Resource Guide about the Texas Medical Center for International Visitors. 2011-2012

Information and contacts for the multiple institutions in the Texas Medical Center. Created by the International Affairs Advisory Council (IAAC).

Evaluation of a pilot diabetes educational intervention using the American Diabetes Association's Risk Assessment form with the patrons of The Health Museum, Houston Texas

Diabetes Mellitus is not a disease, but a group of diseases. Common to all types of diabetes is high levels of blood glucose produced from a variety of causes. In 2006, the American Diabetes Association ranked diabetes as the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. The complications and consequences are serious and include nephropathy, retinopathy, neuropathy, heart disease, amputations, pregnancy complications, sexual dysfunction, biochemical imbalances, susceptibility and sensitivity to many other diseases and in some cases death. ^ The serious nature of diabetes mellitus and its complications has compelled researchers to devise new strategies to reach population segments at high risk. Various avenues of outreach have been attempted. This pilot program is not unique in using a health museum as a point of outreach. However health museums have not been a major source of interventions, either. Little information was available regarding health museum visitor demographics, visitation patterns, companion status and museum trust levels prior to this pilot intervention. This visitor information will improve planning for further interventions and studies. ^ This thesis also examined prevalence data in a temporal context, the populations at risk for diabetes, the collecting agencies, and other relevant collected data. The prevalence of diabetes has been rapidly increasing. The increase is partially explained by refinement of the definition of diabetes as the etiology has become better understood. Increasing obesity and sedentary lifestyles have contributed to the increase, as well as the burdensome increase on minority populations. ^ Treatment options are complex and have had limited effectiveness. This would lead one to conclude that prevention and early diagnosis are preferable. However, the general public has insufficient awareness and education regarding diabetes symptoms and the serious risks and complications the disease can cause. Reaching high risk, high prevalence, populations is challenging for any intervention. During its “free family Thursdays” The Health Museum (Houston, Texas) has attracted a variety of ethnic patrons; similar to the Houston and Harris County demographics. This research project explored the effectiveness of a pilot diabetes educational intervention in a health museum setting where people chose to visit. ^

Are free condoms associated with the frequent use of condoms among men who have sex with men?

Introduction. The National Behavioral HIV Surveillance (NHBS) is a self-reported cross-sectional survey that monitors the spread of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). The 2004 survey asked if the participant received a free condom, used it, and if receiving a free condom made him more likely to use a condom. The aim of this cross-sectional study is to examine the Houston MSA sub-dataset to determine if there was a self-expressed association between receiving a free condom and likelihood of using a condom at next intercourse, and to determine if the strength of that association varied by demographic subgroup.^ Methods. The Houston MSA 2004 NHBS had 502 participants who were men who have sex with men (MSM). The present analysis examined the answers to the questions: "In the past 12 months, have you received free condoms?" "Have you used any of the free condoms you received?" and "Did getting these free condoms make you more likely to use condoms during sex?".^ Results. Out of 502 participants, 500 answered the question about receiving free condoms, 406 (81.2%) answered all three questions, and 204 (50.2%) answered "yes" to all three questions. In the subgroup analyses, Hispanics were significantly less likely and men under 29 years of age were significantly more likely to report that their condom use behavior was influenced by receiving a free condom. ^ Conclusion. The effect of receipt of free condoms on likelihood of condom use varies by demographic subgroup, but these potentially important preliminary findings will require further investigation to validate them and further explicate the possible underlying dynamics.^