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Health Symptoms (health + symptom)
Kinds of Health Symptoms Selected AbstractsA Dyadic Examination of Daily Health Symptoms and Emotional Well-Being in Late-Life Couples,FAMILY RELATIONS, Issue 5 2006Jeremy B. Yorgason Abstract: This study investigated the link between daily health symptoms and spousal emotional well-being in a sample of 96 older dyads. Higher negative mood and lower positive mood were associated with spousal symptoms in couples wherein husbands or wives reported higher average levels of symptoms. For wives, partner effects were moderated by husbands' marital satisfaction and illness severity. Specifically, higher husband marital satisfaction and illness severity were associated with higher negative mood and lower positive mood for wives on days where husbands reported higher symptom levels. In their work with later-life families, practitioners and educators should address long-term and daily health-related relationship stressors. [source] Relational Aggression and Adverse Psychosocial and Physical Health Symptoms Among Urban AdolescentsPUBLIC HEALTH NURSING, Issue 6 2009Jessica Roberts Williams ABSTRACT Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine relational aggression and its relationship with adverse psychosocial and physical health symptoms among urban, African American youth. Design and Sample: Quantitative, cross-sectional survey design. The sample consisted of 185 predominantly African American (95.1%) seventh-grade students (mean age: 13.0; female: 58%) attending 4 urban middle schools. Measures: The Children's Social Behavior Scale and Social Experience Questionnaire were used to measure relational aggression and relational victimization. The Pediatric Symptom Checklist was used to assess psychosocial difficulties, including internalizing behaviors, externalizing behaviors, and attention problems. Physical health symptoms were measured with questions about colds/flu, headaches, and stomach aches. Results: 2-way multivariate analysis of variance revealed significant differences in externalizing behavior, with perpetrators reporting higher levels than nonperpetrators. Victims reported more internalizing behavior than nonvictims; however, this was only significant for males. For females, significant negative effects on health outcomes were found, resulting from the interaction of perpetration and victimization. Conclusions: Findings suggest that relational aggression is a common occurrence among urban, minority adolescents and may result in adverse health outcomes. These results provide several avenues for future research and implications for healthcare practice. Intervention strategies are needed to prevent relational aggression and continual or subsequent adverse health symptoms. [source] MENTAL HEALTH AND JUVENILE ARRESTS: CRIMINALITY, CRIMINALIZATION, OR COMPASSION?,CRIMINOLOGY, Issue 3 2006PAUL HIRSCHFIELD Juveniles in secure confinement allegedly suffer from more mental health problems than their peers. This may reflect background and behavioral characteristics commonly found in clients of both mental health and juvenile justice systems. Another explanation is that mental disorders increase the risk of arrest. These interpretations were tested on a sample of Pittsburgh boys (n = 736). Findings indicate that arrested youth exhibit more attention deficit hyperactivity (ADH) problems, oppositional defiant (OD) problems, and nondelinquent externalizing symptoms prior to their first arrests compared to their never-arrested peers. However, arrested and nonarrested youth score similarly on prior affective and anxiety problems and internalizing symptoms. Net of delinquency, substance use, and other selection factors, internalizing problems lower the risk of subsequent arrest, whereas OD problems and nondelinquent externalizing symptoms increase it. ADH problems have no effect on arrest net of delinquency and substance use. These findings lend only partial support to the criminalization hypothesis. Whereas some mental health symptoms increase the risk of arrest, others elicit more cautious or compassionate official responses. [source] Were volatile organic compounds the inducing factors for subjective symptoms of employees working in newly constructed hospitals?ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY, Issue 4 2004Tomoko Takigawa Abstract This study demonstrated possible relationships between environmental, personal, and occupational factors and changes in the subjective health symptoms of 214 employees after the relocation of a hospital in a region of Japan. Eight indoor volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were detected in at least one of the 19 rooms investigated, and total VOC (TVOC) concentrations in 8 rooms exceeded the advisable value (400 ,g/m3) established by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan. Formaldehyde was detected in all the investigated rooms, but none of the results exceeded the guideline value (100 ,g/m3). Multiple logistic regression analysis was applied to select variables significantly associated with the subjective symptoms that can be induced by sick building syndrome. The results showed that subjective symptoms of deterioration in the skin, eye, ear, throat, chest, central nervous system, autonomic system, musculoskeletal system, and digestive system among employees were associated mainly with gender difference and high TVOC concentrations (>1200 ,g/m3). Long work hours (>50 h per week) in females and smoking in males were to be blamed for the deterioration of their symptoms. The present findings suggest that to protect employees from indoor environment-related adverse health effects, it is necessary to reduce the concentration of indoor chemicals in new buildings, to decrease work hours, and to forbid smoking. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 19: 280,290, 2004. [source] Occupational exposure to methyl tertiary butyl ether in relation to key health symptom prevalence: the effect of measurement error correctionENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 6 2003Aparna P. Keshaviah Abstract In 1995, White et al. reported that methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), an oxygenate added to gasoline, was significantly associated with key health symptoms, including headaches, eye irritation, and burning of the nose and throat, among 44 people occupationally exposed to the compound and for whom serum MTBE measurements were available (odds ratio (OR),=,8.9, 95% CI,=,[1.2, 75.6]). However, these serum MTBE measurements were available for only 29 per cent of the 150 subjects enrolled. Around the same time, Mannino et al. conducted a similar study among individuals occupationally exposed to low levels of MTBE and did not find a significant association between exposure to MTBE and the presence of one or more key health symptoms among the 264 study participants (OR,=,0.60, 95% CI,=,[0.3, 1.21]). In this article, we evaluate the effect of MTBE on the prevalence of key health symptoms by applying a regression calibration method to White et al.'s and Mannino et al.'s data. Unlike White et al., who classified exposure using actual MTBE levels among a subset of the participants, and Mannino et al., who classified exposure based on job category among all participants, we use all of the available data to obtain an estimate of the effect of MTBE in units of serum concentration, adjusted for measurement error due to using job category instead of measured exposure. After adjusting for age, gender and smoking status, MTBE exposure was found to be significantly associated with a 50 per cent increase in the prevalence of one or more key health symptoms per order of magnitude increase in blood concentration on the log10 scale, using data from the 409 study participants with complete information on the covariates (95% CI,=,[1.00, 2.25]). Simulation results indicated that under conditions similar to those observed in these data, the estimator is unbiased and has a coverage probability close to the nominal value. The methodology illustrated in this article is advantageous because all of the available data were used in the analysis, obtaining a more precise estimate of exposure effect on health outcome, and the estimate is adjusted for measurement error due to using job category instead of measured exposure. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A Dyadic Examination of Daily Health Symptoms and Emotional Well-Being in Late-Life Couples,FAMILY RELATIONS, Issue 5 2006Jeremy B. Yorgason Abstract: This study investigated the link between daily health symptoms and spousal emotional well-being in a sample of 96 older dyads. Higher negative mood and lower positive mood were associated with spousal symptoms in couples wherein husbands or wives reported higher average levels of symptoms. For wives, partner effects were moderated by husbands' marital satisfaction and illness severity. Specifically, higher husband marital satisfaction and illness severity were associated with higher negative mood and lower positive mood for wives on days where husbands reported higher symptom levels. In their work with later-life families, practitioners and educators should address long-term and daily health-related relationship stressors. [source] The development of maternal self-esteemINFANT MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL, Issue 5 2007C. Farrow Although an important theoretical concept, little is known about the development of maternal self-esteem. This study explores the significance of maternal cognitions, psychopathological symptoms, and child temperament in the prediction of prenatal and postnatal maternal self-esteem. During pregnancy 162 women completed measures assessing their unhealthy core beliefs, psychopathological symptoms, and self-esteem. At 1 year postpartum 87 of these women completed measures assessing their self-esteem and their child's temperament. Overall maladaptive maternal core beliefs and psychopathological symptoms during pregnancy explained 19% of the variance in prenatal maternal self-esteem. Forty-two percent of the variance in maternal self-esteem at 1 year could be explained by a combination of prenatal maternal self-esteem, mental health symptoms, maternal core beliefs, and more unsociable infant temperament. Underlying maternal cognitive structures may be important in determining the development of maternal self-esteem. [source] Validity of PTSD in a sample of refugee children: can a separate diagnostic entity be justified?INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF METHODS IN PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH, Issue 2 2006Edith Montgomery Abstract The objective of this study was to examine the construct validity of PTSD in a sample of refugee children from the Middle East , more specifically, to assess whether associations between traumatic events and specific PTSD symptoms were more outspoken than (1) the associations of PTSD symptoms with non-traumatic exposures, and (2) the associations of violent exposures with symptoms other than PTSD-symptoms. Parents of 311 refugee children from the Middle East were interviewed concerning their children's traumatic experiences and mental health symptoms. The specific PTSD symptoms did not cluster in a factor analysis. The PTSD symptom complex was significantly predicted not only by violent exposures (mother tortured, OR 8.2, p < 0.005; father disappeared OR 3.2, p < 0.05) but also by indicators of family interaction and parents' occupational situation. The two identified violent exposures had significant independent associations with a series of symptoms including symptoms other than those of PTSD (rs ranging from 0.25 to 0.44, p < 0.001). Thus it does not seem sufficient to focus solely on PTSD symptomatology when assessing the mental health needs of refugee children. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Early impact of the BEST intervention for parents stressed by adolescent substance abuseJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY & APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 4 2001John W. Toumbourou Abstract Youth involvement in substance abuse can be a source of considerable distress for their parents. Unilateral family interventions have been advocated as one means by which concerned family members can be supported to assist substance-abusing family members. To date there has been little research examining the impact of unilateral family interventions on the directly participating family members. In this study the early impact of an 8-week parent-group programme known as Behavioural Exchange Systems Training (BEST) was evaluated using a quasi-experimental, waiting list control design. The professionally led programme had been developed to support and assist parents in their efforts to cope with adolescent substance abuse. Subjects were 66 parents (48 families) accepted for entry into the programme between 1997 and 1998. Comparison was made between 46 parents offered immediate entry into the programme and 20 parents whose entry to the programme was delayed by an 8-week waiting list. At the first assessment 87% of parents showed elevated mental health symptoms on the General Health Questionnaire. Evidence suggested exposure to the intervention had a positive impact on parents. Compared to parents on the waiting list, parents entered immediately into the intervention demonstrated greater reductions in mental health symptoms, increased parental satisfaction, and increased use of assertive parenting behaviours. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Does integrated trauma-informed substance abuse treatment increase treatment retention?JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 7 2007Hortensia Amaro This article presents findings from a quasi-experimental, nonrandomized group design study that explored whether trauma-enhanced substance abuse treatment results in longer residential treatment stays and improved outcomes compared with treatment-as-usual. We used a subsample (N = 461) of participants in the Women, Co-Occurring Disorders and Violence Study, which was sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The intervention group was 31% less likely to discontinue treatment within 4 months. Baseline mental health and trauma symptoms and alcohol and drug severity scores predicted neither overall length of time in treatment nor differences in retention between intervention and comparison groups. Substance abuse and mental health symptoms improved with increased duration of treatment, particularly for women with more severe baseline symptoms. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 35: 845,862, 2007. [source] The impact of reported direct and indirect killing on mental health symptoms in Iraq war veterans,JOURNAL OF TRAUMATIC STRESS, Issue 1 2010Shira Maguen This study examined the mental health impact of reported direct and indirect killing among 2,797 U.S. soldiers returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom. Data were collected as part of a postdeployment screening program at a large Army medical facility. Overall, 40% of soldiers reported killing or being responsible for killing during their deployment. Even after controlling for combat exposure, killing was a significant predictor of posttraumatic disorder (PTSD) symptoms, alcohol abuse, anger, and relationship problems. Military personnel returning from modern deployments are at risk of adverse mental health conditions and related psychosocial functioning related to killing in war. Mental health assessment and treatment should address reactions to killing to optimize readjustment following deployment. [source] Ambulatory monitoring and physical health report in Vietnam veterans with and without chronic posttraumatic stress disorderJOURNAL OF TRAUMATIC STRESS, Issue 4 2003Jean C. Beckham Abstract This study investigated the associations among PTSD, ambulatory cardiovascular monitoring, and physical health self-reports in 117 male Vietnam combat veterans (61 with PTSD and 56 without PTSD). PTSD was associated with health symptoms and number of current health conditions beyond the influence of several covariates. PTSD was associated with greater systolic blood pressure variability, and an elevated percentage of heart rate and systolic blood pressure readings above baseline. Higher mean heart rate and an elevated percentage of heart rate above baseline were associated with physical health symptoms. None of the ambulatory monitoring variables mediated the association between PTSD and physical health outcomes. Findings suggest that the interrelationships among ambulatory autonomic responses, PTSD, and physical health deserve more research attention. [source] Postdeployment, Self-Reporting of Mental Health Problems, and Barriers to CarePERSPECTIVES IN PSYCHIATRIC CARE, Issue 4 2009Rosanne Visco PhD PURPOSE., This study explored the relationship between self-reported mental health symptoms and help-seeking behaviors of active-duty Air Force members. DESIGN AND METHODS., Mixed-methods approach reviewed 200 postdeployment surveys from active-duty members assigned to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, USA. Chi-square analysis examined significance between self-reporting mental health problems and accessing treatment. FINDINGS., As the rate of self-reported mental health symptoms increased, active-duty members were less inclined to seek help. There were inconsistencies among gender for self-reporting and accessing services. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS., Air Force psychiatric nurses need to be at the forefront of outreach services when treating combat-stressed troops. [source] Physical and mental health symptoms among NYC transit workers seven and one-half months after the WTC attacks,,AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 6 2005Loren C. Tapp MD Abstract Background On September 11, 2001, 600,800 New York City transit (NYCT) workers were working near the World Trade Center (WTC) Towers. After the disaster, employees reported physical and mental health symptoms related to the event. Methods Two hundred sixty-nine NYC transit employees were surveyed for mental and physical health symptoms 7½ months after the WTC disaster. Results Workers in the dust cloud at the time of the WTC collapse had significantly higher risk of persistent lower respiratory (OR,=,9.85; 95% CI: 2.24, 58.93) and mucous membrane (OR,=,4.91; 95% CI: 1.53, 16.22) symptoms, depressive symptoms (OR,=,2.48; 95% CI: 1.12, 5.51), and PTSD symptoms (OR,=,2.91; 95% CI: 1.003, 8.16) compared to those not exposed to the dust cloud. Additional WTC exposures and potential confounders were also analyzed. Conclusions Clinical follow up for physical and psychological health conditions should be provided for public transportation workers in the event of a catastrophic event. Am. J. Ind. Med. 47:475,483, 2005. Published 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Prevalence and Impact of Childhood Maltreatment in Incarcerated YouthAMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 3 2010Daniel Coleman The prevalence of childhood maltreatment and the magnitude of the association of maltreatment with internalizing mental health symptoms were examined in 398 incarcerated youth. The prevalence of abuse greatly exceeded general population rates. The proportion of variance in mental health symptoms accounted for by maltreatment was small but developmentally significant. Sexual abuse is a markedly stronger predictor of internalizing mental health problems in incarcerated youth than physical abuse. Consistent with a bio-psychological model of trauma, dissociation at the time of sexual abuse was the strongest nondemographic predictor of mental health symptoms. Physical abuse was associated with more internalizing mental health problems for children from families with mental health problems and families with lower socioeconomic status. Implications for practice and research are discussed. [source] Parenting, Parental Mental Health, and Child Functioning in Families Residing in Supportive HousingAMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 3 2009Abigail H. Gewirtz PhD Long-term homelessness is associated with other psychosocial risk factors (e.g., adult mental illness, substance abuse, and exposure to violence). All of these factors are associated with impairments in parenting effectiveness and child adjustment, but there are very limited data investigating parenting among families who are homeless and highly mobile. In particular, there is no literature examining the relationships among observed parenting, parental mental health, and child adjustment in a supportive housing sample. Data are reported from a multimethod study of 200 children in 127 families residing in supportive housing agencies in a large metro area. Observed parenting and parents' mental health symptoms directly affected children's adjustment. The influence of parenting self-efficacy on children's adjustment was mediated through its impact on observed parenting. However, observed parenting did not mediate the relationship between parental mental health and child adjustment. Implications for research and practice with homeless populations are offered. [source] The Complexity of Trauma Types in the Lives of Women in Families Referred for Family Violence: Multiple Mediators of Mental HealthAMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 4 2008Victoria L. Banyard PhD Responding to calls for further research about the impact of multiple types of trauma across the life span, this study examines the interconnections among types of trauma in childhood and adulthood in a convenience clinical sample of 283 women obtaining social services for family violence. In particular, variables including family of-origin dysfunction and other childhood risk factors, relationship victimization in adulthood, and the presence of adult resources were examined as mediators of links between child maltreatment and adult mental health symptoms. Variables were assessed at different time points, 3 years apart. Path analysis revealed that the conceptual model of multiple pathways between childhood family violence exposure and adult outcomes fit the data well. In particular, the link between child maltreatment and adult trauma symptoms was mediated by more proximal adult sexual and intimate partner violence and its association with childhood risk markers (e.g., negative family environment) and decreased markers of resources. This link was not significant for a more general index of mental health symptoms in adulthood. [source] Relational Aggression and Adverse Psychosocial and Physical Health Symptoms Among Urban AdolescentsPUBLIC HEALTH NURSING, Issue 6 2009Jessica Roberts Williams ABSTRACT Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine relational aggression and its relationship with adverse psychosocial and physical health symptoms among urban, African American youth. Design and Sample: Quantitative, cross-sectional survey design. The sample consisted of 185 predominantly African American (95.1%) seventh-grade students (mean age: 13.0; female: 58%) attending 4 urban middle schools. Measures: The Children's Social Behavior Scale and Social Experience Questionnaire were used to measure relational aggression and relational victimization. The Pediatric Symptom Checklist was used to assess psychosocial difficulties, including internalizing behaviors, externalizing behaviors, and attention problems. Physical health symptoms were measured with questions about colds/flu, headaches, and stomach aches. Results: 2-way multivariate analysis of variance revealed significant differences in externalizing behavior, with perpetrators reporting higher levels than nonperpetrators. Victims reported more internalizing behavior than nonvictims; however, this was only significant for males. For females, significant negative effects on health outcomes were found, resulting from the interaction of perpetration and victimization. Conclusions: Findings suggest that relational aggression is a common occurrence among urban, minority adolescents and may result in adverse health outcomes. These results provide several avenues for future research and implications for healthcare practice. Intervention strategies are needed to prevent relational aggression and continual or subsequent adverse health symptoms. [source] Annotation: Pathways to care for children with mental health problemsTHE JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED DISCIPLINES, Issue 7 2006Kapil Sayal Background:, Although many children with mental health problems are in contact with primary health care services, few receive appropriate help. Methods:, Using a pathways to care model, this paper systematically reviews the literature relating to access to services. It separates out the various stages of help-seeking: parental perception of problems, use of primary care services, recognition within primary care, and referral to or use of specialist health services. Results:, Following parental awareness of child symptoms, parental perception of problems is the key initial step in the help-seeking process. Although children with mental health problems or disorders are regular attenders within primary care and most parents acknowledge that it is appropriate to discuss concerns about psychosocial issues in this setting, few children are presented with mental health symptoms even if their parents have such concerns. Subsequently, less than half of children with disorders are recognised in primary care. Amongst recognised children, about half are referred to specialist services. Overall, up to one-third of children with disorders receive services for mental health problems. Factors such as the type and severity of disorder, parental perceptions, child age and gender, and family and social background factors determine which affected children access services. Conclusions:, As there are inequities in patterns of service use, a greater emphasis on developing resources at population and primary care levels is required. Barriers involving parental perceptions and expression of concerns within consultations should be minimised at these levels. This requires both public education approaches and improved training and specialist support for primary care services to enhance their ability to provide for these children. [source] Sexlessness among Married Chinese Adults in Hong Kong: Prevalence and Associated FactorsTHE JOURNAL OF SEXUAL MEDICINE, Issue 11 2009Jean H. Kim ScD ABSTRACT Introduction., Despite recent media coverage in the topic of sexless marriages in East Asia, population-based studies examining the absence of sexual activity among nonelderly married individuals are scant. Previous studies have not simultaneously examined sociodemographic, physiological, and lifestyle predictors of sexless marriages. Aims., To determine the prevalence of past-year sexlessness and the associated factors among the married Chinese adults in Hong Kong. Methods., An anonymous, population-based telephone survey was conducted on 2,846 married Chinese men and women between the ages of 25 and 59 in Hong Kong. Main Outcome Measures., The prevalence of past-year sexlessness and the associated factors and mental health symptoms were examined. Results., The prevalence of past-year sexlessness between the ages of 25,34 years, 35,44 years and 45,59 years was 5.5, 5.1, and 17.0%, respectively, among married males, and 8.3, 12.4, and 31.6%, respectively, among married females. Older age and poor spousal relationship were associated with sexlessness for females, whereas lack of interest in sex, older age, and lower education were significant factors for males. Married women demonstrated statistically significant associations between sexlessness and poorer mental health indicators, such as lower quality of life and being bothered by the unavailability of a sex partner. Conclusions., Sexlessness is prevalent among certain subgroups of urban Chinese couples in Hong Kong, and the large discrepancy in sexlessness between married men and women in each age strata suggests a high prevalence of extramarital relationships. Contrary to commonly held beliefs, there was a stronger association between sexlessness and poorer psychosocial symptoms among married females than males. Sexless marriages are an underappreciated phenomenon among urban Chinese individuals. Kim JH, Lau JTF, and Cheuk KK. Sexlessness among married Chinese adults in Hong Kong: Prevalence and associated factors. J Sex Med 2009;6:2997,3007. [source] Maternal periodontal disease and perinatal mortalityAUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 2 2009Alexis SHUB Background: Periodontal disease has been associated with increased perinatal mortality. Aims: To examine the association between maternal periodontal disease and perinatal mortality. Methods: We performed a retrospective and prospective matched case,control study of women with unexplained perinatal mortality at more than 20 weeks gestational age. Women were matched for socioeconomic status, smoking status and time since delivery. All women underwent a detailed periodontal examination and completed a questionnaire describing oral health symptoms. No intervention took place. Results: Fifty-three women who had experienced a perinatal death and 111 controls completed the study. Thirty-two women were recruited retrospectively and 21 women were recruited prospectively. Twenty-three (43.4%) women who had experienced a perinatal death and 27 (24.3%) controls had periodontal disease. There were no differences in oral health behaviours or symptoms between cases and controls. Perinatal death was associated with periodontal disease (odds ratio (OR) 2.34, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05, 5.47). Periodontal disease was more strongly associated with perinatal mortality due to extreme prematurity (OR 3.60, 95% CI 1.20, 12.04). Multivariate analysis showed this relationship to be consistent after inclusion of higher parity, country of birth, advanced maternal age and maternal obesity in the model (OR 4.56, 95% CI 1.25, 21.27). Conclusions: Maternal periodontal disease may contribute to perinatal mortality, especially that caused by extreme prematurity. [source] Electrosensibility and electromagnetic hypersensitivityBIOELECTROMAGNETICS, Issue 6 2003Norbert Leitgeb Abstract Electromagnetic sensibility, the ability to perceive electric and electromagnetic exposure, and electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS), developing health symptoms due to exposure to environmental electromagnetic fields, need to be distinguished. Increased electrosensibility is a necessary, however, not a sufficient condition for electromagnetic hypersensitivity. At an extended sample of the general population of 708 adults, including 349 men and 359 women aged between 17 and 60 years, electrosensibility was investigated and characterized by perception threshold and its standard deviation. By analyzing the probability distributions of the perception threshold of electric 50 Hz currents, evidence could be found for the existence of a subgroup of people with significantly increased electrosensibility (hypersensibility) who as a group could be differentiated from the general population. The presented data show that the variation of the electrosensibility among the general population is significantly larger than has yet been estimated by nonionizing radiation protection bodies, but much smaller than claimed by hypersensitivity self-aid groups. These quantitative results should contribute to a less emotional discussion of this problem. The investigation method presented, is capable of exclusion diagnostics for persons suffering from the hypersensitivity syndrome. Bioelectromagnetics 24:387,394, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Early childhood factors influencing health-related quality of life in adolescents at 13 yearsCHILD: CARE, HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 4 2004Elise Maher Early childhood factors influencing health-related quality of life in adolescents at 13 years . Wilkins, A.J., O'Callaghan, M.J., Najman, J.M., Williams, G.M. & Shuttlewood, G. ( 2004 ) Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health40 , 102 , 109 . Objective To understand the relationship of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) to early life experience. Methodology Eight thousand five hundred and fifty-six women enrolled in a prospective study at their first antenatal clinic visit. At 13 years, of 5345 women remaining, a consecutive sample of 901 mother/child pairs provided data on adolescent HRQOL using the Child Health Questionnaire-Parent Report form (CHQ-PF50) and the Dartmouth COOP Functional Assessment Charts for Adolescents. The CHQ-PF50 yielded physical (PHS) and psychosocial (PSS) summary scores. We examined the relationship between HRQOL and early childhood predictive variables. Results PHS was related to gestation, maternal health symptoms in pregnancy, maternal anxiety at 6 months, child health and hours of childcare at 5 years (P < 0.05). PSS was related to maternal age at index visit, maternal attitude to pregnancy, maternal satisfaction with caregiving and maternal depression at 6 months, and child health and behaviour problems at 5 years (internalizing and social/attentional/thought (SAT) domains) (P < 0.05). Findings from adolescent self-reports were similar. Conclusions This study has identified a number of early childhood determinants of adolescent HRQOL. These findings add to the evidence of the effects of early adversity on the developmental pathways of children and support the need for effective early intervention. [source] Intranasal exposure to a damp building mould, Stachybotrys chartarum, induces lung inflammation in mice by satratoxin-independent mechanismsCLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY, Issue 11 2003M. Leino Summary Background Stachybotrys chartarum is a damp building mould and a potent toxin producer that has been related to serious cases of respiratory health problems. However, the direct link between exposure and health symptoms has not been established. Objective To examine the mechanism by which exposure to spores of satratoxin producing and non-producing S. chartarum strains induce inflammatory responses in murine lungs. Methods BALB/c mice were intranasally exposed for 3 weeks to spores of a satratoxin-producing and a non-producing S. chartarum strain. Inflammatory cell infiltration was characterized from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. Cytokine and chemokine mRNA expression in lung tissue was measured with real-time PCR. Bronchial responsiveness to methacholine (MCh) was determined by whole-body plethysmography and serum antibody levels by ELISA. Results A dose-dependent increase in monocytes, neutrophils and lymphocytes was observed in BAL fluid after intranasal (i.n.) instillation of S. chartarum spores. There was no difference in the BAL between exposure to the satratoxin-producing and the non-producing strains. Infiltration of inflammatory cells was associated with an induction of pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-1,, IL-6 and TNF-,) and chemokine (CCL3/MIP-1,, CCL4/MIP-1, and CCL2/MCP-1) mRNA levels in the lungs. Interestingly, CXCL5/LIX was the only chemokine that showed significantly higher mRNA levels after exposure to the satratoxin-producing strain compared with the non-producing strain. MCh-induced bronchial responsiveness was not altered significantly after mould instillation. Moreover, no significant increase in total or specific IgE, IgG2a and IgG1 antibody levels were found after S. chartarum exposure. Conclusion These results indicate that lung inflammation induced by i.n. instillations of S. chartarum spores is regulated by the induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines and leucocyte-attracting chemokines. The data also imply that S. chartarum -derived components, other than satratoxins, are mediating the development of this inflammatory response. [source] Development of a Brief Mental Health Screen for Intimate Partner Violence Victims in the Emergency DepartmentACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 3 2007Debra Houry MD Background: Emergency physicians routinely treat victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) and patients with mental health symptoms, although these issues may be missed without routine screening. In addition, research has demonstrated a strong association between IPV victimization and mental health symptoms. Objectives: To develop a brief mental health screen that could be used feasibly in an emergency department to screen IPV victims for depressive symptoms, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and suicidal ideation. Methods: The authors conducted a pretest/posttest validation study of female IPV victims to determine what questions from the Beck Depression Inventory II, Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale, and Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation would predict moderate to severe levels of depressive symptoms, PTSD symptoms, and suicidal ideation. A principal components factor analysis was conducted to determine which questions would be used in the brief mental health screen. Scatter plots were then created to determine a cut point. Results: Scores on the brief mental health screen ranged from 0 to 8. A cutoff score of 4 was used, which resulted in positive predictive values of 96% for the brief mental health screen for depression, 84% for PTSD symptoms, and 54% for suicidal ideation. In particular, four questions about sadness, experiencing a traumatic event, the desire to live, and the desire to commit suicide were associated with moderate to severe mental health symptoms in IPV victims. Conclusions: The brief mental health screen provides a tool that could be used in an emergency department setting and predicted those IPV victims with moderate to severe mental health symptoms. Using this tool can assist emergency physicians in recognizing at-risk patients and referring these IPV victims to mental health services. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||