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At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Arsenic exposures in Mississippi: a review of cases.

Arsenic poisonings occur in Mississippi despite public education campaigns to prevent poisonings in the home. We reviewed 44 Mississippi cases of arsenic exposures occurring from January 1986 to May 1990. We compared the epidemiologic differences between unintentional and intentional poisonings. Cases were found and characterized through the two toxicology laboratories and hospital records. Arsenic-based rodenticides were the arsenic source in 23 of the 44 exposures. Other sources were monosodium methylarsenate (4 cases), dodecyl ammonium methane arsonate (5 cases), and other compounds (12 cases). Of the 44 exposures, 27 were unintentional, 7 were suicide attempts, 6 were homicide attempts, and 4 were of unknown intent. Of the 27 unintentionally exposed patients, 19 were black and 14 were male; their median age was 3 years. Of the 13 intentionally poisoned persons, 9 were male and 10 were black, with a median age of 28 years. Six of the seven patients who attempted suicide were white; four of the six victims of attempted homicide were black. We recommend removal of remaining bottles of arsenic-based rodenticides from store shelves, and we urge practicing physicians to warn patients of the dangers of using such rodenticides.

Accidents, Home↗
PubMed1995

Epidemiology of cleft lip and cleft palate in Mississippi.

We present an epidemiologic study of the cases of cleft lip and cleft palate in Mississippi from 1980 through 1989. Cases were stratified by race (white and nonwhite) but not by association with a major malformation. During this period, a total of 457 new patients with cleft lip or cleft palate were identified from a population of approximately 439,354 live births. The incidence of total clefts in live-born infants was 1.36/1,000 for whites and 0.54/1,000 for nonwhites. White boys had a higher incidence of cleft lip and palate than white girls; black boys had an extremely low incidence of cleft lip, whereas black girls showed a higher incidence of cleft palate alone. Examination of the rate of cleft malformations for each county in Mississippi revealed no clearly defined pattern, nor were we able to demonstrate that rates were increased in a major agricultural area of the state, in which use of potentially toxic products is high.

Cleft Lip↗
PubMed2000

Spinal cord injury in Mississippi. Findings and evaluation, 1992-1994.

STUDY DESIGN: The Mississippi spinal cord injury surveillance system is both active and passive, designed to capture all cases of spinal cord injury through mandated reporting by multiple sources. Each case is confirmed by medical record review. OBJECTIVES: To describe the development of a state-wide spinal cord injury surveillance system, discuss findings from the system, and evaluate sensitivity. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: In the United States, the annual incidence rate of spinal cord injury requiring hospital admission has been estimated at 32-50 per million. With prehospital fatalities included, the estimated incidence rate ranges from 43 to 55 per million population annually. METHODS: In the current study all cases identified during the first 2 years of operation of the spinal cord injury (SCI) system were included. To evaluate the sensitivity of the system, International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes from each hospital's discharge database were used. RESULTS: The incidence rate among patients in hospitals and prehospital fatal cases was 77 per million. The rate for patients in hospitals was 59 per million. The incidence rate of spinal cord injury among males was 4.4 times higher than among females. Rates of spinal cord injury were highest among persons 20-24 years of age. Rates were similar for whites and blacks. The most frequent causes of spinal cord injury were motor vehicle collisions, violence, and falls. Additional cases were identified during the evaluation, resulting in a 94% sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: Mississippi's spinal cord injury incidence rates are substantially higher than rates reported for other states except Alaska. The surveillance system was found to be very complete. Prevention efforts should focus on increasing safety belt usage, increasing alcohol awareness, and reducing violence.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Breast cancer incidence and exposure to environmental chemicals in 82 counties in Mississippi.

OBJECTIVE: Breast cancer is a major public health problem in the United States and in most industrialized countries. Environmental exposure to several chemicals has been implicated in the cause of breast cancer. However, data are not consistent about the role of the environment in breast cancer incidence. To assess environmental risks for breast cancer, patterns of breast cancer incidence in relation to environmental chemicals in Mississippi counties were mapped. METHODS: This article presents an analysis of age-adjusted incidence rates of female breast cancer and environmental chemical emissions by county in the state of Mississippi. The incidence data were obtained from the State Department of Health, and emissions data sources included the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Air-Data and Toxics Release Inventory Program. RESULTS: Counties having a significantly higher incidence of breast cancer compared with the state's rate were identified. Also identified were counties with higher levels of chemical emissions. The incidence of breast cancer in 1998 was significantly associated with the amount of ammonia (r = 0.268, P = 0.015), minimum emissions (r = 0.233, P = 0.035), and maximum emissions (r = 0.237, P = 0.032) of the facilities in the county. A linear dose-response relationship was observed between increased amounts of chemical emissions and breast cancer incidence. CONCLUSIONS: This study found a significant link between breast cancer incidence and maximum emissions of environmental chemicals. However, further research using individual-level data is needed.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Breast and cervical cancer mortality in the Mississippi Delta, 1979-1998.

BACKGROUND: Historically, the Mississippi Delta region has been medically underserved. This may lead to lower cancer prevention efforts and higher breast or cervical cancer mortality rates. METHODS: Death rates for 1979 through 1998 were calculated for Mississippi Delta women and for women living elsewhere in the US. RESULTS: Breast cancer mortality in the Delta was similar to that elsewhere in the US in recent years for both black and white women, but rates were lower in the Delta in the early years of the study period. Overall, cervical cancer mortality was similar in the two areas but rates declined more rapidly elsewhere in the US than in the Delta. Breast and cervical cancer mortality was higher among black women than among white women in both areas. Cervical cancer mortality was higher among white rural and black urban women in the Delta than their counterparts elsewhere. CONCLUSION: These results can guide prevention activities for reducing mortality from these diseases.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed2006

Seatbelt law enforcement and motor vehicle crash fatalities among blacks and whites in Louisiana and Mississippi.

BACKGROUND: Seatbelt laws save lives. Primary enforcement (allowing citations solely for seatbelt nonuse) is a more effective means of saving lives, yet seven southern states have no primary laws, due in part to concern about racial profiling. METHODS: Non-Hispanic, black:white (B:W), occupant motor vehicle crash mortality rate ratios (MRRs) were compared across the 15 to 64 age range over two time periods in two demographically comparable southern states (Louisiana and Mississippi). RESULTS: From 1992 to 1994 (when neither state had primary law) to 1996 to 1998 (when Louisiana had primary law) B:W MRRs were 0.73 (95% confidence interval = 0.61, 0.88) and 0.72 (0.60, 0.86) in Louisiana and 1.01 (0.9, 1.12) and 1.22 (1.10, 1.35) in Mississippi. CONCLUSIONS: Successful opposition to primary seat belt enforcement may have the unintended effect of producing racial disparities in motor vehicle crash mortality that adversely affects blacks.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed2001

A potential integrated water quality strategy for the Mississippi River Basin and the Gulf of Mexico.

Nutrient pollution, now the leading cause of water quality impairment in the U.S., has had significant impact on the nation"s waterways. Excessive nutrient pollution has been linked to habitat loss, fish kills, blooms of toxic algae, and hypoxia (oxygen-depleted water). The hypoxic "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico is one of the most striking illustrations of what can happen when too many nutrients from inland watersheds reach coastal areas. Despite programs to improve municipal wastewater treatment facilities, more stringent industrial wastewater requirements, and agricultural programs designed to reduce sediment loads in waterways, water quality and nutrient pollution continues to be a problem, and in many cases has worsened. We undertook a policy analysis to assess how the agricultural community could better reduce its contribution to the dead zone and also to evaluate the synergistic impacts of these policies on other environmental concerns such as climate change. Using a sectorial model of U.S. agriculture, we compared policies including untargeted conservation subsidies, nutrient trading, Conservation Reserve Program extension, agricultural sales of carbon and greenhouse gas credits, and fertilizer reduction. This economic and environmental analysis is watershed-based, primarily focusing on nitrogen in the Mississippi River basin, which allowed us to assess the distribution of nitrogen reduction in streams, environmental co-benefits, and impact on agricultural cash flows within the Mississippi River basin from various options. The model incorporates a number of environmental factors, making it possible to get a more a complete picture of the costs and co-benefits of nutrient reduction. These elements also help to identify the policy options that minimize the costs to farmers and maximize benefits to society.

Conservation of Natural Resources↗
PubMed2006

Awareness and use of folic acid among women in the lower Mississippi Delta.

CONTEXT: National and state efforts to increase folic acid awareness and use may not be reaching large segments of the population. PURPOSE: This study examines folic acid awareness and use among women of childbearing age in a representative, economically at-risk rural sample and identifies factors that influence awareness and use. METHODS: A cross-sectional random digit dialing telephone survey was completed with a representative sample of 646 women aged 14-45 years in 36 counties of the lower Mississippi Delta. Folic acid awareness and supplement use were estimated by percentages weighted to reflect the 36-county population. Pregnancy intentions and the ability to become pregnant were used to predict awareness and use among a subsample of sexually active women. FINDINGS: Compared to national samples, Delta women were less likely to have heard of folic acid (75% vs 64%) or to take a regular (5-7 days/wk) folic acid supplement (34% vs 22%). The proportion of women who took regular folic acid supplements was very low among some subgroups: African Americans (14%), those 14-19 years of age (12%), and those with low incomes (13%) and low educational levels (14%). Of the women who reported being sexually active, the ability to become pregnant more than doubled their likelihood of regular supplement use. CONCLUSIONS: The national folic acid campaign has not reached many women in the rural Mississippi Delta. A new mode of folic acid education is needed that is focused on low-income and young women and women not planning pregnancies. In the Delta and similar geographic regions, health care providers, black church leaders, and youth group leaders could be valuable advocates for folic acid.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Dental caries assessment of Mississippi Head Start children.

This study assessed the dental caries status and treatment needs of Mississippi Head Start children during the 1987-88 school year. The 2,393 children examined, representing a 10 percent random sample of all Mississippi Head Start children, were three to six years old with a majority being four to five years old. The mean deft ranged from 1.34 for three-year-olds to 4.32 for six-year-olds; the mean defs ranged from 2.33 to 9.99. More than 50 percent of primary teeth of three-year-olds with dental caries experience required treatment, whereas less than one-quarter of similarly affected teeth of six-year-olds were in need of treatment.

Age Factors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The Mississippi Stroke Education Consortium: a state-based template to promote stroke awareness, prevention and emergency treatment.

The Mississippi Stroke Education Consortium (MSEC) is a state-based volunteer advocacy group founded in 1994 consisting of specific policy-setting organizations dedicated to decreasing the impact of stroke on Mississippi's inhabitants through a continuous educational process targeting both laypersons and healthcare professionals.

Emergency Treatment↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The loving support breastfeeding campaign: awareness and practices of health care providers in Mississippi.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of the national breastfeeding promotion campaign, Loving Support Makes Breastfeeding Work, on health care providers in Mississippi. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: The Mississippi WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) program implemented the national Loving Support project for the state. Questionnaires were mailed to all hospitals with obstetric services and WIC clinics and to a random sample of one half of the practicing pediatricians and one third of the practicing family physicians in the state. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred and two health care providers, including 104 nurses and 98 physicians, responded to the questionnaire. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Health care providers' (a) awareness of the breastfeeding promotion activities in the state; (b) changes in practice in providing breastfeeding advice and referrals to lactation specialists and for breast pumps; and (c) changes in the management of breastfeeding-related problems. RESULTS: A significantly higher proportion of nurses than physicians mentioned breastfeeding benefits to mothers, provided breastfeeding management advice, and referred mothers for breast pumps and to lactation specialists after the campaign. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed the positive impact of the campaign on nurses' breastfeeding awareness and practices. More efforts are needed to continue breastfeeding outreach activities for health care providers.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2003

Joys and tribulations of faith-based youth tobacco use prevention: a case study in Mississippi.

Faith-based health promotion initiatives are resurging in popularity among health promoters and providers, but few programs are systematic, large-scale, and funded at the state level. One exception is an initiative by the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi (PHM), a nonprofit organization funded by tobacco settlement monies. PHM funded churches and other faith-based organizations to implement a grassroots youth tobacco use prevention program to coincide with other community- and school-based efforts. In the 2-year evolution of this faith-community health partnership, PHM experienced both successes and challenges. This article outlines the history of tobacco use prevention and control programs within Mississippi's faith community, provides a brief case study of two churches, and makes 10 recommendations based on lessons learned.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Avian GIS models signal human risk for West Nile virus in Mississippi.

BACKGROUND: West Nile virus (WNV) poses a significant health risk for residents of Mississippi. Physicians and state health officials are interested in new and efficient methods for monitoring disease spread and predicting future outbreaks. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) models have the potential to support these efforts. Environmental conditions favorable for mosquito habitat were modeled using GIS to derive WNV risk maps for Mississippi. Variables important to WNV dissemination were selected and classified as static and dynamic. The static variables included road density, stream density, slope, and vegetation. The dynamic variable represented seasonal water budget and was calculated using precipitation and evaporation estimates. Significance tests provided deterministic evidence of variable importance to the models. RESULTS: Several models were developed to estimate WNV risk including a landscape-base model and seasonal climatic sub-models. P-values from t-tests guided variable importance ranking. Variables were ranked and weights assigned as follows: road density (0.4), stream density (0.3), slope (0.2) and vegetation (0.1). This landscape-base model was modified by climatic conditions to assess the importance of climate to WNV risk. Human case data at the zip code level were used to validate modeling results. All models were summarized by zip codes for interpretation and model validation. For all models, estimated risk was higher for zip codes with at least one human case than for zip codes where no human cases were recorded. Overall median measure of risk by zip code indicated that 67% of human cases occurred in the high-risk category. CONCLUSION: Modeling results indicated that dead bird occurrences are correlated with human WNV risk and can facilitate the assessment of environmental variables that contribute to that risk. Each variable's importance in GIS-based risk predictions was assigned deterministically. Our models indicated non-uniform distribution of risk across the state and showed elevated risk in urban and as well as rural areas. Model limitations include resolution of human data, zip code aggregation issues, and quality/availability of vegetation and stream density layers. Our approach verified that WNV risk can be modeled at the state level and can be modified for risk predictions of other vector-borne diseases in varied ecological regions.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Methods of assessing neurobehavioral development in children exposed to methyl parathion in Mississippi and Ohio.

Methyl parathion (MP), an organophosphate pesticide, was sprayed illegally for pest control in U.S. residences and businesses in Mississippi and Ohio. To evaluate the association between MP exposure and neurobehavioral development, children 6 years of age or younger at the time of the spraying and local comparison groups of unexposed children were assessed using the pediatric environmental neurobehavioral test battery (PENTB). The PENTB is composed of informant-based procedures (parent interview and questionnaires) and performance-based procedures (neurobehavioral tests for children 4 years of age or older) that evaluate each of the four broad domains (cognitive, motor, sensory, and affect) essential to neurobehavioral assessment. Children were classified as exposed or unexposed using urinary p-nitrophenol (PNP) levels and environmental wipe samples for MP. Exposure was defined as a urinary PNP level of greater than or equal to 100 ppb for the child or any other individual living in the household. Environmental wipe sample levels of greater than or equal to 150 g MP/100 cm2 and greater than or equal to 132.9 g MP/100 cm2 were used to define MP exposure for children living in Mississippi and Ohio, respectively. The PENTB was first administered in summer 1999 (year 1). The PENTB was readministered in summer 2000 (year 2) to children who participated in year 1 of the study. A description of the methods used in the study are presented. Results of data analyses for both years of the study will be presented in a separate publication.

Child↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Physicochemical and bacteriological assessment of water quality at the Ross Barnett reservoir in central Mississippi.

The Ross Barnett Reservoir serves as a source of water supply for the city of Jackson, Mississippi, U.S.A. and is an important site for recreational activities for many residents of Mississippi counties. A broad spectrum of illness is associated with water-contact activities like bathing and swimming in recreational waters. In the present research, we assessed the bacteriological quality of water in the Ross Barnett Reservoir and compared the levels of bacteria with the recommended criteria for public health protection. From June 12, 1999 to October 2, 1999, we collected water samples weekly from two different sites in the reservoir and tested them for the following bacteriological parameters: heterotrophic plate counts, total coliforms, fecal coliforms, and fecal streptococci. The samples were also tested for basic physical and chemical characteristics of water. The results of the study indicate that the respective mean concentrations of bacteria (colony forming units per 100 mL of water) in water samples collected from the reservoir were 5.6 x 10(6)+/-1.5 x 10(6) (heterotrophic plate counts), 4.5 x 10(4) +/- 5.3 x 10(4) (total coliforms), 5.0 x 10(2) +/- 1.6 x 10(2) (fecal coliforms), and 9.1x10(1)+/-7.3x10(1) (fecal streptococci). The values of all physical and chemical parameters were at acceptable levels. The bacterial densities, however, often exceeded federal/state guidelines by several orders of magnitude, raising considerable public health concerns. Steps should therefore be taken to develop and implement strategies to improve the water quality and to reduce or eliminate the potential health risks associated with water-contact activities in the Ross Barnett Reservoir.

Enterobacteriaceae↗
PubMed2001

Probabilistic risk assessment of cotton pyrethroids: III. A spatial analysis of the Mississippi, USA, cotton landscape.

Estimates of potential aquatic exposure concentrations arising from the use of pyrethroid insecticides on cotton produced using conventional procedures outlined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Pesticide Programs Environmental Fate and Effects Division seem unrealistically high. Accordingly, the assumptions inherent in the pesticide exposure assessment modeling scenarios were examined using remote sensing of a significant Mississippi, USA, cotton-producing county. Image processing techniques and a geographic information system were used to investigate the number and size of the water bodies in the county and their proximity to cotton. Variables critical to aquatic exposure modeling were measured for approximately 600 static water bodies in the study area. Quantitative information on the relative spatial orientation of cotton and water, regional soil texture and slope, and the detailed nature of the composition of physical buffers between agricultural fields and water bodies was also obtained. Results showed that remote sensing and geographic information systems can be used cost effectively to characterize the agricultural landscape and provide verifiable data to refine conservative model assumptions. For example, 68% of all ponds in the region have no cotton within 360 m and 92% of the ponds have no cotton within 60 m. Only 2% of ponds have cotton present in all directions around the ponds and within 120 m. These are significant modifications to conventional pesticide risk assessment exposure modeling assumptions and exemplify the importance of using landscape-level risk assessments to better describe the Mississippi cotton agricultural landscape. Incorporating spatially characterized landscape information into pesticide aquatic exposure scenarios is likely to have greater impact on the model output than many other refinements.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Diabetes in Mississippi Choctaw Indians.

OBJECTIVE: To establish a registry of patients with diabetes and determine the point prevalence of diabetes in the Mississippi Choctaw Indians at the end of September 1989. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A survey of diabetes cases was conducted, using the NDDG criteria for diagnosis with comparison to U.S. rates determined from the 1979-1981 NHIS. IHS-supported hospital and outpatient clinics serving the Choctaw Indians of Mississippi were the setting. Medical charts of patients on the computer record of outpatient visits seen for diabetes and laboratory lists of patients who had elevated blood glucose levels in 1988 were reviewed. RESULTS: The age-adjusted prevalence of 163.2/1000 population was 6.5 times (95% CI 4.3-9.8) the U.S. rate. The prevalence of diabetes in the Choctaw Indians was significantly higher than the U.S. rates for all age-groups except for those < 15 yr of age. CONCLUSIONS: Intervention programs are urgently needed to prevent or delay the onset of diabetes and its complications in this southeastern tribe. The registry system is being used to gather information on the prevalence and incidence of diabetic complications and associated risk factors to guide programs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

New, recent, and questionable mosquito records from Mississippi.

Enhanced mosquito surveillance in Mississippi has confirmed the presence of Mansonia titillans and Ochlerotatus trivittatus, which represent new state records for Mississippi. Recent records of Aedes albopictus, Anopheles maverlius, An. quadrimaculatus, An. smaragdinus, and Ochlerotatus hendersoni, and questionable records of Ochlerotatus dorsalis, Oc. stimulans, and Psorophora pygmaea are reviewed.

Aedes↗