Searched for: Department/Unit:Population Health
Domestic Sex Trafficking of Minors: Medical Student and Physician Awareness
Titchen, Kanani E; Loo, Dyani; Berdan, Elizabeth; Rysavy, Mary Becker; Ng, Jessica J; Sharif, Iman
STUDY OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to assess: (1) medical trainee and practicing physician awareness about domestic sex trafficking of minors; and (2) whether respondents believe that awareness of trafficking is important to their practice. DESIGN AND SETTING: We designed an anonymous electronic survey, and a convenience sample was collected from June through October 2013. PARTICIPANTS: Voluntary participants were 1648 medical students, residents, and practicing physicians throughout the United States. INTERVENTIONS AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Data were analyzed for correlations between study cohort characteristics and: (1) agreement with the statement: "knowing about sex trafficking in my state is important to my profession"; (2) knowledge of national statistics regarding the sex trafficking of minors; and (3) knowledge of appropriate responses to encountering a trafficked victim. RESULTS: More practicing physicians than residents or medical students: (1) agreed or strongly agreed that knowledge about human trafficking was important to their practice (80.6%, 71.1%, and 69.2%, respectively; P = .0008); (2) correctly estimated the number of US trafficked youth according to the US Department of State data (16.1%, 11.7%, and 7.9%, respectively; P = .0011); and (3) were more likely to report an appropriate response to a trafficked victim (40.4%, 20.4%, and 8.9%, respectively; P = .0001). CONCLUSION: Although most medical trainees and physicians place importance on knowing about human trafficking, they lack knowledge about the scope of the problem, and most would not know where to turn if they encountered a trafficking victim. There exists a need for standardized trafficking education for physicians, residents, and medical students.
PMID: 26341745
ISSN: 1873-4332
CID: 2384302
Geographic Variations and Temporal Trends in Cesarean Delivery Rates in China, 2008-2014
Li, Hong-Tian; Luo, Shusheng; Trasande, Leonardo; Hellerstein, Susan; Kang, Chuyun; Li, Jia-Xin; Zhang, Yali; Liu, Jian-Meng; Blustein, Jan
Importance: The increasing use of cesarean delivery is an emerging global health issue. Prior estimates of China's cesarean rate have been based on surveys with limited geographic coverage. Objective: To provide updated information about cesarean rates and geographic variation in cesarean use in China. Design, Setting, and Data Sources: Descriptive study, covering every county (n = 2865) in mainland China's 31 provinces, using county-level aggregated information on the number of live births, cesarean deliveries, maternal deaths, and perinatal deaths, collected by the Office for National Maternal & Child Health Statistics of China, from 2008 through 2014. Exposures: Live births. Main Outcomes and Measures: Annual rate of cesarean deliveries. Results: Over the study period, there were 100873051 live births, of which 32947229 (32.7%) were by cesarean delivery. In 2008, there were 13160634 live births, of which 3788029 (28.8%) were by cesarean delivery and in 2014 there were 15123276 live births, of which 5280124 (34.9%) were by cesarean delivery. Rates varied markedly by province, from 4.0% to 62.5% in 2014. Despite the overall increase, by 2014 rates of cesarean delieries in 14 of the nation's 17 "super cities" had declined by 4.1 to 17.5 percentage points from their earlier peak values (median, 11.4; interquartile range, 6.3-15.4). In 4 super cities with the largest decreases, there was no increase in maternal or perinatal mortality. Conclusions and Relevance: Between 2008 and 2014, the overall annual rate of cesarean deliveries increased in China, reaching 34.9%. There was major geographic variation in rates and trends over time, with rates declining in some of the largest urban areas.
PMID: 28030701
ISSN: 1538-3598
CID: 2383322
Associations of Perceived Parental Psychopathology with Mental Health Burden and Lifetime Drug Use in Gay, Bisexual, and other YMSM: The P18 Cohort Study
Halkitis, Perry N; Griffin-Tomas, Marybec; Levy, Michael D; Greene, Richard E; Kapadia, Farzana
Parental mental health may be a critical component in understanding the overlapping health burdens of mental health symptomatology and drug use in young men who have sex with men (YMSM), yet studies of YMSM have not fully examined these associations. To understand these relationships, data drawn from a study of gay, bisexual, and other YMSM were used examine associations between perceived parental psychopathology and the mental health symptomatology and drug use of YMSM. Findings suggest that YMSM reporting at least one parent with perceived depression, manic depression, schizophrenia, or antisocial behavior anytime during their childhoods were more likely to report higher levels of both depressive symptomatology and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than those reporting no perception of any of these psychopathologies in their parents. Number of different drugs uses in one's were higher among participants who perceived at least one parent as depressed. Mediation analyses indicated that the relationship between perceived parental depression and lifetime drug use of YMSM was mediated both by YMSM depression and YMSM PTSD. These results suggest that parental psychopathology plays an important role in the health of sexual minority men, a population with elevated levels of mental health burden and drug use across the lifespan.
PMID: 27997288
ISSN: 1540-3602
CID: 2374322
Accuracy of prostate biopsies for predicting Gleason score in radical prostatectomy specimens: nationwide trends 2000-2012
Danneman, Daniela; Drevin, Linda; Delahunt, Brett; Samaratunga, Hemamali; Robinson, David; Bratt, Ola; Loeb, Stacy; Stattin, Par; Egevad, Lars
OBJECTIVES: To investigate how well the Gleason score in diagnostic needle biopsies predicted the Gleason score in a subsequent radical prostatectomy (RP) specimen before and after the 2005 International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) revision of Gleason grading, and if the recently proposed ISUP grades 1-5 (corresponding to Gleason scores 6, 3 + 4, 4 + 3, 8 and 9-10) better predict the RP grade. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All prostate cancers diagnosed in Sweden are reported to the National Prostate Cancer Register (NPCR). We analysed the Gleason scores and ISUP grades from the diagnostic biopsies and the RP specimens in 15 598 men in the NPCR who: were diagnosed between 2000 and 2012 with clinical stage T1-2 M0/X prostate cancer on needle biopsy; were aged =70 years; had serum PSA concentration of <20 ng/mL; and underwent a RP <6 months after diagnosis as their primary treatment. RESULTS: Prediction of RP Gleason score increased from 55 to 68% between 2000 and 2012. Most of the increase occurred before 2005 (nine percentage points; P < 0.001); however, when adjusting for Gleason score and year of diagnosis in a multivariable analysis, the prediction of RP Gleason score decreased over time (odds ratio [OR] 0.98; P < 0.002). A change in the ISUP grades would have led to a decreasing agreement between biopsy and RP grades over time, from 68% in 2000 to 57% in 2012, with an OR of 0.95 in multivariable analysis (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Agreement between biopsy and RP Gleason score improved from 2000 to 2012, with most of the improvement occurring before the 2005 ISUP grading revision. Had ISUP grades been used instead of Gleason score, the agreement between biopsy and RP grade would have decreased, probably because of its separation of Gleason score 7 into ISUP grades 2 and 3 (Gleason score 3 + 4 vs 4 + 3).
PMID: 26918298
ISSN: 1464-410X
CID: 2370412
An elevated 1-h post- load glucose level during the oral glucose tolerance test detects prediabetes
Buysschaert, Martin; Bergman, Michael; Yanogo, Donald; Jagannathan, Ram; Buysschaert, Benoit; Preumont, Vanessa
AIM: The objective of the study was to compare the diagnosis of dysglycemic states by conventional oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) criteria (fasting and 2-h plasma glucose) with the 1-h post-load plasma glucose level. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 34 individuals (mean age: 55+/-13years; BMI: 27.7+/-6.3kg/m2) at risk for prediabetes were administered a 75g OGTT. Individuals with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) or prediabetes were identified according to fasting and/or 2-h plasma glucose (PG) concentrations. Subsequently, subjects were divided in 2 groups: group 1 (n=21) with a 1-h PG<155mg/dl and group 2 (n=13) with a 1-h PG>/=155mg/dl. HOMA was performed to assess beta-cell function and insulin sensitivity. RESULTS: NGT or prediabetes based on conventional criteria correlated with the 1-h PG/=155mg/dl (p<0.001). Moreover, the 1-h PG>/=155mg/dl was associated with higher HbA1c levels (6.1+/-0.5 vs. 5.5+/-0.3%, p<0.001) and significantly impaired insulin secretion and hyperbolic product (BxS) on HOMA test vs. 1-h PG<155mg/dl. CONCLUSION: The 1-h post-load plasma glucose value >/=155mg/dl is strongly associated with conventional criteria for (pre)diabetes and alterations of beta-cell function.
PMID: 27986405
ISSN: 1878-0334
CID: 2363802
Demographic trends of binge alcohol use and alcohol use disorders among older adults in the United States, 2005-2014
Han, Benjamin H; Moore, Alison A; Sherman, Scott; Keyes, Katherine M; Palamar, Joseph J
BACKGROUND: Alcohol use is common among older adults, and this population has unique risks with alcohol consumption in even lower amounts than younger persons. No recent studies have estimated trends in alcohol use including binge alcohol use and alcohol use disorders (AUD) among older adults. METHODS: We examined alcohol use among adults age >/=50 in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) from 2005 to 2014. Trends of self-reported past-month binge alcohol use and AUD were estimated. Logistic regression models were used to examine correlates of binge alcohol use and AUD. RESULTS: The prevalence of both past-month binge alcohol use and AUD increased significantly among adults age >/=50 from 2005/2006 to 2013/2014, with a relative increase of 19.2% for binge drinking (linear trend p<0.001) and a 23.3% relative increase for AUD (linear trend p=0.035). While males had a higher prevalence of binge alcohol use and AUD compared to females, there were significant increases in both among females. In adjusted models of aggregated data, being Hispanic, male, and a smoker or illicit drug user were associated with binge alcohol use, while being male, a smoker, an illicit drug user, or reporting past-year depression or mental health treatment were associated with AUD. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol use among older adults is increasing in the US, including past-month binge alcohol use and AUD with increasing trends among females. Providers and policymakers need to be aware of these changes to address the increase of older adults with unhealthy drinking.
PMCID:5241162
PMID: 27979428
ISSN: 1879-0046
CID: 2363652
There's Something About Molly: The Under-Researched yet Popular Powder Form of Ecstasy in the United States
Palamar, Joseph J
Molly has been the street name for powder or crystalline ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine [MDMA[) in the United States since at least 2008; however, few studies have examined Molly use or included Molly in the definition of ecstasy/MDMA. Prevalence of self-reported ecstasy use is being underreported on surveys due to the lack of inclusion of "Molly", although Molly is often so adulterated with novel psychoactive substances such as synthetic cathinones ("bath salts") that the name "Molly" may no longer adequately represent ecstasy/MDMA. The author recommends that Molly use and Molly purity be further studied to more adequately inform prevention and harm reduction.
PMCID:5578728
PMID: 27925866
ISSN: 1547-0164
CID: 2354322
School Wellness Programs: Magnitude and Distribution in New York City Public Schools
Stiefel, Leanna; Elbel, Brian; Pflugh Prescott, Melissa; Aneja, Siddhartha; Schwartz, Amy E
BACKGROUND: Public schools provide students with opportunities to participate in many discretionary, unmandated wellness programs. Little is known about the number of these programs, their distribution across schools, and the kinds of students served. We provide evidence on these questions for New York City (NYC) public schools. METHODS: Data on wellness programs were collected from program websites, NYC's Office of School Food and Wellness, and direct contact with program sponsors for 2013. Programs were grouped into categories, nutrition, fitness, and comprehensive, and were combined with data on school characteristics available from NYC's Department of Education. Numbers of programs and provision of programs were analyzed for relationships with demographic and school structural characteristics, using descriptive statistics and multiple regression. RESULTS: Discretionary wellness programs are numerous, at 18 programs. Little evidence supports inequity according to student race/ethnicity, income, or nativity, but high schools, new schools, co-located schools, small schools, and schools with larger proportions of inexperienced teachers are less likely to provide wellness programs. CONCLUSIONS: Opportunities exist to further the reach of wellness programs in public schools by modifying them for high school adoption and building capacity in schools less likely to have the administrative support to house them.
PMCID:5142207
PMID: 27917485
ISSN: 1746-1561
CID: 2353902
"Against Medical Advice" Discharges Among HIV-Infected Patients: Health and Health Services Outcomes
Alfandre, David; Yang, Jingyan; Harwood, Katherine; Gordon, Peter; Lekas, Helen-Maria; Chang, Steven J; Yin, Michael T
Nurses are often first to identify and manage a patient leaving against medical advice (AMA), and so they are critical contributors to the development of strategies to address this problem. We studied AMA discharge in order to help develop useful interventions. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 55,938 discharges from a single urban hospital for the years 2002-2003 and 2012-2013. AMA discharge rates were higher for HIV-infected patients than for patients with alcohol-related disorders or sickle cell anemia in both time periods, even after adjustment for age, race, sex, insurance status, and household income. For HIV infection, 25% of AMA discharges occurred in patients with multiple AMA discharges and 30-day readmission rates were higher after an AMA discharge: odds ratio 1.57 (95% confidence interval 1.01 to 2.43, p = .046). Team-based and nursing interventions that incorporate the treatment-based values and preferences of HIV-infected patients with prior AMA discharges may improve linkage to care and reduce readmissions.
PMID: 27815018
ISSN: 1552-6917
CID: 2330472
Partnerships Between Health Care and Legal Providers in the Veterans Health Administration
Tsai, Jack; Middleton, Margaret; Retkin, Randye; Johnson, Cindy; Kenneally, Kevin; Sherman, Scott; Rosenheck, Robert A
Medical-legal partnerships (MLPs) represent an innovative service model in which lawyers are integrated into health care teams to address diverse legal problems that affect vulnerable populations. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) operates the largest safety-net health care system in the country and serves many low-income and disabled veterans who could benefit from MLP services. In this column, the authors describe the development and operations of MLPs at four VHA medical centers that serve veterans who are homeless or who have serious mental illness. The authors also briefly report on the characteristics of 700 veterans served by these MLPs from 2014 to 2016. MLPs can fit within the interdisciplinary, comprehensive system of care provided by VHA, and they offer opportunities to expand VHA-community partnerships to address social determinants of health.
PMID: 27903138
ISSN: 1557-9700
CID: 2329352