[Characterization of the young boy, the preadolescent and the adolescent by studies of their interests, in different social and cultural conditions].
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Adolescent↗
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[Urethritis in males. Comparison of some social and sexual conditions in males with gonorrhea and non-gonococcal urethritis].
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Gonorrhea↗
Diabetes mellitus in Bahrain: an overview.
Bahrain has faced a rapid transition in its socio-economic status, which resulted in great changes both in life-style and in patterns of health and disease. There has been a marked decline in infectious diseases and an increase in chronic diseases. Diabetes mellitus has become one of the most common public health problems in the country. In 1988 it was estimated that 3.4% of total deaths in Bahrain were due to diabetes. A community-based study among mothers aged 18 to 48 years showed that 8.5% of them had diabetes. The percentage was found to be higher among elderly Bahrainis (12.9%). Obesity, lack of physical activity, alteration in food habits, and change in social conditions have all played a vital role in the changing prevalence of diabetes in this country. The current programmes to manage and control diabetes are limited and ineffective. Thus measures to treat diabetes should be given a high priority in the national health policy. Training of physicians in the management of diabetes, public education, epidemiological surveys, and nutritional evaluation of local foods are among the most important measures needed to control diabetes in Bahrain.
Adolescent↗
Long-term impoverished housing effects on Morris maze performance after a fimbria lesion.
Male Wistar rats received bilateral Fimbria lesions and were postoperatively housed in either standard social conditions or in impoverished conditions (one rat per cage) for 2 weeks in experiment I, and for 7 months in experiment II. The effects of lesion and housing conditions were investigated in the Morris maze spatial orientation task. Fimbria lesions increased the latency to reach the platform during acquisition in both experiments, which indicates that functional recovery of the Morris maze impairment does not occur in 7 months time. Post-operative impoverishment for 2 weeks or for 7 months reduced the lesion induced deficit in Morris maze acquisition, while it had a more general effect in the trial without platform. Interestingly, the impoverishment effects were not more severe after 7 months, but even less easily detected. These findings are interpreted as if impoverishment effects the reactiveness of animals to external stimuli, which may help the animal to compensate for the lesion-induced-deficit in Morris maze learning.
Animals↗
Cancer survival in the elderly: effects of socio-economic factors and health care system features (ELDCARE project).
The purpose of the ELDCARE project is to study differences in cancer survival for elderly patients by country, taking into account the socio-economic conditions and the characteristics of health care systems at the ecological level. Fifty-three European cancer registries, from 19 countries, participating in the EUROCARE 3 programme, collected information to compute relative survival on patients aged 65-84 years, diagnosed over the period 1990-1994. National statistics offices provided the macro-economic and labour force indicators (gross domestic product, total health expenditure, and proportion of people employed in the agriculture sector) as well as the features of national health care systems. Survival for several of the cancer sites had high positive Pearson's correlations (r) with the affluence indicators (usually r>0.7), but survival for the poor prognosis cancers (lung, ovary, stomach) and for cervix uteri was not so well correlated. Among the medical resources considered, the number of computed tomography scanners was the variable most related to survival in the elderly; the number of total health practitioners in the country did not show any relationship. Survival was related to the marital status of elderly women more strongly than for men and younger people. The highest correlations of survival with the percentage of married elderly women in the population were for cancers of the rectum (r=0.79) and breast (r=0.66), while survival correlated negatively with the proportion of widows for most cancers. Being married or widowed is for elderly people, in particular elderly women, an important factor influencing psychological status, life habits and social relationships. Social conditions could play a major role in determining health outcomes, particularly in the elderly, by affecting access to health care and delay in diagnosis.
Aged↗
Socioeconomic status, overweight and obesity in prepuberal children: a study in an area of Northern Italy.
The aim of this study was to determine whether socio-economical status (SES) is associated with overweight and obesity in prepuberal children. In an area of North-Western Italy a sample of 1420 children, aged 10-11 years, had his/her height and weight recorded, (overweight and obesity were defined, respectively, as relative body weight > or = 120% and > or = 140%), and parents were requested to compile a questionnaire exploring some demographic and social conditions. 23% of the sample resulted overweight or obese. Prevalence rate ratios (PRR) of overweight and obesity (together) were calculated, adjusting for parents' age, parents' area of birth, and school district. PRR for mother's lowest educational level compared to the highest was 1.59 (95% CI: 1.19-2.13), while for father's education was 1.21 (0.90-1.63). PRRs for 'unemployed' or 'manual' mother compared to 'upper non manual' were respectively 1.83 (1.20-2.79) and 2.20 (1.31-3.68), while for 'unemployed' or 'manual' father were 2.63 (1.97-2.63), and 1.63 (1.27-2.09). The cultural resources of the mother, and the economical resources of the family seem to influence the prevalence of weight gain in prepuberal children. This should be taken into account when planning programs for the prevention or reduction of obesity in children.
Child↗
AIDS prevention struggles in ethnocultural neighborhoods: why research partnerships with community based organizations can't wait.
Community based AIDS prevention programming and research in minority neighborhoods are growing. The AIDS epidemic has demoralized many minority communities and has added to enormously stressing social conditions. Obstacles to effective AIDS prevention programming must be removed before stable, accessible, and culturally relevant services can be provided. A pilot study was conducted to identify the obstacles to AIDS research or intervention in ethnic minority neighborhoods. Twenty-nine administrators and counselors from Community Based Organizations completed questionnaires concerning reasons for entering the field of AIDS prevention, enjoyment of work, hopefulness towards AIDS efforts, priority of AIDS funding, and opinions about most and least helpful prevention efforts in minority communities. Barriers identified as most problematic include insufficient funds, lack of culturally relevant materials, denial of the epidemic in minority communities, distrust of majority culture institutions, and myths/beliefs regarding AIDS contraction, transmission, and origin. Future research ideas are identified to improve culturally relevant AIDS prevention interventions in ethnocultural neighborhoods.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
Odour of male and female rats changes hypothalamic aromatase and 5 alpha-reductase activity and plasma sex steroid levels in unisexually reared male rats.
Male rats between 25--65 days of age were reared under four different social conditions: (1) In cohabitation with only males; (2) as in (1), but exposed to bedding from a cage containing other males; (3) as in (1), but exposed to bedding of females; (4) in cohabitation with both males and females. At 65 days of age the animals were killed and analyzed for plasma levels of testosterone and estradiol and in vitro studies were undertaken of hypothalamic testosterone metabolism. Males reared in absence of females showed lowered testosterone and estradiol plasma concentrations and increased hypothalamic aromatase and 5 alpha-reductase activity compared to heterosexually reared males. The effects of cohabitation with males only were counteracted by exposure to bedding of other males or of females suggesting an importance of odoriferous stimuli associated with sexually mature males and females during the sexual maturation of the male rat.
3-Oxo-5-alpha-Steroid 4-Dehydrogenase↗
Higher heart rate of laboratory mice housed individually vs in pairs.
Many studies have shown that housing mice individually over a long period significantly alters their physiology, but in most cases measurement has required human interference and restraint for sampling. Using a radio-telemetry system with implantable transmitters, we recorded heart rate (HR), motor activity (ACT) and body temperature (BT) of freely moving male mice (NMRI) housed either individually or in pairs with an ovarectomized female. Data for each parameter were collected at 5 min intervals for two consecutive 24 h periods. Even after several weeks of habituation to the social conditions, HR was increased in mice housed individually compared with mice housed in pairs, although their measured ACT did not differ. Additionally, BT tended to be reduced in individually-housed mice. When the data were analysed according to different ACT levels, HR was increased in individually-housed mice during phases of low and high, but not intermediate, motor activity. Furthermore, individually-housed mice had more, but shorter, resting bouts, indicating disruption of the normal circadian sleep pattern. Enhanced HR in individually-housed mice does not necessarily indicate stress, but might be an important physiological indicator of discomfort. The fact that individual housing alters basic physiological parameters in laboratory mice highlights the need to control for housing-dependent variation, especially in experiments that are sensitive to changes in these parameters.
Animals↗
Changes in brain catecholamine turnover and receptor sensitivity induced by social deprivation in rats.
Catecholamine turnover was compared in two brain areas of rats housed under different social conditions. Rats reared in isolation for 6-8 weeks had a significantly lower noradrenaline turnover in the brainstem and lower noradrenaline and dopamine turnover in a brain segment comprising all other areas except the cerebellum, pineal gland, thalamus, and subthalamus. In the open-field test, isolated rats were much more active than group-housed animals. Noradrenaline turnover increased in both brain areas of isolated rats but not in grouped animals after exposure to the open field. Hyperactivity was selectively reduced in isolated rats by chronic oral treatment with d-amphetamine, 5 mg/kg/24 h. It was also reduced 15 min after pretreatment with alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine 200 mg/kg. It is suggested that a prolonged period of reduced noradrenaline release may sensitise post synaptic receptors in isolated rats. Hyperactivity appears to be associated with an increase in transmitter release onto sensitised receptors.
Animals↗
[Parasuicide and violence: criminological aspects from a study of 21,314 male army recruits in Switzerland].
Suicidal behaviors are not uncommon, but rarely admitted in the families and in society at large. Violence is a public health and social problem of growing concern. Research on the relationship between violence and suicidal behaviors is scarce for the last decades, perhaps because suicide is no longer considered an offense. The present study is based on a sample of 21,314 valid interviews with 20 year old Swiss men, representing over 70% of this cohort. The questionnaire contained over 900 variables, addressing issues such as previous history of parasuicide, self-reported violent acts and injuries, during childhood and adolescence, as well as over the last year before recruits training. The questionnaire also contains various items about mental health, familial and social conditions and situational factors. We used an ordinal scale for measuring violence and operationalisations of mental disturbances according to theoretical and empirical concepts such as conduct disorder and antisocial personality disorder according to DSM IV, the dissocial syndrome according to Rauchfleisch's (1981) definition; 2,6% of the recruits reported at least one suicide attempt during the last year, one third even multiple attempts. Life-time prevalence at age 20 was 3,9%. Suicide attempters often showed signs of psychiatric disorders, especially for a dissocial (OR=6,9) or an antisocial (OR=5,8) syndrome. Other studies have shown that the rate of suicide in France and Switzerland is very high compared to other European countries. Our study confirms the existence of a real behavioural and existential problem among young Swiss men. Half of the suicide attempters had a history of physical violence against others and 20% were themselves victims of violent acts during the previous year. Suicide attempters who were victims were also more violent than those who were not victimized. A suicide attempt during the previous year is a marker for violent behaviours (OR=2,1) and victimisation (OR=1,9) during this same year. We also found a positive link between multiple attempted suicides and the commission of serious violence. It is concluded that parasuicide among young men is related to other violent acts and should be considered as a positive marker of violent behavior in general and victimisation by crime. It seems that suicide is a transgression of social and cultural values because of the amount of aggression behind it, even if it is not a criminal offense. Suicide attempts of young men should receive more attention by professionals in the field of medicine, psychology and social work. Treatment of these men not only prevents an individual mental health problem but also contributes to crime prevention at the community level. Criminological theories could inspire further studies in suicidology, in order to improve the multidisciplinary knowledge of the phenomenology and etiology of parasuicide. In the same way, criminologists as policy makers should attach more attention to parasuicide given its many theoretical and practical connections with crime.
Adult↗
Is there a critical developmental 'window' for isolation rearing-induced changes in prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle response?
In a previous study, rats reared in isolation from weaning exhibited normal prepulse inhibition (PPI) before puberty, whilst after puberty (6-8 weeks post weaning) isolation reared rats exhibited deficits in PPI. The developmental timing of the onset of this isolation effect appears to be critical because similar isolation of adult rats has no effect on PPI. The present study examined the time and duration of the period or 'window' of isolation necessary to induce these behavioral changes. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were isolated for either only the first 2 weeks from weaning, only the first 4 weeks from weaning, only weeks 3 and 4, or continuously from weaning (ISO group), and compared with rats reared in normal social conditions (SOC group). Eight weeks after weaning, we compared acoustic and airpuff startle reactivity, acoustic and light PPI, and acoustic and airpuff startle habituation across the groups. There were no significant changes in any of the measures in the groups exposed to 2- or 4-week periods of isolation. In the ISO and SOC groups, acoustic or airpuff startle reactivity was similar, while acoustic PPI was reduced significantly in the ISO group. Airpuff startle habituation was increased significantly in the ISO group compared to SOC controls and there was a similar trend with acoustic startle habituation. These results indicate that only animals isolated for more than 4 weeks after weaning display deficits in PPI, and provide evidence that there is no critical pre-pubertal developmental window for inducing PPI deficits, rather, continuous post-weaning isolation is needed to induce the PPI deficit effect.
Age Factors↗
[The endocrine psychosyndrome in the long term. III. A catamnestic reexamination of patients suffering from hypothalamo-hypopituitary dwarfism (author's transl)].
Fifteen patients (4 females and 11 males) with hypothalamo-hypopituitary dwarfism underwent extensive psychiatric investigation in 1962-1965. A follow-up study of the personality development and social conditions was made in 1977. The age of the patients ranged from 31 to 56 years (the average being 40). As before, the main finding was an infantile personality with a defective psychosexual maturity. Only a few patients had reached a somehat adult, independent personality in spite of hormonal deficiencies. Several patients had continued to grow and attained a stature slightly below average. However, this subsequent growth scarcely influenced personality development. Depressive moods are now more frequent than before and among the more differentiated patients, the neurotic symptoms are mainly phobic fears. Almost all of the patients have discontinued treatment with hormonal substitutes (androgenes, cortison, thyrotropic hormone) inspite of persistent deficiency symptoms, because the outcome did not match their high expectations. The symptoms of the endocrine psychosyndrome seem of minor importance compared with the psychic infantilism and the reactions to the experience of dwarfism and missing puberty. One female has suffered several psychotic episodes which were understood as being partially of endocrine origin.
Adult↗
[Voluntary interruption of pregnancy: comparative study between 1982 and 1996 in the main center of Côte d'Or. Study of women having repeat voluntary interruption of pregnancy].
UNLABELLED: Since the egal use of induced abortion (1975), all the studies have shown a relative stability of the abortion rate related to delivery. Otherwise since 1985 we have noted an increase of repeat abortions. OBJECTIVE: We compared in same center two populations of aborters with a fifteen year's interval. Then we analysed the psyco-social conditions of patients who had more than one abortion (R). METHODS: It was a comparative study between 1982 and 1996 in the main center of Côte d'Or (France). A representative sample of patients coming for abortion was retrospectively compared, (348 for 1982 and 343 for 1996). RESULTS: There were more not married patients (p = 0.0003), more nulliparous women (p = 0.0017) and more nulligestities' one (p = 0.03) in 1996 than 1982. The interval between the previous pregnancy and in 1996 (p = 0.03). Repeat abortions (R) represented 15.8% in 1982 and 21.6% in 1996. Women who have had two or more abortions had increased significantly between 1982 (1.4%) and 1996 (5.2%) (p = 0.013). The R patients had more living children than patients who accessed for the first time at abortion (noR) in the two periods (p = 0.0003) and there were more women less thirty years old in the R group in 1996 than in 1992 (p < 0.05). The R mean age for the first abortion and for the first pregnancy were lower than the noR group in 1996: respectively 23.7 years versus 27.4% years (p = 0.00009) and 20.8 years versus 23.7 years (p = 0.0001). There were no significant difference between R and noR groups with regards of contraceptive failing, the reasons of abortion and the socio-professional categories. CONCLUSIONS: There were no difference in the number of abortion between 1982 and 1996. However we noted an increase of repeat abortion. This group was characterised by great socio-economic problems, unstable couples and ambivalence with wish of pregnancy and no wish of children. It seemed exist a real psycho-social precariousness. Actually, this population was perfectly aware of contraceptive methods.
Abortion, Induced↗
Value of combined assessment of physical health and functional status in community-dwelling aged: a prospective study in Florence, Italy.
A survey of the health and social conditions of a representative sample of 967 persons aged 60 years and older from the city of Florence, Italy, was undertaken in 1980. In 1987, a follow-up survey of this cohort was performed. There were 391 documented deaths, 408 survivors, and 168 individuals who could not be located. Functional ability at baseline was assessed using a World Health Organization 14-item scale. Indicators of physical health status included chronic disease status, number of drugs, physician visits, and days of hospitalization. After adjustment for age and sex, both functional ability and indicators of physical health status were found to be independent, statistically significant predictors of mortality. The results of this study further support the view that biomedical and functional assessment are both necessary for a comprehensive evaluation of the older population.
Activities of Daily Living↗
Ways of coping and the health of relatives facing drug and alcohol problems in Mexico and England.
AIMS: To compare two contrasting socio-cultural groups in terms of parameters relating to the stress - coping - health model of alcohol, drugs and the family, and to test hypotheses derived from the model in each of the two groups separately. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, comparative and correlational, using standard questionnaire data, supplemented by qualitative interview data to illuminate the findings. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred close relatives, mainly partners or parents, from separate families in Mexico City, and 100 from South West England. Data sources. Coping Questionnaire (CQ), Family Environment Scale (FES), Symptom Rating Test (SRT), Semi-structured interview. FINDINGS: Mean symptom scores were high in both groups, and not significantly different. The hypothesis that relatives in Mexico City, a more collectivist culture, would show more tolerant - inactive coping was not supported, but there was support for the prediction that relatives in South West England would show more withdrawal coping. This result may be as much due to differences in poverty and social conditions as to differences in individualism - collectivism. As predicted by the stress - coping - health model, tolerant - inactive coping was correlated with symptoms, in both groups, after controlling for family conflict, but there was only limited support for a moderating role of coping. Wives of men with alcohol problems in Mexico City, and wives of men with other drug problems in South West England, reported particularly high levels of both engaged and tolerant - inactive coping. CONCLUSIONS: Tolerant - inactive coping may be bad for relatives' health: causality may be inferred but is not yet proved. Certain groups are more at risk of coping in this way. Qualitative data help understand the nature of tolerant - inactive coping and why it occurs despite the view of relatives themselves that it is counter-productive.
Adaptation, Psychological↗
Behaviorally-induced ultrastructural plasticity in the hippocampal region after cerebral ischemia.
Behavioral training has been shown to induce synaptic plasticity in both intact and injured animals. Because of the possibility that the adaptive changes after ischemic damage may make the brain more malleable to behavioral training, we examined the effects of complex environment (EC) housing and exercise (EX) after global cerebral ischemia on synaptic structural alterations. Forty-two adult male Wistar rats were included in the study and assigned to either ischemia or sham group. Following ischemic or sham surgery, rats were randomized to either EC, EX, or social condition (SC, paired housing) group. CA1 was processed for electron microscopy and unbiased stereological techniques were used to evaluate plasticity. Significantly decreased neuron density was seen in anterior and medial CA1 in ischemic animals regardless of behavioral training. Neuron density in anterior CA1 was 31% less than the medial area. Synaptogenesis was influenced by cerebral ischemia and behavioral training in that all ischemic groups and sham EC animals showed greater number of synapses per neuron compared to the sham EX and SC groups. Analysis of synapse configuration showed that the synaptogenesis in ischemia EX and SC rats was formed mainly by synapses with single synaptic boutons, whereas in the ischemia EC and sham EC rats synaptogenesis was formed mainly by synapses with multiple synaptic boutons. Furthermore, housing of sham and ischemia rats in EC resulted in increased number of synapses with perforated postsynaptic density. Together, these data suggest that behavioral experience in EC after insult may be able to enhance synaptic plasticity.
Animals↗
Governments map out population and sustainable development strategies for twenty-first century.
The 4th Asian and Pacific Population Conference, which began on 19 August 1992 in Bali, Indonesia, concluded on 27 August with ministers and other high-ranking officials from the majority of countries in the region adopting a Declaration containing policy recommendations for Governments to follow in their efforts to achieve environmentally sustainable population and development goals into the next century. The objective of sustainable development is to meet human needs and aspirations in balance with population resources and the environment, and to enhance the quality of life today and in the future, according to the Bali Declaration on Population and Sustainable Development. Rapid population growth, changes in demographic structure and uneven population distribution have caused considerable damage to the environment, natural resources and economic and social conditions. The Conference reviewed the population situation in the region and established guidelines for population and sustainable development into the 21st century. The results of the Conference will also be used as a regional input for the International Conference on Population and Development, scheduled to be held in 1994 at Cairo, Egypt. Commenting on the Declaration, the ESCAP Executive Secretary, Mr. Rafeeuddin Ahmed, said that the decisions taken by the Conference put strong and unmistakable emphasis on poverty alleviation, on the interactions among population, the environment and consumption, and on the strategic linkages between population and sustainable development. Besides dealing with a host of population issues, the Declaration proposes a number of goals and policy recommendations to be considered by government policy makers. It also sets specific targets for countries with rapid population growth to reduce their fertility and infant mortality rates to replacement level (2.2 children/woman and 40/1000 live births, respectively) and to half the number of maternal deaths by the year 2010.
Asia↗