{"title":"Summaries of papers read at the meeting of the Society for Social Medicine 16 to 18 September 1976","authors":"","doi":"10.1136/jech.31.1.67","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.31.1.67","url":null,"abstract":"During the decade 1960-69, 33 871 mothers in Newcastle upon Tyne were booked for delivery either in specialist hospitals or at home. Confinements in hospital rose from 45% in 1960-62 to 80% in 1966-69 and at the same time perinatal mortality fell from 36 to 26 per 1000 births. While home bookings fell from 51 % to 23 %, the proportion ofwomen so booked who were eventually transferred to hospital, rose from 13% to 21%. Perinatal mortality from 'obstetrical' causes fell at a greater rate than those from 'environmental' causes. Cases transferred from home to hospital showed a high mortality, which fell steeply from 128 (1960-62) to 54 (1966-69) per 1000 births. There is evidence of improved selection both at booking and at transfer, which probably accounts for the fall in the mortality rate among home deliveries. The above findings cannot be explained by changes in the distribution of social class, parity, age, maternal height, or birth weight nor by selective migration from the city.","PeriodicalId":75622,"journal":{"name":"British journal of preventive & social medicine","volume":"1 1","pages":"67 - 69"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1977-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82998258","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"An epidemiological study of congenital reduction deformities of the limbs.","authors":"E S Smith, C S Dafoe, J R Miller, P Banister","doi":"10.1136/jech.31.1.39","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.31.1.39","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A retrospective study that was undertaken to determine why more infants had been born with congenital reduction deformities of the limbs is reported. The increase was detected by the Congenital Anomaly Surveillance System in 1969. Ninety-three infants born in Alberta and British Columbia in 1969-71 with congenital reduction deformities were matched with 93 normal infants and 93 infants with congenital malformations of a different type. The mothers of all infants were interviewed to obtain information on factors thought relevant to the establishment of a causal relationship. Although there were some significant differences between cases and normaland/or abnormal controls, this number of differences might have been expected by chance. No single causal relationship was established.</p>","PeriodicalId":75622,"journal":{"name":"British journal of preventive & social medicine","volume":"31 1","pages":"39-41"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1977-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1136/jech.31.1.39","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"12038755","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Health norms in pregnancy.","authors":"L Barić, C MacArthur","doi":"10.1136/jech.31.1.30","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.31.1.30","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A study was conducted on a sample of pregnant women. The study had two aims: to develop a method of measuring social expectations (norms) and to find out how far women conform in their behaviour to these norms. The areas of behaviour were smoking, exercise, diet, alcohol, and medication. Pregnancy was found to be appropriate for this study because of the high degree of formalisation that this state enjoys in our society. The methods used for measuring norms in this study are an improvement on earlier methods, but further refinements are needed. The findings show that women generally do conform to the social expectations and that their behaviour is in accordance with three types of norms--that is, general, specific, and transitional. The implications for health education interventions are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":75622,"journal":{"name":"British journal of preventive & social medicine","volume":"31 1","pages":"30-8"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1977-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1136/jech.31.1.30","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"12041118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"An explanation for the observed increase in mortality after a birthday in people over 75 years old.","authors":"J H Roger","doi":"10.1136/jech.31.1.62","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.31.1.62","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In a recent analysis, Alderson (1975) presented data that suggested a statistically significant, although numerically small, relationship between the month of birth and the month of death of elderly people. It is shown here that this relationship was to be expected from the sampling procedure used and was not related to \"birthday stress\" factors.</p>","PeriodicalId":75622,"journal":{"name":"British journal of preventive & social medicine","volume":"31 1","pages":"62-4"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1977-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1136/jech.31.1.62","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"12038757","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Daily mortality and environment in English conurbations. Air pollution, low temperature, and influenza in Greater London.","authors":"A Macfarlane","doi":"10.1136/jech.31.1.54","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.31.1.54","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>With the decline in concentrations of suspended particulate pollution in Greater London the association seen in the 1950s and early 1960s between daily mortality and air pollution in the conurbation is no longer apparent. Associations between unusually cold weather and short-term increases in mortality have been noted; there appears to be a tendency for influenza epidemics to follow cold spells.</p>","PeriodicalId":75622,"journal":{"name":"British journal of preventive & social medicine","volume":"31 1","pages":"54-61"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1977-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1136/jech.31.1.54","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"12038756","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Randomised controlled trial of anti-smoking advice in pregnancy.","authors":"J W Donovan","doi":"10.1136/jech.31.1.6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.31.1.6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In a randomised controlled trial intensive individual anti-smoking advice given in parallel with hospital antenatal care did not influence the outcome of pregnancy. The belief that retardation of fetal growth caused by maternal smoking occurs in late pregnancy is not well based, and the advice may not have been given in time to be effective. Other possible interpretations of the results, that maternal smoking is merely an index of some other factor that retards growth or that those counselled did not reduce their smoking sufficiently to influence outcome, cannot be excluded.</p>","PeriodicalId":75622,"journal":{"name":"British journal of preventive & social medicine","volume":"31 1","pages":"6-12"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1977-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1136/jech.31.1.6","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"12041120","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Cigarette smoking patterns during the working day.","authors":"T W Meade, N J Wald","doi":"10.1136/jech.31.1.25","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.31.1.25","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The rates at which people smoke cigarettes during different periods of the day were obtained from three occupational groups. Group 1 consisted of those working at the main London production site of a food processing factory, Group 2 consisted of those in the administrative offices of the same company; there are smoking restrictions at both. Group 3 consisted of workers in the offices of a London borough where there are no smoking restrictions. Replies were received from 3174 people, or 88% of those approached. There was a higher proportion on non-smokers (over 70%) among the two groups of office workers than among the food processing workers (about 55%). Smokers in Group 3 recorded somewhat higher average cigarette consumption than those in Groups 1 and 2. During different periods of the day, the maximum hourly rate of cigarette smoking was about three times the minimum rate. For Groups 1 and 2 the maximum rate was consistently during the interval between leaving work and going to bed. In contrast, the maximum rate for Group 3 was consistently during the afternoon, while at work, and the rate between leaving work and going to bed was similar to the rate for the day as a whole. Results will help in deciding the time of day at which blood for carboxyhaemoglobin estimations should be taken.</p>","PeriodicalId":75622,"journal":{"name":"British journal of preventive & social medicine","volume":"31 1","pages":"25-9"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1977-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1136/jech.31.1.25","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"12041117","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Self-administration of a questionnaire on chest pain and intermittent claudication.","authors":"G Rose, P McCartney, D D Reid","doi":"10.1136/jech.31.1.42","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.31.1.42","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A total of 18 403 men aged between 40 and 64 years took part in a screening examination which included a self-administered version of the London School of Hygiene questionnaire on chest pain and intermittent claudication. The yield of positives for \"angina\" and \"history of possible infarction\" was about twice as high as with interviewers, but the positive groups obtained by the two techniques differed little in their association with electrocardiographic findings or in their ability to predict five-year coronary mortality risk. This risk ranged from 0-9% in men negative to questionnaire and electrocardiograms (ECG), to 4-3% for those with positive ECG but no symptoms, 4-5% for those with angina and negative ECG, up to 16% for those with angina and positive ECG. The self-administered version of this questionnaire provides a simple and convenient means of identifying individuals with a high risk of major coronary heart disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":75622,"journal":{"name":"British journal of preventive & social medicine","volume":"31 1","pages":"42-8"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1977-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1136/jech.31.1.42","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"12041119","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Smoking in pregnancy: some notes on the statistical controversy.","authors":"H Goldstein","doi":"10.1136/jech.31.1.13","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.31.1.13","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The statistical evidence for a relationship between pregnancy smoking, birthweight, and perinatal mortality is critically examined. Some apparent discrepancies between and within different studies are resolved.</p>","PeriodicalId":75622,"journal":{"name":"British journal of preventive & social medicine","volume":"31 1","pages":"13-7"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1977-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1136/jech.31.1.13","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"12038752","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Academic performance and social factors related to cigarette smoking by schoolchildren.","authors":"B R Bewley, J M Bland","doi":"10.1136/jech.31.1.18","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.31.1.18","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Factors which may influence boys and girls aged between 10 and 121/2 years to start smoking were studied. Information was obtained from 491 schoolchildren, their parents, and headteachers. In their own view and that of their headteachers children who did not smoke were academically better than smokers. Children who smoked were more likely than non-smokers to have a parent and siblings of the same sex who smoked. No association was found between the child's own smoking and that of parents and siblings of the opposite sex. Smokers were more likely to have friends who smoked. Most children did not think smoking was enjoyable or desirable and many thought it bad for health, irrespective of their own smoking habits. The majority thought people of their own age smoked to show off.</p>","PeriodicalId":75622,"journal":{"name":"British journal of preventive & social medicine","volume":"31 1","pages":"18-24"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1977-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1136/jech.31.1.18","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"12038753","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}