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Biomedical subjects

S J Sherman

Publications and source records attributed to S J Sherman.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Parent educational attainment and adolescent cigarette smoking.

In a longitudinal design, this study examined psychosocial mediators of the effects of parental educational attainment on adolescent smoking acquisition and also examined whether smoking transition had different antecedents among adolescents from families of varying educational backgrounds. Parents' low educational attainment acted as a moderate to strong risk factor for the initial onset of smoking among middle school girls. Some of this effect was mediated by the higher smoking prevalence among both parents and friends of these adolescent girls, as well as by their lowered expectations for academic success. However, these variables only partially mediated the effect of parent education. There were few indications of differential antecedents of smoking acquisition among adolescents from less and more highly educated families. Implications for public health antismoking campaigns are discussed.

Achievement↗
PubMed1992

Information selection and use in hypothesis testing: what is a good question, and what is a good answer?

The process of hypothesis testing entails both information selection (asking questions) and information use (drawing inferences from the answers to those questions). We demonstrate that although subjects may be sensitive to diagnosticity in choosing which questions to ask, they are insufficiently sensitive to the fact that different answers to the same question can have very different diagnosticities. This can lead subjects to overestimate or underestimate the information in the answers they receive. This phenomenon is demonstrated in two experiments using different kinds of inferences (category membership of individuals and composition of sampled populations). In combination with certain information-gathering tendencies, demonstrated in a third experiment, insensitivity to answer diagnosticity can contribute to a tendency toward preservation of the initial hypothesis. Results such as these illustrate the importance of viewing hypothesis-testing behavior as an interactive, multistage process that includes selecting questions, interpreting data, and drawing inferences.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Nonstress test assessment of twins.

Twin pregnancies have higher perinatal morbidity and mortality rates than singleton pregnancies. Researchers have demonstrated that one major benefit of prenatal care in the twin gestation is reduced fetal death rate. This study to determine the relationship of nonstress tests (NSTs) to pregnancy outcome in twin gestations comprised 665 women who delivered at Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Women's Hospital from January 1985 to January 1989. These patients, all of whom had prenatal care (PNC), were subdivided into two groups: (1) PNC and NSTs and (2) PNC and no NSTs. The groups did not differ statistically with regard to gravidity, parity and abortions. NSTs were selectively done on twin gestations complicated by discordancy or other fetal/maternal complications. Ten pregnancies were complicated by fetal demise of one or both twins in patients who received prenatal care without NSTs. Among the NST group there was one fetal demise. Although the NST group had fewer fetal deaths, the reduction was not statistically significant (P = .062). Infant birth weight was identified as a confounder because the NST group had a statistically higher mean birth weight. Definitive proof of the ability of NSTs to reduce the fetal death rate in twin gestations complicated by discordancy or other pregnancy complications awaits a large, prospective, randomized trial.

Female↗
PubMed1992

The natural history of cigarette smoking and young adult social roles.

The relation between cigarette smoking (in adolescence and adulthood) and the occupancy of conventional adult social roles was investigated in the current study. Two alternative predictions for this relation were examined--"role incompatibility" (which predicts a negative relation between adolescent smoking and adult role occupancy) and "pseudomaturity" (which predicts a positive relation between adolescent smoking and adult role occupancy). Processes of role selection and role socialization were examined using data from a longitudinal study of smoking from adolescence to young adulthood. Both pseudomaturity and role incompatibility predictions found some support in the data, and the two views could be reconciled by considering the student role as the key transition into other adult statuses. Implications for the study of social roles and substance use are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Identifying the obstetric patient at high risk of multiple-unit blood transfusions.

We sought to characterize the obstetric patient who required more than the 1 or 2 units of blood products typically available by autologous donation. Medical records from 1988 were reviewed retrospectively. During this period, 16,462 deliveries were performed. Twenty-seven patients (0.16%) received more than 2 units of blood products during their pregnancies. The most common diagnoses associated with a transfusion were placenta previa (10), uterine atony (8) and abruption (5). Platelets, fresh frozen plasma and cryoprecipitate were administered to 7, 12 and 4 patients, respectively. An antepartum condition associated with hemorrhage was identified in only 11 of the 27 patients (41%) who received greater than or equal to 3 units of blood products. The remainder of the cases were not diagnosed during the antepartum period, when autologous donation is an option.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

An evaluation of antenatal fetal acoustic stimulation.

Fetal heart rate reactivity was evaluated following acoustic stimulation testing (AST). The AST and NST (non-stress test) were compared with regards to certain adverse perinatal outcome criteria, and in a selected sample of cases, to other surveillance tests. These tests were the oxytocin challenge test (OCT) and biophysical profile (BPP). 479 tests were performed on 240 high-risk patients. The AST significantly increased fetal heart rate reactivity. With regards adverse perinatal outcome criteria, there was no significant difference between the AST and NST in relation to sensitivity, specificity or predictive values. In the 38 patients with both non-reactive NSTs and reactive ASTs, 5 (13.5%) had immediate follow-up surveillance tests (OCTs and/or BPPs) that were non-reassuring and necessitated delivery. In four of the five cases, there was evidence of potential fetal compromise. These preliminary observations suggest that the AST may have evoked reactivity in fetuses with early compromise, and raise concerns about replacing the NST with the AST as a primary screening test of fetal well-being.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1991

Bilateral ectopic gestations.

Bilateral ectopic gestations are a rare form of double ovum pregnancy. The following case report of a patient with a ruptured ectopic gestation of the left fallopian tube and an unruptured ectopic gestation of the right fallopian tube is presented to demonstrate the importance of thoroughly examining the entire pelvis at the time of exploratory laparotomy undertaken for suspicion of ectopic pregnancy.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Four pathways to young-adult smoking status: adolescent social-psychological antecedents in a midwestern community sample.

Evaluated the ability of social-psychological factors, measured in adolescence, to predict young-adult smoking outcomes. Results showed substantial continuity in the antecedents of adolescent and young-adult smoking but important discontinuities as well. Beliefs in the negative social consequences of smoking and beliefs about academic success and independence were important to adolescent but not to adult smoking. Conversely, beliefs in the negative health consequences of smoking were more important to adult smoking than to adolescent smoking. Results also showed an appreciable amount of smoking onset after the high school years, as well as an appreciable amount of adolescent smoking that did not persist into young adulthood. Antecedents of late-onset smoking and of nonpersistent smoking are described.

Achievement↗
PubMed1990

The natural history of cigarette smoking: predicting young-adult smoking outcomes from adolescent smoking patterns.

Assessed the magnitude of risk that adolescent cigarette smoking carries for adult smoking. Using a longitudinal, prospective design, results indicate that even infrequent experimentation in adolescence significantly raises the risk for adult smoking and that regular (at least monthly) adolescent smoking raises the risk for adult smoking by a factor of 16 compared to nonsmoking adolescents. Relative risk was also increased by an early onset of smoking and by a stable, uninterrupted course from experimentation to regular smoking. Relative risk did not significantly vary by age or sex. The continuity of smoking behavior between adolescence and adulthood supports the importance of primary prevention programs directed at adolescent populations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Social cognition.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Cognition↗
PubMed1989

Adolescent smokeless tobacco use: future research needs.

Future research needs in the area of adolescent smokeless tobacco use are addressed, based on the studies reported in this volume covering methodologic issues and substantive directions. In addition, we outline some implications for developing preventive interventions to deter smokeless tobacco use among adolescents.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

The social image of smokeless tobacco use in three different types of teenagers.

The current study used an unobtrusive methodology to describe the social image associated with smokeless tobacco use and with cigarette smoking in three "types" of teenage models--an athlete, a cowboy, and an average teenager. As in previous research, the social image associated with smokeless tobacco use was more positive than that associated with cigarette smoking, suggesting that adopting smokeless tobacco use may have perceived social image benefits for adolescent males. The image conveyed by smokeless tobacco use was similar across the three different types of adolescent. Relations between social image factors and tobacco use behavior were examined, and implications for tobacco use prevention are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

The changing smoking environment for middle and high school students: 1980-1983.

Cultural-historical changes in smoking prevalence and in smoking-related attitudes and beliefs were examined as part of a cohort-sequential study of 6th- to 12th-grade midwestern adolescents (N = 8681) between 1980 and 1983. Smoking prevalence decreased over the 4 years for the younger cohorts and remained unchanged for high school students. Paradoxically, however, some specific beliefs and attitudes about smoking (including health beliefs) became less negative with time. It is suggested that continuing negative social beliefs about smoking are supporting declines in smoking prevalence among younger cohorts. Implications of these cultural-historical changes for smoking behavior and smoking control are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Computed tomography appearance of adrenal vein thrombosis.

The computed tomography appearance of adrenal hemorrhage secondary to adrenal vein thrombosis is illustrated. The lesion appeared radiolucent, with a small focal calcification, mimicking an adrenal adenoma. Hypercoagulopathy was an underlying factor in this patient with myelofibrosis and chronic myelogenous leukemia.

Adrenal Gland Diseases↗
PubMed1987

Recurrent psoas abscess.

Recurrence of a psoas abscess in exactly the same location is very unusual--in fact, we found no other reports in the literature. Laparotomy performed after the patient presented with the second abscess revealed an impacted calculus and diverticulitis of the appendix as the cause. Computed tomography was effective in establishing the diagnosis, but the question of the best method of treatment remains. Percutaneous drainage was insufficient in this case.

Abdomen↗