Publications of Tracy Falba    :recent first  combined  by tags listing:

%% Journal Articles   
@article{RefWorks:95,
   Author = {McKee, SA and Falba, T and O'Malley, SS and Sindelar, J and O'Connor,
             PG},
   Title = {Smoking status as a clinical indicator for alcohol misuse in
             US adults.},
   Journal = {Archives of internal medicine},
   Volume = {167},
   Number = {7},
   Pages = {716-721},
   Year = {2007},
   Month = {April},
   ISBN = {0003-9926 (Print)},
   ISSN = {0003-9926},
   url = {http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17420431},
   Keywords = {Adolescent; Adult; Alcohol Drinking/*epidemiology;
             Alcoholism/*epidemiology; Humans; Smoking/*epidemiology},
   Abstract = {BACKGROUND: Screening for alcohol use in primary care
             settings is recommended by clinical care guidelines but is
             not adhered to as strongly as screening for smoking. It has
             been proposed that smoking status could be used to enhance
             the identification of alcohol misuse in primary care and
             other medical settings, but national data are lacking. Our
             objective was to investigate smoking status as a clinical
             indicator for alcohol misuse in a national sample of US
             adults, following clinical care guidelines for the
             assessment of these behaviors. METHODS: Analyses are based
             on a sample of 42 374 US adults from the National
             Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions
             (Wave I, 2001-2002). Odds ratios (ORs), 95% confidence
             intervals (CIs), and test characteristics (sensitivity,
             specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and
             positive likelihood ratio of smoking behavior [daily,
             occasional, or former]) were determined for the detection of
             hazardous drinking behavior and alcohol-related diagnoses,
             assessed by the Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated
             Disabilities Interview Schedule-IV. RESULTS: Daily,
             occasional, and ex-smokers were more likely than never
             smokers to be hazardous drinkers (OR, 3.23 [95% CI,
             3.02-3.46]; OR, 5.33 [95% CI, 4.70-6.04]; OR, 1.19 [95% CI,
             1.10-1.28], respectively). Daily and occasional smokers were
             more likely to meet criteria for alcohol diagnoses (OR, 3.52
             [95% CI, 3.19-3.90] and OR, 5.39 [95% CI, 4.60-6.31],
             respectively). For the detection of hazardous drinking by
             current smoking (occasional smokers + daily smokers),
             sensitivity was 42.5%; specificity, 81.9%; positive
             predictive value, 45.3% (vs population rate of 26.1%); and
             positive likelihood ratio, 2.34. For the detection of
             alcohol diagnoses by current smoking, sensitivity was 51.4%;
             specificity, 78.0%; positive predictive value, 17.8% (vs
             population rate of 8.5%); and positive likelihood ratio,
             2.33. CONCLUSIONS: Occasional and daily smokers were at
             heightened risk for hazardous drinking and alcohol use
             diagnoses. Smoking status can be used as a clinical
             indicator for alcohol misuse and as a reminder for alcohol
             screening in general.},
   Doi = {10.1001/archinte.167.7.716},
   Key = {RefWorks:95}
}

@article{RefWorks:96,
   Author = {Falba, TA and Sindelar, JL},
   Title = {Spousal concordance in health behavior change},
   Journal = {Health Services Research},
   Volume = {43},
   Number = {1},
   Pages = {96-116},
   Year = {2008},
   ISSN = {0017-9124},
   url = {http://www.econ.duke.edu/},
   Keywords = {spouse; smoking; alcohol; exercise; preventive services;
             smoking-cessation; husbands; marriage; support; maintenance;
             patterns; families; history; model},
   Abstract = {Objective. This study examines the degree to which a married
             individual's health habits and use of preventive medical
             care are influenced by his or her spouse's behaviors. Study
             Design. Using longitudinal data on individuals and their
             spouses, we examine changes over time in the health habits
             of each person as a function of changes in his or her
             spouse's health habits. Specifically, we analyze changes in
             smoking, drinking, exercising, cholesterol screening, and
             obtaining a flu shot. Data Source. This study uses data from
             the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally
             representative sample of individuals born between 1931 and
             1941 and their spouses. Beginning in 1992, 12,652 persons
             (age-eligible individuals as well as their spouses) from
             7,702 households were surveyed about many aspects of their
             life, including health behaviors, use of preventive
             services, and disease diagnosis. Sample. The analytic sample
             includes 6,072 individuals who are married at the time of
             the initial HRS survey and who remain married and in the
             sample at the time of the 1996 and 2000 waves. Principal
             Findings. We consistently find that when one spouse improves
             his or her behavior, the other spouse is likely to do so as
             well. This is found across all the behaviors analyzed, and
             persists despite controlling for many other factors.
             Conclusions. Simultaneous changes occur in a number of
             health behaviors. This conclusion has prescriptive
             implications for developing interventions, treatments, and
             policies to improve health habits and for evaluating the
             impact of such measures.},
   Key = {RefWorks:96}
}