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Biomedical subjects

B F Walker

Publications and source records attributed to B F Walker.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Appendectomy in South African inter-ethnic school pupils.

In 1984-1985, prevalences of appendectomy in inter-ethnic series of South African school pupils of 16-18 yr were: rural blacks, 0.5%; urban blacks, 1.0%; Indians, 2.6%; coloreds (Eur-African-Malay), 2.2%; Afrikaans whites, 13.4%; and English whites, 9.9%. Corresponding respective annual incidences per 1000 pupils of 10-19 yr were: 0.3, 0.6, 1.9, 1.7, 9.8, and 7.8. Thus, appendectomy is rare or infrequent in all except the white populations. Peak occurrence was postpubertal. There was no consistent sex bias. Dietarily, mean daily fiber intake was relatively low in all groups, 17.9-26.1 g. While the percentage of energy from fat intake was low in blacks, 16.3-22.3%, it was much higher in the other populations, 32.7-39.5%. Clearly, factors other than diet are involved in regulating frequency of appendectomy. While mortality is negligible and morbidity slight, elucidation of causation and prevention of the disease is desirable since subsequently appendectomy patients are at greater than average risk to certain cancers.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Survival of black men with prostatic cancer in Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa.

While prostatic cancer has a low frequency in rural African black men living traditionally, the disease occurs more often and is increasing in black men in the cities. Between 1982 and 1984, 101 patients with prostatic cancer were detected in Soweto, Johannesburg. Of these patients 90 had clinical stage D disease and metastasis was common. The 50 per cent mortality period of 1.6 years, while similar to that reported in some series of white patients, is considerably shorter than that noted in several others series.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Faecal pH, dietary fibre intake, and proneness to colon cancer in four South African populations.

In a series of South African populations, mean faecal pH values were found to be: rural and urban blacks, 6.12 and 6.15; Indians 6.21; coloureds (Eur-African-Malay), 6.29; these are significantly lower (p less than 0.01) than that of whites, 6.88. Apart from that of the coloureds, mean values for series of children and adults did not differ significantly. In the populations mentioned, corresponding mean dietary fibre intakes of children's mothers (or associates of mothers) were all relatively low, namely, roughly 25 g, 18 g, 20 g, 21 g, 23 g, respectively. Frequency of colon cancer (also other non-infective bowel diseases, e.g. appendicitis) is very low in rural and urban blacks, is low in Indians and coloureds, yet much higher in whites. Thus, in these different ethnic populations, rarity or low frequency of colon cancer is associated more with low faecal pH than with level of dietary fibre intake, suggesting that components additional to fibre have a role in determining the milieu intérieur of the bowel and its proneness to disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

School nutrition programmes--do they fulfil their purpose?

School meals in the USA have been in operation for half a century, yet no associated benefits have been claimed, apart from a slight increase in weight-for-age. In the UK, Netherlands and other European countries, associated benefits have been slight or scarcely apparent. In developing populations, school meals, although little practised, appear less beneficial than expected. In western populations evaluations have been entirely incommensurate with extent and cost of the practice, for, largely, only assessments of dietary intake and anthropometric parameters have been studied. There has been insufficient enquiry into which intakes of nutrients, and which percentiles of growth standards, relate most meaningfully to scholastic prowess, biochemical and clinical parameters in youth, and health experience in later years. Since school meals, a highly emotional subject, are strongly bound up with national agriculture, and clearly are unlikely to discontinue, the authors consider that attempted modifications should be in line with current recommendations of authoritative dietary bodies, i.e. to encourage reduction in fat intake and an increased intake of fibre-containing foods.

Agriculture↗
PubMed1985

Nausea and vomiting and dietary cravings and aversions during pregnancy in South African women.

Frequency and severity of nausea and of vomiting during pregnancy, and of pronounced dietary cravings and aversions, were determined in a series of South African rural and urban black, Indian, coloured (European-African-Malay) and white women. Frequency of severe nausea ranged from 3.8% in rural blacks to 19.8% in white women, and of severe vomiting from 3.1% in rural blacks to 17.8% in white and Indian women. Proportions in the other groups were intermediate. Pronounced cravings, claimed by 67-84% in the various groups, included sour, savoury and sweet foods, also fruit and milk. Aversions were claimed by 45-81% of the women in the different groups with meat, fish, coffee and fatty foods, the foods most often avoided. Pica, the consumption of such substances as earth, clay, varied ethnically and regionally; frequency was high in rural and urban black women (44.0% and 38.3%), but much lower (5%) in Indian, coloured and white women.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Low survival of South African urban black women with cervical cancer.

In Soweto, Johannesburg, the incidence of cervical cancer, the most common cancer in black women, is higher than in most white populations but lower than in many other populations. In a series of 210 patients who were diagnosed in 1981 and 1982, 50% had died within 1.6 years of diagnosis, a third of the reported survival time in white patients. The pattern of stage at presentation was similar to, although sometimes later than, those reported for various white communities. Data on patients' age at birth of first child, parity, smoking practice, and socioeconomic status, differed little from those in a control group. Neither these factors, nor availability of medical services, could be correlated with the distressingly short period of survival, which also occurs among urban black patients with breast and oesophageal cancers. Presumably, unidentified factors linked with low socioeconomic status affect survival time.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Dental caries and blood groups in South African blacks.

DMFT scores were determined in series of 1) urban Black adolescents (132 boys, 143 girls) aged 16-18 yr, and 2) rural Black mothers (480) aged 20-35 yr. Each series was divided into upper and lower thirds, with respect to DMFT. No relationship was apparent between segments with good versus inferior teeth, and blood groups.

ABO Blood-Group System↗
PubMed1985

Bowel behaviour in young black and white children.

Bowel behaviour was investigated in 81 rural black, 117 urban black, and 77 white children aged 1 to 4 years. The study was undertaken principally because intake of dietary fibre by urban blacks is now lower than that of whites: moreover, that of rural blacks has also fallen. Average daily defecation frequencies in rural and urban black children and white children were 1.9, 1.8, and 1.5, respectively. Black children voided smaller stools and more frequently than white children. In both ethnic groups most stools were soft. Median transit times, determined in 55 rural black, 80 urban black, and 45 white children, were approximately 6.5, 7, and 27 hours, respectively. Median transit times increased little with age in black compared with white children. The higher defecation frequency and the much shorter transit time in black children are not explicable in terms of the levels of fibre intake.

Black or African American↗
PubMed1985

"It's me bowels".

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Colonic Diseases, Functional↗
PubMed1984

Short duration of survival among South African blacks with oesophageal cancer.

South African urban Blacks are very prone to oesophageal cancer, and mean age at diagnosis is almost a decade lower than that of White patients (male preponderance is equally marked in both ethnic groups). In recent years the socio-economic position of urban Blacks has improved greatly, with considerable strides being made in literacy and awareness of hospital services. This socio-economic improvement could conceivably improve the extremely short durations of survival among oesophageal cancer patients noted in earlier studies; this, however, has not occurred. Of a series comprising 146 male and 37 female patients, 50% had died after 3,6 and 4,2 months respectively. The corresponding periods noted for White patients are about twice as long.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Age of menopause in black women in South Africa.

Among South African black women in rural areas, breast cancer is rare and remains very uncommon among urban dwellers in Soweto, Johannesburg. Since time of menopause is an influencing factor in breast cancer in white women, mean times were determined in series of 1850 and 1255 black women in rural and urban areas, respectively. Using probit analysis, respective means were 49.5 (SD 4.7) years, and 48.9 (SD 4.2) years. Values thus differ little from those reported for white women. Obviously case control studies are needed to learn of the bearing of menopausal age on breast cancer proneness in this very-low-risk population.

Adult↗