Public health reports
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Public health reports · Mar 2005
Comparative StudyRethinking race/ethnicity, income, and childhood asthma: racial/ethnic disparities concentrated among the very poor.
Past studies of the prevalence of childhood asthma have yielded conflicting findings as to whether racial/ethnic disparities remain after other factors, such as income, are taken into account. The objective of this study was to examine the association of race/ethnicity and family income with the prevalence of childhood asthma and to assess whether racial/ethnic disparities vary by income strata. ⋯ Non-Hispanic black children were at substantially higher risk of asthma than non-Hispanic white children only among the very poor. The concentration of racial/ethnic differences only among the very poor suggests that patterns of social and environmental exposures must overshadow any hypothetical genetic risk.
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Accomplishing the Healthy People 2010 goal of eliminating disparities in oral disease will require a better understanding of the patterns of health care associated with orofacial pain. This study examined factors associated with pain-related acute oral health care. ⋯ Barriers to care are complex and likely to be interactive, but must be understood before the goals of Healthy People 2010 can be accomplished.
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Public health reports · Mar 2005
Illegal alcohol sales and use of alcohol control policies at community festivals.
The primary goals of this study were to assess the propensity for alcohol sales to underage customers and obviously intoxicated customers at community festivals, and to assess the prevalence of alcohol control policies at these events. A secondary goal was to identify server and festival characteristics and festival policies related to the likelihood of illegal alcohol sales. ⋯ Propensity for illegal alcohol sales at festivals is very high. Research is needed to identify interventions to prevent illegal alcohol sales at these events.
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Public health reports · Mar 2005
Tobacco use among American Indians in Oklahoma: an epidemiologic view.
With the exception of national surveys that sample the entire U.S. population, little information exists on tobacco habits among American Indians. This study is a comparison of tobacco use findings in the 1990s among American Indians in Oklahoma, a state with a large and diverse American Indian population (39 tribes). ⋯ Despite sampling different individuals for the surveys and different tribes for the epidemiologic research, results were comparable in age groups that overlapped. These findings support national data indicating that American Indians have higher prevalence rates of smoking than other racial/ethnic groups. American Indians report smoking on average about a half a pack of cigarettes per day. Individuals reporting using tobacco solely for ceremonial purposes were far fewer than habitual users. Buying tobacco products in American Indian smoke shops helps tribal economies; this fact needs to be considered for prevention programs to succeed.
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Public health reports · Mar 2005
Pap smear rates among Haitian immigrant women in eastern Massachusetts.
Given limited prior evidence of high rates of cervical cancer in Haitian immigrant women in the U.S., this study was designed to examine self-reported Pap smear screening rates for Haitian immigrant women and compare them to rates for women of other ethnicities. ⋯ The lower crude Pap smear rate for Haitian immigrants relative to other women of color was in part due to differences in (1) utilization of a single source for primary care, (2) health insurance, and (3) care provided by female physicians. Public health programs, such as the cancer prevention programs currently utilized in eastern Massachusetts, may influence these factors. Thus, the relatively high Pap rate among women in this study may reflect the success of these programs. Public health and elected officials will need to consider closely how implementing or withdrawing these programs may impact immigrant and minority communities.