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White Males (white + male)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	76%
Psychology	8%
Law and Criminology	8%
2 Other Domains	8%

Selected Abstracts

Interleukin-6 Gene Polymorphism Is Related to Bone Mineral Density During and After Puberty in Healthy White Males: A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Study

JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Issue 10 2000
Mattias Lorentzon
Abstract Bone mineral density (BMD) is under strong genetic control and is the major determinant of fracture risk. The cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) is an important regulator of bone metabolism and is involved in mediating the effects of androgens and estrogens on bone. Recently, a G/C polymorphism in position ,174 of the IL-6 gene promoter was found. We investigated this genetic polymorphism in relation to BMD during late puberty and to peak bone mass, in healthy white males. We identified the IL-6 genotypes (GG, GC, and CC) in 90 boys, age 16.9 ± 0.3 years (mean ± SD), using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). BMD (g/cm2) at the femoral neck, lumbar spine, and total body was measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. The volumetric BMD (vBMD; mg/cm3) of the lumbar spine was estimated. Differences in BMD in relation to the genotypes were calculated using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Subjects with the CC genotype had 7.9% higher BMD of the femoral neck (p = 0.03), 7.0% higher BMD of the lumbar spine (p < 0.05), and 7.6% higher vBMD of the lumbar spine (p = 0.04), compared with their GG counterparts. Using multiple regression, the IL-6 genotypes were independently related to total body BMD (CC > GG; p = 0.03), humerus BMD (CC > GG; p < 0.05), neck BMD (CC > GG; p = 0.01), spine BMD (CC > GG; p = 0.01), and spine vBMD (CC > GG; p = 0.008). At age 19.3 ± 0.7 years (mean ± SD; 88 men) the IL-6 genotypes were still independent predictors for total body BMD (CC > GG; p = 0.03), humerus BMD (CC > GG; p = 0.03), spine BMD (CC > GG; p = 0.02), and spine vBMD (CC > GG; p = 0.003), while the IL-6 genotypes were not related to the increase in bone density seen after 2 years. We have shown that polymorphism of the IL-6 gene is an independent predictor of BMD during late puberty and of peak bone mass in healthy white men. [source]

An analysis of secular change in the human mandible over the last century

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY, Issue 5 2009
D. C. Martin
In light of several recent investigations that have identified notable secular change in cranial size and morphology over the last century, the present study addresses its possible effects in the mandible in U.S. populations. Standard measurements of 407 mandibles from the Terry (Smithsonian) and Hamann-Todd (Cleveland Museum of Natural History) Collections, which are primarily composed of individuals living in the early 20th century, were compared with those of 595 mandibles from the Forensic Anthropology Database (Tennessee), which is primarily composed of individuals living from the later part of the century. The t -tests between the two temporally-different samples by sex and race showed statistically significant decreases in mandibular body width and bigonial breadth as well as significant increases in mandibular body length in nearly all subgroups. White males showed the greatest amount of change, and Black females, the least. Overall, these findings support the conclusion that the mandible is transforming into a longer, narrower, more gracile bone, paralleling many of the morphological shifts seen in the cranium. Factors involved likely include changes in diet, medical care, and dental practices. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Truck drivers and heart disease in the United States, 1979,1990,

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 2 2005
Cynthia F. Robinson PhD
Abstract Background Studies of truck drivers and cardiovascular disease (CVD), myocardial infarction, or ischemic heart disease (IHD) are limited, although studies of other professional drivers reported increased risk. Methods US mortality data from 1979 to 1990 for ages 15,90 were used to calculate proportional mortality ratios (PMRs) for heart disease and lung cancer for short and long haul truck drivers. Analysis was performed for Black (998 short haul and 13,241 long haul) truck drivers and White (4,929 short and 74,315 long haul) truck drivers separately. Results The highest significantly elevated proportionate heart disease (IHD, acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and other forms of heart disease) and lung cancer mortality was found for White and Black male long haul truck drivers age 15,54. Mortality was not significantly elevated for short haul truck drivers of either race or gender, nor for truck drivers who died after age 65, except for lung cancer among White males. An indirect adjustment suggested that smoking could explain the excess IHD mortality, but no direct data for smoking or the other known risk factors for heart disease were available and occupational exposures were not measured. Conclusions The highest significant excess proportionate mortality for lung cancer, IHD and AMI was found for long haul truck drivers who were under age 55 at death. A cohort or longitudinal study of heart disease among long haul truck drivers, that obtains data for occupational exposures as well as lifestyle risk factors, could help explain inconsistencies between the findings of this and previous studies. Am. J. Ind. Med. 47:113,119, 2005. Published 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Parent,Daughter Transmission of the Androgen Receptor Gene as an Explanation of the Effect of Father Absence on Age of Menarche

CHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 4 2002
David E. Comings
Based on an evolutionary theory of socialization, Belsky and colleagues proposed that girls exposed to a stressful environment, especially when due to father absence in the first 7 years of life, showed an early onset of puberty, precocious sexuality, and unstable relationships as adults. The authors of this article examined an alternative explanation that a variant X,linked androgen receptor (AR) gene, predisposing the father to behaviors that include family abandonment, may be passed to their daughters causing early puberty, precocious sexuality, and behavior problems. The results of a study of 121 White males and 164 White females showed a significant association of the short alleles of the GGC repeat polymorphism of the AR gene with a range of measures of aggression and impulsivity, increased number of sexual partners, sexual compulsivity, and lifetime number of sex partners in males; and paternal divorce, father absence, and early age of menarche in females. These findings support a genetic explanation of the Belsky psychosocial evolutionary hypothesis regarding the association of fathers' absence and parental stress with early age of onset of menarche and early sexual activity in their daughters. A genetic explanation of the father absence effect is proposed in which fathers carrying the AR alleles are more likely to abandon a marriage (father absence) and pass those alleles to their daughters in whom they produce an earlier age of menarche and behavioral problems. [source]

A black plaque on the toe of a white male

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 9 2008
Brenda Chrastil MD
No abstract is available for this article. [source]

A case illustration of resistance from a cognitive perspective

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 2 2002
Cory F. Newman
Brian, a 36-year-old, single, white male, entered cognitive therapy in response to a depressive episode precipitated by the loss of a job. In addition to his Major Depression, the client met diagnostic criteria for Dysthymia and Personality Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. The first three sessions focused on Brian's unemployment crisis and related dysphoria, as well as his passive-avoidant approach to life. Brian collaborated with the therapist in formulating a treatment plan and quickly found a new job, whereupon he abruptly withdrew from therapy. Shortly thereafter, Brian contacted the therapist in a renewed state of "crisis" and returned for a fourth session. The therapist attempted to draw a link between Brian's passive-avoidant style and his vulnerability to problems such as those he currently was experiencing. The client had difficulty understanding the therapist's thread of logic, became somewhat defensive and combative, and did not return for further sessions. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Psychol/In Session 58: 145,149, 2002. [source]

Pigmented extramammary Paget's disease of the axilla mimicking melanoma: case report and review of the literature

JOURNAL OF CUTANEOUS PATHOLOGY, Issue 9 2009
Nicholaus J. Hilliard
Pigmented Paget's disease is a rare variant that is often confused clinically and histologically with melanoma in situ. Herein, we describe a case of pigmented extramammary Paget's disease involving the axilla of a 79-year-old white male thought initially to represent malignant melanoma clinically and histologically. Review of the literature reveals that pigmented variant of Paget's disease, either mammary or extramammary, could be initially misdiagnosed as melanoma unless this entity is considered in the differential diagnosis, and additional confirmatory studies are performed. [source]

High-pressure paint-gun injury of the finger simulating giant cell tumor of tendon sheath

JOURNAL OF CUTANEOUS PATHOLOGY, Issue 2 2005
Catherine M. Stefanato
At this pressure, paint will penetrate the skin and spread quickly through fascial planes and tendon sheaths. The present case is that of a lesion from the finger of a 35-year-old white male in whom a history was initially unavailable. Histologic examination revealed diffuse fibrohistiocytic proliferation and giant cells, with numerous darkly pigmented, uniformly small-sized particles throughout the lesion. The initial impression was that of a giant cell tumor of tendon sheath. However, the pigment particles were negative for Perls stain, and polariscopic examination revealed clear refractile fragments. These findings raised the possibility that the lesion was the result of a traumatic event. On further inquiry, it was revealed that the patient had sustained a high-pressure paint-gun injury 1 year earlier. The simulation, histopathologically, of a giant cell tumor of tendon sheath by a high-pressure paint-gun injury has not, to our knowledge, been reported previously, nor has the histologic finding of small, uniformly sized pigment particles and polarizable refractile fragments in this particular type of injury. [source]

Melanocytic matricoma: case confirmation of a recently described entity

JOURNAL OF CUTANEOUS PATHOLOGY, Issue 4 2003
Christy M. Williams
Background:, In 1999, Carlson et al. reported two cases of a matrical neoplasm that recapitulates the bulb of the anagen hair follicle, which they designated as melanocytic matricoma. Methods:, Here we report a similar case in a 78-year-old white male, who presented with a 0.4 cm purple-black firm papule in the left preauricular area. Results:, Histologically, the tumor is composed of a dual cell population including admixed epithelial matrical and supramatrical cells with "shadow" cell formation and pigmented dendritic melanocytes. Immunohistochemical studies for cytokeratin highlighted the epithelial component and studies for S-100 protein, HMB-45, and vimentin confirmed the melanocytic component. The differential diagnosis considered includes pigmented variants of pilomatricoma, matrical carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma. Conclusions:, The case reported herein is the first confirmation of melanocytic matricoma, a distinctive adnexal neoplasm with characteristic clinical and pathologic features, which differentiate it from pigmented pilomatricoma. [source]

Catheter Tip Granuloma Associated with Sacral Region Intrathecal Drug Administration

NEUROMODULATION, Issue 4 2003
Fernandez Julius MD
Abstract Spinal cord compression from catheter tip granulomatous masses following intrathecal drug administration may produce devastating permanent neurologic deficits. Some authors have advocated intrathecal catheter placement below the conus medullaris to avoid the possibility of spinal cord involvement. Multiple cases of catheter tip granulomas in the thoracolumbar region have been reported. We present a unique case of a sacral region catheter tip inflammatory mass producing permanent neurologic deficits. A 71-year-old white male with a diagnosis of failed back surgery syndrome was referred to the senior author for evaluation. After more extensive conservative therapy, including spinal cord stimulation, failed to yield adequate pain relief, he was offered implantation of an intrathecal pump for opioid administration. Excellent pain relief was achieved in the postoperative period; however, three years after implantation, he presented with progressive saddle anesthesia and bowel/bladder incontinence. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a space occupying lesion associated with the catheter tip. The patient underwent emergent second level complete sacral laminectomy with partial resection of an intradural extra-axial mass and removal of intrathecal catheter. At discharge, the patient had no restoration of neurologic function. Histologic examination of the mass confirmed a sterile inflammatory mass. It has been suggested that intrathecal catheters be placed below the conus medullaris to avoid the possibility of spinal cord involvement. We present an unusual case documenting devastating permanent neurologic deficits from a catheter tip granuloma in the sacral region. [source]

Delayed Onset of Brown,Sequard Syndrome Involving Upper Extremity Pain

PAIN PRACTICE, Issue 2 2009
Nelson Tang MD
Abstract Report of a case: A 60-year-old white male with a history of C3,C4 spinal cord injury with subsequent C3,C4 fusion complained of right upper extremity painful spasms of 2 years duration with associated hyperspasticity, motor weakness and poor positional and vibrational sense. The patient was diagnosed with Brown,Sequard syndrome (BSS) and treated with botulinum toxin type A injections distributed into the affected muscle groups that provided substantial and lasting relief. This case is unique in that the patient's trauma occurred 28 years before the development of the BSS suggesting a slow evolution of the condition. [source]

Governing Prisons: An Analysis of Who is Governing Prisons and the Competencies Which They Require to Govern Effectively

THE HOWARD JOURNAL OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, Issue 1 2000
Shane Bryans
Prison Governors have received little attention from researchers. This article begins to correct that balance by exploring the characteristics of prison Governors as a group and by identifying the competencies which Governors require to govern effectively. The response to a questionnaire sent to all Governors reveals that the typical Governor is a white male, aged 50, who has been a Governor for the last six years of his 24 years Prison Service career and joined the Prison Service as a second career without a degree. The article goes on to argue that, to be effective, Governors need to be competent in four areas: general management, incident management, public sector management and prison management. In addition, they must demonstrate certain behaviours which are identified in the Prison Service Core Competency Framework. [source]

Bilateral macular sub-retinal fluid and retinal pigment epithelial detachment associated with type 2 membrano-proliferative glomerulonephritis

CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL OPTOMETRY, Issue 5 2008
Muhammad Amer Awan
Choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) and idiopathic central serous chorioretinopathy (ICSC) are recognised ocular complications related to type 2 membrano-proliferative glomerulonephritis. We report a 38-year-old white male who presented with a 10-day history of blurring of vision, micropsia and metamorphopsia. He had been diagnosed recently to have type 2 membrano-proliferative glomerulonephritis. On examination, there was bilateral retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) detachment with overlying sub-retinal fluid without any drusen. Fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) confirmed the diagnosis of atypical ICSC. Three months later, sub-retinal fluid and RPE detachment resolved and VA had recovered to 6/6. The case highlights the importance of ophthalmological assessment in these patients to recognise sight-threatening complications. [source]

Unintentional drug overdose death trends in New Mexico, USA, 1990,2005: combinations of heroin, cocaine, prescription opioids and alcohol

ADDICTION, Issue 1 2008
Nina G. Shah
ABSTRACT Aims To determine the contribution of heroin, prescription opioids, cocaine and alcohol/drug combinations to the total overdose death rate and identify changes in drug overdose patterns among New Mexico subpopulations. Design We analyzed medical examiner data for all unintentional drug overdose deaths in New Mexico during 1990,2005. Age-adjusted drug overdose death rates were calculated by sex and race/ethnicity; we modeled overall drug overdose death adjusting for age and region. Findings The total unintentional drug overdose death rate in New Mexico increased from 5.6 per 100 000 in 1990 to 15.5 per 100 000 in 2005. Deaths caused by heroin, prescription opioids, cocaine and alcohol/drug combinations together ranged from 89% to 98% of the total. Heroin caused the most deaths during 1990,2005, with a notable rate increase in prescription opioid overdose death during 1998,2005 (58%). During 1990,2005, the 196% increase in single drug category overdose death was driven by prescription opioids alone and heroin alone; the 148% increase in multi-drug category overdose death was driven by heroin/alcohol and heroin/cocaine. Hispanic males had the highest overdose death rate, followed by white males, white females, Hispanic females and American Indians. The most common categories causing death were heroin alone and heroin/alcohol among Hispanic males, heroin/alcohol among American Indian males and prescription opioids alone among white males and all female subpopulations. Conclusions Interventions to prevent drug overdose death should be targeted according to use patterns among at-risk subpopulations. A comprehensive approach addressing both illicit and prescription drug users, and people who use these drugs concurrently, is needed to reduce overdose death. [source]

Drinking pattern and risk of non-fatal myocardial infarction: a population-based case,control study

ADDICTION, Issue 3 2004
Maurizio Trevisan
ABSTRACT Aims Alcohol consumption has been associated with a reduced risk of heart disease incidence and mortality. However, most studies have focused on an average volume per specific time period and have paid little attention to the pattern of drinking. The aim of this study was to examine the association between various drinking patterns and myocardial infarction (MI). Design A population-based case,control study. Methods Participants were 427 white males with incident MI and 905 healthy white male controls (age 35,69 years) selected randomly from two Western New York counties. During computer-assisted interviews detailed information was collected regarding patterns of alcohol consumption during the 12,24 months prior to interview (controls) or MI (cases). Findings Compared to life-time abstainers, adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for non-current and current drinkers were 0.66 (0.31,1.39) and 0.50 (0.24,1.02), respectively. Daily drinkers exhibited a significantly lower OR (0.41) compared to life-time abstainers. Participants who drank mainly without food had an OR of 1.49 (0.96,2.31) compared to those who drank mainly with food and 0.62 (0.28,1.37) compared to life-time abstainers. Men who reported drinking only at weekends had a significantly greater MI risk [1.91; (1.21,3.01)] compared to men who drank less than once/week, but not compared to life-time abstainers [0.91 (0.40,2.07)]. Conclusions Our results indicate that patterns of alcohol use have important cardiovascular health implications. [source]

Interleukin-6 Gene Polymorphism Is Related to Bone Mineral Density During and After Puberty in Healthy White Males: A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Study

Culture and Identity-Protective Cognition: Explaining the White-Male Effect in Risk Perception

JOURNAL OF EMPIRICAL LEGAL STUDIES, Issue 3 2007
Dan M. Kahan
Why do white men fear various risks less than women and minorities? Known as the "white-male effect," this pattern is well documented but poorly understood. This article proposes a new explanation: identity-protective cognition. Putting work on the cultural theory of risk together with work on motivated cognition in social psychology suggests that individuals selectively credit and dismiss asserted dangers in a manner supportive of their cultural identities. This dynamic, it is hypothesized, drives the white-male effect, which reflects the risk skepticism that hierarchical and individualistic white males display when activities integral to their cultural identities are challenged as harmful. The article presents the results of an 1,800-person study that confirmed that cultural worldviews interact with the impact of gender and race on risk perception in patterns that suggest cultural-identity-protective cognition. It also discusses the implications of these findings for risk regulation and communication. [source]

Are Reports of Discrimination Valid?

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS AND SOCIOLOGY, Issue 2 2008
Considering the Moral Hazard Effect
Antidiscrimination laws are designed to prompt employers to stop excluding black workers from jobs they offer and from treating them unequally with respect to promotion and salaries once on the job. However, a moral hazard effect can arise if the existence of the laws leads black employees to bring unjustified claims of discrimination against employers. It has been argued that employers may become more reluctant to hire black workers for fear of being subjected to frivolous lawsuits. Using the Multi-City Study of Urban Inequality (MCSUI), we find that male and female black workers are far more likely than whites to report racial discrimination at work. This is the case even when a host of human capital and labor market factors are controlled for. Further, nearly all black workers who report they have been discriminated against on the job in the MCSUI Surveys also show statistical evidence of wage discrimination. This is not the case for white males or females. We find little evidence to support a moral hazard effect. [source]

Implications of Racial and Gender Differences In Patterns of Adolescent Risk Behavior for HIV And Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases

PERSPECTIVES ON SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH, Issue 6 2004
Carolyn Tucker Halpern
CONTEXT: Sexual and substance use behaviors covary in adolescence. Prevalence of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) differs according to race and gender, yet few studies have systematically investigated risk behavior patterns by subgroup, particularly with nationally representative data. METHODS: A priori considerations and K-means cluster analysis were used to group 13,998 non-Hispanic black and white participants in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, Wave 1, according to self-reported substance use and sexual behavior. Multinomial logit analyses examined racial and gender differences by cluster. RESULTS: Among 16 clusters, the two defined by the lowest risk behaviors (sexual abstinence and little or no substance use) comprised 47% of adolescents; fewer than 1% in these groups reported ever having received an STD diagnosis. The next largest cluster,characterized by sexual activity (on average, with one lifetime partner) and infrequent substance use,contained 15% of participants but nearly one-third of adolescent with STDs. Blacks were more likely than whites to be in this group. Black males also were more likely than white males to be in three small clusters characterized by high-risk sexual behaviors (i.e., having had sex with a male or with at least 14 partners, or for drugs or money). Black females generally were the least likely to be in high-risk behavior clusters but the most likely to report STDs. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents' risk behavior patterns vary by race and gender, and do not necessarily correlate with their STD prevalence. Further investigation of adolescents' partners and sexual networks is needed. [source]

Interpreting longitudinal spirometry: Weight gain and other factors affecting the recognition of excessive FEV1 decline,,

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 10 2009
Mei Lin Wang MD
Abstract Background Excessive FEV1 loss in an individual or a group can reflect hazardous exposures and development of lung disease. However, multiple factors may affect FEV1 measurements. Methods Using medical screening data collected in 1884 chemical plant workers between 1973 and 2003, the influence of multiple factors on repeated measurements of FEV1 was examined. Results The FEV1 level was associated with age, height, race, sex, cigarette smoking, changes in body weight, and spirometer model. After controlling for these factors, longitudinal FEV1 decline averaged 23.8,ml/year for white males; an additional loss of 8.3,ml was associated with one pack-year smoking and 5.4,ml with a one pound weight gain. Depending on the spirometer model, FEV1 differed by up to 95,ml. Conclusions The study results provide quantitative estimates of the effect of specific factors on FEV1, and should be useful to health professionals in the evaluation of accelerated lung function declines. Am. J. Ind. Med. 52:782,789, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Smoking behavior in trucking industry workers

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 12 2006
MSPH, Nitin B. Jain MD
Abstract Background In retrospective occupational studies, the degree of confounding by smoking depends on variation in smoking among job-related exposure groups. We assessed the relationship between job title and smoking behavior as part of a study on occupational exposures and lung cancer. Methods A questionnaire on smoking was mailed to a sample of 11,986 trucking industry workers. Company records were used to gather other relevant information. Results The response rate was 40.5%. Among white males, the age-adjusted prevalence of ever smoking was highest among longhaul truck drivers (67%) and lowest among clerks (44%). Smoking rates among workers with other job titles were similar. Conclusions Our results will be used to adjust for the differences in smoking among job-related exposure groups when assessing the association between particulate matter exposure and lung cancer mortality. Our study also suggests that an assessment of methods to control for smoking should be considered in the design of retrospective occupational health studies. Am. J. Ind. Med. 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Quantitative exposure-response for silica dust and lung cancer in Vermont granite workers,

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 2 2004
Michael D. Attfield BSc
Abstract Background Excess lung cancer mortality among the exposed Vermont granite workers has been reported. These studies were based on job and tenure surrogates, with the potential for misclassification and inability to evaluate quantitative exposure-response. Methods Industrial hygiene data collected from 1924 to 1977 was analyzed in conjunction with mortality data to examine quantitative exposure-response for silica, lung cancer, and other lung diseases. A person-years analysis was undertaken by cumulative exposure group, including lagged and unlagged tabulations. Poisson models were fitted to untransformed and log transformed exposure. Results The results indicated a clear relationship of lung cancer, tuberculosis, pneumoconiosis, non-malignant lung disease, and kidney cancer with cumulative exposure. An exposure to 0.05 mg/m3 from age 20 to 64 was associated with a lifetime excess risk of lung cancer for white males of 27/1,000. Conclusions The results of this study of workers exposed almost exclusively to silica and no other major occupational confounding exposures indicate a clear exposure-response for lung cancer. Am. J. Ind. Med. 45:129,138, 2004. Published 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Comparison of Black and White Subjects

THE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 7 2002
Keith Meetze MD
Abstract Objective To determine if the severity of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) differs by racial group. Study Design Cross-sectional retrospective review. Setting University-based sleep disorders laboratory. Methods The study reviewed the results of 280 adult (>18 y) patients diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome by overnight polysomnogram between July 1, 1999, and June 30, 2000. Factors analyzed included age, sex, race, presence of hypertension, body mass index (kg/m2), respiratory disturbance index (RDI), and lowest oxygen saturation level. Results Blacks with OSA are significantly more obese and have significantly higher rates of hypertension than white subjects with OSA. Black females with OSA are significantly younger than white females at the time of diagnosis (P = .005). Black males with OSA have significantly lower oxygen saturations than white males (P = .025). Conclusion Black males who present to the otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeon for evaluation of sleep-disordered breathing may be at increased risk of severe OSA. [source]

Recruiting Black/African American men for research on prostate cancer prevention,,

CANCER, Issue 5 2004
V. Diane Woods M.S.N.
Abstract BACKGROUND Black/African American men die of prostate cancer at a greater rate relative to other males. During the period from 1992 to 1998, prostate cancer incidence rates in the United States were 234.2 per 100,000 persons among non-Hispanic black males and 144.6 per 100,000 persons among white males. The reasons for these increased rates of prostate cancer among black males are largely unknown, but increased mortality is associated with late detection. The authors conducted a longitudinal study of black men that investigated prostate cancer prevention behaviors within this population. The purpose of the current article is to identify successful recruitment strategies that were reported by participants in this study of prevention behaviors. METHODS Qualitative research methods were used to elucidate men's thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, and practices regarding prostate cancer prevention behaviors and to identify strategies for attracting black men to research programs and retaining them in these programs. RESULTS Ethnocentric recruitment strategies that were identified included the development of tailored printed materials; the use of targeted locations; and a personalized, participatory approach for engaging potential participants. We contacted 498 black men and enrolled a cohort of 277 non-Hispanic black males (75% of whom were recruited within a 9-week period) in the current study. CONCLUSIONS Unlike other studies that reported difficulty in recruiting African American men, the current study did not encounter such difficulties. The authors attribute their success to culturally attractive Afrocentric materials; cultural sensitivity; a caring, professional, personalized ethnic approach; respect; and participatory involvement of the target population. Nonetheless, the authors did encounter barriers, such as lack of physician interest and lack of trust in quality medical care. These barriers must be overcome before black males can be engaged and retained in research studies on prostate cancer prevention. Cancer 2004;100:1017,25. © 2004 American Cancer Society. [source]

Trends in palatine tonsillar cancer incidence and mortality rates in the United States

COMMUNITY DENTISTRY AND ORAL EPIDEMIOLOGY, Issue 2 2007
Sylvia M. Golas
Abstract,,, Objective:, The purpose of this paper is to describe the extent of the public health problem presented by palatine tonsillar cancer in the United States by analyzing recent incidence and mortality rate trends. Methods:, Using the National Cancer Institutes' Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program database, age-adjusted incidence rates (1973,2001) for five histological types of palatine tonsillar cancer by race and sex were calculated. For total palatine tonsillar cancer age-specific incidence (1973,2001) and mortality (1969,2001) rates by race and sex were calculated. Mortality and population data were obtained from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and the U.S. Census Bureau. The Joinpoint Regression Model was employed to establish the statistical significance of incidence and mortality rate trends. Results:, The majority of palatine tonsillar cases diagnosed in SEER-9 registries from 1973 to 2001 occurred among white males, age 40,64 years, with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The highest incidence of palatine tonsillar cancer occurred in black males, followed by white males with SCC. For age 40,64 years, palatine tonsillar incidence rates significantly declined for white females and black females, rose and then declined for black males, but increased from 1988 for white males. For age 65+ years, incidence significantly declined among white males. Palatine tonsillar cancer mortality rates for age 40,64 years significantly declined for white females. Rates also declined for black females (1981,2001) and black males (1985,2001) in this age group while rates for white males declined significantly from 1969 to 1987, but stabilized at nearly 0.4 through 2001. Mortality for the age group, 65+, significantly rose and fell for white females and declined for white males. Conclusions:, Beginning in the late 1980s, and continuing through 2001, the risk for white males, age 40,64 years, of developing palatine tonsillar cancer increased. In contrast, the risk for white males, age 65 years and older, of developing palatine tonsillar cancer and of dying from this disease decreased during the study period. [source]