Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · Jan 1994
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialEvaluation of an intervention to increase mammography screening in Los Angeles.
METHODS. A randomized pretest post-test control group design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of a mail-out intervention for increasing screening mammography rates. A random sample of 802 women, 40+, residing in Los Angeles County, was surveyed by telephone at baseline and again 12 months after the intervention. ⋯ In the combined intervention and control group, a stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed four baseline variables to be significant prospective predictors of mammography behavior during the follow-up period: Women who were adherent to the age-specific screening guidelines at baseline and women who had health insurance were more likely to obtain a mammogram during the follow-up, as were older women. Also, women who were greatly concerned about radiation exposure during a mammogram were about two and a half times less likely to obtain a mammogram during the follow-up than women who were less concerned. Self-reported reasons for adherence and nonadherence to screening guidelines are also described.
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Preventive medicine · Jan 1994
Tobacco use as a distal predictor of mortality among long-term narcotics addicts.
This study examined patterns of tobacco and narcotics use, associated morbidity, and subsequent mortality among long-term narcotics addicts. ⋯ Smoking status and disability history were major distal predictors of subsequent death. However, tobacco-attributable mortality was directly substantiated as a proximal cause of death by only 16% of the death certificates.