Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

G G Harrison

Publications and source records attributed to G G Harrison.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Differential response to targeted recruitment strategies to fitness promotion research by African-American women of varying body mass index.

OBJECTIVE: To assess patterns of recruitment into a community-based NCI-funded physical activity and dietary lifestyle change program targeting African-American women. DESIGN: Acquisition of a convenience sample to be screened for participation in a randomized, controlled prevention intervention. SETTING: African-American-owned and -operated health club located in an area of Los Angeles in which African Americans are concentrated. PARTICIPANTS: 893 African-American women. RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES: Social networking/word-of-mouth, staff presentations, mass and targeted media, and physician referral. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Completion of screening questionnaire indicating a desire to enroll in the study. Screening questionnaire domains included self-reported height and weight, recent participation in organized weight loss programs, ability to walk one mile unassisted, current medication use, smoking status, personal medical history of cancer, sociodemographic variables, and recruitment source. RESULTS: Sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics distinguished between respondents obtained through different recruitment strategies. In particular, women with a higher body mass index (BMI) were more likely than those with lower BMIs (P = .014) to be recruited through more personalized methods (eg, social networking). CONCLUSIONS: Culturally tailored recruitment strategies are critical in securing the participation of members of "hard-to-reach" populations, who are both under-represented in health promotion research and at high risk for chronic diseases.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Underreporting of food intake by dietary recall is not universal: a comparison of data from egyptian and american women.

Underreporting of dietary intake has been observed consistently in food consumption surveys in affluent societies and in clinical studies in a variety of settings. Almost one third of quantitative 24-h recalls provided by adults in U.S. surveys appear to result in estimates that are biologically implausible. Underreporting has been linked to obesity in both the U.S. and Europe, with heavier individuals underreporting to a greater degree than lean persons. A relative dearth of data exists from developing countries and those in transition to address the question whether such underreporting is universal. We present the first data from a large survey of women in a rapidly urbanizing developing country to address this question. More than 4500 adult women in Egypt provided quantitative 24-h recalls of food intake on the previous day in 1993-1994, and weights and heights were measured. We compared the data, in terms of the ratio of reported energy intake to estimated basal metabolic rate, to data from 3010 women in the 1994-1996 U.S. Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals, on whom quantitative 24-h recalls were also conducted. The Egyptian women reported food intakes consistent with FAO/WHO recommendations for energy intakes for women of comparable activity levels, whereas the data for U.S. women showed underreporting consistent with other U.S. surveys. Only 10% of Egyptian women reported energy intakes below accepted criteria for plausibility, compared with one third of American women. We discuss possible reasons for this difference, including cultural and food supply differences, and methodological differences between the two surveys.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Assessing the accuracy of a food frequency questionnaire for estimating usual intake of phytoestrogens.

The primary objective of this study was to assess the accuracy of a modified Block food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) with respect to its ability to assess usual dietary intakes of daidzein and genistein. Participants were a convenience sample of 51 Japanese and 18 Caucasian women. All interviews were conducted between February 1997 and October 1997. At each of the four study visits, participants provided a 24-hour urine specimen and a 48-hour dietary recall. At the first visit, participants also completed an interviewer-administered modified Block FFQ. The daidzein and genistein intakes estimated using the FFQ were moderately correlated with the mean estimates of daidzein and genistein intake calculated from four 48-hour dietary recalls (correlation for daidzein = 0.49-0.58 and correlation for genistein = 0.45-0.54) and estimates of urinary concentrations of these compounds calculated from four collections (correlations for daidzein and genistein = 0.49 and 0.30, respectively). The accuracy of the modified Block FFQ for assessment of usual daidzein and genistein intakes is supported by this study. These results support the use of this instrument in epidemiological studies as an easy and low-cost method to assess the usual dietary daidzein or genistein intake.

Anticarcinogenic Agents↗
PubMed2000

Monitoring micronutrient deficiency conditions.

Data for monitoring of nutritional status need to be selected and interpreted with as much care as goes into the quality control for their collection. Cost and efficiency need to be considered as well as interpretability. Few indices of nutritional status are completely specific, and those that are reasonably specific tend to be not very sensitive. As progress toward the control of micronutrient deficiency conditions occurs, the focus needs to be on early indicators of deficiency and risk, and on risk factors including dietary intake.

Deficiency Diseases↗
PubMed1999

Eltanolone (5-beta-pregnanolone) does not trigger, and attenuates halothane triggering of, malignant hyperthermia in malignant hyperthermia susceptible swine.

Eltanolone is the lipid emulsion formulation, for intravenous use, of the steroid anaesthetic 5-beta-pregnanolone. We have screened this agent in malignant hyperthermia susceptible (MHS) Landrace swine to assess its potential to trigger the Malignant Hyperthermia (MH) syndrome in MHS subjects or to influence halothane triggering of MH in such patients. Administered in anaesthetic concentration, eltanolone did not trigger the MH syndrome in MHS swine. When co-administered in low dosage with halothane, the drug prevented initiation of the MH syndrome in four of eight pigs and attenuated its progress in the remainder.

Anesthetics, Inhalation↗
PubMed1999

The effect of eltanolone on pulmonary vascular resistance in landrace swine.

This paper reports on the haemodynamic effects of eltanolone observed in Landrace swine during the investigation of the drug with respect to safety in malignant hyperthermia-susceptible individuals. Pigs were sedated with intramuscular ketamine, followed by induction of anaesthesia employing thiopentone administered via an ear-vein. After intubation, anaesthesia was maintained using nitrous oxide in oxygen. A total of eight pigs were then further anaesthetised on two separate occasions using one of two dose schedules. A bolus of 1.5 mg kg(-1) of eltanolone was administered, followed by a continuous infusion at either 2 or 10 mg kg(-1) h(-1). There were no significant changes in heart rate, mean arterial pressure, cardiac output or systemic vascular resistance following eltanolone. In all cases eltanolone induced marked rises in pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance (P<0.01) at all measuring points and in right ventricular stroke work at 6-10 min after drug exposure. We conclude that the selective influence of eltanolone on the pulmonary vasculature is probably species-specific, but may have clinical significance in patients with pulmonary hypertension.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Correlates of hypoalbuminemia in community-dwelling older persons.

To identify easily ascertainable sociodemographic and health characteristics that are associated with hypoalbuminemia in community-dwelling older persons, we used data from the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. This population-based stratified probability sample survey included 4728 persons aged 55-74 y. We defined hypoalbuminemia in two ways: < 35 g/L (1.2% of the sample) or < or = 38 g/L (7.9% of the sample) and used multivariate logistic models to identify independent predictors of hypoalbuminemia. Older age; receiving welfare; a condition interfering with eating; vomiting > or = 3 d/mo; previous surgery for gastrointestinal tumor; self-reported heart failure; recurring cough attacks; feeling tired or wornout; edentulous, fair, or poor condition of teeth; little or no exercise; a low-salt diet; trouble chewing meat; self-reported protein albumin, blood, or sugar in urine; and current cigarette smoking were independently associated with albuminemia (< or = 38 g/L) or progressively lower albumin concentrations < 40 g/L. Persons with 3-5 of these factors (51.5% of the sample) had an odds ratio of 2.73 (95% CI: 1.64, 4.54) and those with > or = 6 factors (9.4% of the sample) had an odds ratio of 6.44 (95% CI: 3.49, 11.86) of albuminemia < or = 38 g/L compared with those with 0-2 risk factors (39.1% of the sample). These findings suggest that several easily assessed sociodemographic, lifestyle, and disease-related factors are associated with hypoalbuminemia and might be valuable items to include on general health surveys to identify older persons who have this marker of poor health status.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Estimated consumption and eating frequency of olestra from savory snacks using menu census data.

Potential chronic (14-d average) and acute (single-day) estimated daily intakes (EDI) were computed for olestra, a fat replacement intended for use in preparing savory snacks. The EDI were computed from eating occasions reported during a 14-d Menu Census survey among 4741 consumers; values were increased by 10% for conservatism. The eating occasions included all meals and in-between meal occasions eaten at home or away. Data from only those individuals who ate savory snacks at least once during the 14 d were used; this included 3820 individuals (81% of the sample) and represented a total of 16,067 eating days (24% frequency). The estimated mean chronic intake ranged from 1.8 to 4.7 g/d, depending on age and gender; at the 90th percentile, the range was 4.1-11.0 g/d. For all ages and both genders, the estimated mean intake was 3.1 g/d. Estimated acute intakes at the mean and 90th percentile ranged from 5.5 to 16.5 g/d and from 10.2 to 24.0 g/d, respectively, depending on age and gender. For all ages and both genders, the estimated mean intake was 10.2 g/d. The lack of parity in the chronic and acute intake estimates indicates that savory snacks are not eaten on a daily basis by the majority of snack eaters. The survey data were analyzed to understand the potential temporal eating patterns of olestra from savory snacks. When snacks were consumed, on average, 69% of the eating occasions were with main meals and 31% were between meals. Savory snacks did not contribute a major fraction of total food to the diet; only 7 and 18% of main meals contained a savory snack food at the 50th and 90th percentile, respectively. For the 50th-percentile consumer (all ages, both genders), savory snacks were eaten four times during the 14-d survey period, and the eating occasions occurred on 3 d. Comparable results for 90th-percentile consumers were 10 eating occasions and 8 eating days.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

The significance of children's age in estimating the effect of maternal time use on children's well-being.

The women's initiative launched by the United Nations Decade for Women has sparked unresolved controversy over the consequences of mothers' increased participation in economically productive activities on children's well-being. Clearly, in many developing countries, poor mothers face stringent time constraints requiring trade-offs in time allocated to various activities, including child caregiving. However, the impact of these trade-offs on children's well-being remains unclear. The effect of maternal time use on children's nutrition and health status requires more rigorous examination. In particular, the role of children's age in this relationship is critical. Although children's requirement for maternal care varies with factors such as their age (a proxy for stage of psychobiological and sociocultural development), season of year and family size and structure, children's age has not been highlighted in the debate or in the relevant research. This paper documents children's age as a critical factor in the relationship between maternal patterns of time use and the well-being of children 18-30 months of age in peri-urban Egypt. It describes differences in maternal patterns of daily time use according to children's age and illustrates the differential associations between maternal daily activity patterns and children's well-being by children's age. Quantitative data collected on 161 mother-toddler pairs included information on maternal daily time allocation, children's dietary energy intake and diarrheal morbidity, maternal hemoglobin, and household and individual sociodemographics. Data were stratified by children's age at 24 months and were analyzed cross-sectionally using multiple linear and logistic regression. Results indicated that the age of two is critical in Kalama. At this age, toddlers begin to receive less time-intensive care freeing mothers for economic and self production. With respect to children's well-being prior to age two, frequency of feeding was positively related to their energy intake and more time spent in household sanitation activities reduced children's risk of diarrhea (during the diarrhea season). After two years of age, the maternal behaviors measured did not affect children's energy intake; however, children's diarrheal risk was reduced (during the diarrhea season) when mothers held them more and allocated more time to household sanitation year-round. We recommend that other investigators carefully examine the relationships between children's well-being according to developmentally-defined child age intervals and maternal patterns of time use. Results will help to resolve concern over the effect of maternal participation in economically productive activities on children's well-being.

Child Care↗
PubMed1996

Respiratory tract and diarrheal infections of breast-fed infants from birth to 6 months of age in household contexts of an Egyptian village.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the pattern of respiratory tract infections (RTI) and diarrhea among brest-fed infants and the impact of birth weight, maternal diet during lactation, and household socioenvironmental conditions on these illnesses. DESIGN: A longitudinal household-based study of infant morbidity from birth to 6 months of age. SETTING: Kalama village, Egypt. SUBJECTS: Morbidity information was obtained for 119 infants; 80 had longitudinal records over the first 6 months of age. RESULTS: Birth weights were normally distributed and the mean was comparable to the National Center for Health Statistics reference median. Most infants experienced growth faltering and increased illness episodes during 3 to 6 months of age. Infants with RTI during the first 3-month period were at a significantly higher risk of developing subsequent RTI compared with infants without earlier infections (OR = 5.0, chi-square 10.4, P < (0.0001). Similar associations were not observed for diarrhea. Controlling for earlier RTI, lower maternal intakes of vitamin A or C and animal source energy, protein, riboflavin, zinc or calcium were associated with more days sick with RTI in infants during 3-6 months whereas lower birth weight was associated with a longer duration. Among the variables examined poor household sanitation was the only significant predictor of diarrheal illnesses in this population. CONCLUSIONS: Infants living in unsanitary households were the main victims of diarrhea. Duration of RTI was shorter for infants of higher birth weight and sick days were fewer for infants whose mothers consumed more animal source foods, vitamin A or vitamin C.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Acute respiratory illnesses in children under five years in Indramayu, west Java, Indonesia: a rapid ethnographic assessment.

A rapid, focused ethnographic study was carried out in a rural area of West Java, Indonesia to identify local beliefs, perceptions, and practices surrounding acute respiratory infections (ARI) in infants and young children. The study incorporates key informant interviews, open-ended interviews, and structured data collection from fifty mothers of young children selected to represent the geographical settlement pattern in the area: structured interviews with biomedical and indigenous health care providers; and structured interviews with fifty mothers who sought health care for an infant or young child with a respiratory illness. The most commonly perceived cause for ARI in children was air entering the body through some type of chill, exposure to draft or breeze, or change of weather. When fever or difficult breathing was present, mothers tended to increase the number and diversity the types of medicines used. Mothers recognized difficult as well as rapid breathing, both being described as "difficult breathing." More concern was expressed about fever than about difficulty in breathing. Effective medical care was more likely to be delayed for infants than for older children; infants were also more likely to be taken to an indigenous healer as the first-choice provider. Infants were less likely to receive an effective drug regimen even if appropriate medication was prescribed, because mothers commonly take the drugs in order to deliver them to the infant through breast milk.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1994

Relation of maternal zinc nutriture to pregnancy outcome and infant development in an Egyptian village.

Zinc nutriture of women living in a periurban Egyptian village was examined over the last 6 mo of pregnancy and the first 6 mo of lactation as one of several potential determinants of pregnancy outcome and infant development. Estimated bioavailable zinc intake was approximately 2 mg/d from diets high in phytate and fiber. Among numerous variables analyzed by multiple regression, early pregnancy weight (3 mo) and plasma zinc concentrations in the second trimester formed the best predictor model of birth weight, accounting for 39% of the variance. Bioavailable zinc intake during pregnancy was part of a profile of micronutrient intakes related to neonatal habituation behavior, a measure of early information processing. Performance on the Bayley motor test at 6 mo of age was negatively related to maternal intakes of plant zinc, phytate, and fiber, suggesting that zinc bioavailability was involved. Maternal dietary intake explained most of the variance observed in infant motor performance; however, predictive variance was amplified by the psychosocial context.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Maternal body mass index and pregnancy outcome in the Nutrition Collaborative Research Support Program.

This paper uses data from the Nutrition CRSP in Egypt, Mexico and Kenya to examine relationships between maternal BMI and pregnancy outcome. Women were studied from the periconceptional period up to 6 months of lactation. No women in Egypt or Mexico, and only two in Kenya where periods of food shortage occurred, had a BMI < 18 at conception. Women with a lower BMI in Mexico and Kenya gained more weight and fat in pregnancy and lost more weight and fat during lactation. These counter-intuitive relationships affect the interpretation of weight and body composition measures used to assess energy adequacy during pregnancy and lactation. Lower pre-pregnancy BMI predicted lower infant weights at birth and was a risk factor for low birthweight in Kenya. At 3-6 months post partum, maternal BMI was less strongly related to infant size, and the lean body mass component of BMI appeared to be a more important predictor than fatness.

Adult↗