What influences the timing of the introduction of solid food to infants?

The aim of the present study was to assess the factors which may influence the timing of the introduction of solid food to infants. The design was a prospective cohort study by interview and postal questionnaire. Primiparous women (n 541) aged between 16 and 40 years were approached in the Forth Park Maternity Hospital, Fife, Scotland. Of these, 526 women agreed to participate and seventy-eight were used as subjects in the pilot study. At 12 weeks we interviewed 338 women of the study sample. The postal questionnaire was returned by 286 of 448 volunteers. At 12 weeks 133 of 338 mothers said that they had introduced solids. Those that said that they had introduced solids early (<12 weeks) were compared with those who had introduced solids late (>12 weeks) by bivariate and multiple regression analysis. Psychosocial factors influencing the decision were measured with the main outcome measure being the time of introduction of solid food. The early introduction of solids was found to be associated with: the opinions of the infant's maternal grandmother; living in a deprived area; personal disagreement with the advice to wait until the baby was 4 months; lack of encouragement from friends to wait until the baby was 4 months; being in receipt of free samples of manufactured food. Answers to open-ended questions indicated that the early introduction appeared to be influenced by the mothers' perceptions of the baby's needs. Some of the factors influencing a woman's decision to introduce solids are amenable to change, and these could be targeted in educational interventions.

Serum insulin and blood sugar levels in a rural population of Jamaican adults

Serum insulin and blood sugar concentrations were measured in 538 rural Jamaican adults aged 25-64 yr living in a defined area (77.3 percent response). The measurements were made in blood samples taken from the respondents in the fasting state and 1 hr after a drink equivalent to 100 g of glucose (Glucola). Insulin values measured in fasting and one hour post challenge sera are given by age and sex. The one hour insulin values were much higher in women than men. This difference was not completely explained by the effects of age, obesity, blood sugar or smoking habit, and it is suggested that the higher levels in women may be related in part to their higher levels of oestrogens and growth hormone. This finding has implications for the selection of control groups of normal people for use in comparative studies (AU)

Serum lipids and lipoprotein patterns in adults in a rural area of Jamaica - abstract

In a cardivascular-diabetes survey we examined 77 percent of a defined population of 695 rural Jamaican aged 25-64. Fastings and 1-hour post glucose load blood samples were drawn. Serum cholesterol, triglycerides and blood glucose were measured in the fasting and glucose in the 1-hour samples using Auto Analyzer techniques. Lipoprotein pater electrophoresis was run on the fasting serum within 48 hours of collection. A 12-lead electrocardiogram, blood pressure and a chest X-ray were taken and an effort pain questionnaire completed. Cholesterol values ranged from 98-545 Mg percent with a mean and standard deviation for males of 204.6, and 41.3 mg percent respectively and for females 226.3 and 37.5 mg percent respectively. Triglycerides ranged from 24-400 mg percent with a mean and standard deviation for males of 80.1 and 43.5mg percent respectively and for females 79.7 and 44.3mg percent respectively. The triglyceride distributions were markedly skewed. Cutting points to distinguish high from normal levels of lipids were determined statistically at the 95 percent points of the distributions for each sex and each of four age groups. Respondents were typed according to the method of Fredrickson et al. by refeference both to the electrophoretic strip and the lipid levels. Overall, 7.3 percent of males and 7.9 percent of females had both abnormal trips and lipids, with predominace of pattern types II and IV. The typeIV abnormality (high triglycerides) was associated with obesity and glucose intolerance type II (high cholesterol) only with glucose intolerance in women. Neither blood pressure nor cardiothoracic ratio was higher nor ECG ischaemia and angina more common among the abnormals than normals. Although high lipids levels are frequently found in Lawrence Tavern they are not apparently associated with manifestations of ischaemic heart disease or high blood pressure (AU)

The prevalence of diabetes in a rural population of Jamaican adults

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus and significance of related variables are described for a rural Jamaican community. The population of the defined survey area was enumerated by private census and all 696 persons aged 25-64 were requested to participate. A response rate of 77.3 percent was achieved. Blood samples were drawn after respondents and fasted and 1 hour after consumption of a 100 G glucose load (Glucola). Blood tests included blood glucose, serum cholesterol and triglycerides. Anthropometric and blood pressure measurements, a 12 lead electrocardiogram and a PA chest X-ray were taken and a questionaire administered to elicit the occurrence of effort pain. Persons with 1 hour blood glucose levels of 180mg, percent or more were requested to undergo a 3 hour glucose tolerance test. Age specific rates for diabetes rose to 14.5 percent in males aged 45-54 and 17.0 percent in females aged 55-64. The percentage distribution of 1 hour glucose is given by age and sex. No relationship between number of live births and 1 hour blood glucose was found. In a comparison between non-diabetics, newly diagnosed and previously known diabetics, known diabetics of both sex had thicker infrascapular skinfolds, male new and known diabetics had higher cholesterol, and triglycerides increased from non-to known diabetics of both sexes. The validity of intersurvey comparison of diabetes rates is discussed and a alternative presentation of data is recommended. The lack of relationship between the diagnosis of diabetes and cardiovascular disease is also discussed.(AU)

Blood pressure levels of Guyanese adults of African and Indian origin

Blood pressure and anthropometric measurements were recorded from 842 Guyanese men and women aged 35 to 54 years of African and Indian orgin living in a similar environment. Blood pressure was higher in Africans than Indians but analysis of covariance showed the differences became insignificant when indices of body bulk, excluding obesity, were taken into consideration. The ethnic difference in blood pressure could be explained by ethnic differences in body habitus (AU)

A survey of blood glucose and serum lipoprotein in adults in a rural area of Jamaica - abstract

A community survey in Lawrence Tavern was started in October, 1969 in which all 544 perons aged 25-54 living in a particular area were requested to participate. Measurements taken included fasting and 1 hour blood glucose and insulin, serum cholesterol and triglycerides, lipoprotein electrophoresis, heamoglobin concentration, packed cell volume and haemoglobin type as well as blood pressure and anthropometric data. A chest X-ray and ECG were also taken. The aim of the study is to investigate the single joint distributions of the measurements and the relationships existing between glucose tolerance and cardiovascular parameters. Mean fasting blood glucose levels of the first 379 respondents show no trend with age in males and little evidence of any trend in females. However mean 1-hour post-Glucola levels show a striking trend with age. Of the 30 persons qualifying for the diagnosis of diabetes based on a 1-hour blood level of 180 mgm percent or greater, 6 were known diabetics, 13 were confirmed as newly discovered diabetics and 5 confirmed as non-diabetics by a full glucose tolerance test 6 refused the full test. Confirmed diabetic were more common among females than males aged 35-44 (6/92 as against 1/50) but no difference was found in the decade 45-54 (5/65 as against 7/65). Only one case (unconfirmed) eas found below age 35. Results for the other measurements made on blood constituents are not yet available (AU)

The use and interpretation of ponderal index and other weight-height ratios in epidemiological studies

Criteria for an index of weight corrected for height are presented and used to investigate, both theoretically and practically, the properties of three weight-height ratios: weight/height, weight height 2 and ponderal index. The data on height, weight and skinfold thickness used in the analysis were collected during the fourth examination of the Framingham study. Based on the criterion that the ratio should be independent of height, the best of the three proposed ratios depends on the value of the intercept and the coefficient of the regression of weight on height for the population under consideration. The most likely best ratio in Western male populations is weight /height2 and it seems probable that in Western female populations it is weight/height: the least likely for both sexes is ponderal index. Evidence is also given to show that all three indices are poor measures of adiposity (Summary)

Report of a serological survey of the southern half of Eleuthera Island, Bahamas

A serum survey on a 10 percent sample of the population of the south of Eleuthera Island, Bahamas, is described. The survey was intended to give a general picture of the distributions of certain antibodies, blood components, blood pressure and tuberculosis among the islanders. Its purpose has been to help in instituting both clinical facilities and public health measures. The following observations were made: 1. V.D.R.L. test showed an overall rate of 12.8 percent positive. The more accurate FTA-200 test for treponemes showed an overall rate of 10.1 percent positive. Although no serologic evidence was found for congenital treponematosis, the authors believe that, because of the high treponemal infection rate in the persons of reproductive age, some small rate of congenital infection exists. 2. Antibodies to all three types of poliovirus were almost universally present in persons over the age of five years. At the time of the survey, no vaccination progamme had been in force in the island. 3. Of the survey population 17.4 percent, 2.2 percent and 0.0 percent had antibodies to Entamoeba histolytica, Trichinella spirallis, and Schistosoma mansoni, respectively. 4. The result of tuberculin tests on children aged 5-19 showed an increasing positive rate with age, reaching 42.3 percent in the 15-19 year group. There was no active tuberculosis detected in a mass X-Ray survey. 5. Hemoglobin levels in both sexes were low when compared with those with U.S. whites. It would appear that there is generalized anemia, particularly apparent in women of child-bearing age. 6. Serum cholesterol levels were low in the range considered normal in the U.S. population. 7. The blood pressure of both sexes was similar to that found in other Negro populations in the Bahamas, the Caribbean and the southern U.S., but higher than in comparable white populations (AU)