2型糖尿病合并骨质疏松的相关危险因素分析

目的分析2型糖尿病合并骨质疏松的骨密度变化及其糖代谢相关生化指标分析。方法将86例2型糖尿病患者按照骨密度分为单纯2型糖尿病组和2型糖尿病合并骨质疏松组,比较两组空腹血糖（FBG）、空腹胰岛素（FINS）、糖化血红蛋白（HbA1c）、病程等,并对以上指标与骨密度进行相关性分析。以93例健康体检者作为健康对照组。结果健康体检者骨质疏松发生率明显低于2型糖尿病患者[28．0％（26／93）比59．3％（51／86）],差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。2型糖尿病合并骨质疏松组（51例）HbA1c、FINS、骨密度、病程与单纯2型糖尿病组（35例）比较差异均有统计学意义[（8．57±2．59）％比（7．26±1．68）％、（13．21±4．73）μU／L比（17．54±5．91）μU/L、（0．764±0．130）g／cm2比（0．993±0．123）g／cm2、（11．4±6．4）年比（8．6±4．7）年,P〈0．05]。2型糖尿病患者的骨密度与病程、HbA1c、FINS呈负相关（r=-0．306,-0．185,-0．269;P〈0．05或〈0．01）,而与FBG无相关性（P〉0．05）。结论长期血糖控制不良、体内胰岛素水平低下、病程长是2型糖尿病患者易合并骨质疏松的影响因素。     

Milk and Dairy Products: Good or Bad for Human Bone? Practical Dietary Recommendations for the Prevention and Management of Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis affects women twice as often as men. Additionally, it is estimated that 0.3 million and 1.7 million people have hip fractures in the USA and Europe, respectively. Having a proper peak bone mass and keeping it as long as possible is especially important for osteoporosis prevention. One of the most important calcium sources is milk and dairy products. Breast milk is the best infant food, but milk should not be avoided later in life to prevent losing bone mass. On the other hand, more and more people limit their milk consumption and consume other dairy or non-dairy products. For example, they are usually replaced with plant beverages, which should be consumed carefully in several age groups. Additionally, an important element of milk and dairy products, as well as plant beverages, are probiotics and prebiotics, which may modulate bone turnover. Dietary recommendations focused on milk, and dairy products are an important element for the prevention of osteoporosis.     

中老年男性雄激素部分缺乏患者骨密度测定的临床价值

目的 探讨中老年男性雄激素部分缺乏(PADAM)患者的骨密度(BMD)特点和骨质疏松的发生率.方法 采用双能X线骨密度仪对56例PADAM患者(PADAM组)和与之年龄、体重指数(BMI)相匹配的51例健康中老年人(对照组)进行腰椎及股骨颈等部位的BMD测定,采用MES-01S20肌肉功能分析仪测定肌肉分布和力学特性,并收集相关生化指标、激素水平及部分骨代谢指标进行多元逐步回归分析.结果 与对照组比较,PADAM组腰椎BMD无显著改变(P＞0.05),而股骨颈、Ward三角区和大转子的BMD显著降低(P＜0.01),且其抗骨折能力和下肢最大肌力显著降低(P＜0.01).PADAM组和对照组的骨量减少发生率分别为48.2%(27/56)和35.3%(18/51),骨质疏松患病率分别为30.4%(17/56)和21.6%(11/51),两组比较差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05).PADAM患者的腰椎BMD与BMI呈正相关,而股骨颈、Ward三角区、大转子的BMD与年龄呈负相关,与BMI、血清总睾酮呈正相关(P＜0.05).结论 PADAM患者的BMD及抗骨折能力明显降低,存在骨质疏松性骨折的潜在危险,加强PADAM患者骨折的预防和治疗有重要意义.

Abstract：

Objective To explore the characteristics of bone mineral density (BMD) and the incidence of osteoporosis in partial androgen deficiency in aging male (PADAM) patients.Methods Fifty-six PADAM patients (PADAM group) and 51 healthy persons (control group) were selected according to their age and body mass index (BMI),and measured their BMD in the second to fourth lumber and the neck of femur with the dual-energy C X-ray BMD measuring instrument.MES-01S20 muscle function analyzer was used to determinate the distribution and mechanical properties of muscle.The biochemical and bone metabolic markers and sexual hormones were collected and observed by multivariate stepwise regression analysis.Results Compared with control group,BMD significantly decreased in the Ward triangle,femoral neck and big rotor (P ＜ 0.01 ) and no significant change in lumbar in PADAM group (P ＞ 0.05 ),and the fracture strength of femoral neck (FS) and the lower-limb muscular strength (MS) also significantly decreased (P ＜ 0.01 ).The incidence of osteopenia were 48.2% (27/56) and 35.3% ( 18/51 ),osteoporosis were 30.4% (17/56) and 21.6% ( 11/51 ) respectively in PADAM group and control group.There was significant difference between two groups (P＜0.05).The BMD was positively correlated to BMI at the first to fourth lumber and negatively correlated to age,positively correlated to BMI and serum level of andrusol at the proximal left femur in the patients with PADAM.Conclusion BMD and the resistance to fracture aresignificantly lower in PADAM patients,and aging lower BMI and androgen deficiency are the risk factors of low BMD in PADAM patients.There is the potential of osteoporotic fracture risk,and it is important to strengthening the prevention and treatment of fractures in elderly PADAM patients.     

Who is at risk of osteoporosis?

This contribution assesses who is at risk of osteoporosis, by delineating the key risk factors involved in the condition. Osteoporosis represents a major public health problem through its association with fragility fractures, primarily of the hip, spine and distal forearm. Some risk factors for fragility fracture act through bone mineral density (BMD), for example female gender, asian or Caucasian race, premature menopause, primary or secondary amenorrhoea, primary and secondary hypogonadism in men, prolongued immobilisation, low dietary calcium intake, vitamin D deficiency. However, a number of others contribute significantly to fracture risk over and above their association with BMD (age, high bone turnover, poor visual acuity, neuromuscular disorders, previous fragility fracture, glucocorticoid therapy, family history of hip fracture, low body weight, cigarette smoking, excess alcohol consumption).     

The relationship between osteoporosis and body composition in pre- and postmenopausal women from different ethnic groups in China

Objective: To investigate the ethnic differences in osteoporosis (OP) and body composition (BC) and their relationship in the Maonan, Mulam, Hmong, and Yao minorities in China.

Design: A total of 860 Maonan, Mulam, Hmong, and Yao women were included in this cross-sectional study. Demographic, health history, and lifestyle information was collected using questionnaires. BC was measured through bioelectrical impedance analysis, and bone mineral density (BMD) was assessed via calcaneal quantitative ultrasound.

Results: Compared with premenopausal women, postmenopausal women exhibited a lower fat-free mass (FFM), muscle mass (MM), limb muscle mass, and T-score but a higher waist-to-hip ratio and prevalence of OP in each minority (p?T-scores and lowest prevalence of OP among the four minorities (p?p??1). In addition, our results revealed that FFM and MM exhibited exactly the same weak positive relationship with the T-score (r?=?0.081, p?T-score existed in the four minorities studied here.

Conclusions: BC and OP prevalence varied by menopausal status and ethnic group, and ethnic-specific relationships between BC and BMD were present in the four minorities. More research is needed to further investigate the ethnic differences in BC, OP, and risk factors for lower BMD to develop targeted prevention strategies to reduce the burden of OP across different ethnic groups in China.     

老年男性2型糖尿病患者骨质疏松相关因素分析

目的 探讨与老年男性2型糖尿病（type 2 diabetes mellitus,T2DM）骨质疏松（osteoporosis,OP）发生相关的因素。方法 选取老年男性T2DM患者288例,根据OP诊断标准分为骨量正常组（72例）、骨量减少组（118例）和骨质疏松组（98例）。测量身高、体重,计算体质指数（body mass index,BMI）;测定空腹血糖（fasting blood glucose,FBG）、糖化血红蛋白（glycosylated hemoglobinA1c,HbA1c）、甲状旁腺素（parathyroid hormone,PTH）、血清钙（serum calcium,Ca）、血清磷（serum phosphonium,P）、25羟维生素D （serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D,25-OH-VD）及尿白蛋白/肌酐（urinary albumin/creatinine ratio,ACR）,记录患者病程、降糖药物使用和糖尿病慢性并发症情况。结果 与骨量正常组比较,骨质疏松组和骨量减少组病程较长和HbA1c较高,BMI减低,差异均有统计学意义（均有P<0.05）。相关分析显示股骨颈、三角区、大转子、腰椎（lumbar vertebrae,L）2-4节骨密度（bone mineral density,BMD）与BMI均呈正相关（均有P<0.05）,但与HbA1C均呈负相关（均有P<0.05）。骨质疏松组糖尿病肾病、糖尿病视网膜病变发生率均高于骨量正常组、骨量减少组（均有P<0.05）;骨质疏松组糖尿病神经病变发生率高于骨量正常组（χ²=6.168,P=0.013）。Logistic回归分析显示BMI、HbA1c及糖尿病肾病与糖尿病骨质疏松发生相关（均有P<0.05）。结论 低BMI,血糖控制不佳和糖尿病肾病是老年男性T2DM患者OP发生的危险因素。     

Psychosocial Effects of Physical and Verbal Abuse in Postmenopausal Women

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to examine the psychological effects of physical and verbal abuse in a cohort of older women.METHODS This observational cohort study was conducted at 40 clinical sites nationwide that are part of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Observational Study. We surveyed 93,676 women aged 50 to 79 years using the mental health subscales and the combined mental component summary (MCS) score of the RAND Medical Outcomes Study 36-item instrument.RESULTS At baseline, women reporting exposure to physical abuse only, verbal abuse only, or both physical and verbal abuse had a greater number of depressive symptoms (1.6,1.6, and 3 more symptoms, respectively) and lower MCS scores (4.6, 5.4, and 8.1 lower scores, respectively) than women not reporting abuse. Compared with women who had no exposure to abuse, women had a greater increase in the number of depressive symptoms when they reported a 3-year incident exposure to physical abuse only (0.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], −0.21 to 0.60), verbal abuse only (0.18; 95% CI, 0.11 to 0.24), or both physical and verbal abuse (0.15; 95% CI, −0.05 to 0.36); and they had a decrease in MCS scores when they reported a 3-year incident exposure to physical abuse only (−1.12; 95% CI, −2.45 to 0.12), verbal abuse only (−0.55; 95% CI, −0.75 to −0.34), and both physical and verbal abuse (−0.44; 95% CI, −1.11 to −0.22) even after adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics.CONCLUSION Exposure to abuse in older, functionally independent women is associated with poorer mental health. The persistence of these findings suggests that clinicians need to consider abuse exposure in their older female patients who have depressive symptoms. Clinicians caring for older women should identify women at risk for physical and verbal abuse and intervene appropriately.     

鹿骨粉治疗大鼠卵巢摘除后所致的骨质疏松

目的:探讨鹿骨粉对卵巢摘除后骨质疏松症(0P)大鼠骨微结构及骨矿物质的影响.方法:Wistar大鼠行双侧卵巢摘除术,采用X线摄片确认发生OP之后,将模型大鼠随机分为假手术组、模型组、鹿骨粉低剂量(200 mg/kg)组(鹿骨粉低剂量组)、鹿骨粉中剂量(400 mg/kg)组(鹿骨粉中剂量组)、鹿骨粉高剂量(800 mg/kg)组(鹿骨粉高剂量组)、葡萄糖酸钙(160 mg/kg)组(葡萄糖酸钙组).术后模型大鼠给药治疗4个月后,利用X线摄片观察骨质微结构,采用小动物成像仪获取股骨全段骨密度(BMD)值,应用生化分析仪及ELISA试剂盒检测血清中钙、镁、磷离子浓度以及碱性磷酸酶(ALP)、抗酒石酸酸性磷酸酶(TRACP)含量.结果:与模型组比较,鹿骨粉低剂量组、鹿骨粉中剂量组、鹿骨粉高剂量组和葡萄糖酸钙组股骨骨松质减少,骨密质和骨小梁增多,股骨各段BMD均增高,钙、镁离子浓度增高、磷离子浓度以及ALP、TRACP含量降低,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05).结论:鹿骨粉改善卵巢摘除所致的骨质微结构及血清学指标的变化,提示其能够预防及治疗雌激素下降所致的OP.     

Fournier’s Gangrene: validation of the severity index

Introduction: Fournier''s gangrene is a serious infection and is considered a major emergency. A complete assessment of the severity factors using a severity score is essential and makes it possible to adapt the therapeutic management. Aim: Validate Fournier’s Gangrene Severity Index and evaluate its benefits in the initial assessment of disease severity. Methods: This is a retrospective, monocentric study which gathered all the cases of perineal gangrene that were managed in General Surgery Department of Habib Bougatfa Hospital in Bizerte over a period of 8 years. The primary endpoint in our study was mortality. Results: Thirty-five cases of Fournier''s gangrene were collected. The average age of our patients was 46 years. Mortality rate was 23%. We calculated the Fournier’s Gangrene Severity Index for 22 patients. There was a significant difference in the average Fournier’s Gangrene Severity Index score between the group of surviving patients (3.75) and the group of deceased patients (12.63) (p <0.0001). Using an Fournier’s Gangrene Severity Index cut-off value> 9.5 (sensitivity 87.5%, specificity 100%), we noted that the mortality rate was significantly higher in the group with a score> 10 (100%) than in the group with a score ≤ 9 (6%) (p <0.0001). A score greater than 10 was associated with 100% mortality in our series. Conclusions: The Fournier’s Gangrene Severity Index, calculated from clinical and biological data, offers a simple, reliable and valid tool to assess the initial severity of the disease.     

Lead exposures in U.S. Children, 2008: implications for prevention

Objective

We reviewed the sources of lead in the environments of U.S. children, contributions to children’s blood lead levels, source elimination and control efforts, and existing federal authorities. Our context is the U.S. public health goal to eliminate pediatric elevated blood lead levels (EBLs) by 2010.

Data sources

National, state, and local exposure assessments over the past half century have identified risk factors for EBLs among U.S. children, including age, race, income, age and location of housing, parental occupation, and season.

Data extraction and synthesis

Recent national policies have greatly reduced lead exposure among U.S. children, but even very low exposure levels compromise children’s later intellectual development and lifetime achievement. No threshold for these effects has been demonstrated. Although lead paint and dust may still account for up to 70% of EBLs in U.S. children, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that ≥30% of current EBLs do not have an immediate lead paint source, and numerous studies indicate that lead exposures result from multiple sources. EBLs and even deaths have been associated with inadequately controlled sources including ethnic remedies and goods, consumer products, and food-related items such as ceramics. Lead in public drinking water and in older urban centers remain exposure sources in many areas.

Conclusions

Achieving the 2010 goal requires maintaining current efforts, especially programs addressing lead paint, while developing interventions that prevent exposure before children are poisoned. It also requires active collaboration across all levels of government to identify and control all potential sources of lead exposure, as well as primary prevention.     

Effect of Early Life Exposure to Air Pollution on Development of Childhood Asthma

Background

There is increasing recognition of the importance of early environmental exposures in the development of childhood asthma. Outdoor air pollution is a recognized asthma trigger, but it is unclear whether exposure influences incident disease. We investigated the effect of exposure to ambient air pollution in utero and during the first year of life on risk of subsequent asthma diagnosis in a population-based nested case–control study.

Methods

We assessed all children born in southwestern British Columbia in 1999 and 2000 (n = 37,401) for incidence of asthma diagnosis up to 3–4 years of age using outpatient and hospitalization records. Asthma cases were age- and sex-matched to five randomly chosen controls from the eligible cohort. We estimated each individual’s exposure to ambient air pollution for the gestational period and first year of life using high-resolution pollution surfaces derived from regulatory monitoring data as well as land use regression models adjusted for temporal variation. We used logistic regression analyses to estimate effects of carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter ≤ 10 μm and ≤ 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM₁₀ and PM_2.5), ozone, sulfur dioxide, black carbon, woodsmoke, and proximity to roads and point sources on asthma diagnosis.

Results

A total of 3,482 children (9%) were classified as asthma cases. We observed a statistically significantly increased risk of asthma diagnosis with increased early life exposure to CO, NO, NO₂, PM₁₀, SO₂, and black carbon and proximity to point sources. Traffic-related pollutants were associated with the highest risks: adjusted odds ratio = 1.08 (95% confidence interval, 1.04–1.12) for a 10-μg/m³ increase of NO, 1.12 (1.07–1.17) for a 10-μg/m³ increase in NO₂, and 1.10 (1.06–1.13) for a 100-μg/m³ increase in CO. These data support the hypothesis that early childhood exposure to air pollutants plays a role in development of asthma.     

A Comparison of Self-Reported and Objective Physical Activity Measures in Young Australian Women

Background

The evidence for beneficial effects of recommended levels of physical activity is overwhelming. However, 70% of Australians fail to meet these levels. In particular, physical activity participation by women falls sharply between ages 16 to 25 years. Further information about physical activity measures in young women is needed. Self-administered questionnaires are often used to measure physical activity given their ease of application, but known limitations, including recall bias, compromise the accuracy of data. Alternatives such as objective measures are commonly used to overcome this problem, but are more costly and time consuming.

Objective

To compare the output between the Modified Active Australia Survey (MAAS), the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and an objective physical activity measure—the SenseWear Armband (SWA)—to evaluate the test-retest reliability of the MAAS and to determine the acceptability of the SWA among young women.

Methods

Young women from Victoria, Australia, aged 18 to 25 years who had participated in previous studies via Facebook advertising were recruited. Participants completed the two physical activity questionnaires online, immediately before and after wearing the armband for 7 consecutive days. Data from the SWA was blocked into 10-minute activity times. Follow-up IPAQ, MAAS, and SWA data were analyzed by comparing the total continuous and categorical activity scores, while concurrent validity of IPAQ and MAAS were analyzed by comparing follow-up scores. Test-retest reliability of MAAS was analyzed by comparing MAAS total physical activity scores at baseline and follow-up. Participants provided feedback in the follow-up questionnaire about their experience of wearing the armband to determine acceptability of the SWA. Data analyses included graphical (ie, Bland-Altman plot, scatterplot) and analytical (ie, canonical correlation, kappa statistic) methods to determine agreement between MAAS, IPAQ, and SWA data.

Results

A total of 58 participants returned complete data. Comparisons between the MAAS and IPAQ questionnaires (n=52) showed moderate agreement for both categorical (kappa=.48, P<.001) and continuous data (r=.69, P<.001). Overall, the IPAQ tended to give higher scores. No significant correlation was observed between SWA and IPAQ or MAAS continuous data, for both minute-by-minute and blocked SWA data. The SWA tended to record lower scores than the questionnaires, suggesting participants tended to overreport their amount of physical activity. The test-retest analysis of MAAS showed moderate agreement for continuous outcomes (r=.44, P=.001). However, poor agreement was seen for categorical outcomes. The acceptability of the SWA to participants was high.

Conclusions

Moderate agreement between the MAAS and IPAQ and moderate reliability of the MAAS indicates that the MAAS may be a suitable alternative to the IPAQ to assess total physical activity in young women, due to its shorter length and consequently lower participant burden. The SWA, and likely other monitoring devices, have the advantage over questionnaires of avoiding overreporting of self-reported physical activity, while being highly acceptable to participants.     

Preferred skeletal site for osteoporosis screening in high-risk populations

OBJECTIVES: The current World Health Organization (WHO) definition of osteoporosis, which is based on densitometry of lumbar and femoral regions, is extensively used for decision-making in clinical practice. Discordance in diagnosis of osteoporosis using this definition is a known phenomenon. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of such discordance and to assess the diagnostic value of using one skeletal site for screening purposes as opposed to the two sites required in the WHO criteria. STUDY DESIGN: Data was collected from 4188 individuals (3848 female); mean age=53.4 years (standard deviation 11.8) referred to a community-based outpatient osteoporosis testing centre in Tehran, Iran. METHODS: Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was performed on L1-L4 lumbar spine and total hip for all cases. The DXA results were categorized according to WHO criteria. Sensitivity for each site was calculated as number of cases with T-score < -2.5 at that site divided by the total number of cases with T-score < -2.5 at any site. RESULTS: Prevalence of osteoporosis diagnosis using lumbar DXA, femoral DXA, and WHO criteria (either of the sites) were 24.7%, 12.4%, and 27.8%, respectively. Sensitivity of lumbar DXA for diagnosis of osteoporosis (88.9%) was significantly higher than femoral DXA (44.6%, P<0.001); but this difference became non-significant for men > or = 60 and women > or = 70 (P=0.615 and P=0.077, respectively). Agreement of the procedures in different sites (kappa) was 0.40 (0.37 to 0.43). When proximal femur was considered as the reference, positive likelihood ratios of lumbar DXA to detect cases were 4.7 and 2.0 in younger and older groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Concerning the high rate of discordance and low agreement between DXA results, the data obtained from each anatomical site cannot predict the condition of the other site. However, if use of a single assessment is intended for screening programs, public health authorities can develop different strategies for different age groups of their population. We propose lumbar DXA for the younger group (men < 60 and women < 70) and femoral densitometry for the older.     

Impact of Environmental Chemicals on Lung Development

Background

Disruption of fundamental biologic processes and associated signaling events may result in clinically significant alterations in lung development.

Objectives

We reviewed evidence on the impact of environmental chemicals on lung development and key signaling events in lung morphogenesis, and the relevance of potential outcomes to public health and regulatory science.

Data sources

We evaluated the peer-reviewed literature on developmental lung biology and toxicology, mechanistic studies, and supporting epidemiology.

Data synthesis

Lung function in infancy predicts pulmonary function throughout life. In utero and early postnatal exposures influence both childhood and adult lung structure and function and may predispose individuals to chronic obstructive lung disease and other disorders. The nutritional and endogenous chemical environment affects development of the lung and can result in altered function in the adult. Studies now suggest that similar adverse impacts may occur in animals and humans after exposure to environmentally relevant doses of certain xenobiotics during critical windows in early life. Potential mechanisms include interference with highly conserved factors in developmental processes such as gene regulation, molecular signaling, and growth factors involved in branching morphogenesis and alveolarization.

Conclusions

Assessment of environmental chemical impacts on the lung requires studies that evaluate specific alterations in structure or function—end points not regularly assessed in standard toxicity tests. Identifying effects on important signaling events may inform protocols of developmental toxicology studies. Such knowledge may enable policies promoting true primary prevention of lung diseases. Evidence of relevant signaling disruption in the absence of adequate developmental toxicology data should influence the size of the uncertainty factors used in risk assessments.     

Mothers' health and work-related factors at 11 weeks postpartum

PURPOSE Many new mothers return to work soon after childbirth. This study examines personal and work-related factors associated with the postpartum health of employed women 11 weeks after childbirth.METHODS Using a prospective cohort design, we recruited 817 Minnesota mothers into the study while they were hospitalized for childbirth in 2001. Telephone interviews were conducted at 5 and 11 weeks postpartum. Eligible women were 18 years or older, employed, and spoke English and gave birth to a singleton infant. Multivariate models using instrumental variables (2-stage least squares) were used to estimate personal and employment characteristics associated with women’s physical and mental health and postpartum symptoms.RESULTS At 11 weeks postpartum, 661 participants (81% of enrollees) completed a full interview, and 50% of participants had returned to work. On average, women reported 4.1 (SD 3.2) childbirth-related symptoms, most frequently fatigue (43%). Factors significantly associated with better health outcomes included better preconception health, the absence of prenatal mood problems, more control over work and home activities, more social support at work and home, and less job stress.CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest postpartum women need to be evaluated regarding their fatigue levels and mental and physical symptoms. Women whose fatigue or postpartum symptoms limit daily role function may find it helpful to have health care clinicians counsel them on strategies to decrease job stress, increase social support at work and home, and certify their use of intermittent family and medical leave to help them manage their symptoms.     

Increasing Fruit and Vegetable Variety over Time Is Associated with Lower 15-Year Healthcare Costs: Results from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health

Healthcare costs are lower for adults who consume more vegetables; however, the association between healthcare costs and fruit and vegetable varieties is unclear. Our aim was to investigate the association between (i) baseline fruit and vegetable (F&V) varieties, and (ii) changes in F&V varieties over time with 15-year healthcare costs in an Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health. The data for Survey 3 (n = 8833 women, aged 50–55 years) and Survey 7 (n = 6955, aged 62–67 years) of the 1946–1951 cohort were used. The F&V variety was assessed using the Fruit and Vegetable Variety (FAVVA) index calculated from the Cancer Council of Victoria’s Dietary Questionnaire for Epidemiological Studies food frequency questionnaire. The baseline FAVVA and change in FAVVA were analysed as continuous predictors of Medicare claims/costs by using multiple regression analyses. Healthy weight women made, on average, 4.3 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.7–6.8) fewer claims for every 10-point-higher FAVVA. Healthy weight women with higher fruit varieties incurred fewer charges; however, this was reversed for women overweight/obese. Across the sample, for every 10-point increase in FAVVA over time, women made 4.3 (95% CI 1.9–6.8) fewer claims and incurred $309.1 (95% CI $129.3–488.8) less in charges over 15 years. A higher F&V variety is associated with a small reduction in healthcare claims for healthy weight women only. An increasing F&V variety over time is associated with lower healthcare costs.     

Care From Family Physicians Reported by Pregnant Women in the United States

PURPOSE

We describe the proportion of family physicians providing care of any sort to pregnant women in the United States from 2000 to 2009.

METHODS

We used a repeat, cross-sectional design with data from the nationally representative Integrated Health Interview Series (2000–2009) for respondents who reported being pregnant at the time of the survey (N = 3,204). Using multivariate logistic regression, we modeled changes over time in pregnant women’s reports of care from family physicians. We used interaction terms to test for regional differences in trends.

RESULTS

Approximately one-third of pregnant women reported having seen or talked to a family physician for medical care during the prior year, a percentage that remained stable for the period of 2000 to 2009 (adjusted odds ratio for annual change = 1.006). Most pregnant women reported care from multiple types of clinicians, including family physicians, obstetrician-gynecologists, midwives, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. There were regional differences in trends in family physician care; pregnant women in the North Central United States increasingly reported care from family physicians, whereas women in the South reported a decline (6.7% annual increase vs 4.7% annual decrease, P ≥.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Trends in family medicine care for pregnant women have remained steady for the nation as a whole, but they differ by region of the United States. Most pregnant women reported care from multiple clinicians, highlighting the importance of care coordination for this patient population.     

Disentangling Race and Social Context in Understanding Disparities in Chronic Conditions among Men

Disparities in men’s health research may inaccurately attribute differences in chronic conditions to race rather than the different health risk exposures in which men live. This study sought to determine whether living in the same social environment attenuates race disparities in chronic conditions among men. This study compared survey data collected in 2003 from black and white men with similar incomes living in a racially integrated neighborhood of Baltimore to data from the 2003 National Health Interview Survey. Multivariable logistic regression models estimated to determine whether race disparities in chronic conditions were attenuated among men living in the same social environment. In the national sample, black men exhibited greater odds of having hypertension (odds ratio [OR] = 1.58, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.34, 1.86) and diabetes (OR = 1.62, 95 % CI 1.27–2.08) than white men. In the sample of men living in the same social context, black and white respondents had similar odds of having hypertension (OR = 1.05, 95 % CI 0.70, 1.59) and diabetes (OR = 1.12, 95 % CI 0.57–2.22). There are no race disparities in chronic conditions among low-income, urban men living in the same social environment. Policies and interventions aiming to reduce disparities in chronic conditions should focus on modifying social aspects of the environment.