Prevalence of obesity among Arab school children in Nazareth, Israel: comparison with national (Jewish) and international data.

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT: Lack of published data. Absence of Ethnic specific data. Lack of focus on obesity prevention in Arab schools. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS: First set of data on obesity for Arab children. Data will be used as reference data. Alert health/school official for intervention. SUMMARY: Objective The objective is to produce the first set of obesity prevalence data and use the data as reference values of body mass index (BMI) trends for Arab children in Israel and compare with Jewish and international data. Methods A prevalence study was carried out in 2009 in which 4130 children aged 6-12, were selected from eight Arab sector schools representing the Nazareth Municipality. Height, weight and BMI measurements were obtained and presented by age, mean age, size, weight, gender and percentile. Appropriate epidemiological and statistical methods used for comparison. Results The obesity and overweight prevalence rates in Arab children by age ranges from 0% to 2.6% and 0% to 11.2%, respectively. Comparison with international and Jewish data revealed differences in almost all age groups but higher rates in Arabs, especially boys. Discussion The higher rates/trends in Arab children may be explained by more Arab women entering the workforce, increase in single-parent families and changes in food and physical activity environments. Conclusion Based on our data, we recommend either an ethnic-specific BMI reference curves and/or inclusion of Arab data in the Israeli data system. Research need to focus on reasons for the increase and interventions to reverse/slow the trend.

The health agency training program: continuing education courses in biostatistics and epidemiology.

The authors describe the development and evaluation of a continuing education program in biostatistics and epidemiology. Short courses were presented to public health and mental health professionals using teaching strategies that included lecture, discussion, practice-oriented examples, and interactive problem-solving. A total of 1723 health professionals attended one or more of the 120 courses presented from 1992 to 1996 in seven US states. Most course participants were female: the highest education level for 40% was a bachelor's degree, while 42% had advanced degrees. Approximately 66% of participants signed up for continuing education credits. The program represents a successful partnership between an academic institution and health agencies in a seven-state region.

Secular trends in the prevalence of HIV infection among a population of males with hemophilia, 1988-1997: the Oklahoma Hemophilia Surveillance System.

Tracking the natural history of HIV/AIDS in the hemophilia community is useful for planning future health care needs and for adjusting estimates of the prevalence of hemophilia as the impact of HIV/AIDS wanes over time. The present study was designed to determine the annual prevalence of HIV infection from 1988 through 1997 in a population of males with hemophilia A or B. Data were obtained from the Oklahoma Hemophilia Surveillance System and were limited to individuals who were seen at the Oklahoma Hemophilia Treatment Center. In 1988, the prevalence rate of HIV infection was 34 percent. Rates have declined in each subsequent year through 1997. The highest rates of HIV infection were observed in persons with severe hemophilia and hemophilia A. The overall prevalence rates of HIV infection in this treatment center population are lower than those reported in other populations. No new cases of HIV infection were observed in persons with hemophilia born after 1985.

Hydrocarbon exposure and chronic renal disease.

The study objective was to investigate further the potential role of long-term exposure to hydrocarbons (HCs) in the development of idiopathic chronic glomerulopathy (ICG) using a more refined measurement of HC exposure. A total of 321 pairs of cases and controls, matched by age, gender, and geographical area, were assembled. A detailed questionnaire was blindly administered to cases and controls to collect information on occupational and medical history and sociodemographic data. By integrating quantified measurements of HC exposure from a variety of sources with each subject's occupational history, a lifetime HC exposure score could be estimated and expressed in parts per million (ppm). Cases had an hydrocarbon exposure mean score of 165 ppm (median 48 ppm) as compared to 162 ppm (median 43 ppm) for controls (P = 0.757). When using hydrocarbon exposure as a dichotomous variable with a cutoff point at 100 ppm, cases had a higher proportion of exposed than controls, but the difference was not statistically significant at the 0.05 level, even after controlling for possible confounders through logistic regression. Subgroup analyses showed mixed results. In most subgroups differences between cases and controls tended to become significant when hydrocarbon was used as a dichotomous variable. Results from this study do not sufficiently support the hypothesized association of HC exposure and ICG in general. Subgroup analyses need further investigations. Efforts to generate accurate estimates of lifetime HC exposure should be emphasized for future investigations.

The diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy. Ophthalmoscopy versus fundus photography.

PURPOSE: To compare fundus photography with ophthalmoscopy in the detection of diabetic retinopathy. METHODS: Ophthalmoscopy and fundus photographs with a nonmydriatic camera, both performed through dilated pupils, were compared to diagnose retinopathy in a cohort of 410 Oklahoma Indians with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. A total of 795 eyes were examined using both methods. The mean age of participants was 60.3 years, with a mean duration of diabetes of 17.3 years. RESULTS: An overall agreement of 86.3% with a kappa statistic kappa of 0.74 was found between ophthalmoscopy and fundus photography with a nonmydriatic camera. For the diagnosis of proliferative diabetic retinopathy, kappa = 0.84 with an agreement of 98.1%. With a total of 61 cases of proliferative retinopathy diagnosed by either method in our study, ophthalmoscopy alone detected 88.5% and fundus photography, 78.7%. When compared on a lesion-by-lesion basis, agreement between the two diagnostic methods was highest for nonproliferative retinopathy, as well as fibrous proliferation. CONCLUSION: The fundus photography with a nonmydriatic camera, performed with mydriasis, is comparable to ophthalmoscopy for the detection of retinopathy. It may prove to be a suitable, cost-effective method for routine screening in diabetes clinics, provided ophthalmologic referral is ensured for those with a diagnosis of any form of retinopathy, questionable retinopathy, nondiabetic retinopathy, those with poor quality photographs, as well as those with acute changes in visual acuity.

Field molecular epidemiology. Feasibility of monitoring for the malignant bladder cell phenotype in a benzidine-exposed occupational cohort.

Modern molecular and cellular biology have provided powerful new approaches to study cancer in the research laboratory, but these techniques have not been used extensively in field studies or in screening of high-risk occupational cohorts. The primary objective of this study was to demonstrate the use of cellular and molecular methods in combination with medical and epidemiologic methods to identify cancer cases, risk factors, and markers in a previously identified and defined cohort of Chinese workers exposed to benzidine. The screening of exposed workers included occupational, medical, and smoking histories to identify exogenous risk factors, a limited physical examination, Papanicolaou (PAP) urinary cytology, measurement of urine pH, quantitative fluorescence image analysis (QFIA) cytology to detect DNA hyperploidy, and quantitative fluorescence to detect expression of a low-grade bladder tumor-associated antigen (p300) by exfoliated urothelial cells and elevated expression of the neu oncogene product (p185). Detailed analysis of the accuracy of epidemiologic data and the adequacy of samples and accuracy of molecular techniques was carried out. Three groups were included in this study: group 1 included 23 bladder cancer cases who had previously been exposed to benzidine and served as two surrogates for late-emerging disease; group 2 consisted of 20 subjects with previous exposure history but not previously diagnosed with bladder cancer; and group 0 was the nonexposure and nonbladder cancer controls. The results showed that accurate questionnaire data and urine samples can be obtained at remote sites. Among the 20 group 2 subjects, two displayed abnormal findings by both QFIA cytology and p300 expression and were later confirmed to have bladder cancer.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Diabetic retinopathy in Oklahoma Indians with NIDDM. Incidence and risk factors.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence rates and risk factors for development of diabetic retinopathy in Oklahoma Indians. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Cohort follow-up study with baseline examination between 1972 and 1980 and follow-up examination between 1987 and 1991. Mean +/- SD follow-up time was 12.8 +/- 1.7 yr. Eleven Indian Health Service facilities (clinics and hospitals) in Oklahoma participated in the study. Study participants were a quasirandom sample of 1012 American Indians (379 men, 633 women) in Oklahoma with NIDDM, 927 of whom received a detailed eye examination at baseline. The mean age of participants was 52 yr with a duration of diabetes of 6.9 yr at baseline. The average quantum of Indian blood was 92% (77% full blood). At follow-up, 515 (55.6%) were alive, 408 (44.0%) were deceased, and 4 (0.4%) could not be traced. Of the living participants, 380 (73.8%) underwent an ophthalmoscopic examination. RESULTS: The incidence of retinopathy among the participants who were free of disease at baseline and who survived the follow-up interval was 72.3%. By multivariate analysis, significant independent predictors of retinopathy recorded at baseline were FPG level, therapeutic regimen, systolic blood pressure, and duration of diabetes. FPG levels > or = 11.1 mM (200 mg/dl) increased the risk of retinopathy 1.7 times that for levels < 7.8 mM (140 mg/dl). Insulin use was associated with a 20% greater incidence. Hypertension was a particularly significant risk factor for those with lower FPG levels. CONCLUSIONS: Given that NIDDM is reaching epidemic proportions in Oklahoma Indians and that most may be afflicted with retinopathy, frequent ophthalmological examinations are clearly indicated for this high-risk population. The role of intervention, namely glycemic and hypertensive control, deserves further study.

Later recurrence and longer survival among obese patients with renal cell carcinoma.

To investigate the effect of obesity at diagnosis on prognosis of renal cell carcinoma, 360 renal cell carcinoma patients newly diagnosed at 29 hospitals in Oklahoma between January 1, 1981 and December 31, 1984 were followed through December 31, 1987. The Cox proportional-hazard model was used to estimate the hazard ratio, adjusting for other potentially prognostic factors. Both the disease-free interval and the overall survival were longer in patients who were obese (greater than or equal to 120% standard body mass index) at diagnosis. The adjusted-hazard ratio for disease recurrence between obese and nonobese patients was 0.43 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.19 to 0.98). The obese patients had an adjusted death hazard rate 0.68 times that of the nonobese patients (95% CI, 0.38 to 1.22). Although obesity was reported to increase the risk for renal cell carcinoma, prognosis was no worse and may be better among obese patients with the disease.

Prognostic factors in multiple myeloma.

The pretreatment characteristics of 265 multiple myeloma patients treated between 1977 and 1983 were evaluated as potential prognostic factors for survival. Patients whose diagnosis was based on bone marrow plasmacytosis (greater than 30%) were noticed to have poorer survival (P less than 0.001). Although classification of patients according to stage has traditionally been used to identify prognostic groups, differences in survival were noted only between Stage III and Stage I or II patients using one of two common staging systems. Multivariate analysis using Cox's proportional hazards model identified the following prognostic factors in order of importance: plasmacytosis (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.49 to 3.27), hypercalcemia (HR = 1.68, CI = 1.22 to 2.32), hypoalbuminemia (HR = 1.51, CI = 1.15 to 1.99), alkaline phosphatase (HR = 1.62, CI = 1.18 to 2.23), hyperuricemia (HR = 1.46, CI = 1.09 to 1.96), and renal insufficiency (HR = 1.48, CI = 1.08 to 2.04). All patients were followed from 2 to 7.5 years and 130 (49%) survived over 2 years. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that hyperuricemia, hypoalbuminemia, renal insufficiency, plasmacytosis, gender, alkaline phosphatase, and hypercalcemia were significant predictors of 2-year survival. Knowledge of these factors could be of value in predicting prognosis and planning therapy in patients with multiple myeloma.

Epidemiological and clinical aspects of oesophageal carcinoma in the USA.

A study was conducted of all primary oesophageal cancer cases hospitalized from 1970 to 1975 in Oklahoma City hospitals. During this 6 year period, 181 cases were identified. The average annual incidence in Oklahoma county was lowest in white females (2 per 100,000 population), and highest in black males (19 per 100,000 population). Some of the descriptive features of oesophageal carcinoma by age, sex and race distribution were largely compatible to those reported in the literature. Cases with carcinoma in which pain was the first symptom to appear, sought medical advice latest compared to cases with dysphagia as the first symptom, the latter group seeking medical advice earliest. Blacks and whites presented dissimilar distribution of tumours by site. Whereas in blacks 58% of carcinomas were located in the middle thoracic and none in the oesophagogastric junction, in whites tumours were more or less equally distributed in various anatomical sites. Black males exhibited higher mean ages at diagnosis in all sites than black females. The whites showed the opposite trend except in the oesophagogastric junction. Squamous cell carcinoma was the most frequent cell type (80%). The absence of adenocarcinoma cell types in blacks except only two male cases was a noteworthy observation. The clinical stage distribution by anatomical site was unusual for middle thoracic and gastric cardia carcinomas with 54% and 46% of tumours localized and in regional stages at diagnosis respectively.

Occupational hydrocarbon exposure and risk of renal cell carcinoma.

A population-based case-control study (210 cases and 210 age- sex- and frequency-matched population controls) was conducted to evaluate the association between occupational hydrocarbon exposure and risk of renal cell carcinoma. Retrospective estimates of lifetime occupational hydrocarbon exposure were made without regard to case or control status, and an exposure index was calculated based on time and score combinations. A weak positive association was found for hydrocarbon exposure in males only (odds ratio = 1.6). For those under the age of 60, exposure to moderate levels of hydrocarbons produced the highest risk, while for those over the age of 70 a dose-response relationship was found. Those overweight were at high risk for renal cell carcinoma, and there was positive interaction between hydrocarbon exposure and overweight. Alcohol use alone or in the presence of hydrocarbon exposure decreased the risk significantly.

Cytogenetic studies of renal cell carcinoma.

To examine the possibility that patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) have chromosomal abnormalities at a common gene locus, we undertook a study of patients with and without a history of hereditary disease as part of an ongoing population-based case-control study of risk factors in RCC. We identified 112 patients for cytogenetic study. Chromosome preparations were made from peripheral blood cultures with standard and giemsa (GTG) banding techniques. C-banding was used to determine C-polymorphism. Eighty-nine cases had completely normal male and female karyotypes. Twenty-seven of them had C-polymorphism. In 16 patients, random numerical and structural abnormalities were observed. In the remaining seven patients, four had mosaic karyotypes, and the other three showed structural abnormalities. There was no statistically significant difference in the frequency of the abnormal karyotypes between the hereditary and nonhereditary RCC patients. This concludes a negative cytogenetic study of RCC patients that failed to show any constitutional rearrangement in blood cells.

Risk factors in renal cell carcinoma. II. Medical history, occupation, multivariate analysis, and conclusions.

Potential risk factors in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) were studied in a case-control study of 315 RCC cases and 313 hospital and 336 population controls. Risk factors included medical history, radiation exposure, predominant lifetime occupation, exposure to high-risk industries, and summary of important risk factors by a linear logistic regression model based on the comparison of RCC cases and controls selected from hospitals and the general population for 33 variables. A significant increase in urologic, cardiovascular, malignant, digestive, and metabolic disease was observed among cases over population controls. Exposure to radiation increased the risk, especially in females. A predominant lifetime occupation as a professional decreased the risk, whereas work as an operative increased the risk significantly. Work in petroleum-related and dry-cleaning industries were associated with elevated risk. Multivariate analysis comparing cases with each of the control groups for males and females identified obesity as the most important risk factor in RCC. Weight control at an early age might help to prevent the occurrence of a significant proportion of this rare but increasing malignant disease.

Risk factors in renal cell carcinoma: I. Methodology, demographics, tobacco, beverage use, and obesity.

Potential risk factors in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) were studied in a case-control study of 315 RCC cases, 313 hospital and 336 population controls. Risk factors included body mass index, education, smoking, beverage use, and artificial sweeteners. High body mass index, when present at age 20 and maintained, was a significant risk factor in both men and women. The lower the educational levels attained, the higher the risk. There was a weak positive association with cigarette smoking, coffee drinking, tea drinking, and decaffeinated coffee. A strong negative association was found with ever use of alcohol and it was strongest for wine. A positive association was found with use of artificial sweeteners in men. These findings have increased our understanding of the etiology of this rare but increasingly important neoplastic disease in humans.

Occupational hydrocarbon exposure and renal histopathology.

A blinded, retrospective study of histological sections from ten hydrocarbon-exposed and twenty unexposed nephrectomized renal cell carcinoma cases was conducted to evaluate the histopathologic features present in the apparently normal kidney parenchyma removed with the tumor. Tissue sections from each of the thirty cases were independently reviewed by three consulting pathologists and scored using well defined criteria. Occupational hydrocarbon exposure indices were developed by a team of industrial hygienists and applied to the detailed occupational history of each exposed case. A positive correlation was observed between age and the total renal pathology score (rs = .40, p less than .03). No correlation was found between indices of occupational hydrocarbon exposure and renal pathology scores among exposed cases. No significant differences in renal pathology scores were noted when exposed cases were matched to unexposed cases by age, sex, and race. These results are limited by the inclusion of only cases with historical hydrocarbon exposures. It is recommended that a follow-up study be conducted, utilizing sensitive quantitative methods, to define what, if any, cytopathologic renal effects occur in conjunction with current occupational exposures to hydrocarbons.

Mortality among laundry and dry cleaning workers in Oklahoma.

The mortality experience of 440 laundry and dry cleaning workers for the period 1975-81 was analyzed, using Oklahoma death certificate data. Results did not show an overall increase in total cancer, but an elevated risk was found for homicide, lung cancer, and kidney cancer. A decrease in risk was noted for ischemic heart disease and for breast cancer.

Nontuberculous mycobacterial trends at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Oklahoma City.

Laboratory culture results, dating back to 1960, were reviewed at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Oklahoma City. Nontuberculous mycobacterial incidence increased substantially during the 21-year period as tuberculosis incidence decreased. Nontuberculous mycobacteria were found to represent 13.7% of all mycobacterial isolates, with Mycobacterium kansasii and M intracellulare-avium complex the predominant species. When the dates of first positive cultures were evaluated, a significant month-to-month variation was found in M tuberculosis but not nontuberculous mycobacteria, suggesting a different mode of transmission for the two. There was no significant difference in the racial distribution or age of individuals with nontuberculous mycobacteria.

Multidisciplinary approach to breast cancer control.

A multidisciplinary approach to breast cancer control was developed through a network of 22 hospitals, and data were collected over two time periods to evaluate the impact of the network. A total of 1,800 cases of female breast cancer treated during the baseline period of 1971 to 1973 were compared with 2,102 current cases treated during the 1975 to 1977 study period. These cases were compared with regard to detection, diagnosis, and primary therapy. Several improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of patients studied in the later period indicate the program has had a positive impact. Improvements include an increase in case accrual by an average of 100 cases per year; an increase in detection of early (in situ and localized) and advanced disease; an increase in the proportion of patients whose interval from first symptoms to diagnosis was less than one month; a threefold increase in the proportion of patients diagnosed before admission; the increased use of simple or modified radical mastectomy (from 11% to 25%); a reduction in the number of patients whose mastectomy was done by a physician who did five or fewer mastectomies per year; an increase in the number of patients receiving bone, liver, or spleen scans; and an improvement in the quantity and quality of information in hospital charts, such as family history of cancer, history of benign breast disease, and menstrual history. Data are also provided on primary therapy and method of detection according to stage and tumor size.