The effect of major depression on participation in preventive health care activities

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The objective of this study was to determine whether major depressive episodes (MDE) contribute to a lower rate of participation in three prevention activities: blood pressure checks, mammograms and Pap tests.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The data source for this study was the Canadian National Population Health Survey (NPHS), a longitudinal study that started in 1994 and has subsequently re-interviewed its participants every two years. The NPHS included a short form version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI-SF) to assess past year MDE and also collected data on participation in preventive activities. Initially, we examined whether respondents with MDE in a particular year were less likely to participate in screening during that same year. In order to assess whether MDE negatively altered the pattern of participation, those successfully screened at the baseline interview in 1994 were identified and divided into cohorts depending on their MDE status. Proportional hazard models were used to quantify the effect of MDE on subsequent participation in screening.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>No effect of MDE on participation in the three preventive activities was identified either in the cross-sectional or longitudinal analysis. Adjustment for a set of relevant covariates did not alter this result.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Whereas MDE might be expected to reduce the frequency of participation in screening activities, no evidence for this was found in the current analysis. Since people with MDE may contact the health system more frequently, this may offset any tendency of the illness itself to reduce participation in screening.</p

A prognostic tool to identify adolescents at high risk of becoming daily smokers

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The American Academy of Pediatrics advocates that pediatricians should be involved in tobacco counseling and has developed guidelines for counseling. We present a prognostic tool for use by health care practitioners in both clinical and non-clinical settings, to identify adolescents at risk of becoming daily smokers.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data were drawn from the Nicotine Dependence in Teens (NDIT) Study, a prospective investigation of 1293 adolescents, initially aged 12-13 years, recruited in 10 secondary schools in Montreal, Canada in 1999. Questionnaires were administered every three months for five years. The prognostic tool was developed using estimated coefficients from multivariable logistic models. Model overfitting was corrected using bootstrap cross-validation. Goodness-of-fit and predictive ability of the models were assessed by R², the c-statistic, and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The 1-year and 2-year probability of initiating daily smoking was a joint function of seven individual characteristics: age; ever smoked; ever felt like you needed a cigarette; parent(s) smoke; sibling(s) smoke; friend(s) smoke; and ever drank alcohol. The models were characterized by reasonably good fit and predictive ability. They were transformed into user-friendly tables such that the risk of daily smoking can be easily computed by summing points for responses to each item. The prognostic tool is also available on-line at <url>http://episerve.chumontreal.qc.ca/calculation_risk/daily-risk/daily_smokingadd.php</url>.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The prognostic tool to identify youth at high risk of daily smoking may eventually be an important component of a comprehensive tobacco control system.</p

Dissemination of periodic mammography and patterns of use, by birth cohort, in Catalonia (Spain)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In Catalonia (Spain) breast cancer mortality has declined since the beginning of the 1990s. The dissemination of early detection by mammography and the introduction of adjuvant treatments are among the possible causes of this decrease, and both were almost coincident in time. Thus, understanding how these procedures were incorporated into use in the general population and in women diagnosed with breast cancer is very important for assessing their contribution to the reduction in breast cancer mortality. In this work we have modeled the dissemination of periodic mammography and described repeat mammography behavior in Catalonia from 1975 to 2006.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Cross-sectional data from three Catalan Health Surveys for the calendar years 1994, 2002 and 2006 was used. The dissemination of mammography by birth cohort was modeled using a mixed effects model and repeat mammography behavior was described by age and survey year.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>For women born from 1938 to 1952, mammography clearly had a period effect, meaning that they started to have periodic mammograms at the same calendar years but at different ages. The age at which approximately 50% of the women were receiving periodic mammograms went from 57.8 years of age for women born in 1938–1942 to 37.3 years of age for women born in 1963–1967. Women in all age groups experienced an increase in periodic mammography use over time, although women in the 50–69 age group have experienced the highest increase. Currently, the target population of the Catalan Breast Cancer Screening Program, 50–69 years of age, is the group that self-reports the highest utilization of periodic mammograms, followed by the 40–49 age group. A higher proportion of women of all age groups have annual mammograms rather than biennial or irregular ones.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Mammography in Catalonia became more widely implemented during the 1990s. We estimated when cohorts initiated periodic mammograms and how frequently women are receiving them. These two pieces of information will be entered into a cost-effectiveness model of early detection in Catalonia.</p

Determinants of non attendance to mammography program in a region with high voluntary health insurance coverage

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>High participation rates are needed to ensure that breast cancer screening programs effectively reduce mortality. We identified the determinants of non-participation in a public breast cancer screening program.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In this case-control study, 274 women aged 50 to 64 years included in a population-based mammography screening program were personally interviewed. Socio-demographic characteristics, health beliefs, health service utilization, insurance coverage, prior mammography and other preventive activities were examined.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the 192 cases and 194 controls contacted, 101 and 173, respectively, were subsequently interviewed. Factors related to non-participation in the breast cancer screening program included higher education (odds ratio [OR] = 5.28; 95% confidence interval [CI95%] = 1.57–17.68), annual dental checks-ups (OR = 1.81; CI95%1.08–3.03), prior mammography at a private health center (OR = 7.27; CI95% 3.97–13.32), gynecologist recommendation of mammography (OR = 2.2; CI95%1.3–3.8), number of visits to a gynecologist (median visits by cases = 1.2, versus controls = 0.92, P = 0.001), and supplemental private insurance (OR = 5.62; CI95% = 3.28–9.6). Among women who had not received a prior mammogram or who had done so at a public center, perceived barriers were the main factors related to non-participation. Among women who had previously received mammograms at a private center, supplemental private health insurance also influenced non-participation. Benign breast symptoms increased the likelihood of participation.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our data indicate that factors related to the type of insurance coverage (such as prior mammography at a private health center and supplemental private insurance) influenced non-participation in the screening program.</p

Injuries in Ontario farm children: a population based study

Objectives—To evaluate injury rates, patterns, and risk factors in 4916 Ontario farm children aged 0–18 years. Setting—1765 full time family operated Ontario farms with a husband-wife couple where the wife was of reproductive age. Methods—Injury details were obtained from mothers, while parents and farm operators provided risk factor information retrospectively in a population based mail survey. Rates were calculated based on injury occurrence and person years at risk in different age groups. Descriptive analyses used cross tabulations of injury details by age, sex, and season. Injury risk factors were assessed using multiple logistic regression. Results—Age specific injury rates ranged from 6.3–22.6 per thousand person years, peaking in 1–4 year olds. Although consistently higher for boys, both sexes showed similar trends in age specific rates. Rates likely represent underestimates due to diminished recall of past events. Open wounds to the head/face region were the most prevalent type of injury (17.1%) followed by fractures/dislocations to the upper extremities (14.9%). Mechanism differed by age group, though falls and machinery consistently ranked in the top three. Occurrence peaked in summer. Regression analyses indicated child's sex and parental education were associated with injury risk across age categories. Other risk factors, such as numbers of livestock, parental owner/operator status, and mother's off-site employment, differed between ages. Conclusions—Patterns and risk factors for injuries to farm children are heterogenous across age categories. Observed age differences are useful for targeting prevention initiatives

Gradients socioéconomiques du risque cardiovasculaire chez les enfants et les adolescents canadiens

Introduction : Les maladies cardiovasculaires (MCV) et leurs facteurs de risque présentent des gradients socioéconomiques clairs chez les adultes canadiens, mais présentent des ambiguïtés chez les enfants. L'objectif de cette étude est de vérifier l'existence ou non de gradients socioéconomiques dans les marqueurs physiologiques du risque de MCV chez les enfants et les adolescents canadiens. Méthodologie : À partir des données transversales combinées de l'Enquête canadienne sur les mesures de la santé 2007-2011, nous avons étudié, chez 2 149 enfants (6 à 11 ans) et 2 073 adolescents (12 à 17 ans) et selon le sexe, les marqueurs de risque cardiovasculaire suivants : excès de poids (y compris l'obésité), score de capacité aérobique (SCA), pression artérielle (PA), lipides sanguins (totaux, cholestérol LDL et HDL, triglycérides), métabolisme du glucose et protéine C réactive (CRP). Des analyses de régression logistique et de régression linéaire multidimensionnelles ont permis de dégager les tendances relatives au risque cardiovasculaire en fonction de la suffisance du revenu du ménage et du niveau de scolarité des parents, après ajustement en fonction de l'âge et de l'origine ethnique, et après stratification par groupe d'âge et par sexe. Résultats : La prévalence de l'obésité était sensiblement plus élevée chez les jeunes garçons que chez les jeunes filles (prévalence de 18,5 %, intervalle de confiance [IC] à 95 % : 15,6 à 21,5 contre 7,7 %, IC à 95 % : 5,2 à 10,3). Toutefois, des gradients socioéconomiques négatifs ont été observés en ce qui concerne le risque d'adiposité chez les jeunes filles et les adolescentes, et non chez les garçons. Parmi les enfants et les adolescents, les garçons étaient en meilleure condition physique que les filles (SCA moyen de 541, IC à 95 % : 534 à 546 contre 501, IC à 95 % : 498 à 505 chez les enfants; 522, IC à 95 % : 514 à 529 contre 460, IC à 95 % : 454 à 466 chez les adolescents; p < 0,001). Bien qu'un gradient positif lié au revenu ait été observé relativement au SCA tant chez les garçons que chez les filles, la signification statistique a été atteinte seulement chez les filles (p = 0,006). Un gradient négatif a été observé en fonction du niveau de scolarité des parents relativement à la PA des jeunes enfants. Bien que nous ayons constaté des différences importantes selon le sexe en ce qui concerne la PA systolique, le cholestérol total, le cholestérol HDL, la glycémie à jeun et la CRP chez les adolescents, des gradients socioéconomiques spécifiques au sexe ont uniquement été observés pour la PA systolique, le cholestérol HDL et le cholestérol LDL. Des études fondées sur de grands échantillons devront être réalisées afin de confirmer ces observations. Conclusion : Cette étude a révélé d'importantes différences selon le sexe et des gradients socioéconomiques en ce qui concerne l'adiposité, la capacité aérobique et les marqueurs physiologiques du risque de MCV chez les enfants canadiens d'âge scolaire. Des interventions de santé visant à atténuer les gradients socioéconomiques du risque de MCV devraient être mises en place dès l'enfance dans la population, en particulier en ce qui touche la prévention de l'obésité chez les jeunes garçons de tout statut socioéconomique (SSE) et chez les filles dont le SSE est faible, la promotion d'une bonne condition physique, en particulier auprès des filles et des jeunes de tous âges dans les groupes à faible SSE, et enfin la sensibilisation des parents, spécialement de ceux qui ont un faible niveau de scolarité, à l'égard du risque de MCV précoce chez les enfants