Validation study of cause of death statistics in Cape Town, South Africa, found poor agreement.

Objective: The validity of the underlying cause of death on death notification forms was assessed by comparing it to the underlying cause determined independently from medical records.

Study Design And Setting: Retrospective study of 703 deaths in two suburbs of Cape Town, South Africa. Two medical doctors completed a medical review death certificate to validate the registration death certificate for each decedent.

Associations with virologic treatment failure in adults on antiretroviral therapy in South Africa.

Objectives: Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has been available in government facilities in the Western Cape Province of South Africa since 2001. We aimed to investigate factors associated with virologic treatment failure in this setting.

Design: Case-control study, matched on facility and on starting date and duration of HAART.

Indices of body and brain size at birth and at the age of 2 years: relations to cognitive outcome at the age of 16 years in low birth weight infants.

Objective: To determine in low birth weight infants the relations of being small for gestational age at birth, microcephalic at birth, low weight for age at 2 years, and microcephalic at 2 years to full scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) at the age of 16 years.

Methods: A prospective observational study of 422 of 837 eligible nondisabled low birth weight (<2000 g) adolescents from the newborn brain hemorrhage cohort with weight and head circumference at birth and at the age of 2 years in whom FSIQ was assessed with the Wechsler Abbreviated Scales of Intelligence at the age of 16 years.

Results: In a multiple regression analysis, being small for gestational age (beta = -0.

Cardiovascular disease risk factors and women prisoners in the UK: the impact of imprisonment.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death throughout the world. In high income countries, the greatest burden of disease is seen in those from lower socio-economic groups. It is therefore likely that CVD is an important issue for prisoners in the UK, the majority of whom were either unemployed or in non-skilled employment prior to imprisonment.

Deaths caused by HIV disease under-reported in South Africa.

Modelling of trends in age-specific death rates in South Africa suggests that deaths attributable to HIV are often misclassified on death notification forms. We compared the underlying cause of death from death notification forms with that based on scrutiny of medical records for 683 deaths in Cape Town. Of 129 deaths caused by HIV according to medical records, only 35 (27.

Blood glucose self-monitoring in type 2 diabetes: a randomised controlled trial.

Objectives: To determine whether self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG), either alone or with additional instruction in incorporating the results into self-care, is more effective than usual care in improving glycaemic control in non-insulin-treated diabetes.

Design: An open, parallel group randomised controlled trial.

Setting: 24 general practices in Oxfordshire and 24 in South Yorkshire, UK.

Changes in women's use of illicit drugs following imprisonment.

Aim: To provide data on changes in illegal drug use in women following imprisonment.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Recruitment took place in two prisons in the Midlands and South-East England and follow-up in 13 prisons across England.

Self-monitoring of blood glucose changed non-insulin-treated Type 2 diabetes patients' beliefs about diabetes and self-monitoring in a randomized trial.

Aims: To determine whether differences in beliefs about diabetes and its treatment resulted from different intensities of self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) in non-insulin treated patients with Type 2 diabetes in the Diabetes Glycaemic Education and Monitoring (DiGEM) trial.

Methods: Patients (n = 453) were randomized to usual care, less-intensive SMBG and more intensive SMBG. Beliefs about diabetes were measured with a standard questionnaire (the revised Illness Perceptions Questionnaire; IPQ-R).

Predictors of hepatitis B vaccination in women prisoners in two prisons in England.

Background: Hepatitis B is an important public health issue, especially in the female prison population. The high prevalence in this population is largely accounted for by the high rates of injecting drug use and the fact that these women are more likely to exchange sex for drugs or money and practice unprotected sex. There is a national programme in English prisons to vaccinate everyone against Hepatitis B.

Impact of self monitoring of blood glucose in the management of patients with non-insulin treated diabetes: open parallel group randomised trial.

Objective: To determine whether self monitoring, alone or with instruction in incorporating the results into self care, is more effective than usual care in improving glycaemic control in non-insulin treated patients with type 2 diabetes.

Design: Three arm, open, parallel group randomised trial.

Setting: 48 general practices in Oxfordshire and South Yorkshire.

Graphical method for depicting randomised trials of complex interventions.

Making the what, when, and who of non-drug treatments easier to understand would benefit researchers and readers

Cluster randomized pilot controlled trial of an occupational therapy intervention for residents with stroke in UK care homes.

Background And Purpose: A pilot evaluation of an occupational therapy intervention to improve self-care independence for residents with stroke-related disability living in care homes was the basis of this study.

Methods: A cluster randomized controlled trial with care home as the unit of randomization was undertaken in Oxfordshire, UK. Twelve homes (118 residents) were randomly allocated to either intervention (6 homes, 63 residents) or control (6 homes, 55 residents).

Why is there a modifying effect of gestational age on risk factors for cerebral palsy?

Objective: To investigate risk factors for cerebral palsy in relation to gestational age.

Design: Three case-control studies within a geographically defined cohort.

Setting: The former Oxfordshire Health Authority.

The dopamine D2 receptor C32806T polymorphism (DRD2 Taq1A RFLP) exhibits no association with smoking behaviour in a healthy UK population.

A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the Taq1A site near the DRD2 gene has been associated in several studies with smoking behaviour. We genotyped 732 current smokers (241 low, one to nine cigarettes a day, 250 mid, 10-19 cigarettes, 241 high, 20+cigarettes) and 243 never-smokers at this site (C32806T), to test for effects on smoking initiation and amount of tobacco consumed. No significant association between minor allele frequency and smoking status was detected.

Behavioral and emotional adjustment of teenagers in mainstream school who were born before 29 weeks' gestation.

Objectives: To investigate behavioral and emotional problems and positive adjustment of 15-to 16-year-olds who were born at extremely low gestational age (ELGA), from the perspective of parents, teachers, and teenagers.

Methods: Prospective follow-up was conducted of birth cohorts, with classroom control subjects. All infants who were born before 29 weeks in 1983-1984 (mean gestational age: 27 weeks) to mothers who resided in 3 regions of the United Kingdom were studied.

Genetic variation in dopaminergic pathways and short-term effectiveness of the nicotine patch.

Polymorphisms in the dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2 C/T and DRD2 A/G) and in dopamine beta hydroxylase (DBH A/G) have been implicated in modulation of smoking and other reward-seeking behaviours. We hypothesized that these alleles would predict the outcome of nicotine patch therapy for smoking cessation. In 1991-93, we performed a randomized controlled trial of the nicotine patch on 1686 heavy smokers (> or = 15 cigarettes/day).

Parents measuring pulses; an observational study.

Parent reported pulse rates could provide important information on a child's clinical condition. The agreement between the parent's measurement of their child's pulse and a pulse oximeter was assessed following a brief educational intervention. Parents can be taught to measure the pulse of school age children, but have difficulty with preschool children.

Reporting the cost-effectiveness of interventions with nonsignificant effect differences: example from a trial of secondary prevention of coronary heart disease.

Objectives: This study reports the cost-effectiveness of interventions with nonsignificant differences in effect, and considers reporting of cost-effectiveness in situations where nonsignificant differences arise in some but not all end points.

Methods: Data on costs and effects associated with three end points (adequate assessment, risk factors, and life-years) were derived from a trial of methods to promote secondary prevention of coronary heart disease. Incremental cost per life-year gained figures were calculated, and the uncertainty around these was displayed on cost-effectiveness planes in the form of ellipses.

Does stage of change predict outcome in a primary-care intervention to encourage an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption?

Our aim was to investigate the response of participants in different Stage of Change (SOC) groups to an intervention to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. Participants recruited from a primary-care health centre were entered into a trial investigating an intervention to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. A total of 729 men and women were randomized into intervention and control groups.

Health and school performance of teenagers born before 29 weeks gestation.

Objective: To ascertain the health and school performance of teenagers born before 29 weeks gestation (extremely low gestational age (ELGA)) and to compare those in mainstream school with classroom controls.

Methods: Three geographically defined cohorts of babies born in 1983 and 1984 were traced at the age of 15-16 years. Their health, abilities, and educational performance were ascertained using postal questionnaires to the teenagers themselves, their parents, their general practitioners, and the teachers of those in mainstream school.

Effects of fruit and vegetable consumption on plasma antioxidant concentrations and blood pressure: a randomised controlled trial.

Background: High dietary intakes of fruit and vegetables are associated with reduced risks of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Short-term intensive dietary interventions in selected populations increase fruit and vegetable intake, raise plasma antioxidant concentrations, and lower blood pressure, but long-term effects of interventions in the general population are not certain. We assessed the effect of an intervention to increase fruit and vegetable consumption on plasma concentrations of antioxidant vitamins, daily fruit and vegetable intake, and blood pressure.

No association between functional catechol O-methyl transferase 1947A>G polymorphism and smoking initiation, persistent smoking or smoking cessation.

Nicotine stimulates dopamine release and activates dopaminergic reward neurones in central pathways giving rise to dependence. Catechol O-methyl transferase (COMT) inactivates extraneuronally released dopamine and is present in dopaminergic brain regions. A functional polymorphism (COMT 1947A>G) resulting in increased enzyme activity has been associated with alcoholism and polysubstance abuse.