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PubMedDate not supplied

Vaginal douching practices of women in eight Florida panhandle counties.

OBJECTIVE: To document knowledge, beliefs, douching practices, prevalence of bacterial vaginosis, and preterm births in women who douche. DESIGN: Descriptive, cross-sectional nonexperimental design. SETTING: Six private midwifery/nurse practitioner offices and eight county health departments in the Florida panhandle. PARTICIPANTS: Four hundred eighty-three English- or Spanish-speaking women aged 14 to 45 years. METHODS: Self-administered questionnaire about douching; medical record review. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence of douching, history of preterm labor, preterm births, and prevalence of bacterial vaginosis. RESULTS: Of 483 women, 76% had douched, 43% douched at least once per month, and 36% were unaware they should not douche. As determined by odds ratio, women who douched monthly were 2.5 times more likely to have a history of bacterial vaginosis than women who did not douche (p < .001), and women who douched weekly were 2.75 times more likely to have bacterial vaginosis (p = .004). Of 409 clients with medical records available, 32 had preterm births of which 69% had a history of bacterial vaginosis (x2 = 4.5, df = 1, p = .034). Among women with preterm births who douched regularly prior to pregnancy (n = 14), 87% had a history of bacterial vaginosis (x2 = 7.14, df = 1, p = .008). CONCLUSIONS: Associations of douching with bacterial vaginosis and bacterial vaginosis with preterm labor were significant. Health care professionals should initiate discussions to discourage douching.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Cellulolytic and fermentative guilds in eutrophic soils of the Florida Everglades.

The northern Florida Everglades has been subject to eutrophication in recent years, resulting in well-documented changes in microbial ecology and a shift in the dominant plant species. This study investigated effects of plant quality and eutrophication on activities and composition of cellulolytic and fermentative guilds in soils. Most probable numbers of cellulolytic bacteria in eutrophic (F1) and transition (F4) soils were 10-fold higher than in oligotrophic soils (U3). Higher potential methanogenesis was observed from cellulose in microcosms with soils from F1 and F4, compared to U3 soils. Nutrient status of soil, rather than plant type, was the major factor controlling methanogenesis rates, although numbers of fermentative bacteria were higher in microcosms supplemented with ground cattail (dominant in F1 and F4) than with sawgrass (dominant component of soil in U3), regardless of soil origin. DNA sequence analysis indicated Clostridium assemblage composition correlates with soil nutrient status.

Carbon↗
PubMed2006

Oral health in Florida nursing homes.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to measure the oral health and hygiene status among 265 South Florida nursing home residents aged between 45 and 98 years. METHODS: The oral health and hygiene status of the residents were assessed by noting the presence of calculus, caries, gingivitis, cheilitis, apthous ulcer, dry mouth and red or white lesions. RESULTS: The incidence of nursing home residents with calculus was 79.6% and the remaining 20.4% were edentulous. More than half of residents had oral problems (50.6%) the commonest was gingivitis (36.6%), followed by caries (26%) and tooth fracture (15.9%). Almost half the residents wore dentures (47.2%). Statistical analysis was conducted using analysis of variance (P-values). Ageing of the residents was statistically correlated to a worsening of oral hygiene status (P<0.0066), absence and presence of one or two dentures (P<0.0034) and a loss of teeth (P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The ageing of residents is correlated to increasing oral health problems and the loss of teeth. Oral health neglect affects almost all of the nursing home residents. Care providers should receive education and training from dental hygienists to improve the standard of oral hygiene and health of the elderly.

Age Distribution↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Simulation of submarine ground water discharge to a marine estuary: Biscayne Bay, Florida.

Variable density ground water flow models are rarely used to estimate submarine ground water discharge because of limitations in computer speed, data availability, and availability of a simulation tool that can minimize numerical dispersion. This paper presents an application of the SEAWAT code, which is a combined version of MODFLOW and MT3D, to estimate rates of submarine ground water discharge to a coastal marine estuary. Discharge rates were estimated for Biscayne Bay, Florida, for the period from January 1989 to September 1998 using a three-dimensional, variable density ground water flow and transport model. Hydrologic stresses in the 10-layer model include recharge, evapotranspiration, ground water withdrawals from municipal wellfields, interactions with surface water (canals in urban areas and wetlands in the Everglades), boundary fluxes, and submarine ground water discharge to Biscayne Bay. The model was calibrated by matching ground water levels in monitoring wells, baseflow to canals, and the position of the 1995 salt water intrusion line. Results suggest that fresh submarine ground water discharge to Biscayne Bay may have exceeded surface water discharge during the 1989, 1990, and 1991 dry seasons, but the average discharge for the entire simulation period was only approximately 10% of the surface water discharge to the bay. Results from the model also suggest that tidal canals intercept fresh ground water that might otherwise have discharged directly to Biscayne Bay. This application demonstrates that regional scale variable density models are potentially useful tools for estimating rates of submarine ground water discharge.

Calibration↗
PubMed1984

Competencies of Florida school health educators.

This study examined and compared the importance of specific competencies for bachelor's level and master's level school health educators in Florida. A survey instrument utilizing a five-point scale was administered to 69 respondents to ascertain the importance of 135 competencies in the areas of administration, evaluation, general health knowledge, and communication. Results of the analysis of data indicate that bachelor's level health educators require competencies necessary for the direct delivery of health instruction, while master's level health educators need to possess specific competencies in administration and evaluation.

Administrative Personnel↗
PubMed1985

The prevalence of intestinal parasites in children living in an unincorporated area in rural northern Florida.

A survey was conducted to assess the prevalence of intestinal parasitism in 65 native-born preschool and school-age children living in an unincorporated area of northern Florida. Fifty-seven percent of the children were found to be infected with intestinal parasites. Sixty-eight percent of males surveyed and 47% of females had either single or multiple infections. Prevalence was greatest in the five-10-year-old age group. For the total child population surveyed, parasitic infections in order of most to least prevalent were ascariasis (32%); giardiasis (29%); trichuriasis (14%); and hookworm (2%).

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

An evaluation of client satisfaction with training programs and technical assistance provided by Florida's Coordinated School Health Program Office.

Client or customer satisfaction surveys assess the perceived quality of programs, products, services, and employee performance. Such assessments prove beneficial for evaluation and planning purposes. This survey examined the satisfaction of clients using the programs, services, and technical assistance provided through the Coordinated School Health Program Office (CSHPO) in the Florida Department of Education. Using the 42-item Client Satisfaction Survey, data were collected in summer 1999 from 300 of 574 clients (52.3%) who attended training sessions or sought technical assistance from CSHPO during 1996-1999. More than two-thirds (67.2%) of clients rated the training program as "very good" or "excellent" at increasing their understanding about the concept of a coordinated school health program. Overall, 69.7% of clients rated the training programs they attended as "very good" or "excellent." Resource materials and staff effectiveness rated positively as well. Findings confirmed client satisfaction with CSHPO's training programs, technical assistance, and staff. Information obtained through the client satisfaction survey can be used by CSHPO to assist in future program planning and resource allocations.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Principal and teacher reports of strategies to enforce anti-tobacco policies in Florida middle and high schools.

This study describes anti-tobacco policies implemented by middle and high schools in Florida. All schools had in place formal anti-tobacco policies but implementation of those policies was more rigorous at the middle school level. Principals and tobacco use prevention education teachers reported the formal and informal strategies used to enforce their school's anti-tobacco policies. Punitive enforcement strategies were more commonly reported than nonpunitive strategies. Enforcement strategies were significantly associated with several features of school settings including number of supports for teachers' efforts, teachers' perceptions of program success, and training opportunities for teachers. Middle school staff reported using significantly more enforcement strategies than high school staff, and their strategies were more likely to be associated with school context variables. Implications of these findings for the maintenance of anti-tobacco programs in secondary schools are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Determinants of the uncompensated care burden of rural and urban hospitals in Florida.

It has been projected that over the next decade as many as 700 hospitals will close due to financial pressures created at least in part by the problem of uncompensated care. Many analysts contend that smaller, rural hospitals will be disproportionately represented among those which close. This investigation uses data collected from over 14,000 inpatient records from 130 representative hospitals in Florida to examine the degree to which rural hospitals experience an uncompensated care problem which differs in source, or magnitude, from that experienced by urban institutions. The analyses show that 150 days following the provision of service, the mean per capita outstanding amount was $18 higher for patients seen in rural hospitals than those seen in urban hospitals. Further, the odds of a rural hospital patient having some outstanding balance 150 days after service had been rendered ranged from 1.2 to 1.3 times those for patients seen in urban hospitals. The location difference is not eliminated by controlling for sociodemographic differences of the patients or the circumstances surrounding the type and/or source of admission. The single most important predictor of having outstanding hospital charges is possession of health insurance. Patients with no coverage are 38.6 times more likely to have some nonzero outstanding balance than patients with some form of insurance coverage. After controlling for sociodemographic, economic, and circumstances surrounding admission, the odds increase from 38.6 to 73.6. The critical role played by insurance is further evidenced by noting that the odds of someone with third party insurance coverage having an unresolved amount greater than or equal to $250 is only .024 and only slightly higher (.048) for government coverage.

Accounting↗
PubMed1995

Rural health networks in Florida.

This article describes the development of rural health networks in Florida, which has adopted formal policies to support these networks. First, the history and content of the relevant legislation are described. The current networks are identified and their development to date summarized. Finally, a detailed case study is employed to outline the steps taken to establish one network.

Comprehensive Health Care↗
PubMed2005

Predictors of HIV testing and intention to test among Hispanic farmworkers in South Florida.

CONTEXT AND PURPOSE: This study examined the predictors of HIV testing and factors associated with intention to accept a free HIV test among 244 Hispanic migrant/seasonal farmworkers in South Florida. METHODS: Time and space sampling procedures were used to recruit participants in public venues. Bilingual staff interviewed eligible respondents in these settings. FINDINGS: Despite high rates of sexual risk, only 21% of respondents had been tested for HIV. The majority of those tested were females tested during prenatal care. In multivariable logistic regression analyses, being female (odds ratio [OR] = 3.73), having at least 12 years of education (OR = 4.46), earning more than $201 per week (OR = 2.76), and ever having used marijuana (OR = 3.31) were positively associated with having been tested for HIV, while not being documented (OR = 0.24) and having rated one's health as "very good" or "good" (OR = 0.42) were negatively associated with testing. The multivariable predictors of intention to accept a free HIV test were having visited a health care provider and/or an emergency room in the past 12 months (OR = 1.97), having been tested for HIV (OR = 2.36), preferring an HIV test that used a finger stick for specimen collection with results given in 30 minutes (OR = 4.47), and worrying "some" or "a lot" about getting HIV (OR = 3.64). Women (OR = 0.52) were less likely than men to intend to accept a free HIV test. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the importance of routinely offering HIV testing to sexually active individuals in high HIV prevalence areas. They also suggest the need to make testing more accessible to migrant and seasonal farmworkers.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Causes of mortality in the Florida panther (Felis concolor coryi).

Panthers necropsied at the University of Florida ranged between 2 weeks and 14 years of age; there were 38 males and 17 females in the cohort. Main categories of causes of death included trauma inflicted from either vehicular collisions (43%) or territorial fights (16%). Specific endogenous diseases involved the respiratory system in 13%, the urinary system in 4%, and the central nervous system in 2%. Ostium secundum atrial septal defects (ASD) were diagnosed in 11% of the panthers necropsied. Seventeen (54%) of the 38 male panthers had either unilateral or bilateral cryptorchidism. Cause of death remained undetermined in 11% of the total cohort.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1992

Cost of fluoridation: 44 Florida communities.

Previous data relating to the cost of fluoridation often do not include annualized costs or costs for labor and maintenance. The purpose of this study was to estimate accurately current costs for initiating and maintaining fluoridation and to develop a methodology that can be used to provide the cost basis for further cost-effectiveness studies. The data were collected from 44 Florida communities that had initiated community water fluoridation between 1981 and 1989. Equipment, installation, and engineering costs were derived from copies of actual invoices for equipment and services and then adjusted to 1988 dollars. The chemical costs were calculated from operational reports listing flow rate and pounds used. The cost was then adjusted according to whether the hydrofluosilicic acid was supplied as 15-gallon carboys, 55-gallon drums, in bulk, or as sodium silicofluoride or sodium fluoride. The initial cost was annualized at 2 percent and 4 percent over 15 years. Calculated operational costs included chemical costs, labor costs, and maintenance and repair costs. The operational costs were then added to the annualized depreciation costs and opportunity costs for the initial investment, to produce an estimated cost per person served. The total mean cost per person for all installations was $1.14 per year at 2 percent and $1.25 per year at 4 percent. The mean cost at 4 percent for communities of fewer than 10,000 was $2.12; for communities between 10,000 and 50,000 it was $0.68; and for communities over 50,000 it was $0.31. The total mean cost per person across all installations was $0.41 at 2 percent and 0.45 at 4 percent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Capital Financing↗
PubMed1998

Taking dental self-care to the extreme: 24-month incidence of dental self-extractions in the Florida Dental Care Study.

OBJECTIVE: A common response to health-related symptoms is to treat oneself in lieu of or prior to seeking formal health care. Among the more extreme forms of dental self-care is dental self-extraction. To our knowledge, no study of the incidence of this behavior has been conducted. The objective of this study was to determine if one form of dental self-care, dental self-extraction, is a real phenomenon, and if so, to determine its incidence. METHODS: The Florida Dental Care Study is a longitudinal study of changes in oral health, whose subjects participated for an interview and clinical examination at baseline and 24 months after baseline. RESULTS: Of the 739 persons who participated through 24 months 176 lost one or more teeth. Of these 176 persons, 13 (7%) extracted one or more of their own teeth. The clinical status at baseline of the self-extracted teeth was consistent with the ability to self-extract. CONCLUSION: The phenomenon of dental self-extraction is real and is not limited to residents of developing nations or geographically isolated areas. Because of the potential for prolonged bleeding or bacterial endocarditis in certain population groups, community health clinicians and officials should be cognizant of this behavior.

Age Factors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical, clinicopathologic, and epidemiologic features of anhidrosis in central Florida Thoroughbred horses.

A group of 834 Thoroughbred horses was surveyed on four central Florida farms for clinical and epidemiologic features of anhidrosis. In addition, comparative analysis was made of serum thyroxine, serum electrolytes, and fractional urinary electrolyte excretion ratios. An overall disease prevalence of 6.12% was observed. Training horses and nonpregnant broodmares had a predilection for the disease. Adolescent horses were infrequently affected. There was no correlation with sex or color. Comparative clinical signs, related to thermoregulatory compromise, included tachypnea and hyperthermia. Long-term effect included focal and generalized alopecia, decreased appetite, and impaired performance. Previously reported hypothyroidism and hypochloremia were not demonstrated; however, fractional urinary chloride excretion ratios indicated a significant relative conservation of chloride.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Simulations of large acoustic scintillations in the straits of Florida.

Using a full-wave acoustic model, Monte Carlo numerical studies of intensity fluctuations in a realistic shallow water environment that simulates the Straits of Florida, including internal wave fluctuations and bottom roughness, have been performed. Results show that the sound intensity at distant receivers scintillates dramatically. The acoustic scintillation index SI increases rapidly with propagation range and is significantly greater than unity at ranges beyond about 10 km. This result supports a theoretical prediction by one of the authors. Statistical analyses show that the distribution of intensity of the random wave field saturates to the expected Rayleigh distribution with SI= 1 at short range due to multipath interference effects, and then SI continues to increase to large values. This effect, which is denoted supersaturation, is universal at long ranges in waveguides having lossy boundaries (where there is differential mode attenuation). The intensity distribution approaches a log-normal distribution to an excellent approximation; it may not be a universal distribution and comparison is also made to a K distribution. The long tails of the log-normal distribution cause "acoustic intermittency" in which very high, but rare, intensities occur.

Acoustics↗
PubMed1977

Isolation and identification of pathogenic Naegleria from Florida lakes.

Five cases of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis associated with swimming in freshwater lakes have been recorded in Florida over the past 14 years. The present study demonstrated that pathogenic Naegleria, the causative agent, is relatively widespread. Twelve of 26 lakes sampled only once yielded the amoeba. Populations in three of five lakes sampled routinely reached levels of one amoeba per 25 ml of water tested during the hot summer months. Overwintering in freshwater lake bottom sediments was demonstrated, showing that thermal-discharge pollution of waters plays a miniscule, if any, role in the maintenance of pathogenic Naegleria in nature in this semitropical area.

Animals↗