Nutrition quality of daily food intake of the Warsaw population in the years 1993-2001. Warsaw Pol-MONICA bis project

The aim of the study was to evaluate changes in dietary habits and the realization degree of the recommended dietary allowances of vitamins and minerals intake in the diet of the Warsaw inhabitants in the 8-year period. In years 1993 and 2001 dietary habits where assessed according to 1485 and 836 randomly selected 35-64 year old men and women. Over the observation period substantial changes in food consumption pattern were noticed: the percentage of energy from fat decreased from 39.9% to 37.8% in men and from 38.2% to 35.9% in women, the percentage of energy from saturated fatty acids decreased from 14.0% to 12.4% in men and from 13.5% to 11.9% in women, the percentage from carbohydrates increased from 46.0% to 47.5% and from 47.5% to 49.6% and dietary fibre intake from 21.5 g to 22.8 g and from 15.7 g to 17.5 g respectively. In 2001 in comparison with 1993 intakes of vitamins C and B2, calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron were higher in both genders, vitamin B1 in men and E in women. Despite those positive changes still in year 2001 fibre, vitamins B1 and B2 and analyzed minerals intake was on too low level. The highest deficiency has been noticed in calcium intake in both genders and iron in women-the realization degree of recommended intake has stayed on 60-67% level.     

Invasive pneumococcal disease in the Kimberley, 1995-2001

OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiology of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in the Kimberley and examine whether cases could have been prevented by vaccination. DESIGN: Prospective case series of IPD cases from 1 January 1995 to 31 December 2001. SETTING: The Kimberley region of far north-western Australia. SUBJECTS: Seventy IPD cases in 37 men and 33 women aged 5 months to 90 years. Aboriginal people comprised 90% (63/70) of cases. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Demographic, clinical and microbiological characteristics of IPD cases. Proportion of cases caused by vaccine-preventable serotypes. IPD incidence in the Kimberley. RESULTS: Pneumonia and bacteraemia were the commonest clinical presentations. Of IPD cases, 15% (children) and 67% (adults) had a risk factor for IPD. The case fatality rate was 13%. Of cases, 46% (95% confidence interval (CI) 35-58%) were caused by serotypes covered by an age-appropriate vaccine. Of the 26 cases eligible for pneumococcal vaccination, only 4 (16%) had been appropriately vaccinated. IPD incidence in Aboriginal people aged 15 years and over declined from 97.8/100,000 person years (95% CI 56.5-139.1) in 1997 to 38.1/100,000 person years (95% CI 22.5-53.9) in 2001. CONCLUSIONS: The significant proportion of cases caused by vaccine-preventable serotypes and that was, therefore, preventable underscores the importance of pneumococcal vaccination.     

Laboratory surveillance of dengue in Argentina, 1995-2001

Local transmission of dengue fever virus in Argentina is increased by the presence of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and dengue outbreaks in neighboring countries. From 1995 to 2001, a laboratory-based active surveillance program detected 922 dengue cases. Indigenous transmission involving dengue-1 and -2 serotypes was confirmed only in subtropical areas in northern Argentina.     

Public health and aging: health-related quality of life among low-income persons aged 45-64 years--United States, 1995-2001

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) data are used to track population trends, identify health disparities, and monitor progress in achieving national health objectives for 2010. Low-income (i.e., annual household income of <15,000 dollars) adults aged > or =55 years have substantially more unhealthy days than low-income adults aged > or =65 years and adults aged 55-64 years with higher incomes. To verify this finding and determine whether it extends to low-income adults at younger ages, CDC analyzed HRQOL and related factors among a subset of respondents to the 1995-2001 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) surveys. This report summarizes the results of that analysis, which found that low-income adults aged 45-64 years have worse HRQOL than all other adults. Unemployment, inability to work, and activity limitation partially explain these HRQOL disparities in this age-income group. Targeting these risk factors and improving access to health care and social services (e.g., job training programs) could help increase the quality and years of healthy life and eliminate health disparities for persons in this age group.     

A dynamic analysis of GP visiting in Ireland: 1995-2001

This paper examines the determinants of GP visiting in Ireland, using panel data from the Living in Ireland Survey from 1995-2001. While cross-sectional studies provide important information on GP visiting patterns at a certain point in time, with panel data we can also control for unobserved individual heterogeneity, as well as identify whether it is the same individuals who consistently visit their GP year on year, or whether there is more mobility in visiting. We therefore estimate dynamic models of GP utilisation, and attempt to decompose the observed variation in GP visiting into components attributable to observed individual characteristics, unobserved individual heterogeneity and state dependence.     

Descriptive epidemiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Japan, 1995-2001

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to describe the epidemiologic features of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in Japan by examining annual trends in mortality (1995-2001), and to discuss the background factors possibly responsible for the recent variations in the mortality rate. METHODS: Trends in both the age-adjusted and age-specific mortality rates of ALS were examined by using the data obtained from the vital statistics of Japan between 1995 and 2001. RESULTS: There were small increases in the number of ALS deaths (from 1249 to 1400 per year) and the crude mortality rates (from 1.00 to 1.10 per 100,000 population) between 1995 and 2001. The age-adjusted mortality rate of ALS (adjusted using the 1985 model population of Japan) has decreased (from 0.84 per 100,000 population in 1995 to 0.74 in 2001). Age-specific mortality rates have been increasing particularly in the population older than 70 years of age, with the peak in mortality in the 70- to 80-year old age group. CONCLUSIONS: ALS mortality rates increased proportionally more for elderly population during the study period. Further epidemiologic studies will be needed to clarify the possible background factors contributing to the increase in ALS mortality in the elderly.     

The transport of severely ill children in the Amsterdam region; 1995-2001

OBJECTIVE: To inventory experiences of the transport of critically ill children in the Amsterdam region. DESIGN: Retrospective, observational. METHOD: Data were collected from the 1299 children who were transported to our paediatric intensive-care unit from 1 January 1995 until 31 December 2001. Severity of illness was scored and mortality risk calculated. Data on 535 children who were retrieved by our intensive-care team were compared to those from the 764 who were attended by the referring team. The impact on the outcome of distance and duration of transports from both inside and outside the Amsterdam region was analyzed. RESULTS: Two thirds of the transports took place during the evening and night. The median age of the children was 7.5 months. Main indication for admission was respiratory or circulatory insufficiency. During the stabilizing procedure before retrieval, one or more interventions were conducted by our team in 368 (69%) of the 535 retrieved children. 940 children were transported within our region. There were no significant differences between retrieval and non-retrieval groups with respect to length of stay, length of ventilation and mortality. In patients from outside our region the mortality in the retrieval group was higher than in the non-retrieval group. CONCLUSION: Retrieval by a specialized team did not always contribute to a favourable outcome. However, from both a logistical and a medical point of view, a retrieval system seems warranted in order to guarantee a higher level of care. There is a need for more clarity regarding the indications for retrieval by an intensive-care team.     

Changes in formal sex education: 1995-2002

CONTEXT: Although comprehensive sex education is broadly supported by health professionals, funding for abstinence-only education has increased. METHODS: Using data from the 1995 National Survey of Adolescent Males, the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) and the 2002 NSFG, changes in male and female adolescents' reports of the sex education they have received from formal sources were examined. Life-table methods were used to measure the timing of instruction, and t tests were used for changes over time. RESULTS: From 1995 to 2002, reports of formal instruction about birth control methods declined among both genders (males, from 81% to 66%; females, from 87% to 70%). This, combined with increases in reports of abstinence education among males (from 74% to 83%), resulted in a lower proportion of teenagers' overall receiving formal instruction about both abstinence and birth control methods (males, 65% to 59%; females, 84% to 65%), and a higher proportion of teenagers' receiving instruction only about abstinence (males, 9% to 24%; females, 8% to 21%). Teenagers in 2002 had received abstinence education about two years earlier (median age, 11.4 for males, 11.8 for females) than they had received birth control instruction (median age, 13.5 for both males and females). Among sexually experienced adolescents, 62% of females and 54% of males had received instruction about birth control methods prior to first sex. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial retreat from formal instruction about birth control methods has left increasing proportions of adolescents receiving only abstinence education. Efforts are needed to expand teenagers' access to medically accurate and comprehensive reproductive health information.     

Quantifying the impact of hepatitis A immunization in the United States, 1995-2001

Hepatitis A rates have declined to historically low rates in the United States. To assess the degree to which this decline was attributable to immunization, we correlated changes in the incidence of hepatitis A with increases in immunization coverage in a Poisson regression model. In a model allowing for herd immunity, an estimated 97,800 hepatitis A cases were averted due to immunization between 1995-2001, including 39% of potential cases in 2001. Assuming no herd immunity; 32,300 cases of hepatitis A would have been prevented. Sensitivity analysis showed that the number of averted cases in this period could range from 45,500 to 172,900. Among children 2-18 years old, vaccination coverage averaged 10% in 2001 and is estimated to have prevented 51% of cases in this age group. These results suggest that much of the recent reduction of hepatitis A rates is attributable to immunization and that immunization has been associated with a strong herd immunity effect.     

Changes in contraceptive use in Bulgaria, 1995-2000

Comparison of results from national surveys conducted in Bulgaria in 1995 and 2000 reveal little overall change in use of modern contraceptives. Dramatic increases occurred, however, among women younger than 25 who entered their reproductive period after the end of the state socialist period. This finding suggests that contraceptive gains in the country will come largely as a cohort-replacement process. From these data, no separate program impact appears for special clinics established to provide direct, subsidized delivery of modern contraceptives to women in selected cities. The special clinics opened in cities where contraceptive use was already above the national average. During these five years, other cities lacking special clinics managed to gain in prevalence of modern contraceptive use, leaving a relatively homogenous urban-rural difference in levels of use throughout the country.     

Systemic pneumococcal disease in Norway 1995-2001: capsular serotypes and antimicrobial resistance

A total of 4624 pneumococcal isolates from episodes of systemic pneumococcal disease were received at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health during the period 1995-2001. All isolates were serotyped and tested for susceptibility to benzylpenicillin, lincomycin, erythromycin, tetracycline and trimethroprim sulphamethoxazole. The proportion of strains resistant to these antimicrobial agents remained stable at a low level, ranging from 0.1% for benzylpenicillin to 2.5% for erythromycin. The distribution of serotypes was also stable over the 7 years: serotypes 1, 4, 9, 14, 7, 6 and 23 were the most frequent, representing 70.5% of isolates. Overall, 95.8% of the isolates were of serotypes/groups included in the current 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine, 52.2% were of serotypes/groups included in the 7-valent conjugated vaccine and 85.5% were of serotypes/groups included in the 11-valent conjugated vaccine.     

Occurrence of biogenic amines in ripening cheeses taken from the Warsaw market

Biogenic amines occurring in foods, particularly fish products and cheeses, may pose a risk to consumer health, monitoring their levels in foods is still valid. The aim of this study was determination of biogenic amines in ripening cheeses available at retail on the Warsaw market and validation of two methods for the determination of amines: high performance liquid chromatography in reverse phase system (RP-HPLC) and spectrofluorimetric method in 1995 year The parameters validated RP-HPLC method for histamine, tyramine, putrescine and kadaweryne ranged: limit of detection (LOD) of 0.7 mg/ kg to 1.3 mg/kg, the limit of quantification (LOQ) of 1.4 mg/kg to 2.6 mg/kg, the recovery of 92-111% and spectrofluorimetric method validation parameters of two amines: histamine and tyramine in the range: LOD of 2.4 mg/kg to 3.18 mg/kg, LOQ 4.8 mg/kg to 6.38 mg/kg, recovery 94-106.5%. The results indicate that the main amines occurring in the group studied ripened cheeses were tyramine and putrescine. The sum of all identified amines in the sample did not exceed 264.4 mg/kg.     

2001～2003年广东省市售食品中沙门菌污染状况调查分析

目的 了解广东省市售食品的沙门茵污染状况。方法 按照全国食品污染物监测网食源性致病菌监测计划提供的方法结合实验室现有条件对2001～2003年省内5个地区(澄海、湛江、番禺、宝安、仁化)9大类食品进行检测。结果 共采集5个地区9大类食品820份,检出阳性样本31份,检出率为3．8％;各地均检出阳性样本,其中湛江的检出率最高,达8．0％;阳性样本全部集中于夏秋季;生肉制品的阳性检出数占检出总数的70．97％。结论 广东省市售食品的卫生质量不容乐观,应加强对食品的分类管理和卫生监测。     

Tobacco use among middle and high school students--New Hampshire, 1995-2001

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Because 80% of adult smokers began smoking as minors, efforts to prevent smoking initiation have focused on adolescents. To examine trends in smoking prevalence among adolescents, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services analyzed data from the New Hampshire Youth Risk Behavior Survey (NHYRBS) and the New Hampshire Youth Tobacco Survey (NHYTS) during 1995-2001. This report summarizes the results of that analysis, which indicate that smoking prevalence in New Hampshire has declined among both middle and high school students. When fully operational, New Hampshire's comprehensive tobacco-prevention and -control program should lead to further reductions in smoking among adolescents and begin to decrease smoking among adults.     

上海市松江区2001—2008年脑卒中流行病学分析

脑卒中是多种脑血管疾病的严重表现形式,具有极高的致残率和较高的致死率,是我国近年来主要的致死原因之一。第四次国家卫生服务调查结果显示,调查范围的脑血管病例已由1993年的500万人增加到了1300万人。而上海市松江区是一个提前于全国水平进入老龄化时代的地区,防止脑卒中工作形势显得更加严峻。     

Spending for specialized mental health treatment in The VA: 1995-2001

The mid-1990s saw dramatic changes in mental health care in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the largest provider of such care in the United States. Spending for specialized inpatient mental health care fell 21 percent from 1995 to 2001, while spending for specialized outpatient care rose 63 percent. The shift from inpatient to outpatient care was accompanied by rapid increases in outpatient medication costs. Overall, the VA reduced the average cost (per VA user) of specialized mental health care by 22 percent while it increased the number of users of these services by 35 percent.