Biomedical subjects

S Carmel

Publications and source records attributed to S Carmel.

57 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Patterns of drug consumption among ischemic heart disease patients in Israel: subcultural differences.

BACKGROUND AND METHODS: Sociological studies have shown that the process of translating discomfort to physical symptoms and deciding what symptoms require medical treatment is often the result of cultural definitions. Based on Israeli studies in this area, we hypothesized that Eastern-origin Israelis would consume more self-regulated prescription drugs than Western-origin patients. One hundred ischemic heart disease patients were interviewed while waiting for the doctor in hospital out-patient clinics. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Statistically significant differences were found between the two groups in patterns of consumption of sublingual nitrates. These findings raise the question whether such differences pertain also to the use of other kinds of drugs. In view of the important practical implications of this issue for clinical practice and for calculations of cost, further research on culture-based differences in drug consumption is suggested.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Psychosocial factors among members of religious and secular kibbutzim.

Mortality in 11 secular kibbutzim between 1970 and 1985 was nearly twice that of 11 matched religious kibbutzim. A cross-sectional study was undertaken in 1991 in 10 of these settlements, 5 religious and 5 secular, to determine whether differences in risk factors could explain the unequal survival. These comprised physical, physiologic and biochemical measurements, health-relevant behaviors and psychosocial variables. This report addresses the psychosocial aspect of the study, which included assessment of sense of coherence, hostility, satisfaction with self, work-related stress, social supports and social contacts using self-administered questionnaires. The response rate among the sample of men and women, aged 35-64 years, was 76% (437 respondents, 208 men and 229 women). Analysis of variance and logistic regression (the latter comparing the upper or lower fourths of the distribution vs. the rest) were used. Religious kibbutz members reported a higher sense of coherence (odds ratio = 1.58, 95% CI 1.02 to 2.46) and a lower level of hostility (odds ratio = 0.49, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.75) than their secular counterparts. Findings for satisfaction with self and work-related stress were inconsistent; there were significant interactions between religious affiliation, sex and age. Younger women reported less satisfaction with self and higher work-related stress than the other age-sex groups in both types of kibbutz. There was no difference in social support or frequency of social contact between religious and secular kibbutzim. Voluntary work was more frequent among the religious kibbutzim. The findings are consistent with an interpretation that Jewish religious observance may enhance the formation of certain protective personality characteristics. Membership in a cohesive religious kibbutz community may increase host resistance to stressors and thereby promote overall well-being and a positive health status. This could reflect an interplay of individual and collective attributes of religion.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Medical and psychosocial predictors of morbidity and mortality: results of a 26 year follow-up.

This study investigates the extent to which sociodemographic, medical and psychosocial factors measured in 1967 among 1,649 American-born Israelis predict their physical and emotional health status 26 years later. In 1993, mail questionnaires were completed by 673 (40.8%) of the 1967 respondents. Evidence was obtained regarding the death of 204 (12.4%) of the 1967 respondents. The 1967 predictor variables included: sociodemographic characteristics, self-assessed health and medical risk factors, and psychosocial resources. The 1993 outcome variables included a multidimensional measure of health, physical functioning, and emotional well-being. Bivariate and multivariate statistical analyses were used to determine the predictive power of the variables measured in 1967 on the 1993 health outcomes, controlling for potential confounders. These analyses showed that the deceased in 1993 were older than the respondents; in 1967 they had reported more health problems and had more medical risk factors; they also had less formal education, were less likely to be married, and had lower adjustment scores than the respondents. Among the 1993 respondents, the addition of psychosocial variables to the explanation of health outcomes, controlling for sociodemographic and medical risk factors, contributes strongly (13%) to emotional well-being. Their contribution to general health and physical functioning is weak (2 to 3%), but statistically significant. These results show the importance of a multifactorial approach to the long-term prediction of health and illness outcomes.

Adult↗