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Demographic Variables (demographic + variable)
Kinds of Demographic Variables Selected AbstractsThe Relationship between Attitudes, Knowledge, and Demographic Variables of High School Teachers Regarding Food IrradiationJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE EDUCATION, Issue 2 2007B.M. Thompson ABSTRACT:,The purpose of this study was to use a validated instrument to determine the attitudes and knowledge of high school teachers regarding food irradiation, and to determine the correlations among their knowledge and attitudes and certain demographic variables. Knowledge and attitudes about food irradiation were measured in selected high school family and consumer sciences teachers (n= 121) who taught Food and Nutrition, Food Science and Technology, and/or Food Production Management and Services, via a 24-item instrument with 6 factors. Results revealed these teachers held neutral to positive attitudes about the safety of irradiated foods, their perception of the risk of foodborne illness, and learning about food irradiation, and neutral to negative perceptions of their understanding of food irradiation and their competence to teach about it. These teachers had a moderate knowledge base regarding food irradiation. Teachers' attitudes regarding the safety of food irradiation were positively correlated with their perceived understanding of food irradiation, actual knowledge of it, and competence to teach about it. Their perceived understanding of food irradiation was positively correlated with competence to teach about it, knowledge, and attitudes toward the safety of food irradiation. The only demographic variable correlated with knowledge or attitudes was teachers' previous food irradiation educational experiences. These data suggest the importance of education for family and consumer sciences teachers concerning food irradiation. [source] Association of tobacco dependence and quit attempt duration with Rasch-modeled withdrawal sensitivity using retrospective measuresADDICTION, Issue 6 2009Harold S. Javitz ABSTRACT Aim To examine whether Rasch modeling would yield a unidimensional withdrawal sensitivity measure correlating with factors associated with successful smoking cessation. Design The psychometric Rasch modeling approach was applied to estimate an underlying latent construct (withdrawal sensitivity) in retrospective responses from 1644 smokers who reported quitting for 3 or more months at least once. Setting Web-based, passcode-controlled self-administered computerized questionnaire. Participants Randomly selected convenience sample of 1644 adult members of an e-mail invitation-only web panel drawn from consumer databases. Measurements Lifetime Tobacco Use Questionnaire, assessing tobacco use across the life-span, including demographics and respondent ratings of the severity of withdrawal symptoms experienced in respondents' first and most recent quit attempts lasting 3 or more months. Findings Rasch-modeled withdrawal sensitivity was generally unidimensional and was associated with longer periods of smoking cessation. One latent variable accounted for 74% of the variability in symptom scores. Rasch modeling with a single latent factor fitted withdrawal symptoms well, except for increased appetite, for which the fit was marginal. Demographic variables of education, gender and ethnicity were not related to changes in sensitivity. Correlates of greater withdrawal sensitivity in cessation attempts of at least 3 months included younger age at first quit attempt and indicators of tobacco dependence. Conclusion The relationship between tobacco dependence symptoms and Rasch-model withdrawal sensitivity defines further the relationship between sensitivity and dependence. The findings demonstrate the utility of modeling to create an individual-specific sensitivity measure as a tool for exploring the relationships among sensitivity, dependence and cessation. [source] Differences in cognitive factors between "true drug" versus "placebo pattern" response to fluoxetine as defined by pattern analysisHUMAN PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY: CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL, Issue 4 2006Amy H. Farabaugh Abstract Objective Pattern analysis has identified two types of response patterns to antidepressants: "true drug" response (TDR) and "placebo pattern" response (PPR). This study examines the relationship between cognitive factors and TDR and PPR to fluoxetine. Methods We assessed 310 outpatients meeting DSM-III-R criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) who were enrolled in an 8-week open trial of fluoxetine 20,mg/day. Response patterns were determined using the clinical global impressions-improvement (CGI-I). We administered the following self-rated scales to all patients at the baseline visit and at endpoint: perceived stress scale (PSS), cognitions questionnaire (CQ), Beck hopelessness scale (BHS) and dysfunctional attitudes scale (DAS). Results One hundred and thirty-four patients had TDR, 66 patients had PPR, and 110 patients were non-responders (NR). Demographic variables and severity of depression at baseline (HAMD-17) were not significantly different between the two response pattern groups. We compared cognitive factors before and after treatment across patients with TDR and PPR, and there were no significant differences at baseline in CQ, PSS, BHS, and DAS scores. At endpoint, outpatients with PPR had significantly lower scores on the PSS (p,<,0.001) compared to the patients with TDR, even after adjusting for multiple comparisons and severity of depression at endpoint. Conclusions Significant differences in cognitive/psychological factors, specifically lower post-treatment perceived stress, accompany "placebo" pattern of response to antidepressant treatment and differentiate it from "true drug" response pattern, as defined by pattern analysis. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Use of a novel technology for presenting screening measures to detect mild cognitive impairment in elderly patientsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 9 2010D. W. Wright Summary Background:, Available screening tools for mild cognitive impairment (MCI), often a precursor to Alzheimer's disease, are insensitive or not feasible for administration in a busy primary care setting. Display Enhanced TEsting for Cognitive impairment and Traumatic brain injury (DETECTÔ) addresses these issues by creating an immersive environment for the brief administration of neuropsychological (NP) measures. Objective:, The aim of this study was to determine if the DETECTÔ cognitive subtests can identify MCI patients as accurately as standard pen and paper NP tests. Methods:, Twenty patients with MCI recruited from a memory disorders clinic and 20 age-matched controls were given both a full battery of NP tests (standard NP) and the DETECTÔ screen. Logistic regression models were used to determine whether individual tests were predictive of group membership (MCI or control). Demographic variables including age, race, education and gender were adjusted as covariates. Selection methods were used to identify subset models that exhibited maximum discrimination between MCI patients and controls for both testing methods. Results:, Both the standard NP model (C-index = 0.836) and the DETECTÔ model (C-index = 0.865) showed very good discrimination and were not significantly different (p = 0.7323). Conclusion:, The DETECTÔ system shows good agreement with standard NP tests and is capable of identifying elderly patients with cognitive impairment. [source] US aggregate demand for clothing and shoes: effects of non-durable expenditures, price and demographic changesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 2 2003Kisung KimArticle first published online: 4 MAR 200 Abstract The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the changes in total non-durables expenditures, prices and US demographics on demand for different clothing categories and shoes in a time-series framework. The basis for the demand model was the almost ideal demand system model. Demographic variables included in the model were age distribution of US population (median age and variance) and proportion of non-white population to the total US population. The results indicate that total non-durable expenditures and price variables are significantly related to consumers' non-durable budget allocations for clothing categories and shoes. The results of the study also show that, among the demographic variables examined in the study, the median age and non-white population were significant variables affecting US aggregate non-durable expenditure allocation on men's and boy's clothing and shoes. All the demand elasticities with respect to total expenditures, own, cross-price and demographics were also estimated. [source] Volunteerism in a Community-Based Sample of Women Aged 50 to 80 Years,JOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 9 2000Deborah J. Bowen This paper has 2 purposes: (a) to present the differences in demographic and health characteristics of older women volunteers and nonvolunteers in a community-based sample; (b) to identify the motivations of current and past volunteers, as contrasted with those who have never volunteered. A population-based survey was conducted with a sample of 1,104 women aged 50 to 80 years in the state of Washington. Nonvolunteers were less likely to be married and were slightly less likely to be White than were current or past volunteers. Demographic variables (e. g., age) and health status predicted level of reported motivation for volunteering. These data provide us with population-based estimates of volunteering and motivations for older women. [source] Patients' learning needs after hip arthroplastyJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 5 2002KIRSI JOHANSSON MNSc ,,The purpose of this study was to describe patients' learning needs after hip arthroplasty and compare them prior to and 2 weeks after hospital discharge. ,,Data were collected in two phases from 22 surgical wards in 17 hospitals in Finland using a Canadian Patient Learning Needs Scale (Galloway et al., 1996). The first questionnaire (n=212, 81%) was completed before hospital discharge and the second (n=144, 55%) was completed at home after hospital discharge. ,,Results indicated that patients' learning needs diminished significantly after hospital discharge. In both questionnaires patients felt that the most important information was about complications and symptoms. Information about medication was ranked the second most important. ,,Demographic variables such as age, gender, education and working life were clearly related to learning needs. Women over 60 years old, and less educated and retired respondents had many learning needs. [source] The Association of Alcohol-Induced Blackouts and Grayouts to Blood Alcohol ConcentrationsJOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES, Issue 4 2006Paul J. Perry Ph.D. ABSTRACT: The primary aim of this study was to investigate the association between measured blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and the presence and degree of amnesia (no amnesia, grayout, or blackout) in actively drinking subjects. A secondary aim was to determine potential factors other than BAC that contribute to the alcohol-induced memory loss. An interview questionnaire was administered to subjects regarding a recent alcohol associated arrest with a documented BAC greater than 0.08 g/dL for either public intoxication, driving under the influence, or under age drinking was administered. Demographic variables collected included drinking history, family history of alcoholism, presence of previous alcohol-related memory loss during a drinking episode, and drinking behavior during the episode. Memory of the drinking episode was evaluated to determine if either an alcohol-induced grayout (partial anterograde amnesia) or blackout (complete anterograde amnesia) occurred. Differences in (1) mean total number of drinks ingested before arrest, (2) gulping of drinks, and (3) BAC at arrest were found for those having blackouts compared with no amnesia; while differences in drinking more than planned were found between the no amnesia and grayout groups. A strong linear relationship between BAC and predicted probability of memory loss, particularly for blackouts was obvious. This finding clinically concludes that subjects with BAC of 310 g/dL or greater have a 0.50 or greater probability of having an alcoholic blackout. [source] Canadian dietitians' views and practices regarding obesity and weight managementJOURNAL OF HUMAN NUTRITION & DIETETICS, Issue 6 2004S. I. Barr Abstract Objective To provide insight into Canadian dietitians' attitudes and practices regarding obesity and weight management. Design Cross-sectional mail survey of a stratified random sample of members of Canadian dietetic associations. Subjects A total of 514 dietitians (74% of those surveyed), 350 (69%) of whom actively counselled overweight/obese clients. Measurements Participants received a questionnaire to assess dietitians' attitudes regarding obesity and overweight, views regarding their role in weight management, counselling practices, and the criteria used to judge success. Demographic variables were collected. Results Most dietitians believed that obesity contributes to morbidity and mortality, and that small weight losses produced important health benefits. However, 80% agreed that health indicators other than weight loss should be the focus of obesity management, and 55% specifically recommended that clients not weigh themselves. Instead, weight management was promoted by recommending healthy eating and increased physical activity. Three-quarters agreed that they are the profession best trained to manage obesity but two-thirds believed their time would be better spent preventing rather than managing obesity. Dietitians most valued education received from on-the-job support and mentoring from other dietitians. Participants reported wanting to learn more about motivational and behavioural modification counselling techniques. Conclusions Canadian dietitians follow a lifestyle approach to weight management. Studies are required to formally assess the effectiveness of various aspects of this approach. [source] Levels of autonomy of nurse practitioners in an acute care settingJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NURSE PRACTITIONERS, Issue 10 2007CCRN (Clinical Nurse Manager), Corazon B. Cajulis DNP Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine the level of autonomy of nurse practitioners (NPs) providing care to an adult patient population in an acute care setting. Data sources: Data were collected from 54 NPs in different specialty areas currently working in a large metropolitan hospital. The Dempster Practice Behaviors Scale was used to measure the autonomy of the NPs. Conclusions: The overall mean autonomy score of 117.37 (SD = 14.55) indicates a high level of autonomy of the NPs in this study. Forty-one percent of the participants had very high levels of autonomy, 31.5% had extremely high levels of autonomy, and 19% had moderate levels of autonomy. Demographic variables of age; years worked as an NP, as an RN, and at current job; highest educational level; basic nursing preparation; NP certification; and specialty had no statistically significant relationship with autonomy scores. Implications for practice: The results of this study provided preliminary evidence of the level of autonomy of NPs providing inpatient care to adult patients in an acute care setting. The findings could lead to future research on the impact of NP services on patient outcomes and clinical productivity in acute care settings. [source] Demographic variables routinely collected at colposcopic examination do not predict who will default from conservative management of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia IAUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 1 2005Julie A. QUINLIVAN Abstract Objective:, As a result of the low incidence of progression from low grade epithelial abnormalities to cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 3 or cervical cancer, a conservative approach to management is supported, especially in young women. Loss to follow-up is a recognised problem with a conservative approach however, with women defaulting known to experience higher rates of cancer. Aim:, To determine if any routinely collected demographic variables could predict which Australian women would subsequently default from care having initially elected to have conservative management of CIN 1 lesions. Methods:, Prospectively collected data was audited on 279 women with a colposcopically directed biopsy diagnosis of CIN 1, confirmed on external review, who were enroled by their own choice into a conservative management program and monitored until a definitive lesion outcome was determined. Women who defaulted from follow-up and were lost to care providers despite follow-up appointments and reminder letters were compared to women who completed follow-up with either lesion resolution or progression requiring treatment, to establish if there were any demographic variables to predict default from care. Results:, Fifty-two (18.5%) women subsequently defaulted from follow-up. There were no significant differences in age, parity, proportion of women who were pregnant at diagnosis, smoking status, immunosuppressed or had a ,human papillomavirus (HPV) effect' reported on Pap-smear or colposcopic examination. Conclusion:, We cannot easily identify a subgroup of women who are more likely to default from follow-up of CIN 1 using routinely collected demographic data. Default from follow-up is a major risk with conservative approaches and further research to reduce default rates are required. [source] Assessment of prognosis with the total illness burden index for prostate cancer,CANCER, Issue 9 2007Aiding clinicians in treatment choice Abstract BACKGROUND. Among the most pressing challenges that face physicians who care for men with prostate cancer is evaluating the patient's potential for benefiting from treatment. Because prostate cancer often follows an indolent course, the presence and severity of comorbidities may influence the decision to treat the patient aggressively. The authors adapted the Total Illness Burden Index (TIBI) for use in decision-making among men with prostate cancer at the time of the visit. METHODS. An observational study was performed of 2894 participants in the Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor, a national disease registry of men with prostate cancer, to examine how well the adapted TIBI for prostate cancer (TIBI-CaP) predicted mortality over the subsequent 3.5 years and health-related quality of life over the subsequent 6 months. RESULTS. The men who had the highest global TIBI-CaP scores were 13 times more likely to die of causes other than prostate cancer over a 3.5-year period than the men who had the lowest scores (hazard ratio, 13.1, 95% confidence interval, 6.3,27.4) after controlling for age, education, income, and race/ethnicity. Patients who had the highest TIBI-CaP scores had 44% mortality compared with 4.9% mortality for patients who had the lowest scores. Demographic variables explained 16% of the variance in future physical function; TIBI-CaP scores explained an additional 19% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS. The TIBI-CaP, a patient-reported measure of comorbidity, identified patients at high risk for nonprostate cancer mortality. It predicted both mortality and future quality of life. The TIBI-CaP may aid physicians and patients in making appropriate treatment decisions. Cancer 2007. © 2007 American Cancer Society. [source] Validation Set Correlates of Anogenital Injury after Sexual AssaultACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 3 2008Peter Drocton MD Abstract Objectives:, Forensic investigators remain unsure exactly why some sexual assault victims display acute injury while others do not. This investigation explores potential reasons for these differential findings among female victims. Methods:, This cross-sectional analysis examined data from consecutive female sexual assault victims, at least 12 years old, who agreed to a forensic exam between November 1, 2002, and November 30, 2006. Exams utilized colposcopy, anoscopy, macrodigital imaging, and toluidine blue dye to delineate anogenital injury (AGI), which was defined as the presence of recorded anogenital abrasions, tears, or ecchymosis. Demographic variables of the victim, including sexual experience and reproductive parity, and assault characteristics were recorded in the database for bivariate and multivariate analysis with AGI. Results:, Forty-nine percent of the initial 3,356 patients displayed AGI. Of this total, 2,879 cases included complete data for all variables and were included in the multivariate logistic regression model. A statistically significant increased risk for AGI was noted with: educational status (odds ratio [OR] 1.53, 95% CI = 1.25 to 1.87); vaginal or attempted penetration using penis (OR 2.29, 95% CI = 1.74 to 3.01), finger (OR 1.61, 95% CI = 1.88 to 1.94), or object (OR 3.19, 95% CI = 1.52 to 6.68); anal,penile penetration (OR 2.00, 95% CI = 1.57 to 2.54); alcohol involvement (OR 1.25, 95% CI = 1.04 to 1.50); and virgin status of victim (OR 1.38, 95% CI = 1.11 to 1.71). Victims were less likely to display AGI with a longer postcoital interval (OR 0.50, 95% CI = 0.39 to 0.65) and increased parity (OR 0.76, 95% CI = 0.57 to 0.99). Conclusions:, Approximately half the patients displayed AGI. This rate is higher than earlier studies, but consistent with current investigations utilizing similar injury detection methods. The correlates of injury found reinforce the findings of prior studies, while prompting questions for future study. [source] Patients' attitudes to medicines and expectations for prescriptionsHEALTH EXPECTATIONS, Issue 3 2002Nicky Britten MA MSc PhD Abstract Background, Recent research has shown that patients' expectations for prescriptions influence doctors' prescribing decisions, but little is known of the antecedents of these expectations. Objectives, To test earlier qualitative research about patients' views of medicines; to describe the demographic characteristics of those holding orthodox and unorthodox views of medicines; to investigate the relationship between patients' ideal and predicted expectations for prescriptions; and to determine the relative effects of attitudinal, demographic, organizational and illness variables on these expectations. Design, Questionnaire survey of patients consulting general practitioners. Setting and participants, A total of 544 patients and 15 doctors in four general practices. Main variables studied, Patients' attitudes to medicines; patients' demographic characteristics; organizational variables; aspects of patients' presenting problems. Outcome measures, Patients' ideal and predicted expectations for prescriptions. Results, Orthodox and unorthodox attitudes to medicines can be measured quantitatively, and ethnicity was the only demographic variable associated with both. Ideal and predicted expectations for prescriptions were closely related to each other but differed in their antecedents. Both types of expectations were associated with attitudinal, demographic, organizational and illness variables. Ideal expectations were influenced by orthodox and unorthodox attitudes to medicines, while predicted expectations were only influenced by orthodox attitudes. Conclusions, Future studies of patients' expectations for health services should distinguish between ideal and predicted expectations, and should consider the range of possible influences on these expectations. In particular, the effect of the organization and context of health services should be investigated. [source] Predicting time-specific changes in demographic processes using remote-sensing dataJOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2006HENRIK B. RASMUSSEN Summary 1Models of wildlife population dynamics are crucial for sustainable utilization and management strategies. Fluctuating ecological conditions are often key factors influencing both carrying capacity, mortality and reproductive rates in ungulates. To be reliable, demographic models should preferably rely on easily obtainable variables that are directly linked to the ecological processes regulating a population. 2We compared the explanatory power of rainfall, a commonly used proxy for variability in ecological conditions, with normalized differential vegetation index (NDVI), a remote-sensing index value that is a more direct measure of vegetation productivity, to predict time-specific conception rates of an elephant population in northern Kenya. Season-specific conception rates were correlated with both quality measures. However, generalized linear logistic models compared using Akaike's information criteria showed that a model based on the NDVI measure outperformed models based on rainfall measures. 3A predictive model based on coarse demographic data and the maximum seasonal NDVI value was able to trace the large variation in observed season-specific conception rates (Range 0,0·4), with a low median deviation from observed values of 0·07. 4By combining the model of season-specific conception rates with the average seasonal distribution of conception dates, the monthly number of conceptions (range 0,22) could be predicted within ±3 with 80% confidence. 5Synthesis and applications. The strong predictive power of the normalized differential vegetation index on time-specific variation in a demographic variable is likely to be generally applicable to resource-limited ungulate species occurring in ecologically variable ecosystems, and could potentially be a powerful factor in demographic population modelling. [source] Investigation of pre-diagnostic virological markers for progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patientsJOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY, Issue 7 2009Mary K. Grabowski Abstract Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a severe neurological disorder due to JC virus (JCV) infection. Pre-diagnostic biological markers and risk factors for PML are not well understood. We conducted a case,control study nested within the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study to examine the association between JCV viruria and viremia and serum antibody to JCV capsids, in relation to subsequent PML diagnoses, 5 months to 12 years later. Other demographic and immunologic factors were also examined. The study population included 28 incident cases of PML, 26 matched HIV-positive controls, and 50 HIV-negative controls. Prevalence of JCV viruria was 37% in cases, 42% in HIV-positive controls, and 28% in HIV-negative controls (P,=,0.43). Among persons with JCV viruria, persistent viruria was more common in cases (89%) than in HIV-positive controls (33%) (P,=,0.02). Presence of JCV viruria was not related to the time to PML diagnosis (OR: 1.03, 95% CI: 0.8,1.4); however, the urinary concentration of JCV DNA increased with proximity to the date of PML diagnosis in cases. JCV seropositivity did not differ between cases or controls (P,=,0.42). Four cases tested JCV seronegative, including one case only 5 months prior to diagnosis with PML. JCV DNA was detected in the serum of one HIV-positive control. Smoking was the only demographic variable analyzed associated with an increased risk for PML (MOR: 9.0, 95% CI: 1.2,394.5). The results suggest that persistent JCV viruria and increasing urinary concentration of JCV DNA may be predictive of PML for some patients. J. Med. Virol. 81:1140,1150, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Beyond the Black Box of Demography: board processes and task effectiveness within Italian firmsCORPORATE GOVERNANCE, Issue 5 2007Fabio Zona In this paper we analyse boards of directors as workgroups, i.e. groups of people that perform one or more tasks within an organisational context. Building on previous studies, we developed a model that relates group's social-psychological processes to three different board tasks: service, monitoring and networking. We tested our model through a survey on 301 large manufacturing firms in Italy. Our findings support the idea that (a) process variables and, to a limited extent, demographic variables significantly influence board task performance; (b) board processes have a different impact on each specific board task; (c) board task performance varies depending upon firm and industry characteristics. [source] Investigating Academic Success Factors for Undergraduate Business StudentsDECISION SCIENCES JOURNAL OF INNOVATIVE EDUCATION, Issue 2 2008Mehdi Kaighobadi ABSTRACT Student academic performance is of major interest to all stakeholders of higher education institutions. This study questions whether or not statistical analysis of information that is readily available in most universities' official records system can be used to predict overall academic success. In particular, this study is an attempt to understand factors that affect academic success for business students by examining gender, age, ethnicity, and performance in two required core knowledge courses as predictors of academic success for a large sample of undergraduate students at a Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business,accredited business school. The results suggest that student performance is significantly related to some basic demographic variables, but the strongest predictors of overall academic success are the grades the students receive in core knowledge courses that are typically taken in the earlier semesters of business students' plans of study. [source] Influence of age of onset on clinical features in obsessive,compulsive disorderDEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 3 2005it Tükel M.D. Abstract We compared early-onset and late-onset obsessive,compulsive disorder (OCD) patients in terms of demographic and clinical features. One hundred sixteen outpatients whose primary diagnosis was OCD according to DSM-IV diagnostic criteria were recruited. Early-onset (n=50) and late-onset (n=66) OCD groups were compared with respect to demographic variables and scores obtained on various scales. A male gender predominance was found in early-onset OCD group. Symmetry/exactness obsessions, religious obsessions, hoarding/saving obsessions, and hoarding/collecting compulsions also were significantly more frequent in the early-onset group than in the late-onset group. The results may suggest a phenotypic difference between the two groups. Further studies are needed to investigate the differences between early-onset and late-onset OCD groups to examine the hypothesis that early-onset OCD is a distinct subtype of the disorder. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Affective and anxiety disorders in a German sample of diabetic patients: prevalence, comorbidity and risk factorsDIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 3 2005N. Hermanns Abstract Aims The aims of this study were to examine (1) the prevalence of clinical and subclinical anxiety and affective disorders in a sample of diabetic patients attending a secondary care clinic in Germany and (2) risk factors associated with the occurrence of these disorders. Methods Four hundred and twenty diabetic patients (36.9% Type 1; 24.7% Type 2; 38.4% Type 2 with insulin) participated in a questionnaire-based screening survey. Those who screened positive received a diagnostic interview. Results Prevalence of clinical affective disorders was 12.6%, with an additional 18.8% of patients reporting depressive symptoms without fulfilling all criteria for a clinical affective disorder. The prevalence of anxiety disorders was 5.9%, with an additional 19.3% of patients reporting some anxiety symptoms. The comorbidity rate of affective and anxiety disorders was 1.8%, whereas 21.4% of the diabetic patients reported elevated affective as well as anxiety symptomatology. Logistic regression established demographic variables such as age, female gender and living alone as well as diabetes-specific parameters such as insulin treatment in Type 2 diabetes, hypoglycaemia problems and poor glycaemic control as risk factors for affective disorders. For anxiety symptoms female gender, younger age and Type 2 diabetes were significant independent variables. Conclusion The prevalence of affective disorders in diabetic patients was twofold higher than in the non-diabetic population, whereas prevalence for anxiety disorders was not increased. Analysis of risk factors can facilitate the identification of patients who are at a greater risk for these disorders. [source] Prediction of twelve-month service disengagement from an early intervention in psychosis serviceEARLY INTERVENTION IN PSYCHIATRY, Issue 3 2007Mark Turner Abstract Aim: The aim is to examine disengagement in an early psychosis treatment service and contrast clinical and demographic variables of patients who disengage against those who do not. Methods: Those with termination of treatment, despite therapeutic need within 12 months of entry (disengagers) (n = 57; 24.6%), were compared with those who remained in treatment at 12 months (n = 175) on a range of clinical and demographic variables collected at admission. After testing the difference between proportions, data analysis was conducted using methods of logistic regression. Results: Alcohol and/or cannabis abuse/dependence, initial diagnosisother than mood disorder, long duration of untreated psychosis, lower Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale total symptoms, and lower insight at referral accounted for 27% of variance in patient ,disengagement' within 12 months. Conclusion: A significant proportion of patients with first episode psychosis disengage from treatment within 12 months. Despite a number of factors being associated with disengagement, prediction using admission factors was poor. Early Intervention in Psychosis Services would benefit from increased attention to alcohol and drug problems, trying to reduce the duration of untreated psychosis, improving psychiatric symptoms and increasing insight in all patients to decrease service disengagement. [source] Dynamic distribution modelling: predicting the present from the pastECOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2009Stephen G. Willis Confidence in projections of the future distributions of species requires demonstration that recently-observed changes could have been predicted adequately. Here we use a dynamic model framework to demonstrate that recently-observed changes at the expanding northern boundaries of three British butterfly species can be predicted with good accuracy. Previous work established that the distributions of the study species currently lag behind climate change, and so we presumed that climate is not currently a major constraint at the northern range margins of our study species. We predicted 1970,2000 distribution changes using a colonisation model, MIGRATE, superimposed on a high-resolution map of habitat availability. Thirty-year rates and patterns of distribution change could be accurately predicted for each species (, goodness-of-fit of models >0.64 for all three species, corresponding to >83% of grid cells correctly assigned), using a combination of individual species traits, species-specific habitat associations and distance-dependent dispersal. Sensitivity analyses showed that population productivity was the most important determinant of the rate of distribution expansion (variation in dispersal rate was not studied because the species are thought to be similar in dispersal capacity), and that each species' distribution prior to expansion was critical in determining the spatial pattern of the current distribution. In future, modelling approaches that combine climate suitability and spatially-explicit population models, incorporating demographic variables and habitat availability, are likely to be valuable tools in projecting species' responses to climatic change and hence in anticipating management to facilitate species' dispersal and persistence. [source] Alcohol outlet density and university student drinking: a national studyADDICTION, Issue 7 2008Kypros Kypri ABSTRACT Aims To examine the geographic density of alcohol outlets and associations with drinking levels and related problems among university students. Design Cross-sectional survey study using geospatial data, with campus-level and individual-level analyses. Participants A total of 2550 students (mean age 20.2, 60% women) at six university campuses in New Zealand (63% response). Measurements Counts of alcohol outlets within 3 km of each campus were tested for their non-parametric correlation with aggregated campus drinking levels and related problems. Generalized estimating equations were used to model the relation between outlet counts within 1 km and 3 km of student residences and individual drinking levels/problems, with control for gender, age, ethnicity and high school binge drinking frequency, and adjustment for campus-level clustering. Findings Correlations for campus-level data were 0.77 (P = 0.07) for drinking and personal problems, and 0.31 (P = 0.54) for second-hand effects. There were consistent significant associations of both on- and off-licence outlet densities with all outcomes in student-level adjusted models. Effects were largest for 1 km densities and off-licence outlets. Conclusions There are positive associations between alcohol outlet density and individual drinking and related problems. Associations remain after controlling for demographic variables and pre-university drinking, i.e. the associations are unlikely to be due to self-selection effects. Increasing alcohol outlet density, and particularly off-licences, may increase alcohol-related harm among university students. [source] Understanding herb and dietary supplement use in patients with epilepsyEPILEPSIA, Issue 8 2009Kitti Kaiboriboon Summary Objective:, To determine the prevalence of herb and dietary supplement use and to provide a comprehensive analysis of factors influencing the use of these products in patients with epilepsy. Methods:, We performed a cross-sectional study using self-administered questionnaires in a selected group of patients who were receiving care at a tertiary epilepsy center. Logistic regression was used to measure the association between the demographic variables and herb and dietary supplement use. In addition, we performed a MEDLINE search for each of the herb and dietary products used by our patients to determine the effect of these products on seizures and on their potential for interactions with other drugs metabolized by the liver. Results:, One hundred eighty-seven patients completed the survey. Fifty-six percent of this group of patients with epilepsy used herbs and dietary supplements at the time of the survey. A considerable portion (71%) of these patients reported the use of these products to their physician, and most of them relied on their physicians as the primary source of information. Most of the patients used dietary supplement for health promotion rather than to specifically benefit their epilepsy condition. Approximately one-third of patients used herb or dietary supplements that had the potential to increase seizures (16%) or to interact with hepatically metabolized drugs (19%). The most powerful independent predictors of herb and dietary supplement use were partial epilepsy [odds ratio (OR) 3.36; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.27,8.88] and Caucasian race (OR 3.55; 95% CI 1.11,11.34). Conclusion:, Patients with epilepsy commonly used dietary supplements along with their antiepileptic medications. The majority of these patients used herb and dietary supplements for health promotion rather than because of dissatisfaction with conventional treatment. It is important that physicians involved in the care of patients with epilepsy routinely inquire about the use of dietary supplements and that they make use of reliable resources to assess the safety of these products with regard to modification of seizure risk and the potential for interactions with antiepileptic drugs. [source] Depression and Anxiety Disorders in Pediatric EpilepsyEPILEPSIA, Issue 5 2005Rochelle Caplan Summary:,Purpose: This study examined affective disorders, anxiety disorders, and suicidality in children with epilepsy and their association with seizure-related, cognitive, linguistic, family history, social competence, and demographic variables. Methods: A structured psychiatric interview, mood self-report scales, as well as cognitive and language testing were administered to 100 children with complex partial seizures (CPSs), 71 children with childhood absence epilepsy (CAE), and 93 normal children, aged 5 to 16 years. Parents provided behavioral information on each child through a structured psychiatric interview and behavior checklist. Results: Significantly more patients had affective and anxiety disorder diagnoses (33%) as well as suicidal ideation (20%) than did the normal group, but none had made a suicide attempt. Anxiety disorder was the most frequent diagnosis among the patients with a diagnosis of affective or anxiety disorders, and combined affective/anxiety and disruptive disorder diagnoses, in those with suicidal ideation. Only 33% received some form of mental health service. Age, verbal IQ, school problems, and seizure type were related to the presence of a diagnosis of affective or anxiety disorder, and duration of illness, to suicidal ideation. Conclusions: These findings together with the high rate of unmet mental health underscore the importance of early detection and treatment of anxiety disorders and suicidal ideation children with CPSs and CAE. [source] Differences in personality characteristics between body-modified and non-modified individuals: associations with individual personality traits and their possible evolutionary implicationsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 7 2007Silke Wohlrab Abstract After a long history of negative stigmatisation, the practices of tattooing and body piercing have become fashionable in the last decade. Today, 10% of the population in modern western societies have some form of body modification. The aim of this study was to quantify the demographic and personality traits of tattooed and pierced individuals and to compare them with a control group of individuals without body modifications. These comparisons are based on questionnaires completed by 359 individuals that investigate the details of body modification, and which incorporate five personality scales. We describe several sex differences in ornament style and location. We found no relevant differences between modified and non-modified individuals in relation to demographic variables. This indicates that some of the traditional attitudes towards tattoos and piercings appear to be outdated. However, we found striking differences in personality traits which suggest that body-modified individuals are greater sensation seekers and follow a more unrestricted mating strategy than their non-modified contemporaries. We discuss these differences in light of a potential signalling function of tattoos and piercings in the mating context. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Breast Cancer Knowledge and Preventive Behaviors An Urban Emergency Department-based SurveyACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 12 2000Kevin M. Takakuwa MA Abstract. Objective: To assess general knowledge and preventive behaviors regarding breast cancer among women who present to an urban emergency department. Methods: During a six-month study period, a convenience sampling of women aged 21 years and older who were in treatment and waiting areas was surveyed. The anonymous written survey asked about demographic variables, knowledge, and preventive behaviors regarding breast cancer. Knowledge was assessed with questions about the recommended frequency of breast self-examination and the recommended age for first mammography. Performance was assessed by questions about breast self-exam and mammography. Subgroup analysis was done by age (above and below 40 years old), race, income (above and below the median), insurance type, history of breast lump, and family history (FH) of breast cancer. Results: Four hundred women completed surveys. Two hundred twelve (53%) correctly knew the answers to the two knowledge questions. Knowledge was greater in women with private insurance. Knowledge of the frequency of breast self-exam was significantly greater among whites and Native Americans than among African Americans, Asians, or Hispanics. Stated performance of preventive behaviors was 72% (288) for breast self-exam and for mammography. Preventive behaviors were significantly more likely to be performed by higher-income and privately-insured women. Breast self-exam was more likely to be done in older women, those with a history of a breast lump, and those with a FH of breast cancer. Conclusions: Women with lower income and without private insurance were less likely to be knowledgeable and practice preventive measures for detecting breast disease. [source] Allometry, growth and population regulation of the desert shrub Larrea tridentataFUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2008A. P. Allen Summary 1Quantifying the effects of individual- and population-level processes on plant-community structure is of fundamental importance for understanding how biota contribute to the flux, storage and turnover of matter and energy in ecosystems. 2Here we synthesize plant-allometry theory with empirical data to evaluate the roles of individual metabolism and competition in structuring populations of the creosote Larrea tridentata, a dominant shrub in deserts of southwestern North America. 3At the individual level, creosote data support theoretical predictions with regard to the size dependence of total leaf mass, short-term growth rates of leaves and long-term growth rates of entire plants. Data also support the prediction that root,shoot biomass allocation is independent of plant size. 4At the population level, size,abundance relationships within creosote stands deviate strongly from patterns observed for steady-state closed-canopy forests due to episodic recruitment events. This finding highlights that carbon storage and turnover in water-limited ecosystems can be inherently less predictable than in mesic environments due to pronounced environmental forcing on demographic variables. 5Nevertheless, broad-scale comparative analyses across ecosystems indicate that the relationship of total abundance to average size for creosote populations adhere to the thinning rule observed and predicted by allometry theory. This finding indicates that primary production in water-limited ecosystems can be independent of standing biomass due to competition among plants for resources. 6Our synthesis of theory with empirical data quantifies the primary roles of individual-level metabolism and competition in controlling the dynamics of matter and energy in water-limited ecosystems. [source] Lay understandings of the effects of poverty: a Canadian perspectiveHEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, Issue 6 2005Linda I. Reutter RN PhD Abstract Although there is a large body of research dedicated to exploring public attributions for poverty, considerably less attention has been directed to public understandings about the effects of poverty. In this paper, we describe lay understandings of the effects of poverty and the factors that potentially influence these perceptions, using data from a telephone survey conducted in 2002 on a random sample (n = 1671) of adults from eight neighbourhoods in two large Canadian cities (Edmonton and Toronto). These data were supplemented with interview data obtained from 153 people living in these same neighbourhoods. Multivariate linear and logistic regressions were used to determine the effects of basic demographic variables, exposure to poverty and attribution for poverty on three dependent variables relating to the effects of poverty: participation in community life, the relationship between poverty and health and challenges facing low-income people. Ninety-one per cent of survey respondents agreed that poverty is linked to health, while 68% agreed that low-income people are less likely to participate in community life. Affordable housing was deemed especially difficult to obtain by 96%, but other resources (obtaining healthy food, giving children a good start in life, and engaging in healthy behaviours) were also viewed as challenging by at least 70% of respondents. The regression models revealed that when controlling for demographics, exposure to poverty explained some of the variance in recognising the effects of poverty. Media exposure positively influenced recognition of the poverty,health link, and attending formal talks was strongly related to understanding challenges of poverty. Attributions for poverty accounted for slightly more of the variance in the dependent variables. Specifically, structural and sociocultural attributions predicted greater recognition of the effects of poverty, in particular the challenges of poverty, while individualistic attributions predicted less recognition. Older and female respondents were more likely to acknowledge the effects of poverty. Income was positively associated with recognition of the poverty,health link, negatively associated with understanding the challenges of low-income people, and unrelated to perceptions of the negative effect of poverty on participation in community life. [source] Have newer cardiovascular drugs reduced hospitalization?HEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 5 2009Evidence from longitudinal country-level data on 20 OECD countries Abstract This study examines the effect of changes in the vintage distribution of cardiovascular system drugs on hospitalization and mortality due to cardiovascular disease using longitudinal country-level data. The vintage of a drug is the first year in which it was marketed anywhere in the world. We use annual data on the utilization of over 1100 cardiovascular drugs (active ingredients) in 20 OECD countries during the period 1995,2003. Countries with larger increases in the share of cardiovascular drug doses that contained post-1995 ingredients had smaller increases in the cardiovascular disease hospital discharge rate, controlling for the quantity of cardiovascular medications consumed per person, the use of other medical innovations (computed tomography scanners and magnetic resonance imaging units), potential risk factors (average consumption of calories, tobacco, and alcohol), and demographic variables (population size and age structure, income, and educational attainment). The estimates also indicate that the use of newer cardiovascular drugs has reduced the average length of stay and the age-adjusted cardiovascular mortality rate, but not the number of potential years of life lost due to cardiovascular disease before age 70 per 100,000 population. The estimates indicate that if drug vintage had not increased during 1995,2004, hospitalization and mortality would have been higher in 2004. We estimate that per capita expenditure on cardiovascular hospital stays would have been 70% ($89) higher in 2004 had drug vintage not increased during 1995,2004. Per capita expenditure on cardiovascular drugs would have been lower in 2004 had drug vintage not increased during 1995,2004. However, our estimate of the increase in expenditure on cardiovascular hospital stays is about 3.7 times as large as our estimate of the reduction in per capita expenditure for cardiovascular drugs that would have occurred ($24). Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 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