Psychotropic drug use in Northern Ireland 1966–80: prescribing trends, inter- and intra-regional comparisons and relationship to demographic and socioeconomic variables

1982 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 819-833 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. King ◽  
Kathryn Griffiths ◽  
Phillip M. Reilly ◽  
J. Desmond Merrett
Keyword(s):  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Psychotropic Drug ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Regional Analysis ◽  
Socioeconomic Variables ◽  
Rate Of Increase ◽  
Prescribing Trends ◽  
Regional Comparisons ◽  
Health Districts

SynopsisA study of psychotropic drug prescribing, derived from the computerized pricing data in Northern Ireland from 1966, showed that the use of these drugs reached a peak in 1975, when about 12·5% of the adult population were estimated to have been receiving them, and declined in the following 5 years. Benzodioazepines accounted for three-quarters of all psychotropic drugs prescribed in 1980. Benzodiazepine tranquillizer prescribing was consistently 20–30% higher than in the rest of the United Kindom, in contrast to hypnotic and antidepressant prescribing which has been consistently lower. The rate of increase in benzodiazepine tranquillizer prescribing was greater than in other European countries, but the level remains lower than in Iceland and Denmark. The influence of a number of demographic and socioeconomic variables was studied in an intra-regional analysis of the 1978 data for the 17 health districts in the province, using multivariate and multiple regression statistics. The prescribing of benzodiazepine hypnotics was almost entirely accounted for by the proportion of elderly (over 65 years) and women aged 45–59 years; neuroleptic prescribing was largely a function of factors associated with rural areas (overcrowding and unemployment) and the proportion of elderly; but neither tranquillizer, antidepressant, barbiturate hypnotic nor psychostimulant prescribing were satisfactorily explained by these variables.

Deliberate self-poisoning presenting at a rural hospital in Northern Ireland 1976–1996: relationship to prescribing

2000 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 348-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.B. Kelly ◽  
J. Weir ◽  
T. Rafferty ◽  
R. Galloway
Keyword(s):  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Rural Area ◽  
Psychotropic Drug ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Drug Prescription ◽  
Defined Daily Dose ◽  
Toxic Agent ◽  
Female Ratio ◽  
The Face ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas

summaryPurpose – This study reports on a project to monitor deliberate self-poisoning in a rural area of Northern Ireland over a 20-year period. Comparison is made with reports from large urban centres. In addition, a local prescribing database allows assessment of any association between psychotropic drug prescription and use for deliberate self-poisoning. Materials and methods – Frequency of self-poisoning, demographic details and drugs used were recorded for all episodes of deliberate self-poisoning occurring at Craigavon Area Hospital for the years 1976, 1986, 1991 and 1996. It was possible to compare prescriptions of psychotropic drugs with their use for deliberate self-poisoning between the years 1991 and 1996 in the region served by the hospital, using the Defined Daily Dose (DDD) system. Results – In this rural area the pattern of deliberate self-poisoning has changed, as in urban centres, with a rise in frequency and the male/female ratio approaching unity. The pattern of drug use has altered, with paracetamol overtaking benzodiazepines as the most commonly used agent. More recently, antidepressants have become the second most frequently used drug class for this purpose. Psychotropic medications used for self-poisoning altered in proportion to their prescription between the years 1991 and 1996. Conclusions – In the face of a continuing rise in deliberate self-poisoning, which is effecting both urban and rural areas, care should be taken to prescribe the least toxic agent available as this is associated with likely frequency of self-poisoning for most classes of psychotropic drug.

scholarly journals Low potassium intake and its association with blood pressure among adults in Malaysia: findings from the MyCoSS (Malaysian Community Salt Survey)

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (S1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lalitha Palaniveloo ◽  
Rashidah Ambak ◽  
Fatimah Othman ◽  
Nor Azian Mohd Zaki ◽  
Azli Baharudin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Cluster Sampling ◽  
Potassium Excretion ◽  
Daily Consumption ◽  
Blood Pressure Monitor ◽  
Potassium Intake ◽  
Urinary Potassium

Abstract Background High blood pressure or hypertension is well recognized as an important modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Several studies had indicated potassium intake has a blood pressure lowering effect. This study aimed to estimate potassium intake via 24-h urinary potassium excretion and to determine the association between potassium intake and blood pressure among adults in Malaysia. Methods Data for 424 respondents in this study were drawn from MyCoSS, a nationwide cross- sectional study conducted among Malaysians who were 18 years and above. Respondents were recruited using stratified cluster sampling, covering urban and rural areas in each state in Malaysia. Data collection was undertaken from October 2017 until March 2018. A single urine sample was collected over 24 h for quantification of potassium excreted. Information on socio-demography and medical history of the respondents were collected by interviewer-administered questionnaires. Anthropometric measurements were measured using validated equipment. BMI was estimated using measured body weight and height. Digital blood pressure monitor (Omron HBP-1300) was used to measure blood pressure. Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multivariable linear regression were used to analyze the data in SPSS Version 21. Results Mean 24-h urinary potassium excretion for the 424 respondents was 37 mmol (95% CI 36, 38). Gender and ethnicity showed statistically significant associations with 24-h urinary potassium excretion. However, potassium excretion was not significantly associated with blood pressure in this study. Conclusion Potassium intake is very low among the adults in Malaysia. Therefore, further education and promotional campaigns regarding daily consumption of potassium-rich diet and its benefits to health need to be tailored for the Malaysian adult population.

Airborne particulates and asthma: a Maine case study

2005 ◽  
Vol 21 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 75-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha J Langley-Turnbaugh ◽  
Nancy R Gordon ◽  
Thomas Lambert
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Culture Medium ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Acid Extraction ◽  
Crustal Material ◽  
Cell Culture Medium ◽  
Clinical Asthma

Maine currently has the second fastest growing asthma rate in the nation- 9.4% of the adult population has asthma and one out of eight children is affected. The factors behind this increase are poorly understood, but previous reports suggest that biologically soluble metal ions from particulate matter (PM10) may play a role in asthma episodes. In an effort to study this issue, we first identified geographic and temporal trends in Maine asthma hospitalizations. Clinical data show a strong fall peak in asthma admissions with weaker peaks in January and May, and a summer low in asthma admissions. Asthma admissions are also higher in the cities than in the rural areas in Maine. We then analysed PM10 collected by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection in three different Maine locations in the years 2000 and 2001, at times when clinical asthma data showed peaks and during the summer low period. We also collected soil samples in the same locations. The PM10 and soils were analysed for 10 metals by acid extraction to determine total metal content and then with cell culture medium, DMEM/F12+CCS growth medium, to determine metal biosolubility. Our results showed that Mn, Cu, Pb, As, V, Ni and Al were present in the Maine PM samples. V, Ni and Pb showed seasonal variation, while the others were relatively constant throughout the year. Pb and Al did not appear to be soluble in the biological medium. There was also variation from location to location with the urban area showing the highest concentrations for most metals. Aluminium was present in the highest concentration in soil samples, followed by Mn and V. Only Cu was biologically available in soils. We determined from M/Al ratios that most of the PM10 did not originate from local crustal material.

scholarly journals Demographic dynamics, urban-rural divides and the (changing) mother's age at birth in Greece: a regional analysis, 1980–2016

2018 ◽  
pp. 67-86
Author(s):  
Luca Salvati ◽  
Ilaria Zambon
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Regional Analysis ◽  
Age At First Birth ◽  
Fertility Trends ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
Mother’S Age ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas ◽  
Age At Birth

Being more sensitive to economic fluctuations, childbearing postponement increased during the second demographic transition and was accompanied by a moderate decline in the number of children per woman and the progressive rise of mother’s age at first birth. Under the hypothesis that recessions have a marked influence on population dynamics, the present study investigates spatial changes in mother’s age at birth in Greece with the aim to assess the differential impact of economic crisis along the urban-rural gradient. The percent composition of births by mother's age class – considered a gross indicator of fertility under a changing socioeconomic context – was studied at 4 spatial scales (the whole country, administrative regions, prefectures and metropolitan areas or specific economic districts) over an economic cycle from expansion to recession (1980–2016). While stimulating childbearing postponement observed since the early 1980s, empirical results of this study indicate that the 2007 recession was quite neutral on fertility trends in Greece, consolidating the traditional divide between urban and rural areas.

scholarly journals Mental health survey of the adult population in Iran

2004 ◽  
Vol 184 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. A. Noorbala ◽  
S. A. Bagheri Yazdi ◽  
M. T. Yasamy ◽  
K. Mohammad
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Learning Disability ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Population Sample ◽  
Cluster Sampling ◽  
International Studies

BackgroundNo national data on the prevalence of mental disorders are available in Iran. Such information may be a prerequisite for efficient national mental health intervention.AimsTo determine the mental health status of a population sample aged 15 years and over.MethodThrough random cluster sampling, 35 014 individuals were selected and evaluated using the 28-item version of the General Health Questionnaire. A complementary semi-structured clinical interview was also undertaken to detect learning disability (‘mental retardation’), epilepsy and psychosis.ResultsAbout a fifth of the people in the study (25.9% of the women and 14.9% of the men) were detected as likely cases. The prevalence of mental disorders was 21.33% in rural areas and 20.9% in urban areas. Depression and anxiety symptoms were more prevalent than somatisation and social dysfunction. The interview of families by general practitioners revealed that the rates of learning disability epilepsy and psychosis were 1.4%, 1.2% and 0.6%, respectively Prevalence increased with age and was higher in the married, widowed, divorced, unemployed and retired people.ConclusionsPrevalence rates are comparable with international studies. There is a wide regional difference in the country, and women are at greater risk.

PROBLEMS OF ELIMINATION OF ILLITERACY IN THE EASTERN TRANSBAIKALYE IN 1920

2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 22-29
Author(s):  
ANTONINA I. MOROZ ◽  
◽  
RASTYAM T. ALIEV ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Adult Students ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Health Centers ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Historical Sources ◽  
Local Leadership ◽  
State Archives ◽  
The Masses

The article is devoted to the study of the problems of campaigns to eliminate illiteracy of the adult population, which were carried out in Eastern Transbaikalia in the 1920s. The Soviet policy of raising the educational level of adult able-bodied workers and peasants has repeatedly become the subject of research by historians, sociologists, teachers, but at the same time has not lost its scientific potential. Currently, the features of the implementation of this policy in various regions of our country are being actively studied. The local material makes it possible to trace the problems of the practical activities of educational institutions for the adult population (health centers and schools for the illiterate), among which are the lack of material resources, the lack of teachers (especially in rural areas), their low qualifications, which had a negative impact on the organization of training sessions. Within the framework of this article, the author draws attention to the relatively poorly studied problem of the outflow of the trained contingent from such institutions. Historical sources indicate that this problem was very acute and jeopardized the implementation of plans to eradicate illiteracy. Adult students stopped attending educational institutions for a variety of reasons, but the main one was weak personal motivation to learn. The author examines the measures that the local leadership resorted to in an effort to solve this problem (agitation and propaganda among the masses, negative and positive sanctions against the contingent of health centers and schools for the illiterate), and their effectiveness is assessed. The article was written on the basis of unpublished and published documents from the funds of the State Archives of the Trans-Baikal Territory, a significant part of which is being introduced into scientific circulation for the first time.

Prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection and risk factor analysis in Changsha, central China, about population undergoing routine check-up, 2013–2015

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaohui Liu ◽  
Chang Zeng ◽  
Xintong Kang ◽  
Ying Tan ◽  
Wei Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Hepatitis C Virus ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
General Population ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Hcv Infection ◽  
Central China ◽  
Major Public Health Problem

Abstract Background Currently, Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains a major public health problem. The aim of current study wanted to determine the prevalence of HCV virus infections, and to explore the risk factors for HCV infection in the general adult population undergoing routine check-ups in Changsha City. Methods We collected 59688 blood samples from the adult population undergoing routine check-ups in 2013–2015 and obtained relevant information using a standardized questionnaire. We then conducted association and logistic regression analyses. We used the enzyme immunoassay method to test for anti-HCV antibodies in the serum samples. Results The positivity rate of anti-HCV was about 0.57% (340/59688) in the general population. Participants from rural areas showed significantly higher HCV seroprevalence rates than did those from the urban area (0.83% vs 0.19%, p < 0.001). HCV seropositivity increased progressively with age, peaking at 55–64 years (1.23%), and decreasing in participants aged 65 and older. The positivity rate of anti-HCV for males was slightly higher than that of females (0.67% vs 0.48%, p = 0.002). The results of multiple logistic regression showed that history of blood transfusion, surgery, living in rural areas, and transmission in families were the main risk factors for HCV infection. Conclusions: The prevalence of HCV infection is low in the general population in Changsha. This information vital for healthcare settings and health education entities in public, especially in rural areas.

Symptoms, Hope, Self-Management Behaviors, and Quality of Life Among Chinese Preoperative Patient With Symptomatic Valvular Heart Diseases

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 284-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongfeng Chen ◽  
Guifen Fu ◽  
Fang Liang ◽  
Jing Wei ◽  
Jing He ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Heart Diseases ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Food Culture ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Valvular Heart Diseases ◽  
Loss Of Appetite ◽  
Management Behaviors

Introduction: More than 42 million people are estimated to suffer from valvular heart disease (VHD) worldwide with a prevalence of 5.3% to 7.7% in the Chinese adult population. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between symptoms, hope, self-management behaviors, and quality of life (QOL) for preoperative patients with symptomatic VHD in a rural area of China. Method: This was a descriptive comparative study that took place in Nanning, China, between January 2015 and March 2016. The sample was 128 preoperative patients with symptomatic VHD. Data were collected using the Symptom Distress Questionnaire, Herth Hope Index, Self-Management Scale, and Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire. Results: Data from 122 patients were included in the final analysis. Mean scores of hope, self-management, and QOL were 36.71, 55.27, and 55.56. Worse total scores of symptom severity ( r = 0.57 to 0.69, p < .001) and self-management behaviors ( r = −0.22 to −0.25, p < .05) were associated with poorer QOL. Fatigue, loss of appetite, and self-management behaviors explained 49.90% variance of QOL ( p < .001). Discussion: Fatigue, loss of appetite, and self-management influenced QOL of patients with symptomatic VHD. Interventions aimed at strengthening self-management and relieving symptoms should be tailored for patients with symptomatic VHD base on their traditional animist belief and food culture in rural areas of China such as the Zhuang Autonomous Region.

scholarly journals Comparison between the risks in road safety behaviour in urban and rural areas in Latvia in 2016

2019 ◽  
Vol 68 ◽  
pp. 01008
Author(s):  
Aija Bukova-Zideluna ◽  
Anita Villerusa ◽  
Iveta Pudule
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Road Safety ◽  
Urban Population ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Traffic Data ◽  
Front Seat ◽  
Back Seat ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas ◽  
Safety Behaviour

The study examined the differences between respondents in urban and rural areas in respect of their self-reported attitudes and behaviour regarding taking risks in road traffic. Data of Health Behaviour among Latvian Adult Population 2016 survey was used for analysis. Results: 83.7% (N=1605) of urban respondents and 86.7% (N = 1456) of rural respondents always used seatbelts in the front seat. Only 55.3% (N = 1605) of urban respondents and 52.1% (N = 875) of rural respondents always used seatbelts in the back seat. Odds to use seatbelts in the front seat were higher for rural population (OR = 1.27; 95% CI: 1.05–1.53). Odds to use seatbelts in the back seat were higher for urban population (OR=1.14; 95% CI: 1.01–1.30). Rural residents agreed more often with suggestion that it is not necessary to fasten the seatbelt on short journeys (OR = 1.42; 95% CI: 1.15–1.75) and that it is not necessary to fasten the seatbelt travelling at speed less than 40 km/h (OR=1.22; 95% CI: 1.01–1.56). Rural respondents agreed more often than urban respondents that that driving a car under alcohol influence increases a chance of being involved in an accident (OR = 1.45; 95% CI: 1.10–1.90).

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