual abuse. OCD and TTM symptoms were equally likely to worsen during menstruation, but OCD onset or worsening was more likely associated with pregnancy/puerperium. Conclusions These findings support previous work demonstrating significant differences between OCD and TTM. The classification of TTM as an impulse control disorder is also problematic, and TTM may have more in common with conditions characterized by stereotypical self-injurious symptoms, such as skin-picking. Differences between OCD and TTM may reflect differences in underlying psychobiology, and may necessitate contrasting treatment approaches. PMID:15649315

Evaluation of electronic discussion groups as a teaching/learning strategy in an evidence-based medicine course: a pilot study.

PubMed

Kamin, C; Glicken, A; Hall, M; Quarantillo, B; Merenstein, G

2001-01-01

As course directors, we wished to incorporate small group learning into our Evidence-based Medicine course for students to get feedback on the development of a well constructed, researchable clinical question. Scheduling of these groups was problematic. We sought to evaluate computer-mediated communication as an alternative to face-to-face small groups. Students were randomly assigned to either face-to-face small groups or asynchronous, electronic, small groups. Final examination scores were analyzed with an analysis of variance to determine if there were differences in student performance based on group type. Student survey items were analyzed using Fisher's Exact test to determine if there were differences in student attitudes based on group type. There were no significant differences found in overall student performance. Significant differences in student attitudes were found to exist with respect to: (1) participation in discussions, with face-to-face groups reporting greater participation; (2) putting more thought into comments, with electronic groups reporting more thought put into comments; and (3) difficulty relating to other students in the class, with electronic groups reporting more difficulty. We found electronic discussion groups (computer-mediated communication) to be a viable teaching/learning strategy with no adverse effects on student performance or attitudes.

Effects of music therapy and distraction cards on pain relief during phlebotomy in children.

PubMed

Aydin, Diler; Sahiner, Nejla Canbulat

2017-02-01

To investigate three different distraction methods (distraction cards, listening to music, and distraction cards + music) on pain and anxiety relief in children during phlebotomy. This study was a prospective, randomized, controlled trial. The sample consisted of children aged 7 to 12years who required blood tests. The children were randomized into four groups, distraction cards, music, distraction cards + music, and controls. Data were obtained through face-to-face interviews with the children, their parents, and the observer before and after the procedure. The children's pain levels were assessed and reported by the parents and observers, and the children themselves who self-reported using Wong-Baker FACES. The children's anxiety levels were also assessed using the Children's Fear Scale. Two hundred children (mean age: 9.01±2.35years) were included. No difference was found between the groups in the self, parent, and observer reported procedural pain levels (p=0.72, p=0.23, p=0.15, respectively). Furthermore, no significant differences were observed between groups in procedural child anxiety levels according to the parents and observer (p=0.092, p=0.096, respectively). Pain and anxiety relief was seen in all three methods during phlebotomy; however, no statistically significant difference was observed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Frightening dreams and dosage schedule of tricyclic and neuroleptic drugs.

PubMed

Strayhorn, J M; Nash, J L

1978-12-01

One previous study reported that psychiatric inpatients on bedtime-only doses of tricyclic or neuroleptic drugs reported more frequent frightening dreams than did those on divided daily doses. As a further test of this hypothesis, and in order to see whether differences in frequency of frightening dreams were a function of differences in total dream recall, we administered a questionnaire to outpatients in a Veterans Administration Hospital Mental Hygiene Clinic, asking about frequency of dream recall, frequency of frightening dream recall, and doses and times of any medications taken. Questionnaire reports of medications were checked with the medical record of the patient; for 48 patients on tricyclic or neuroleptic drugs the reports agreed, and the data of these patients were analyzed. Our findings corroborated the previous report of more frequent frightening dreams in patients on bedtime-only dosage schedules (p less than .01). In addition, we found no significant difference between the two groups with respect to frequency of dream recall; thus a difference in the affect of dreams, rather than a difference in quantity of dream recall, constituted the difference between the two groups. When a patient on bedtime doses of tricyclic or neuroleptic drugs has undesirable frightening dreams, the clinician should consider a change to divided daily doses.

The Relationship between Goal Orientations, Motivational Climate and Selfreported Discipline in Physical Education

PubMed Central

Moreno-Murcia, Juan A.; Sicilia, Alvaro; Cervelló, Eduardo; Huéscar, Elisa; Dumitru, Delia C.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to test a motivational model on the links between situational and dispositional motivation and self-reported indiscipline/discipline based on the achievement goals theory. The model postulates that a task-involving motivational climate facilitates self-reported discipline, either directly or mediated by task orientation. In contrast, an ego-involving motivational climate favors self-reported indiscipline, either directly or by means of ego orientation. An additional purpose was to examine gender differences according to the motivational model proposed. Children (n = 565) from a large Spanish metropolitan school district were participants in this study and completed questionnaires assessing goal orientations, motivational climates and self-reported discipline. The results from the analysis of structural equation model showed the direct effect of motivational climates on self-reported discipline and provided support to the model. Furthermore, the gender differences found in self-reported discipline were associated with the differences found in the students’ dispositional and situational motivation pursuant to the model tested. The implications of these results with regard to teaching instructional actions in physical education classes are discussed. Key points A task-involving motivational climate predicts self-reported discipline behaviors, either directly or mediated by task orientation. An ego-involving motivational climate favors self-reported undisciplined, either directly or mediated by ego orientation. A significant gender difference was found in the motivational disposition perceived climate and self-reported discipline. PMID:24149304

Influence of processing on the allergenic properties of pistachio nut assessed in vitro.

PubMed

Noorbakhsh, Reihaneh; Mortazavi, Seyed Ali; Sankian, Mojtaba; Shahidi, Fakhri; Maleki, Soheila J; Nasiraii, Leila Roozbeh; Falak, Reza; Sima, Hamid Reza; Varasteh, AbdolReza

2010-09-22

Pistachio (Pistacia vera) is a tree nut that has been reported to cause IgE-mediated allergic reactions. This study was undertaken to investigate the distinctions between different cultivars of pistachio nut and the influence of different processing on the IgE-binding capacity of whole pistachio protein extracts. The influence of different processes on allergenicity was investigated using competitive inhibition ELISA and Western blotting assays. The Western blotting results of extracts from pistachio cultivars showed no marked difference among them. The IgE-binding capacity was significantly lower for the protein extract prepared from steam-roasted than from raw and dry-roasted pistachio nuts. The results of sensory evaluation analysis and hedonic rating proved no significant differences in color, taste, flavor, and overall quality of raw, roasted, and steam-roasted pistachio nut treatments. The most significant finding of the present study was the successful reduction of IgE-binding by pistachio extracts using steam-roast processing without any significant changes in sensory quality of product.

Adjusting to future demands in healthcare: Curriculum changes and nursing students' self-reported professional competence.

PubMed

Theander, Kersti; Wilde-Larsson, Bodil; Carlsson, Marianne; Florin, Jan; Gardulf, Ann; Johansson, Eva; Lindholm, Christina; Nordström, Gun; Nilsson, Jan

2016-02-01

Nursing competence is of significant importance for patient care. Newly graduated nursing students rate their competence as high. However, the impact of different designs of nursing curricula on nursing students' self-reported nursing competence areas is seldom reported. To compare newly graduated nursing students' self-reported professional competence before and after the implementation of a new nursing curriculum. The study had a descriptive comparative design. Nursing students, who graduated in 2011, having studied according to an older curriculum, were compared with those who graduated in 2014, after a new nursing curriculum with more focus on person-centered nursing had been implemented. A higher education nursing program at a Swedish university. In total, 119 (2011 n=69, 2014 n=50) nursing students responded. Nursing students' self-reported professional competencies were assessed with the Nurse Professional Competence (NPC) scale. There were no significant differences between the two groups of nursing students, who graduated in 2011 and 2014, respectively, with regard to age, sex, education, or work experience. Both groups rated their competencies as very high. Competence in value-based nursing was perceived to be significantly higher after the change in curriculum. The lowest competence, both in 2011 and 2014, was reported in education and supervision of staff and students. Our findings indicate that newly graduated nursing students - both those following the old curriculum and the first batch of students following the new one - perceive that their professional competence is high. Competence in value-based nursing, measured with the NPC scale, was reported higher after the implementation of a new curriculum, reflecting curriculum changes with more focus on person-centered nursing. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gender Differences in Rating Stressful Events, Depression, and Depressive Cognition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sowa, Claudia J.; Lustman, Patrick J.

1984-01-01

Administered the Life Stress Questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Automatic Thought Questionnaire to 140 students. Results showed significant sex differences. Men reported more stressful life change, but women rated the impact of stressors more severely and had higher depression. Men exhibited greater distortions in cognitive…

Divided Attention Abilities in Young and Old Adults.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Somberg, Benjamin L.; Salthouse, Timothy A.

1982-01-01

Two experiments on divided attention and adult aging are reported that take into account age differences in single-task performance and that measure divided attention independently of resource allocation strategies. No significant age difference in divided attention ability independent of single-task performance level was found in either…

Making a Difference in Challenging Urban Schools: Successful Principals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michalak, Joanna M.

2009-01-01

The article reports upon findings from four multiple-perspective case studies of successful principals in challenging urban contexts. Each principal was described as making a significant difference to the quality of school education. The findings are obtained from the Polish part of the "Leading Schools Successfully in Challenging Urban…