A Comparison of the Process and Content of Sexual Communications Among African American Adolescent Children Living in Parent and Grandparent Headed Families.

Introduction: The process of parental sexual communication has been shown to delay the sexual debut of adolescents; however, few studies have focused on extended family members such as grandparents. The purpose of this study was to compare the process and content of sexual communications among African-American adolescent children living in parent or grandparent headed families.

Methods: A secondary analysis of two de-identified datasets from 80 African-American adolescents was conducted.

Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory in People With Hepatitis B Infection: Cross-cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Evaluation of the Persian Version.

There is no valid and well-established tool to measure fatigue in people with chronic hepatitis B. The aim of this study was to translate the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI) into Persian and examine its reliability and validity in Iranian people with chronic hepatitis B. The demographic questionnaire and MFI, as well as Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire and EuroQol-5D (to assess criterion validity), were administered in face-to-face interviews with 297 participants.

The Mecklenburg County Interlocal Agreement: An 18-Year Collaboration Between Medicine and Public Health.

Context: Better integration of public health and medical services has been a long-standing goal in the United States and has been widely discussed in the scientific literature.

Objective: To identify key lessons and outcomes of the Mecklenburg County Interlocal Agreement, one of the longest running efforts integrating health care delivery and public health services in a major metropolitan area.

Design: In-depth key informant interviews and brief questionnaires of leaders involved in the Mecklenburg County Interlocal Agreement.

Race, socioeconomic status, health-related quality of life, and self-care of type 2 diabetes mellitus among adults in North Carolina.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to examine the associations among race, education, income, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in self-care of type 2 diabetes mellitus among adults in North Carolina.

Methods: A secondary analysis was conducted using data from the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS), a large population-based survey (N = 432,607) conducted in the United States. The data were analyzed to account for the weighted complex multistage sampling design of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey.

Race, socioeconomic status, and rurality influences on type 2 diabetes management among North Carolina adults.

Purpose: To examine the impact of race, socioeconomic status, and rurality on Type 2 diabetes education among adults in North Carolina.

Methods: Our study utilized data from the 2008 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to conduct a retrospective study and secondary data analysis. To account for the multistage survey design of BRFSS, SAS/SUDAAN was used to calculate adjusted and unadjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Racial influences on diabetes management among adults in North Carolina.

Objective: To examine the impact race and socioeconomic status (SES) has on diabetes management among adults in North Carolina.

Design: Our study utilized data from the 2008 BRFSS to conduct a retrospective study and secondary data analysis. To account for the multistage survey design of BRFSS, SAS/SUDAAN was used to calculate adjusted and unadjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Educational intervention on health related lifestyle changes among Iranian adolescents.

Background: Healthy lifestyle habits during adolescence can prevent many of the diseases and disabilities in adulthood and later. The aim of the study was to examine the role of education in improving lifestyles among Iranian adolescents.

Methods: This group randomized controlled trial was conducted during October 2010 until January 2011 in Tehran.

Spiritual coping, religiosity and quality of life: a study on Muslim patients undergoing haemodialysis.

Aim: The number of haemodialysis patients globally is increasing and spiritual resources may help overcome adjustment problems among such patients. This study examined the relationships between spiritual/religious, demographic and clinical variables and quality of life among Iranian Muslims undergoing haemodialysis.

Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, 362 haemodialysis patients were surveyed from three general hospitals located in Tehran, Iran.

Beliefs and perception of risks of HIV among women that have never been tested for HIV in the United States.

Purpose: To assess women's attitudes, beliefs, characteristics, the perception of risks, and their relationships with not utilizing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing services.

Methods: This study is a retrospective study and secondary data analysis of the 2006 National Health Interview Survey. Parametric testing using univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses was performed to examine perception of HIV acquisition and the relationship with not utilizing HIV testing services among women in the United States.

A model-based educational intervention to increase physical activity among Iranian adolescents.

Objective: To conduct an evaluation of an educational program based on the health promotion model (HPM) and stages of change to improve physical activity (PA) behavior among Iranian adolescents.

Methods: This was a group randomized controlled trial with 165 participants in two groups (intervention/control). Data were collected using self-reported questionnaires based upon HPM constructs (benefits and barriers of action, self-efficacy, activity-related affect, interpersonal influences, and situational influences).

Association between education and domestic violence among women being offered an HIV test in urban and rural areas in Kenya.

The objective of this study was to examine the association between education and domestic violence among women being offered an HIV test in urban and rural areas in Kenya. A sample selection of women who experienced physical (n = 4,308), sexual (n = 4,309), and emotional violence (n = 4,312) aged 15 to 49 allowed for the estimation of the association between education and domestic violence with further analysis stratified by urban and rural residence. The main outcome of interest was a three-factor (physical, sexual, and emotional) measure for violence with the main predictor being education.

Dietary, physical activity, and lifestyle behaviors of rural African American South Carolina children.

Overweight and obese children continue to be a growing problem, and differences exist, especially among racial and ethnic groups. Even though a poor diet and lack of physical activity are attributable factors to being overweight among children, indications exists that geographic location may also be important. In rural areas in the United States, childhood obesity is often higher than the national average.

Disparities between asthma management and insurance type among children.

Asthma is a chronic illness among children. Minority children may be vulnerable to asthma complications since more than half are from households that are poor or near poor, and some have no health insurance. Asthma management plans are important for the long-term treatment of asthma and beneficial for self-management.

Disparities in access to care among asthmatic children in relation to race and socioeconomic status.

Asthma is one of the leading chronic illnesses among children in the United States. International epidemiological studies have also shown asthma prevalence is an increasing problem. The objective of this study was to examine the correlates of access to care among asthmatic children age 0-17 in the United States.

Data mining for health executive decision support: an imperative with a daunting future!

Data mining is highly profiled. It has the potential to enhance executive information systems. Such enhancement would mean better decision-making by management, which in turn would mean better services for customers.

A Human Capital Approach to Reduce Health Disparities.

OBJECTIVE: To introduce a human capital approach to reduce health disparities in South Carolina by increasing the number and quality of trained minority professionals in public health practice and research. METHODS: The conceptual basis and elements of Project EXPORT in South Carolina are described. Project EXPORT is a community based participatory research (CBPR) translational project designed to build human capital in public health practice and research.

Racial influences associated with asthma management among children in the United States.

Objective: To examine the influence of race and having an asthma management plan on the impact of experiencing asthmatic episodes.

Methods: This study utilized the 2002 and 2003 National Health Interview Survey to conduct a retrospective study and secondary data analysis. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analysis was performed to examine physician asthma management plan recommendations among minority and non-minority children in the United States.