Showing papers in "International Journal of Epidemiology in 1972"

An epidemiological study of varicose veins in Indian railroad workers from the South and North of India, with special reference to the causation and prevention of varicose veins.

Abstract: A survey to determine the prevalence of varicose veins among railwaymen of identical socio-economic status and doing identical work of sweepers in the North and South of India showed that the overall prevalence was significantly higher among South Indian sweepers (25.08 per cent) than among North Indian sweepers (6.8 per cent). The survey included 323 men from Madras in the South and 354 men from Ajmer in the North of India. While constipation, body weight, smoking, posture and tight undergarments do not appear to contribute to the causation of varicose veins, the role of heredity could not be examined in this study. Big differences were present in blood-clotting time and in clot-lysis between these two populations, the respective values for clotting time being 6 minutes in South Indians and 8 minutes 40 seconds for North Indians (P ⋞ 0.001), and for clot-lysis being 3.7 per cent in South Indians and 25 per cent in North Indians. In order to test the cause-and-effect relationship of these haematological indices 24 North Indians and 81 South Indians with varicose veins were compared with 24 healthy North Indian controls and 81 South Indian controls with no varicose veins. Clot-lysis was markedly higher in those with no varicose veins than in those with varicose veins, but the mean blood clotting times were not significantly different between these two. Since such differences are known to be diet related, this study suggests that, in the prevalence of varicose veins, patterns of diet and eating may play an important part. Therefore, there would seem to be hope that this disease may be prevented.

The Prevalence of Diabetes in a Rural Population of Jamaican Adults

Abstract: The prevalence of diabetes the interrelationship of blood glucose serum insulin and lipids and their relationship to ischemic heart dise ase in a rural Jamaican community were investigated. The people were mo stly of West African descent. Occupations were primarily agricultural w ith much physical labor. Approximately 80% of total claories in their d iet were from carbohydrates. Of 696 25-64 year old persons a response rate of 77.3% was achieved. The patients after an overnight fast drank a 7-oz bottle of Glucola which was the equivalent of a 100 gm glucose load. Electrocardiograms (EKGs) blood pressure readings a chest X-ray and skinfold tests for obesity were done. A family history was obtained. Blood and urine specimens were taken before the glucose was given. 1 hour after the glucose was given blood and urine specimens were also taken. Those with blood glucose of 180 mg% or more were given a 3-hour glucose tolerance test. Of the 525 persons who had the 1-hour test 23 were found to be glycosuric. Of these 11 were not shown to be diabetic by the 3-hour glucose test. Of the 502 with negative urines 34 were positive on blood tests. The rates increased with age except in the oldest age groups (p less than .05 for males and p less than .001 for females). There was no relationship between the number of live births and the 1-hour blood glucose tests. There was neither increase in the diagnosis of diabetes nor increase in variance with number of children. The known diabetics were fatter and had higher triglycerides than others. Cholesterol was higher in all male diabetics but not in females. Only 2 persons experiencing effort pain had EKG changes. Data from this study indicate that no statistically significant association exists between levels of glycemia and blood pressure or prevalence of cardiovascular disease. The physical fitness acquired from walking and working in a hilly area may be a factor.

The Interrelationships of Upper and Lower Respiratory Tract Symptoms and Signs in Seven-year-old Children

Abstract: In 1968 the parents of all the 8, 683 children born in Tasmania in 1961 were asked to complete a detailed questionnaire on respiratory symptoms for these children. Satisfactory replies were received for 97 per cent (8, 410), and 96 per cent of these (8, 087) were examined by a team of school medical officers. A history of wheezing was obtained in 16 · 2 per cent; 1 · 8 percent had had wheezing alone, while the majority (14-4 per cent) gave a history of both wheezing and productive cough. Productive cough alone was reported in a further 32·5 per cent The parents reported that 17·1 per cent of seven-year-old children had more than two or three colds a year, 5-7 per cent had 'hay fever’, and 6-8 per cent had both. There was a close association between upper and lower respiratory symptoms, the prevalence of upper respiratory symptoms ranging from 15-5 per cent in those with no lower respiratory symptoms to 60·4 per cent in those with a history of both wheezing and productive cough. Despite considerable overlap, “colds” tended to be associated with productive cough and'hay fever'with wheezing. According to the questionnaire replies, lower respiratory symptoms were commoner (48 · 6 percent) than upper respiratory symptoms (29·6 percent). Episodes of productive cough were longer in duration, less frequent and started later in life than episodes of wheezing. Those with a history of both wheezing and productive cough resembled those with wheezing alone more closely than those with productive cough alone, but tended to be more severely affected than those with wheezing alone. Eczema and other indices of atopy were associated with a history of wheezing, and also, after elimination of the effect of wheezing, with hay fever. In this respect those with productive cough alone and those with colds alone did not differ significantly from those without symptoms. Physical signs, such as the presence of a ‘loose’ cough and abnormalities on auscultation, were more frequent in those with a history of wheezing than in those without and after elimination of the effect of wheezing, more frequent in those with hay fever than in those without Consideration of both questionnaire replies and clinical findings appears to confer significance on a classification of lower respiratory disease in children of this age based upon the answers to two questions, one on cough with sputum, or 'bronchitis', and the other on wheezing, or ‘asthma’.

Characteristics of Women Using Different Methods of Contraception—Some Preliminary Findings from a Prospective Study

Abstract: Some items of information collected on admission from each of 8774 women attending clinics of the British Family Planning Association up to the end of April 1971 are reported. Patients selected were willing to participate were married aged 25-39 years were white British subjects and had completed at least 5 months use of some form of contraception. Each filled out an admission questionnaire and patient and medical histories were completed. Results showed that women using oral contraceptives were younger than those using the diaphragm. IUD users were of intermediate age. Users of oral contraceptives were more frequently nulliparous. Almost all with an IUD had married early and borne 1 or more children. Most of the women interviewed were in the upper social classes especially those using the diaphragm. Smoking was more frequent among users of oral contraceptives. Thrombophlebitis affe cted 1% of the oral contraceptive users 5% of the diaphragm users and 11% of the IUD users. These variations may have been due to the fact that those with a past history of thrombophlebitis would most likely have been prescribed either an IUD or a diaphragm. Although the relationship between oral contraceptives and venous thrombosis and pulmo nary embolism is now established prospective studies are still required to provice better quantification of the risk. Analysts will need to take into consideration the strong selective factors now operating which tend to place women at highest risk from contraceptive complications in other categories of contraception use. Vaginitis and cervicitis were common in all groups but more so in those using oral contraceptives. This variation may have been due to the closer supervision of these patients.