Menopause, physical activity, and body composition/fat distribution in midlife women.

Purpose: Hormonal changes associated with menopause, chronological aging, and lifestyle, specifically physical activity, may all influence the changes in body composition and fat distribution experienced by midlife women. This cross-sectional study examined those relations in a representative sample of 248 white and Chinese women, ages 47-57, participating in an ancillary study to the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN), a multi-center, longitudinal investigation of the natural history of the menopause in a racially/ethnically diverse cohort.

Methods: Body composition (lean mass, percent body fat) was assessed with dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, and central adiposity was determined by waist circumference.

Treatment with stimulants among youths in a large California health plan.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the use of stimulants among youths in a large and diverse health plan in California from 1996-2000.

Methods: Computerized pharmacy, outpatient visit, and membership files were used to conduct a population-based analysis of stimulant use among over 500,000 enrollees aged 2-18 years. Annual prevalence rates of stimulant use were estimated by calendar year, age, gender, and geographic area.

Acceptance of flexible sigmoidoscopy screening for colorectal cancer.

This study was conducted in the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program of Northern California to identify patient characteristics that explain interest in flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) screening. A mailed screening invitation to 6837 age-eligible patients elicited responses from 49%. Efforts to reach and interview both eligible respondents and non-respondents resulted in 2728 computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI), with 60% indicating interest in FS screening.