Timothy Heeren
Biographic Data
| ID | 2363382 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Timothy Heeren |
| GIVEN NAMES | Timothy |
| FAMILY NAME | Heeren |
| SIGNATURE | HEEREN T |
| AFFILIATIONS | Boston University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5643-3559 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 60 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 222 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 60 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1983 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 7 |
Present or absent
Background: Despite a reduction in sudden unexplained infant death (SUID) in high-income countries, the incidence of SUID and the prevalence of its risk and protective factors remain poorly understood in Zambia due to limited research. We aimed to describe the infant sleep positions and sleep environments in an urban Zambian population to gain a better understanding of modifiable risk factors for SUID. Methods: We used antenatal, birth, and postn…
Self-medication of pain and discomfort with alcohol and other substances by people with HIV infection and substance use disorder
There is a limited literature regarding factors associated with self-medication of pain and discomfort using alcohol, non-prescription substances or overuse of prescription medications among people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). This cross-sectional analysis used data from the Boston ARCH Cohort among participants with HIV infection and a history of alcohol or other substance use. Among 248 participants, 37% were female, 50% Blac…
Heavy Alcohol Use and HIV Outcomes
Cannabis use frequency and pain interference among people with HIV
Cannabis is often used by people with HIV (PWH) for pain, yet study results are inconsistent regarding whether and how it affects pain. This study examines whether greater cannabis use frequency is associated with lower pain interference and whether cannabis use modifies the association of pain severity and pain interference among 134 PWH with substance dependence or a lifetime history of injection drug use. Multi-variable linear regression model…
Association Between Material Hardship in Families With Young Children and Federal Relief Program Participation by Race and Ethnicity and Maternal Nativity
The results of this cohort study suggest that the COVID-19 crisis exacerbated preexisting inequities in food insecurity and difficulty paying rent according to race and ethnicity and maternal nativity and that equity-focused policy changes are needed to ensure that all children and their families in the US can afford basic needs for optimal health
Preliminary Findings from the Gulf War Women’s Cohort
Reproductive outcomes, such as preterm birth, miscarriage/stillbirth, and pre-eclampsia, are understudied in veterans, particularly among Gulf War veterans (GWVs). During deployment, women GWVs were exposed to toxicant and nontoxicant exposures that may be associated with adverse reproductive and developmental outcomes. The data come from a survey of 239 participants from northeastern and southern U.S. cohorts of women veterans. The questionnaire…
Changes in Economic Hardships Arising During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Hardships in early childhood impact health. Few longitudinal studies have examined pandemic-related hardships among families with young children by race/ethnicity or nativity. We used prospective longitudinal data from 1,165 caregivers of children < 4 years surveyed in English and Spanish face-to-face in 5 urban hospitals 1/2018 to 3/2020 (pre-pandemic) and again by telephone 9/2020 to 3/2021 (during pandemic). Caregivers reported hardships (hous…
Alcohol policies, firearm policies, and suicide in the United States
More restrictive alcohol and firearm policies are associated with lower rates and odds of suicides involving alcohol or firearms, and alcohol and firearms, and may be a promising means by which to reduce suicide
Trends in Cannabis Involvement and Risk of Alcohol Involvement in Motor Vehicle Crash Fatalities in the United States, 2000‒2018
Objectives. To assess cannabis and alcohol involvement among motor vehicle crash (MVC) fatalities in the United States. Methods. In this repeated cross-sectional analysis, we used data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System from 2000 to 2018. Fatalities were cannabis-involved if an involved driver tested positive for a cannabinoid and alcohol-involved based on the highest blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of an involved driver. Multinomial m…
Medication for addiction treatment and acute care utilization in HIV-positive adults with substance use disorders
Medication for addiction treatment (MAT) could reduce acute care utilization in HIV-positive individuals with substance use disorders. The study objective was to determine if HIV-positive people with substance use disorders treated with MAT report less acute care utilization than those not receiving MAT. We assessed the association between MAT and acute care utilization among HIV-positive individuals with alcohol or opioid use disorder. Acute car…
The Gut-Microbiome in Gulf War Veterans
Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a chronic multi-symptom disorder affecting the central nervous system (CNS), immune and gastrointestinal (GI) systems of Gulf War veterans (GWV). We assessed the relationships between GWI, GI symptoms, gut microbiome and inflammatory markers in GWV from the Boston Gulf War Illness Consortium (GWIC). Three groups of GWIC veterans were recruited in this pilot study; GWV without GWI and no gastrointestinal symptoms (control…
Rates of Chronic Medical Conditions in 1991 Gulf War Veterans Compared to the General Population
Prevalence of nine chronic medical conditions in the population-based Ft. Devens Cohort (FDC) of GW veterans were compared with the population-based 2013−2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cohort. Excess prevalence was calculated as the difference in prevalence estimates from the Ft. Devens and NHANES cohorts; and confidence intervals and p -values are based on the standard errors for the two prevalence estimates. FDC …
Interrupting the Pathway from Gestational Diabetes Mellitus to Type 2 Diabetes
Unstable Housing and Caregiver and Child Health in Renter Families
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate how 3 forms of housing instability relate to caregiver and child health among low-income renter households. METHODS: Caregivers of children 0 to 48 months of age were interviewed in 5 urban medical centers from May 2009 to December 2015. Caregivers reported on the following: caregiver health, maternal depressive symptoms, child's health, lifetime hospitalizations, developmental risk, and 3 housing circumstances, which were…
Alcohol, Marijuana, and Dating Abuse Perpetration by Young Adults
The purpose of this study was to investigate same-day alcohol or marijuana use and dating abuse (DA) perpetration in a sample of 60 noncollege-attending young adults. Participants reported daily data for 3 months. DA perpetration was more likely on days when participants also reported alcohol use (odds ratio [OR] = 2.17, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.38, 3.42]), but analyses of the temporal order indicated that alcohol use was not a proximal …
Polypharmacy and risk of falls and fractures for patients with HIV infection and substance dependence
Although people with HIV infection (PLWH) are at higher risk of polypharmacy and substance use, there is limited knowledge about potential harms associated with polypharmacy such as falls and fractures in this population. The study objective was to determine whether polypharmacy, as measured by the number and type of medication, is associated with falls and fractures among PLWH and DSM-IV substance dependence in the past year or ever injection dr…
HIV-infected individuals who use alcohol and other drugs, and virologic suppression
People living with HIV (PLWH) on antiretroviral therapy (ART) who use substances were examined to (a) describe those with virologic control and (b) determine which substance use-factors are associated with lack of virologic control. Participants were adult PLWH taking ART with either past 12-month DSM-IV substance dependence or past 30-day alcohol or illicit drug use. Substance use factors included number of DSM-IV alcohol or drug dependence crit…
Trust in Sources of Advice about Infant Care Practices
Risk assessment and clinical decision making for colorectal cancer screening
BACKGROUND: Shared decision making (SDM) related to test preference has been advocated as a potentially effective strategy for increasing adherence to colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, yet primary care providers (PCPs) are often reluctant to comply with patient preferences if they differ from their own. Risk stratification advanced colorectal neoplasia (ACN) provides a rational strategy for reconciling these differences. OBJECTIVE: To assess the…
The Alcohol Policy Environment and Policy Subgroups as Predictors of Binge Drinking Measures Among US Adults
Objectives. We examined the relationships of the state-level alcohol policy environment and policy subgroups with individual-level binge drinking measures. Methods. We used generalized estimating equations regression models to relate the alcohol policy environment based on data from 29 policies in US states from 2004 to 2009 to 3 binge drinking measures in adults from the 2005 to 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys. Results. A…
Homelessness During Pregnancy
Assessing the Agreement Between 3-Meter and 6-Meter Walk Tests in 136 Community-Dwelling Older Adults
The 3- and 6-m courses had excellent test-retest reliability and faster walking speed in later than earlier trials. Higher concordance between courses for later trials suggests the utility of practice trials and adjusting for course length when combining walking speed measurements between different course lengths
Are Food Insecurity's Health Impacts Underestimated in the U.S. Population? Marginal Food Security Also Predicts Adverse Health Outcomes in Young U.S. Children and Mothers
Predictors of Active Injection Drug Use in a Cohort of Patients Infected With Hepatitis C Virus
Objectives. We investigated potential risk factors for active injection drug use (IDU) in an inner-city cohort of patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Methods. We used log-binomial regression to identify factors independently associated with active IDU during the first 3 years of follow-up for the 289 participants who reported ever having injected drugs at baseline. Results. Overall, 142 (49.1%) of the 289 participants reported active …
Associations of postdeployment PTSD symptoms with predeployment symptoms in Iraq-deployed Army soldiers
Acculturation and marijuana and cocaine use
We examined the relation between acculturation and illicit drug use among Hispanics in the United States employing data from the 1982-84 Hispanic Health and Nutrition Evaluation Survey (HHANES). Across all Hispanic groups, acculturation into US society, as reflected in English language use, was associated with higher rates of illicit drug use even after sociodemographic variables such as gender, age, income, and education were considered. Signifi…
Beliefs about Aids, use of alcohol and drugs, and unprotected sex among Massachusetts adolescents
In August 1988, 1,773 Massachusetts 16-19-year-olds were surveyed by telephone using anonymous random digit dialing; response rate 82 percent. Logistic regression tested whether alcohol and drug use, perceived susceptibility to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), severity of HIV if infected, effectiveness of condoms in preventing infection, barriers to condom use, and behavioral cues such as exposure to media or personal communication about acqui…
US Housing Insecurity and the Health of Very Young Children
Objectives. We investigated the association between housing insecurity and the health of very young children. Methods. Between 1998 and 2007, we interviewed 22 069 low-income caregivers with children younger than 3 years who were seen in 7 US urban medical centers. We assessed food insecurity, child health status, developmental risk, weight, and housing insecurity for each child's household. Our indicators for housing insecurity were crowding (> …
A Mediational Model for the Impact of Exposure to Community Violence on Early Child Behavior Problems
This study examined how maternal distress mediates the link between exposure to community violence (CV) and the development of early child behavior problems. Research was conducted among 160 children, 3,0 to 5,11 in age, who resided in high-crime neighborhoods. Using structural equation modeling, latent variables were constructed to identify model components: maternal socioeconomic status (SES) and public assistance status, exposure to CV (matern…
Food Insecurity and Risk of Poor Health Among US-Born Children of Immigrants
Objectives. We investigated the risk of household food insecurity and reported fair or poor health among very young children who were US citizens and whose mothers were immigrants compared with those whose mothers had been born in the United States. Methods. Data were obtained from 19 275 mothers (7216 of whom were immigrants) who were interviewed in hospital-based settings between 1998 and 2005 as part of the Children's Sentinel Nutrition Assess…
Reducing alcohol-impaired driving in Massachusetts
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study ws to assess whether a community program begun in March 1988 that organized multiple city departments and private citizens could reduce alcohol-impaired driving, related driving risks, and traffic deaths and injuries. METHODS: Trends in fatal crashes and injuries per 100 crashes were compared in Saving Lives Program cities and the rest of Massachusetts from March 1984 through February 1993. In annual roadside…
Effects of Maine's 1981 and Massachusetts' 1982 driving-under-the-influence legislation
In 1981, Maine passed a drunk driving law with mandatory penalties and a new civil charge to increase the conviction rate. One year later, Massachusetts increased drunk driving penalties, particularly for repeat offenders and intoxicated drivers involved in fatal crashes. In Maine, single-vehicle nighttime fatal crashes declined 22 per cent the year before passage of the law, and 33 per cent the year after. Maine's rates returned to pre-law level…
Impact of legislation raising the legal drinking age in Massachusetts from 18 to 20
On April 16, 1979, Massachusetts raised its legal drinking age from 18 to 20 years. Massachusetts was compared with New York State, exclusive of New York City and Nassau County. New York State retained an 18-year-old drinking age. Random telephone surveys with approximately 1,000 16-19 year olds in each state were undertaken prior to the law's enactment and twice at yearly intervals after the law to assess the law's impact on teenage drinking, dr…
The Alcohol Policy Environment and Policy Subgroups as Predictors of Binge Drinking Measures Among US Adults
Objectives. We examined the relationships of the state-level alcohol policy environment and policy subgroups with individual-level binge drinking measures. Methods. We used generalized estimating equations regression models to relate the alcohol policy environment based on data from 29 policies in US states from 2004 to 2009 to 3 binge drinking measures in adults from the 2005 to 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys. Results. A…
Discretionary leniency in police enforcement of laws against drinking and driving
Trends in Cannabis Involvement and Risk of Alcohol Involvement in Motor Vehicle Crash Fatalities in the United States, 2000‒2018
Objectives. To assess cannabis and alcohol involvement among motor vehicle crash (MVC) fatalities in the United States. Methods. In this repeated cross-sectional analysis, we used data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System from 2000 to 2018. Fatalities were cannabis-involved if an involved driver tested positive for a cannabinoid and alcohol-involved based on the highest blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of an involved driver. Multinomial m…
Sex of provider as a variable in effective genetic counseling
Cops and drivers
Assessing the Agreement Between 3-Meter and 6-Meter Walk Tests in 136 Community-Dwelling Older Adults
The 3- and 6-m courses had excellent test-retest reliability and faster walking speed in later than earlier trials. Higher concordance between courses for later trials suggests the utility of practice trials and adjusting for course length when combining walking speed measurements between different course lengths
Lowering state legal blood alcohol limits to 0.08
OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to determine whether reductions in alcohol-related fatal crashes following adoption of 0.08% legal blood alcohol limits were independent of general regional trends. METHODS: The first five states that lowered legal blood alcohol limits to 0.08% were paired with five nearby states that retained a 0.10% legal standard. Within each pair, comparisons were made for the maximum equal available number of pre- and po…
Can't Get No (Dis) Satisfaction
Satisfaction with professional-client encounters was ascertained from 173 genetic counselors for each of 1,044 counseling sessions. Counselors were satisfied with 69% of the sessions and very satisfied with 25%. Counselors were dissatisfied with 5% and very dissatisfied almost never. Professional satisfaction was not associated with client learning of medical information or with discussion of items of greatest concern to clients. The major correl…
Impact of legislation raising the legal drinking age in Massachusetts from 18 to 20
On April 16, 1979, Massachusetts raised its legal drinking age from 18 to 20 years. Massachusetts was compared with New York State, exclusive of New York City and Nassau County. New York State retained an 18-year-old drinking age. Random telephone surveys with approximately 1,000 16-19 year olds in each state were undertaken prior to the law's enactment and twice at yearly intervals after the law to assess the law's impact on teenage drinking, dr…
Sex of provider as a variable in effective genetic counseling
Effects of Maine's 1981 and Massachusetts' 1982 driving-under-the-influence legislation
In 1981, Maine passed a drunk driving law with mandatory penalties and a new civil charge to increase the conviction rate. One year later, Massachusetts increased drunk driving penalties, particularly for repeat offenders and intoxicated drivers involved in fatal crashes. In Maine, single-vehicle nighttime fatal crashes declined 22 per cent the year before passage of the law, and 33 per cent the year after. Maine's rates returned to pre-law level…
Cops and drivers
Repeal of the Massachusetts seat belt law
In November 1986, the Massachusetts mandatory seat belt use law repealed in a referendum by a 53 per cent to 47 per cent vote. In an anonymous random digit telephone survey of 1,046 adults in Massachusetts in summer 1986, while the law was in effect, 61 per cent of respondents had said they would vote in favor of the law. A post-repeal follow-up of 80 per cent of these persons revealed initial supporters and opponents of the law were equally like…
Can't Get No (Dis) Satisfaction
Satisfaction with professional-client encounters was ascertained from 173 genetic counselors for each of 1,044 counseling sessions. Counselors were satisfied with 69% of the sessions and very satisfied with 25%. Counselors were dissatisfied with 5% and very dissatisfied almost never. Professional satisfaction was not associated with client learning of medical information or with discussion of items of greatest concern to clients. The major correl…
Discretionary leniency in police enforcement of laws against drinking and driving
Suicidal behavior in "normal" adolescents
Risk and protective factors were examined in suicidal and nonsuicidal public high school students. With life stress and depression as independent risk factors, family cohesion was found to offset the effect of stress, and friendships to have a more indirect effect. Differential effects of ten sources of stress were analyzed from a developmental perspective, and the probability of suicidal behavior associated with clusters of factors was estimated…
Beliefs about Aids, use of alcohol and drugs, and unprotected sex among Massachusetts adolescents
In August 1988, 1,773 Massachusetts 16-19-year-olds were surveyed by telephone using anonymous random digit dialing; response rate 82 percent. Logistic regression tested whether alcohol and drug use, perceived susceptibility to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), severity of HIV if infected, effectiveness of condoms in preventing infection, barriers to condom use, and behavioral cues such as exposure to media or personal communication about acqui…
Acculturation and marijuana and cocaine use
We examined the relation between acculturation and illicit drug use among Hispanics in the United States employing data from the 1982-84 Hispanic Health and Nutrition Evaluation Survey (HHANES). Across all Hispanic groups, acculturation into US society, as reflected in English language use, was associated with higher rates of illicit drug use even after sociodemographic variables such as gender, age, income, and education were considered. Signifi…
Short-term immunological effects of induced emotion
Twenty healthy volunteers (half male) recalled and relived maximally disturbing (NEG) and maximally pleasurable (POS) emotional experiences. Forty minutes of silence, then neutral conversation, preceded and followed 40 minutes of emotion elicitation (NEG and POS randomly rotated). They were under video, cardiovascular, and immunological monitoring. Subjects reported appropriate emotions and showed significant cardiovascular activation during the …
Depressive affect in "normal" adolescents
Self-reported depressive affect was examined in high school students in relation to stress and the quality of relationships with family and friends. Higher levels of depressive affect were connected with stress around sexuality and achievement, lower levels of family cohesion, and more problematic peer relationships. The effects of high stress were buffered for boys by positive peer relationships, and for girls by cohesive family relationships
Identifying Complications of Care Using Administrative Data
The Complications Screening Program (CSP) is a method using standard hospital discharge abstract data to identify 27 potentially preventable in-hospital complications, such as post-operative pneumonia, hemorrhage, medication incidents, and wound infection. The CSP was applied to over 1.9 million adult medical/surgical cases using 1988 California discharge abstract data. Cases with complications were significantly older and more likely to die, and…
Reducing alcohol-impaired driving in Massachusetts
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study ws to assess whether a community program begun in March 1988 that organized multiple city departments and private citizens could reduce alcohol-impaired driving, related driving risks, and traffic deaths and injuries. METHODS: Trends in fatal crashes and injuries per 100 crashes were compared in Saving Lives Program cities and the rest of Massachusetts from March 1984 through February 1993. In annual roadside…
Lowering state legal blood alcohol limits to 0.08
OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to determine whether reductions in alcohol-related fatal crashes following adoption of 0.08% legal blood alcohol limits were independent of general regional trends. METHODS: The first five states that lowered legal blood alcohol limits to 0.08% were paired with five nearby states that retained a 0.10% legal standard. Within each pair, comparisons were made for the maximum equal available number of pre- and po…
Cancer risk and residential proximity to cranberry cultivation in Massachusetts
OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the relationship between cancer risk and residential proximity to cranberry cultivation. METHODS: A population-based case-control study was conducted. Cases, diagnosed during 1983 through 1986 among residents of the Upper Cape Cod area of Massachusetts, involved incident cancers of the lung (n = 252), breast (n = 265), colon-rectum (n = 326), bladder (n = 63), kidney (n = 35), pancreas (n = 37), and brain (n = 37)…
Older women and physical activity
Relationship of Psychiatric Status to Gulf War Veterans' Health Problems
OBJECTIVE: A growing body of research has shown that there are important links between certain psychiatric disorders and health symptom reporting. Two disorders in particular (posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depression) have been the most widely implicated to date, and this association has sometimes been used to explain the occurrence of ill-defined medical problems and increased somatic symptoms in certain groups, most recently Gu…
A Mediational Model for the Impact of Exposure to Community Violence on Early Child Behavior Problems
This study examined how maternal distress mediates the link between exposure to community violence (CV) and the development of early child behavior problems. Research was conducted among 160 children, 3,0 to 5,11 in age, who resided in high-crime neighborhoods. Using structural equation modeling, latent variables were constructed to identify model components: maternal socioeconomic status (SES) and public assistance status, exposure to CV (matern…
Magnitude of alcohol-related mortality and morbidity among U.S. college students ages 18-24.
OBJECTIVE: This report estimates the numbers of 18-24 year old United States college students who annually experience alcohol-related deaths, injuries and other health problems. METHOD: We examined traffic and unintentional injury deaths in 1998 reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). We also examined results of national coroner studies, Department of Education college enrollment d…
Who uses the Smoker's Quitline in Massachusetts
Quitting remains a daunting task for smokers. Telephone hotlines deliver less intensive cessation services to large populations with some evidence for smoking cessation and relapse prevention.1–5 Smokers who completed an assessment for the Massachusetts Smoker's Quitline, a part of the Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program, are described here. The Quitline services, modelled on the California Smoker's Helpline, included information about smoking …
Food Insecurity Is Associated with Adverse Health Outcomes among Human Infants and Toddlers
Maternal Depression, Changing Public Assistance, Food Security, and Child Health Status
Objective. To examine the association of positive report on a maternal depression screen (PDS) with loss or reduction of welfare support and foods stamps, household food insecurity, and child health measures among children aged ≤36 months at 6 urban hospitals and clinics. Methods. A convenience sample of 5306 mothers, whose children <36 months old were being seen in hospital general clinics or emergency departments (EDs) at medical centers in 5 s…
Magnitude of Alcohol-Related Mortality and Morbidity Among u.s. College Students Ages 18–24
Integrating data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, national coroner studies, census and college enrollment data for 18–24-year-olds, the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, and the Harvard College Alcohol Survey, we calculated the alcohol-related unintentional injury deaths and other health problems among college students ages 18–24 in 1998 and 2001. Among college student…
Child Food Insecurity Increases Risks Posed by Household Food Insecurity to Young Children’s Health
Medicine (55 works) · Environmental health (34 works) · Demography (25 works) · Logistic regression (22 works) · Psychiatry (21 works) · Psychology (21 works) · Population (18 works) · Internal Medicine (17 works) · Odds ratio (15 works) · Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations (14 works)