Minnesota

The purpose of this study was to collect descriptive information on a large number of children, adolescents and young adults who had committed suicide. The medical examiner's records for deaths of persons 25 and under from non-natural causes were reviewed; 656 youth suicides were identified. Children, adolescents and young adults who committed suicide were most likely to be older males with a current psychiatric disorder, usually an affective disorder or alcohol or drug abuse. Suicides appeared to be impulsive and triggered by age-normative precipitants. Sex, age and cohort differences are presented. Results are evaluated in light of previous research.

Vertebral fractures are the classic hallmark of osteoporosis, yet little is known of their epidemiology. The incidence of clinically diagnosed vertebral fractures was therefore directly assessed in the predominantly white (European descent) population of Rochester, Minnesota. Altogether, 341 Rochester residents were radiologically diagnosed for the first time with one or more vertebral fractures in the 5 year study period, 1985–1989. The overall age- and sex-adjusted incidence rate was 117 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI, 105 to 130). The age-adjusted rate in women (145 per 100,000 person-years) was almost twice that in men (73 per 100,000 person-years). Of all fractures, 47 (14%) followed severe trauma, 282 (83%) followed moderate or no trauma, and 12 (3%) were pathologic. Incidence rates for fractures following moderate trauma were higher in women than in men and rose steeply with age in both genders. In contrast, fractures following severe trauma were more frequent in men, and their incidence increased less with age. These Rochester rates are greater than those previously reported from studies in Britain and Sweden but lower than the incidence rates extrapolated from a prevalence study in this population.

BACKGROUND Low levels of physical activity (PA) and highly sedentary leisure habits (SLH) in youth may establish behavioral patterns that will predispose youth to increased chronic disease risk in adulthood. The purpose of this paper was to examine associations of demographic and psychosocial factors with self-reported PA and SLH in young adolescents. METHODS A general linear mixed model predicted self-reported PA and SLH in the spring from demographic and psychosocial variables measured the previous fall in 3798 seventh grade students. RESULTS PA and SLH differed by race, with Caucasian students reporting among the highest PA and lowest SLH. Perceptions of higher academic rank or expectations predicted higher PA and lower SLH. Depressive symptomatology predicted higher SLH scores but not PA. Higher self-reported value of health, appearance, and achievement predicted higher PA and lower SLH in girls. Girls who reported that their mothers had an authoritative parenting style also rep...

The University of Minnesota School of Dentistry launched its new dental therapy program in September 2009 after the Minnesota state legislature had authorized the training and practice of a dental therapist in May of the same year. The creation of this mid-level dental provider is seen as a workforce solution to help address the problem of access to dental care experienced by some members of our society. However, there is a lack of consensus and even controversy in organized dentistry about dental therapy, one of the mid-level provider models. This study explored the attitudes and perceptions of dental school faculty members who have been tasked to prepare these new dental therapists to do their work. Focus groups were conducted with a randomly selected group of faculty members, the results of which were used to develop a survey of faculty members in all departments of the school. A total of 151 faculty members responded to the survey: 68 percent of these respondents were fifty-one ...

PURPOSE This descriptive, comparative study was conducted to examine characteristics, services, models and opinions among collaborative dental hygiene practitioners in New Mexico and Minnesota. METHODS A self-designed online questionnaire, distributed via SurveyMonkey®, was utilized to collect data from 73 subjects who met the inclusion criteria. A multi-phase administration process was followed. Content validity and reliability was established. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis of 6 research questions. The Mann-Whitney U, Pearson Chi-Square and Fisher's Exact tests were employed to analyze 4 null hypotheses (p=0.05). RESULTS Most participants (n=36) were experienced clinicians who chose to work in an alternative setting after 28 years or more in the field and reported increased access to care as the reason for practicing collaboratively. A variety of services were offered and private insurance and Medicaid were accepted, although many practitioners did not receive d...

It was hypothesized that base rate differences in the number of complaints made during daylight and nighttime hours were responsible for a previously reported, nonlinear relationship between temperature and domestic violence. This hypothesis was tested by subjecting calls for service in 1987 and 1988 in Minneapolis, to moderator-variable regression analyses with controls for time of day, day of the week, season, and their interactions as well as linear trend, major holidays, public school closings, the first day of the month, and other weather variables. Temporal variables explained 75% of the variance in calls for service. As hypothesized, the base rate artifact was responsible for an apparent downturn in violence at high temperatures: Fewer complaints were received during afternoon hours, because they happen to be the warmest time of the day. The results were interpreted in terms of routine activity theory.

Vertebral fractures are the classic hallmark of osteoporosis, yet little is known of their epidemiology. The incidence of clinically diagnosed vertebral fractures was therefore directly assessed in the predominantly white (European descent) population of Rochester, Minnesota. Altogether, 341 Rochester residents were radiologically diagnosed for the first time with one or more vertebral fractures in the 5 year study period, 1985–1989. The overall age- and sex-adjusted incidence rate was 117 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI, 105 to 130). The age-adjusted rate in women (145 per 100,000 person-years) was almost twice that in men (73 per 100,000 person-years). Of all fractures, 47 (14%) followed severe trauma, 282 (83%) followed moderate or no trauma, and 12 (3%) were pathologic. Incidence rates for fractures following moderate trauma were higher in women than in men and rose steeply with age in both genders. In contrast, fractures following severe trauma were more frequent in men, and their incidence increased less with age. These Rochester rates are greater than those previously reported from studies in Britain and Sweden but lower than the incidence rates extrapolated from a prevalence study in this population.

To learn whether the healthcare costs for patients of various care delivery systems are associated with the quality of ambulatory care received. Despite intense interest in the cost and quality of healthcare delivery in the United States, there have been relatively few studies of the relationship between those measures, and none have addressed the relationship for integrated care delivery systems. Results of a retrospective analysis of claims records for overall costs of care for enrollees of 18 care delivery systems were compared with a variety of quality measures for each system. We analyzed the yearly (1996-1998) claims records of 110,000 to 150,000 employees and dependents of member companies of an employer coalition in Minnesota that received all of their medical services from 18 care systems that had at least 1,000 employees and dependents. Overall case-mix and inflation-adjusted costs of care for enrollees of each care system were compared with 21 ambulatory care process-orie...

To compare the effect of acupuncture to a standard-of-care (control) group on pain, nausea, anxiety, and ability to cope. 
. Pilot randomized, controlled trial. 
. Abbott Northwestern Hospital, a large, urban, tertiary care hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
. 30 adult women undergoing surgery for breast cancer.
. Women were randomly assigned to two hospital-based acupuncture treatments versus usual care after breast cancer surgery. Pain, nausea, anxiety, and the patient's ability to cope pre- and post-treatment were compared within and between groups at two different time points postoperatively. 
. Mean change in pain, nausea, anxiety, and ability to cope by treatment group.
. Compared to women assigned to the control group, women who received acupuncture reported a statistically significant greater reduction in pain, nausea, anxiety, and increase in ability to cope on the first postoperative day and in pain on the second postoperative day following mastectomy surgery.
. Acupu...