The importance of climatic factors and outliers in predicting regional monthly campylobacteriosis risk in Georgia, USA.

Incidence of Campylobacter infection exhibits a strong seasonal component and regional variations in temperate climate zones. Forecasting the risk of infection regionally may provide clues to identify sources of transmission affected by temperature and precipitation. The objectives of this study were to (1) assess temporal patterns and differences in campylobacteriosis risk among nine climatic divisions of Georgia, USA, (2) compare univariate forecasting models that analyze campylobacteriosis risk over time with those that incorporate temperature and/or precipitation, and (3) investigate alternatives to supposedly random walk series and non-random occurrences that could be outliers.

Identifying unique neighborhood characteristics to guide health planning for stroke and heart attack: fuzzy cluster and discriminant analyses approaches.

Background: Socioeconomic, demographic, and geographic factors are known determinants of stroke and myocardial infarction (MI) risk. Clustering of these factors in neighborhoods needs to be taken into consideration during planning, prioritization and implementation of health programs intended to reduce disparities. Given the complex and multidimensional nature of these factors, multivariate methods are needed to identify neighborhood clusters of these determinants so as to better understand the unique neighborhood profiles.

Comparison of three time-series models for predicting campylobacteriosis risk.

Three time-series models (regression, decomposition, and Box-Jenkins autoregressive integrated moving averages) were applied to national surveillance data for campylobacteriosis with the goal of disease forecasting in three US states. Datasets spanned 1998-2007 for Minnesota and Oregon, and 1999-2007 for Georgia. Year 2008 was used to validate model results.

Maternal psychosocial risks predict preterm birth in a group of women from Appalachia.

Objectives: To identify and evaluate which psychosocial criteria are associated with preterm birth in a midwifery model of risk in pregnancy.

Design: A quantitative study with a prospective correlational research design.

Setting: Women attending three prenatal clinics in East Tennessee.

A holistic approach to risk-screening in pregnancy with Appalachian women.

Routine screening for risk factors in pregnancy is one of the major components of prenatal care that is highly recommended, yet few risk assessment systems have a comprehensive view. This investigation examined prenatal risk assessment from a comprehensive perspective to identify biophysical, psychosocial, spiritual, and perceptual factors in pregnancy affecting infant birth weight. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using standard and reliable questionnaires with a convenience sample of 120 pregnant women between the ages of 14 and 44 years and 16 to 28 weeks gestation at three prenatal clinics in East Tennessee.