Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J French

Publications and source records attributed to J French.

149 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

The reliability and validity of the Maternal Social Support Index for primiparous mothers: a brief report.

The Maternal Social Support Index (MSSI) is an 18-item questionnaire designed to quickly assess qualitative and quantitative aspects of a mother's social support. This study examines a sample of primiparous mothers during the first nine months following delivery. Mothers were interviewed within 72 hours after delivery and again at six weeks and nine months. Using Spearman coefficients, the correlation for total MSSI scores between birth and nine months was .75. The correlations for individual items between birth and nine months ranged from .22 to .76. The MSSI at birth was strongly correlated with the Dyadic Adjustment Scale at nine months (r = .41, P = .001). Scores on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale at birth were inversely and significantly associated with the MSSI at six weeks postpartum (r = .50, P = .004). The MSSI assesses important elements of a new mother's environment which are related to her satisfaction with an intimate other, as well as depressive symptoms. These findings are similar to those in earlier reports.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Mortality from flash floods: a review of national weather service reports, 1969-81.

Of all weather-related disasters that occur in the United States, floods are the main cause of death, and most flood-related deaths are attributed to flash floods. Whenever a weather-related disaster involves 30 or more deaths or more than $100 million in property damage, the National Weather Service (NWS) forms a survey team to investigate the disaster and write a report of findings. All NWS survey reports on flash floods issued during 1969-81 were reviewed to determine the mortality resulting from such floods, the effect of warnings on mortality, and the circumstances contributing to death. A total of 1,185 deaths were associated with 32 flash floods, an average of 37 deaths per flash flood. The highest average number of deaths per event was associated with the four flash floods in which dams broke after heavy rains. Although there were 18 flash floods in 1977-81 and only 14 in 1969-76, the number of deaths was 2 1/2 times greater during the earlier period. More than twice as many deaths were associated with flash floods for which the survey team considered the warnings inadequate than with those with warnings considered adequate. Ninety-three percent of the deaths were due to drowning and 42 percent of these drownings were car related. The other drownings occurred in homes, at campsites, or when persons were crossing bridges and streams. The need for monitoring dams during periods of heavy rainfall is highlighted.

Disasters↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Autoantibody production in Kawasaki syndrome.

Although a variety of autoantibodies are produced in patients with Kawasaki syndrome (KS), their specificities in many instances are controversial and their role in disease pathogenesis is undetermined. Autoantibody production was studied in 14 patients with Kawasaki syndrome (KS). Antibodies to myeloperoxidase (MPO), the dominant antigen responsible for perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (pANCA) reactivity, were detected by ELISA in 73% of acute phase and 89% of convalescent phase KS specimens, in contrast to 4% of normal adult control subjects (p < 0.002 and p < 0.001, respectively). MPO and cytoplasmic antineutrophil antibody (cANCA) levels measured by ELISA were significantly elevated above levels for adult normal control subjects (p < 0.005 and p < 0.01, respectively), but not above recently ill childhood controls. Among patients who developed a positive ANCA, antibody titers tended to rise in serial specimens despite clinical improvement. Antibodies to myocardial muscle, cardiac perimysial connective tissue, nuclear antigens (ANA), and smooth muscle were also detected in some KS patients, but titers did not differ significantly from control patients. Autoantibody results were not predictive of patients with echocardiographic abnormalities.

Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

How much do health care providers know about AIDS?

We sent a survey to more than 8,000 New Jersey health professionals to collect information on their knowledge level, attitudes, and prevention practices relating to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The surveys were distributed through the mail in three separate waves with a postcard reminder. A total of 2,725 individuals provided completed questionnaires (34% response rate). We assessed the AIDS and HIV-related knowledge level of these health professionals, compared their knowledge levels, and identified variables that predict a high level of knowledge. The overall test scores indicate a definite need for AIDS education among these health professionals; on average, doctors answered 71% of the knowledge items correctly; dentists, 66%; and nurses, 65%. Doctors scored higher than the other health professionals on almost all of the 38 items relating to the epidemiological aspects of HIV, transmission, identification and reporting of HIV disease and AIDS, and assessment of HIV-associated risks. The multivariate regression model explained 24% of the variability in knowledge score (P = .0001) and identified the following independent variables as significant predictors of knowledge score: age, race, marital status, religious beliefs, political orientation, professional group, average number of hours worked each week, experience with HIV+/AIDS patients, knowledge self-assessment, and sources of AIDS information.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗