Combining nutrition, physical activity, and weight loss advice may help patients reduce fat intak... more Combining nutrition, physical activity, and weight loss advice may help patients reduce fat intake. Focusing solely on exercise may actually lead to weight gain.
Investigate racial differences in a range of obesity-related socio-behavioral risk factors in ch... more Investigate racial differences in a range of obesity-related socio-behavioral risk factors in children born of obese mothers. METHODS: 142 Black and 151 White 2-year-old children and their parents were surveyed on their physical activity environment, food environment, parental role modeling, eating behaviors, feeding practices, child physical activity, dietary intake, and eating behaviors; body mass index (BMI) for parents and children (BMI z-score) were calculated. RESULTS: In bivariate analyses, Black families reported significantly more risk factors for early-childhood obesity than White families, including greater availability of soda, more television viewing, and poorer dietary intake. In multivariate analyses adjusting for maternal and socioeconomic factors, the differences between Black and White families on factors including television watching and dietary intake remained significant. CONCLUSION: These data show a greater number of risk factors for obesity among Black...
The Southeast Asian journal of tropical medicine and public health, 2013
The adverse health effects of tobacco and alcohol are well known. Alcohol consumption is increasi... more The adverse health effects of tobacco and alcohol are well known. Alcohol consumption is increasing in Sri Lanka, but few population studies have been conducted. The objective of this study was to document tobacco and alcohol consumption levels among adults in southern Sri Lanka and to identify the main reasons for using or refraining from alcohol and tobacco products. Tobacco and alcohol use within Sri Lanka is relatively common, particularly among adult males. Reasons given for smoking and drinking frequently relate to social and image-based motivators. Women may be especially susceptible to the influence of peer pressure in social situations. Public health efforts should consider the use of demographic-specific anti-tobacco and anti-alcohol messages, as the motivators driving behavior appear to differ across gender and age groups.
Sri Lanka's human, physical, social, and economic resources suffered a massive impact after t... more Sri Lanka's human, physical, social, and economic resources suffered a massive impact after the tsunami of December 26, 2004. To assist in preparing for future disasters, the authors sought to characterize the pattern of hospitalizations from the main impact zone in the Southern Province. Retrospective chart review. Patients admitted to Teaching Hospital, Karapitiya, the only tertiary care hospital in the Southern Province. All hospital admissions on the day of and week following the tsunami, and a random sample (5 percent) of admissions from the month preceding, and the 3 months following the tsunami were coded according to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition, analyzed, and geomapped. N/A. The overall daily number of hospitalizations increased by 50 percent on the day of the tsunami and decreased in the following week. Before the tsunami, injuries typically accounted for 20 percent of hospital admissions. However, injuries were markedly higher (89 percent...
Seven methods of estimating socio-economic status (SES) were compared, including four based on da... more Seven methods of estimating socio-economic status (SES) were compared, including four based on data specific to individuals (Blishen, Pineo-Porter, British Registrar General, Hollingshead) and three based on the average characteristics of the postal code area in which people live (income alone, education alone, income and education combined). Data from the files of 151 patients undergoing in vitro fertilization were used. The four individual scales were highly correlated among themselves (Spearman's correlation coefficient between 0.6 and 0.9) but only moderately correlated with the measures based on postal code (Spearman's correlation coefficient between 0.2 and 0.3).
Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de santé publique
To examine the relationship between time since immigration and excess body weight. Secondary data... more To examine the relationship between time since immigration and excess body weight. Secondary data analysis of a cross-sectional survey of 19,600 Canadians. The prevalence of excess weight (BMI > 25) increases with time since immigration for both men and women. After controlling for birthplace, socio-demographic, lifestyle and health correlates, only female immigrants (less than five years) are significantly less likely to have BMI scores greater than 25 kg/m2 compared to those born in Canada. Stratified analyses, however, revealed similar findings for Asian men who had immigrated less than five years prior to the survey. Our results suggest that length of time since immigration is an important risk factor for excess weight. Further research with longitudinal data, more reliable measures of ethnicity and anthropometric measures of weight are required to confirm these initial findings.
Data from the 1990 Ontario Health Survey were used to investigate the association of socioeconomi... more Data from the 1990 Ontario Health Survey were used to investigate the association of socioeconomic status with the likelihood of meeting current recommendations for four health behaviours (smoking, fat intake, alcohol consumption, and physical activity level) in adults living in Ontario (Canada). Health behaviours were categorised as 'unhealthy' if they did not meet current recommendations in Ontario (smoking, fat intake > 30% of dietary energy, alcohol intake > 14 units per week, low level of leisure-time physical activity). Two summary variables based on the number of 'unhealthy' behaviours were also examined: the crude number of 'unhealthy' behaviours reported and the likelihood of reporting 3 or 4 'unhealthy' behaviours. Four measures of socio-economic status were used: educational achievement, household income status, source of household income, and occupational prestige. Multiple logistic and linear regression analyses were performed to ex...
Overweight and obesity among soldiers and their dependents have increased over the last decade, m... more Overweight and obesity among soldiers and their dependents have increased over the last decade, mirroring rates in the general population. In general, few programs that result in sustained weight loss have been evaluated, although effective interventions could have clear health and cost benefits for the military. For women, the postpartum period represents a "teachable moment" to promote healthy diet and exercise behaviors related to weight loss, but the attitudes and preferences for weight-loss interventions in this population are unknown. With a view to developing a weight-loss intervention tailored to this population, we surveyed 161 peripartum women at a military base to assess their interests and preferences. Eighty-six percent were dependents. Despite their youth, more than one-third reported entering pregnancy overweight or obese. Interest was high for interventions that promote physical activity and facilitate social interaction. Based on these results, a postpartu...
Background: Commonly used organophosphate and organochlorine pesticides inhibit acetylcholinester... more Background: Commonly used organophosphate and organochlorine pesticides inhibit acetylcholinesterase at synapses in the somatic, autonomic, and central nervous systems and may therefore have lasting effects on the nervous system. Few studies have examined the relationship of pesticide exposure and risk of dementia or Alzheimer disease (AD). We sought to examine the association of occupational pesticide exposure and the risk of incident dementia and AD in later life.
In 2000, approximately 50% of stroke, 42% of ischemic heart disease and 9% of deaths in adults ag... more In 2000, approximately 50% of stroke, 42% of ischemic heart disease and 9% of deaths in adults aged .30 years in South Africa (SA) were attributable to high blood pressure (BP). 1 Although in most settings hypertension is manageable through lifestyle modification and medication, such management is based on knowledge of one's diagnosis. It is unclear what proportion of Black South Africans are aware of their hypertension status.
Asia-Pacific journal of public health / Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health, 2013
This study describes the body mass status of older (≥60 years) Singaporeans, using the internatio... more This study describes the body mass status of older (≥60 years) Singaporeans, using the international and Asian body mass index (BMI) classifications, assesses sociodemographic correlates of BMI, underweight, obesity, and "high-risk" BMI (≥27.5 kg/m(2)), and ascertains the relationship between body mass and important health outcomes. Prevalence of underweight, obesity, and high-risk BMI among 4371 older Singaporeans was 6.8%, 7.4%, and 18.6%, respectively. Women (vs men) and Malays and Indians (vs Chinese) were more likely to have obesity or high-risk BMI. Increasing education decreased the odds of obesity and high-risk BMI only among women. Prevalence and odds of various health conditions was similar in corresponding categories of the two BMI classifications. Whereas the prevalence of obesity is lower among elderly in Singapore than in many other countries, the prevalence of high-risk BMI is considerable. It is important to address high-risk BMI among them, with elderly of...
Optimal management of assets in large hospitals is important to both cost control and patient car... more Optimal management of assets in large hospitals is important to both cost control and patient care. A prospective controlled evaluation was conducted to determine whether an asset-tracking system using combined radiofrequency and infrared signals could increase equipment utilization, increase appropriate charge capture, and decrease personnel time spent looking for equipment. Two wards at Duke University Medical Center were randomly assigned as intervention and control. Beds sequential compression devices (SCDs), and infusion pumps were monitored during a 6-week intervention period, preceded and followed by 6-week control periods. The system's accuracy for detecting equipment, relative to a trained surveyor, was greater than 80%. Accuracy for locating equipment to a specific room was 60-80%. With the system available, we observed increased utilization of infusion pumps but not of beds or SCDs. Nursing staff and system users had positive impressions of the system and its potentia...
Existing cross-sectional quality measures for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening do not assess lon... more Existing cross-sectional quality measures for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening do not assess longitudinal adherence and thus may overestimate the quality of care. Our goal was to evaluate the adherence to repeated yearly fecal occult blood tests (FOBTs) in order to better understand the extent to which longitudinal adherence may impact screening quality. This was a retrospective cohort analysis of 1,122,645 patients aged 50-75 years seen at any of the 136 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers across the United States in 2000 and followed through 2005. The primary outcome was receipt of adequate CRC screening as defined by receipt of FOBTs in at least 4 out of 5 years or receipt of any number of FOBTs in addition to at least one colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, or double-contrast barium enema. In a predefined subset of patients receiving exclusively FOBT, adherence with repeated testing was determined over the 5-year study period. Only 41.1% of men and 43.6% of women received adequate screening. Of the 384,527 men who received exclusively FOBT, 42.1% received a single FOBT, 26.0% received 2 tests, 17.8% received 3 tests, and only 14.1% were documented to have received at least 4 tests during the study period. Among the 10,469 female veterans receiving FOBT alone, rates were similar with only 13.7% completing at least 4 FOBTs in the 5-year study period. Adherence to repeated FOBT is low, suggesting that cross-sectional measurements of quality may overestimate the programmatic success of CRC screening.
To identify demographic and clinical features that distinguish fibromyalgia (FM) from other chron... more To identify demographic and clinical features that distinguish fibromyalgia (FM) from other chronic widespread pain. We identified 100 confirmed FM cases, 76 widespread pain controls, and 135 general controls in a random community survey of 3395 noninstitutionalized adults living in London, Ontario. FM cases were distinguished from pain controls using the 1990 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria for FM. The mean age of FM cases was 47.8 years (range 19 to 86), the same as for pain controls; 86% of FM cases were female versus 67.1% of pain controls (p < 0.01). FM cases were less educated than general controls (p = 0.03). Male and female FM cases were similar, except females were older and reported more major symptoms (both p = 0.02). FM cases reported more severe pain and fatigue, more symptoms, more major symptoms, and worse overall health than pain controls or general controls. The most commonly reported major symptoms among FM cases were musculoskeletal pain (77.3%), fatigue (77.3%), severe fatigue lasting 24 h after minimal activity (77.0%), nonrestorative sleep (65.7%), and insomnia (56.0%). Subjects with 11-14 tender points were more similar to those with 15-18 tender points than to those with 7-10 points in 11 of 14 clinical variables. On multivariate analysis, 4 symptoms distinguished FM cases from pain controls: pain severity (p = 0.004), severe fatigue lasting 24 h after minimal activity (p = 0.006), weakness (p = 0.008), and self-reported swelling of neck glands (p = 0.01). In the general population, adults who meet the ACR definition of FM appear to have distinct features compared to those with chronic widespread pain who do not meet criteria.
Physicians may be important sources of sexuality information and preventive services, and one-on-... more Physicians may be important sources of sexuality information and preventive services, and one-on-one confidential time during health maintenance visits is recommended to allow discussions of sexual development, behavior, and risk reduction. However, little is known about the occurrence and characteristics of physician-adolescent discussions about sexuality. To examine predictors of time spent discussing sexuality, level of adolescent participation, and physician and patient characteristics associated with sexuality discussions during health maintenance visits by early and middle adolescents. Observational study of audio-recorded conversations between 253 adolescents (mean age, 14.3 years; 53% female; 40% white; 47% African American) and 49 physicians (82% pediatricians; 84% white; 65% female; mean age, 40.9 years; mean [SD] duration in practice, 11.8 [8.7] years) coded for sexuality content at 11 clinics (3 academic and 8 community-based practices) located throughout the Raleigh/Dur...
Asia-Pacific journal of public health / Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health, Jan 12, 2013
OBJECTIVE: . To develop a better understanding of perceived barriers to and ideas for weight loss... more OBJECTIVE: . To develop a better understanding of perceived barriers to and ideas for weight loss and maintenance among Malay homemakers in Singapore. METHODS: . Interventions for weight management were reviewed, and 5 focus groups were conducted among overweight and obese Malay homemakers (n = 24) to explore barriers to and concepts and ideas pertaining to weight loss and maintenance. RESULTS: . Barriers identified included the lack of time, finances, and motivation. Ideas that were most appealing included free health screening, workshops on how best to manage children and family, regular fun group activities, monetary incentives for participation in activities for healthy living, and flexible part-time jobs. CONCLUSION: . The focus groups provided useful insights pointing toward possible interventions that could appeal to Malay homemakers in Singapore. The most appealing approaches were those that were time flexible and had the least financial burden or had a financial benefit.
To study associations between number of children and obesity in middle-aged women and men. In the... more To study associations between number of children and obesity in middle-aged women and men. In the Health and Retirement Study, a national survey of households, we tested the association between increasing number of children and obesity (body mass index [BMI] >or= 30) in 9046 middle-aged women and men (4523 couples). Women (n = 4523) who were obese were more frequently nonwhite, reported lower household income, were more frequently employed outside the home, were less frequently covered by health insurance, and were more frequently less educated compared with nonobese women. Men (n = 4523) who were obese were younger, were more frequently African American, and were more frequently less educated and poorer compared with nonobese men. Among women, a 7% increase in risk of obesity was noted for each additional child, adjusting for age, race, household income, work status, physical activity, tobacco use, and alcohol use. Among men, a 4% increase in risk of obesity was noted for each additional child, adjusting for the same covariates. These sex differences were not significantly different. Previous research has demonstrated an association between number of children and obesity among women. These results suggest a similar association among men. Public health interventions focused on obesity prevention should target both parents, especially those parents with several children.
Psychotropic medications are increasingly being used by children and adolescents. In an earlier r... more Psychotropic medications are increasingly being used by children and adolescents. In an earlier report, we noted that boys were receiving atypical antipsychotics more frequently than were girls, (70% of the claims). Since diagnosis was not available in the data, we were unable to ascertain the reasons for this. In the present analysis, we examined a large clinical mental health database to ascertain the reason for antipsychotic use.We evaluated the extent to which race, gender, age and type of diagnosis accounted for atypical antipsychotic use in children. The authors used an anonymous clinical database created at Duke University Medical Center. The database is based on the clinical document of care in the Department of Psychiatry. The data are de-identified per HIPAA guidelines and has an IRB exemption for use in clinical research. Patients analyzed were seen from 1999 to 2005 and were below the age of 18 at the time of clinical care. A total 3,268 patients, with a total of 7,701 v...
Objective-Examine primary care physicians' use of counseling techniques when treating overweight ... more Objective-Examine primary care physicians' use of counseling techniques when treating overweight and obese patients and the association with mediators of behavior change as well as change in nutrition, exercise, and weight loss attempts.
The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, 2014
Experiencing the death of a child is associated with negative short-term mental health consequenc... more Experiencing the death of a child is associated with negative short-term mental health consequences, but less is known about cognitive outcomes and whether such associations extend to late life. We tested the hypothesis that experiencing an offspring death (OD) is associated with an increased rate of cognitive decline in late life. This population-based longitudinal study observed four cognitive statuses spaced 3-4 years apart, linked to an extensive database containing objective genealogic and vital statistics data. Home visits were conducted with 3,174 residents of a rural county in northern Utah, initially without dementia, aged 65-105. Cognitive status was measured with the Modified Mini-Mental State Exam at baseline and at 3-, 7-, and 10-year follow-ups. OD was obtained from the Utah Population Database, which contains statewide birth and death records. In linear mixed models, controlling for age, gender, education, and apolipoprotein E status, subjects who experienced OD while...
Combining nutrition, physical activity, and weight loss advice may help patients reduce fat intak... more Combining nutrition, physical activity, and weight loss advice may help patients reduce fat intake. Focusing solely on exercise may actually lead to weight gain.
Investigate racial differences in a range of obesity-related socio-behavioral risk factors in ch... more Investigate racial differences in a range of obesity-related socio-behavioral risk factors in children born of obese mothers. METHODS: 142 Black and 151 White 2-year-old children and their parents were surveyed on their physical activity environment, food environment, parental role modeling, eating behaviors, feeding practices, child physical activity, dietary intake, and eating behaviors; body mass index (BMI) for parents and children (BMI z-score) were calculated. RESULTS: In bivariate analyses, Black families reported significantly more risk factors for early-childhood obesity than White families, including greater availability of soda, more television viewing, and poorer dietary intake. In multivariate analyses adjusting for maternal and socioeconomic factors, the differences between Black and White families on factors including television watching and dietary intake remained significant. CONCLUSION: These data show a greater number of risk factors for obesity among Black...
The Southeast Asian journal of tropical medicine and public health, 2013
The adverse health effects of tobacco and alcohol are well known. Alcohol consumption is increasi... more The adverse health effects of tobacco and alcohol are well known. Alcohol consumption is increasing in Sri Lanka, but few population studies have been conducted. The objective of this study was to document tobacco and alcohol consumption levels among adults in southern Sri Lanka and to identify the main reasons for using or refraining from alcohol and tobacco products. Tobacco and alcohol use within Sri Lanka is relatively common, particularly among adult males. Reasons given for smoking and drinking frequently relate to social and image-based motivators. Women may be especially susceptible to the influence of peer pressure in social situations. Public health efforts should consider the use of demographic-specific anti-tobacco and anti-alcohol messages, as the motivators driving behavior appear to differ across gender and age groups.
Sri Lanka's human, physical, social, and economic resources suffered a massive impact after t... more Sri Lanka's human, physical, social, and economic resources suffered a massive impact after the tsunami of December 26, 2004. To assist in preparing for future disasters, the authors sought to characterize the pattern of hospitalizations from the main impact zone in the Southern Province. Retrospective chart review. Patients admitted to Teaching Hospital, Karapitiya, the only tertiary care hospital in the Southern Province. All hospital admissions on the day of and week following the tsunami, and a random sample (5 percent) of admissions from the month preceding, and the 3 months following the tsunami were coded according to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition, analyzed, and geomapped. N/A. The overall daily number of hospitalizations increased by 50 percent on the day of the tsunami and decreased in the following week. Before the tsunami, injuries typically accounted for 20 percent of hospital admissions. However, injuries were markedly higher (89 percent...
Seven methods of estimating socio-economic status (SES) were compared, including four based on da... more Seven methods of estimating socio-economic status (SES) were compared, including four based on data specific to individuals (Blishen, Pineo-Porter, British Registrar General, Hollingshead) and three based on the average characteristics of the postal code area in which people live (income alone, education alone, income and education combined). Data from the files of 151 patients undergoing in vitro fertilization were used. The four individual scales were highly correlated among themselves (Spearman's correlation coefficient between 0.6 and 0.9) but only moderately correlated with the measures based on postal code (Spearman's correlation coefficient between 0.2 and 0.3).
Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de santé publique
To examine the relationship between time since immigration and excess body weight. Secondary data... more To examine the relationship between time since immigration and excess body weight. Secondary data analysis of a cross-sectional survey of 19,600 Canadians. The prevalence of excess weight (BMI > 25) increases with time since immigration for both men and women. After controlling for birthplace, socio-demographic, lifestyle and health correlates, only female immigrants (less than five years) are significantly less likely to have BMI scores greater than 25 kg/m2 compared to those born in Canada. Stratified analyses, however, revealed similar findings for Asian men who had immigrated less than five years prior to the survey. Our results suggest that length of time since immigration is an important risk factor for excess weight. Further research with longitudinal data, more reliable measures of ethnicity and anthropometric measures of weight are required to confirm these initial findings.
Data from the 1990 Ontario Health Survey were used to investigate the association of socioeconomi... more Data from the 1990 Ontario Health Survey were used to investigate the association of socioeconomic status with the likelihood of meeting current recommendations for four health behaviours (smoking, fat intake, alcohol consumption, and physical activity level) in adults living in Ontario (Canada). Health behaviours were categorised as 'unhealthy' if they did not meet current recommendations in Ontario (smoking, fat intake > 30% of dietary energy, alcohol intake > 14 units per week, low level of leisure-time physical activity). Two summary variables based on the number of 'unhealthy' behaviours were also examined: the crude number of 'unhealthy' behaviours reported and the likelihood of reporting 3 or 4 'unhealthy' behaviours. Four measures of socio-economic status were used: educational achievement, household income status, source of household income, and occupational prestige. Multiple logistic and linear regression analyses were performed to ex...
Overweight and obesity among soldiers and their dependents have increased over the last decade, m... more Overweight and obesity among soldiers and their dependents have increased over the last decade, mirroring rates in the general population. In general, few programs that result in sustained weight loss have been evaluated, although effective interventions could have clear health and cost benefits for the military. For women, the postpartum period represents a "teachable moment" to promote healthy diet and exercise behaviors related to weight loss, but the attitudes and preferences for weight-loss interventions in this population are unknown. With a view to developing a weight-loss intervention tailored to this population, we surveyed 161 peripartum women at a military base to assess their interests and preferences. Eighty-six percent were dependents. Despite their youth, more than one-third reported entering pregnancy overweight or obese. Interest was high for interventions that promote physical activity and facilitate social interaction. Based on these results, a postpartu...
Background: Commonly used organophosphate and organochlorine pesticides inhibit acetylcholinester... more Background: Commonly used organophosphate and organochlorine pesticides inhibit acetylcholinesterase at synapses in the somatic, autonomic, and central nervous systems and may therefore have lasting effects on the nervous system. Few studies have examined the relationship of pesticide exposure and risk of dementia or Alzheimer disease (AD). We sought to examine the association of occupational pesticide exposure and the risk of incident dementia and AD in later life.
In 2000, approximately 50% of stroke, 42% of ischemic heart disease and 9% of deaths in adults ag... more In 2000, approximately 50% of stroke, 42% of ischemic heart disease and 9% of deaths in adults aged .30 years in South Africa (SA) were attributable to high blood pressure (BP). 1 Although in most settings hypertension is manageable through lifestyle modification and medication, such management is based on knowledge of one's diagnosis. It is unclear what proportion of Black South Africans are aware of their hypertension status.
Asia-Pacific journal of public health / Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health, 2013
This study describes the body mass status of older (≥60 years) Singaporeans, using the internatio... more This study describes the body mass status of older (≥60 years) Singaporeans, using the international and Asian body mass index (BMI) classifications, assesses sociodemographic correlates of BMI, underweight, obesity, and "high-risk" BMI (≥27.5 kg/m(2)), and ascertains the relationship between body mass and important health outcomes. Prevalence of underweight, obesity, and high-risk BMI among 4371 older Singaporeans was 6.8%, 7.4%, and 18.6%, respectively. Women (vs men) and Malays and Indians (vs Chinese) were more likely to have obesity or high-risk BMI. Increasing education decreased the odds of obesity and high-risk BMI only among women. Prevalence and odds of various health conditions was similar in corresponding categories of the two BMI classifications. Whereas the prevalence of obesity is lower among elderly in Singapore than in many other countries, the prevalence of high-risk BMI is considerable. It is important to address high-risk BMI among them, with elderly of...
Optimal management of assets in large hospitals is important to both cost control and patient car... more Optimal management of assets in large hospitals is important to both cost control and patient care. A prospective controlled evaluation was conducted to determine whether an asset-tracking system using combined radiofrequency and infrared signals could increase equipment utilization, increase appropriate charge capture, and decrease personnel time spent looking for equipment. Two wards at Duke University Medical Center were randomly assigned as intervention and control. Beds sequential compression devices (SCDs), and infusion pumps were monitored during a 6-week intervention period, preceded and followed by 6-week control periods. The system's accuracy for detecting equipment, relative to a trained surveyor, was greater than 80%. Accuracy for locating equipment to a specific room was 60-80%. With the system available, we observed increased utilization of infusion pumps but not of beds or SCDs. Nursing staff and system users had positive impressions of the system and its potentia...
Existing cross-sectional quality measures for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening do not assess lon... more Existing cross-sectional quality measures for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening do not assess longitudinal adherence and thus may overestimate the quality of care. Our goal was to evaluate the adherence to repeated yearly fecal occult blood tests (FOBTs) in order to better understand the extent to which longitudinal adherence may impact screening quality. This was a retrospective cohort analysis of 1,122,645 patients aged 50-75 years seen at any of the 136 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers across the United States in 2000 and followed through 2005. The primary outcome was receipt of adequate CRC screening as defined by receipt of FOBTs in at least 4 out of 5 years or receipt of any number of FOBTs in addition to at least one colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, or double-contrast barium enema. In a predefined subset of patients receiving exclusively FOBT, adherence with repeated testing was determined over the 5-year study period. Only 41.1% of men and 43.6% of women received adequate screening. Of the 384,527 men who received exclusively FOBT, 42.1% received a single FOBT, 26.0% received 2 tests, 17.8% received 3 tests, and only 14.1% were documented to have received at least 4 tests during the study period. Among the 10,469 female veterans receiving FOBT alone, rates were similar with only 13.7% completing at least 4 FOBTs in the 5-year study period. Adherence to repeated FOBT is low, suggesting that cross-sectional measurements of quality may overestimate the programmatic success of CRC screening.
To identify demographic and clinical features that distinguish fibromyalgia (FM) from other chron... more To identify demographic and clinical features that distinguish fibromyalgia (FM) from other chronic widespread pain. We identified 100 confirmed FM cases, 76 widespread pain controls, and 135 general controls in a random community survey of 3395 noninstitutionalized adults living in London, Ontario. FM cases were distinguished from pain controls using the 1990 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria for FM. The mean age of FM cases was 47.8 years (range 19 to 86), the same as for pain controls; 86% of FM cases were female versus 67.1% of pain controls (p < 0.01). FM cases were less educated than general controls (p = 0.03). Male and female FM cases were similar, except females were older and reported more major symptoms (both p = 0.02). FM cases reported more severe pain and fatigue, more symptoms, more major symptoms, and worse overall health than pain controls or general controls. The most commonly reported major symptoms among FM cases were musculoskeletal pain (77.3%), fatigue (77.3%), severe fatigue lasting 24 h after minimal activity (77.0%), nonrestorative sleep (65.7%), and insomnia (56.0%). Subjects with 11-14 tender points were more similar to those with 15-18 tender points than to those with 7-10 points in 11 of 14 clinical variables. On multivariate analysis, 4 symptoms distinguished FM cases from pain controls: pain severity (p = 0.004), severe fatigue lasting 24 h after minimal activity (p = 0.006), weakness (p = 0.008), and self-reported swelling of neck glands (p = 0.01). In the general population, adults who meet the ACR definition of FM appear to have distinct features compared to those with chronic widespread pain who do not meet criteria.
Physicians may be important sources of sexuality information and preventive services, and one-on-... more Physicians may be important sources of sexuality information and preventive services, and one-on-one confidential time during health maintenance visits is recommended to allow discussions of sexual development, behavior, and risk reduction. However, little is known about the occurrence and characteristics of physician-adolescent discussions about sexuality. To examine predictors of time spent discussing sexuality, level of adolescent participation, and physician and patient characteristics associated with sexuality discussions during health maintenance visits by early and middle adolescents. Observational study of audio-recorded conversations between 253 adolescents (mean age, 14.3 years; 53% female; 40% white; 47% African American) and 49 physicians (82% pediatricians; 84% white; 65% female; mean age, 40.9 years; mean [SD] duration in practice, 11.8 [8.7] years) coded for sexuality content at 11 clinics (3 academic and 8 community-based practices) located throughout the Raleigh/Dur...
Asia-Pacific journal of public health / Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health, Jan 12, 2013
OBJECTIVE: . To develop a better understanding of perceived barriers to and ideas for weight loss... more OBJECTIVE: . To develop a better understanding of perceived barriers to and ideas for weight loss and maintenance among Malay homemakers in Singapore. METHODS: . Interventions for weight management were reviewed, and 5 focus groups were conducted among overweight and obese Malay homemakers (n = 24) to explore barriers to and concepts and ideas pertaining to weight loss and maintenance. RESULTS: . Barriers identified included the lack of time, finances, and motivation. Ideas that were most appealing included free health screening, workshops on how best to manage children and family, regular fun group activities, monetary incentives for participation in activities for healthy living, and flexible part-time jobs. CONCLUSION: . The focus groups provided useful insights pointing toward possible interventions that could appeal to Malay homemakers in Singapore. The most appealing approaches were those that were time flexible and had the least financial burden or had a financial benefit.
To study associations between number of children and obesity in middle-aged women and men. In the... more To study associations between number of children and obesity in middle-aged women and men. In the Health and Retirement Study, a national survey of households, we tested the association between increasing number of children and obesity (body mass index [BMI] >or= 30) in 9046 middle-aged women and men (4523 couples). Women (n = 4523) who were obese were more frequently nonwhite, reported lower household income, were more frequently employed outside the home, were less frequently covered by health insurance, and were more frequently less educated compared with nonobese women. Men (n = 4523) who were obese were younger, were more frequently African American, and were more frequently less educated and poorer compared with nonobese men. Among women, a 7% increase in risk of obesity was noted for each additional child, adjusting for age, race, household income, work status, physical activity, tobacco use, and alcohol use. Among men, a 4% increase in risk of obesity was noted for each additional child, adjusting for the same covariates. These sex differences were not significantly different. Previous research has demonstrated an association between number of children and obesity among women. These results suggest a similar association among men. Public health interventions focused on obesity prevention should target both parents, especially those parents with several children.
Psychotropic medications are increasingly being used by children and adolescents. In an earlier r... more Psychotropic medications are increasingly being used by children and adolescents. In an earlier report, we noted that boys were receiving atypical antipsychotics more frequently than were girls, (70% of the claims). Since diagnosis was not available in the data, we were unable to ascertain the reasons for this. In the present analysis, we examined a large clinical mental health database to ascertain the reason for antipsychotic use.We evaluated the extent to which race, gender, age and type of diagnosis accounted for atypical antipsychotic use in children. The authors used an anonymous clinical database created at Duke University Medical Center. The database is based on the clinical document of care in the Department of Psychiatry. The data are de-identified per HIPAA guidelines and has an IRB exemption for use in clinical research. Patients analyzed were seen from 1999 to 2005 and were below the age of 18 at the time of clinical care. A total 3,268 patients, with a total of 7,701 v...
Objective-Examine primary care physicians' use of counseling techniques when treating overweight ... more Objective-Examine primary care physicians' use of counseling techniques when treating overweight and obese patients and the association with mediators of behavior change as well as change in nutrition, exercise, and weight loss attempts.
The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, 2014
Experiencing the death of a child is associated with negative short-term mental health consequenc... more Experiencing the death of a child is associated with negative short-term mental health consequences, but less is known about cognitive outcomes and whether such associations extend to late life. We tested the hypothesis that experiencing an offspring death (OD) is associated with an increased rate of cognitive decline in late life. This population-based longitudinal study observed four cognitive statuses spaced 3-4 years apart, linked to an extensive database containing objective genealogic and vital statistics data. Home visits were conducted with 3,174 residents of a rural county in northern Utah, initially without dementia, aged 65-105. Cognitive status was measured with the Modified Mini-Mental State Exam at baseline and at 3-, 7-, and 10-year follow-ups. OD was obtained from the Utah Population Database, which contains statewide birth and death records. In linear mixed models, controlling for age, gender, education, and apolipoprotein E status, subjects who experienced OD while...
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Papers by Truls Ostbye