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Biomedical subjects

G D Williams

Publications and source records attributed to G D Williams.

130 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Drinking levels, knowledge, and associated characteristics, 1985 NHIS findings.

Several questions in the 1985 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Questionnaire, which was part of the 1985 National Health Interview Survey, addressed respondents' consumption of alcohol. Sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge of health risks related to heavy drinking, health practices, and the prevalence of certain health conditions were examined in relation to drinking levels. Although cause-effect relationships should not be inferred from the associations, the findings suggest some provocative areas for prevention and research. Heavier drinkers were more commonly found among men than women. Level of drinking was associated positively with years of education and family income, but was inversely related to age. Compared with light drinkers, heavier drinkers were much more likely to drive after they had had too much to drink. While more than 90 percent of the population knew that heavier drinking increases the risk of 'liver cirrhosis, less than half knew about the increased risk of throat cancer and cancer of the mouth. Most respondents aged 18-44 years (80 percent or more) knew that heavy drinking increases the chance of adverse pregnancy outcomes, and more women than men (62 versus 49 percent) had heard of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). However, 70 percent or more of those who had heard of FAS described the syndrome as a newborn addicted to alcohol rather than a child born with certain birth defects. Heavier drinkers of both sexes were less likely than others to be nonsmokers, and moderate drinkers were more likely than others to exercise or play sports regularly. Moderate drinkers also tended to have lower lifetime prevalence rates than others for hypertension and heart trouble.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Self-reported stress: findings from the 1985 National Health Interview Survey.

The National Health Interview Survey's 1985 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Questionnaire included questions on the amount of stress experienced in the past 2 weeks, the effect of stress on health, thoughts about seeking help for personal or emotional problems, and actual help-seeking behaviors. This report examines responses to these questions and analyzes self-reported levels of stress by sex and other respondent characteristics. In 1985, an estimated 34 million people aged 18 years and older experienced "a lot" of stress in the 2-week period preceding the interview. Women were more likely than men to report a lot of stress (23 percent versus 18 percent), and respondents 65 years of age or older were more likely than younger respondents to report "almost no" stress. An estimated 21 million people (13 percent) believed that, over the past year, stress had "a lot" of effect on their health. Seventeen percent of the population considered seeking help in the past year for personal or emotional problems from family, friends, helping professionals, or self-help groups. Sixty-nine percent of those who thought about seeking help reported that they actually did seek help. In terms of health practices, men and women who reported higher levels of stress than others of their sex also were more likely to report that they rarely or never ate breakfast, slept 6 or fewer hours per night, were physically less active than their peers, or drank more alcoholic beverages than usual in the 2 weeks prior to the survey.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Trends in alcohol-related morbidity and mortality.

Two major trends regarding alcohol use and consequences of alcohol abuse in the United States are showing significant improvement. Continued declines are evident in age-adjusted rates of liver cirrhosis mortality, and per capita alcohol consumption is at its lowest level in 15 years. Two other trends, however, are less clear. After declining in 1982 and continuing through 1984, alcohol-related morbidity--as measured by principal diagnoses listed on short-stay, community hospital discharges--showed a slight increase in 1985. Similarly, after declining every year but one since 1981, alcohol-related motor vehicle fatalities showed a significant increase in 1986. The downward trends suggest that progress is being made in efforts to reduce alcohol-related deaths and morbidity, but there are no easy explanations for any of the trends. Reductions in liver cirrhosis death rates may reflect coding changes in liver disease categories, less chronic heavy drinking, or better medical care. Lower per capita alcohol consumption may indicate the public's increased awareness of drinking risks or the aging of the U.S. population. Ironically, the recent increase in alcohol-related motor vehicle fatalities may reflect stronger enforcement of drunk driving laws and increased BAC (blood alcohol content) testing.

Accidents, Traffic↗