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Biomedical subjects

R Hingson

Publications and source records attributed to R Hingson.

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

Survey of AIDS knowledge and behavior changes among Massachusetts adults.

In October 1987, 1,323 Massachusetts residents were randomly interviewed by telephone to explore their exposure to AIDS educational efforts, levels of knowledge about AIDS, and whether that knowledge modified their behavior. Gay/bisexual males, iv drug users and heterosexual respondents were compared as were blacks, Hispanics, and whites. While 81% of respondents had read or heard mass media stories about AIDS, in the previous week, only 5% had ever been counseled about AIDS by a physician. Over 97% of black (N = 152) and white respondents (N = 1,057), as well as gay/bisexual males (N = 21) and iv drug users (N = 33) were aware that HIV can be transmitted by homosexual or heterosexual intercourse and by sharing needles when injecting drugs. However, 9% of the 55 Hispanics interviewed were unaware of male homosexual transmission, and 7% did not know about heterosexual transmission or the risks of needle sharing. Twenty percent of Hispanics, compared with 9% of other respondents, did not know HIV can be transmitted sexually by someone who appears healthy. Fifty-two percent of gay/bisexual males, 27% of iv drug users, and 21% of those who had multiple heterosexual partners in recent years reported adopting abstinence, monogamous relations, or condom use to avoid HIV exposure. Those who continued risky behavior were just as knowledgeable about HIV transmission, but they were less likely to report that they worry a great deal about getting AIDS, 14% vs 32%. The results indicate that new strategies and resources are needed to educate Hispanics. Physicians need to counsel more persons about HIV transmission and further efforts are needed to translate knowledge about HIV transmission into behavior change to avoid the virus.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1988

Alcohol as a risk factor for drownings: a review of the literature (1950-1985).

We identified 36 English language studies (1950-1985) on alcohol and drownings. The majority of these were descriptive, reporting on the percent of drowning victims positive for alcohol upon autopsy. Most studies fell into one of three categories: Type A--complete ascertainment, duration of submergence specified; Type B--complete ascertainment, duration of submergence unspecified; Type C--partial ascertainment. Among Type A studies, percent of positives for alcohol ranged from 29% to 47%. Among Type B studies, percents ranged from 15% to 69%. Among Type C studies, percents ranged from 18% to 86%. We conclude that (1) between 25% and 50% of adult drowning victims have been exposed to alcohol and that (2) without data on the frequency of alcohol consumption among non-victims engaged in aquatic activities, the causal role of alcohol in drownings is uncertain. Suggestions for further research are offered.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Repeal of the Massachusetts seat belt law.

In November 1986, the Massachusetts mandatory seat belt use law repealed in a referendum by a 53 per cent to 47 per cent vote. In an anonymous random digit telephone survey of 1,046 adults in Massachusetts in summer 1986, while the law was in effect, 61 per cent of respondents had said they would vote in favor of the law. A post-repeal follow-up of 80 per cent of these persons revealed initial supporters and opponents of the law were equally likely to vote, but 15 per cent of the summer supporters switched their opinions and voted for repeal, compared to only 4 per cent of summer opponents who switched. In addition, a separate survey of 167 households that had refused to answer the summer survey indicated that survey nonrespondents were more likely to vote against the law than for it. Those opposing the law saw it as an infringement on personal liberty and believed it was not effective in reducing injury and death.

Choice Behavior↗
PubMed1988

Cocaine use during pregnancy: prevalence and correlates.

Cocaine use during pregnancy was assessed by interviews and urine assays obtained prenatally and immediately postpartum from 679 urban women enrolled in prenatal care. Of these, 17% were found to have used cocaine at least once during pregnancy. Eight percent had urine assays positive for cocaine metabolites using the enzyme-mediated immunoassay technique with a cut-off of 300 ng/mL of benzoylecgonine. Of the cocaine users, 24% denied use at the time of the interview and were identified solely by urine assay. Cocaine users were significantly (P less than .01) less likely than nonusers to be married, Hispanic, or black born outside of the United States and were less well nourished. Users reported significantly (P less than .01) more sexually transmitted diseases, prior low birth weight infants, spontaneous and elective abortions, and greater use of alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, opiates, and other illicit drugs during pregnancy. Because cocaine use is correlated with many potential risk factors, large sample sizes and multivariate statistical techniques are needed to determine whether cocaine use during pregnancy poses an independent risk for adverse neonatal outcomes.

Boston↗
PubMed1987

Alcohol as a risk factor for injury or death resulting from accidental falls: a review of the literature.

An examination of the English language literature published from 1950 to 1985 on the subject of alcohol consumption and falls yielded 21 studies. Those identified represented four types. Type I studies examined alcohol exposure among fall cases. The percentage of fatal falls related to alcohol exposure ranged from 21 to 77%; for nonfatal falls the range was 17-53%. Among Type II studies comparing fatal falls among alcoholics to the standard population, ratios of observed to expected deaths ranged from 2.9 to 16. Type III studies compared blood alcohol levels (BALs) of fall patients and disease patients treated medically. Those studies yielded odds ratios from 2.5 to 10. In the single Type IV study comparing BALs of fall subjects with nonfall controls relative risks were 1 (BALs, 50-100 mg/dl), 3 (BALs, 100-150 mg/dl) and 60 (BALs, greater than 160 mg/dl). We conclude that there is substantial evidence that alcohol increases risks for falls, but that more case-control studies (Type IV) are required to evaluate the exact magnitude of this risk and intervention studies are needed to assess methods to reduce the risk.

Accidental Falls↗
PubMed1987

Effects of Maine's 1981 and Massachusetts' 1982 driving-under-the-influence legislation.

In 1981, Maine passed a drunk driving law with mandatory penalties and a new civil charge to increase the conviction rate. One year later, Massachusetts increased drunk driving penalties, particularly for repeat offenders and intoxicated drivers involved in fatal crashes. In Maine, single-vehicle nighttime fatal crashes declined 22 per cent the year before passage of the law, and 33 per cent the year after. Maine's rates returned to pre-law levels by the third post-law year. Prior to Massachusetts' new law, single-vehicle nighttime and overall fatal crashes there also declined 20% and 22%, whereas after this law fatal crash rates did not decline further compared with the pre-law year or other New England states. Pre- and post-law surveys indicate that both laws were followed by some increases in public perceptions that drunk drivers stopped by police would be arrested, convicted, and receive automatic penalties. But, few believed it was very likely that drunk drivers would be stopped. For only two of three years studied after Maine's law did more people there report decisions not to drive because they had drunk too much. In Massachusetts, reported driving after heavy drinking declined as much the year before as the three years after its law.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1987

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and adolescents: knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors.

Adolescents are a group at high risk for exposure to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Results of a random-sample survey of 860 adolescents 16 to 19 years of age, in Massachusetts indicate that many adolescents are still misinformed or confused about AIDS and AIDS transmission. Of the adolescent respondents, 70% said they were sexually active (having sexual intercourse or other sexual contact) but only 15% of them reported changing their sexual behavior because of concern about contracting AIDS, and only 20% of those who changed their behavior used effective methods. Of both sexually active and nonactive adolescents, 8% did not know that AIDS is transmitted by heterosexual sexual intercourse. Psychoactive drugs other than alcohol and marijuana had been used by 13% of those responding, and 1% reported injecting drugs. Of those psychoactive drug users, 8% did not know that AIDS can be transmitted by injecting drugs. There was no significant difference in knowledge between the sexually active and nonactive adolescents concerning sexual behavior and AIDS transmission or between the drug users and nonusers concerning drug use and AIDS transmission. The majority of respondents knew a relationship exists between AIDS and blood, and other body fluids, but knowledge of the mode of transmission was limited. Hence, many adolescents, including those in the highest risk subgroups of sexually active or psychoactive drug users, did not know what sexual and drug precautions are needed to prevent transmission of the virus. School systems and health care providers should systematically educate this population about AIDS to counter the current misinformation and confusion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1986

Maternal marijuana use and neonatal outcome: uncertainty posed by self-reports.

To assess the validity of self-reported marijuana use during pregnancy, this study randomly allocated pregnant women into a group who were told their urine would be tested for marijuana, alcohol, and other drugs and another group not so tested. Women told they would be tested reported more marijuana use during pregnancy than did untested women. Moreover, urine assays identified more women who used marijuana during pregnancy than were willing to admit it in the interview even after being told their urine would be tested. No differences in reported drinking or cigarette smoking during pregnancy were found between tested and untested women.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Impact of maternal work outside the home during pregnancy on neonatal outcome.

The impact of mothers' work during pregnancy upon neonatal outcome has not been fully elucidated. A study of maternal health habits and neonatal outcome conducted from 1977 to 1979 at Boston City Hospital assessed the effects of paid work outside the home during pregnancy, particularly third trimester work in a standing position, upon duration of gestation and intrauterine growth, while controlling for potentially confounding variables. Postpartum, 1,690 low-income women were interviewed to provide detailed information on their sociodemographic and health characteristics. Of the 1,507 women whose work status during pregnancy could be classified, 55% did not perform paid work outside the home or attend school, 7% worked into the third trimester in a standing position, and 38% had other work histories or attended school. Infants were examined according to a standard protocol by pediatricians blind to mothers' work history. There was no significant relationship between the mothers' work history during pregnancy and the infants' length of gestation, weight, or head circumference at birth, when confounding variables were controlled statistically by multiple regression analyses. However, women who worked in a standing position into the third trimester delivered infants who were longer than infants born either to mothers with other work histories or to mothers who did not work or attend school. Healthy women with uncomplicated low-risk pregnancies who feel well enough to attend school or work during pregnancy, even in a job requiring some standing, may do so without fear that their infant will suffer shortened gestation or impaired intrauterine growth.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Neonatal outcome: is adolescent pregnancy a risk factor?

It has been widely reported that adolescent mothers are more likely to experience poor pregnancy outcome, especially low-birth-weight and/or premature infants. Recent data suggest that this poor outcome may be attributed to confounding health and social characteristics of adolescent mothers. A study of maternal health and neonatal development at Boston City Hospital provided an opportunity to assess whether adolescent mothers deliver infants with poorer outcomes at birth than nonadolescents independent of numerous social and health differences between adolescent and nonadolescent mothers. A total of 275 infants of primiparous adolescents (aged 13 to 18 years) were compared at birth with 423 infants of primiparous nonadolescents. Size at birth, length of gestation, Apgar scores, and birth trauma were examined. The only statistically significant difference between the two groups was that adolescent mothers delivered infants whose mean weight was 94 g less (P less than .03) than infants of nonadolescent mothers. Multiple and logistic regression analyses demonstrated that several health and social factors, but not adolescent status, were independently associated with the measures of adverse infant outcome. A subsequent regression analysis demonstrated similarly that being a younger adolescent (16 years and younger) did not independently predict low birth weight at delivery or other measured adverse neonatal outcomes. These data support the view that health and social factors are more important to poor fetal outcome among primiparous mothers than adolescent status. Some of the health factors are amenable to clinical intervention.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Maternal cigarette smoking, psychoactive substance use, and infant Apgar scores.

A study of 1,709 mother/child pairs at Boston City Hospital examined whether maternal cigarette smoking, drinking, or the use of other psychoactive substances was associated with low infant Apgar scores. The potential confounding effects of other labor and delivery risks were controlled in the analysis. In contrast to previous reports, univariate and stepwise multiple regression analyses did not identify a significant negative association between cigarette smoking and 1- or 5-minute Apgar scores. None of the substance use variables was significantly associated with low infant Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes. Other labor and delivery risks, such as short length of gestation, abnormal delivery presentation, placental abnormalities, nuchal cord, and exposure to general anesthesia during delivery, were associated with low Apgar scores.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Bendectin and fetal development. A study of Boston City Hospital.

As part of a prospective study investigating maternal characteristics and habits during pregnancy and their impact on fetal development, 1,690 mother/infant pairs were studied. Of the mothers, 375 reported using Bendectin during pregnancy. Multivariate analyses examining birth weight, length, head circumference, gestational age, and congenital malformations as dependent variables demonstrated no associations between Bendectin exposure and adverse fetal outcome.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗
PubMed1982

Social and psychologic correlates of problem drinking in old age.

A study of the drinking behavior of 928 noninstitutional residents of Boston, aged 60 or older, showed that 53 per cent drinks; and 6 per cent, two or more drinks. Nine subjects (1 per cent) were self-reported problem drinkers, and another 31 (3 per cent) reported that drinking had diminished the quality of their lives. Problem drinkers and those with alcohol-related problems were likely to be young-old native-born men. They were less likely to be satisfied with their relationships with family members, spouses, and close friends. All problem drinkers had long-term drinking problems. Most had sought treatment, but only one was being treated at the time of the study. The data suggest that current theories do not adequately explain late-life problem drinking and that current initiatives do not adequately address the needs of the elderly population at large.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Effects of maternal drinking and marijuana use on fetal growth and development.

A study of 1,690 mother/child pairs at Boston City Hospital was conducted to assess the impact of maternal alcohol consumption on fetal development when confounding variables were controlled. Level of maternal drinking prior to pregnancy was associated with shorter duration of gestation. Lower maternal weight change, history of maternal illnesses, cigarette smoking, and marijuana use, however, were more consistently related to adverse fetal growth and development. New findings in this study include a negative association between maternal marijuana use during pregnancy and fetal growth. Also when confounding variables were controlled, women who used marijuana during pregnancy were five times more likely to deliver infants with features considered compatible with the fetal alcohol syndrome.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗