Prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms among older U.S. adults.

Using data from telephone interviews conducted during 1985, we investigated the prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms in a national probability sample of 1,232 noninstitutionalized U.S. residents 65 years of age and older. The association between depressive symptoms and personal attributes, personal resources, illness behavior, life events, and self-reported health was examined through chi-square and logistic regression analyses. We measured depressive symptoms with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies--Depression (CES-D) scale using a score of 16 or greater as an indication of high depressive symptoms. Prevalence of high depressive symptoms was 9.9% in the total sample. For black males the prevalence of depressive symptoms was 7.4%, and for white males it was 6.8%. For black females the prevalence of depressive symptoms was 20.8%, while for white females it was 11.5%. In the regression analysis, female gender, single marital status, poor self-reported assessment of health, illness behavior, and a low number of club/organization memberships were significantly associated with high depressive symptoms. In comparison to respondents reporting good to excellent health, those reporting poor to fair health were almost four times more likely to report a high number of depressive symptoms (odds ratio = 3.97).

The influence of a supportive, problem-solving, group intervention on the health status of students with great recent life change.

A small randomized trial was conducted with college students to test the efficacy of a supportive, problem-solving group intervention for reducing morbidity following accumulation of numerous life changes. The two intervention groups reported declines in number of illness episodes and number of disability days over the two semesters of study; one of the intervention groups also reported a decrease in number of days on which illness was experienced. The control group did significantly worse on these measures than the intervention groups.

A follow-up study of the geographic distribution of selected malignancies among Kentucky residents, 1969-1976.

A study of 533 brain tumors, 339 lung tumors, and 299 breast tumors was made in a contiguous six-county area of Kentucky to determine if a previous clustering of brain tumors with a rate 3.37 times the state rate still existed. No significant difference in incidence by age, sex, or race could be found between this six-county area and the entire state. It was therefore concluded that either the original study constituted a statistical artifact, or that the factors responsible for the initial observed increase are no longer operative.

Parasites, pets, and people.

It is important for the family physician to understand that patients' relationships with their pets play an important role in helping maintain mental and physical health yet provide the potential for causing illness in the patient. Toxocara canis (dog roundworm) and Toxocara cati (cat roundworm) are the ascarids most commonly responsible for VLM and ocular larva migrans in humans. These roundworms live in their adult stage in the small intestine of the dog and cat where their eggs are passed in the feces. The eggs containing the infective larva are very sticky, thus an infant crawling around on the floor can easily pick these up on fingers that almost invariably end up in the mouth. Infections are usually mild and asymptomatic but with a persistent eosinophilia. Ocular larva migrans is the form usually occurring in older children and adults. Some public health veterinarians recommend that a puppy or kitten should not be obtained as a companion for a child who is not old enough to read, thus bypassing the crawling and toddler stages. Hookworm eggs, shed in the feces of infected dogs or cats, develop into the infective second stage within a week. Humans are usually infected when bare areas of skin such as bare feet or the torso come in contact with soil contaminated with the larvae. The second-stage larvae are able to penetrate the intact skin of humans and the foot pads of dogs and cats. In the United States, the common dog hookworm, A. caninum, is a widespread parasite. Human intestinal ancylostomiasis caused by this species is rare, with only six cases recorded in the literature. Infection in humans or animals by the common tapeworm of dogs and cats (Dipylidium caninum) requires ingestion of the intermediate host, the dog or cat flea containing the larva (cysticercoids) of the agent. Many cases in humans are asymptomatic. Dipylidiasis affects mainly infants and young children who may swallow a flea that hops up while the infant is crawling on the floor or fondling the family pet. Humans appear to be highly resistant to the infection, given the high frequency of flea infestation on dogs and cats and the relative rarity of human disease. Pinworms of animal hosts are not transmissible to humans. Humans become an accidental host of dirofilaria when bitten by an infected mosquito, although the microfilaria will not mature to the adult form in humans. Radio-opaque coin-type lung lesions can be noted on radiographs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)