American journal of preventive medicine
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Low-income, urban, African-American and Hispanic youth have been identified as a group that may be at risk for the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This article evaluates general knowledge of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), knowledge of routes of sexual transmission of HIV, risk behaviors related to sex, and perceived susceptibility to AIDS of urban low-income youth in Detroit. We drew data from a household probability sample of 1,435 of these Detroit youth. ⋯ Young Hispanic women reported the latest initiation of sexual activity and the fewest partners. A substantial minority of the youth were concerned about becoming infected with HIV, and these concerns were related to risk behavior. We demonstrate from these data a need for interventions in this population to correct misconceptions and to promote use of condoms and other safer sexual behaviors.
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Comparative Study
Use of peer role models to increase Pap smear and mammogram screening in Mexican-American and black women.
We evaluated the use of a community-based intervention model to increase Pap smear and mammogram screening in minority women. The community programs were based on the A Su Salud (To Your Health) model, which includes the presentation of positive role models in the media and positive social reinforcement by community volunteers. Mexican-American women 40-70 years of age in Corpus Christi, Texas, and black women 40-70 years of age in Galveston, Texas, were targeted. ⋯ Mammogram use (past two years) increased 57% among Mexican-American women (prevalence rate ratio [PRR] = 1.57; 90% confidence interval [CI] = 1.19, 2.08) and 30% among black women (PRR = 1.30; 90% CI = 1.04, 1.63). We demonstrated the feasibility of implementing a peer role model intervention at the local health department level. The improvement in mammogram use among high-risk women is encouraging, but further controlled research is needed to test the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of this approach.
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National studies have documented an excessive rate of cigarette smoking in black men; however, a 1987 survey conducted in two urban areas in South Carolina documents a high rate of smoking in young white men with fewer than 12 years of education (67%; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 58.3, 75.7). Differences in smoking rates by educational level were significant only for those younger than 40. Young blacks were less likely to smoke and smoked fewer cigarettes than whites. ⋯ Television, physicians, and radio were all seen as likely sources of health information to prevent heart disease, but newspapers were less likely to be cited by those younger than 40 or by those with fewer than 12 years of education. Reported physician counseling for smoking cessation did not differ significantly by race, sex, or educational level of the patient, but reported counseling was higher for individuals with a personal history of cardiovascular disease (odds ratio [OR] = 2.32, CI = 1.27, 4.25) and somewhat lower for the elderly. We highlight the population burden of cigarettes, a predictor of the eventual disease burden attributable to smoking, as a useful priority measure for smoking intervention efforts.
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Our objective is to describe the clinical findings from a nurse-practitioner-based breast and cervical cancer screening program for poor, elderly, black women. We designed a cross-sectional descriptive study set at an urban public hospital medical clinic. All women 65 years of age and older were eligible to be screened. ⋯ Interestingly, one-fifth of women with a hysterectomy had an intact cervix, including one with cervical neoplasia. Nearly one-third of women with abnormal Paps or mammograms failed to complete follow-up. Success of screening programs for the elderly will depend on the risk group targeted, careful examination, degree of sensitivity and specificity of the tests, and acceptability of follow-up diagnosis and treatment.
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Despite widespread concern about exposure of infants in utero to cocaine, population-based data regarding the prevalence of such exposures are limited. An official task force in Ohio called for studies to generate such data for that state. During three weeks in late 1990, urine was obtained within 48 hours of birth from 1,819 infants born in 25 Ohio hospitals randomly selected from a pool of hospitals accounting for over 80% of Ohio births. ⋯ Such methods may be especially useful for trend studies and program evaluation. In this study, we found widely distributed prepartal cocaine usage in Ohio. Black newborns were significantly more likely than white newborns to show evidence of recent cocaine exposure.