Large Urban City Research Articles

Can age and sex explain the variation in COPD rates across large urban cities? A population study in Canada

To measure the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and determine the effect of age and sex on the variation in prevalence across major cities within the same country and health care system. We used the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) methodology to estimate the prevalence of COPD in adults aged ≥ 40 years in different Canadian cities. The study used interviewer-administered questionnaires on respiratory, smoking and occupational history, medication use and comorbidities. Post-bronchodilator spirometry was used to classify subjects. We determined the prevalence and severity of COPD with and without adjustments for age and sex distribution across different cities. The study population was 3042. Overall, 16.7% (95%CI 14.8-18.7) of study subjects met the criteria for Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) severity Stage 1 or higher. The prevalence according to the criteria for the lower limits of normal of the ratio forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity was 11.6% (95%CI 9.9-13.3). COPD prevalence varied by severity across site (P = 0.0025). After age-sex adjustment, the variation disappeared (P> 0.16). Age and sex differences account for most of the heterogeneity in COPD estimates across large cities within the same country. Adjustments for age and sex are essential in comparing COPD rates across the country.

Social contextual factors contributing to child and adolescent labor: an ecological analysis

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between social contextual factors and child and adolescent labor. METHODS: Population-based cohort study carried out with 2,512 families living in 23 subareas of a large urban city in Brazil from 2000 to 2002. A random one-stage cluster sampling was used to select families. Data were obtained through individual household interviews using questionnaires. The annual cumulative incidence of child and adolescent labor was estimated for each district. New child and adolescent labor cases were those who had their first job over the two-year follow-up. The annual cumulative incidence of child and adolescent labor was the response variable and predictors were contextual factors such as lack of social support, social deprivation, unstructured family, perceived violence, poor school quality, poor environment conditions, and poor public services. Pearson's correlation and multiple linear regression were used to assess the associations. RESULTS: There were selected 943 families corresponding to 1,326 non-working children and adolescents aged 8 to 17 years. Lack of social support, social deprivation, perceived violence were all positively and individually associated with the annual cumulative incidence of child and adolescent labor. In the multiple linear regression model, however, only lack of social support and perceived violence in the neighborhood were positively associated to child and adolescent labor. No effect was found for poor school quality, poor environment conditions, poor public services or unstructured family. CONCLUSIONS: Poverty reduction programs can reduce the contextual factors associated with child and adolescent labor. Violence reduction programs and strengthening social support at the community level may contribute to reduce CAL.

P2-S5.09 Transgenders and HIV: a literature review of HIV risk behaviours and prevalence rates

BackgroundTransgenders (TG) are a marginalised population that has been greatly impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The objective of this study is to review the current literature citing risk factors and...

Self-rated health among persons with spinal cord injury: What is the role of physical ability?

ObjectivesSelf-rated health (SRH) is a powerful concept that has greatly advanced our understanding of health and health outcomes. The SRH measure has become increasingly common in health research. Yet, puzzles remain about what shapes SRH ratings. The absence of knowledge is particularly acute in the context of disability. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between SRH and self-rated physical ability in a sample of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI).MethodsData from 140 eligible participants drawn from a study of life in the community after SCI were analyzed. The study, cross-sectional in design, was conducted in a large urban city in the mid-western United States. Basic statistics such as ANOVA and chi-square tests were performed as appropriate, and a multiple linear regression analysis modeled the relationship between SRH and physical ability adjusting for potential confounding variables.ResultsSelf-rated physical ability was significantly associated with SRH after controlling for relevant covariates (P < 0.001). An analysis of the interaction between physical ability and level of injury revealed that the relationship was significant for persons with paraplegia but not for persons with tetraplegia.ConclusionsThis study provides evidence that self-rated physical ability is an important factor associated with SRH for persons with SCI, but that the strength of the relationship depends on level of injury (paraplegia vs. tetraplegia). The challenge for future research is to replicate the study using a more comprehensive measure of physical ability and to ask how beliefs in one's ability to do those activities that are most meaningful and desired shape SRH. Only in this way will our understanding of the physical ability–SRH relationship be clarified.

Exploring the moderating effect of gender in the relationship between individuals' aspirations and career success among engineers in Peru

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to analyse the relationship between career success and individual career aspirations for engineers, and to test whether this differs according to gender. The primary hypothesis in this research is that gender does make a significant difference. Design/methodological/approach: The sample consists of 1011 engineers who graduated from a prestigious Peruvian college between 1998 and 2005. Female graduates constituted only 4% of the sample, which is similar to the national statistics for engineers in Peru during this period. The relationships were primarily tested using multiple regression and structural equation modelling analyses. Findings: Findings show a positive relationship between individual career aspirations and career success for men, but not necessarily for women; this supports the hypothesis that gender moderates this relationship. Females seek more secure career orientation than their male counterparts. In addition, females have shown that their career success is more related to feminine themes such as achieving ‘work–family balance’. The findings are in line with previously published results in other countries in which female engineers have career orientations with a preference for a balance between work and family as well as work stability. Research limitations/implications: The sample is limited to graduates from a single Peruvian college of engineering. Although the sample has similar demographic characteristic to a national population, a more heterogeneous sample is called for in a future research. Moreover, additional moderators should be incorporated, such as family background, residency (large urban cities vs. small villages) and perhaps other variables. Practical implications: Results can help Human Resource Managers to design better career plans, which consider gender in defining policies for the attraction and retention of competent female engineers.

Family and Western-Style Fast Food: Influences on Chinese College Students' Dairy Consumption

Intense competition in China's dairy product market requires international marketers to identify focused segments and plan strategies to satisfy these segments' specific consumption needs. The college students group in large urban cities is an important growing market. This new consumer group accepts Western food culture, spends a majority of family income, and is willing to accept a relativly high price. Our study uses questionnaires collected from college students in Beijing in 2007 to analyze the impacts of family eating habits and dining at Western style fast food on students' consumption of milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream. We found a significant and positive impact of family eating habits on dairy choices. Dining at Western style fast food restaurants reduces the likelihood of milk consumption but increases yogurt and ice cream consumption. College students' dairy consumption is affected by household size, gender, students' dairy product knowledge, health concerns, and distance to shopping centers.

Comparison of UK and US screening criteria for detection of retinopathy of prematurity in a developing nation

To determine the incidence, risk factors, and appropriateness of differing guidelines in developed nations for screening for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in a single nursery in a large urban city in southern Turkey. The records of 260 premature infants born ≤34 weeks in a single tertiary unit were retrospectively reviewed for ROP risk factors and diagnosis. Applicability of UK and US criteria were assessed by the use of receiver operating characteristic curves. ROP of any stage was present in 60 infants (23%); ROP requiring treatment was seen in 30 (11.5%). Univariate analysis showed a significant relationship among the following factors: gestational age, birth weight, total duration of supplemental oxygen, duration of mechanical ventilation, respiratory distress syndrome, anemia, and intraventricular hemorrhage (p < 0.0001). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed gestational age (p = 0.039), birth weight (p = 0.05), respiratory distress syndrome (p = 0.05), and anemia (p = 0.004) as independent predictors of ROP requiring treatment. Area under curve for gestational age alone for diagnosing stage 2 or greater ROP was 0.824 ± 0.03 (p = 0.0001) and for birth weight alone was 0.808 ± 0.03 (p = 0.0001). UK screening criteria detected all stage 2 and greater ROP; US screening criteria missed 2 infants with stage 2 ROP but detected all treatment-requiring disease. Adoption of these screening criteria would have reduced unnecessary examinations by either 21% (UK) or 37% (US). UK and US criteria improved the detection accuracy for ROP requiring treatment in Turkey and should be studied for other developing nations.

Knowledge of Substance Abuse Among High School Students in Jordan

The purpose a descriptive design was employed using a self-administrated questionnaire to collect the data from 400 high school students. A multistage, random sample was generated in selecting schools from the educational directorate located in a large urban city located in the north of Jordan. This city district contains 23 public secondary schools and serves 56.8% of the adolescents in the entire province. The results revealed the following: Students of both sexes were knowledgeable about aspects of substance abuse, including its harmful effects on the body and society and reported that even occasional or frequent use of cigarettes, alcohol, and other drugs was extremely harmful. A majority of the students perceived substance abuse as a problem, although the older students were more acutely aware than the younger group. However, the results revealed that the students lack in-depth knowledge of substance abuse. In addition, the adolescents consistently refer to Islamic principles forbidding use of intoxicants but mistakenly presume that mosques are sources for assistance regarding substance abuse. Policy makers, health workers, and religious leaders must collaborate to build structured educational programs and readily accessible, evidence-based treatment programs for adolescents. Given that young people constitute the majority of the Jordanian population and that drug trafficking is prevalent in the region, the implications of prevention programs are critical to maintaining gains in public health outcomes as well as economic progress and development in Jordan.

Impact: a case study examining the closure of a large urban fixed site needle exchange in Canada.

IntroductionIn 2008, one of the oldest fixed site needle exchanges in a large urban city in Canada was closed due to community pressure. This service had been in existence for over 20 years.Case DescriptionThis case study focuses on the consequences of the switch to mobile needle exchange services immediately after the closure and examines the impact of the closure on changes in risk behavior related to drug use, needle distribution and access to services The context surrounding the closure was also examined.Discussion and EvaluationAfter the closure of the fixed site exchange, access to needle exchange services decreased as evidenced by the sharp decline in numbers of clients reached, and the numbers of needles distributed and collected monthly. Reports related to needle reuse and selling of syringes suggest changes in risk behaviors. Thousands of needles remain unaccounted for in the community. To date, a new fixed site has not been found.ConclusionClosing the fixed site needle exchange had an adverse effect on already vulnerable clients and reduced access to comprehensive harm reduction services. While official public policy supports a fixed site, politicization of the issue has meant a significant setback for harm reduction with reduced potential to meet public health targets related to reducing the spread of blood borne diseases. This situation is unacceptable from a public health perspective.

Targeting Oral Language Development in High-Risk Preschoolers

Among risk factors associated with reading difficulties, poverty and underdeveloped oral language skills can be particularly detrimental to reading success. The City Early Reading First (CERF) project implemented a comprehensive curriculum, professional development, intensive mentoring, and home supports to enhance children's language, literacy, and cognitive skills. Participants (N = 75) were 4-year-old children and teaching staff from 8 Head Start classrooms in a large urban city in the Midwest. Within the larger project, CERF undertook an intervention—Language Enrichment Group (LEG)—that targeted at-risk preschoolers' oral language development, including vocabulary, discourse skills, and content knowledge. LEGs focused on deepening content knowledge, providing opportunities for language development, and fostering social skills. Whereas nearly half of all 4-year-olds were at risk for later reading difficulty according to fall Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test–III (PPVT) scores, only one fifth remained at ...

The Influence of Race and Ethnicity on Substance Use and Negative Activity Involvement among Monoracial and Multiracial Adolescents of the Southwest

This study examined predictors of substance use and negative activity involvement among a diverse sample of European American, African American, Hispanic, Native American, and multiracial early adolescents (n = 749) living in a large urban city in the Southwest United States. This study investigated a broad set of predictor variables that tap sociodemographic, peer, family, community, and school influences. Overall, findings from this study confirm that lifetime substance use remains high among youth of color. Of particular concern is this study's finding that multiracial adolescents are at elevated risk to use substances and engage in negative activities. The implications of this study for understanding how risk factors are influenced by race and other variables on different measures of problem behavior are discussed.

Nurse–patient communication barriers in Iranian nursing

Providing effective communication with patients is an essential aspect of nursing care. Understanding the barriers that inhibit nurse-patient communication can provide an opportunity to eliminate them. To investigate nurse-patient and environment-related communication barriers perceived by patients and nurses in Iranian nursing. A descriptive survey was carried out in three randomly selected educational hospitals in a large urban city in Iran. Data were collected by questionnaire; the study sample consisted of 61 patients and 75 nurses. Participants were asked to rate the importance of each communication barriers item. Finally, data were analysed using descriptive statistics, and to compare the perceived importance of communication barriers between patients and nurses, item means were calculated and the t-test for independent samples was applied. Similarities and differences between the two groups were identified. According to nurses' views, 'heavy nursing workload', 'hard nursing tasks' and 'lack of welfare facilities for nurses' were the main communication barriers. From patients' views, 'unfamiliarity of nurses with dialect', 'having contagious diseases' and 'sex differences between nurses and patients' were determined as the main communication barriers. The shared communication barriers were 'age difference', 'social class difference' and 'having contagious diseases'. It can be concluded that nursing managers and healthcare system planners should focus on eliminating or modifying the barriers stated by the two groups, particularly the shared ones. It is suggested that understanding the cultural aspects of nurse-patient communication barriers in various contexts can help nurses. The study relied on self-report by a limited sample of nurses and patients. The responses should now be tested by a larger sample and then by empirical research into actual practice in order to test whether the nurses' and patients' perceived ideas of communication barriers are substantiated.

Geographic-Time Distribution of Ambulance Calls in Singapore: Utility of Geographic Information System in Ambulance Deployment (CARE 3)

Pre-hospital ambulance calls are not random events, but occur in patterns and trends that are related to movement patterns of people, as well as the geographical epidemiology of the population. This study describes the geographic-time epidemiology of ambulance calls in a large urban city and conducts a time demand analysis. This will facilitate a Systems Status Plan for the deployment of ambulances based on the most cost effective deployment strategy. An observational prospective study looking at the geographic-time epidemiology of all ambulance calls in Singapore. Locations of ambulance calls were spot mapped using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology. Ambulance response times were mapped and a demand analysis conducted by postal districts. Between 1 January 2006 and 31 May 2006, 31,896 patients were enrolled into the study. Mean age of patients was 51.6 years (S.D. 23.0) with 60.0% male. Race distribution was 62.5% Chinese, 19.4% Malay, 12.9% Indian and 5.2% others. Trauma consisted 31.2% of calls and medical 68.8%. 9.7% of cases were priority 1 (most severe) and 70.1% priority 2 (moderate severity). Mean call receipt to arrival at scene was 8.0 min (S.D. 4.8). Call volumes in the day were almost twice those at night, with the most calls on Mondays. We found a definite geographical distribution pattern with heavier call volumes in the suburban town centres in the Eastern and Southern part of the country. We characterised the top 35 districts with the highest call volumes by time periods, which will form the basis for ambulance deployment plans. We found a definite geographical distribution pattern of ambulance calls. This study demonstrates the utility of GIS with despatch demand analysis and has implications for maximising the effectiveness of ambulance deployment.

Was/werevariation: A perspective from London

AbstractThis article presents a systematic analysis of morphosyntactic variation in London English, investigatingwas/werevariation in the speech of adolescents and elderly speakers in a multicultural inner London area and a less diverse outer London area. In outer London, dialect leveling to a mixedwas/weren'tsystem is well underway, as in many other areas of the U.K. Negativeweren'tis frequent and a grammaticalized invariantweren't ittag is developing. In inner London, variation in adolescent speech is strongly influenced by ethnicity, resulting in a lower overall frequency ofwasleveling and, in negative contexts, a mixed pattern of leveling to bothwasn'tandweren't. The patterns of variation of Anglo “heritage” inner London adolescents differ both from elderly speakers in the same area and from their peers in outer London. Our analysis confirms the need for socially realistic models of language change that take account of the social diversity of large multicultural urban cities.

U.S. School Performance, through a Glass Darkly (Again)

I suppose we must expect gloomy predictions about schools from those who have vested interests in depicting them as ruinous, but we shouldn't expect to see such from a place like the American Institutes for Research (AIR). But that's what we get from AIR's Gary Phillips and John Dossey of Illinois State University, authors of Counting on the Future: International Benchmarks for American School Districts (www.air.org). The report, like so many similar reports, begins with false premises and closes with an illogical conclusion. The premises are these: Large corporations locate their business in U.S. cities; foreign students attend U.S. schools; and U.S. businesses export goods and services to foreign Large urban need to know how their students stack up against peers in the nations with which the U.S. does business. This is especially important for students in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The students in these fields will allow our future generation [sic] to remain technologically innovative and economically competitive. (p. 4) It's hard to imagine a shorter paragraph containing more misinformation. Did BMW build a plant in South Carolina, Mercedes a plant in Alabama, and did Nissan move its U.S. headquarters to Tennessee because of these states' high math scores? Hardly. They built and moved because they got enormous tax breaks, no unions, and cheaper labor. Second, this report compares average scores in the U.S. and selected U.S. with average scores in other Such comparisons tell us nothing. Reports such as AIR's concentrate on the supply side of skills and ignore the demand side. Does the market demand more scientists and engineers? Hardly. The U.S. has three new native-born or permanent-resident scientists and engineers for every new scientific and engineering position being created. What the market wants is cheap scientists and engineers, which is no doubt why 65% of new graduates leave science and engineering within two years (Lowell and Saltzman 2006). Third, the recent Global Competitiveness Report 2008-2009 from the World Economic Forum (WEF) ranks the U.S. #1-again. Japan's kids were acing tests when A Nation at Risk was published 25 years ago and they continued to ace tests even as that nation sank into 15 years of economic recession and stagnation. The link between test scores and a nation's economic health simply isn't there. Does anyone--anyone!--think low test scores created the current crisis? If so, it would have to be the low scores of business school graduates on ethics tests. Phillips and Dossey use a linking technique that permits one to estimate how students from other nations would perform if they sat for our NAEP tests. The report first summarizes the U.S. generally against other nations participating in the math segment of TIMSS. Among the 25 nations participating at 4th grade, the U.S. is sixth with an estimated 37% of its students proficient or better on the 2007 NAEP. At 8th grade, the U.S. is 10th of 44 countries with 31% proficient. These rankings are the seeds of crisis? Interestingly, only four nations have a majority of students proficient at the 4th-grade level, only five manage it at 8th grade. Singapore is tops in both grades with 66% proficient at 4th grade, 73% proficient at 8th grade. At 8th grade, 14 nations have 5% or fewer proficient. Norway has 9%, Italy 18%, Sweden 21%, Scotland and New Zealand 22%. These countries are generally considered competitor nations. For four nations, including Saudi Arabia, the percent proficient rounds down to zero. The report then considers results from the TIMSS nations held up against large urban cities that had participated in the 2007 NAEP. Some that are often cited as horrible examples take their lumps here. Chicago has only 16% proficient at 4th grade, 13% proficient at 8th grade--but that's better than Norway's 9%. …

The contribution of children's advocacy centers to felony prosecutions of child sexual abuse

Objective To describe trends of felony sexual abuse prosecutions between 1992 and 2002 for two districts of a large urban city that differed primarily in their use of children's advocacy centers (CACs) for sexual abuse evaluations in children. Methods Aggregate data for two districts of a large urban city were provided from 1992 to 2002 from the district attorney's office, child protective services (CPS) agency, and all CACs serving both districts. Summary statistics were calculated over time and compared between both districts for ecologic trends using negative binomial regression. Results Over the time period of the study, substantiated reports of child sexual abuse declined: District 1 experienced a 59% decrease in the incidence of reports, while District 2 experienced a 49% decrease in the incidence of reports. Despite this decrease, felony prosecutions of child sexual abuse increased in District 1 (from 56.6 to 93.0 prosecutions/100,000 children, rate ratio 1.64, 95% CI 1.38–1.95), but did not significantly increase in District 2 (from 58.0 to 54.9 prosecutions/100,000 children, rate ratio 0.94, 95% CI 0.73–1.23); by 2002, the rate of felony prosecutions in District 1 was 69% greater (95% CI 37–109%) than the rate in District 2. In 1992, CACs in District 1 evaluated approximately 400 children, increasing to 1,187 children by 2002. The number of children evaluated by CACs in District 2 increased modestly from nearly 800 in 1992 to 1,000 in 2002. Conclusion Felony prosecutions of child sexual abuse doubled in a district where the use of CACs nearly tripled, while no increase in felony prosecutions of child sexual abuse was found in a neighboring district, where the use of CACs remained fairly constant over time. Practice implications Though many limitations exist when bringing together ecological data from different agencies, the strength of the association we observed between increased CAC use and increased felony prosecutions, and the stepwise fashion in which it occurred should support future research to confirm our findings and to delineate which attributes of CAC performance might impact the likelihood of prosecution of child sexual abuse.

Poster 007: Comparison of Oral Cancer Data Between Different Departments in an Urban Hospital Setting

Statement of Problem: Oral and maxillofacial surgeons have been treating head and neck cancer for several years. There has been a movement in the specialty towards bigger ablation and reconstructive cases, which is evident by the increasing number of fellowships in the specialty. This trend, however, is not evident in very large urban cities, specifically the Northeast. In addition, as OMFS increases in this arena, we have been met with increasing resistance by other surgical colleagues. Often the argument is that at larger institutions we are competing for a similar patient pool and not adding value to the hospital.

Discussions about self-obtained samples for HPV testing as an alternative for cervical cancer prevention

Objectives. Patient-collected samples for human papillomavirus (HPV) testing have shown promise, thus opening up a new possibility for cervical cancer screening. The purpose of this study was to explore women's beliefs about collecting their own samples for HPV testing instead of participating in conventional Pap testing.Methods. Three focus groups were conducted in diverse cities in Ontario, Canada. One group included women from a small under-serviced northern city, one included culturally diverse women from a large urban city, and one included culturally diverse women from a medium sized under-serviced city. Transcripts were coded using open and axial coding as well as focused coding procedures and were organized using qualitative software. The Health Belief Model (HMB) was used as a framework for designing the focus group guide and interpreting the results.Results. Six overriding themes were identified in the analysis: (1) need (and desire) for information about cervical cancer and HPV, (2) concerns about self-sampling, (3) perceived potential of self-sampling, (4) logistics remain unanswered, (5) need for education and promotion of self-sampling, and (6) need for options.Conclusion. The six themes were connected to some or all of the HBM components. In particular, self-sampling provides a different benefits-minus-barriers equation, which might make it a preferred screening option for some women.

Depression in the elderly: does family system play a role? A cross-sectional study.

BackgroundThe most common geriatric psychiatric disorder is depression. The role of family systems in depression among the elderly has not been studied extensively. It has been suggested that urbanization promotes nucleation of family systems and a decrease in care and support for the elderly. We conducted this study in Karachi, a large urban city of Pakistan, to determine the relationship between the type of family system and depression. We also determined the prevalence of depression in the elderly, as well as correlation of depression with other important socio-demographic variables.MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out in the premises of a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Questionnaire based interviews were conducted among the elderly people visiting the hospital. Depression was assessed using the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale.ResultsFour hundred subjects aged 65 and above were interviewed. The age of majority of the subjects ranged from 65 to 74 years. Seventy eight percent of the subjects were male. The prevalence of depression was found to be 19.8%. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the following were significant (p < 0.05) independent predictors of depression: nuclear family system, female sex, being single or divorced/widowed, unemployment and having a low level of education. The elderly living in a nuclear family system were 4.3 times more likely to suffer from depression than those living in a joint family system (AOR = 4.3 [95% CI = 2.4–7.6]).ConclusionThe present study found that residing in a nuclear family system is a strong independent predictor of depression in the elderly. The prevalence of depression in the elderly population in our study was moderately high and a cause of concern. The transition in family systems towards nucleation may have a major deleterious effect on the physical and mental health of the elderly.

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Conditions in the Astrodome Clinic After Hurricane Katrina

To report the physical medicine and rehabilitation (PMR) conditions seen in the Astrodome Clinic after Hurricane Katrina. Retrospective chart analysis from the county hospital-sponsored disaster-relief clinic in large urban city, including a study of 239 patients with 292 PMR conditions. The total number of patients seen in the Astrodome Medical Clinic was 11,245. The Astrodome database was reviewed for PMR condition diagnostic codes. A retrospective chart analysis was conducted, including date of visit, age, gender, ethnicity, and PMR diagnosis category. Descriptive statistics were obtained for the entire sample. chi2 or t tests were used to determine gender, age, or date-of-service predominance for the most common diagnostic categories. Mean +/- SD age was 45.7 +/- 14.3 yrs; 56% were women, 43% were men (1% unspecified), and 76% were African American. The majority (75%) of PMR conditions presented in the first week. Most frequent were swollen feet and legs (22%), leg pain and cramps (17%), headache (12%), and neck and back pain (10%). Persons with headaches were younger than those without (41.3 vs. 46.3 yrs, P = 0.048). Persons with neck and/or back pain were older than those without those conditions (51.3 vs. 44.8 yrs, P = 0.004). Women had more headaches (20.9%) than did men (6.7%, P = 0.002). There were no Caucasians with leg pain/cramps, whereas 20.2% of African Americans had this condition (P = 0.028). This study documents the time of clinic presentation and most frequent types of PMR conditions of patients treated in the Astrodome Clinic after a historic hurricane. Most PMR conditions were treated by PMR personnel during the first week. Thus, future disaster planning should include PMR professionals as early responders.