Biomedical subjects

L A Ray

Publications and source records attributed to L A Ray.

22 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1985

Determinants of physician utilization among Mexican-Americans. A three-generations study.

Determinants of physician utilization were examined using a three-generational sample of Mexican-Americans in San Antonio. A typical version of Andersen's causal behavioral model was moderately successful in predicting physician utilization in the middle and older generations and less successful in the younger generation. Consistent with the literature, need factors (health indicators) tended to affect utilization most directly. The authors also examined whether acculturation into the larger society positively influenced utilization regardless of need, as the literature suggested. While three separate measures of acculturation had no independent effects on physician utilization, acculturation did affect utilization indirectly via the need variables in the middle generation, although these effects were not consistently in the direction of greater utilization. Generational differences in determinants of physician utilization are discussed particularly in relation to the model's greater relevance for the middle and older generations.

Acculturation↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Epidemiology of self-reported past heavy drinking in Hispanic adults.

OBJECTIVES: Self-reports of past heavy drinking correlate with the current drinking practices and with risk of mortality in non-Hispanic males. The prevalence of past heavy drinking has not been reported in Hispanic populations. METHODS: Using data from the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HHANES) we (1) report on the prevalence, duration and severity of past heavy drinking in three Hispanic groups, (2) compare the current alcohol consumption patterns among past heavy drinkers and those who do not report a history of past heavy drinking and (3) compare the risk factor profiles and health indicators in these two groups. RESULTS: The prevalence of past heavy drinking among Mexican American and Puerto Rican males ranged from 28-35% while the rates for Cuban American males ranged from 7-16%. The rates for Hispanic women were much lower (1-8%). The average years of past heavy drinking ranged from 2.3-14.9 years, while the alcohol consumption during the past heavy drinking period ranged from 24.4-44.0 drinks per week. Past heavy drinkers tended to consume more alcohol at present than did never heavy drinkers with the greatest differences found for Mexican American females. Comparisons of the risk factors and health indicators by drinking status revealed a higher prevalence of smoking among past heavy drinkers (50-60%) versus never heavy drinkers (34-43%). Past heavy drinking Mexican American females also reported significantly more chronic conditions and depressive symptoms than did never heavy drinkers. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence rates of past heavy drinking among Mexican American and Puerto Rican males are approximately three times higher than rates reported for non-Hispanic male populations.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A test of the psychosocial vulnerability and health behavior models of hostility: results from an 11-year follow-up study of Mexican Americans.

Previous research has shown that interpersonal conflict and depression are cross-sectionally associated with hostility. Our objective was to determine whether hostility is longitudinally predictive of interpersonal distress and depression and to replicate previous research that suggests that hostility is a risk factor for other health behaviors (e.g., smoking and excessive alcohol use) and psychosocial health problems. We use data from the youngest generation of a three-generation, 11-year follow-up study of Mexican Americans, that represent 251 Mexican Americans between the ages of 18 and 42 years. Our indicator of hostility was the irritability subscale from the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory. After statistically controlling for marital status, language acculturation, education, age, and sex, irritability was found to predict subsequent heavy drinking, somatic symptoms associated with depression, psychosomatic symptoms, infectious disease, divorce, marital separation, ending a serious nonmarital relationship, not being married at the follow-up, and more negative feelings associated with divorce, marital separation, and ending a serious relationship. Our research supports theory and research suggesting that hostility is predictive of physical symptoms, poor health habits, and interpersonal conflict.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Adaptive predictive coding with applications to radiographs.

Picture archiving and communications systems (PACS) require storage and transmission of vast amounts of data. For design/cost considerations, it is desirable to reduce the size of these data without sacrificing the integrity of the stored information. The major considerations in designing a data-compression scheme for a PACS system are discussed: fidelity of the reconstructed image, bit rate, hardware complexity, and processing time. The basic principles of conventional nonadaptive differential pulse-code modulation (DPCM) are reviewed and compared with adaptive techniques. The effect of adaptive quantization on radiographic images is examined. Special consideration is given to block-adaptive DPCM or the "switched quantizer," which greatly enhances the system performance as compared with nonadaptive techniques, and conservatively has a 5:1 compression ratio. Sample radiographs substantiate the results.

Bone and Bones↗