Inpatient Addiction Medicine Consultation and Post-Hospital Substance Use Disorder Treatment Engagement: a Propensity-Matched Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Hospitalizations due to medical and surgical complications of substance use disorder (SUD) are rising. Most hospitals lack systems to treat SUD, and most people with SUD do not engage in treatment after discharge. OBJECTIVE: Determine the effect of a hospital-based addiction medicine consult service, the Improving Addiction Care Team (IMPACT), on post-hospital SUD treatment engagement. DESIGN: Cohort study using multivariable analysis of Oregon Medicaid claims comparing IMPACT patients with propensity-matched controls. PARTICIPANTS: 18-64-year-old Oregon Medicaid beneficiaries with SUD, hospitalized at an Oregon hospital between July 1, 2015, and September 30, 2016. IMPACT patients (n = 208) were matched to controls (n = 416) using a propensity score that accounted for SUD, gender, age, race, residence region, and diagnoses. INTERVENTIONS: IMPACT included hospital-based consultation care from an interdisciplinary team of addiction medicine physicians, social workers, and peers with lived experience in recovery. IMPACT met patients during hospitalization; offered pharmacotherapy, behavioral treatments, and harm reduction services; and supported linkages to SUD treatment after discharge. OUTCOMES: Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) measure of SUD treatment engagement, defined as two or more claims on two separate days for SUD care within 34 days of discharge. RESULTS: Only 17.2% of all patients were engaged in SUD treatment before hospitalization. IMPACT patients engaged in SUD treatment following discharge more frequently than controls (38.9% vs. 23.3%, p < 0.01; aOR 2.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.29-3.58). IMPACT participation remained associated with SUD treatment engagement when limiting the sample to people who were not engaged in treatment prior to hospitalization (aOR 2.63; 95% CI 1.46-4.72). CONCLUSIONS: Hospital-based addiction medicine consultation can improve SUD treatment engagement, which is associated with reduced substance use, mortality, and other important clinical outcomes. National expansion of such models represents an opportunity to address an enduring gap in the SUD treatment continuum.

Mailed FIT (fecal immunochemical test), navigation or patient reminders? Using microsimulation to inform selection of interventions to increase colorectal cancer screening in Medicaid enrollees.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) can be effectively prevented or detected with guideline concordant screening, yet Medicaid enrollees experience disparities. We used microsimulation to project CRC screening patterns, CRC cases averted, and life-years gained in the population of 68,077 Oregon Medicaid enrollees 50-64 over a five year period starting in January 2019. The simulation estimated the cost-effectiveness of five intervention scenarios - academic detailing plus provider audit and feedback (Detailing+), patient reminders (Reminders), mailing a Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) directly to the patient's home (Mailed FIT), patient navigation (Navigation), and mailed FIT with Navigation (Mailed FIT + Navigation) - compared to usual care. Each intervention scenario raised CRC screening rates compared to usual care, with improvements as high as 11.6 percentage points (Mailed FIT + Navigation) and as low as 2.5 percentage points (Reminders) after one year. Compared to usual care, Mailed FIT + Navigation would raise CRC screening rates 20.2 percentage points after five years - averting nearly 77 cancer cases (a reduction of 113 per 100,000) and exceeding national screening targets. Over a five year period, Reminders, Mailed FIT and Mailed FIT + Navigation were expected to be cost effective if stakeholders were willing to pay $230 or less per additional year up-to-date (at a cost of $22, $59, and $227 respectively), whereas Detailing+ and Navigation were more costly for the same benefits. To approach national CRC screening targets, health system stakeholders are encouraged to implement Mailed FIT with or without Navigation and Reminders.

Colorectal cancer screening in newly insured Medicaid members: a review of concurrent federal and state policies.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening is underutilized by Medicaid enrollees and the uninsured. Multiple national and state policies were enacted from 2010 to 2014 to increase access to Medicaid and to promote CRC screening among Medicaid enrollees. We aimed to determine the impact of these policies on screening initiation among newly enrolled Oregon Medicaid beneficiaries age-eligible for CRC screening. METHODS: We identified national and state policies affecting Medicaid coverage and preventive services in Oregon during 2010-2014. We used Oregon Medicaid claims data from 2010 to 2015 to conduct a cohort analysis of enrollees who turned 50 and became age-eligible for CRC screening (a prevention milestone, and an age at which guideline-concordant screening can be assessed within a single year) during each year from 2010 to 2014. We calculated risk ratios to assess whether first year of Medicaid enrollment and/or year turned 50 was associated with CRC screening initiation. RESULTS: We identified 14,576 Oregon Medicaid enrollees who turned 50 during 2010-2014; 2429 (17%) completed CRC screening within 12 months after turning 50. Individuals newly enrolled in Medicaid in 2013 or 2014 were 1.58 and 1.31 times more likely, respectively, to initiate CRC screening than those enrolled by 2010. A primary care visit in the calendar year, having one or more chronic conditions, and being Hispanic was also associated with CRC screening initiation. DISCUSSION: The increased uptake of CRC screening in 2013 and 2014 is associated with the timing of policies such as Medicaid expansion, enhanced federal matching for preventive services offered to Medicaid enrollees without cost sharing, and formation of Medicaid accountable care organizations, which included CRC screening as an incentivized quality metric.

Predictors of substance use treatment initiation and engagement among adult and adolescent Medicaid recipients.

Background: It is important to understand patterns and predictors of initiation and engagement in treatment for Medicaid-covered individuals with substance use disorders because Medicaid is a major source of payment for addiction treatment in the United States. Our analysis examined similarities and differences in predictors between adults and adolescents. Methods: An analysis of Oregon Medicaid claims data for the time period January 2010 through June 2015 assessed rates of substance use and of treatment initiation and engagement using the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) definitions. The analysis included individuals aged 13-64 with a new alcohol and other drug dependence diagnosis who met the HEDIS enrollment criteria and did not have cancer. We created 4 logistic regression models to assess treatment initiation and engagement, separately for adults (ages 18-64) and adolescents (ages 13-17). Independent predictors included age, gender, race, the interaction of gender and race, urban/rural residence, presence of any chronic disease, a psychiatric diagnosis, or a pain diagnosis. Results: Among adults, odds of initiation were lower in white males than in nonwhite males, white females, and nonwhite females. Conversely, among adolescents, odds of initiation were higher in white males than in the other gender/race groups. Predictors of initiation also went in opposite directions for presence of a psychiatric diagnosis (negative in adults, positive in adolescents) and urban residence (positive in adults, negative in adolescents). We found similar patterns in models of engagement, although for engagement those with a psychiatric diagnosis had lower odds of engagement in both adults and adolescents. Conclusions: Predictors of treatment initiation and engagement for alcohol and drug use disorders differed between adults and adolescents on Medicaid. A better understanding of these differences will enable development of targeted treatment programs that are effective within age groups.

A Comprehensive Assessment of Risk Factors for Falls in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

Falls in community-dwelling older adults are a complicated phenomenon that are attributed to sociodemographic characteristics, health conditions, functional problems, and environmental factors. The current cross-sectional and correlational study aimed to explore comprehensive risk factors for falls in community-dwelling older adults using a nationally representative data file (N = 5,930). Descriptive statistics were used and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed. Study findings showed that homebound or semi-homebound older adults were 50% more likely to experience a fall than non-homebound individuals. Impaired balance was the strongest predictor (odds ratio [OR] = 2.37, p < 0.001), followed by problems moving around in the home. Arthritis (OR = 1.39, p = 0.009) and depression or anxiety (OR = 1.28, p = 0.013) were additional risk factors. Community health or home health nurses need to assess these risk factors when planning fall intervention programs for older adults using evidence-based prevention strategies. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 44(10), 40-48.].

The association of complementary and alternative medicine use and health care expenditures for back and neck problems.

BACKGROUND: Health care costs associated with use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by patients with spine problems have not been studied in a national sample. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the total and spine-specific medical expenditures among CAM and non-CAM users with spine problems. RESEARCH DESIGN: Analysis of the 2002-2008 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. SUBJECTS: Adults (above 17 y) with self-reported neck and back problems who did or did not use CAM services. MEASURES: Survey-weighted generalized linear regression and propensity matching to examine expenditure differences between CAM users and non-CAM users while controlling for patient, socioeconomic, and health characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 12,036 respondents with spine problems were included, including 4306 (35.8%) CAM users (40.8% in weighted sample). CAM users had significantly better self-reported health, education, and comorbidity compared with non-CAM users. Adjusted annual medical costs among CAM users was $424 lower (95% confidence interval: $240, $609; P<0.001) for spine-related costs, and $796 lower (95% confidence interval: $121, $1470; P = 0.021) for total health care cost than among non-CAM users. Average expenditure for CAM users, based on propensity matching, was $526 lower for spine-specific costs (P<0.001) and $298 lower for total health costs (P = 0.403). Expenditure differences were primarily due to lower inpatient expenditures among CAM users. CONCLUSIONS: CAM users did not add to the overall medical spending in a nationally representative sample with neck and back problems. As the causal associations remain unclear in these cross-sectional data, future research exploring these cost differences might benefit from research designs that minimize confounding.

Change in Gender on Record and Transgender Adults' Mental or Behavioral Health.

INTRODUCTION: Within gender-diverse populations, gender-affirming changes in gender on record may improve mental or behavioral health. This study uses claims data to investigate whether sex assigned at birth modifies the association between change in gender on record and mental or behavioral health. METHODS: Adult Oregon Medicaid beneficiaries with gender identity-related diagnoses and enrolled during 2010-2019 were included. Sex assigned at birth was inferred from medical and pharmacy claims and was categorized as assigned female, assigned male, or unknown sex assigned at birth. Self-reported gender ascertained at initial enrollment differing from sex assigned at birth indicated a change in gender on record. Multivariable logistic regression estimated the association between change in gender on record and mental (anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, post-traumatic stress disorder) or behavioral (alcohol, substance, or tobacco use disorders) health. Analyses were conducted in February 2021. RESULTS: This study included 2,940 transgender and nonbinary adults. Of the 1,451 self-reporting female gender and 1,489 self-reporting male gender, 449 (30.9%) were assigned male at birth, and 303 (20.3%) were assigned female at birth, classified as changing their gender on record. Predicted probability of mental or behavioral conditions was significantly lower in those who changed their gender on record. Sex assigned at birth modified the association with mental health: assigned female at birth reporting female gender had the highest burdens, followed by assigned male at birth reporting male. Secondary analyses using a modified change in gender definition or alternative sex assigned at birth inference method found similar trends. CONCLUSIONS: Oregon Medicaid gender-diverse beneficiaries who changed their gender on record had a meaningfully lower probability of mental and behavioral health conditions. Those assigned female at birth reporting female gender had the highest burdens.

Inappropriate Opioid Prescribing in Oregon's Coordinated Care Organizations.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to identify demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with a pain diagnosis who fill potentially inappropriate opioid prescriptions within the Oregon Medicaid population. METHODS: Using de-identified Oregon Medicaid claims data (2010-2014), a series of logistic regression models was estimated to identify factors associated with receipt of potential inappropriate opioid prescriptions among patients with acute or chronic pain. Analyses included a total of 204,364 records, representing 118,671 unique patients. RESULTS: The percentage of patients with a pain diagnosis filling at least 1 inappropriate opioid prescription decreased over the study period, falling from 32.5% in 2010 to 22.3% in 2014. Multivariate logistic regression results indicated that white and older enrollees were more likely to fill an inappropriate prescription over the study period. The odds of filling an inappropriate opioid prescription were also greater for patients with chronic health conditions, psychiatric disorders, and substance use disorder. Results were similar for patients diagnosed with either acute or chronic pain, chronic pain only, or acute pain only. CONCLUSIONS: Inappropriate opioid prescribing for patients with pain diagnoses decreased over the study period, which stands in stark contrast to other state Medicaid programs. However, in 2014, almost 23% of patients in the Oregon Medicaid program filled at least 1 inappropriate opioid prescription, suggesting additional strategies are needed to further reduce potential inappropriate prescribing. Medicaid programs may consider adopting enhanced prescription drug monitoring program features, enacting pain clinic legislation, and implementing additional prior authorization policies to reduce inappropriate prescribing of opioids.

Initiation of Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Medicaid Enrollees.

INTRODUCTION: Few studies have explored how individual- and practice-level factors influence colorectal cancer screening initiation among Medicaid enrollees newly age eligible for colorectal cancer screening (i.e., turning 50 years). This study explored colorectal cancer screening initiation among newly age-eligible Medicaid enrollees in Oregon. METHODS: Medicaid claims data (January 2013 to June 2015) were used to conduct multivariable logistic regression (in 2018 and 2019) to explore individual- and practice-level factors associated with colorectal cancer screening initiation among 9,032 Medicaid enrollees. RESULTS: A total of 17% of Medicaid enrollees initiated colorectal cancer screening; of these, 64% received a colonoscopy (versus fecal testing). Colorectal cancer screening initiation was positively associated with turning 50 years in 2014 (versus 2013; OR=1.21), being Hispanic (versus non-Hispanic white; OR=1.41), urban residence (versus rural; OR=1.23), and having 4 to 7 (OR=1.90) and 8 or more (OR=2.64) primary care visits compared with 1 to 3 visits in the year after turning 50 years. Having 3 or more comorbidities was inversely associated with initiation (OR=0.75). The odds of screening initiation were also higher for practices with 3 to 4 (OR=1.26) and 8 or more (OR=1.34) providers compared with 1 to 2 providers, and negatively associated with percentage of Medicaid panel age eligible for colorectal cancer screening (OR=0.92). CONCLUSIONS: Both individual- and practice-level factors are associated with disparities in colorectal cancer screening initiation among Oregon Medicaid enrollees. Future work promoting colorectal cancer screening might focus on additional barriers to the timely initiation of colorectal cancer screening and explore the effect of practice in-reach and population outreach strategies.

Preventing employee injury: implementation of a lift team.

A lift team was implemented at an urban medical center in the Pacific Northwest to reduce employee injuries. The lift team consisted of a lift technician and a nursing assistant both trained in lifting techniques. The trial lasted 1 year. Data on employee injuries and day versus night injuries before and during lift team implementation are presented. Results do not show the same reduction in employee injuries described by previous authors. Possible explanations are related to the use of the lift team and policy development.

Medicaid expansion and treatment for opioid use disorders in Oregon: an interrupted time-series analysis.

BACKGROUND: The study examined the association of the Affordable Care Act's 2014 Medicaid expansion on the use of psychosocial services and pharmacotherapies for opioid use disorders among Oregon Medicaid recipients. METHODS: Logistic regression analysis examined utilization of care before (January 1, 2010-December 31, 2013) and after Medicaid expansion in Oregon (January 1, 2014-December 31, 2016). RESULTS: Adult membership in the Oregon Health Plan (Medicaid) increased 180% following Medicaid expansion (2013 = 172,539; 2014 = 482,081) and the number with a diagnosis of OUD nearly doubled (2013 = 6808; 2014 = 13,418). More individuals received psychosocial services (2013 = 4714; 2014 = 8781) and medications (2013 = 3464; 2014 = 6093) for opioid use disorder. The percent of patients receiving psychosocial services (69% to 65%) and the percent of individuals receiving pharmacotherapy (57% to 45%) declined primarily because of a decline in the proportion receiving care in an opioid treatment program (2013 = 41%; 2014 = 33%). Odds of accessing any psychosocial service increased by 8% per year from 2010 to 2013 (AOR = 1.08; 95% CI 1.06-1.11) with an 18% immediate decline associated with Medicaid expansion in 2014 (AOR = 0.82; 95% CI 0.76-0.87). Following Medicaid expansion, the odds of accessing psychosocial services increased 8% per year (2014 through 2016) (AOR = 1.08; 95% CI 1.06-1.11). Use of medications for opioid use disorder found no change in the odds of use in the years prior to Medicaid expansion, an immediate 36% (AOR = 0.64; 95% CI 0.60-0.68) decline in 2014, and a 13% increase per year in 2015 and 2016 (AOR = 1.13; 95% CI 1.09-1.16). CONCLUSION: The number of Medicaid recipients with an opioid use disorder who received psychosocial and pharmacological services increased substantially following Oregon's Medicaid expansion in 2014. There was a decline, however, in the proportion of individuals with an opioid use disorder receiving care in opioid treatment programs.

Access to treatment for alcohol use disorders following Oregon's health care reforms and Medicaid expansion.

The study examines impacts of delivery system reforms and Medicaid expansion on treatment for alcohol use disorders within the Oregon Health Plan (Medicaid). Diagnoses, services and pharmacy claims related to alcohol use disorders were extracted from Medicaid encounter data. Logistic regression and interrupted time series analyses assessed the percent with alcohol use disorder entering care and the percent receiving pharmacotherapy before (January 2010-June 2012) and after (January 2013-June 2015) the initiation of Oregon's Coordinated Care Organization (CCO) model (July 2012-December 2012). Analyses also examined changes in access following Medicaid expansion (January 2014). Treatment entry rates increased from 35% in 2010 to 41% in 2015 following the introduction of CCOs and Medicaid expansion. The number of Medicaid enrollees with a diagnosed alcohol use disorder increased about 150% from 10,360 (2013) to 25,454 (2014) following Medicaid expansion. Individuals with an alcohol use disorder who were prescribed a medication to support recovery increased from 2.3% (2010) to 3.8% (2015). In Oregon, Medicaid expansion and health care reforms enhanced access and improved treatment initiation for alcohol use disorders.

Potential interactions between complementary/alternative products and conventional medicines in a Medicare population.

BACKGROUND: Despite the high prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) product use among the elderly, little is known about the extent of concurrent CAM-conventional medicine use and the potential for adverse reactions. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of CAM product use concurrent with conventional medications, prescription and nonprescription, in a Medicare population and assess the risk for adverse interactions. METHODS: Retrospective analysis was performed on Cardiovascular Health Study interview data from 1994, 1995, 1997, and 1999. The prevalence of concurrent combinations of CAM products and conventional drugs was tabulated. The adverse interaction risks were categorized as unknown, theoretical, and significant. RESULTS: Of 5052 participants, the median age was 75, 60.2% were female, 16.6% were African American, and 83.4% were white. The percent using CAM products during the 4 time periods was 6.3%, 6.7%, 12.8%, and 15.1%. The percent using both CAM products and conventional drugs was 6.0%, 6.2%, 11.7%, and 14.4%. Of these, 294 (5.8%) individuals took combinations considered to have a significant risk for an adverse interaction. Combinations with risk were observed on 393 separate interviews. Most (379) involved a risk of bleeding due to use of ginkgo, garlic, or ginseng together with aspirin, warfarin, ticlopidine, or pentoxifylline. An additional 786 observations of combinations were considered to have some, albeit theoretical or uncertain, risk for an adverse interaction. CONCLUSIONS: Concurrent use of CAM products and conventional medicines in a Medicare population was found to be common. Research to define the risks of combining ginkgo and garlic supplements with aspirin should be of high priority.

Is agricultural activity linked to the incidence of human West Nile virus?

BACKGROUND: West Nile virus (WNV) has spread throughout the contiguous United States. During the 2002-2003 period, there were 14,023 laboratory-confirmed human cases of WNV in 45 states and 541 associated deaths. Factors that affect case distribution are poorly understood. This study assessed the relationship of environmental factors and agricultural activity with the presence of human WNV cases. METHODS: County-level data were collected that included 2002 and 2003 WNV surveillance data, temperature, dairy revenue, precipitation, total irrigated acres, and total crop revenue. Logistic regression models were used to determine which risk factors were significantly associated with WNV human cases. RESULTS: Significant independent predictors for counties with human WNV cases were population (odds ratio [OR]=1.20, p<0.0001); higher average daily temperature in April through October (OR=1.19 for each additional degree Fahrenheit, p<0.0001); and total crop sales (OR=1.14 (p<0.001). The ORs for these predictors increased in an analysis of counties with ten or more cases. CONCLUSIONS: Higher temperature and farming activity may be strongly associated with the incidence of human WNV infection. Larger studies of more agricultural centers are warranted to determine which environmental factors increase the risk of human infection and how these infections can be prevented.

Insurance coverage and subsequent utilization of complementary and alternative medicine providers.

BACKGROUND: Since 1996, Washington State law has required that private health insurance cover licensed complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) providers. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate how insured people used CAM providers and what role this played in healthcare utilization and expenditures. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of insurance enrollees from western Washington in 2002. METHODS: Analysis of insurance demographic data, claims files, benefit information, diagnoses, CAM and conventional provider utilization, and healthcare expenditures for 3 large health insurance companies. RESULTS: Among more than 600,000 enrollees, 13.7% made CAM claims. This included 1.3% of enrollees with claims for acupuncture, 1.6% for naturopathy, 2.4% for massage, and 10.9% for chiropractic. Patients enrolled in preferred provider organizations and point-of-service products were notably more likely to use CAM than those with health maintenance organization coverage. The use of CAM was greater among women and among persons 31 to 50 years of age. The use of chiropractic was more frequent in less populous counties. The CAM provider visits usually focused on musculoskeletal complaints except for naturopathic physicians, who treated a broader array of problems. The median per-visit expenditures were 39.00 dollars for CAM care and 74.40 dollars for conventional outpatient care. The total expenditures per enrollee were 2589 dollars, of which 75 dollars(2.9%) was spent on CAM. CONCLUSIONS: The number of people using CAM insurance benefits was substantial; the effect on insurance expenditures was modest. Because the long-term trajectory of CAM cost under third-party payment is unknown, utilization of these services should be followed.

Challenges of using medical insurance claims data for utilization analysis.

Research use of insurance claims data presents unique challenges and requires a series of value judgments that are intended to improve the data quality. In this study, medical insurance claims from 2 large companies were combined to assess utilization of complementary and alternative medicine. Challenges included assessing and improving the quality of data, combining data from 2 different companies with dissimilar coding systems, and determining the most appropriate ways to describe utilization. This article addresses 4 methodologic challenges in creating the analytic files: (1) conversion of claims into unique visits, (2) identification of incomplete claims data, (3) categorization of providers and locations of service, and (4) selecting the most useful measures of utilization and expenditures.

Complementary and alternative provider use by insured patients with diabetes in Washington State.

OBJECTIVES: The authors investigated whether insurance coverage for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) providers is associated with increased medical care use among diabetes patients. Predictors of CAM use and how CAM affects health care use and expenditures under insurance coverage were examined. DESIGN: Claims data from two large insurers in Washington State were obtained for 2002. Types of providers used, comorbid medical conditions, number of visits, and expenditures were calculated for the study sample and compared to a nondiabetic matched group. RESULTS: Of the 20,722 adults with diabetes, 3605 (17.4%) had one or more visits to any licensed CAM provider (mostly chiropractors). This was lower than the 20% CAM use in the comparison group. Diabetes patients who used CAM were more likely to have multiple other medical problems than CAM nonusers. CAM users had a higher average number of annual outpatient visits compared to nonusers (28 versus 16), and higher average annual expenditures (8,736 dollars versus 7,356 dollars); however, after adjustment for disease load and other factors, CAM use was not a significant predictor of expenditures. CAM use was <2% of the overall mean medical expenditures for diabetes patients. Quality of conventional care was similar for CAM users and nonusers. CONCLUSIONS: CAM provider usage when covered by insurance is lower among diabetes patients than in adults without diabetes and represents a small proportion of diabetes care costs. Very few CAM visits were related directly to diabetes care. CAM-using patients often have heavy disease burdens and high total expected resource use compared to those not using CAM.

Variation in symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing with race and ethnicity: the Sleep Heart Health Study.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To examine the relation of sleep-related symptoms to race and ethnicity in a diverse sample of middle-aged and older men and women. DESIGN: Cross-sectional questionnaire survey. SETTING: In the initial phase of the Sleep Heart Health Study, men and women enrolled in participating epidemiologic cohort studies were surveyed. PARTICIPANTS: 13,194 men and women 40 years of age and older, including 11,517 non-Hispanic white, 648 black, 643 American Indian, 296 Hispanic, and 90 Asian-Pacific Islander. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: After adjustment for BMI and other factors, frequent snoring was more common among Hispanic women (odds ratio (OR) = 2.25, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.48, 3.42) and black women (OR = 1.55, 95% Ci = 1.13, 2.13) than among non-Hispanic white women. Hispanic men were significantly more likely to report frequent snoring than non-Hispanic white men (OR = 2.30, 95% CI = 1.43, 3.69). Black, American Indian, and Asian men did not differ significantly from white men in snoring prevalence. American Indian women were significantly more likely to report breathing pauses during sleep than their white, non-Hispanic counterparts (OR = 1.52, 95% CI 1.03, 2.24), although polysomnography data on a subset of the sample suggested that the association between this symptom reported on questionnaire and objective evidence of sleep-disordered breathing may be weaker among American Indians than among other groups. Mean Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores were slightly higher in black men and women than in their white, non-hispanic counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: Frequent snoring was more common among black and Hispanic women and Hispanic men than among their white non-Hispanic counterparts, even after adjusting for BMI and other factors. Further research including polysomnography and objective measurements of sleepiness is needed to assess the physiologic and clinical significance of these findings.

Effect of preexisting back pain on the incidence and severity of back pain in intercollegiate rowers.

BACKGROUND: Back pain is a common problem among rowers. PURPOSE: To determine whether preexisting back pain is a significant risk factor for back pain in intercollegiate rowers and how it relates to the ability of athletes to participate in college rowing. STUDY DESIGN: Survey. METHODS: Surveys from 1829 former intercollegiate rowing athletes were analyzed. The surveys included questions concerning back pain before the subjects' college career, back pain during intercollegiate rowing, missed practices, the duration of time lost from college rowing because of back pain, and career-ending back pain. Back pain was defined as pain lasting longer than 1 week. RESULTS: More subjects with preexisting back pain developed back pain during their college rowing career than subjects without preexisting back pain (57.1% versus 36.6%). Of those with preexisting pain, 55% missed practice because of back pain and 8% ended their college rowing careers; for those without preexisting pain, the percentages were 62% and 17%, respectively. For subjects with pain before their college rowing career, 78.8% missed less than 1 week and 5.9% missed more than 1 month. For subjects with no preexisting pain, 61.9% missed less than 1 week and 18.1% missed more than 1 month. CONCLUSIONS: While rowers with preexisting back pain are more likely to have back pain in college, they are less likely to miss extended periods of practice time or end their college rowing careers because of back pain.

Back pain in former intercollegiate rowers. A long-term follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Research has shown that 32% of intercollegiate rowers develop back pain during their college career. HYPOTHESIS: Rowers who develop back pain in college are more likely than the general population to have back pain later in life. STUDY DESIGN: Survey. METHODS: Surveys from 1561 former intercollegiate rowing athletes were analyzed. Subjects who completed the surveys had graduated from college at a mean and median of 13 years previously, with a range of 0 to 20 years between graduation and completion of the survey. The survey was designed to determine the presence of back pain and its severity before, during, and after intercollegiate rowing. Back pain was defined as pain that lasted at least 1 week. RESULTS: Age was a significant predictor of back pain after college. Nevertheless, the lifetime prevalence of back pain in former intercollegiate rowers was no different from that of the general population (51.4% versus 60% to 80%). However, rowers who developed back pain in college had more subsequent back pain than rowers who were asymptomatic in college (78.9% versus 37.9%). Rowers who were asymptomatic in college had significantly lower rates of back pain as they aged than did the general population. The mean severity of current back pain was 3.5 +/- 1.9 on a scale of 1 to 10. CONCLUSIONS: Intercollegiate rowers are no more likely than the general population to have back pain later in life.