Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Bauman

Publications and source records attributed to A Bauman.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Asthma under-recognition and under-treatment in an Australian community.

In a study in south-western Sydney, we examined asthma symptoms in a random sample of 4239 schoolchildren aged five-12 years. The prevalence of current wheeze and cough was 17.1% (95% CI 16.0-18.2%). Interviews were conducted with the parents of all 214 symptomatic children from two of the six schools. Only 60% of these children had ever been labelled as asthma, and only 20% were using appropriate asthma treatment. Fewer than 6% had ever had their airway function assessed. There was a socio-economic difference, with better levels of asthma recognition and management in children attending the school in the more affluent region. The findings suggest that asthma recognition, assessment and management in the Australian community, as in New Zealand and the UK, may need to be improved.

Asthma↗
PubMed1992

Reliability of a respiratory history questionnaire and effect of mode of administration on classification of asthma in children.

Because there is no consensus definition of asthma for epidemiology, we have examined the reliability of a questionnaire and the effect of its mode of administration on classification of asthma in children. A symptom history questionnaire was parent self-administered and then readministered within three months by a nurse. The questions of diagnosed asthma, cumulative wheeze, and recent wheeze (wheeze in the previous 12 months) were more repeatable than questions of night cough, but 7 percent of children changed diagnosed asthma category, 13 percent changed cumulative wheeze category, and 9 percent changed recent wheeze category at second questionnaire. Because the numbers who changed from symptom positive to negative roughly equalled the changes from negative to positive, prevalence estimates were not affected. Methods of measuring asthma with greater precision are urgently needed. Because of reporting bias, epidemiologic information collected by current questionnaires should be treated with some caution.

Asthma↗
PubMed1992

[Radioactive contamination of cistern waters along the Croatian coast of the Adriatic Sea].

Measurements of radioactive contamination of cistern waters with 90Sr, 134Cs and 137Cs have been carried out along the Croatian coast of the Adriatic Sea. An exponential decline of radioactivity followed the moratorium on nuclear tests. After the nuclear accident at Chernobyl, high radioactivity levels were detected again. The pre-Chernobyl and the post-Chernobyl mean residence times of 90Sr in cistern waters reflect the mechanism by which strontium was released to the atmosphere (atmospheric nuclear weapon tests conducted in the stratosphere or explosions in the Chernobyl nuclear reactor releasing radioactive material to the troposphere). For the pre-Chernobyl period, the mean residence time of 90Sr in cistern waters was similar to that calculated for fallout, being approximately 10 years. The post-Chernobyl 137Cs/90Sr activity ratio has been decreasing, but it has not yet reached the pre-Chernobyl values (approximately 1.6). The time-dependent 134Cs/137Cs activity ratio reflects the Chernobyl reactor inventory of these radionuclides. The annual dose for the critical adult population received from 90Sr, 134Cs and 137Cs by consumption of cistern water was estimated to be a few percentages of the dose from natural background radiation.

Cesium Radioisotopes↗
PubMed1991

Habitual physical activity and cardiovascular risk factors.

The relationships between different levels of participation in physical activity and biological indices of cardiovascular risk were examined in a sample of 6814 male and female adults who took part in a national risk factor prevalence survey. Participation in physical activity was classified as "aerobic" (14.6% of total), "moderate" (53.6%) or "inactive" (31.8%). Bivariate analyses found significant associations between level of exercise participation and diastolic blood pressures in men, but not in women; significant associations were found between reported physical activity and systolic blood pressure, total serum cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, HDL/total cholesterol ratio and triglycerides for both men and women. Further analyses were controlled for age, education, and the survey site, which were potential confounders of the association between physical activity and other coronary heart disease risk factors. After adjustment, significant associations remained between levels of exercise participation and HDL cholesterol level, HDL/total cholesterol ratio and serum triglyceride levels for both sexes. In women, there was also a significant relationship between activity level and body mass index. In addition, for men only, there was a significant inverse relationship between physical activity and total cholesterol, and, for older men, between physical activity and systolic blood pressure. It is well recognised that physical activity has an independent effect on reducing the risk of coronary heart disease. The results of this study suggest that there may be small supplementary effects mediated through the relationship between exercise and other biological cardiovascular risk factors.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Characteristics of attenders and non-attenders at an asthma education programme.

BACKGROUND: A controlled trial of asthma education was conducted but only 51 out of 164 eligible patients participated. METHODS: Differences between subjects who participated in the trial and those who expressed initial interest but subsequently declined were studied. RESULTS: Women, non-smokers, and those whose attending physician was concerned in the study were significantly more likely to attend the programme. Higher socioeconomic status was associated with greater attendance, but this did not reach significance. Psychosocial malfunctioning due to asthma was also associated with attendance, but this was not significant when sex and education level were taken into account. There was no difference between attenders and non-attenders with respect to age, number of previous admissions, airway function, self reported asthma severity, knowledge about asthma, and self management practices. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that many asthmatic patients recovering from a severe exacerbation of airflow obstruction will not participate in hospital based health education programmes. Alternative strategies may be required to improve the self management behaviour of these patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Repeatability of histamine bronchial challenge and comparability with methacholine bronchial challenge in a population of Australian schoolchildren.

To measure the repeatability of the bronchial challenge test and the comparability of histamine and methacholine as provoking agents, we studied a population sample of children and conducted histamine bronchial challenge tests on each of 3 consecutive days followed by a methacholine bronchial challenge on the fourth day. Bronchial responsiveness was measured using the rapid inhalation method. A total of 393 children had satisfactory bronchial challenge data for all 4 days. The measurements derived from the dose-response curve were the PD20 FEV1, which was measured as the provoking dose causing a 20% fall in FEV1, and the dose-response slope (DRS), which was measured as the percentage fall in FEV1 at final dose/total dose administered. Children who had a PD20 FEV1 were categorized as having bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR). The percentage of children with BHR each day was between 7 and 11. One-third of the children with BHR reacted only to histamine or methacholine. The within-subject range for histamine PD20 FEV1 values compared with methacholine suggested that histamine and methacholine are not directly comparable bronchial challenge agents. The dose-response slope values, which could be obtained for all children, had slightly better repeatability than PD20 FEV1 values. Because DRS values obtain data for the entire sample, have good repeatability, and are equally repeatable in children with normal responsiveness or bronchial hyperresponsiveness, they should prove more useful than PD20 FEV1 values for measuring bronchial responsiveness in populations.

Asthma↗
PubMed1991

Asthma management in general practice.

A postal survey of selected general practitioners from Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and rural New South Wales was conducted to compare general practitioners' self-reported asthma management practices with the Asthma Management Plan (1989) of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand. The results suggest that most general practitioners know and practise appropriate asthma management. Room for improvement, however, was detected in the following areas: 1. appropriate understanding of the use of theophyllines, 2. the use of preventive medications such as inhaled steroid and sodium cromoglycate, 3. use of crisis planning for severe asthma attacks, 4. lung function measurement.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed1991

Comparison between the psychopathological profile of dental anxiety patients and an average dental population.

The psychological characteristics of 38 patients with extreme dental fear were compared with those of an age and sex matched control group chosen from the average population visiting the dental clinic. The results were assessed by means of the Kleinknecht Dental Anxiety test, the Brief Symptom Inventory and Spielberger Anxiety State questionnaires. The majority of the dental fear patients were women, the male/female ration being 0.29. In the sample group, the dental anxiety manifested as a state and not as a trait: the anxiety state mean score of the dental phobic group was significantly higher than that of the controls (p less than 0.05), while the mean score for anxiety trait did not differ. Profound psychopathological distress other than anxiety was present only among the phobic males.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Improved diabetic prognosis following telecommunication and graphical processing of diabetic data.

The thesis that an integrated telecommunications/reporting system would affect diabetic prognosis was tested. Over fifteen months a double crossover study compared traditional diaries versus graphical display of telecommunicated blood glucose data. Significant drops in glycohemoglobin were observed in both groups during the telecommunications period, while no significant drops were observed in the groups while diaries were employed.

Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring↗
PubMed1990

The awareness of the risk of elevated cholesterol levels and knowledge about cholesterol-lowering action in Australia.

We report on a survey of the frequency of the assessment of cholesterol levels and blood pressure in the Australian population. Attitudes to risk-factor modification for cardiovascular disease also were evaluated and emphasis was placed on the assessment of knowledge about dietary modification in relation to cardiovascular disease. Respondents in this survey more frequently reported that they had undergone a blood pressure assessment than that they had had their blood cholesterol levels measured (96% and 46% of respondents, respectively). The proportion (5%) of respondents who recalled a cholesterol assessment with elevated cholesterol levels was found to be substantially lower than was that for participants in the 1983 National Heart Foundation Risk Factor Prevalence Study (19% of men and 21% of women had cholesterol levels of more than 6.5 mmol/L). Very few (9%) respondents in this survey nominated that they would reduce their dietary fat intake in order to modify their risk of developing cardiovascular disease. However, a greater number of respondents answered appropriately when asked about their potential modification of specific food items. More than 80% of respondents reported that they would reduce their intake of fried foods, although fewer would minimize their intakes of dairy products and meat. Women and respondents with a higher level of education were found to be more likely to respond appropriately. In addition, of those respondents who recalled ever having had their blood cholesterol level measured, those who reported that they had an elevated cholesterol level were more likely to indicate appropriate dietary modifications compared with those who reported normal cholesterol levels. Cholesterol reduction continues to be an important public-health issue in Australia. The results of this survey indicate that there is a need for both increased identification of individuals with elevated cholesterol levels in the population and further educational programmes about the relationship among cholesterol, diet and cardiovascular disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Recent trends and socio-demographic determinants of exercise participation in Australia.

Although sentiments about the positive health benefits of regular exercise have been expressed for many centuries, it is only in the past three decades that epidemiologic evidence has provided scientific support for the health benefits of being physically active. The evidence for the protective effect of physical activity is particularly strong with reference to cardiovascular disease, with the relative risk of being "inactive" compared to 'active' estimated to typically lie between 1.5 and 2.0. Despite the popular view that exercise participation has increased in recent years, estimates of trends in physical activity in Australian (and other) populations have been difficult to interpret because of the different measurements and surveys used. We examined data from population surveys using well validated, standardised methods to assess exercise participation, through National surveys between 1984 and 1987 conducted by the Commonwealth Department of the Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories (DASETT). Over the period in which the surveys were conducted, there appears to have been a slight increase in the proportion of Australians who participated in regular physical activity. There was a significant decline in the proportion who reported being totally sedentary--from 32.9 per cent in 1984 to 25.4 per cent in 1987. The data from all of the surveys were then pooled to give an overall sample size of 17053, and socio-demographic variables were examined in relation to exercise participation. Women, older people, the less well educated, and those on lower incomes were less likely to perform regular physical activity. Inequalities in the social distribution of exercise participation parallel those found for other health risk factors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Counting heads: estimating traumatic brain injury in New South Wales.

The public health problem of head injuries contributes to considerable morbidity in the community and is the commonest cause of death in young adult Australians. However, estimating the incidence of head injury has been difficult, and has varied between countries and over time. This paper critically appraises the methodological issues contributing to head injury/brain injury incidence estimates, in particular case definition, differing data sources, and methods of case ascertainment. The most appropriate definition from a methodological service provider perspective is one which clearly distinguishes between potential and actual brain injury. The results from a study which used the most accurate methods have been extrapolated to NSW, and reduce the estimated brain injury incidence in NSW from a reported 392 to 180 per 100,000 incident cases per year. This revised estimate implies that in 1990 there will be about 10,500 new cases of traumatic brain injury, of which an estimated 400 will result in serious physical or mental disability. These estimates were originally calculated to enable the development of an appropriate level of health service provision for brain-injured persons through the NSW Brain Injury Program.

Brain Injuries↗
PubMed1990

Asthma education: the perceptions of family physicians.

Education and training are important for people with asthma and for their family doctors in order to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with the disease, but the most appropriate educational strategies have not been clarified. This study was conducted as a needs-assessment survey to examine the perceptions of 193 family physicians in Sydney (Australia) regarding various aspects of asthma management and patient education. Part of this sample of physicians were subsequently involved in a communitywide asthma education program. Although the measurement of airway function by doctors and patients is the cornerstone of the national asthma strategy in Australia, only 43% of family physicians surveyed regularly measured airway function in their offices and most considered that their patients rarely used a peak flow meter. Most physicians agreed with statements suggesting that asthma education was useful but some felt that education could be dangerous, or might result in fewer consultations by asthma patients. These results have provided clear directions for educating family physicians about optimal asthma management. They also provide some insight into potential barriers to the successful implementation of asthma education programs.

Asthma↗
PubMed1990

Caring for the developmentally disabled in the community.

As deinstitutionalisation programmes take effect, more and more developmentally disabled people are living in the community. They are becoming patients of general practitioners who need to be aware of some of their special health problems. Primary care of disabled people presents particular challenges and rewards for the interested family doctor.

Adult↗