Chronic disease prevention in Laredo, Texas.

The Laredo-Webb County Health Department began planning a health promotion program for the prevention of chronic diseases during the late 1970s. After receiving a 4-year grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Department initiated the program in 1983 by conducting an epidemiologic survey in Laredo, Texas, to determine the major risk factors for chronic disease. A comprehensive health education program was then initiated to reduce the prevalence of these factors in targeted low-income neighborhoods. Health information was disseminated among the population in small neighborhood groups using a variety of techniques to promote favorable changes in health behavior. An evaluation of the program in one neighborhood 1 year later showed an overall reduction in health risk practices of approximately 10%.

A comparison of utilization of community primary health care and school health services by urban Mexican-American and Anglo elementary school children.

The health care utilization of urban Mexican-American and Anglo elementary school children was recorded at school and community primary-care sites over a 1-year period. No significant differences were found between the two groups with respect to visiting/nonvisiting behavior or frequency of visits. Two unobtrusive measures were used to ascertain the degree of acculturation of the Mexican-American children and their parents: return of Spanish-language questionnaire and enrollment of the child in bilingual classes. No significant differences were found in the proportion of visitors/nonvisitors in each group or the total number of visits for health services among these children. Mexican-American and Anglo children did not differ in the type of health problems presented, except that fewer Mexican-American than Anglo children had visits for emotional, behavioral or learning problems. Results indicate that when health services are available and accessible, and when the barriers of language and income are minimized, Mexican-American and Anglo children do not differ in their use of health services in the community.

Peyote alkaloids: identification in a prehistoric specimen of lophophora from coahuila, Mexico.

Mescaline, anhalonine, lophophorine, pellotine, and anhalonidine have been identified in alkaloid extracts of a prehistoric specimen of Lophophora from a burial cave in west central Coahuila, Mexico. The specimen is associated with radiocarbon dates of A.D. 810 to 1070 and is one of the oldest materials ever submitted to alkaloid analysis.