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To meet the National HIV/AIDS Strategy’s goals of reducing and preventing HIV transmission, understanding factors that shape HIV-positive persons’ care-seeking behaviors is critical. Accordingly, this study examined factors that affect HIV care linkage and engagement. Six focus groups were conducted with 33 HIV-positive persons living in North Carolina. A variety of factors influenced care behaviors, including: structural and policy factors, relationship with HIV care systems, and individuals’ personal characteristics. Participants also provided solutions for addressing specific factors to care. Improving clinical services and utilizing context-specific strategies can help facilitate greater care linkage and engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: To examine the impact of race, socioeconomic status, and rurality on Type 2 diabetes education among adults in North Carolina. Methods: Our study utilized data from the 2008 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to conduct a retrospective study and secondary data analysis. To account for the multistage survey design of BRFSS, SAS/SUDAAN was used to calculate adjusted and unadjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were performed to examine the association between race, socioeconomic status, and rurality and its effects on type 2 diabetes education among adults in North Carolina. Main Findings: The majority of the participants (63%) did not have good diabetes education. Non-Whites had higher odds than Whites of good diabetes education (OR=1.56, 95%CI: 1.19, 2.03). Individuals who lived in rural North Carolina had lower odds of having good diabetes education than their urban counterparts, but the results remained insignificant (OR= .88, Cl: .67, 1.15). Individuals w ho were of low socioeconomic status (SES) had poorer diabetes education than individuals who were identified as being high SES, but the results were insignificant (OR=.81, Cl: .60, 1.09). Principal Conclusions: Findings from the study indicate that non-White adults had higher odds than Whites of good type 2 diabetes education in North Carolina. The results of our study could be used for policies and recommendations for health organizations. Policy makers should make diabetes education mandatory for individuals who are diagnosed with this disease. Future studies should have a more accurate measurement of type 2 diabetes education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the impact race and socioeconomic status (SES) has on diabetes management among adults in North Carolina. Design: Our study utilized data from the 2008 BRESS to conduct a retrospective study and secondary data analysis. To account for the multistage survey design of BRFSS, SAS/SUDAAN was used to calculate adjusted and unadjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the impact race and SES has on diabetes management among North Carolina adults. Results: The majority of the participants (63.34%) did not have good diabetes management based on the education and blood glucose criteria of our study. Non-Whites had higher odds than Whites to have good diabetes management practices (OR=1.56, Cl: 1.19, 2.03). Individuals who were low SES had poorer diabetes management than individuals who were identified as being high SES (OR.81, CI: .60, 1.09). Conclusions: Disparities in good diabetes management practices were found among the variables of race, and SES. Findings from the study indicate that non-White adults had higher odds of good diabetes management practices than Whites in North Carolina. The results of this study could be used for policies and recommendations for health organizations. If health insurance policies required diabetes education classes a reduction in diabetes complications may be observed. Future studies should have a more accurate measurement of diabetes management; proxy measures were used in this study that relied on self-report and may not have provided the best measurement for diabetes management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim The number of haemodialysis patients globally is increasing and spiritual resources may help overcome adjustment problems among such patients. This study examined the relationships between spiritual/religious, demographic and clinical variables and quality of life among Iranian Muslims undergoing haemodialysis. Methods Using a cross-sectional design, 362 haemodialysis patients were surveyed from three general hospitals located in Tehran, Iran. Spiritual coping strategies, Duke University Religion Index, EQ-5 D 3 L and a demographic questionnaire were administered. Hierarchical regression was used to identify predictors of quality of life and health status. Results The distribution of reported problems across dimensions of quality of life was: mobility (59.4%), usual activities (30.4%), self-care (21.3%), pain/discomfort (47.8%) and anxiety/depression (29.3%). Univariate analysis showed that factors such as age, sex, marital status, location, number of children, body mass index, serum albumin, having diabetes mellitus or other comorbidity, as well as spiritual/religious factors that were related to quality of life, health status or both. Regression models revealed that demographics, clinical variables and especially spiritual/religious factors explained about 40% of variance of quality of life and nearly 25% of the variance in health status. Conclusion Spiritual resources may contribute to better quality of life and health status among haemodialysis patients. Further longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether these associations are causal and the direction of effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To conduct an evaluation of an educational program based on the health promotion model (HPM) and stages of change to improve physical activity (PA) behavior among Iranian adolescents. Methods: This was a group randomized controlled trial with 165 participants in two groups (intervention/ control). Data were collected using self-reported questionnaires based upon HPM constructs (benefits and barriers of action, self-efficacy, activity-related affect, interpersonal influences, and situational influences). The stages of change scale was used to select eligible participants (were placed on precontemplation, contemplation, or preparation stages) and to assess the trend. After collecting baseline data, the intervention was administered to the participants and follow-up data was collected 3 months after intervention. Results: In all, 88 males and 77 females with a mean age of 13.99±0.4 participated in the study. The differences in all HPM constructs, except activity-related affect and social influences, were significant (p < 0.01) between baseline and follow-up measurements. Adolescents in the intervention as compared to the control group were placed in action (70%) or preparation (30%) stages at follow-up. Multiple regression analysis revealed that competing preferences, social norms, role models, (p < 0.001), and commitment to action plan can significantly predict PA behavior. The model accounted for 22.5% of the variance in PA. Conclusions: The results suggest that educational interventions based on stages of change can have important implications for improving PA among adolescents in more constructs of HPM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asthma is one of the leading chronic illnesses among children in the United States. International epidemiological studies have also shown asthma prevalence is an increasing problem. The objective of this study was to examine the correlates of access to care among asthmatic children age 0-17 in the United States. This is a retrospective study and secondary data analysis of the 2000 National Health Interview Survey. Parametric testing using univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were performed to examine health care utilization among children with asthma in the United States. It was found that Black children were highly associated with not visiting a general doctor in the past 12 months (OR 0.47; 95% CI 0.30, 0.75). Uninsured asthmatic children were associated with the risk of not seeing a general doctor in the past 12 months (OR 0.40; 95% CI 0.23, 0.69). Our study findings indicate disparities among Black children with asthma and their ability to access appropriate health care services. Additional studies are required to identify factors that contribute to the temporal trends in asthma and country of origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data mining is highly profiled. It has the potential to enhance executive information systems. Such enhancement would mean better decision-making by management, which in turn would mean better services for customers. While the future of data mining as technology should be exciting, some are worried about privacy concerns, which make the future of data mining daunting. This paper examines why data mining is highly profiled - the imperative toward data mining, data mining models and processes. Additionally, the paper examines some of the benefits and challenges of using data mining processes within the health-care arena. We cast the future of data mining by highlighting two of the many data mining tools available - one commercial and one freely available. Subsequently, we discuss a number of social and technical factors that may thwart the extensive deployment of data mining, especially when the intent is to know more about the people that organizations have to serve and cast a view of what the future holds for data mining. This component is especially important when attempting to determine the longevity of data mining within health-care organizations. It is hoped that our discussions would be useful to organizations as they engage data mining, strategies for executive information systems and information policy issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the influence of race and having an asthma management plan on the impact of experiencing asthmatic episodes.Methods: This study utilized the 2002 and 2003 National Health Interview Survey to conduct a retrospective study and secondary data analysis. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analysis was performed to examine physician asthma management plan recommendations among minority and non-minority children in the United States.Results: Most of the study participants (59%) reported not having an asthma management plan. Children who experienced an asthma episode in the past 12 months were less likely to have an asthma management plan (OR .51, P<.0001). In the multivariate analysis, Whites were significantly more likely than were Blacks and Hispanics to have an asthma management plan (OR 1.66, P=.0031).Conclusions: Findings from this study indicate that Black and Hispanic children with asthma are less likely to have an asthma management plan, and children with an asthma management plan are less likely to have had asthma episodes in the past 12 months. Requiring all insurers to provide an asthma management plan to children with asthma may reduce these race-based inequities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the influence of race and having an asthma management plan on the impact of experiencing asthmatic episodes. Methods: This study utilized the 2002 and 2003 National Health Interview Survey to conduct a retrospective study and secondary data analysis. Univariate, bivariate, and multi-variate analysis was performed to examine physician asthma management plan recommendations among minority and non-minority children in the United States. Results: Most of the study participants (59%) reported not having an asthma management plan. Children who experienced an asthma episode in the past 12 months were less likely to have an asthma management plan (OR .51, P<.0001). In the multivariate analysis, Whites were significantly more likely than were Blacks and Hispanics to have an asthma management plan (OR 1.66, P=.0031). Conclusions: Findings from this study indicate that Black and Hispanic children with asthma are less likely to have an asthma management plan, and children with an asthma management plan are less likely to have had asthma episodes in the past 12 months. Requiring all insurers to provide an asthma management plan to children with asthma may reduce these race-based inequities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on a study about the racial influences associated with asthma management among children in the U.S. The study, which used the 2002 and 2003 National Health Interview Survey, found that most of the children did not have an asthma management plan and that White children were more likely to have a management plant than Black and Hispanic children.