Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Male Circumcision For Hiv Prevention: Current Evidence And Implementation In Sub-Saharan Africa, Richard G. Wamai, Brian J. Morris, Stefan A. Bailis, David Sokal, Jeffrey D. Klausner, Ross Appleton, Nelson Sewankambo, David A. Cooper, John Bongaarts, Guy De Bruyn, Alex D. Wodak, Joya Banerjee

Richard G. Wamai

Heterosexual exposure accounts for most HIV transmission in sub-Saharan Africa, and this mode, as a proportion of new infections, is escalating globally. The scientific evidence accumulated over more than 20 years shows that among the strategies advocated during this period for HIV prevention, male circumcision is one of, if not, the most efficacious epidemiologically, as well as cost-wise. Despite this, and recommendation of the procedure by global policy makers, national implementation has been slow. Additionally, some are not convinced of the protective effect of male circumcision and there are also reports, unsupported by evidence, that non-sex-related drivers play a major …

State-Level Influences On Buprenorphine Utilization: Variations In Opioid Addiction Treatment, Lisa M. Lines Mph, Robin E. Clark Phd

Lisa M. Lines

Research Objective: Buprenorphine is a medication used to treat opioid addiction. Physicians are required to have special Drug Enforcement Agency certification to prescribe buprenorphine. Although it is more accessible and potentially safer than methadone, the leading opioid addiction treatment modality, there appear to be state-to-state variations in rates of buprenorphine adoption and use. The purpose of this study was to identify state-level influences on the volume of buprenorphine prescribed, using a limited set of supply and demand measures. Study Design: We developed a database using data on buprenorphine prescribing and factors hypothesized to influence variations in prescribing obtained from the …

Building Capacity And Recruiting For Hiv Epidemiologic Studies With African, Caribbean And Other Black Communities In Understudied Urban-Rural Locales: The Blacch Study, Shamara M. Baidoobonso, Greta Bauer

Shamara M Baidoobonso, PhD

London reportedly has Ontario’s 3rd-highest HIV infection rate, and a small (2.2%) but growing African, Caribbean and other Black (ACB) population. Although targeted for HIV prevention efforts, ACB people are hard to reach for research and programming, especially in London and similar urban-rural locales with few ACB-specific resources. In Canada’s ACB population, HIV is most commonly spread through heterosexual contact, yet cultural and religious norms often discourage discussions about sex or sexuality. Homophobia, racism and stigma discourage ACB people from seeking information about HIV/AIDS. In addition, few researchers have worked with local ACB communities; trust is lacking between ACB communities …

Hiv Prevention Needs Of African, Caribbean And Other Black Men And Women: Findings From The Blacch Study Interviews, Shamara M. Baidoobonso, Daniel Pugh

Shamara M Baidoobonso, PhD

BACKGROUND: Definitions of masculinity and femininity and gender roles impact how individuals access, interpret and use HIV prevention messages in African, Caribbean and other Black (ACB) communities. These differences must be considered when designing prevention interventions. OBJECTIVE: To explore sex-based differences in ACB peoples’ HIV prevention needs. METHODS: Using a community-based approach, a purposive sample of 22 ACB community members (CM) and 8 service providers (SP) in London, Ontario was interviewed about health. Respondents represented a cross-section of ACB communities and SPs serving these communities. HIV-specific topics included: awareness, perceived risk, risk behaviours, barrier to accessing services and service needs. …

Spatial Distribution Of Commercial Banks In Ilorin Metropolis, Kwara State, Nigeria, I B. Abdullahi, M A. Ijaiya, A Abdulraheem, R I. Abdulkadir, R O. Ibrahim

Confluence Journal of Environmental Studies (CJES), Kogi State University, Nigeria

The spatial distribution of banks in any geographic entity determines the level of accessibility to its services by the public. This study examined the pattern of banks distribution in Ilorin metropolis. Field survey was employed in determining the number of available commercial banks and their respective distances between each other. The spatial analysis technique such as the nearest neighbour analysis as used ascertain the degree of clustering, density and the average distance taken to access these services. The study revealed that about 96% of the total number of banks are situated in the Central Business District which exhibited a very …

Factors Related To Poor Practice Of Pap Smear Screening Among Secondary School Teachers In Malaysia, Tin Tin Su

Tin Tin Su

Introduction: The Pap smear test has been regarded as a promising cervical screening tool since 1940s. Yet its importance has been overlooked by beneficiaries in Malaysia. This underlines the need to identify the prevalence of Pap smear practice and influencing factors towards the practice among educated working women. Methods: A survey was conducted with 403 female teachers from 40 public secondary schools in Malaysia selected by cluster random sampling. Data were collected from January to March 2010 using a self-administered questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify the factors related to the Pap smear practice. Results: The rate for …

Postpartum Screening For Diabetes Among Women With A History Of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, Lisa Chasan-Taber, A Tovar, E Eggleston, E Oken

Lisa Chasan-Taber

Introduction To make recommendations for future clinical, public health, and research practices for women with abnormal glucose tolerance during pregnancy, we reviewed the latest evidence regarding rates of postpartum diabetes screening and types of screening tests. Methods We searched PubMed for journal articles published from January 2008 through December 2010 that reported on postpartum screening and studies designed to prevent progression to type 2 diabetes among women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Two authors independently reviewed titles and abstracts from 265 articles. Results From 34% to 73% of women with GDM completed postpartum glucose screening. Predictors of higher screening rates …

Feasibility And Efficacy Of A Physical Activity Intervention Among Pregnant Women: The Behaviors Affecting Baby And You (B.A.B.Y.) Study, Lisa Chasan-Taber, Marushka Silveira, Bess H. Marcus, Barry Braun, Edward Stanek, Glenn Markenson

Lisa Chasan-Taber

Background: Physical activity during pregnancy is associated with reduced risk of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. However, the majority of pregnant women are inactive and interventions designed to increase exercise during pregnancy are sparse. We evaluated the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an exercise intervention among a diverse sample of pregnant women. Methods: The B.A.B.Y. (Behaviors Affecting Baby and You) Study is conducted at a large tertiary care facility in Western Massachusetts. We randomized 110 prenatal care patients (60% Hispanic) to an individually tailored 12-week exercise intervention arm (n = 58) or to a health and wellness control arm (n …

Caffeinated Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee And Endometrial Cancer Risk: A Prospective Cohort Study Among U.S. Postmenopausal Women, Ayush Giri, Susan R. Sturgeon, Nicole Luisi, Elizabeth Bertone-Johnson, Raji Balasubramanian, Katherine W. Reeves

Raji Balasubramanian

There is plausible biological evidence as well as epidemiologic evidence to suggest coffee consumption may lower endometrial cancer risk. We evaluated the associations between self-reported total coffee, caffeinated coffee and decaffeinated coffee, and endometrial cancer risk using the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study Research Materials obtained from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Biological Specimen and Data Repository Coordinating Center. Our primary analyses included 45,696 women and 427 incident endometrial cancer cases, diagnosed over a total of 342,927 person-years of follow-up. We used Cox-proportional hazard models to evaluate coffee consumption and endometrial cancer risk. Overall, we did not find …

An Exploratory Study Of Treated-Bed Nets In Timor-Leste: Patterns Of Intended And Alternative Usage, Andrew A. Lover, Brett A. Sutton, Angelina J. Asy, Annelies Wilder-Smith

Andrew Lover