Volume 14: Issue 2 1999

Unintentional Injuries

Reduced Fatalities Related to Rear Seat Shoulder Belts. L.S. Robertson. Injury Prevention 5 (March 1999):62-4. Use of shoulder belts with lap belts substantially reduces the risk of automobile crash deaths among back seat passengers.

Nutrition

Factors Influencing Food Choices of Adolescents: Findings From Focus-Group Discussions  With Adolescents. D. Neumark-Sztainer, et al. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 99 (August 1999):929-34,37. To be effective, programs to improve adolescent nutrition must promote appealing, convenient, and healthful foods at home, school, and restaurants.

Maternal and Infant Health

Integrated Screening for Down’s Syndrome Based on Tests Performed During the First and Second Trimesters. N.J. Wald. The New England Journal of Medicine 341 (August 12,  1999):461-7. Integrated screening–combining measurements of first and second trimester markers into a single test–detects more cases of Down’s syndrome with a significantly lower false positive rate than the best currently available test.

Breast-Feeding and Environmental Tobacco Smoke Exposure. A.B. Becker, et al. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 153 (July 1999): 689-91. Breastfeeding mothers who smoke expose their infants to increased risks of respiratory disease and the potential for future addiction to smoking; mothers who breast-feed should be encouraged not to smoke. 

Heart Disease and Stroke

A Prospective Study of  Walking as Compared With Vigorous Exercise in the Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease in Women. J.E. Manson, et al. The New England Journal of Medicine 341 (Au-gust 26, 1999):650-8. Brisk walking can be as beneficial as vigorous exercise in reducing the risk of coronary heart disease in women.

Gemfibrozil for the Secondary Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease in Men With Low Levels of High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol. H.B. Rubins, et al. The New En-gland Journal of Medicine 341 (August 5, 1999): 410-18. The lipid-lowering drug gemfibrozil reduces the risk of major cardiovascular events in men with low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.

Diabetes and Chronic Disabling Conditions

Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Infants and Its Management With Nasal Continuous Positive Air-way Pressure. F. McNamara. Chest 116 (July 1999):10-6. Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) is an effective therapy for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in infants 1 to 51 weeks old.

Prospective Associations of Fasting Insulin, Body Fat Distribution, and Diabetes With Risk of Is-chemic Stroke. A.R. Folsom, et al. Diabetes Care 22 (August 1999): 1077-83. Diabetes is a strong risk factor for ischemic strokes.

Surveillance and Data Systems

Tuberculosis: Elimination Revisted: Obstacles, Opportunities, and a Renewed Commitment— Advisory Council for the Elimination of Tuberculosis (ACET). Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 48 (August 13, 1999):1-13. Tuberculosis (TB) can be controlled and eventually eliminated by substantial technological advancements in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, including development of an effective vaccine. 

Mental Health and Mental Disorders

Social Disengagement and Incident Cognitive Decline in Community-Dwelling Elderly Per-sons. S.S. Bassuk, et al. Annals of Internal Medicine 131 (August 3, 1999): 165-73. Social disengagement is a risk factor for cognitive impairment among elderly persons.

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