Publications by authors named "Roberto Mejia"

Objective.: This study aimed to identify the areas with the highest concentration of traffic accidents and injuries in the San Salvador Metropolitan Area (SSMA).

Materials And Methods.

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Excessive and/or risky alcohol use* resulted in $249 billion in economic costs in 2010 (1) and >88,000 deaths in the United States every year from 2006 to 2010 (2). It is associated with birth defects and disabilities (e.g.

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Pesticide handling in farming activities involves substantial hazards for the rural population and for the environment. In Latin America, it is estimated that the population at risk of being affected by heavy metals is over 4 million. This research describes the different types of exposure to pesticides and heavy metals in a rural population (Loma del Gallo), considering both environmental and occupational exposure.

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Background: Alcohol is a teratogen.* Prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with a range of adverse reproductive outcomes and can cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) characterized by lifelong physical, behavioral, and intellectual disabilities. FASDs are completely preventable if a woman does not drink alcohol while pregnant.

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Introduction: The expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) participates in the angiogenesis of several cancer types. The goal of this study was to investigate polymorphisms in genes related to angiogenesis (PAI-1-675 4G/5G, VEGF C936T, and TGF-β1 G-800A) to evaluate the risk for developing uterine cervical cancer (UCC).

Methods: In a case-control study, 100 healthy subjects and 100 patients with UCC from Mexico were included.

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Background: Inpatient hyperglycemia in adult patients with and without a history of diabetes is a predictor of poor clinical outcome. No previous studies, however, have examined the association of hyperglycemia and clinical outcome in children admitted to a community pediatric hospital.

Methods: The study was a retrospective observational cohort of pediatric patients admitted to a community children's hospital from January 2004 to August 2004.

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Objectives: We sought to identify HIV-infection risk factors related to partner selection and sexual behaviors with those partners among men who have sex with men (MSM) in King County, Washington.

Methods: Participants were recruited from HIV testing sites in the Seattle area. Recent HIV infection status was determined by the Serologic Testing Algorithm for Recent HIV Seroconversion (STARHS) or a self-reported previous HIV-negative test.

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HIV prevention community planning groups were formed to increase stakeholder participation and develop evidence-based comprehensive HIV prevention plans. To date, it is not well understood what factors affect group behavior as the planning group prepares for data-informed decision making. In this observational case study, the authors videotaped 18 meetings of a community planning group (CPG) to observe how a group's behavior changes over time in response to modifications in its structure and function.

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Objective: We sought to study the optimal management of hyperglycemia in non-intensive care unit patients with type 2 diabetes, as few studies thus far have focused on the subject.

Research Design And Methods: We conducted a prospective, multicenter, randomized trial to compare the efficacy and safety of a basal-bolus insulin regimen with that of sliding-scale regular insulin (SSI) in patients with type 2 diabetes. A total of 130 insulin-naive patients were randomized to receive glargine and glulisine (n = 65) or a standard SSI protocol (n = 65).

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Associations between domestic violence exposure and violent and prosocial behavior were tested in a sample of Colombian adolescents, with attention to impulsivity and substance use problems as mediators of these associations. A representative sample of 1,152 school youths and a convenience group of 148 juvenile offenders aged 11-19 years participated. Results using structural equation modeling showed indirect effects of impulsivity and substance use problems between family violence (i.

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This short-term, longitudinal interview study used an ecological framework to explore protective factors within the child, the caregiver, the caregiver-child relationship, and the community that might moderate relations between community violence exposure and subsequent internalizing and externalizing adjustment problems and the different patterns of protection they might confer. Participants included 101 pairs of African American female caregivers and one of their children (56% male, M = 11.15 yrs, SD = 1.

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Associations between exposure to serious violence against a family member and internalizing symptoms, and the protective effects of support from family versus friends, were examined in 5,775 adolescents (50% female; mean age = 15.2 years, SD = 2.0) with data from a national, random household survey of residents in Colombia, South America.

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