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Biomedical subjects

B Foxman

Publications and source records attributed to B Foxman.

78 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1980

Prevalence and cost of illness episodes in rural Bolivia.

As part of a demonstration project to improve the delivery of health services in rural Bolivia, a household survey of 3372 persons (98% participation) was conducted in the Montero region of eastern Bolivia during the last 3 months of 1977. The population surveyed was relatively young, 52% less than 15 years of age. Spells of illness occurring during the 14 days prior to the survey were reported by 42% of the population. Nearly half (46%) of these symptomatic illnesses, here defined as illness episodes, were respiratory or gastrointestinal problems, and medical assistance was sought for 21% of them. Physicians were consulted by 70% of the persons who sought medical assistance. Only 39% of persons disabled 3 or more days by a symptomatic illness obtained medical assistance. The average expenditure for illness episodes during the preceding 2 weeks was $2.13 per person, 76% for medication, 15% for fees, 5% for transportation, and 4% for other expenses. The results of this survey are intended to aid the Bolivian government in planning more effectively for improved rural health services.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Multiple partners and partner choice as risk factors for sexually transmitted disease among female college students.

Multiple sexual partners and partner choice are believed to increase the risk of sexually transmitted disease (STD), but these behaviors had not previously been assessed outside of clinical populations. In this study, a cross-sectional survey among single, white, female students in their senior year of college was conducted to measure the association between behavioral risk factors and the acquisition of self-reported STDs during college. The usable response rate was 47.2% (n = 467). The combined prevalence of chlamydial infection, gonorrhea, genital herpes, human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, syphilis, and trichomoniasis during a 3.5-year period was 11.7%. There was a strong association between number of sexual partners and having an STD: those women with 5 or more sexual partners were 8 times more likely to report having an STD than those with only 1 partner, even after adjusting for age at first intercourse (odds ratio = 8.1; 95% confidence interval = 1.99, 32.64). The prevalence of a history of STDs increased with more causal partner choice and earlier age at first intercourse, but neither factor was independently associated with a history of STDs. Of the respondents, 23% always used condoms. Future research should focus on identifying ways of effectively changing high-risk sexual behavior.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Heterosexual partnership characteristics of university women.

In order to assess the individual risk of acquiring sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), both characteristics of the partnership and the individual should be considered. Partnership characteristics have been used as risk markers for STD transmission but their distribution has not been well described. Using a self-administered questionnaire, we collected information on the partnership characteristics of the 4 most recent sexual partners of the members of 9 university women's social organizations at the University of Michigan. Respondents were asked to report the setting of the first meeting of partners, the length of the presexual relationship, condom use at the first sexual encounter and the total number of sexual encounters within that partnership. We graphically analyse changes in these partnership characteristics with respect to partnership order. As the number of sexual partners increased the women in this population were more likely to report partnership characteristics associated with an increased risk of acquiring an STD. In addition, partnership characteristics varied with the order of the partnership, implying that no single partnership is representative of all others.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Risk factors for otitis media and carriage of multiple strains of Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae.

We studied genetic diversity in Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae in throat culture isolates from 38 children attending two day-care centers in Michigan. Culture specimens were collected weekly; 184 S. pneumoniae and 418 H. influenzae were isolated from the cultures. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis identified 29 patterns among the S. pneumoniae isolates and 87 among the H. influenzae isolates. Of the cultures, 5% contained multiple genetic types of S. pneumoniae, and 43% contained multiple types of H. influenzae. Carriage of multiple H. influenzae isolates, which was associated with exposure to smoking, history of allergies, and age 36 to 47 months, may increase risk for otitis media in children.

Carrier State↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Hygienic practices and acute respiratory illness in family and group day care homes.

OBJECTIVE: To describe hygiene practices in licensed group day care and family day care homes and the association between these practices and the prevalence of respiratory illnesses in the children in attendance. METHODS: Self-administered surveys were mailed to 137 group and 204 family day care providers. RESULTS: Wearing diapers and being younger than age three were associated with a higher frequency of respiratory illness. Children attending family day care homes had more respiratory illness than children attending group day care homes. Infrequent washing of children's or providers' hands after nose wiping, after diapering, before meals, and before food preparation was significantly associated with a higher frequency of respiratory illness. Use of shared cloth towels instead of individual paper towels and washing of sleeping mats less than once a week were also associated with a higher frequency of respiratory illness. CONCLUSIONS: The findings underscore the importance of handwashing and other hygiene practices in reducing the spread of disease in day care settings.

Acute Disease↗