Biomedical subjects

L D Gilchrist

Publications and source records attributed to L D Gilchrist.

40 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of the British Columbia AIDS Information Line.

We evaluated implementation of the British Columbia AIDS Information Line during its initial 15 weeks of operation. Data collected during daily operation of the line included call frequency, caller characteristics, response patterns, caller concerns and community referrals. Information on activities and resources required to implement the AIDS Line was also assembled. The study concluded that the advertising campaign sponsored by the provincial government and other AIDS-related media events had a strong impact on the frequency of calls made to the AIDS Line. However, the effect of both advertising and media events was of relatively short duration, suggesting that utilization of an AIDS information line is dependent on continuing promotional activities. The evaluation results demonstrate the importance of continuous collection of data online utilization, to track public awareness of and response to AIDS-related issues, and to facilitate planning of public education.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Continuing unsafe sex: assessing the need for AIDS prevention counseling.

To assess the need for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) prevention counseling for gay and bisexual men who were continuing to engage in unsafe sex, a nonprobability telephone survey--the data may not be generalizable to the population--was conducted in Seattle during March 1987. In a 4-week period, 141 callers phoned in response to local publicity and completed a 30-minute anonymous interview. This paper focuses on 106 male respondents who were behaviorally defined as gay (that is, sex during the past year exclusively with partners of the same sex, N = 74) or bisexual (sex with both men and women, N = 32). The modal respondent was a never-married white male in his thirties who had some college education and was employed full-time in a white collar occupation. The gay men were more likely than the bisexual men to report that their family members and friends knew of their sexual orientation and to indicate that they were able to discuss their concerns about unsafe sex with someone close to them. Gay men were also more likely to use condoms and to have engaged in anonymous sex during the 3 months before the interview. More gay men had engaged in unprotected receptive anal intercourse (27 percent) than had bisexual men (13 percent), and in considerably more insertive anal intercourse (42 percent versus 22 percent). Of the gay men interviewed, 73 percent indicated that they needed help in changing their high-risk sexual behaviors compared with 61 percent of bisexuals. However, respondent preferences for the context of counseling (for example, sexual preference of the counselor,group versus individual counseling, type of agency) differed on the basis of the respondent's self definition of sexual preference. Bisexual men expressed a preference for individual therapy delivered by a private practitioner who is a heterosexual. The authors conclude that men who are at risk of AIDS due to ongoing unsafe sex will require a diversity of counseling options.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Smoking and smokeless tobacco use among adolescents: trends and intervention results.

Data from a 2-year study describe tobacco use trends, perceptions, and prevention effects for 1,281 5th and 6th graders enrolled in 12 randomly selected Washington State elementary schools. Youths were pretested, then randomly divided by school into skills, discussion, and control groups. Preventive intervention curriculums for the skills and discussion groups included age-relevant information on smoked and smokeless tobacco use, peer testimonials, debates, games, and homework. Youths in the skills group also learned communication and problem-solving methods for handling difficult situations around tobacco use. Following intervention, youths were posttested, then retested semiannually for 2 years. During the 2-year study, three-quarters of all smokers and nonusers and half of all smokeless tobacco users maintained their statuses. Only 10 percent of all smokers and 3 percent of all smokeless users quit their habits. One in six reported new tobacco use, one-third of smokers began using smokeless tobacco, and two-thirds of all smokeless users began smoking during the study. Most youths at final measurement perceived smokeless tobacco as less of a health risk than smoking. Nearly one in two of all smokeless users intended to smoke, and two-thirds were actually smoking at 24-month followup. Both smoked and smokeless tobacco use rates increased in all groups, and youths in the skills intervention group consistently showed the lowest rates relative to the other groups. These findings demonstrate the potential of skills intervention methods for lowering tobacco use rates among adolescents.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Smoking in the workplace: review of critical issues.

The relationship among various occupations, smoking, and disease has been studied extensively, but few investigators have looked closely at smoking in the workplace, particularly among blue-collar workers. The authors discuss the phenomenon of smoking in work settings and suggest reasons why tobacco use has been accepted on the job. The fate of heavy smokers in the wake of workplace smoking bans is considered. The authors discuss the relationship between smoking and work-related stress, particularly among blue-collar workers. The influences of job tasks, workflow, and employee social networks on smoking are examined. The authors suggest that, until recently, work settings have provided little support for cutting back and many opportunities that reinforced smoking habits. Worksite cessation is reviewed briefly, followed by suggestions for improving present worksite-based cessation strategies. The authors pose an agenda for future descriptive and applied research on smoking in the workplace.

Female↗