ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The relationship between smoking cessation, subsequent weight gain, and cardiovascular disease risk factors from premenopause to postmenopause was studied. METHODS: Healthy Women Study participants were assessed for changes in coronary heart disease risk factors from a premenopausal baseline assessment to first- and second-year postmenopausal assessments. RESULTS: Although ex-smokers gained substantially more weight than nonsmokers and smokers, they did not experience a greater increase in cardiovascular risk factors. In fact, the results indicated a trend toward ex-smokers' high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels increasing slightly more than those of nonsmokers and smokers. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking cessation in perimenopausal to postmenopausal women is associated with greater weight gain but appears to be modestly associated with certain positive changes in cardiovascular risk factors.
Subject(s)
Cardiovascular Diseases/epidemiology , Menopause/physiology , Smoking Cessation , Weight Gain , Alcohol Drinking/epidemiology , Blood Glucose/analysis , Blood Pressure , Cholesterol/blood , Female , Humans , Insulin/blood , Longitudinal Studies , Menopause/blood , Middle Aged , Premenopause/blood , Premenopause/physiology , Risk Factors , Triglycerides/bloodABSTRACT
Three complex cases are presented to document further the broad applicability of eye movement desensitization (EMD) for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In the first subject this disorder was combined with panic attacks; in the second, sexual dysfunction was an additional consequence of childhood sexual abuse; and in the third the causative directly resulted in profound impairment of occupational and social function. In all three cases treatment produced rapid resolution of symptoms and functional recovery.
Subject(s)
Desensitization, Psychologic/methods , Eye Movements , Panic Disorder/therapy , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/therapy , Adult , Child , Child Abuse, Sexual/psychology , Female , Humans , Imagination , Incest/psychology , Male , Mental Recall , Occupational Diseases/psychology , Occupational Diseases/therapy , Panic Disorder/psychology , Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological/psychology , Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological/therapy , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/psychology , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Four individuals with frequent recurrences of genital herpes simplex virus (HSV) were trained in Applied Relaxation (AR). Participants included in the research had been diagnosed with herpes at least 1 year prior to the study, experienced six or more outbreaks annually, and were not taking antiviral medications. The experiment employed a multiple baseline across subjects design. Participants maintained daily diaries of the frequency, duration and severity of herpes activity from baseline until a minimum of 3 months posttreatment. Treatment consisted of 10 individual AR sessions. Pretraining and posttraining frontalis electromyographic activity measures of subjects' ability to relax during rest and to apply the relaxation skill during stressful role plays were obtained. All subjects reported pretreatment to posttreatment reductions in herpes frequency. These changes were statistically significant across all subjects as a group and individually for three of the four subjects. These results suggest that AR is an effective technique for reducing recurrent HSV infection.
Subject(s)
Herpes Genitalis/therapy , Relaxation Therapy , Adult , Chronic Disease/therapy , Consumer Behavior , Electromyography , Female , Herpes Genitalis/psychology , Humans , Recurrence , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
A performance feedback procedure was used to increase glove wearing by nurses in a hospital emergency room in situations in which contact with body fluids was highly likely. Infection-control nurses provided biweekly performance feedback to staff nurses on an individual private basis to inform them of the percentage of contact opportunities in which they wore gloves. Observations made prior to (baseline) and during feedback in a multiple baseline design across 4 subjects indicated that substantial increases in glove wearing in target situations occurred after implementation of the feedback program and that increases occurred across most of the specific situations in which glove wearing was advised. Percentage increases in glove wearing ranged from 22% to 49% across subjects. The results are discussed in terms of prevention of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) by use of universal precautions.
Subject(s)
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/prevention & control , Attitude of Health Personnel , Behavior Therapy/methods , Cooperative Behavior , Gloves, Surgical , Health Behavior , Nursing Staff, Hospital/psychology , Occupational Diseases/prevention & control , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/psychology , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/transmission , Adult , Emergency Service, Hospital , Female , Hospitals, Rural , Humans , Middle AgedABSTRACT
Noncontingent feedback is frequently used as a placebo control procedure in biofeedback research. Researchers, however, have criticized this procedure for lacking credibility because of easy detection. The present study examined detection of false feedback in biofeedback with EMG. Contingent feedback (CF), truly random false feedback (FF), and controlled false feedback (CFF) groups were compared for changes in EMG levels, report of inaccurate feedback, and report of learning muscle activity reduction. The results indicated that FF procedures are easily detected; therefore, difference found between the FF and CF groups may be influenced by extraneous variables. The CFF group did not detect false feedback, but subjects reported some suspicions in later trials. With more trials, CFF may have also been detected. These results indicate a need for more attention to appropriate placebo control procedures in evaluating the parameters and efficacy of biofeedback.
