Detection of alcohol use in the second trimester among low-income pregnant women in the prenatal care settings in Jefferson County, Alabama.

BACKGROUND: Prenatal alcohol use, a leading preventable cause of birth defects and developmental disabilities, remains a prevalent public health concern in the United States. This study aims to detect the proportion and correlates of prenatal alcohol use in the prenatal care settings in Alabama. Prenatal care settings were chosen because of their potential as stable locations to screen for and to reduce prenatal alcohol use within a community. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 3,046 women in the 22 and 23 weeks of gestation who sought prenatal care in 8 community-based public clinics and participated in the Perinatal Emphasis Research Center project in Jefferson County, Alabama, from 1997 to 2001. Frequency and quantity of alcohol use in the past 3 months were assessed by research nurses during face-to-face interviews. We conducted logistic regression analyses to calculate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of correlates of prenatal alcohol use. RESULTS: Participants were predominantly young, African American, and unmarried, 86.5% on Medicaid. The proportion of alcohol use in the second trimester of pregnancy was 5.1%; 0.3% of women reported 4 or more drinks on a drinking day to research nurses. Older maternal age (OR = 1.11; 95% CI = 1.08 to 1.15), use of welfare (OR = 1.43; 95% CI = 1.02 to 2.02), and male partner-perpetrated violence (OR = 2.96; 95% CI = 1.92 to 4.56) were positively associated with elevated risk of prenatal alcohol use. Protective factors included higher levels of self-esteem (OR = 0.94; 95% CI = 0.89 to 0.98) and more years of education (OR = 0.88; 95% CI = 0.78 to 0.98). CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal alcohol use remains a public health issue among low-income pregnant women in Jefferson County, Alabama. Research nurses detected it in the second trimester. Future studies need to encourage screening for prenatal alcohol use in the prenatal care settings by obstetrician-gynecologists, family physicians, nurses, and midwives. Combined interventions to educate and empower women and strengthen families are needed.

Sopranos but not tenors live longer.

The longer life spans of females compared to males has been attributed to the effects of sex hormones. Since experimental tests of this possibility in humans are unethical, indirect studies have been relied on for evidence. The present study offers such indirect evidence by comparing life spans of female and male opera singers, since sex hormones are known to influence development of voice. Life spans of sopranos were found to be significantly greater than those of lower voice registered contraltos, even after controlling for birth year. Differences among male opera singers were not statistically significant. The data support the hypothesis that females live longer than males because of the beneficial effects of estrogens on longevity-related genes.

Maternal and paternal age and twinning in the United States, 2004-2008.

AIMS: To determine the effects of increasing maternal age and related maternal and possibly paternal factors. METHODS: A US database of more than 8 million births was analyzed to determine the relationships between maternal age, maternal ethnicity, marital status, maternal smoking and paternal age on twinning rates. RESULTS: Twinning rates increased proportionally with maternal age. African American women had a higher twinning rate than Caucasian women. Hispanic, Asian and Native American women had comparatively lower rates than Caucasians. After controlling for ethnicity and other maternal factors, increasing maternal age was still related to increased twinning rates. Increased paternal age had a small but significant independent association with an increased rate of twinning. CONCLUSIONS: Both increasing maternal and paternal age are related to increased rates of twinning. This age effect is independent of other factors also associated with twinning.

Facial resemblances between heterosexual, gay, and lesbian couples.

Researchers have noted a physical resemblance (homophily) between human sex partners. To date, these studies and their related interpretations have been based on heterosexual couples. The present study compared physical resemblances between gay, lesbian, and heterosexual couples, using 40 photographs of each from national newspapers, which were rated by 34 men and 56 women (M age = 53 yr., SD = 12.1). Half the photographs were of actual couples and half were randomly mixed within each group. Actual couples were rated as significantly more similar in appearance than random pairings of people. Ratings of similarity were significantly higher (indicating greater perceived homophily) for gay couples than heterosexual couples, while there was no statistically significant difference in similarity ratings between lesbian couples versus gay and heterosexual couples. The results were interpreted in terms of evolutionary and parental imprinting hypotheses.

A relative age effect in men's but not women's professional baseball: 1943-1954.

Birthdates of professional female and male baseball players active from 1943 to 1954 (the beginning and final years for professional female leagues) were matched for year of birth and league years and then compared by birth quarters, with a cutoff date beginning August 1. A relative age effect was noted for males, as there was a significantly different distribution of players across birth quarter, but there was no such effect for female professionals. Since players were matched for birth year and league play, the difference was unlikely to be due to seasonality differences in birth. Instead, the absence of a "relative age" effect for female players can be attributed to the absence of organized adolescent baseball for girls prior to the establishment of professional baseball leagues for women.

Human left-sided cradling preferences for dogs.

Photographs of men and women holding dogs were analyzed for side-holding preferences. A significant majority of women in dog-themed magazines held dogs on their left sides, similar to reports of women holding infants. Men did not show the same left-sided preference, which is also consistent with other studies. The implications of these results for various hypotheses about infant cradling behavior were discussed.

Parrots are "more human" than chickens.

Analysis of an Internet database of pets' names showed owners were more likely to give anthropomorphic names to pets living within homes than those living outside.

Use of electric blankets and association with prevalence of endometrial cancer.

The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between electric blanket use and prevalence of endometrial cancer for women. Information relating to women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Data Set (n=93 676) used to test the relationship factors associated with endometrial cancer included older age at screening, younger age at last menstrual period, region of domicile (highest prevalence in the South), less than a high school education, lower income, body mass index >25 kg/m, low parity, unopposed use of estrogen, never use of estrogen plus progesterone, past alcohol use, higher percentage of daily calories from fat and any electric blanket use. Following a univariate identification of factors significantly related to endometrial cancer, stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed for those factors with P values of less than 0.001 in the univariate analysis. Using electric blankets was associated with a 15% higher prevalence of endometrial cancer than never having used electric blankets (odds ratio=1.15, 95% confidence interval: 1.03-1.27). After controlling for variables significantly associated with endometrial cancer, use of electric blankets for 20 years or more was associated with 36% higher prevalence of endometrial cancer (odds ratio=1.36, 95% confidence interval: 1.16-1.59). Although we were unable to determine the duration of electric blanket use before diagnosis of endometrial cancer, we found that women using electric blankets for 20 years or more had a significantly higher prevalence.

Daily coffee consumption and prevalence of nonmelanoma skin cancer in Caucasian women.

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between daily coffee consumption and nonmelanoma skin cancer. This study was a cross-sectional analysis of women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study (n=93 676). As nearly all cases of self-reported nonmelanoma skin cancer occurred among Caucasian women (97.8%), we focused our analyses on this group. Compared with nondrinkers, women drinking only caffeinated coffee on a daily basis had a 10.8% lower prevalence of nonmelanoma skin cancer. Consumption of six or more cups of caffeinated coffee per day was associated with a 36% reduction in nonmelanoma skin cancer. After adjusting for various demographic and life style variables, daily consumption of six or more cups was associated with a 30% reduced prevalence of nonmelanoma skin cancer. In contrast to caffeinated coffee, daily consumption of decaffeinated coffee was not associated with a significant change in self-reported nonmelanoma skin cancer for Caucasian women. Daily caffeinated coffee consumption was associated with a dose-related decreased prevalence of nonmelanoma skin cancer in Caucasian women.

Football increases the risk for Lou Gehrig's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

A recent report of a six-fold increase in prevalence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurodegenerative disease, in soccer players prompted a similar investigation in National Football League players in the United States. Using the internet, a retrospective analysis indicated 8 of the 3,891 players who played or debuted after 1960 had ALS, a prevalence of 206 per 100,000, a 40-fold higher prevalence rate than the rate of 5 per 100,000 in the general U.S. population (p<.001, binomial theorem). While no etiology for ALS has been established, the very high rate associated with professional football warrants further examination.

Lefties are still a little shorter.

Heights and weights of right- and left-handed major league baseball pitchers (N=5780) were analyzed, adjusted for birth year. Right-handed pitchers were about 1.6 cm taller and 1.9 kg heavier than left-handed pitchers. The results corroborated other studies and suggest body size is related to handedness, although the average difference in height between right- and left-handed pitchers was very small.

Symbolic significance of initials on longevity.

The longevities of deceased major league baseball players who died prior to 1950 (N=3835) and whose initials formed acronyms, words, or names with "positive" or "negative" affect, as rated a priori by two judges, were compared with those for a group of neutral controls matched for birth year and career length, using the Berkeley standardized mortality tables. Players (n=11) with positive initials, e.g., A.C.E., lived a mean of 13 years longer than players (n=30) with negative initials, e.g., D.E.D., or players with neutral initials (n=864). These results corroborated a previous study and suggest positive name symbols are associated with increased longevity in this sample.

Performance of older versus younger brothers: data from major league baseball.

Batting and pitching records and career lengths of 312 sets of brothers who became major league baseball players were compared. Older brothers at non-pitching positions (N = 262) had significantly higher batting averages and longer careers than their younger siblings. Differences for pitchers were not statistically significant. The results corroborate other studies that firstborns are more likely than later born siblings to be higher achievers, but different factors may be operative for pitchers.

A relative age effect in NASCAR.

The distribution of birth months and quarterly birth months of NASCAR drivers (N = 1054) showed significant differences in quarterly birth month distributions between drivers. The highest percentage (27.1%) of drivers were born April-June. Data for the other three periods ranged from 23.6% to 24.7%. The finding was discussed in the context of the "relative age effect" occurring in sports wherein competitors become eligible for participation by age at a specific cut-off date.

Fetal alcohol syndrome: a cautionary note.

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a pattern of anomalies occurring in children born to alcoholic women. The main features of this pattern are pre and/or postnatal growth retardation, characteristic facial abnormalities, and central nervous system dysfunction, including mental retardation. Since its clinical recognition in 1973 it has progressed from an unrecognized condition to a major public health concern with exaggerated and unfounded claims as to causality and impact. This review summarizes some of the basic facts about fetal alcohol syndrome with respect to terminology, prevalence, and mechanisms, in the context of exposure risk.

Birth month and suicide among major league baseball players.

We examined the association between month of birth and completed suicides among major league baseball players (N = 76). More than twice as many players born in August committed suicide (N = 19) than any other birth month. This association was statistically significant when birth month was corrected for differences in days of the month. The differences were even larger when expressed in terms of birth month for those committing suicides divided by number of major league players born in each month. The association between birth month and suicide raises the possibility that prenatal factors may influence the inclination for suicide later in life.

Educational attainment and suicide rates in the United States.

We examined the relationship between educational attainment and suicide rate in the United States for 2001. Suicide rates, adjusted for age, were compared with percentage of college graduates, median household income, and poverty in 50 states in 2001. The correlations of suicide rates with educational attainment and median household income were both negative and statistically significant. Poverty was not significantly related to suicide rates. We concluded that higher education and income were associated with a decrease in suicide rates in 2001. Data from other years require examination for this conclusion to be generalizable.

The effect of administering ethanol as single vs. divided doses on blood alcohol levels in the rat.

The magnitude of peak blood alcohol levels (BALs) and duration of exposure are critical determinants of alcohol's effects. This technical report provides BAL data for different doses (2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 g/kg) administered as single (at 12:00 h) or dual doses (at 07:00 and 12:00 h) of alcohol when administered by intubation at several time points (0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, and 24 h after the 12:00 h intubation) in male rats. Administration of the highest dose in a single intubation resulted in the highest peak BALs, a later peak in BAL, and a longer latency to return to 0 mg% ethanol in the blood. Other combinations resulted in different profiles. The differences are explained in terms of "first-pass" effects relating to alcohol's elimination via the liver. These findings should be of practical use to researchers using intubation as their method of alcohol administration, especially when the timing and magnitude of peak BAL are critical.