Elizabeth Turf

Murder-suicide in central Virginia: a descriptive epidemiologic study and empiric validation of the Hanzlick-Koponen typology.

An empiric validation of a proposed typology of murder-suicide events was carried out in the Central District of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia for two cohorts, 1980 to 1984 and 1990 to 1994; use of a single typology allows description of trends in these events over time, a unique aspect of this study. For both cohorts, a total of 53 successful events with 63 victims (116 total deaths) was evaluated. A significant shift in the characteristics of location, perpetrators, and victimology of such events between the two cohorts is demonstrated: events changed from urban, multiple victim events with a majority of white perpetrators to rural, dyadic events in which victims did not live with perpetrators, the majority of whom were black. The results are compared with published data, and the implications for use of this typology as a clinical evaluation tool for prevention are addressed in light of current domestic violence emphases in public health. Additionally, the need for prospective tracking of these events is reiterated and use of the Hanzlick-Koponen typology as the tool for such tracking is suggested.

Fish and shellfish consumption estimates and perceptions of risk in a cohort of occupational and recreational fishers of the Chesapeake Bay

Exposure to persistent, bioaccumulating substances, through the consumption of contaminated fish is of concern in human populations. Consumption may be particularly high for subsistence, commercial, and recreational fishers, so it is important to obtain accurate consumption estimates to assess risks in these groups. The objectives of the work reported here were: to obtain estimates of fish and shellfish consumption (meals and portion size) in an occupational cohort; to determine what percentage of the consumption was from local fish; to evaluate reliability of two methods of reporting fish and shellfish consumption; and to examine risk perceptions in relation to consumption. Subjects included 99 recreational and occupational fishers in the Chesapeake Bay area, Virginia, who were recruited for a cohort study of estuary-associated syndrome. Subjects reported average fish and shellfish consumption (all species) on a weekly, monthly or yearly basis, and were asked species-specific information, which was summed. The median number of fish meals consumed a year was significantly different depending on the method used, 52 (interquartile range, IQR:24-104) (average method) and 65 (IQR:30-117) (sum of species-specific), respectively. Shellfish estimates were 24 (IQR:12-52) (average) and 47 (IQR:31-84) (sum) meals a year. Of those who consumed fish, participants reported an average meal size of 8.9+/-3.38 oz. (median 8 oz, range 4-16) with close to 70% of fish consumed self-caught and 50% from Virginia waters. Using multiple regression, occupation, and risk perceptions were found to be significantly correlated with fish consumption levels, and consumption of fish from locations under advisory.

Effects of a Television Drama about Environmental Exposure to Toxic Substances

Objective. This study assessed short-term outcomes of viewing an episode of a prime-time television drama in which a child developed cancer after environmental exposure to an illegal pesticide. The study explored the effects among viewers of feeling transported into a narrative world. Methods. Respondents (n=2,139) to a post-episode Internet panel survey were asked if they had seen the show and asked questions about their demographic information, their frequency of viewing the television show, the degree to which they had felt transported into a narrative world created by the drama, and their knowledge and beliefs about the health effects of environmental exposure. Conversations with key informants from federal agencies and advocacy groups were also held. Results. Episode viewing and narrative transportation were positively associated with knowledge of toxic exposure effects, and transported viewers reported being more likely to report an unusually high number of cancer cases to authorities. The show also appeared to have prompted a clarification of federal pesticide-testing policy. Conclusions. Entertainment Education is a promising strategy for disseminating key points of information about environmental health.

Correlations for scores on the 180-item version of the MMPI-2 and the Neuroticism scale of the NEO-Personality Inventory.

64 normal adult controls (53 men, 11 women; M age 45.2 yr.) in a study of an estuary-associated syndrome were administered the MMPI–2-180 and the Neuroticism scale from the NEO-Personality Inventory. Pearson product-moment correlations between MMPI–2 scales and the Neuroticism scale were similar to those previously reported using the full-length MMPI. Correlations between MMPI–2 scales, D, Pt, Sc, and Si, and NEO-PI Neuroticism (range .44 to .52) suggest that many psychiatric conditions are associated with psychological distress of the type individuals high in trait neuroticism are prone to experience.

Ethnic Considerations in Risk Exposure and Cigarette Use Vulnerability among Eighth Grade Students in Virginia

The purpose of this study was to examine risk exposure and cigarette use vulnerability among 4,559 8th grade students enrolled in Virginia public schools. The study used 2005 statewide data from the Community Youth Survey (CYS) which assessed risks and protective factors for substance use. The findings indicated that Asian youth reported the lowest exposure to community, family, school, and peer/individual risks, but were most vulnerable in terms of past 30-day cigarette use. African-American youth reported significantly greater risk exposure than did their counterparts on more than half of the risks examined; however, they were substantially less vulnerable to the effects of these risks in comparison to their White, Latino, and Asian peers. The findings are discussed with regard to prevention interventions for adolescents from different ethnic groups.