Alcohol intake and incidence of type 2 diabetes in men.
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OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relation between alcohol intake and incidence of type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This prospective study included 8,663 men with fasting plasma glucose measurements from at least two medical examinations. Alcohol intake was classified into five groups: nondrinkers and four quartiles (Qs) of drinkers according to the amount of alcohol intake. Type 2 diabetes was diagnosed by 1997 American Diabetes Association criteria. RESULTS: There were 149 incident cases of type 2 diabetes during 52,588 person-years of follow-up. There was a U-shaped association between alcohol intake and diabetes, with the lowest incidence of diabetes at Q2 (61.9-122.7 g/week). As compared with Q2, men in Q3 and Q4 had a 2.2- (95% CI 1.2-3.9, P = 0.01) and 2.4-fold (1.4-4.4, P<0.01) risk of developing diabetes, while nondrinkers and men in Q1 had 1.8- (1.0-3.3, P<0.05) and 1.4-fold (0.7-2.6, P = 0.34) higher risk of diabetes, respectively. These associations persisted after adjustment for age, fasting plasma glucose, smoking, BMI, blood pressure, serum triglyceride concentration, cardiorespiratory fitness, HDL cholesterol, waist circumference, and parental diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: We observed an elevated risk of developing type 2 diabetes in nondrinkers and men with high alcohol intakes, when compared with men who reported moderate alcohol intake. Men with a high alcohol intake may be able to reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes if they drink less. (+info)
Escherichia coli O111:H8 outbreak among teenage campers--Texas, 1999.
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In June 1999, the Tarrant County Health Department reported to the Texas Department of Health (TDH) that a group of teenagers attending a cheerleading camp during June 9-11 became ill with nausea, vomiting, severe abdominal cramps, and diarrhea, some of which was bloody. Two teenagers were hospitalized with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and two others underwent appendectomies. Routine stool cultures from eight ill persons failed to yield a pathogen. Stools subsequently were sent to laboratories at the Texas Department of Health and CDC, where Escherichia coli O111:H8 was isolated from two specimens. This report summarizes the investigation of this outbreak. (+info)
Use of the blue MACS: acceptance by clinical instructors and self-reports of adherence.
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BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate clinical instructors' (CIs') acceptance of and self-reported adherence to instructions for use of The Blue MACS (5th edition) for evaluating the clinical performance of physical therapist students. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: One hundred twenty-four usable survey instruments were returned by CIs. RESULTS: Twenty-two items from The Blue MACS were collapsed into a score representing acceptance, and 10 items were collapsed into a score representing reported adherence to instructions. Ninety-six percent of the CIs surveyed expressed a positive opinion of the instrument. Ninety-eight percent of the CIs reported at least moderately consistent adherence to instructions. CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION: The instrument was regarded as a useful tool, and most CIs reported using the instrument according to the instructions. A positive opinion of the clinical performance assessment instrument is desirable to facilitate its use by CIs. Consistent use by different CIs is desirable to promote accurate communication among students, CIs, and the educational institution. (+info)
A multifaceted approach to improving motor vehicle restraint complicance.
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OBJECTIVES: To increase proper use of seat belts and car seats, thereby reducing morbidity and mortality from motor vehicle collisions. SETTING: The Vehicle Injury Prevention program community intervention was implemented in Houston, Texas. Effectiveness data are limited to "target area one", an impoverished neighborhood in northeast Harris County. METHODS: This multifaceted public health education campaign brought together six segments of the community: education, health, government, law enforcement, private industry, and the media, to improve restraint use. It was evaluated by observation of proper restraint use before and nine months after implementation. Trained, independent observers made observations of occupants in the target area and at two comparison sites. Pre-post differences in restraint compliance were calculated by a standard binomial proportion test. RESULTS: Motorists in target area one significantly improved their restraint use by 15% (p<0.05) from 39% pre-intervention to 54% post-intervention, whereas use in the comparison neighborhoods remained unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of a public health education program, combined with economic incentives to increase vehicle restraint use, can be successful with multifaceted community support. (+info)
Mammary gland lesions characterized primarily as mammary teat atresia were observed in a Limousin beef cattle herd in eastern Texas. Atresia of multiple teats per mammary gland was reported in first-calf heifers at the time of calving. Pathogens were not identified in eight mammary glands collected at slaughter. Histology of affected glands demonstrated superficial and deep perivascular inflammation and fibrosing dermatitis of teat and mammary gland skin that resulted in formation of the atretic lesions of glandular tissue. Institution of a horn fly (Haematobia irritans irritans (L.)) control program using insecticide-impregnated ear tags was associated with elimination of the problem from the herd. (+info)
Health care use among undocumented Latino immigrants.
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Using data from a 1996/1997 survey of undocumented Latino immigrants in four sites, we examine reasons for coming to the United States, use of health care services, and participation in government programs. We find that undocumented Latinos come to this country primarily for jobs. Their ambulatory health care use is low compared with that of all Latinos and all persons nationally, and their rates of hospitalization are comparable except for hospitalization for childbirth. Almost half of married undocumented Latinos have a child who is a U.S. citizen. Excluding undocumented immigrants from receiving government-funded health care services is unlikely to reduce the level of immigration and likely to affect the well-being of children who are U.S. citizens living in immigrant households. (+info)
Perception of reliability of human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS information sources.
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The sources of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS information as well as the perception of reliability of information from these sources may have a significant impact on the effectiveness of HIV risk reduction messages in reaching high risk populations. We examined the sources of HIV information and the perception of reliability of information from these sources among African Americans (n = 441), Hispanic Americans (n = 456), and whites (n = 297), in Houston, Texas. The data revealed that African Americans and Hispanics were most likely to receive their HIV/AIDS information from the "media" compared with whites who received most of their information from "government agencies and professionals." Information from "family, friends and schools" were regarded as the least reliable by respondents from all three ethnic groups. The data also showed that perceptions of reliability of information sources were influenced by level of educational attainment. Implications for designing target audience-specific intervention strategies for the prevention of the spread of HIV disease are discussed. (+info)
Estimating body fat in African American and white adolescent girls: a comparison of skinfold-thickness equations with a 4-compartment criterion model.
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BACKGROUND: Although skinfold-thickness equations are widely used to estimate body fat, their accuracy in a biracial population of female adolescents has not been established. OBJECTIVE: We undertook this study to determine the agreement between 8 widely used skinfold-thickness equations and a 4-compartment criterion model in predicting the percentage body fat of 72 white and 40 African American girls aged 13.0 +/- 1.9 y. DESIGN: The biceps, triceps, suprailiac, subscapular, thigh, calf, and abdominal skinfold thicknesses of the subjects were measured with skinfold calipers and the buttocks circumference with a metal tape. The percentage fat mass (%FM) predicted by using each skinfold-thickness equation was compared with the criterion value calculated by the 4-compartment model on the basis of measurements of body density, body water, and bone mineral content. RESULTS: When the racial groups were analyzed separately, the Bland-Altman analysis indicated that the quadratic equations agreed most closely with the 4-compartment model's measurement of %FM. Agreement of the other equations varied with body fatness. CONCLUSIONS: The quadratic equation of Slaughter et al is recommended for population studies in female adolescents because of its accuracy and simplicity. However, an individual %FM can be over- or underestimated by approximately 10% when this skinfold-thickness equation is used. (+info)