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D Matthews

Publications and source records attributed to D Matthews.

116 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Body composition: research and clinical advances--1993 A.S.P.E.N. research workshop.

The 1993 ASPEN Research Workshop examined research and clinical advances in the study of human body composition. The workshop had two themes: (1) compartments of the body and their measurement, and (2) clinical applications of body composition measurements. There were 12 speakers of varied backgrounds who gave short lectures followed by panel discussions. Speakers explored the validity and potential uses of new body composition methodologies, including dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, multiple frequency bioimpedance analysis, computerized axial tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, neutron inelastic scattering, and gamma-ray resonance. The application of these methods to chronically and acutely ill hospitalized patients was described. The study of body composition is an emerging distinct research area within the broad study of human biology. This conference provided an overview of important new advances in the study of human body composition.

Aging↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of characteristics of the survey instrument on response rates to a mail survey of community hospitals.

A 4-factor, 16-cell experimental design was used to investigate the relationship between response rates of community hospitals to a survey conducted by the American Hospital Association (AHA) and 4 characteristics of the survey instrument, each varied dichotomously: the perceived length of the questionnaire, the order of questions, the orientation of the appeal made in the cover letter, and the presence or absence of a promise to share the results of the study with respondents. Response rate variations between the various cells were examined and multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the significance of the association between response rates and each of the four survey instrument variables while controlling for the effect of the others. At the same time, control was also maintained for the effects of five institutional characteristics of hospitals which a previous study had shown to have a significant relationship to response: bed size, location within or outside a standard metropolitan statistical area, AHA membership status, type of ownership, and form of control. The perceived length of the questionnaire and the order of questions were found to have a significant effect on response rates, but the orientation of the cover letter and a promise to share the results of the study with the respondents were found to be insignificant.

American Hospital Association↗
PubMedDate not supplied

An investigation of institutional characteristics associated with response rates in mail surveys of community hospitals.

This paper describes the nature and strength of the relationship between six institutional characteristics of U.S. community hospitals and the rates of response of these hospitals to a nationwide survey conducted by the American Hospital Association (AHA). Furthermore, it demonstrates how one can calculate accurately the relative probability of response of hospitals with various combinations of these characteristics. The six characteristics studied were bed size, teaching status, AHA membership status, location within or without a Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area, investor or other form of ownership, and control by State or local government or by another type of organization.The six characteristics were treated as dichotomous variables throughout most of the analysis. Odds ratios were calculated for each variable as a preliminary measure of the strength of its association with response.The effects of confounding on those odds ratios were controlled for by multiple logistic regression, which estimates the probability of response of hospitals with given characteristics. A logistic odds ratio was calculated for each variable to estimate the independent effect that specified values had on the odds of responding. All variables except status as a teaching or nonteaching hospital were shown to have a significant relationship to response.Hospitals were divided into classes according to probability of response, and the probability of response was compared with actual rates of response in the survey. Both increase at equal rates. Similar results were obtained by applying this method to two other, dissimilar, surveys.This method is generalizable to other surveys and should prove useful to researchers wishing to increase response rates in their surveys of hospitals.

Health Status Indicators↗