Article Abstract:
Suicide rates vary greatly by sex, age, and race. The highest suicide rates are found among adolescent and elderly white males. Since World War II, rates for adolescent white males have increased 200 percent and are still rising. For white males over 65 years of age, rates declined until 1981, but have since risen sharply. Preston has hypothesized that these increases are related to an overall decrease in the sense of well-being in these groups. Preston has suggested that conditions and resources for children have declined since World War II, while increasing for the elderly until the past few years. He associated these declines with a decreased sense of well-being and an increase in the suicide rate. This study examined whether suicide rates were related to well-being in these two groups. Suicide data were collected for these groups from the Annual Vital Health Statistics Report. Suicide rates were then compared with social factors that affect well-being, such as poverty and divorced parents for adolescents and poverty and health problems for the elderly. Results showed that suicide rates were correlated with poverty and family dissolution for white adolescent males, but not with Aid to Families with Dependent Children payments. Increased affluence and health care were found to be correlated with an increased sense of well-being in the elderly and decreased suicide rates since World War II, except for the increases seen in the past few years. These results indicate that economic security is important for maintaining a sense of well-being and possibly decreasing suicide rates. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
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Article Abstract:
Longitudinal use of neuroleptic drugs, benzodiazepines and antidepressants by nursing home elderly was studied from their admission, threemonths later and at discharge or end of study. About 17% of cohorts used neuroleptics during the three time points while a similar number were started on these drugs. Benzodiazepines were used by 21% from admission to the study and by 15% at three months and at the end point. Antidepressants were used by 5% during the three time periods while about 50% of those who took them on admission continued taking them at the end of the study.
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Article Abstract:
Algorithms were developed to predict the stature of white and black elderly individuals using knee height and buttocks-knee length in men and knee height and age in women. Knee height accounted for the majority of variance in stature for both sexes thus, a single equation was developed using knee height. The equations were validated based on performance and on the practicality of collection of the predictor variables.
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