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Biomedical subjects

R Balarajan

Publications and source records attributed to R Balarajan.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Single mothers: their health and health service use.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to investigate differences in reported health and health service use in single mothers. DESIGN: The study was a survey of data derived from the General Household Surveys conducted by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS). SETTING: The OPCS data are derived from samples of households throughout Great Britain. PARTICIPANTS: OPCS data for 1983 and 1984 were used, comprising approximately 60,000 individuals, of whom 793 were single mothers. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Five different health outcomes were examined, two on perceived morbidity and three on the use of health services. The chief determinants of health and health services use among single mothers were housing tenure, employment status and the age of the youngest child. Single mother status did not consistently contribute to self reported morbidity and uptake of care when adjusted for other social variables, but there was a difference between categories of single mother, with those who were separated/divorced and those who were widowed reporting more acute illness than those who were married. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that single mothers do not form a homogeneous group and that, if special consideration is to be given to them when planning and allocating health service resources, this needs to be taken into account in the context of other socioeconomic factors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Professional drivers in London: a mortality study.

A total of 3392 professional drivers in London were followed up in a prospective mortality study. There were significantly fewer deaths than expected from all causes (SMR 91, p less than 0.05), circulatory disease (SMR 75, p less than 0.05), and accidents (SMR 61, p less than 0.05). Lorry drivers showed excess deaths from stomach cancer (SMR 141, p less than 0.05), lung cancer (SMR 159, p less than 0.05), bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma (SMR 143, p less than 0.05), a pattern not evident among taxi drivers. Mortality from bladder cancers, leukaemia, and other lymphatic cancers were raised in taxi drivers, though the results did not achieve statistical significance. The importance of the findings is discussed.

Automobile Driving↗
PubMed1987

Socioeconomic differentials in the uptake of medical care in Great Britain.

Socioeconomic differentials in the uptake of medical care in men were investigated using data from the General Household Survey (1974-76 and 1979-80). Hospitalisation, attendance at out patient clinics, and consultation with doctors were higher in local authority tenants than in owner occupiers. Men belonging to the manual socioeconomic groups also used services and consulted doctors more often than those in the non-manual groups. Hospitalisation among men was highest among manual workers living in local authority properties without access to car(s) (OR 1.92). Highest attendance at outpatient clinics (OR 1.60) was seen among local authority tenants in urban areas belonging to manual groups. However, consultation with doctors was highest among urban manual workers living in local authority properties but with access to car(s) (OR 1.72). The implications of these findings for resource allocation are discussed.

Health Services↗
PubMed1986

Testicular cancer mortality in England and Wales 1971-80: variations by occupation.

The occupations of all males aged 15 and over dying of cancer of the testis in England and Wales from 1971 to 1980 (2434 cases) have been examined in a case control study. Significant excess mortality was found in farmers (although not farm workers), food manufacture and preparation workers, and draughtsmen, although the results show little evidence of a major role for occupation in the aetiology of this cancer. The results may, however, aid the search for those factors in modern life that may have contributed to the sharp rise in incidence of this cancer in recent years.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Mortality from congenital malformations by mother's country of birth.

Mortality from congenital malformations by mother's country of birth was examined in England and Wales between the years 1976 and 1980, based on stillbirths and infant deaths. There were 18 870 stillbirths and infant deaths attributed to congenital malformations in this period, of which 2 375 (13%) were to mothers born outside the United Kingdom. There were excess deaths from malformations among Pakistani, Indian/Bangladeshi, African, and Irish mothers. In contrast, West Indian mothers had a consistent deficit in deaths from malformations over the study period. The significance of these findings is discussed.

Congenital Abnormalities↗
PubMed1984

Patterns of mortality among migrants to England and Wales from the Indian subcontinent.

Causes of deaths in immigrants to England and Wales from the Indian subcontinent were assessed by ethnic subgroup. Observed and expected deaths for 1975-7 were aggregated to calculate proportional mortality ratios. Observed mortality due to infective and parasitic diseases, endocrine diseases (notably diabetes), diseases of the circulatory system (notably ischaemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease, in males), and diseases of the digestive system (notably cirrhosis of the liver) exceeded expected mortality. Fewer than expected deaths were due to malignant neoplasms (notably lung cancer and chronic bronchitis); proportional mortality ratios for cancer were lower for Hindu groups than for Moslems and were lowest for Punjabis. Mortality due to ischaemic heart disease, high in all groups, was highest in Moslems. Significantly more Punjabi males died from cerebrovascular disease and cirrhosis of the liver. Diabetes was commonest among Gujaratis. The variation seen in the patterns of mortality in the different ethnic groups indicates the need for further epidemiological and health service research centred on these communities.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Soft tissue sarcomas in agriculture and forestry workers.

The National Cancer Register maintained by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS) was used to investigate the relative risks of soft tissue sarcomas among farmers, agricultural workers, and related occupational groups. The relative risk for the group as a whole was 1.15 (95% confidence limits 0.83-1.59). One of the four subgroups (which comprises farmers, farm managers, and market gardeners) experienced a relative risk of 1.7 which just achieves significance at the 5% level (95% confidence limits 1.00-2.88). The risks in the other three subgroups were respectively 1.0 (agricultural workers, 003), 0.7 (gardeners and groundsmen, 005), and 1.0 (foresters and woodmen, 006). No attempt has been made in this study to determine exposure to phenoxy herbicides in cases or controls. The significance of these findings is discussed.

Adolescent↗