James S Goodwin
Biographic Data
| ID | 219041 |
|---|---|
| NAME | James S Goodwin |
| GIVEN NAMES | James S |
| FAMILY NAME | Goodwin |
| SIGNATURE | GOODWIN J S |
| AFFILIATIONS | The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5507-1613 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 32 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 185 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 32 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1982 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2019 |
| H-INDEX | 7 |
Use of Medicare Data to Identify Team-based Primary Care: Is it Possible
BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether Medicare data can be used to identify type and degree of collaboration between primary care providers (PCPs) [medical doctors (MDs), nurse practitioners, and physician assistants] in a team care model. METHODS: We surveyed 63 primary care practices in Texas and linked the survey results to 2015 100% Medicare data. We identified PCP dyads of 2 providers in Medicare data and compared the results to those from our s…
Patient and physician views of shared decision making in cancer
CONTEXT: Engaging patients in shared decision making involves patient knowledge of treatment options and physician elicitation of patient preferences. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to explore patient and physician perceptions of shared decision making in clinical encounters for cancer care. DESIGN: Patients and physicians were asked open-ended questions regarding their perceptions of shared decision making throughout their cancer care. Transcripts of in…
Nursing Home Stakeholder Views of Resident Involvement in Medical Care Decisions
Demand by nursing home residents for involvement in their medical care, or, patient-centered care, is expected to increase as baby boomers begin seeking long-term care for their chronic illnesses. To explore the needs in meeting this proposed demand, we used a qualitative descriptive method with content analysis to obtain the joint perspective of key stakeholders on the current state of person-centered medical care in the nursing home. We intervi…
Potentially Preventable Hospitalizations in Medicare Patients With Diabetes: A Comparison of Primary Care Provided by Nurse Practitioners Versus Physicians
BACKGROUND: Few comparisons exist of the quality of primary care provided by nurse practitioners (NPs) versus physicians. METHODS: Patients with a diagnosis of diabetes in 2007-2010 (n=345,819) who received all primary care from NPs or from generalist physicians in a given year were selected from a national sample of Medicare beneficiaries. We compared the rate of potentially preventable hospitalizations among patients who received primary care f…
Potential Overuse of Screening Mammography and Its Association With Access to Primary Care
BACKGROUND: Cancer screening in individuals with limited life expectancy increases the risk of diagnosis and treatment of cancer that otherwise would not have become clinically apparent. OBJECTIVE: To estimate screening mammography use in women with limited life expectancy, its geographic variation, and association with access to primary care and mammographic resources. METHODS: We assessed screening mammography use in 2008-2009 in 106,737 women …
The socio-spatial neighborhood estimation method: An approach to operationalizing the neighborhood concept
Association of Care by Hospitalists on Discharge Destination and 30-day Outcomes After Acute Ischemic Stroke
OBJECTIVES: The use of hospitalists is increasing. Hospitalists have been associated with reductions in length of stay and associated costs while not negatively impacting outcomes. We examine care for stroke patients because it requires complex care in the hospital and has high post discharge complications. We assessed the association of care provided by a hospitalist with length of stay, discharge destination, 30-day mortality, 30-day readmissio…
Multiple Measurement of Serum Lipids in the Elderly
BACKGROUND: Although there is considerable interest in underutilization of lipid testing, little is known about the prevalence and factors associated with overtesting of serum lipids. METHODS: We assessed the number of different days in which outpatient lipid testing was performed in a 5% national sample of patients with parts A and B Medicare in 2006. Covariates included patient characteristics (age, race, prior diagnosis of lipid disorder, and …
Herpesvirus reactivation and socioeconomic position: A community-based study
BACKGROUND: Elevated antibodies to latent herpesviruses have been demonstrated to be a reliable marker of diminished cellular immunity and recently have been associated with low socioeconomic position (SEP) in older adults. Extending these observations in a community-based study over a wide age range would provide an important new direction for investigating mechanisms underlying poor health outcomes in individuals with low SEP. METHODS: Anti-her…
Lower Stroke Mortality Among Hispanics: An Exploration of Potential Methodological Confounders
OBJECTIVES: Stroke mortality rates are reported to be lower for Hispanics than non-Hispanic Whites. We investigate the degree to which this lower reported mortality is explained by inaccuracies introduced through omission of nativity, imprecise measurement of cause of death, and under-ascertainment of Hispanic ethnicity on death certificates. We used national vital registration data for the years 1989-1991 and 1999-2002, including foreign- and US…
Neighbourhood ethnic composition and diet among Mexican-Americans
Objectives We explore the association between a neighbourhood’s ethnic composition and the foods and nutrients consumed by Mexican-Americans. Design Cross-sectional survey of a large national sample, from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988–94), was linked to the 1990 Census. The outcomes were food frequencies and serum levels of micronutrients. The variable of interest was percentage of Mexican-Americans at the censu…
Environmental hazards and stress: Evidence from the Texas City Stress and Health Study
BACKGROUND: Substantial research has suggested that exposure to environmental health hazards, such as polluting industrial activity, has deleterious effects on psychological and physiological well-being. However, one gap in the existing literature is comparative analysis of objective and subjective exposure's relative association with various measurable outcomes of exposure. METHODS: These relationships were explored within a community sample of …
Ethnic Differences in In-Hospital Place of Death Among Older Adults in California: Effects of Individual and Contextual Characteristics and Medical Resource Supply
BACKGROUND: : Substantial ethnic differences have been reported in the probability that death will occur in a hospital setting rather than at home, in a hospice, or in a nursing home. To date, no study has investigated the role of both individual characteristics and contextual characteristics, including local health care environments, to explain ethnic differentials in end-of-life care. OBJECTIVES: : The study purpose is to examine ethnic differe…
Allostatic Load Among Non-Hispanic Whites, Non-Hispanic Blacks, and People of Mexican Origin: Effects of Ethnicity, Nativity, and Acculturation
Our findings expand on recent research from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey with respect to ethnicity and allostatic load. Our results are consistent with the healthy immigrant hypothesis (i.e., newer immigrants are healthier) and the acculturation hypothesis, according to which the longer Mexican immigrants reside in the United States, the greater their likelihood of potentially losing culture-related health-protective effec…
Perceived health change in the aftermath of a petrochemical accident: An examination of pre-accident, within-accident, and post-accident variables
BACKGROUND: Little research has been conducted on changes in perceived health after an industrial accident. Using data from an ongoing survey on stress and health in a petrochemical complex in Texas City, Texas, the associations of a petrochemical accident with perceived health changes were examined. METHODS: The mean changes in perceived mental and physical health across pre-accident, within-accident, and post-accident categories were compared. …
Self-Neglect Among the Elderly: A Model Based on More Than 500 Patients Seen by a Geriatric Medicine Team
Objectives. We sought to identify the functional, cognitive, and social factors associated with self-neglect among the elderly to aid the development of etiologic models to guide future research. Methods. A cross-sectional chart review was conducted at Baylor College of Medicine Geriatrics Clinic in Houston, Tex. Patients were assessed using standardized comprehensive geriatric assessment tools. Results. Data analysis was performed using the char…
Mortality of Foreign-Born and US-Born Hispanic Adults at Younger Ages: A Reexamination of Recent Patterns
Objectives. We sought to determine whether mortality rates among immigrant and US-born Hispanic young adults were higher or lower compared with non-Hispanic Whites. We also sought to identify which causes of death accounted for the differences in mortality rates between groups. Measures. We used Texas and California vital registration data from 1999 to 2001 linked to 2000 census denominators. We calculated cause-specific, indirectly standardized …
Ascertainment of Hispanic Ethnicity on California Death Certificates: Implications for the Explanation of the Hispanic Mortality Advantage
Objectives. We determined the size and correlates of underascertainment of Hispanic ethnicity on California death certificates. Methods. We used 1999 to 2000 vital registration data. We compared Hispanic ethnicity reported on the death certificate to Hispanic ethnicity derived from birthplace for the foreign-born and an algorithm that used first and last name and percentage of Hispanics in the county of residence for the US-born. We validated dea…
Neighborhood Context and Mortality Among Older Mexican Americans: Is There a Barrio Advantage
Objectives. We examined whether Mexican Americans living in high-density Mexican American neighborhoods experience increased morbidity and mortality compared with the rates observed among Mexican Americans living in low-density areas. Methods. We conducted a prospective analysis of a cohort of 3050 Mexican Americans aged 65 years or older. We examined prevalence of 6 medical conditions and survival over 7 years of follow-up in relation to percent…
Decreasing Variation in the Use of Hospice Among Older Adults With Breast, Colorectal, Lung, and Prostate Cancer
BACKGROUND: Utilization of hospice services has been shown to vary by place of residence and patient characteristics. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine whether such variation has changed over time. Hospice utilization is examined as a function of sociodemographic characteristics, geographic location, type of insurance, and year of death. RESEARCH DESIGN: This study used a retrospective cohort design. SUBJECTS: We used data from…
The Association Between Emotional Well-Being and the Incidence of Stroke in Older Adults
OBJECTIVE: Individuals with high levels of depressive symptoms have an increased risk of many illnesses, including stroke. Measures of depressive symptoms include questions about the presence of negative affect, such as sadness, as well as the absence of positive affect, such as happiness and optimism. We assessed whether positive or negative affect, or both, predicted risk of stroke. METHODS: Data were from a 6-year prospective cohort study of a…
Emotional Well‐Being Predicts Subsequent Functional Independence and Survival
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether positive affect has an independent effect on functional status, mobility, and survival in an older Mexican American sample. DESIGN: A 2‐year prospective cohort study. SETTING: Five Southwestern states: Texas, California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. PARTICPANTS: A population‐based sample of 2282 Mexican Americans aged 65 to 99 who reported no functional limitations at baseline interview. MEASUREMENTS: In‐home…
Accuracy and Completeness of Medicare Claims Data for Surgical Treatment of Breast Cancer
BACKGROUND: Although a number of studies have used Medicare claims data to study trends and variations in breast cancer treatment, the accuracy and completeness of information on surgical treatment for breast cancer in the Medicare data have not been validated. OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the accuracy and completeness of Medicare claims data for breast cancer surgery to determine whether Medicare claims can serve as a source of data to augmen…
Geographic variations in breast cancer mortality: Do higher rates imply elevated incidence or poorer survival
OBJECTIVES: Mortality rates from breast cancer are approximately 25% higher for women in the northeastern United States than for women in the South or West. This study examined the hypothesis that the elevation is due to decreased survival rather than increased incidence. METHODS: Data on breast cancer incidence, treatment, and mortality were reviewed. RESULTS: The elevated mortality in the Northeast is apparent only in older women. For women age…
Impact of Psychosocial Factors on Health Outcomes in the Elderly: A Prospective Study
One hundred and thirty-five initially healthy men and women older than 65 years of age were studied prospectively to identify factors associated with health outcomes. At study onset, measures of personality, social interaction, and health locus of control were obtained while participants were still healthy. A reliable health outcome measure was developed, based on the annual objective coding of morbidity. Correlations between variables showed sig…
Neighborhood Context and Mortality Among Older Mexican Americans: Is There a Barrio Advantage
Objectives. We examined whether Mexican Americans living in high-density Mexican American neighborhoods experience increased morbidity and mortality compared with the rates observed among Mexican Americans living in low-density areas. Methods. We conducted a prospective analysis of a cohort of 3050 Mexican Americans aged 65 years or older. We examined prevalence of 6 medical conditions and survival over 7 years of follow-up in relation to percent…
Allostatic Load Among Non-Hispanic Whites, Non-Hispanic Blacks, and People of Mexican Origin: Effects of Ethnicity, Nativity, and Acculturation
Our findings expand on recent research from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey with respect to ethnicity and allostatic load. Our results are consistent with the healthy immigrant hypothesis (i.e., newer immigrants are healthier) and the acculturation hypothesis, according to which the longer Mexican immigrants reside in the United States, the greater their likelihood of potentially losing culture-related health-protective effec…
Ascertainment of Hispanic Ethnicity on California Death Certificates: Implications for the Explanation of the Hispanic Mortality Advantage
Objectives. We determined the size and correlates of underascertainment of Hispanic ethnicity on California death certificates. Methods. We used 1999 to 2000 vital registration data. We compared Hispanic ethnicity reported on the death certificate to Hispanic ethnicity derived from birthplace for the foreign-born and an algorithm that used first and last name and percentage of Hispanics in the county of residence for the US-born. We validated dea…
Mortality of Foreign-Born and US-Born Hispanic Adults at Younger Ages: A Reexamination of Recent Patterns
Objectives. We sought to determine whether mortality rates among immigrant and US-born Hispanic young adults were higher or lower compared with non-Hispanic Whites. We also sought to identify which causes of death accounted for the differences in mortality rates between groups. Measures. We used Texas and California vital registration data from 1999 to 2001 linked to 2000 census denominators. We calculated cause-specific, indirectly standardized …
The socio-spatial neighborhood estimation method: An approach to operationalizing the neighborhood concept
Environmental hazards and stress: Evidence from the Texas City Stress and Health Study
BACKGROUND: Substantial research has suggested that exposure to environmental health hazards, such as polluting industrial activity, has deleterious effects on psychological and physiological well-being. However, one gap in the existing literature is comparative analysis of objective and subjective exposure's relative association with various measurable outcomes of exposure. METHODS: These relationships were explored within a community sample of …
Social bonds in a healthy elderly sample: Characteristics and associated variables
Alcohol intake in a healthy elderly population
The relationship between amount of alcohol consumption and social, psychological, and cognitive status was examined in 270 healthy, independently living men and women over age 65. Forty-eight per cent of the sample recorded some alcohol intake during a three-day diet record, with 8 per cent drinking 30 or more grams of alcohol daily. Alcohol intake was positively associated with male gender, income, and amount of education and negatively associat…
Nursing Home Stakeholder Views of Resident Involvement in Medical Care Decisions
Demand by nursing home residents for involvement in their medical care, or, patient-centered care, is expected to increase as baby boomers begin seeking long-term care for their chronic illnesses. To explore the needs in meeting this proposed demand, we used a qualitative descriptive method with content analysis to obtain the joint perspective of key stakeholders on the current state of person-centered medical care in the nursing home. We intervi…
Herpesvirus reactivation and socioeconomic position: A community-based study
BACKGROUND: Elevated antibodies to latent herpesviruses have been demonstrated to be a reliable marker of diminished cellular immunity and recently have been associated with low socioeconomic position (SEP) in older adults. Extending these observations in a community-based study over a wide age range would provide an important new direction for investigating mechanisms underlying poor health outcomes in individuals with low SEP. METHODS: Anti-her…
Perceived health change in the aftermath of a petrochemical accident: An examination of pre-accident, within-accident, and post-accident variables
BACKGROUND: Little research has been conducted on changes in perceived health after an industrial accident. Using data from an ongoing survey on stress and health in a petrochemical complex in Texas City, Texas, the associations of a petrochemical accident with perceived health changes were examined. METHODS: The mean changes in perceived mental and physical health across pre-accident, within-accident, and post-accident categories were compared. …
Self-Neglect Among the Elderly: A Model Based on More Than 500 Patients Seen by a Geriatric Medicine Team
Objectives. We sought to identify the functional, cognitive, and social factors associated with self-neglect among the elderly to aid the development of etiologic models to guide future research. Methods. A cross-sectional chart review was conducted at Baylor College of Medicine Geriatrics Clinic in Houston, Tex. Patients were assessed using standardized comprehensive geriatric assessment tools. Results. Data analysis was performed using the char…
Knowledge about Aging among Physicians
Ninety-nine practicing physicians, house officers, and medical students were given a brief questionnaire assessing knowledge of geriatric issues. These subjects underestimated the average life expectancy of 75-year-old women by a mean of five years. Half of the respondents estimated the half-life of diazepam to be 12 hours or less, compared to the correct answer of approximately 70 hours. Half of the respondents stated that they would not treat w…
Geographic variations in breast cancer mortality: Do higher rates imply elevated incidence or poorer survival
OBJECTIVES: Mortality rates from breast cancer are approximately 25% higher for women in the northeastern United States than for women in the South or West. This study examined the hypothesis that the elevation is due to decreased survival rather than increased incidence. METHODS: Data on breast cancer incidence, treatment, and mortality were reviewed. RESULTS: The elevated mortality in the Northeast is apparent only in older women. For women age…
Impact of Psychosocial Factors on Health Outcomes in the Elderly: A Prospective Study
One hundred and thirty-five initially healthy men and women older than 65 years of age were studied prospectively to identify factors associated with health outcomes. At study onset, measures of personality, social interaction, and health locus of control were obtained while participants were still healthy. A reliable health outcome measure was developed, based on the annual objective coding of morbidity. Correlations between variables showed sig…
Culture and Medicine: The Influence of Puritanism on American Medical Practice
Culture and Medicine:The Influence of Puritanism on American Medical Practice James S. Goodwin James S. Goodwin Center on Aging, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555-0460 References 1. FOUCAULT, M. La recherche scientifique et la psychologie. In Michel Foucault, edited by D. ERIBAN, and translated by B. WING. Cambridge: Harvard Univ. Press, 1991, p. 43. Google Scholar 2. BOLLANTINE, H. Will the delivery of health care be imp…
Patient Characteristics That Influence Physician Behavior
We examined whether four patient characteristics (age, ethnicity, sex and appearance) influenced five physician behaviors with the patient (interviewing, nonverbal attention, courtesy, information giving and empathy). Ten physician-patient interactions were observed through a one-way mirror for each of 15 physicians. Physicians were rated higher on information giving (p = 0.002) and empathic skills (p = 0.02) when they were with female patients; …
Social bonds in a healthy elderly sample: Characteristics and associated variables
Alcohol intake in a healthy elderly population
The relationship between amount of alcohol consumption and social, psychological, and cognitive status was examined in 270 healthy, independently living men and women over age 65. Forty-eight per cent of the sample recorded some alcohol intake during a three-day diet record, with 8 per cent drinking 30 or more grams of alcohol daily. Alcohol intake was positively associated with male gender, income, and amount of education and negatively associat…
Knowledge about Aging among Physicians
Ninety-nine practicing physicians, house officers, and medical students were given a brief questionnaire assessing knowledge of geriatric issues. These subjects underestimated the average life expectancy of 75-year-old women by a mean of five years. Half of the respondents estimated the half-life of diazepam to be 12 hours or less, compared to the correct answer of approximately 70 hours. Half of the respondents stated that they would not treat w…
Akira Kurosawa and Intertextual Cinema
Culture and Medicine: The Influence of Puritanism on American Medical Practice
Culture and Medicine:The Influence of Puritanism on American Medical Practice James S. Goodwin James S. Goodwin Center on Aging, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555-0460 References 1. FOUCAULT, M. La recherche scientifique et la psychologie. In Michel Foucault, edited by D. ERIBAN, and translated by B. WING. Cambridge: Harvard Univ. Press, 1991, p. 43. Google Scholar 2. BOLLANTINE, H. Will the delivery of health care be imp…
Minimal Increase in Use of Breast-Conserving Surgery from 1986 to 1990
Substantial geographic and hospital-based variations have been documented in the use of breast-conserving surgery (BCS) in 1986. The authors studied the patterns of adoption of this procedure from 1986 to 1990. National Medicare inpatient claims were used to study women aged 65 to 79 who underwent an operation for local or regional breast cancer in 1986 (38,679 patients) or 1990 (43,083 patients). Breast-conserving surgery was used for 5,509 (14.…
Impact of Psychosocial Factors on Health Outcomes in the Elderly: A Prospective Study
One hundred and thirty-five initially healthy men and women older than 65 years of age were studied prospectively to identify factors associated with health outcomes. At study onset, measures of personality, social interaction, and health locus of control were obtained while participants were still healthy. A reliable health outcome measure was developed, based on the annual objective coding of morbidity. Correlations between variables showed sig…
Geographic variations in breast cancer mortality: Do higher rates imply elevated incidence or poorer survival
OBJECTIVES: Mortality rates from breast cancer are approximately 25% higher for women in the northeastern United States than for women in the South or West. This study examined the hypothesis that the elevation is due to decreased survival rather than increased incidence. METHODS: Data on breast cancer incidence, treatment, and mortality were reviewed. RESULTS: The elevated mortality in the Northeast is apparent only in older women. For women age…
Emotional Well‐Being Predicts Subsequent Functional Independence and Survival
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether positive affect has an independent effect on functional status, mobility, and survival in an older Mexican American sample. DESIGN: A 2‐year prospective cohort study. SETTING: Five Southwestern states: Texas, California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. PARTICPANTS: A population‐based sample of 2282 Mexican Americans aged 65 to 99 who reported no functional limitations at baseline interview. MEASUREMENTS: In‐home…
Accuracy and Completeness of Medicare Claims Data for Surgical Treatment of Breast Cancer
BACKGROUND: Although a number of studies have used Medicare claims data to study trends and variations in breast cancer treatment, the accuracy and completeness of information on surgical treatment for breast cancer in the Medicare data have not been validated. OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the accuracy and completeness of Medicare claims data for breast cancer surgery to determine whether Medicare claims can serve as a source of data to augmen…
The Association Between Emotional Well-Being and the Incidence of Stroke in Older Adults
OBJECTIVE: Individuals with high levels of depressive symptoms have an increased risk of many illnesses, including stroke. Measures of depressive symptoms include questions about the presence of negative affect, such as sadness, as well as the absence of positive affect, such as happiness and optimism. We assessed whether positive or negative affect, or both, predicted risk of stroke. METHODS: Data were from a 6-year prospective cohort study of a…
Neighborhood Context and Mortality Among Older Mexican Americans: Is There a Barrio Advantage
Objectives. We examined whether Mexican Americans living in high-density Mexican American neighborhoods experience increased morbidity and mortality compared with the rates observed among Mexican Americans living in low-density areas. Methods. We conducted a prospective analysis of a cohort of 3050 Mexican Americans aged 65 years or older. We examined prevalence of 6 medical conditions and survival over 7 years of follow-up in relation to percent…
Decreasing Variation in the Use of Hospice Among Older Adults With Breast, Colorectal, Lung, and Prostate Cancer
BACKGROUND: Utilization of hospice services has been shown to vary by place of residence and patient characteristics. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine whether such variation has changed over time. Hospice utilization is examined as a function of sociodemographic characteristics, geographic location, type of insurance, and year of death. RESEARCH DESIGN: This study used a retrospective cohort design. SUBJECTS: We used data from…
Ascertainment of Hispanic Ethnicity on California Death Certificates: Implications for the Explanation of the Hispanic Mortality Advantage
Objectives. We determined the size and correlates of underascertainment of Hispanic ethnicity on California death certificates. Methods. We used 1999 to 2000 vital registration data. We compared Hispanic ethnicity reported on the death certificate to Hispanic ethnicity derived from birthplace for the foreign-born and an algorithm that used first and last name and percentage of Hispanics in the county of residence for the US-born. We validated dea…
Self-Neglect Among the Elderly: A Model Based on More Than 500 Patients Seen by a Geriatric Medicine Team
Objectives. We sought to identify the functional, cognitive, and social factors associated with self-neglect among the elderly to aid the development of etiologic models to guide future research. Methods. A cross-sectional chart review was conducted at Baylor College of Medicine Geriatrics Clinic in Houston, Tex. Patients were assessed using standardized comprehensive geriatric assessment tools. Results. Data analysis was performed using the char…
Mortality of Foreign-Born and US-Born Hispanic Adults at Younger Ages: A Reexamination of Recent Patterns
Objectives. We sought to determine whether mortality rates among immigrant and US-born Hispanic young adults were higher or lower compared with non-Hispanic Whites. We also sought to identify which causes of death accounted for the differences in mortality rates between groups. Measures. We used Texas and California vital registration data from 1999 to 2001 linked to 2000 census denominators. We calculated cause-specific, indirectly standardized …
Perceived health change in the aftermath of a petrochemical accident: An examination of pre-accident, within-accident, and post-accident variables
BACKGROUND: Little research has been conducted on changes in perceived health after an industrial accident. Using data from an ongoing survey on stress and health in a petrochemical complex in Texas City, Texas, the associations of a petrochemical accident with perceived health changes were examined. METHODS: The mean changes in perceived mental and physical health across pre-accident, within-accident, and post-accident categories were compared. …
Neighbourhood ethnic composition and diet among Mexican-Americans
Objectives We explore the association between a neighbourhood’s ethnic composition and the foods and nutrients consumed by Mexican-Americans. Design Cross-sectional survey of a large national sample, from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988–94), was linked to the 1990 Census. The outcomes were food frequencies and serum levels of micronutrients. The variable of interest was percentage of Mexican-Americans at the censu…
Environmental hazards and stress: Evidence from the Texas City Stress and Health Study
BACKGROUND: Substantial research has suggested that exposure to environmental health hazards, such as polluting industrial activity, has deleterious effects on psychological and physiological well-being. However, one gap in the existing literature is comparative analysis of objective and subjective exposure's relative association with various measurable outcomes of exposure. METHODS: These relationships were explored within a community sample of …
Ethnic Differences in In-Hospital Place of Death Among Older Adults in California: Effects of Individual and Contextual Characteristics and Medical Resource Supply
BACKGROUND: : Substantial ethnic differences have been reported in the probability that death will occur in a hospital setting rather than at home, in a hospice, or in a nursing home. To date, no study has investigated the role of both individual characteristics and contextual characteristics, including local health care environments, to explain ethnic differentials in end-of-life care. OBJECTIVES: : The study purpose is to examine ethnic differe…
Allostatic Load Among Non-Hispanic Whites, Non-Hispanic Blacks, and People of Mexican Origin: Effects of Ethnicity, Nativity, and Acculturation
Our findings expand on recent research from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey with respect to ethnicity and allostatic load. Our results are consistent with the healthy immigrant hypothesis (i.e., newer immigrants are healthier) and the acculturation hypothesis, according to which the longer Mexican immigrants reside in the United States, the greater their likelihood of potentially losing culture-related health-protective effec…
Herpesvirus reactivation and socioeconomic position: A community-based study
BACKGROUND: Elevated antibodies to latent herpesviruses have been demonstrated to be a reliable marker of diminished cellular immunity and recently have been associated with low socioeconomic position (SEP) in older adults. Extending these observations in a community-based study over a wide age range would provide an important new direction for investigating mechanisms underlying poor health outcomes in individuals with low SEP. METHODS: Anti-her…
Lower Stroke Mortality Among Hispanics: An Exploration of Potential Methodological Confounders
OBJECTIVES: Stroke mortality rates are reported to be lower for Hispanics than non-Hispanic Whites. We investigate the degree to which this lower reported mortality is explained by inaccuracies introduced through omission of nativity, imprecise measurement of cause of death, and under-ascertainment of Hispanic ethnicity on death certificates. We used national vital registration data for the years 1989-1991 and 1999-2002, including foreign- and US…
The socio-spatial neighborhood estimation method: An approach to operationalizing the neighborhood concept
Medicine (29 works) · Demography (15 works) · Gerontology (15 works) · Environmental health (14 works) · Population (13 works) · Gerontology (12 works) · Internal Medicine (12 works) · Internal Medicine (11 works) · Family medicine (9 works) · Psychology (9 works)