Elise Murowchick

Condom use, frequency of sex, and number of partners: Multidimensional characterization of adolescent sexual risk‐taking

Sexual health research often relies on single risk indicators. However, multi‐variable composites may better capture the underlying construct of risk‐taking. Latent Profile Analysis identified subgroups based on condom use consistency, partner numbers, and sex frequency among 605 adolescents. Three profiles were identified for each of grades 8 to 10 (Condom Users, Few Partners, and Risk‐Takers) and 4 in grades 11 and 12 (Condom Users, One Partner, Two Partners, and Risk‐Takers). Inconsistent condom use groups reported more non‐condom (and often less effective) birth control use and STD and pregnancy histories. Females had greater representation in the Few Partners, One Partners, and Two Partners groups, which also contained increasing proportions of participants in each subsequent year. Males had greater representation in the Risk‐Takers group. A profile approach to measurement has methodological advantages, can add to substantive knowledge, and can inform content, timing, and targets of sexual health interventions.

Trends in Perinatal and Infant Health Disparities Between Rural American Indians and Alaska Natives and Rural Whites

OBJECTIVES We examined disparities in perinatal care, birth outcomes, and infant health between rural American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) persons and rural Whites over time. METHODS We compared perinatal and infant health measures for 217 064 rural AIAN births and 5 032 533 rural non-Hispanic White births. RESULTS Among American Indians and Alaska Natives, unadjusted rates of inadequate prenatal care (1985-1987, 36.3%; 1995-1997, 26.3%) and postneonatal death (1985-1987, 7.1 per 1000; 1995-1997, 4.8 per 1000) improved significantly. However, disparities between American Indians and Alaska Natives and Whites in adjusted odds ratios (AORs) of postneonatal death (1985-1987, AOR = 1.55; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.41, 1.71; 1995-1997, AOR = 1.46; 95% CI = 1.31, 1.64) and adjusted risk ratios (ARRs) of inadequate prenatal care (1985-1987, ARR = 1.67; 95% CI = 1.65, 1.69; 1995-1997, ARR = 1.84; 95% CI = 1.81, 1.87) persisted. CONCLUSIONS Despite significant decreases in inadequate prenatal care and postneonatal death among American Indians and Alaska Natives, additional measures are needed to close persistent health gaps for this group.

Tumor growth in rats: Conditioned suppression of food intake and preference.

Rats with experimental tumors developed strong aversions to a novel diet they consumed during tumor growth. Aversions were not evident when the food available during tumor growth was familiar laboratory chow. The impact of learned food aversions on tumor anorexia was evidenced by more severe and long-lasting hypophagia in tumor-bearing animals maintained on a novel diet than in those maintained on laboratory chow. Thus, when a diet is a salient target for the development of learned aversions, the aversions that develop to it can make substantial contributions to the overall syndrome of tumor anorexia. In addition, frequent changes of the diet offered to tumor-bearing rats was associated with milder anorexia than that produced by maintaining tumor-bearing rats on a constant diet. Apparently, the prevention of learned food aversions, or the repeated replacement of aversive foods, can minimize the impact of learned food aversions and attenuate anorexia in tumor-bearing animals.

Children's beliefs about smoking

Childrens beliefs about smoking were examined in a multi-ethnic urban sample of 4th through 7th grade children. Results showed that, relative to those in earlier grades, children in higher grades held more positive beliefs about the positive outcomes of smoking and the long-term negative consequences of smoking, but there was no association between grade level and beliefs about the immediate negative consequences of smoking. Children in higher grades also perceived more favorable norms toward smoking. There were few gender or race/ethnicity differences at these ages in childrens beliefs about smoking. These outcome and normative beliefs were related to smoking behavior. Of the nine beliefs about the effects of smoking, all but two were significantly related to smoking behavior.