Browsing by Subject "Other Psychiatry and Psychology"
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Item A Path Analysis of Body Mass Index, Body Image, and Unhealthy Dietary Behavior as Contributors to Suicidal Behavior in Female Adolescents(2004-05-01) Rorie, Michele Taylor; Balcazar, Hector; Lurie, Sue; Rene, Antonio A.Rorie, Michele Taylor, A Path Analysis of Body Mass Index, Body Image and Unhealthy Dietary Behavior as Contributors to Suicidal Behavior in Female Adolescents. Doctor of Public Health (Social and Behavioral Sciences), May 2004, 120 pp., 17 tables, 6 illustrations, references, 106 titles. Objectives- This study examined the pattern and magnitude of relationships between body mass index, body image, unhealthy dietary behaviors, and suicidal behavior among a sample of White, African American, and Hispanic adolescent females. Methods-This study employed secondary analysis of the 2001 Youth Risk Behavior Survey public-use dataset to provide quantitative estimates of the causal connections between body mass index, body image, dietary behaviors, and suicidal behavior. A sample (n=5,218) of White, African American, and Hispanic adolescent females aged 14-17 were selected for analysis. This cross-sectional study involved public high school students in grades 9-12. The variables/constructs BMI, Body Image, and Dietary Behavior were examined using a path analysis to determine the magnitude of effects on Suicidal Behavior in adolescent females. Results- The path coefficients were obtained for the path model using multiple regression equations, which took direct and indirect effects into account. The Female Adolescent Model (n= 5,218) yielded an R2 = .27. This meant that 27% of the variance in Suicidal Behavior was explained by BMI, Body Image, and Dietary Behavior. When race/ethnicity was analyzed separately, different values were observed. The White Adolescent Female Model (n=2,768) had an R2=.32. The Black or African American Model (n=1,206) had an R2=.23, and the Hispanic or Latino Model (n=1,224) had an R2=.27. Conclusion- The basic state of what is an actual fact about a person (i.e. weight) does not cause an increase of harmful or destructive behavior. The person’s beliefs drive intention as it was demonstrated through the immergence of significant indirect pathways from BMI through Body Image and Dietary Behavior to Suicidal Behavior. The path analyses for the three racial groups suggest that there are varying degrees of influence among BMI, Body Image, Dietary Behaviors, and Suicidal Behaviors.Item Differences in Risk of Injury Between Stimulant-Treated and Untreated ADHD Patients(2006-08-01) Segars, Larry W.; Sandhu, Raghbir; Lykens, KristineSegars, Larry W., Differences in Risk of Injury between Stimulant-Treated and Untreated ADHD Patients. Doctor of Public Health (Epidemiology), August 2006, 63 pp, 7 tables, 0 illustrations, references, 78 titles. ADHD is a common psychiatric disorder of childhood and adolescence that also occurs in adults and spans the life of the patient. ADHD is characterized by lack of focus, distractibility, and poor concentration. Limited data have been generated focusing on ADHD patients and the association with an increased risk of injury. Unfortunately, no study has been published evaluating the effect of stimulant treatment for ADHD on the risk of injury requiring ambulatory medical care. This research utilized four concatenated years, specifically 1998-2001, of the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS). This dissertation is comprised of five chapters beginning with a description of ADHD, its characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment. This overview chapter is followed by a complete review of the literature describing the publication’s which assessed the association between ADHD and the risk of injury. The next chapter is a thorough review of the NAMCS and its methodology. The concatenated dataset captured 889 office visits associated with a diagnosis of ADHD, 666 of which were also related to the prescription of a stimulant for the management of ADHD. Using NAMCS’s weight variable these values produced a national estimate of 21,223,391 office visits associated with the ADHD diagnosis and 15,604,329 office visits associated with the prescription of a stimulant for ADHD. This research determined that there was a borderline statistically significant increased association with the prescription of a stimulant for the treatment of ADHD and the risk of injury requiring treatment in an ambulatory medical care setting. Interestingly, compared to patient’s who recorded their race as Caucasian, patients who recorded their race as “Other”; representing the races of Asian, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, or American Indian/Alaska Native, and individuals indicating more than one race, had a statistically significant increased risk of injury necessitating treatment in an ambulatory medical care setting. Potential theories for this unique finding, along with the limitations of this research, are provided in the final discussion chapter.Item Discriminative and Negative Reinforcing Properties of the Periaqueductal Gray and the Medial Hypothalamus(1994-12-01) Jung, Marianna E.; Emmett-Oglesby, Michael W.; Yorio, ThomasMarianna Eunsun, Jung, Discriminative and Negative Reinforcing Properties of Electrical brain stimulation of the Periaqueductal Gray and the Medial Hypothalamus. Master of Science [Biomedical Sciences, (Pharmacology)], December, 1994, 123 pp., 24 figures, references, 137 titles. Electrical brain stimulation (EBS) of the periaqueductal gray (PAG) and the medial hypothalamus (MH) is known to serve as a discriminative and a negative reinforcing stimulus (NRS). Using a two-lever food reinforced discrimination paradigm and a switch-off paradigm, the present study investigated the effects of anxiolytic drugs and an anxiogenic drug on these stimulus effects. A prototypic anxiogenic, pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) potentiated both discriminative stimulus and NRS effects, whereas the full benzodiazepine (BZD) agonist diazepam (DZP), the partial BZD agonist abecarnil (ABC) and 5-HT1A agonist buspirone (BUS, chronic regimen) attenuated a NRS effect. A BZD antagonist, flumazenil (FLU) blocked the effects of DZP and ABC on the NRS effects. DZP failed to attenuate the discriminative stimulus effect. Thus, present study extended the use of a switch-off paradigm to detect novel anxiolytic ABC (putative) and BUX as well as an anxiogenic PTZ. In addition, under the condition used in this study, the use of NRS in a switch-off paradigm more reliably detected both anxiolytic drugs and an anxiogenic drug than the use of discriminative stimulus in a two-lever food reinforced paradigm.Item Eating Disorders: Best Age for Education and Prevention(2004-05-01) Chasmawala, Jayshri R.; Franks, Susan; Eve, Susan; Marshall, MurielChasmawala, Jayshri R., Eating Disorders: Best Age for Prevention and Education. Master of Public Health (Dual Degree D.O./M.P.H.), May 2004, 22 pp., 11 tables, 6 illustrations, references, 16 titles. Objective: This study attempts to determine the best age to design a prevention program to prevent the development of eating disorders based on adolescents’ behavior and attitudes towards eating disorders. Methods: Forty students aged 11-17 answered a self-reported questionnaire regarding dieting and weight, identification of emotional states, and general awareness of eating disorders. Age group divided the sample: 13 years of age and younger; and 14 years of age and older. Multivariate analyses were performed to determine existence of any differences between the populations. Results: An overall difference in the age groups exists with statistic significance. The difference in mean values of interoceptive awareness is statistically significant between the age groups. Conclusion: Interoceptive Awareness, not awareness level of eating disorders, is more indicative of the best age for prevention. Younger age children may benefit more from prevention due to lack of emotional maturity which leads to higher risk of development of eating disorders.Item Interpreter Narratives: End-Of-Life Conversations in a Pediatric Hospital(2007-10-01) Warren, Corinne Neitzke; Lurie, SueWarren, Corinne Neitzke., Interpreter Narratives: End-of-Life Conversations in a Pediatric Hospital. Master of Public Health (Health Interpreting and Health Applied Linguistics), October 2007, 162 pp., bibliography, 74 titles. Aspects of communication between caregivers and patients/families are noted consistently in the literature as important to perceptions of quality of care at the end of life (EOL). Healthcare interpreters, along with providers, can be “deliverers of bad news.” EOL encounters create challenging and unique role and performance demands for interpreters; as active participants in these conversations, interpreters intervene in various ways that impact the communication process. While they may view providers as having the central role in an encounter, aspects of their performance suggest the pivotal nature of their own participation. This exploratory, qualitative research aimed to understand and represent interpreters’ perceptions of the EOL communication they facilitate when providers and pediatric patients and families don’t share language or culture. Their perspectives were revealed in their stories of EOL encounters, as they recounted personal reactions to specific circumstances and conversation exchanges as well as how they handled interpretation in particular situations.Item Maternal Depression as Predictor of Repeat Child Unintentional Injury(2004-12-01) Webster Krause, Lisa Ruth; Lurie, Sue; Gonzalez, AdelaWebster Krause, Lisa Ruth, Maternal Depression as Predictor of Repeat Child Unintentional Injury. Master of Public Health (Community Health), December 2004, 39 pp., 4 tables, references 28 titles. Current literature supports maternal depression as a predictor of child unintentional injury. There have been conflicting results concerning mediating and other risk factors. This study aims to reexamine the link between maternal depression and the occurrence of repeat child unintentional injury in the home. Using the NHIS 2002 data maternal depression was found to predict child repeat unintentional injury in this national sample. It was found that the most predictive model of repeat unintentional injury in this national sample. It was found that the most predictive model of repeat child unintentional injury consisted of maternal depression and low-income. Since maternal depression and low-income have been identified as underlying determinants of child unintentional injury, they should be a priority in prevention efforts so as to more effectively reduce the occurrence of repeat unintentional injury among children in the home.Item Psychological Mechanisms and Physiological Consequences of Panic Attack in Recreational Scuba Diving(1996-12-01) May, Kyle P.; Michael Smith; David BarkerRecreational scuba diving has become increasingly popular in recent years. With the increasing number of participant, the risk associated with the sport needs to be addressed. Some authorities suggest it should be classified as a high-risk sport while others suggest that the dangers of the activity have been down-played due to the commercialization of the diving community. Panic is an important topic in assessing the risk to recreational divers. The National Underwater Accident Center, NUADC, for the period of 1976 to 1988 indicated that 19% of diving fatalities reported involved probable panic. Furthermore, in a sample of 245 male and female divers, 54% experienced panic or near-panic behavior while diving on one or more occasion. The physiological consequences of a panic attack while diving can be deadly. Instructors, physicians and dive students should be made aware of the risk to persons prone to panic attack. Instructors need to be trained in recognizing the manifestations of frank panic during instruction and discourage these students from continuing. More subtle cases of panic disorder must be screened out by a physician while performing a medical clearance physical for a recreational diving student. The physician can make subtle inquiries and through the answers screen out potentially panic prone divers. Such questions as “How many visits to the emergency room have you made?” as opposed to “Have you ever visited the emergency room?” will elicit a more complete history versus a blanket denial of previous illness or injury. The nature of the E.R. visits will often be revealing to the astute physician. Persons with histories of asthma attacks or hyperventilation syndrome may indicate an underlying panic disorder. The students themselves need to be warned of the hazards of diving if panic prone. The idea needs to be stressed in scuba diving books and manuals much more than it is currently. For example, one of the most popular scuba diving books, The Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving, does not cover panic or the problems that can result due to panic. If this concept is made clear to students while in class, those prone to panic episodes may then self-screen themselves and discontinue a scuba class thereby avoiding injury or death. Scuba diving should be considered a high-risk sport and participants screened for such activity. Not only does a panicked diver put himself in jeopardy, he risks the lives of others in a group with the loss of cognitive abilities seen during panic. Individuals with elevated anxiety levels are more likely to experience a panic episode while diving due to the number of stressors involved in the sport. These persons should be selectively screened out and encouraged to find other avenues for recreation.Item The Prevalence of Behaviors Used to Make & Maintain Weight Among Male Horse Jockeys(2001-05-01) Dodson, Martha A.; Gonzalez, AdelaObjective: Determine the prevalence of weight loss behaviors used by male jockeys to make and maintain weight. Design: An original survey instrument was developed. The pilot study was distributed in a random, anonymous manner. Setting: Lone Star Park, Grand Prairie, Texas and Sunland Park, Sunland Park, New Mexico in December 2000 and January 2001 meetings respectively. Subjects: Twenty-nine male jockeys with a mean age of 34 years and mean racing career of 14 years. Mean weight was 116 pounds, mean height was 66 inches and mean body mass index was 19.6 kg/m2. Twelve jockeys were from Lone Star Park and 17 were from Sunland Park. No female jockeys participated. Results: SPSS Version 10.0 was used for data analysis. The prevalence of current usage of methods to make and maintain weight among the jockeys was 62%. The hot box was used by 85%, diuretics and semi-starvation were each used by 60%, excessive exercise 45% and flipping by 15%. The average number of methods used was 3. The hot box was the primary method used. Two of 20 jockeys felt they had an eating disorder. Conclusion: The prevalence of disordered eating behaviors among male horse jockeys is greater than that for the general male population. Their low mean body mass index may reflect a malnourished state. Pathological eating behaviors can result in a myriad of clinical abnormalities that can be deleterious to a jockey’s health and athletic performance. A national study of jockeys’ methods to make and maintain weight is recommended. Key Words: Eating disorder – disordered eating – weight-loss – athlete – jockey