William Alex McIntosh

Perceptions of Risks of Eating Undercooked Meat and Willingness to Change Cooking Practices

Knowledge and awareness of food safety issues relating to improperly cooked hamburger and willingness to change hamburger cooking practices were examined from a representative sample of 1004 adult Texans. Awareness of the danger of improperly cooked hamburger, knowledge of specific foodborne pathogens and knowledge of food safety practices had no effect on willingness to change behavior, but respondents who were better-educated, female and Hispanic and respondents who used newspapers/magazines or televisions were all more likely to report willingness to change their cooking practices.

Public perceptions of food safety

Abstract A public opinion survey of adult Texans assessed public knowledge of and concern over food safety issues related to undercooked hamburger. Only about half the respondents had concerns about undercooked hamburger. A majority could identify one foodborne pathogen, but were far less aware of other hazards associated with undercooked meat. Less than half the respondents made an effort to obtain food safety information. The mass media, especially printed forms, served as the chief source of food safety information likely source of information. Awareness of food hazards and knowledge of food hazards were higher among females and persons with more education and income. Ethnic differences across these variables indicate that aspects of food safety issues are more germaine to some groups than others, but otherwise no clear patterns of differences emerge by ethnicity.

Using multiple household food inventories to measure food availability in the home over 30 days: a pilot study

BackgroundThe consumption of foods, especially by children, may be determined by the types of foods that are available in the home. Because most studies use a single point of data collection to determine the types of foods in the home, which can miss the change in availability when resources are not available, the primary objective of this study was to determine the extent to which the weekly availability of household food items changed over one month by 1) developing the methodology for the direct observation of the presence and amount of food items in the home; 2) conducting five in-home household food inventories over a thirty-day period in a small convenience sample; and 3) determining the frequency that food items were present in the participating households.MethodsAfter the development and pre-testing of the 251-item home observation guide that used direct observation to determine the presence and amount of food items in the home (refrigerator, freezer, pantry, elsewhere), two trained researchers recruited a convenience sample of 9 households (44.4% minority); administered a baseline questionnaire (personal info, shopping habits, food resources, and food security); and conducted 5 in-home assessments (7-day interval) over a 30-day period. Each in-home assessment included food-related activities since the last assessment, and an observational survey of types and amounts of foods present.ResultsComplete data were collected from all 9 women (32.8 y ± 6.0; 3 married; 4 ± 1.6 adults/children in household; 4 received food assistance; and 6 had very low food security) and their households. Weekly grocery purchases (place, amount, and purpose) varied from once (n = 1) to every week (n = 5); 4 used fast food 2-3 times/wk for 4 weeks. The weekly presence and amounts of fresh and processed fruits and vegetables and dairy varied.ConclusionsThe feasibility of conducting multiple in-home assessments was confirmed with 100% retention of participants through 5 in-home assessments, which paid particular attention to the intra-monthly changes in household availability in type and amount of foods. This study contributes to research on home food availability by identifying the importance of multiple measures, presence of certain foods in the home, and the feasibility of comprehensive in-home assessments.

ECONOMIC AND OTHER SOCIETAL DETERMINANTS OF THE PREVALENCE OF HIV: A Test of Competing Hypotheses

The spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is believed to result from HIV-infected individuals who are unaware of their infection and, thus, the possible consequences of their sexual behavior for others. However, differential rates of HIV infection between countries may reflect a different set of circumstances. We obtained data from the World Bank and several other sources to test eight alternative explanations for the global differences in prevalence of HIV infection: (1) economic underdevelopment, (2) inadequate public health care, (3) insufficient media, (4) political instability, (5) overurbanization, (6) social inequity, (7) religion, and (8) region. Our regression findings showed that income inequality and political instability had statistically significant positive effects on HIV/AIDS prevalence and that gender equality had a negative effect on HIV/AIDS prevalence. Religion and region were also important predictors, as countries that were predominately Muslim and Christian Orthodox generally had lower prevalence of HIV/AIDS, whereas West Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa had a higher prevalence of HIV/AIDS. None of the public health and media indicators were statistically relevant.

Life events, social support, and immune response in elderly individuals

One hundred ninety-two elderly men and women were investigated to determine the effects of recent life events, psychological adjustment, and social support on lymphocyte count, controlling for nutritional status, age, education, income, and the presence of lymphocyte-altering drugs. Effects of specific recent life events were found. For elderly males, recent sexual dysfunction lowers lymphocyte count, while psychological adjustment and percentage kin in the intimate network elevates it. For elderly females, the experience of either family or legal problems elevates lymphocyte count as does frequent interaction with members of the intimate network. These results suggest that life events have very different effects on elderly men and womens immune systems. Social support has direct but mediating effects on lymphocyte count for both genders.

The American family meal

Abstract In this chapter, the American family meal is examined. Recent trends in eating by both individuals and families are explored. Frequency of eating various meals, time spent eating, and which, if any, family members participate in these meals are studied. Effects of parental employment, income, and other characteristics indicate the frequency and time spent in some family meals are constrained by resources such as time and by parental work schedules. Foods currently consumed at family dinner tables are presented.

Food Habits and Future Time: An Exploratory Study of Age-Appropriate Food Habits among the Elderly

This exploratory research effort examines future time perspective and its association with a behavioral change, i.e., food habits, among a sample of elderly persons. Demographic and social conditions under which a positive or negative future time may be associated with changes in food habits are explored. The findings suggest that the elderly do make changes in their food habits, and there is an association of positive or negative food habit changes with a positive or negative future time perspective. The future time perspective and the food habit changes are couched in certain types of demographic and social conditions such as with whom one lives, recent widowhood, health status, and sex.

Family size as a determinant of children's dietary intake : a dilution model approach

The dilution model predicts that larger families reduce the amount of resources (time, energy, money) available for each child, thus hindering social and physical development. In this analysis a national sample, involving a disproportionate number of low‐income households, was used to test the effects of family size on nutritional risk, measured by the adequacy of dietary intake among 4‐to‐6‐year‐old children. It was hypothesized that children from small families are at lower nutritional risk than those from medium or large families. It was also hypothesized that children from medium families are at lower nutritional risk than those from large families. After controlling for age, sex, ethnicity, family income and maternal education, these hypotheses received support.

Time spent with patients and charges to patients for specialty consultations using telemedicine.

The objective of this work was to determine some of the determinants of cost in teleconsultations as compared to face-to-face consultations. Time spent with patients and estimated costs were modeled using time series data from a university Health Science Center located in West Texas. This center provides education, patient care, community service and research to a 109 county area. Data, collected from 184 consecutive telemedical consultations, included patient, primary care provider and specialist characteristics; time spent with patients; and estimated charges. More time was spent with patients if: payment was through private insurance, more specialists were involved in the consult, or the specialist had practiced medicine longer. Consultations took less time if the specialist was a neonatologist, and less time if the specialist recently completed medical training. Estimated charges to patients were higher if: the consult was longer in duration, multiple specialists were involved, the patient was female, the consultation involved endocrinology or dermatology, or the patient came from a rural community. Charges were lower for consults involving a neonatologist. Estimated charges were determined primarily by time spent with the patient and the kind of specialist involved, with time being the more important of the two factors. Telemedicine consultations required less time for patients with private insurance or those seeing a neonatologist. Broad or complex cases requiring multiple specialists required more interaction time. The more time and more specialists involved, the more potentially costly the teleconsultation.

The effects of bureaucratization and commitment on resource mobilization in voluntary organizations

The effects of increased bureaucratization and commitment on resource mobilization in voluntary organizations were examined through the study of a food‐pantry system in the most economically depressed region of the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. Through interviews with 95% of the food‐center volunteers and all center directors, it was found that some methods to bureaucratic control alter the relationship between commitment and resource mobilization in voluntary organizations, whereas others do not. Findings indicate that commitment to the organization (involvement and loyalty) and autonomy both positively affect resource mobilization. However, when formalization is introduced, the impact of commitment on resource mobilization is unaffected.