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American Literature: a Journal of... 1981
Topics: History, Modern 1601-; Literature; Mental Disorders; United States
PubMed: 11616528
DOI: No ID Found -
Health Information and Libraries Journal Mar 2008How does health misinformation become part of the American and Canadian vernacular? (Review)
Review
QUESTION
How does health misinformation become part of the American and Canadian vernacular?
DATA SOURCES AND SELECTION
Twenty-three databases were searched for articles discussing university freshmen weight gain. Research articles were examined for methodology, number and gender of the participants and weight gain. Popular press articles were reviewed for the types of information published: expert/anecdotal, weight gain, nutrition, exercise, health and alcohol. A timeline of article publication dates was generated.
RESULTS
Twenty peer-reviewed, 19 magazine, 146 newspaper, and 141 university newspaper articles were discovered. Appearance of media articles about the 'Freshman 15' mirrored the peer-reviewed articles, yet the information did not reliably depict the research. Research indicated a weight gain of less than five pounds (2.268 kg), while half of the popular press publications claimed a 15-pound (6.804 kg) weight gain. The misinformation was frequently accompanied by information about achieving weight control through diet, exercise, stress reduction and alcohol avoidance.
CONCLUSION
Understanding of how the concept of the 'Freshman 15' developed indicates that remediation efforts are needed. Collaborative efforts between health science and academic librarians, faculty and journalists to construct new paradigms for the translation of scientific evidence into information that individuals can use for decisions about health and well-being is suggested.
Topics: Adolescent; Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Adult; Evidence-Based Medicine; Female; Health Promotion; Humans; Information Dissemination; Journalism; Library Materials; Male; Mass Media; Newspapers as Topic; Obesity; Students; Universities; Weight Gain
PubMed: 18251907
DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-1842.2007.00762.x -
Journal of Hazardous Materials Nov 2004On the morning of 14 August 2002, a 1 in. transfer hose used in a rail tank car unloading operation at DPC Enterprises, near Festus, Missouri, catastrophically ruptured...
On the morning of 14 August 2002, a 1 in. transfer hose used in a rail tank car unloading operation at DPC Enterprises, near Festus, Missouri, catastrophically ruptured and initiated a sequence of events that led to the release of 48,000 pounds of chlorine--a toxic gas--into neighboring areas. The facility repackages bulk dry liquid chlorine into 1 ton containers and 150 pound cylinders for commercial, industrial, and municipal use in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Fortunately, the wind direction on the day of the release limited the effects of the chlorine plume on the surrounding community. However, 63 people sought hospital treatment due to exposure, and hundreds of others were affected by the release (the community was advised to shelter-in-place for 4 h, and traffic was halted on Interstate 55 for 1.5 h). The US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) investigated this incident for the following reasons: This paper presents the lesson-learned from this incident to help prevent similar occurrences. This paper is based on US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board Report Number 2002-04-I-MO, which was approved by the Board on 1 May 2003. This paper has not been independently approved by the Board and is published for general informational purposes only. Every effort has been made to accurately present the contents of the Board-approved report in this paper. Any material in the paper that did not originate in the Board-approved report is solely the responsibility of the author and does not represent an official finding, conclusion, or position of the Board. A complete copy of the Board investigation report upon which this paper is based is available on the CSB website at "Completed Investigations."
Topics: Chemical Industry; Chlorine; Corrosion; Disaster Planning; Equipment Design; Equipment Failure Analysis; Hazardous Substances; Humans; Missouri; Railroads; Safety Management
PubMed: 15518973
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2004.06.010 -
The British Journal of General Practice... Jul 2006The role of nurse practitioners in primary care has recently expanded. While there are some outcome data available for different types of consultations, little is known... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
The role of nurse practitioners in primary care has recently expanded. While there are some outcome data available for different types of consultations, little is known about the relative cost.
AIM
To compare the cost of primary care provided by nurse practitioners with that of salaried GPs.
DESIGN OF STUDY
Synthesis, modelling, and analysis of published data from the perspective of general practices and the NHS.
DATA SOURCES
Two published randomised controlled trials.
METHOD
A dataset of resource use for a simulated group of patients in a typical consultation was modelled. Current unit costs were used to obtain a consensus mean cost per consultation.
RESULTS
Mean cost of a nurse practitioner consultation was estimated at 9.46 UK pounds (95% confidence interval [CI] = 9.16 to 9.75 pounds) and for a GP was 9.30 UK pounds (95% CI = 9.04 to 9.56 pounds) according to salary and overheads, that is, from the perspective of general practices. From the NHS perspective, which included training costs, the estimated mean costs were 30.35 UK pounds (95% CI = 27.10 to 33.59 pounds) and 28.14 UK pounds (95% CI = 25.43 to 30.84 pounds) respectively. Sensitivity analysis suggested that the time spent by GPs contributing to nurse practitioners' consultations (including return visits) was an important factor in increasing costs associated with nurse practitioners.
CONCLUSION
Employing a nurse practitioner in primary care is likely to cost much the same as employing a salaried GP according to currently available data. There is considerable variability of qualifications and experience of nurse practitioners, which suggests that skill-mix decisions should depend on the full range of roles and responsibilities rather than cost.
Topics: Family Practice; Health Care Costs; Humans; Nurse Practitioners; Nurse's Role; Physicians, Family; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Referral and Consultation; Sensitivity and Specificity
PubMed: 16834880
DOI: No ID Found -
Clinical Therapeutics Nov 2000Few studies have estimated the indirect costs of care for HIV infection in England by stage of infection at a population level.
BACKGROUND
Few studies have estimated the indirect costs of care for HIV infection in England by stage of infection at a population level.
OBJECTIVE
This study estimated annual indirect costs of the HIV epidemic in England in 1997-1998 from both a public-sector and societal perspective.
METHODS
Service costs for HIV-infected individuals were indexed to 1997-1998 English prices. Average annual indirect costs included the costs of statutory, community, and informal services; disability payments; and lost economic productivity by stage of HIV infection. Disability payments were excluded from the societal perspective, whereas the degree of lost economic productivity was varied for the sensitivity analyses. Total average annual indirect costs by stage of HIV infection were calculated, as were population-based costs by stage of HIV infection and overall population costs.
RESULTS
Annual indirect costs from the public-sector and societal perspectives, respectively, ranged from pound sterling 3169 (dollars 5252) to pound sterling 3931 (dollars 6515) per person-year for asymptomatic individuals, pound sterling 5302 (dollars 8787) to pound sterling 7929 (dollars 13,140) for patients with symptomatic non-AIDS, and pound sterling 9956 (dollars 16,499) to pound sterling 21,014 (dollars 34,825) for patients with AIDS. Estimated population-based indirect costs from the public-sector perspective varied between pound sterling 109 million (dollars 181 million) and pound sterling 145 million (dollars 241 million) for 1997-1998, respectively, comprising between 58% and 124% of direct treatment costs for triple drug therapy in England during 1997. From the societal perspective, estimated population-based costs varied between pound sterling 84 million (dollars 138 million) and pound sterling 119 million (dollars 198 million) in 1997-1998, comprising between 45% and 102% of direct treatment costs and cost of care, respectively, during 1997.
CONCLUSIONS
Average indirect costs increase as HIV-infected individuals' illness progresses. Whether one takes a public-sector or societal perspective, indirect costs add a considerable amount to the cost of delivering health care to HIV-infected individuals. Both direct and indirect costs, when obtainable, should be used to assess the economic consequences of HIV infection and treatment interventions.
Topics: Cost of Illness; England; HIV Infections; Health Care Costs; Humans; Social Welfare; Socioeconomic Factors; Unemployment; Value of Life
PubMed: 11117658
DOI: 10.1016/s0149-2918(00)83030-1 -
Medicina Clinica Nov 2016The Satisfaction Pound Scale is a specific questionnaire to evaluate satisfaction with the rehabilitation program after a stroke. The aim of this study was to adapt this...
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
The Satisfaction Pound Scale is a specific questionnaire to evaluate satisfaction with the rehabilitation program after a stroke. The aim of this study was to adapt this scale to Spanish and to evaluate its metric characteristics.
METHOD
The adaptation included translation and back-translation methods. Metric characteristics were evaluated in 74 patients, all of whom were administered the Satisfaction Pound Scale and the Short Form 36 (SF-36). The statistical model was tested by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Reliability was determined through Cronbach alpha coefficient and a test-retest procedure. Construct validity was assessed by means of correlations between the satisfaction scale and the SF-36.
RESULTS
Adjustment indicators in the CFA were very good. Reproducibility test showed correlations higher than 0.85, and all correlations between SF-36 dimensions and the satisfaction scale were lower than 0.2, in accordance with the hypotheses raised.
CONCLUSIONS
The Spanish version of the Satisfaction Pounds Scale is reliable and valid, therefore it is a useful tool to assess satisfaction with the post-stroke rehabilitation program in our area.
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Cross-Sectional Studies; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Patient Satisfaction; Reproducibility of Results; Spain; Stroke Rehabilitation; Surveys and Questionnaires; Translations
PubMed: 27743593
DOI: 10.1016/j.medcli.2016.07.021 -
American Journal of Epidemiology Mar 2022Suboptimal pregnancy conditions may affect ovarian development in the fetus and be associated with early natural menopause (ENM) for offspring. A total of 106,633...
Suboptimal pregnancy conditions may affect ovarian development in the fetus and be associated with early natural menopause (ENM) for offspring. A total of 106,633 premenopausal participants in Nurses' Health Study II who provided data on their own prenatal characteristics, including diethylstilbestrol (DES) exposure, maternal cigarette smoking exposure, multiplicity, prematurity, and birth weight, were followed from 1989 to 2017. Cox regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations of in utero exposures with ENM. During 1.6 million person-years of follow-up, 2,579 participants experienced ENM. In multivariable models, women with prenatal DES exposure had higher risk of ENM compared with those without it (HR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.67). Increased risk of ENM was observed for those with low (<5.5 pounds (<2.5 kg)) versus normal (7.0-8.4 pounds (3.2-3.8 kg)) birth weight (HR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.45). Decreasing risk was observed per 1-pound (0.45-kg) increase in birth weight (HR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.90, 0.97). Prenatal smoking exposure, being part of a multiple birth, and prematurity were not associated with ENM. In this large cohort study, lower birth weight and prenatal DES exposure were associated with higher risk of ENM. Our results support a need for future research to examine in utero exposures that may affect offspring reproductive health.
Topics: Birth Weight; Cohort Studies; Diethylstilbestrol; Female; Humans; Menopause; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
PubMed: 35015807
DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwab301 -
Fertility and Sterility Feb 2010To assess the total health service costs incurred for each live birth achieved by older women undergoing IVF compared with costs in younger women.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the total health service costs incurred for each live birth achieved by older women undergoing IVF compared with costs in younger women.
DESIGN
Retrospective cross-sectional analysis.
SETTING
In vitro fertilization unit and maternity hospital in a tertiary care setting.
PATIENT(S)
Women who underwent their first cycle of IVF between 1997 and 2006.
INTERVENTION(S)
Bottom-up costs were calculated for all interventions in the IVF cycle. Early pregnancy and antenatal care costs were obtained from National Health Service reference costs, Information Services Division Scotland, and local departmental costs.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)
Cost per live birth.
RESULT(S)
The mean cost per live birth (95% confidence interval [CI]) in women undergoing IVF at the age of > or =40 years was pound 40,320 (pound 27,105- pound 65,036), which is >2.5 times higher than those aged 35-39 years (pound 17,096 [pound 15,635- pound 18,937]). The cost per ongoing pregnancy was almost three times in women aged > or =40 (pound 31,642 [pound 21,241- pound 58,979]) compared with women 35-39 years of age (pound 11,300 [pound 10,006- pound 12,938]).
CONCLUSION(S)
The cost of a live birth after IVF rises significantly at the age of 40 years owing to lower success rates. Most of the extra cost is due to the low success of IVF treatment, but some of it is due to higher rates of early pregnancy loss.
Topics: Aging; Female; Fertilization in Vitro; Hospitals, Maternity; Humans; Ovulation Induction; Pregnancy; Prenatal Care; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted; Scotland; State Medicine; United Kingdom
PubMed: 19261279
DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.01.115 -
The Journal of Hand Surgery Jun 2023The purpose of this study was to biomechanically evaluate the stability of the 6.5 mm intramedullary (IM) olecranon screw compared to locking compression plate fixation...
PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to biomechanically evaluate the stability of the 6.5 mm intramedullary (IM) olecranon screw compared to locking compression plate fixation for Orthopedic Trauma Association/AO Foundation (OTA/AO) 2U1B1 olecranon fractures under cyclic range of motion of the elbow.
METHODS
Twenty paired elbows were randomized to either IM olecranon screw or locking compression plate fixation of a simulated OTA/AO 2U1B1 fracture. Pullout strength was tested by increasing force applied to the triceps and proximal fragment. Fracture gap displacement was measured using differential variable reluctance transducers as the elbow was cycled through a 135° arc of motion using a servohydraulic testing system.
RESULTS
Analysis of variance revealed significant interaction between group and load on fracture distraction after the 500th cycle in three settings: between the plate at 5-pound load and screw at 35-pound load, the screw at 5-pound load and screw at 35-pound load, and between the plate at 15-pound load and screw at 35-pound load. The difference in the rate of failure between plate (2 of 80 samples) and screw (4 of 80 samples) was not statistically significant.
CONCLUSIONS
For OTA/AO 2U1B1 olecranon fractures, a single 6.5 mm IM olecranon screw demonstrated similar stability when compared to the locking compression plates throughout range of motion testing.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
From a biomechanical perspective, 6.5 mm IM screws and locking compression plates have similar ability to maintain fracture reduction following simulated elbow range of motion exercises in OTA/AO 2U1B1 fractures, giving surgeons another option in the management of these fractures.
PubMed: 37294240
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2023.05.001 -
The Journal of Rheumatology May 2010To estimate the indirect costs associated with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) compared with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and community controls. (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the indirect costs associated with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) compared with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and community controls.
METHODS
Data were obtained from 84 women patients with pSS as part of a study to develop a systemic activity measure, from 87 consecutive women patients with RA attending a hospital clinic, and from 96 women community controls on a general practice list. A modified economic component of the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire was used to assess lost productivity.
RESULTS
Using a conservative model, the estimated total annual indirect costs (95% CI) were 7677 pound sterling (5560 pound sterling, 9794 pound sterling) for pSS, 10,444 pound sterling (8206 pound sterling, 12,681 pound sterling) for RA, and 892 pound sterling (307 pound sterling, 1478 pound sterling) for controls. Using a model that maximizes the estimates, the equivalent figures were 13,502 pound sterling (9542 pound sterling, 17,463 pound sterling), 17,070 pound sterling (13,112 pound sterling, 21,028 pound sterling), and 3382 pound sterling (2187 pound sterling, 4578 pound sterling), respectively. These were all significantly greater at p < 0.001 for patient groups than for the control group.
CONCLUSION
pSS is associated with significantly increased indirect costs equivalent to 69%-83% of that for patients with RA. This needs to be taken into account when evaluating the overall economic consequences of pSS.
Topics: Activities of Daily Living; Adult; Aged; Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Cost of Illness; Efficiency; Female; Health Status; Health Surveys; Humans; Middle Aged; Quality of Life; Regression Analysis; Severity of Illness Index; Sjogren's Syndrome; Statistics, Nonparametric; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 20360188
DOI: 10.3899/jrheum.090734