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Objective: Social support and life chaos have been inversely associated with increased risk of HIV infection. The purpose of this study was to explore among a sample of HIV-negative methamphetamine-using men who have sex with men (MSM) the association between engaging in transactional sex, life chaos, and low social support. Methods: HIV-negative methamphetamine-using MSM completed an online questionnaire between July and October 2012 about recent substance use and sexual behavior. Bivariate and multivariate tests were used to obtain statistically significant associations between demographic characteristics, engaging in transactional sex, life chaos, and the participants' perception of their social support. Results: Of the 325 participants, 23.7% reported engaging in transactional sex, 45.2% reported high life chaos, and 53.5% reported low perceived social support. Participants who engaged in transactional sex were more likely to have high life chaos than participants who did not (aOR = 1.70, 95% CI = [1.01, 2.84]); transactional sex was not associated with social support. Participants with high life chaos were more out about their sexual orientation (aOR = 2.29, 95% CI = [1.18, 4.42]) and more likely to perceive they had low social support (aOR = 3.78, 95% CI = [2.31, 6.22]) than participants with low life chaos. Non-Latinos perceived they had less social support than Latinos (aOR = 0.48, 95% CI = [0.25, 0.92]). Conclusions: Methamphetamine-using MSM engaging in transactional sex experience more life chaos than those who do not engage in transactional sex. Outness, perceived social support, and ethnicity are associated with life chaos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A case-comparison study was carried out in 1972 to determine the characteristics of users and nonusers of child health services. A sample of 529 mothers with children under five years of age (eligible children) residing in one poor barrio in Cali, Colombia was selected. The characteristics of mothers and their eligible children were described in relation to their use or nonuse of health services and a set of indicators was developed which differentiated the nonuser group from the user group. A two-stage sampling technique was used. First, blocks in the barrio were sampled, and second, an equal number of mothers with eligible children who used and who did not use services in the year prior to the study were selected for interview. Nonusers were matched with users on distance from home to local health center, The set of indicators which best discriminated the groups was: the number of eligible children, age of mother, access to free medical care, the action proneness score (attitudes), and knowledge of health, illness, and services. The study method permitted identification of the target population for services, determination of current patterns of use, and quantification of morbidity and immunization levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A response is presented by G.A. Donker and colleagues to the comments of S.J.C. Taylor on their article "Low birth weight and blood pressure at age 7-11 years in a biracial sample," in a previous issue.

Maternal mortality is often used to measure health and well-being for women. Improved surveillance efforts can improve maternal mortality estimates and inform the development of strategies to address the needs of maternal and child health populations. The purpose of this study was to provide better estimates of maternal mortality in Texas by using enhanced surveillance methods. Results from our analyses of fetal death and live birth records in Texas from 2000 through 2006 were then linked to pregnancy-related death records and death records of women of childbearing age (15-44 years) in Texas from 2001 through 2006. Enhanced surveillance identified almost 3.5 times as many deaths that might be associated with pregnancy than do current methods and confirmed a persistent race/ethnicity trend in maternal mortality. The leading cause of these 2001-2006 pregnancy-associated deaths was accidents. Enhanced surveillance allows the identification of additional deaths possibly associated with pregnancy and provides a stable foundation to investigate trends further and to review maternal mortality cases systematically.

The Breast Health Global Initiative 2007 emphasized education and cultural values for promoting breast cancer screening in developing countries. This cross-sectional study investigated if educational level and cultural beliefs affect breast cancer screening practices in 152 women 40 years or older in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Women with a higher (>12 years) educational level were more likely to know about breast self-examination (BSE; OR(adj), 95%CI = 22, 6.39-76.76), to know about mammograms (6, 2.49-15.70), and to practice BSE (3, 1.27-6.83) compared with those with a lower educational level. Breast cancer screening practices or knowledge was not affected by perceiving barriers to having mammograms.