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Biomedical subjects

D F Williamson

Publications and source records attributed to D F Williamson.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Dental disease and risk of coronary heart disease and mortality.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate a reported association between dental disease and risk of coronary heart disease. SETTING: National sample of American adults who participated in a health examination survey in the early 1970s. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study in which participants underwent a standard dental examination at baseline and were followed up to 1987. Proportional hazards analysis was used to estimate relative risks adjusted for several covariates. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence of mortality or admission to hospital because of coronary heart disease; total mortality. RESULTS: Among all 9760 subjects included in the analysis those with periodontitis had a 25% increased risk of coronary heart disease relative to those with minimal periodontal disease. Poor oral hygiene, determined by the extent of dental debris and calculus, was also associated with an increased incidence of coronary heart disease. In men younger than 50 years at baseline periodontal disease was a stronger risk factor for coronary heart disease; men with periodontitis had a relative risk of 1.72. Both periodontal disease and poor oral hygiene showed stronger associations with total mortality than with coronary heart disease. CONCLUSION: Dental disease is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease, particularly in young men. Whether this is a causal association is unclear. Dental health may be a more general indicator of personal hygiene and possibly health care practices.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Do obese children become obese adults? A review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Obese children may be at increased risk of becoming obese adults. To examine the relationship between obesity in childhood and obesity in adulthood, we reviewed the epidemiologic literature published between 1970 and July 1992. Comparison between studies was complicated by differences in study design, definitions of obesity, and analytic methods used. Although the correlations between anthropometric measures of obesity in childhood and those in adulthood varied considerably among studies, the associations were consistently positive. RESULTS: About a third (26 to 41%) of obese preschool children were obese as adults, and about half (42 to 63%) of obese school-age children were obese as adults. For all studies and across all ages, the risk of adult obesity was at least twice as high for obese children as for nonobese children. The risk of adult obesity was greater for children who were at higher levels of obesity and for children who were obese at older ages. CONCLUSION: The wide range of estimates in this literature are, in part, due to differences in study designs, definitions of obesity, ages at which participants were measured, intervals between measurements, and population and cultural differences.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Vitamin and mineral supplement use and mortality in a US cohort.

OBJECTIVES: Vitamin and mineral supplementation is a common practice in the United States, yet little is known about the long-term health effects of regular supplement use. METHODS: To examine the relationship between reported use of supplements and mortality, we analyzed data from US adults 25 to 74 years of age who were examined in the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1971 to 1975), with vital status determined through 1987. RESULTS: At baseline, 22.5% of the cohort reported using supplements regularly and 10.0% reported irregular use. The risk of mortality for regular supplement users was similar to that for nonusers. No consistent mortality benefits or risks of supplement use were found across a number of population subgroups. The risk for those who reported supplement use at both the baseline and a follow-up interview approximately 10 years later was similar to the risk for those who reported not using supplements at either interview. CONCLUSIONS: We found no evidence of increased longevity among vitamin and mineral supplement users in the United States. Considering the wide use of supplements in the general population, the cost-effectiveness and the safety of supplement use need to be better defined.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

The descriptive epidemiology of selected physical activities and body weight among adults trying to lose weight: the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey, 1989.

Few population-based studies have described the physical activity patterns of individuals trying to lose weight. We analysed cross-sectional, self-reported data from 6125 men and 12,557 women (> or = 18 years of age) from 40 states who reported in the 1989 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey that they were trying to lose weight. The BRFSS is a state-based telephone survey of non-institutionalized US adults, which utilizes a multi-stage cluster design based on the Waksberg method of random digit dialing. Walking was the most prevalent physical activity (48%), followed by aerobics (8%), gardening (5%), cycling (5%), and running (4%); however, activity choices varied by socio-demographic characteristics. Among both sexes, the prevalence of overweight (BMI > or = 30 kg/m2) decreased significantly with increasing level of activity (P < or = 0.001). Regression results showed that among both sexes and in most age groups, those who ran or jogged, performed aerobics, or cycled weighed less (P < or = 0.001) than those who reported no activity--independent of height, race, education, smoking, and caloric restriction. Walking was also associated with lower weight (P < or = 0.001) among persons aged 40 or older. Because walking is highly prevalent among persons in most socio-demographic strata and is accessible and low risk, its relative merits should be stressed in developing interventions for weight loss and maintenance.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Recreational physical activity and ten-year weight change in a US national cohort.

Clinical research has established that increases in physical activity cause weight loss among the obese, but less is known about the influence of physical activity on longer-term weight change in the general population. Data from the NHANES-I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study (1971-1975 to 1982-1984) were used to examine the relationship between self-reported recreational physical activity level (low, medium, high) and measured weight change after ten years among 3515 men and 5810 women aged 25-74 years. Cross-sectional analyses at both the baseline and follow-up surveys revealed that recreational physical activity was inversely related to body weight. Low recreational physical activity reported at the follow-up survey was strongly related to major weight gain (> 13 kg) that had occurred during the preceding ten years. The estimated relative risk of major weight gain for those in the low activity level at the follow-up survey compared to those in the high activity level was 3.1 (95% Cl = 1.6-6.0) in men and 3.8 (2.3-6.5) in women. In addition, the relative risk for persons whose activity level was low at both the baseline and follow-up surveys was 2.3 (0.9-5.8) in men and 7.1 (2.2-23.3) in women. However, no relationship was found between baseline physical activity level and subsequent weight gain among either men or women. The lack of a relationship may be due to mis-specification of physical activity because of changes in activity over time. These findings suggest that low physical activity may be both a cause and a consequence of weight gain.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Weight loss and mortality in a national cohort of adults, 1971-1987.

Although obesity is a risk factor for mortality, evidence that weight loss improves survival is limited. The relation between self-reported previous maximum weight, weight loss, and subsequent mortality was examined in 2,140 men and 2,550 women aged 45-74 years who participated in the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1971-1975) and survived the next 5 years. Vital status was determined through 1987. Among men and women whose maximum body mass index (weight (kg)/height (m)2) was between 26 and 29, risk of death increased with increasing weight loss, after adjustment for age, race, smoking, parity, preexisting illnesses, and maximum body mass index. Subjects who lost 15% or more of their maximum weight had over twice the mortality risk of those who lost less than 5%. At maximum body mass indices of 29 or higher, mortality risk increased with the amount of weight lost in women, but weight loss of 5% to < 15% appeared to lessen mortality risk in men. Generalization from these results is limited by the older age range of the sample and the inability to adequately distinguish voluntary from involuntary weight loss in this study. However, these findings suggest that prevention of severe overweight may be more generally effective than weight loss in reducing obesity-related mortality in the US population.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Characteristics related to elderly persons' not eating for 1 or more days: implications for meal programs.

We examined how social, economic, location, health, and food need characteristics are related to elderly persons' not eating for 1 or more days. The following variables were positively related to not eating: ethnicity, location, receipt of Medicaid, living alone, health problems, mobility, age less than 80 years, cancer, nausea, difficulty swallowing, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and receipt of food from a food pantry. These results have implications for allocating meal program funds, screening clients, and monitoring whether clients eat regularly.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1992

Education, race, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol among US adults.

OBJECTIVES: Although educational achievement is positively related to levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) among White adults, there is an inverse association among Blacks. We assessed whether this interaction could be attributed to differences in the relation of education to correlates of HDL-C. METHODS: Cross-sectional analyses were based on data from 8391 White and 995 Black adults who participated in the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. RESULTS: Associations between education and HDL-C levels varied from negative (Black men), to nearly nonexistent (White men and Black women), to positive (White women). Mean HDL-C levels were higher among Blacks than among Whites, but differences varied according to educational achievement. Among adults with less than 9 years of education, mean levels were 6 to 10 mg/dL higher among Blacks, but the radical difference was less than 1 mg/dL among adults with at least 16 years of education. About 20% to 40% of these differences could be accounted for by obesity, alcohol consumption, and other characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the implications for coronary heart disease risk, consideration should be given to behavioral characteristics associated with the interaction between race and educational achievement.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Weight loss attempts in adults: goals, duration, and rate of weight loss.

OBJECTIVES: Although attempted weight loss is common, little is known about the goals and durations of weight loss attempts and the rates of achieved weight loss in the general population. METHODS: Data were collected by telephone in 1989 from adults aged 18 years and older in 39 states and the District of Columbia. Analyses were carried out separately for the 6758 men and 14,915 women who reported currently trying to lose weight. RESULTS: Approximately 25% of the men respondents and 40% of the women respondents reported that they were currently trying to lose weight. Among men, a higher percentage of Hispanics (31%) than of Whites (25%) or Blacks (23%) reported trying to lose weight. Among women, however, there were no ethnic differences in prevalence. The average man wanted to lose 30 pounds and to weigh 178 pounds; the average woman wanted to lose 31 pounds and to weigh 133 pounds. Black women wanted to lose an average of 8 pounds more than did White women, but Black women's goal weight was 10 pounds heavier. The average rate of achieved weight loss was 1.4 pounds per week for men and 1.1 pounds per week for women; these averages, however, may reflect only the experience of those most successful at losing weight. CONCLUSIONS: Attempted weight loss is a common behavior, regardless of age, gender, or ethnicity, and weight loss goals are substantial; however, obesity remains a major public health problem in the United States.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Depressive symptoms and weight change in a national cohort of adults.

To assess the influence of depressive symptoms (defined using the CES-D) on weight change, we analysed data from 1794 adults, aged 25-74 years, who participated in the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 1971-1975 and the National Health Epidemiologic Follow-up Study in 1982-1984. After adjusting for baseline covariates using multiple linear regression, the data show that younger men (< 55 years) who were depressed at baseline gained nearly 3 kg more over the follow-up period than those who were not depressed. Among these younger men, however, education modified the effect of depression on weight change; those with < 12 years of education gained more weight with depression than those with more education (6.2 vs. 1.2 kg, respectively; P < or = 0.01). In contrast, depressed younger women gained slightly less weight than those who were not depressed. Among younger women, education also modified the effects of depression on weight change; those with < 12 years of education gained less weight with depression than those with more education (-3.2 vs. 0.6 kg, respectively; P < or = 0.01). Among older people (> or = 55 years), both men and women who were depressed lost more weight than those who were not depressed. Depression may play a substantial role in the patterns of weight change among adults in the United States. These patterns of weight change may contribute to the adverse health effects associated with depression.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Self-perceived stress and the risk of peptic ulcer disease. A longitudinal study of US adults.

BACKGROUND: Although many physicians and laypersons believe that stress plays a role in the occurrence of peptic ulcer disease, the importance of stress in the pathogenesis of peptic ulcers remains controversial. METHODS: To investigate the relationship between perceived stress and peptic ulcer disease we used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-up Study--a nationally representative cohort study of US adults. This analysis included 4511 persons who had not previously been diagnosed with peptic ulcer disease. RESULTS: At baseline, 68% of the cohort perceived themselves as stressed. During 13 years of follow-up, 208 persons developed ulcers; the cumulative incidence of ulcers was 7.2% for persons who were stressed and 4.0% for persons who were not. After we adjusted for age, sex, education, smoking status, and regular aspirin use, persons who perceived themselves as stressed were 1.8 times more likely to develop ulcers than those who did not (95% confidence interval, 1.3 to 2.5). We also found a graded relationship between the perceived amount of stress and the incidence of peptic ulcers; relative to nonstressed persons, the relative risk of developing an ulcer was 1.4, 1.9, 2.3, 2.4, and 2.9 at five increasing levels of stress. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that persons who perceive their lives as stressful may be at increased risk for the development of peptic ulcer disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Smoking cessation and severity of weight gain in a national cohort.

BACKGROUND: Many believe that the prospect of weight gain discourages smokers from quitting. Accurate estimates of the weight gain related to the cessation of smoking in the general population are not available, however. METHODS: We related changes in body weight to changes in smoking status in adults 25 to 74 years of age who were weighed in the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES I, 1971 to 1975) and then weighed a second time in the NHANES I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study (1982 to 1984). The cohort included continuing smokers (748 men and 1137 women) and those who had quit smoking for a year or more (409 men and 359 women). RESULTS: The mean weight gain attributable to the cessation of smoking, as adjusted for age, race, level of education, alcohol use, illnesses related to change in weight, base-line weight, and physical activity, was 2.8 kg in men and 3.8 kg in women. Major weight gain (greater than 13 kg) occurred in 9.8 percent of the men and 13.4 percent of the women who quit smoking. The relative risk of major weight gain in those who quit smoking (as compared with those who continued to smoke) was 8.1 (95 percent confidence interval, 4.4 to 14.9) in men and 5.8 (95 percent confidence interval, 3.7 to 9.1) in women, and it remained high regardless of the duration of cessation. For both sexes, blacks, people under the age of 55, and people who smoked 15 cigarettes or more per day were at higher risk of major weight gain after quitting smoking. Although at base line the smokers weighed less than those who had never smoked, they weighed nearly the same at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Major weight gain is strongly related to smoking cessation, but it occurs in only a minority of those who stop smoking. Weight gain is not likely to negate the health benefits of smoking cessation, but its cosmetic effects may interfere with attempts to quit. Effective methods of weight control are therefore needed for smokers trying to quit.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Trends in alcohol consumption by pregnant women. 1985 through 1988.

To examine trends in alcohol consumption among pregnant women, we examined data collected from 21 states participating in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System for 4 consecutive years: 1985 through 1988. Overall, 429 (25%) of 1712 pregnant women and 19,903 (55%) of 36,057 nonpregnant women 18 to 45 years of age reported using alcohol in the previous month. Pregnant women who used any alcohol reported consuming a median of four drinks per month, whereas nonpregnant women who used any alcohol reported nine. The prevalence of alcohol consumption among pregnant women declined steadily, from 32% in 1985 to 20% in 1988, but the median number of drinks per month for pregnant women who drank did not change. No decline was observed among the less educated or those under the age of 25 years. In 1988, the prevalence of alcohol use among pregnant women remained highest among smokers (37%) and the unmarried (28%). Although the overall consumption of alcohol by pregnant women in the United States appears to be declining, special efforts are needed to reduce alcohol use among pregnant women who are smokers, unmarried, less educated, or younger, women who may already be at high risk of a poor pregnancy outcome.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

The 10-y incidence of obesity and major weight gain in black and white US women aged 30-55 y.

Although the prevalence of obesity in US women is well-described, data are limited on the incidence of major weight gain and obesity. We used data from the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-up Study to estimate the 10-y incidence of major weight gain (greater than or equal to 10 kg) and obesity [body mass index (BMI, in kg/m2) greater than or equal to 29] in a cohort of US women aged 30-55 y (n = 535 blacks and 2976 whites). In women not obese at baseline, blacks were 60% more likely to become obese than whites [incidence in blacks = 15.5%, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 11.2-19.7; incidence in whites = 9.7%, 95% CI = 8.6-10.8]. This higher incidence of obesity in blacks was largely due to their higher average BMI at baseline. The incidence of major weight gain was 50% higher in blacks than in whites (in blacks, 17.3%; 95% CI = 13.6-21.0; in whites, 11.7%; 95% CI = 10.3-13.1). We estimate that in black and white women, respectively, 16% and 12% of coronary heart disease is attributed to major weight gain whereas 35% and 21% is attributed to being obese.

Adult↗