SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “MASSACHUSETTS”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed2001

Epidemiology of congenital toxoplasmosis identified by population-based newborn screening in Massachusetts.

BACKGROUND: Fourteen years of newborn screening in Massachusetts for congenital toxoplasmosis infection identified subpopulations that appeared to have higher rates of infection. Elaborating an epidemiologic profile and risk correlates might aid implementing targeted prenatal education and newborn screening strategies with the goal of early postnatal treatment to prevent morbidity. OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiology of congenital toxoplasmosis in Massachusetts and risk correlates of infection using birth certificate data. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted based on Massachusetts birth certificate data. Cases were all infants with congenital toxoplasmosis identified by statewide universal newborn screening from 1988 to 1999. Controls were all children born on the same day as those infants in Massachusetts. RESULTS: Factors that strongly predicted congenital toxoplasmosis infection were mother's country of birth outside the US (especially the southeast Asian refugee origin countries of Cambodia and Laos), mother's educational level and higher gravidity. CONCLUSIONS: More extensive, culturally and linguistically appropriate, prenatal education is needed for pregnant women, regardless of a mother's educational level, especially for non-US-born mothers, and not focused only on primiparous women. Other states may be able to use their state-specific birth certificate data to compare risk profiles with those of Massachusetts to guide a toxoplasmosis screening policy on the basis of population similarities and differences.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Arrests and incarceration of injection drug users for syringe possession in Massachusetts: implications for HIV prevention.

Multiperson use of syringes is a major risk behavior responsible for the spread of HIV-1 among injection drug users (IDUs). In Massachusetts, two laws regulate syringes: one is a prescription law prohibiting possession or purchase of syringes without a prescription, and the other makes it illegal to possess drug paraphernalia, including syringes. In 1993, Massachusetts amended the prescription law to permit the establishment of syringe exchange programs in two cities. Enrolled participants are allowed to possess syringes anywhere in the state, and about 5% of the estimated 40,000 IDUs in Massachusetts are program participants. To understand how HIV prevention efforts with active IDUs may be constrained by the enforcement of laws criminalizing possession of syringes after the amendment in the law, we reviewed data from multiple sources to assess the number of arrests for syringe possession in 10 large cities in Massachusetts to evaluate incarceration rates and lengths of sentences for those convicted of syringe possession and to estimate costs of incarceration for those convicted of syringe possession. At least 824 persons were arrested for syringe possession in 1995. In examining the data on convictions, we found that 417 persons were convicted in 1994 of syringe possession in the absence of other serious charges, and of these, 41.0% were sentenced to incarceration. The average sentence imposed was 5 months (range, 3 days-2 years). Assuming that those convicted serve about two thirds of their sentences, the cost of incarceration was estimated at $1,140,183 excluding costs for arrest, pretrial detention, prosecution, or other costs of enforcement. Costs for incarcerating persons convicted of both syringe and drug possession were not included; the total cost of incarceration of persons convicted of possession of a syringe, with or without other major charges, is probably considerably higher. Had these funds been allocated to pay for drug treatment, 1629 admissions to drug detoxification programs could have been purchased. Retaining drug paraphernalia and syringe prescription laws in Massachusetts may contribute to HIV transmission. These findings support the recommendation of the American Medical Association to modify drug paraphernalia laws so that IDUs can purchase and possess syringes without a prescription.

Boston↗

PubMed2002

Decreased youth tobacco use in Massachusetts 1996 to 1999: evidence of tobacco control effectiveness.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate tobacco control in Massachusetts through examining trends in youth tobacco use from 1996 to 1999. DESIGN: Data are from the 1996 and 1999 Massachusetts Prevalence Study survey of public school students in the state. PARTICIPANTS: Participants consisted of 6800 (1996) and 6980 (1999) students in Massachusetts public school grades 6-12 (approximate ages 11-18 years). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcomes are changes in lifetime and current (past month) cigarette, cigar, and smokeless tobacco. RESULTS: In grades 7-12, there were significant decreases in lifetime (48.3% to 41.9%) and current (30.7% to 23.7%) cigarette use, smokeless tobacco use (lifetime 16.5% to 9.9%; current 4.55 to 2.6%), and current cigar use (12.2% to 8.6%). Decreases occurred for both male and female 7-8th graders. In grades 9-12 decreases were somewhat greater for females than males. Trends for grades 8, 10, and 12 were compared to those seen nationally and in the northeast region in the Monitoring the Future study. For the pooled grades the decreases for cigarettes were greater than those seen nationally or in the northeast region. CONCLUSIONS: Results support the effectiveness of the comprehensive Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program. The increasing tobacco rates in the first half of the 1990s have been dramatically reversed. These results suggest that programme efforts should be supported or even expanded in order to decrease further the state's rates of youth tobacco use. The findings suggest that other states may learn useful lessons from Massachusetts' successes.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Impact of multiple births on low birthweight--Massachusetts, 1989-1996.

In Massachusetts during 1989-1996, perinatal health indicators such as infant mortality, teen birth rate, and maternal smoking during pregnancy decreased steadily; however, low birthweight (LBW) (i.e., <2500 g [<5 lbs, 8 oz]) rates increased consistently. During this same period, the multiple-birth rate (i.e., number of twins and higher order multiple births per 100 live births) increased from 2.5% in 1989 to 3.5% in 1996. Massachusetts has the highest multiple-birth rate in the United States. Multiple births are more likely to result in LBW infants. To determine the effect of changes in the rate of multiple births on LBW rates and to characterize women who have multiple births, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health examined data on births in Massachusetts during 1989-1996. This report summarizes the results of this analysis, which indicate that the increase in LBW rates in Massachusetts was associated with changes in the rate of multiple births, especially among older, better educated women.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Massachusetts high court supports use of civil rights law to bar blockades.

In a 4-3 opinion issued on April 11, the Supreme Judicial Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts affirmed a lower court order preventing anti-choice activists from blocking access to a facility providing abortion counseling or services. Granted under the Massachusetts Civil Rights Act, the injunction also prohibits using force against anyone entering, leaving, or working at such a location (see RFN II/22). Several health care providers and pro-choice organizations obtained a preliminary injunction in 1989 against trespassing or blockading at specific clinics. The following year, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts intervened in the case and was granted a similar statewide order by Superior Court Judge Peter Lauriat. Upholding application of the civil rights statute in this context, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court found that the trial court "properly concluded that the defendants' conduct constituted threats, intimidation, and coercion" of women seeking to exercise their constitutional right to choose abortion. Moreover, the state High Court held that the trial court "did not abuse its discretion in denying disclosure of the identities of the women affected by the defendants' conduct." Anti-choice activists had claimed they needed to question patients to show that blockades--not threats, intimidation, or coercion--caused them to delay their abortion procedures. Congratulations to John Henn of Foley, Hoag and Eliot of Boston, who represented plaintiffs in Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts v. Blake. CRLP's Janet Benshoof, Catherine Albisa, and Priscilla Smith filed an amicus brief in the case (see RFN II/22).

Abortion, Induced↗

PubMed2004

Comparing aspects of mental health legislation of Israel and Massachusetts.

This paper compares the manner in which two sets of mental health laws, that of Massachusetts, U.S.A., and that of the State of Israel, deal with specific areas of civil enforced commitment. The definition of psychiatric disorder that justifies commitment is broader in Massachusetts, in Israel psychosis alone is considered, excluding conditions such as severe non-psychotic depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and anorexia. In Israel, commitment is possible only when there is a risk of danger that is immediate. In Massachusetts, only a judge can make decisions beyond the first four days, while in Israel they are made by a District Psychiatrist. Unlike Massachusetts, there is no possibility of enforced commitment of alcoholics or drug addicts in Israel, even in the presence of impaired judgement and severe family distress. The changing trends are presented, as Israel seems to be drawing slowly toward the Massachusetts position in some of these issues. The role of consumers in these processes is considered, as is the possibility of enforced commitment of people with severe personality disorders.

Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Overview of causes and costs of injuries in Massachusetts: a methodology for analysis of state data.

Massachusetts has developed the first State profile of the causes and costs of injury based on the national study, "Cost of Injury in the United States: A Report to Congress." Incidence of fatal injuries is based on Massachusetts data; nonfatal hospitalized injuries, on Massachusetts age and sex rates and U.S. cause data; and nonhospitalized injuries, on U.S. rates applied to Massachusetts census data. Lifetime costs per injured person are based on national data adjusted for higher personal health care expenditures and for higher mean annual earnings in Massachusetts. The estimated total lifetime cost for the 1.4 million injuries that occurred in 1989 is $4.4 billion--$1.7 billion for health care and $2.7 billion for lost earnings. Injuries attributed to motor vehicles and falls account for more than half of the total cost. The other cause categories are poisonings, fire-burns, firearms, drowings-near drownings, and other. For every person who dies from an injury, 17 people are hospitalized, and an estimated 535 people require outpatient treatment, consultation, or restricted activity. Development of a State-based cost report can be useful in monitoring the contribution of injuries to health status and in planning effective injury prevention strategies in a community-based health care system. The methodology described in this paper can be replicated by other States through accessing their State-specific mortality and hospital discharge data bases.

Accidents, Traffic↗

PubMed1998

Do pediatricians counsel families about sun protection?: a Massachusetts survey.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric visits during summer months may be especially opportune times for sun protection counseling for children and their parents. Few data exist on the extent of such counseling. OBJECTIVE: To begin to assess this, we surveyed practicing Massachusetts pediatricians to examine current attitudes and practices of sun protection counseling. DESIGN AND SETTING: Surveys mailed to Massachusetts pediatricians. RESULTS: We received surveys from 756 (60%) of 1263 eligible Massachusetts pediatricians. Almost 70% indicated that they recommended safe sun practices to more than 50% of their patients and their parents during the summer months. Counseling regarding seat belt use, bicycle helmet use, and smoking prevention were ranked higher in priority than sun protection counseling by pediatricians; nutritional guidelines were noted by pediatricians to be a parent's most frequent concern. Four variables were independently associated with a practitioner's providing safe sun recommendations to more than 50% of parents and children: (1) private setting and health maintenance organization practitioners as opposed to academic physicians, (2) high ranking of patients' safe sun knowledge, (3) high priorities of both parents and physicians for sun protection counseling and parental knowledge of safe sun practices relative to other recommendations, and (4) pediatrician interest in receiving instructional materials. CONCLUSIONS: For the most part, summer sun protection counseling among Massachusetts pediatricians seems well integrated into standard practice. Most pediatricians rated their confidence level as high for discussing sun protection and only a few cited inadequate training or poor reimbursement as barriers toward improved counseling. Small steps, such as providing more instructional materials to patients and using office-based reminder systems, may improve the quality of sun protection counseling practices. Incorporating sunburn prevention into the list of routinely recommended injury prevention guidelines for pediatricians should be considered.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Designing an effective statewide tobacco control program--Massachusetts.

Smoking-related illnesses kill > 10,000 Massachusetts residents each year and cost hundreds of millions of dollars of public and private expenditures for health care. To combat this public health problem, in 1992 Massachusetts voters approved a referendum question calling for an increased excise tax on tobacco products, with the revenue supporting a Health Protection Fund. Approximately 40% of the fund is used to finance the Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program (MTCP), administered by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. During the first 3 fiscal years (FY), the MTCP budget has averaged just over $40 million annually, declining during that period from approximately $43 million in FY 1995 to < $37 million in FY 1997.

Communication↗

PubMed2005

The knowledge gap in expanded newborn screening: survey results from paediatricians in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts currently offers an optional expanded newborn screening programme that tests for 20 biochemical genetic disorders in addition to the mandated newborn screening tests, including phenylketonuria (PKU) and nine other biochemical genetic disorders. We conducted a mail survey of 550 paediatricians listed in the 2000 Massachusetts Healthcare Directory to determine paediatricians' preparedness in discussing expanded newborn screening and its results with families, and to determine in what specific format physicians in Massachusetts would prefer to receive educational materials and updates. Of surveys mailed, 35% (190/550) were returned within the allotted 3 weeks: 25 paediatricians (14%) were unaware of expanded newborn screening; 78 respondents (42%) indicated feeling less than prepared talking about test results with families; 100 paediatricians (54%) indicated a lack of information about metabolic disorders; 134 (73%) preferred information sent in postal mailings, 62 (34%) preferred grand rounds, 60 (33%) preferred educational seminars, and 58 (32%) preferred websites. Other formats receiving preferences of less than 30% included e-mail (27%), phone calls (8%), video (6%), and distance learning (1%). Paediatricians are ill-prepared for expanded newborn screening for biochemical genetic disorders. To address this problem, paediatricians in Massachusetts indicated a preference for unsolicited periodic mailings including short reviews and brochures.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed2005

The effects of a National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program on social disparities in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment in Massachusetts.

OBJECTIVE: To assess social disparities in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment by comparing the stage at diagnosis and treatment of women diagnosed with breast cancer through a National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) for low income and uninsured women in Massachusetts, the Women's Health Network (WHN), to other breast cancer patients in the state. METHODS: We linked data from the WHN and the Massachusetts Cancer Registry (MCR). We compared 331 WHN women and 13,372 other breast cancer patients in Massachusetts diagnosed from 1995 to 1999. We used logistic regression, controlling for age, race/ethnicity, marital status, region of residence, and stage, where appropriate. RESULTS: Compared to other breast cancer patients reported to the MCR, WHN women were just as likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage (III or IV), treated with surgery, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy, and treated with complete mastectomy versus partial mastectomy. WHN women were less likely to receive radiation therapy (odds ratio = 0.7; 95% confidence interval = 0.6-0.9), particularly after partial mastectomy, and had a slightly longer time from diagnosis to treatment than other breast cancer patients (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Women diagnosed with breast cancer through a NBCCEDP in Massachusetts had similar stage and treatment patterns as other breast cancer patients in the state, except for the use of radiation therapy.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Policies and practices related to breastfeeding in massachusetts: hospital implementation of the ten steps to successful breastfeeding.

BACKGROUND: Hospital policies and practices related to breastfeeding may have long-term health effects. The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding (WHO/UNICEF) provide an evidence-based standard, which may be used to assess individual hospitals. We assessed implementation, and factors related to implementation, of the Ten Steps in Massachusetts hospitals. METHODS: We surveyed postpartum nurse managers at 43 (88%) of the 49 Massachusetts maternity hospitals by telephone. Survey items characterized hospital policies, breastfeeding education, and support practices. We classified hospital implementation of the Ten Steps as high, moderately high, partial, or low and used Massachusetts Department of Public Health hospital data to analyze factors related to implementation. RESULTS: Levels of implementation of the Ten Steps ranged from high to partial. Overall, we classified implementation of 2% of hospitals as high, 58% moderately high, 40% partial, and 0% as low. Hospitals with high/moderately high levels of implementation significantly differed from hospitals with partial implementation with respect to pacifier usage (p=0.0017) and postpartum breastfeeding instruction (p=0.0001). Requirement of a physician order for formula was a statistically significant (p=0.02) predictor of Step 1 implementation but did not reach significance (p=0.14) overall. Acceptance of free formula was significantly associated (p=0.03) with overall Ten Steps implementation. CONCLUSION: Rates of self-reported implementation of the Ten Steps are relatively high in Massachusetts. Step 1 implementation is significantly associated with formula availability, and overall implementation with acceptance of free formula. Continued assessment is needed to confirm these results in larger samples and to examine the relationship of implementation of individual steps, breastfeeding rates, and health outcomes.

Breast Feeding↗

PubMed2006

Trends in opioid-related fatal overdoses in Massachusetts, 1990-2003.

UNLABELLED: Since 1997, poisoning, particularly from heroin and other opioids, has been the leading cause of injury mortality in Massachusetts. Our aim was to describe recent trends in opioid-related poisoning deaths among Massachusetts residents. METHODS: Massachusetts death files for the years 1990-2003, as coded by International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision and International Classification of Disease, Tenth Revision, were used to identify all poisoning deaths and opioid-related poisoning deaths; rates were age-adjusted and grouped by year, sex, and race/ethnicity. RESULTS: From 1990 to 2003, opioid-related fatal poisoning rates increased by 529% from 1.4 per 100,000 in 1990 to 8.8 per 100,000 in 2003. The proportion of total poisoning deaths associated with opioids rose from 28% in 1990 to 69% in 2003. CONCLUSIONS: Massachusetts experienced a significant increase in opioid-related poisoning death rates. To guide future public health interventions, further investigation is necessary to better delineate the specific opioids involved, the circumstances surrounding these deaths, and the medical and behavioral health care options available.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1981

The Phoenix and the Eagle: The founding of the Boston and Massachusetts Medical Societies in 1780 and 1781.

In 1780 and 1781, amidst war, revolution, and the building of a nation, Massachusetts experienced a burst of institutional creativity. Out of this came the Boston and Massachusetts medical societies. These societies succeeded in bringing together Boston's diversified and contentious medical men (old and new, Whig and Tory) into an institutionalized and more professionally conscious community of physicians. The Boston Medical Society had a direct role in the founding of the Massachusetts Medical Society and an indirect role in the founding of the Harvard Medical School. The three major early goals of the Massachusetts Medical Society were to examine candidates for medical practice, to promote and disseminate medical and scientific knowledge, and to achieve a sense of collegiality and good will among its members. Boston's physicians during the Revolution benefited greatly from the presence of French military doctors.

Boston↗

PubMed2000

Pollution prevention and the work environment: the Massachusetts experience.

In 1989, Massachusetts enacted the Toxics Use Reduction Act. The Act defined toxics use reduction, also referred to as pollution prevention, as "in-plant changes in production processes or raw materials that reduce, avoid, or eliminate the use of toxic or hazardous substances or generation of hazardous by-product per unit of product ... without shifting risks between workers, consumers or parts of the environment." The investigators sought to understand to what extent worker health and safety concerns have been integrated into toxics use reduction activities and how these activities have affected the work environment. The authors reviewed 35 published case studies of toxics use reduction in Massachusetts companies and interviewed key personnel including the staff of the Massachusetts Office of Technical Assistance for Toxics Use Reduction. Overall, between 1990 and 1997, Massachusetts companies decreased their use of toxic chemicals by 24 percent and decreased their volume of toxic by-product by 41 percent. In almost 50 percent of the cases analyzed, improved worker health and safety was cited as a benefit of the toxic use reduction projects. Solvents were eliminated or reduced in 63 percent of the cases. Forty-six percent of the companies profiled introduced water-based chemicals in place of more volatile ones; and acids and caustics were reduced or eliminated in 20 percent of the cases. The investigators concluded that toxics use reduction activities have resulted in improvements to the work environment, but that such improvements were rarely a direct concern of these efforts, thus creating the potential for new negative worker health and safety impacts and missed opportunities to coordinate environmental and worker health and safety improvements. The authors recommend that technical assistance agencies and companies better integrate worker health and safety issues and pollution prevention activities.

Air Pollution, Indoor↗

PubMed1998

Medication administration in schools: the Massachusetts experience.

In 1991, the School Health Unit of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health defined medication administration as a priority policy development area for school health. The decision was based on: a) the increased numbers of children requiring medications during the school day; b) a lack of consistent standards within Massachusetts schools; c) the need to update an outdated statute concerning psychotropic medications; and d) the more than 50 weekly telephone calls from school health personnel regarding this subject. This article describes the Massachusetts experience of developing medication administration regulations for public and private schools and implementing the regulations throughout the commonwealth. The Massachusetts experience may provide guidance to other states, cities, and towns as they address this important child health issue.

Drug Therapy↗

PubMed2004

Guidelines for managing life-threatening food allergies in Massachusetts schools.

During the past decade, prevalence of food allergies among children increased. Caring for children with life-threatening food allergies has become a major challenge for school personnel. Prior to 2002, Massachusetts did not provide clear guidelines to assist schools in providing a safe environment for these children and preparing for an emergency response to unintended allergic reactions. In 2001, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America/New England Chapter, Massachusetts Department of Education, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Massachusetts School Nurse Organization, parents, and other professional organizations forged a successful collaboration to develop guidelines for managing life- threatening food allergies in schools. The guidelines assist schools by providing information on food allergies and anaphylaxis, emphasizing the need for team planning and development of an individualized health care plan, giving guidance on strategies to prevent accidental exposure to specific allergens in school settings, and offering information on emergency responses should unintended exposures occur. The collaborative process for developing the guidelines, which continued during the distribution and implementation phases, set a tone for successful multidisciplinary teamwork in local schools.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Moderately premature infants at Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in California are discharged home earlier than their peers in Massachusetts and the United Kingdom.

OBJECTIVE: To compare gestational age at discharge between infants born at 30-34(+6) weeks gestational age who were admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in California, Massachusetts, and the United Kingdom. DESIGN: Prospective observational cohort study. SETTING: Fifty four United Kingdom, five California, and five Massachusetts NICUs. SUBJECTS: A total of 4359 infants who survived to discharge home after admission to an NICU. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Gestational age at discharge home. RESULTS: The mean (SD) postmenstrual age at discharge of the infants in California, Massachusetts, and the United Kingdom were 35.9 (1.3), 36.3 (1.3), and 36.3 (1.9) weeks respectively (p = 0.001). Compared with the United Kingdom, adjusted discharge of infants occurred 3.9 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4 to 6.5) days earlier in California, and 0.9 (95% CI -1.2 to 3.0) days earlier in Massachusetts. CONCLUSIONS: Infants of 30-34(+6) weeks gestation at birth admitted and cared for in hospitals in California have a shorter length of stay than those in the United Kingdom. Certain characteristics of the integrated healthcare approach pursued by the health maintenance organisation of the NICUs in California may foster earlier discharge. The California system may provide opportunities for identifying practices for reducing the length of stay of moderately premature infants.

California↗