Factors associated with physicians' prescribing behavior for treatment of influenza in the USA

Author(s):  
Payal Patel-Dovlatabadi

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to identify factors (i.e. age, gender, ethnicity, type of medical facility, geographical location, etc.) associated with physicians' prescribing behavior when treating influenza in the USA. The study aims to examine why the number of antiviral prescriptions remains substandard. Design/methodology/approach – Data were obtained from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey for each influenza season between the years of 2005-2008. Bivariate analyses and two models of multivariate logistic regression analyses (one with no fixed effect and the other including year as a fixed effect) were used to analyze the data. Findings – The results from this study revealed that among family practice physicians, 40.5 percent prescribed antiviral medications to patients presenting with influenza while 59.5 percent prescribed another form of medication. Antibiotics comprised 41.3 percent of the prescriptions for treatment of influenza. Multivariable logistic regression analyses revealed that race (White; p=0.023), type of health setting (private solo/group practice; p=0.041), employment status (owner; p=0.046), and metropolitan location (metropolitan statistical area; p=0.032) were all significantly associated with prescribing antivirals. Patients' expected source of payment (private insurance) and geographical location (Midwest) of health facility were marginally associated with prescribing antivirals. Originality/value – By identifying factors associated with physicians' prescribing practices of antiviral medications, a more timely diagnosis and treatment of influenza can occur. Efforts should be targeted to improve physician education and awareness of the illness. Interventions may be implemented to improve the prescribing of antiviral medications and potentially inappropriate prescribing.

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0248845
Author(s):  
Syahrul Sazliyana Shaharir ◽  
Siew Huoy Chua ◽  
Rozita Mohd ◽  
Ruslinda Mustafar ◽  
Malehah Mohd Noh ◽  
...  

Avascular necrosis of bone (AVN) is increasingly being recognized as a complication of SLE and causes significant disability due to pain and mobility limitations. We studied the prevalence and factors associated with avascular necrosis (AVN) in a multiethnic SLE cohort. SLE patients who visited the outpatient clinic from October 2017 to April 2019 were considered eligible. Their medical records were reviewed to identify patients who developed symptomatic AVN, as confirmed by either magnetic resonance imaging or plain radiography. Subsequently, their SLE disease characteristics and treatment were compared with the characteristics of patients who did not have AVN. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the independent factors associated with AVN among the multiethnic SLE cohort. A total of 390 patients were recruited, and the majority of them were females (92.6%); the patients were predominantly of Malay ethnicity (59.5%), followed by Chinese (35.9%) and Indian (4.6%). The prevalence of symptomatic AVN was 14.1%, and the mean age of AVN diagnosis was 37.6 ± 14.4 years. Both univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses revealed that a longer disease duration, high LDL-C (low density lipoprotein cholesterol), positive anti-cardiolipin (aCL) IgG and anti-dsDNA results, a history of an oral prednisolone dose of more than 30 mg daily for at least 4 weeks and osteoporotic fractures were significantly associated with AVN. On the other hand, hydroxychloroquin (HCQ), mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and bisphosphonate use were associated with a lower risk of AVN. No associations with ethnicity were found. In conclusion, several modifiable risk factors were found to be associated with AVN, and these factors may be used to identify patients who are at high risk of developing such complications. The potential protective effects of HCQ, MMF and bisphosphonates warrant additional studies.


2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (e1) ◽  
pp. e16-e23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica L King ◽  
Beth A Reboussin ◽  
Jennifer Cornacchione Ross ◽  
Erin L Sutfin

BackgroundAlthough Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-mandated waterpipe tobacco warnings were not required until August 2018, some waterpipe tobacco packaging (WTP) sold in the USA, contained warnings prior to this date. We examined the prevalence of WTP warning exposure and whether exposure influenced risk perceptions or use among young adult (aged 18–24 years) current waterpipe users.MethodsWe used data from waves 1 (2013–2014) and 2 (2014–2015) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study, a nationally representative longitudinal study of US adults and youth. We conducted logistic regression analyses to identify factors associated with wave 1 warning exposure, and whether wave 1 WTP warning exposure predicted wave 2 relative risk perceptions and waterpipe use.ResultsMore than one-third of our sample (35.9%, 95% CI 33.5 to 38.4) reported past-month WTP warning exposure. Exposure was higher among males (adjusted OR (AOR)=1.34, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.72), those who usually do not share the waterpipe (AOR=3.10, 95% CI 1.45 to 6.60), those who purchased waterpipe tobacco (AOR=1.73, 95% CI 1.28 to 2.34), and those with a regular brand (AOR=1.84, 95% CI 1.26 to 2.68). Those exposed to WTP warnings at wave 1 were more likely than those not exposed to perceive waterpipe tobacco to be as or more harmful than cigarettes at wave 2 (AOR=1.35, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.78). There was no association between wave 1 WTP exposure and wave 2 waterpipe use.ConclusionsMore than one-third of US young adult current waterpipe users reported WTP warning exposure prior to FDA-mandated warning implementation. Findings suggest the mandated warning may result in high exposure among users; it will be critical to assess exposure’s impact on risk perceptions and behaviour after FDA-mandated warnings are implemented.


2020 ◽  
pp. tobaccocontrol-2020-055951
Author(s):  
Kosuke Kiyohara ◽  
Takahiro Tabuchi

ObjectiveWe aimed to examine the use of heated tobacco products (HTPs) in locations where cigarette smoking was not allowed, and to explore the factors associated with such use among Japanese HTP users.MethodsAn internet-based self-reported questionnaire survey was conducted in 2019 as part of the Japan Society and New Tobacco Internet Survey. The study subjects were respondents who self-reported having used HTPs in the last year. The proportions of those who had ever used or frequently used HTPs in locations where tobacco smoking was not allowed in the last year were calculated. These locations included home, restaurants and workplaces. Furthermore, potential factors associated with HTP use in such smoke-free locations were examined using multivariable logistic regression analyses.ResultsThe proportion of HTP users who had ever used HTPs in smoke-free locations in the last year was 20.7% (148/716) at home, 11.8% (128/1081) in restaurants and 11.9% (113/950) in workplaces. The proportion of those who had frequently used HTPs in those locations was 9.5% (68/716) at home, 4.8% (52/1081) in restaurants and 8.0% (76/950) in workplaces. The statistically significant factors associated with HTP use varied by location. Generally, respondents who thought HTP use was not forbidden in places where tobacco smoking is forbidden were likely to use HTPs in such locations.ConclusionIn Japan, a considerable number of people used HTPs in locations where tobacco smoking was not allowed. Policymakers should establish clear rules about use of HTPs in smoke-free environments.


2020 ◽  
pp. 088626051989842
Author(s):  
Jane C. Daquin ◽  
Leah E. Daigle

Historically, criminologists have examined offending and victimization in the community as separate outcomes. Recently, however, researchers have begun to explore the shared commonalities of being an offender and a victim. The victim–offender overlap literature shows that victimization and offending are not different and distinct outcomes, but rather these outcomes share numerous risk factors. A close examination of the victim–offender overlap has not been done within the prison literature. Thus, it remains unclear whether there are commonalities among prisoners who offend while incarcerated and those who experience victimization. The focus of the current study is to (a) identify the proportion of the prisoners who were victims-only, offenders-only, victim–offenders, or neither victim nor offender and (b) identify the factors that predict membership into the four categories of the overlap. The current study used the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities with multinomial logistic regression analyses to examine which factors are associated with group membership into the victim–only, offender–only, or victim–offender groups in prison. Findings show that although the victim–offender overlap exists among prisoners, the majority of prisoners were neither a victim nor an offender. Victim–offenders and victims-only comprise only a small proportion of the sample. Findings also indicate that there are few unique factors across the groups. Results of the study have implications policy and future research.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Indu Khurana ◽  
Dmitriy Krichevskiy ◽  
Gregory Dempster ◽  
Sean Stimpson

PurposeThis paper aims to examine how economic freedom impacts the initial choice of legal structure for startup firms. The authors do this by first exploring whether economic freedom is an essential determinant of the initial legal form of organization (LFO). The authors then explore the impact of economic freedom on firms' choice of changing their initial legal structure over time and how this change impacts their survival rate.Design/methodology/approachThe authors employ a multinomial logistic regression model to measure the initial determinants of LFO by utilizing an eight-year panel data set of 4,928 startups in the USA through the Kauffman firm survey and merge it with the Economic Freedom in North American index from the Fraser Institute. The authors then employ a logistic regression model to examine the determinants facilitating a change in legal structure over time.FindingsThe results show that economic freedom is a significant determinant in the choice of legal structure. The findings also report that the majority of startups do not change their legal form, but of those that do change the legal structure show a higher survival rate.Research limitations/implicationsMajor limitations are the size of the data and the nature of somewhat limited economic freedom differences with the USA. More nuanced measures of economic freedom would be highly desirable.Practical implicationsPolicymakers should take note that limited red tape, smoothly working labor markets and straightforward processes for changes of legal structures of organizations would improve survival and growth odds for entrepreneurs.Originality/valueDrawing on the theory of institutions, the authors attempt to bridge a gap in the literature by explicitly analyzing the determinants of the legal structure in startups in light of economic freedom. Institutional factors do not work in isolation; therefore, the authors also employ traditional entrepreneur-specific variables that affect the choice of legal structure in addition to the institutional framework.


2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin E. Persson ◽  
Christopher J. Napier

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the challenges faced by an Australian accounting academic, R. J. Chambers, in the 1950s, in breaking into the accounting research community, at that time, almost entirely located in the USA and the UK. For academics outside the networks of accounting research publication in these countries, there were significant, but not insurmountable obstacles to conducting and publishing accounting research. We examine how these obstacles could be overcome, using the notion of “trials of strength” to trace the efforts of Chambers in wrestling with intellectual issues arising from post-war inflation, acquiring accounting literature from abroad and publishing his endeavours. Design/methodology/approach – The article uses actor-network theory to provide an analytical structure for a “counter-narrative” history firmly grounded in the archives. Findings – Documents from the R. J. Chambers Archive at the University of Sydney form the empirical basis for a narrative that portrays accounting research as a diverse process driven as much by circumstances – such as geographical location, access to accounting literature and personal connections – as the merits of the intellectual arguments. Research limitations/implications – Although the historical details are specific to the case being studied, the article provides insights into the challenges faced by researchers on the outside of international research networks in achieving recognition and in participating in academic debates. Practical implications – The findings of this article can provide guidance and inspiration to accounting researchers attempting to participate in wider academic communities. Originality/value – The article uses documents from perhaps the most extensive archive relating to an individual accounting academic. It examines the process of academic research in accounting in terms of the material context in which such research takes place, whereas most discussions have focussed on the underlying ideas and concepts, abstracted from the context in which they emerge.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
XiaoJing Zheng ◽  
Hong-Hong Yan ◽  
Bin Gan ◽  
Xiao-Ting Qiu ◽  
Jie Qiu ◽  
...  

Abstract AimTo evaluate the incidence and risk factors for hypoglycemia in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).MethodsWe collected and analyzed the clinical data of patients with HCC in our cancer center between April 2020 and June 2021. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the risk factors associated with hypoglycemia.ResultsThe incidence rate of hypoglycemia in patients with HCC was 28.9% (67/232). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed a significant association between hypoglycemia and Child-Pugh grade C (odds ratio [OR]=7.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.28–23.31, p=0.001), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level (OR=1.000035, 95% CI 1.000007–1.000063, p=0.015), and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level (OR=0.46, 95% CI 0.29–0.73, p=0.001).ConclusionChild-Pugh stage and HbA1c and AFP levels were associated with hypoglycemia in patients with HCC. Our study suggests that these three factors should be comprehensively considered when estimating the risk of hypoglycemia in these patients, and the diagnosis, treatment, and nursing plan should be adjusted in time to reduce the incidence of hypoglycemia.


2002 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
W.C. Losinger ◽  
J.L. Traub-Dargatz ◽  
L.P. Garber ◽  
P.J. Fedorka-Cray ◽  
S. Ladely ◽  
...  

In a cross-sectional national study that included 972 operations with > 3 horses on 1/1/98 in 28 states in the USA, 8,417 fecal specimens were collected from horses and cultured to test for the presence of Salmonella spp. Operations were characterized as Salmonella spp-positive if at least one fecal specimen tested positive for Salmonella spp. Percentages of Salmonella spp-positive operations were computed by management and other factors (collected from operation-level questionnaires) that were hypothesized to be related to fecal shedding of Salmonella spp. A logistic-regression model was constructed to identify factors associated with horses’ shedding Salmonella spp in feces on an operation. The odds of an operation being Salmonella spp positive increased as the number of resident horses increased. In addition, the following factors were found to be associated with increased odds of an operation being Salmonella spp positive: horses were used primarily for breeding; operation cleanliness was characterized as poor by the data collector; and new resident equids had been added to the operation without routine quarantine.


2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (8) ◽  
pp. ???
Author(s):  
Chia-Pei Chou ◽  
Chun-Yu Chen ◽  
Kun-Siang Huang ◽  
Shih-Chun Lin ◽  
Chih-Fang Huang ◽  
...  

Objective We aimed to investigate factors associated with nonadherence to antihypertensive medication among middle-aged Taiwanese adults with hypertension. Methods We used data from the 2009 Taiwan National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to identify adults age 40 to 65 years with hypertension. We used logistic regression analyses to investigate factors associated with nonadherence to antihypertensive medication. Results A total 1,256 respondents with hypertension taking antihypertensive medication were included in this study. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that six factors were significantly and independently associated with nonadherence to medication: younger age (odds ratio, [OR] = 1.85), mean monthly personal income < TWD 20,000 (USD 660) (OR = 1.87), outpatient medical services use in the past month (OR = 0.57), hospitalization in the past year (OR = 1.70), diabetes or dyslipidemia (OR = 0.63), and alcohol use in the past month (OR = 2.38). Conclusions This secondary data analysis of the population-based NHIS identified six factors associated with nonadherence to antihypertensive medication. These factors should be considered when planning and implementing blood pressure control interventions among middle-aged adults with hypertension.


2015 ◽  
Vol 85 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 5-13
Author(s):  
Yeonsoo Kim ◽  
Tak Yan Chau ◽  
Julie M. Rutledge ◽  
Dawn Erickson ◽  
Yunsook Lim

Abstract. The objective of the present study was to investigate factors that affect sugar sweetened beverage (SSB) intake in rural, southern college students in the US. The majority of the participants were male (58 %) and Caucasian (63 %). The average total SSB consumption was 79.4 fl oz/day (2.35 L/d). Results of binary logistic regression analyses of total SSB intake greater than 57.4 fl oz/day (1.8 L/d) versus less than 57.4 fl oz/day showed that factors associated with greater odds for high SSB intake were age greater than 20 years old (odds ratio [OR] = 3.551, 95 % confidence interval [CI] = 1.385 - 9.104, p = 0.008) and being African American (OR = 3.477, 95 % CI = 1.291 - 9.363, p = 0.013). Results of binary logistic regression analyses of total bottled water intake greater than 39.4 fl oz/day (median) versus less than 39.4 fl oz/day showed that consuming alcohol was significantly related to an increased probability of drinking more than 39.4 fl oz (1.17 L/d) of bottled water per day (median; OR = 2.914, 95 % CI = 1.223 - 6.943, p = 0.016). Culturally sensitive strategies are needed to raise awareness for making healthy beverage choices when dining on campus to effectively reduce college student’s SSB consumption.


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