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Structured Telephone Interview (structured + telephone_interview)
Selected AbstractsGeneralized anxiety disorder with and without excessive worry in Hong KongDEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 10 2009Sing Lee M.B.B.S. Abstract Background: Two previous U.S. studies found that although generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) without self-perceived excessive worry was milder than GAD with excessive worry, its persistence, impairment, and risk for subsequent onset of other mental disorders were still substantial. This study examined the implications of relaxing the "excessiveness" criterion on the prevalence and socio-demographic profile of GAD in a Chinese population sample by considering both self and others' perception of excessive worry. Method: 2,005 respondents aged 15,65 years participated in a structured telephone interview that covered socio-demographic profile, 12-month DSM-IV diagnosis of GAD, core depressive symptoms, longest duration of worry episode, number of domains of worry, impairment measured by the Sheehan Disability Scale, and treatment-seeking. Excessive worry was assessed from the perception of both respondents and others as reported by respondents. Result: The 12-month prevalence of GAD increased from 3.4 to 4% when the excessiveness requirement was relaxed. Excessive GAD and nonexcessive GAD had similar socio-demographic, symptom, chronicity, impairment, depressive symptom, and treatment-seeking profiles. Conclusion: GAD without excessive worry was less common than GAD with excessive worry but was likely to be a valid nosological entity. Future iterations of the DSM-IV should clarify whether excessive worry should be retained and, if so, how individuals who only reported excessive worries perceived by others should be optimally assessed. Depression and Anxiety, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Timing of first alcohol use and alcohol dependence: evidence of common genetic influencesADDICTION, Issue 9 2009Carolyn E. Sartor ABSTRACT Aims To estimate the magnitude of genetic and environmental influences on timing of first alcohol use and alcohol dependence (AD) and to quantify the overlap in these influences across the two alcohol-related outcomes. Participants The sample consisted of 5382 twins (2691 complete pairs), aged 24,36 years, from the Australian Twin Registry. Measurements History of alcohol use and DSM-IV alcohol dependence were assessed by structured telephone interview. Findings In both sexes, the relationship between age at first alcohol use and risk for AD followed a linear trend, such that the highest rates of AD were observed in individuals who began drinking at an earlier than average age (14 years or younger). Heritability estimates for timing of first alcohol use and AD were 36% and 53%, respectively. Shared environmental factors accounted for 15% of variance in initiation. There was no evidence of shared environmental influences on AD. The genetic correlation between timing of first alcohol use and AD was 0.59. Conclusions Findings highlight the substantial role of genetics in the development of AD and the early manifestation of that genetic risk in the timing of alcohol use initiation which, unlike AD, is also influenced to a modest degree by shared environmental factors. The considerable overlap in heritable influences,and the virtual absence of overlap in individual-specific environmental influences,on initiation of alcohol use and AD indicates that the association between age at first drink and AD is attributable in large part to common genetic sources of variance. [source] Influences of adult-onset diabetes on orofacial pain and related health behaviorsJOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH DENTISTRY, Issue 2 2010Bridgett Rahim-Williams MA Abstract Objectives: This study tested the hypothesis that persons with orofacial pain and comorbid adult-onset diabetes will experience greater functional and emotional impact than persons experiencing orofacial pain without diabetes. Methods: A random-digit dialing sampling procedure was used for a disproportionate probability sample of 10,341 persons who were screened for orofacial pain in the past 6 months and diabetes. This paper reports on 1,767 individuals reporting toothache pain and 877 reporting painful oral sores. A structured telephone interview assessed diabetes history, orofacial pain characteristics, oral health-care behaviors, and emotional and functional impacts of orofacial pain. Results: The 6-month point prevalence was 16.8 percent for toothache pain, 8.9 percent for painful oral sores, and 9.6 percent for adult-onset diabetes. Individuals with comorbid orofacial pain and adult-onset diabetes differed significantly on many of the pain characteristics and health behaviors compared with nondiabetic sufferers of orofacial pain. Diabetics were more likely than nondiabetics to have pain every day, to suffer negative emotions associated with pain, to experience disruption of daily activities and sleep, to make an emergency room visit for orofacial pain, and to report the current need for a pain-related health-care visit. Conclusions: Although diabetes is well known to be associated with neuropathic pain, these results indicate that the experience of nociceptive pain is exacerbated by diabetes. Findings have significance for the subjective experience of oral pain, dental-care outcomes, and health-related quality of life associated with oral-health outcomes among individuals with diabetes. [source] Agreement between patient self-report and a Veterans Affairs national pharmacy database for identifying recent exposures to antibioticsPHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY, Issue 1 2003Joshua P. Metlay MD Abstract Purpose The dramatic rise in antibiotic drug resistance among community pathogens has stimulated interest in the epidemiological relationship between antibiotic exposure and drug resistance. In assessing the strength of this relationship, studies are hampered by the lack of data on the accuracy of subject self-report of antibiotic exposure. The authors compared self-report with pharmacy dispensing data to determine the accuracy of self-reported antibiotic exposure. Methods The study design was a cross-sectional survey of veterans seen at the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in 1999 and 2000. Subjects reported exposures to antibiotics, antihypertensive drugs and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs through a structured telephone interview. The instrument included open-ended questions, condition-specific prompts and drug-specific prompts. Subject responses were linked to a national VA pharmacy database that served as the reference standard for evaluating self-reported exposures. Results The authors found that the sensitivity of self-report of antibiotic exposure increased with increasing use of prompts. A comprehensive assessment of antibiotic exposure identified 73% of antibiotic exposures, compared to 73% of antihypertensive drug exposures and 92% of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug exposures. Conclusions Assessment of antibiotic exposure appears to be comparable to assessment of other chronic and episodic drugs. Multistep assessment of exposure improves the sensitivity of assessment. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Learning Needs of Postpartum Women: Does Socioeconomic Status Matter?BIRTH, Issue 2 2005Wendy Sword PhD This study's aim was to examine women's concerns at the time of hospital discharge and unmet learning needs as self-identified at 4 weeks after discharge. Methods: Data were collected as part of a cross-sectional survey of postpartum health outcomes, service use, and costs of care in the first 4 weeks after postpartum hospital discharge. Recruitment of 250 women was conducted from each of 5 hospitals in Ontario, Canada (n = 1,250). Women who had given vaginal birth to a single live infant, and who were being discharged at the same time as their infant, assuming care of their infant, competent to give consent, and able to communicate in one of the study languages were eligible. Participants completed a self-report questionnaire in hospital; 890 (71.2%) took part in a structured telephone interview 4 weeks after hospital discharge. Results: Approximately 17 percent of participants were of low socioeconomic status. Breastfeeding and signs of infant illness were the most frequently identified concerns by women, regardless of their socioeconomic status. Signs of infant illness and infant care/behavior were the main unmet learning needs. Although few differences in identified concerns were evident, women of low socioeconomic status were significantly more likely to report unmet learning needs related to 9 of 10 topics compared with women of higher socioeconomic status. For most topics, significantly more women of both groups identified learning needs 4 weeks after discharge compared with the number who identified corresponding concerns while in hospital. Conclusions: It is important to ensure that new mothers are adequately informed about topics important to them while in hospital. The findings highlight the need for accessible and appropriate community-based information resources for women in the postpartum period, especially for those of low socioeconomic status. (BIRTH 32:2 June 2005) [source] Cognitive,behavioral therapy with childhood anxiety disorders: Functioning in adolescenceDEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 4 2004Katharina Manassis M.D. Abstract We examined anxiety symptoms, anxiety-related impairment, and further treatment in adolescents who received cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for childhood anxiety disorders 6,7 years previously. Forty-three adolescents and their parents (14 boys, 29 girls; mean age 16.7 years) participated in structured telephone interviews. Participants (68% of initial sample of 63) did not differ in age, diagnostic profile, socioeconomic status, or initial severity from nonparticipants but more girls than boys participated. Indices based on child- and parent-reported symptoms and impairment were calculated, and within-sample comparisons by age, gender, diagnosis, and initial severity were done using t tests. Predictors of symptoms and impairment were also examined. On average, adolescents reported modest levels of anxiety-related impairment. Further treatment for anxiety had occurred in 30% (13 of 43) of patients. Stepwise regressions found female gender and diagnosis other than generalized anxiety disorder predictive of increased symptoms by parent report, and initial severity predicted adolescent-reported impairment. Adolescents showed limited internalizing symptomatology and impairment but almost one third had required further treatment. Studies comparing treated and untreated samples are needed to clarify whether CBT alters the natural history of childhood anxiety disorders and to replicate our findings regarding predictors of symptomatology and impairment. Depression and Anxiety 00:000,000, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Early life risk factors in cancer: The relation of birth weight to adult obesityINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 6 2003Nicole M. Leong Abstract The intrauterine environment appears to play a role in the development of adult diseases, including several prominent cancers. Our study aims to characterize the relationship between birth weight, a measure of the intrauterine environment, and adult obesity. A population-based sample of women aged 50,79, living in the states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire or Wisconsin, were randomly selected from lists of licensed drivers and Medicare beneficiaries to participate as controls in a case-control study of breast cancer. Information on birth weight, adult height and adult weight were collected through structured telephone interviews from 1992,1995. Our analysis was based on 1,850 interviews. A U-shaped relationship between birth weight and adult BMI was observed. Median adult BMI for the birth weight categories (in kilograms) <2.3, 2.3<2.5, 2.5<3.2, 3.2<3.9, 3.9<4.5 and ,4.5 were 26.6, 24.4, 25.1, 25.5, 25.4 and 26.6 kg/m respectively. Compared to women 2.5<3.2 kg at birth, women in highest birth weight category (,4.5 kg) had an odds ratio of 1.99 (95% CI 1.13,3.48) of being obese (,30 kg/m2) as adults. The odds ratio for women in the <2.3 kg birth weight category was 1.67 (95% CI 1.01,2.76). These data suggest that both low and high birth weights are associated with higher adult BMI and support the hypothesis that fetal experience may influence adult obesity with potential consequences for risk of several major cancers. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Support/services among family caregivers of persons with dementia,perceived importance and services receivedINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 3 2010Jenny Alwin Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to examine what family caregivers of persons with dementia perceive as important types of support/services in relation to experienced negative impact (NI) due to the caregiver situation, and to investigate if caregivers receive the support/services perceived as important. Method The study was based on the Swedish part of the EUROFAMCARE project and included 110 caregivers of persons with dementia. Data were collected primarily through structured telephone interviews. The caregivers were divided into two groups, a higher NI group and a lower NI group, based on the NI scale from the COPE index. Results Getting information and having someone to talk to were perceived as very important types of support/services by the highest proportion of caregivers in both groups. Data indicated only one significant difference; a higher proportion of caregivers in the higher NI group reported being able to participate in activities outside of caring as very important. There was also an indication that a higher proportion of caregivers in the lower NI group perceived information about the disease as very important. Support/services perceived as important by the caregivers were received both to a high and a low degree. Conclusion The results from this study suggest that there is almost no difference between groups of caregivers experiencing higher and lower NI regarding their perception of what are important types of support/services. The caregivers rated different types of support/services within the areas of information, relief and counselling as very important. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Moderate and high affinity serotonin reuptake inhibitors increase the risk of upper gastrointestinal toxicity,PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY, Issue 4 2008James D. Lewis MD, MSCE Abstract Objective Serotonin release from platelets is important for regulating hemostasis. Some prior studies suggest an association between use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and gastrointestinal bleeding and a possible synergistic effect of these medications with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). This study examined the effect of medications that inhibit serotonin uptake on upper gastrointestinal toxicity. Methods 359 case subjects hospitalized for upper gastrointestinal bleeding, perforation, or benign gastric outlet obstruction were recruited from 28 hospitals. 1889 control subjects were recruited by random digit dialing from the same region. Data were collected during structured telephone interviews. Antidepressant medications were characterized according to their affinity for serotonin receptors. Exposure to medications required use on at least 1,day during the week prior to the index date. Results Any moderate or high affinity serotonin reuptake inhibitor (MHA-SRI) use was reported by 61 cases (17.1%) and 197 controls (10.4%). After adjusting for potential confounders, MHA-SRI use was associated with a significantly increased odds of hospitalization for upper gastrointestinal toxicity (adjusted OR,=,2.0, 95%CI 1.4,3.0). A dose,response relationship in terms of affinity for serotonin uptake receptors was not observed (p,=,0.17). No statistical interaction was observed for use of high dose NSAIDs or aspirin concomitantly with MHA-SRIs (p,=,0.5). When MHA-SRIs were used concomitantly with high dose NSAIDs, the adjusted odds ratio for the association with upper gastrointestinal toxicity was 3.5 (95%CI 1.9,6.6). Conclusions Use of MHA-SRIs is associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for upper gastrointestinal toxicity. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Factors associated with women's risk of rape in the military environment,AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 3 2003Anne G. Sadler R.N. Abstract Background Health hazards specific to women workers have not been adequately documented. This study assessed military environmental factors associated with rape occurring during military service, while controlling for pre-military trauma experiences. Methods A national cross-sectional survey of 558 women veterans serving in Vietnam or in subsequent eras was obtained through structured telephone interviews. Results Rape was reported by 28% (n,=,151) of participants, with consistent rates found across eras. Military environmental factors were associated with increased likelihood of rape, including: sexual harassment allowed by officers (P,<,0.0001), unwanted sexual advances on-duty (P,<,0.0001) and in sleeping quarters (P,<,0.0001). Conclusion Violence towards military women has identifiable risk factors. Work and living environments where unwanted sexual behaviors occurred were associated with increased odds of rape. Officer leadership played an important role in the military environment and safety of women. Assailant alcohol and/or drug abuse at time of rape was notable. Interventions and policies based on modifiable environmental risk factors are needed to increase protection for women in the workplace. Am. J. Ind. Med. 43:262,273, 2003. Published 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] | ||||||||||