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Type 2 diabetes is a major cause of death among American Indians and obesity and physical inactivity are modifiable risk factors in the development of type 2 diabetes. Physical activity may have both a preventive effect and a secondary preventive effect of lessening insulin resistance in persons with type 2 diabetes. Moreover, for some individuals participation in daily regimens of physical activity is very difficult. Culture-specific physical activity may be an intervention to reduce obesity and prevent diabetes-related complications. Therefore, the research questions for this study were: (1) What is the body fat percentage of diabetic and non-diabetic Mskoke Indians?, (2) How does body fat percentage of Mvskoke Indians compare with recommended percentages for age and gender?, (3) What is the caloric use of Mvskoke Indians during daily and traditional cultural activities of dancing and stickball?, and (4) Are there relationships among body fat percentage, calorie use, gender, and diabetic status? The findings revealed that female diabetics' percentage of body fat in three age cohorts (40-49, 50-59, and 70+) was higher than that of non-diabetic females. By contrast, male diabetics had lower percentage of body fat than non-diabetic males. The actual mean percentage of body fat of the female participants ranged from 38.5% to 44%, roughly twice the standard recommended percentages of body fat of 20-24%. No significant difference was found in calorie use by gender or diabetic status. Analysis of calories during traditional activities revealed that 30 minutes of stickball used an average of 135.7 calories. Dancing for 33 minutes used an average of 149 calories. No significant relationship was found among percentage of body fat, caloric use, gender, and diabetic status.

Purpose: To describe field experiences of a nurse-led team conducting collaborative research on diabetes with an American Indian community. Diabetes is of epidemic proportions among Indians. Methodological reports can assist nurse researchers to make important contributions to Indian health and diabetes care., Organizing Framework: Wax's stages of fieldwork: Initiation, fieldwork, post-field work. SCOPE AND METHOD: Report of key research experiences from all phases of a study with an Indian community (1988-1996). Based on review of classic literature, field notes, and team meetings., Findings: Methodological literature on research with Indians and cultural tutelage by Indians were helpful but neither sufficient nor infallible. A long period of investigator presence in the community before beginning the research was extremely useful. The need for researchers to explain their presence and the contribution of research to the community was ongoing., Conclusions: Wax's conception of field work as a dialectic process was supported. A collaborative, community focus and willingness to spend much time acquiring cultural knowledge can facilitate successful research on Indian health.

Replication of herpes simplex virus type 1 was enhanced in fibroblast cultures when cells were ultraviolet irradiated 12 to 48 hours before infection. Maximum enhancement (340% increase) occurred at exposures of 9.6 J/m2 in DNA-repair competent fibroblasts. Repair deficient xeroderma pigmentosum cells responded to lower ultraviolet exposures (1.6 to 5.6 J/m2) with lower levels of enhancement (37% to 140%). Ultraviolet irradiation of host cells before infection increased viral DNA synthesis, but did not alter the ability of the cell to adsorb virus. Prostaglandins were not shown to contribute to the process. These results suggest that ultraviolet-enhanced replication of herpes simplex virus may be associated with DNA-repair activities, and that ultraviolet-enhanced herpes simplex virus replication should be further examined for its contribution to herpes simplex virus recurrence in vivo.

A stress scale that is brief and easy to administer would be clinically useful to assess patients' and spouses' psychological stress responses to a cardiac illness situation and provide objective data for health care recommendations. The purpose of this study was to: a) develop and test an instrument to evaluate the stress or difficulties associated with the recovery process after a cardiac event; and b) assess the similarities and differences between patients' and spouses' perceptions of stress. Stress was conceptualized to be reflected by two broad dimensions, namely environmental stress and individual stress. A correlational survey design was used to examine patients' (n = 180) and spouses' (n = 168) stress responses 10 weeks after the cardiac event. The findings suggested that the tool demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity in measuring the patients' but to a lesser extent the spouses' stress responses. The three most significant stresses reported by most patients were uncertainty about if and when the illness might recur, not being able to participate in work or retirement activities, and adopting a low cholesterol diet. For the majority of spouses, the three most significant stresses were uncertainty about the husband's illness, increased demands within the marital relationship, and assuming more family roles. For those individuals trying to quit smoking or who quit immediately prior to the cardiac event, smoking was the most stressful change for patients and the second most stressful for spouses. Educational programs for cardiac patients and spouses need to provide information related to these stresses to offset the potentially adverse impact of stress and promote adjustment.