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Biomedical subjects

M Spencer

Publications and source records attributed to M Spencer.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Clustering of health-related behaviors among 18-year-old Australians.

BACKGROUND: Few studies among young adults have examined clustering of health behaviors affecting risk for lifestyle diseases. METHODS: Smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and diet were examined among Australian 18-year-olds (301 males, 282 females) initially recruited at the age of 9 years from 26 schools. Association analysis was used to recognize behavior clustering. RESULTS: Fat intake was greater among male smokers than nonsmokers (36% energy vs 34% energy). Women smokers ate less fiber (14.1 g/day) than did nonsmokers (17.8 g/day). Smoking was significantly related, among males, to unsafe drinking (odds ratio 2.38) and higher fat intake (odds ratio 1.06) and, among females, to unsafe drinking (odds ratio 1.59), lower dietary fiber (odds ratio 0.93), and less physical activity (odds ratio 0.36). Cluster analysis defined separate behavior clusters for men and women with smoking status identifying further subgroups. Smoking, drinking alcohol to excess, and adverse dietary choices clustered among men and women, with physical inactivity also clustering among women. CONCLUSION: Smoking among adolescents is an important indicator of behaviors influencing risk for later cardiovascular disease and other medical disorders. Multimodal approaches allowing for gender differences in health-related behaviors are likely to be more successful than targeting a single behavior in this age group.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A comparative analysis of Mhc DRB3 polymorphism in the American bison (Bison bison).

The degree of genetic polymorphism at the DRB3 locus in the major histocompatibility complex (Mhc) of the North American bison was investigated by PCR and DNA sequence analysis. Nine different alleles were characterized in a selected sample of 20 animals. The genetic distances between alleles were as large as usually found at highly polymorphic Mhc loci in other species. A comparative analysis of the DRB3 polymorphism in bison and cattle revealed an extensive sharing of sequence motifs. The result clearly shows a transspecies persistence of DRB3 allelic lineages in the two species. Consequently a significant amount of Mhc polymorphism has been maintained through the population bottleneck that bison experienced in the late nineteenth century. An analysis of the pattern of sequence polymorphism among bison and cattle DRB3 alleles strongly suggested that interallelic recombination has contributed significantly to the generation of allelic diversity at this locus.

Alleles↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The role of the certified diabetes educator in telephone counseling.

PURPOSE: This paper describes a telephone-based, outcomes-focused approach to diabetes education provided by certified diabetes educators (CDEs). METHODS: Random chart audits were conducted to evaluate the scope of practice and effectiveness of telephone-based interventions provided by CDEs to people with diabetes. Four case studies and a sample prevention case are used to illustrate the role of telephone-based CDEs in providing diabetes education. RESULTS: Counseling provided by CDEs helped to identify potential barriers and strategies for making lifestyle behavioral changes. CONCLUSIONS: Telephone-based counseling is a brief, effective, ongoing intervention that gives patients with diabetes immediate access to CDEs who provide education to support lifestyle behavioral changes.

Allied Health Personnel↗