OBJECTIVE Improving health-related quality of life among individuals with diabetes is a public health goal. This study sought to assess trends in self-rated "fair" and "poor" health among Spanish adults with diabetes and to identify factors associated with fair and poor health using data from all five National Health Surveys conducted from 1993 to 2003. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Poisson reg...

INTRODUCTION The geographic maldistribution of physicians (their concentration in urban areas and shortage in rural areas) has long been an important political issue in post-war Japan. The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term transition in the geographic distribution of physicians, and to reveal which rural physician characteristics predict their retention in rural areas after 22 years. ...

A growing and substantial body of research suggests that female sex workers play a disproportionately large role in the transmission of HIV in many parts of the world, and they are often referred to as core groups by epidemiologists, mathematical modellers, clinicians and policymakers. Male sex workers, by contrast, have received little attention and it is not known whether it is helpful to con...

BACKGROUND There is evidence that female gender is associated with reduced likelihood of tuberculosis diagnosis and successful treatment. This study aimed to characterize gender-related barriers to tuberculosis control in Peruvian shantytowns. METHODS We investigated attitudes and experiences relating gender to tuberculosis using the grounded theory approach to describe beliefs amongst key tu...

Results: The overall prevalence of sunbed use was 39.2% (ever users); 14.6% had used a sunbed within the last 12 months (current users). Among minors and persons with skin types I or II, this proportion was 5.2% and 8.9%, respectively. Positive determinants of current sunbed use (quantified as odds ratios [95% CIs]) were female sex (1.97 [1.64-2.37]), immigrant background (1.46 [1.211.77]), and...

Objectives. To study adherence to methotrexate (MTX) and factors of importance thereof in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods. Patients with a hospital diagnosis of RA (ICD10 codes M05.X or M06.X) after January 1, 1997, and aged ≥18 years at the date of first diagnosis/contact, with at least one prescription of MTX (L04AX03), were included. Results. A total of 18,703 (47.6%) patien...

conclusions the results showed that the heat stress increased by increasing air velocity and humidity in both groups. the air velocity with high humidity can be considered as a positive factor in the occurrence of heat strain. therefore, the incidence of heat stress decreases with the increase of humidity and reduction of air velocity or with increase of air velocity and reduction of humidity i...

infertility in famale is one of the most important sequela of genital infection with chlamydia trachomatis, mycoplasma hominis and ureaplasma urealyticum. in the present study the frequency of these bacteries was studied in 125 infertile female by direct and indirect immunofluorscence tests and culture method and compared with 250 normal population. mycoplasma hominis was isolated from 32 (35.6...

undoubtedly, attempt to self-inflicted burning needs special conditions for special individuals. self-inflicted burn is highly depended on individual and social factors. this study is aimed at evaluating the burning percent, age, economical conditions, educational levels, occupation, and marital status of the self-inflicted burn females of taleghani hospital. this is a descriptive- sectional st...

Patterns of cognitive activity, and their relation to cognitive function, were examined in a geographically defined, biracial population of persons aged 65 years and older. Persons (N = 6,162) were given cognitive performance tests and interviewed about their participation in common cognitive activities, like reading a newspaper. Overall, more frequent participation in cognitive activities was ...