Environmental tobacco smoke exposure among urban children

BACKGROUND

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure is a well-known health hazard for children. Poor urban children may be at increased risk of exposure from nonparental sources of tobacco smoke. The unique problems of ETS exposure in urban children have previously not been well-defined.

OBJECTIVES

This study was conducted: 1) to identify the sources of ETS exposure for children attending a hospital-based pediatric resident practice; and 2) to examine caregivers' perceptions of the pediatrician's role and action in addressing ETS exposure.

DESIGN

Questionnaires were administered to a convenience sample of 174 caregivers of children visiting a children's hospital-based resident practice. A structured face-to-face interview was used.

RESULTS

All caregivers agreed to participate in the study. Most of the caregivers interviewed were mothers (87.9%). Although only 14% of caregivers were smokers, 49.4% reported caring for at least 1 smoke-exposed child. Most smoke exposure occurred in the home; smoking is allowed in the home of 75% of the children who live with a smoker (48/64). Thirty-four percent of the caregivers who reported no smoking in the home reported having a child who spends time in homes where other people smoke. Most exposure outside the home occurred at a grandparent's home. A ban on smoking in the home did not eliminate a child's risk of residential smoke exposure but did predict whether smoking occurred in the same room as the child. All caregivers reported believing that tobacco smoke is harmful. Approximately one half of caregivers who smoke (54.2%) would like smoking cessation advice from the child's pediatrician. Interest in receiving advice on helping others quit smoking was also high (51.3%) among nonsmoking caregivers who cared for a smoke-exposed child.

CONCLUSIONS

Nonparental sources of ETS exposure are reported to be common in urban children. Children may be exposed to tobacco smoke even in homes where smoking is banned. Many caregivers would like help from pediatricians in reducing children's exposure to tobacco smoke.

Abuse liability assessment of sibutramine, a novel weight control agent

RATIONALE

Sibutramine (Meridia) is a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor marketed for weight control. Previous studies demonstrated low abuse potential for 20 and 30 mg sibutramine (doses near the therapeutic range); however, no data existed on supratherapeutic doses. This study, therefore, examined 25 and 75 mg sibutramine in humans compared to d-amphetamine (20 mg) as a positive control and placebo as a negative control.

OBJECTIVES

The study examined the acute subjective, reinforcing, and physiological effects of sibutramine to assess its abuse liability.

METHODS

Twelve polydrug abusers with no history of drug dependence participated in this double-blind, inpatient/outpatient study. Volunteers participated in four drug sessions, in which they completed subjective effects scales including the Profile of Mood States (POMS), Visual Analog Scales (VAS), and the Addiction Research Center Inventory (ARCI). The Multiple Choice Procedure (MCP) was used to evaluate reinforcing efficacy.

RESULTS

Sibutramine 25 mg produced subjective effects that were indistinguishable from placebo. Sibutramine 75 mg produced significant unpleasant effects, such as Anxiety, Confusion, and decreased Vigor. On the MCP, volunteers chose to give up an average of $4.04 from their study pay rather than receive the higher dose of sibutramine again. In contrast, d-amphetamine 20 mg produced positive mood changes and was well liked.

CONCLUSIONS

These data indicate sibutramine lacks amphetamine-type abuse liability when administered acutely.

Effects of an educational intervention on residents' knowledge and attitudes toward interactions with pharmaceutical representatives

To assess primary care resident and faculty knowledge and attitudes concerning interactions between physicians and pharmaceutical representatives (PRs) and to measure changes in residents' knowledge and attitudes after an educational intervention, we conducted preintervention and postintervention surveys with a causal-comparative group in a university-based primary care residency program. All primary care internal medicine and internal medicine-pediatrics residents and faculty were given the voluntary survey. In general, residents and faculty demonstrated similar responses for the preintervention survey. Differences between faculty and resident opinions were seen in two areas. Faculty were more likely than residents to believe that PRs sometimes use unethical marketing practices (p < .05) and that the amount of contact with PRs in the outpatient clinic is excessive (p < .01). The postintervention survey of residents demonstrated significant differences between the control and intervention groups for three attitude scales. After the intervention, residents showed an increased belief that PRs may use unethical marketing practices (p < .01), that marketing gifts with no patient benefit may be inappropriate (p = .05), and that other physicians' prescribing patterns could be negatively influenced through the acceptance of gifts (p < .05). A brief educational intervention can change resident attitudes concerning physician interactions with PRs.

Variations in mature market consumer behavior within a health care product: implications for marketing strategy

America is undergoing a profound age shift in its demographic make-up with people 55 and over comprising an increasing proportion of the population. Marketers may need to increase their response rate to this shift, especially in refining the application of marketing theory and practice to older age consumers. To this end, a survey of older couple buying behavior for health insurance coverage is reported here. Results clarify evaluative criteria and the viability of multiple market segmentation for health care coverage among older consumers as couples. Commentary on the efficacy of present health coverage marketing programs is provided.

Thymosin-induced differentiation of murine thymocytes in allogeneic mixed lymphocyte cultures

Calf thymosin is shown to enhance the one-way MLR of CBA thymocytes cultured with allogeneic mitomycin-C- treated C57BL/J6 spleen cells. Thymosin does not enhance the one-way MLR of CBA thymocytes cultured with syngeneic mitomucin-C-treated spleen cells. Based on this finding we present a relatively simple, rapid and quantitative in vitro microculture hioassay for inducers of T-cell differentiation and propose that thymosin treatment, when accompanied by antigen presentation, induces the two-step maturational sequence of pre-T yields T1 yields T2.