Digital Commons Network^™

Technical Assistance And Training For Procosi Operations Research Program, Bolivia, Fernando Gonzales Salguero, Ricardo Vernon

Reproductive Health

In September 1999, PROCOSI, a Bolivian network of 24 nongovernmental organizations that provide health services, invited the Population Council Frontiers in Reproductive Health (FRONTIERS) program to provide technical assistance for designing and conducting operations research aimed at increasing the quality and impact of their reproductive health programs. In collaboration with PROCOSI, FRONTIERS conducted four training workshops on design of operations research projects, qualitative research methods, utilization and dissemination of research results, and preparing research reports. Technical assistance on other topics, such as developing research instruments, creating databases, and using EpiInfo for transcribing and analyzing data was provided on-site to each …

Enquêtes D'Acceptation De Paiment Destinées À Déterminer Les Prix Des Produits Et Services Dans Le Domaine De La Santé De La Reproduction : Manuel De L'Utilisateur, Karen G. Fleischman Foreit, James R. Foreit

Reproductive Health

Les enquêtes d’acceptation de paiement (willingness to pay—WTP) permettent aux directeurs de programmes de simuler les changements intervenant dans la demande en raison des prix sans les modifier réellement, ce qui leur donne un moyen de prendre des décisions relatives à la détermination des prix sur la base d’informations empiriques. Le présent document décrit une méthode d’enquête simple qui donne une estimation de l’acceptation de paiement par les clients pour les biens et services, ce qui permet aux directeurs de prendre des décisions rationnelles dans ce domaine. Il présente les avantages et les précautions à prendre lors d’une enquête WTP. …

Understanding The Hiv/Sti Risks And Prevention Needs Of Men Who Have Sex With Men In Nairobi, Kenya, Washington Onyango-Ouma, Harriet Birungi, Scott Geibel

HIV and AIDS

Despite increasing awareness of the role men who have sex with men (MSM) can play in the dynamics of HIV transmission in Africa, research on MSM in Kenya has been limited. In response to this gap, researchers from the Institute of African Studies at the University of Nairobi and the Horizons and FRONTIERS programs of the Population Council undertook a study of MSM in Nairobi. The overall goals of the study were to understand the extent to which MSM are at risk of HIV and other STIs, identify the factors associated with risk behaviors, and identify MSM sexual health needs …

Trends In The Timing Of First Marriage Among Men And Women In The Developing World, Barbara Mensch, Susheela Singh, John B. Casterline

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The timing of first union merits investigation not only because of the close temporal link between marriage and the onset of childbearing, but also because the age when men and women marry has implications for the organization of family life and for gender relations within society. This paper begins by reviewing the contributions of various social science disciplines to an understanding of the timing of marriage. Using current status data from 73 countries provided by the United Nations Population Division and retrospective data from 52 Demographic and Health Surveys conducted between 1990 and 2001, we then examine recent trends in …

The Causes Of Stalling Fertility Transitions, John Bongaarts

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

An examination of fertility trends in countries with multiple DHS surveys found that in the 1990s fertility stalled in mid-transition in seven countries: Bangladesh, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Kenya, Peru, and Turkey. An analysis of trends in the determinants of fertility revealed a systematic pattern of leveling off or near leveling in a number of determinants, including contraceptive use, the demand for contraception, and wanted fertility. Findings suggest no major deterioration in contraceptive access during the stall, but levels of unmet need and unwanted fertility are relatively high and improvements in access to family planning methods would therefore be desirable. …

Accelerating Reproductive And Child Health Program Development: The Navrongo Initiative In Ghana, James F. Phillips, Ayaga A. Bawah, Fred N. Binka

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Successive global health and development agendas have been embraced by African governments—Alma Ata in 1978, the Bamako Initiative in 1987, the 1994 Cairo International Conference on Population and Development, and more recently the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)—only to be followed by widespread implementation failure. This paper presents an approach to program development in Ghana that is using research to accelerate policy implementation. Originally launched in 1994 as a participatory pilot project of the Navrongo Health Research Centre, a controlled experimental study was initiated in 1996 to assess the fertility and child-survival impact of alternative community health and family planning service …

The Effect Of Community Nurses And Health Volunteers On Child Mortality: The Navrongo Community Health And Family Planning Project, Brian Wells Pence, Philomena Nyarko, James F. Phillips, Cornelius Debpuur

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This report presents the child mortality impact of a trial of primary health-care service-delivery strategies in rural Ghana. After adjustment for sociodemographic factors, under-five mortality in areas with village-based community-nurse services fell by 16 percent during the five years of program implementation compared with mortality before the intervention. Reductions were observed in infant (6 percent), early child (20 percent), and late child (41 percent) mortality. Community involvement and training of a local health volunteer were associated with an 11 percent increase in mortality, primarily driven by a 124 percent increase in early child mortality. Areas with both nurses and volunteers …

Heart Rate Variability In Non-Apneic Snorers And Controls Before And After Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, Gregory J. Gates, Susan E. Mateika, Jason H. Mateika

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

We hypothesized that sympathetic nervous system activity (SNSA) is increased and parasympathetic nervous system activity (PNSA) is decreased during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep in non-apneic, otherwise healthy, snoring individuals compared to control. Moreover, we hypothesized that these alterations in snoring individuals would be more evident during non-snoring than snoring when compared to control.

Methods

To test these hypotheses, heart rate variability was used to measure PNSA and SNSA in 11 normotensive non-apneic snorers and 12 control subjects before and 7-days after adapting to nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP).

Results

Our results showed that SNSA was increased …

The Role Of Aromatase Inhibitors In Ameliorating Deleterious Effects Of Ovarian Stimulation On Outcome Of Infertility Treatment, Mohamed Fm Mitwally, Robert F. Casper, Michael P. Diamond

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Clinical utilization of ovulation stimulation to facilitate the ability of a couple to conceive has not only provided a valuable therapeutic approach, but has also yielded extensive information on the physiology of ovarian follicular recruitment, endometrial receptivity and early embryo competency. One of the consequences of the use of fertility enhancing agents for ovarian stimulation has been the creation of a hyperestrogenic state, which may influence each of these parameters. Use of aromatase inhibitors reduces hyperestrogenism inevitably attained during ovarian stimulation. In addition, the adjunct use of aromatase inhibitors during ovarian stimulation reduces amount of gonadotropins required for optimum …

Prevalence Of Obesity And Lack Of Physical Activity Among Kentucky Adolescents, Hatim A. Omar, Kristin Rager

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Lack of physical activity and overweight status continues to be a significant health problem in the United States. To assess the actual prevalence of these problems, we reviewed data from the School-based Health Promotion Centers in one middle school, and one High school in central Kentucky. A total of 232 6th graders and 607 9th graders were included. A total of 92% of 6th graders and 45% of 9th graders reported complete lack of regular exercise. 37% of 9th graders and 59% of 6th graders had inappropriate nutrition, 47% of 9th graders and 33% of 6th graders had Body Mass …

Développement D'Un Système D'Analyse D'Images Pour La Caractérisation Des Massifs Rocheux, John Hadjigeorgiou, Frank Lemy

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Depuis 1994, 352 accidents provoqués par l’impact d’une roche provenant directement du massif rocheux ont été constatés dans les mines souterraines du Québec (A.P.S.M., 2000). Ces accidents sont responsables d’invalidités temporaires ou permanentes et peuvent causer dans certains cas le décès de la victime.

Le problème majeur demeure la récolte d’informations fiables afin d’améliorer la conception des excavations souterraines. Une revue des différentes méthodes d’échantillonnage des faces rocheuses, effectuée par Hadjigeorgiou et al. (1995), a démontré que les relevés par traverses usuels permettent d’amasser l’essentiel de l’information structurale nécessaire: la position des discontinuités le long de la traverse, la longueur …

Prise En Charge Du Manganisme D’Origine Professionnelle : Consensus D’Un Groupe International D’Experts, Claude Ostiguy, Paul Asselin, Sylvain Malo, Daniel Nadeau, Philippe Dewals

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Click here for the English version of this report

Contexte

Au cours des dernières années, plusieurs travailleurs exposés aux fumées de manganèse ont développé des symptômes évoquant un manganisme d’origine professionnelle. La CSST (la Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail), qui est l’organisme d’indemnisation de la province de Québec, faisait face à une situation dans laquelle elle ne disposait pas de techniques normalisées pour la prévention primaire, secondaire et tertiaire du manganisme, menant à la possibilité d’un différend médico-légal, de même qu’à la possibilité d’iniquité pour les travailleurs et les employeurs.

Objectif

Grâce à la définition …

Management Of Occupational Manganism: Consensus Of An Experts' Panel, Claude Ostiguy, Paul Asselin, Sylvain Malo, Daniel Nadeau, Philippe Dewals

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Cliquez ici pour la version française de ce rapport

Contexte

Au cours des dernières années, plusieurs travailleurs exposés aux fumées de manganèse ont développé des symptômes évoquant un manganisme d’origine professionnelle. La CSST (la Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail), qui est l’organisme d’indemnisation de la province de Québec, faisait face à une situation dans laquelle elle ne disposait pas de techniques normalisées pour la prévention primaire, secondaire et tertiaire du manganisme, menant à la possibilité d’un différend médico-légal, de même qu’à la possibilité d’iniquité pour les travailleurs et les employeurs.

Objectif

Grâce à la définition …

Conception D’Un Intensimètre Économique Et Évaluation Préliminaire D’Un Nouveau Concept De Repérage Spatial Pour La Réalisation De Cartographie D’Intensité Acoustique, Michel Pearson, André L'Espérance

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Le défi proposé dans ce projet de recherche est de rendre l'intensimétrie acoustique accessible pour les intervenants en acoustique. Cet instrument permet de quantifier la puissance acoustique des sources pour parvenir à un plan d'intervention en acoustique efficace. Les contraintes majeures qui limitent l'utilisation de ce type d'appareil se situent au niveau du coût (plus de 30 000 $) et de la complexité d'utilisation. L'appareil développé dans le cadre de ce projet utilise des technologies moins onéreuses combinées à des corrections physiques et logicielles. Le niveau de performance obtenue est amplement suffisant pour le diagnostic acoustique en industrie. De plus, …

Développement D'Un Instrument De Mesure Pour Quantifier Les Postures Et Les Déplacements Du Tronc En Milieu De Travail, André Plamondon, Alain Delisle, Christian Larue, Pierre Desjardins, David Mcfadden, Christian Larivière, Denis Gagnon, Daniel Imbeau

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Le besoin de mesurer quantitativement les postures contraignantes qui contribueraient aux affections vertébrales en milieu de travail est un prérequis essentiel à l’évaluation des expositions mécaniques des travailleurs sur le terrain. Le présent projet visait le développement d’un outil de mesure capable de quantifier en milieu de travail les postures et les déplacements tridimensionnels du tronc lors d’activités de travail de longue durée. Un dosimètre de posture a été construit et se compose de quatre parties : un senseur du bas fixé sur le bassin, un senseur du haut fixé sur le thorax, une structure flexible munie d’un potentiomètre qui …

Gants De Protection : Étude Sur La Résistance Des Gants Aux Agresseurs Mécaniques Multiples, Toan Vu-Khanh, Thi Bich Nga Vu, C. Thang Nguyen, Jaime Lara

Rapports de recherche scientifique

L’objectif principal de ce projet était d’étudier les aspects fondamentaux reliés au comportement des matériaux de protection vis-à-vis des agresseurs mécaniques multiples comportant la coupure et la perforation. Une meilleure compréhension de ces phénomènes permettra aux fabricants de gants et de vêtements de protection de développer des nouveaux matériaux plus performants. Comme point de départ, des études très fouillées concernant les phénomènes de coupure et de perforation, traitées comme des sujets de recherche indépendants, ont été réalisées. Cette étape était primordiale vu le peu d’information existante concernant les recherches sur les mécanismes de coupure et de perforation. L’absence de méthodes …

Évaluation En Temps Réel De Vapeurs De Formaldéhyde, Brigitte Roberge, Rodrigue Gravel

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Certains agresseurs chimiques, tels le formaldéhyde, ont une valeur d’exposition admissible (VEA) à ne pas dépasser (valeur plafond). Or, la méthode d’évaluation couramment utilisée en hygiène du travail nécessite un grand volume et une longue durée de prélèvement sur un milieu collecteur. Elle est mieux adaptée pour évaluer une exposition de longue durée qu’une valeur plafond. Dans une telle situation, l’utilisation d’instruments à lecture directe permet une évaluation instantanée en temps réel. Par contre, l’interprétation des lectures exige beaucoup de vigilance, car la présence concomitante d’autres substances peut induire des lectures erronées.

Les caractéristiques physiques de certains instruments à lecture …

Étude De La Problématique Santé Et Sécurité Du Travail Des Opérateurs Du Métro Et Des Possibilités De Réaménagement Des Loges De Conduite, Marie Bellemare, Sylvie Beaugrand, Danièle Champoux, Christian Larue, Paul Massicotte, Maud Gonella

Rapports de recherche scientifique

À la suite d’une demande des partenaires sociaux d’une grande entreprise de transport public, préoccupés par les niveaux vibratoires auxquels sont exposés les opérateurs de métro et par le siège inadéquat installé dans l’espace restreint de la loge de conduite, deux études ont été menées en parallèle. La première étude¹, objet du présent rapport, est une recherche exploratoire en deux volets : le premier vise à mieux définir la problématique de santé et de sécurité des opérateurs du métro alors que le second se concentre sur les possibilités d’améliorer le poste de conduite des trains construits il y …

Développement D’Une Banque De Données De Facteurs De Friction De Ventilation Pour Les Mines Québécoises, Charles Gagnon, Kostas Fytas

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Ce rapport est une synthèse des résultats obtenus dans le cadre d’une campagne de cueillette de facteurs de friction « K » dans les mines métalliques souterraines québécoises. L’objectif principal de ce projet était la mise sur pied d’une banque de données détaillée des facteurs K calculés lors de cette campagne et d’y inclure l’ensemble des facteurs K qui ont été publiés dans le passé ailleurs dans le monde. De ce fait, 137 facteurs K ont été mesurés dans 10 mines métalliques du Québec : Beaufor (Val-Senneville), Bell-Allard (Matagami), Bouchard- Hébert (Rouyn-Noranda), Doyon, (Rouyn-Noranda), Laronde (Cadillac), Louvicourt (Louvicourt), Géant-Dormant (Amos), …

A Legal Remedy For Homophobia: Finding A Cure In The International Right To Health, Michael Boucai

Journal Articles

This article argues that the international right to health obligates governments to combat homophobia. Part One presents the powerful evidence that stigma, prejudice, and violence directed toward lesbian and gay people drastically endanger their physical and mental well-being. Part Two defends an expansive interpretation of the international right to health. Applying this interpretation, Part Three proposes that gay men and lesbians are entitled to demand that their governments to eliminate all public and much private discrimination against gay men and lesbians, and requires them to combat homophobia through education and other positive efforts. Acknowledging that this obligation is unlikely to …

Willingness-To-Pay For Services Provided By The Clinical Services Improvement Project (Csi) In Egypt, John H. Bratt, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Magdi A. Ibrahim, Mohammed Edress

Reproductive Health

Willingness-to-pay (WTP) surveys are increasingly used in reproductive health programs to predict the impact of price changes on revenues, utilization, and client profile. The FRONTIERS program worked with the Clinical Services Improvement (CSI) project and the Cairo Demographic Center to carry out a WTP survey in six CSI clinics in Egypt. The survey found that most clients would be willing to pay higher prices for CSI services, and WTP did not vary much by client economic status. However, predictive validity was low when all reasons for client discontinuation were included. WTP surveys have the potential to be useful tools for …

Improving Access To Long-Term Contraceptives In Rural Guatemala Through The Ministry Of Health, Edwin Montufar, Carlos Morales, Ricardo Vernon, Carlos Brambila, Jorge Solorzano

Reproductive Health

The purpose of this study was to test a model to train nurse auxiliaries at health centers and posts in Guatemala and to determine whether these providers could deliver adequate, cost-effective services. The training model consisted of: a) selection of nurse auxiliaries; b) two-day group training; c) on-the-job training, including work with actual clients at the trainees’ work centers; and d) certification of trainees who had conducted at least five quality insertions under supervision. This study has shown that nonprofessional health providers can effectively provide quality IUD services in Guatemala. The main recommendation derived from the project is to scale …

Expanding Access To Vasectomy Services In The Ministry Of Health Of Guatemala, Blanca De Rodriguez, Ricardo Vernon, Jorge Solorzano

Reproductive Health

This project tested the effectiveness of a systemic model for introducing vasectomy in service delivery units of the Guatemalan Ministry of Health (MOH), which has four basic components: a) the self-selection of health units according to their response to an invitation to participate in the project; b) the development of a counseling and information model for potential clients; c) training and sensitizing of health teams; and d) on-site training of surgeons. The report concludes that the introduction model for vasectomy in the MOH centers was successful. A high proportion of hospitals that identified vasectomy candidates finished the process, and the …

Feasibility Of Introducing A Comprehensive Package Of Antenatal Care Services In Rural Public Clinics In South Africa, Jane Chege, Ian Askew, Nzwakie Mosery, Mbali Ndube-Nxumalo, Busi Kunene, Mags Beksinska, Janet Dalton, Ester Snyman, Wilem Sturm, Preshny Moodley

Reproductive Health

The Maternal, Child and Women’s Health Unit, in collaboration with the Population Council’s FRONTIERS in Reproductive Health (FRONTIERS) program, the Reproductive Health Research Unit of the University of Witwatersrand, and the Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases of the Nelson Mandela School of Medicine, University of Natal, developed and then pilot-tested this revised model in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The project’s objective was to develop and test an improved and integrated antenatal care program for public-sector clinics that would increase the range and quality of services received by pregnant women and improve their reproductive health behavior and status. Various problems, …

Using Systematic Screening To Increase Integration Of Reproductive Health Services Delivery In Senegal, Diouratie Sanogo, Ricardo Vernon, James R. Foreit, Awa M. Coll-Seck, Colonel Adama Adoye, Laty G. Ndoye, Cheikh Bamba Diop, Balla Mbacke Mboup, Omar Sarr

Reproductive Health

This study tested the systematic screening technique to increase the integration of reproductive health services in Senegal. The study took place in four urban health posts in the city of Dakar and three rural health posts in the district of Kebemer. A before and after design tested the hypothesis that the use of the systematic screening tool would result in more services received per client visit. In Dakar, services per visit increased significantly by 20 percent, while in Kebemer, services per visit also increased significantly by 35 percent. The study also examined several techniques to improve provider compliance with the …

Importance De L’Organisation Du Travail Comme Soutien Aux Stratégies Protectrices Des Auxiliaires Familiales Et Sociales Afs Et Des Infirmières Des Services De Soins Et De Maintien À Domicile. Annexe 1 : Rapport De L'Étude Du Clsc 1, Esther Cloutier, Élise Ledoux, François Ouellet, Madeleine Bourdouxhe, Isabelle Gagnon, Hélène David, Catherine Teiger

Rapports de recherche scientifique

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of The Impact Of A Social Norms Campaign On The Alcohol Use Of Undergraduate Students At A Public, Urban University, Amanda B. Wattenmaker

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To conduct a secondary analysis of survey data collected at a large, urban university assessing for change in students' alcohol use perceptions and behaviors between 2002 and 2004. After the baseline data collection in 2002, the campus launched an intensive media intervention to normalize low-risk drinking. Simultaneously, the campus shifted from being a primarily commuter to primarily residential. Methods: This cross-sectional analysis used data collected from students in randomly selected undergraduate classes in February 2002 (n= 662) and 2004 (n=1334). The survey instrument used was the National College Health Assessment. Variables were categorized as demographic, alcohol perception, and alcohol …

The Incidence And Prevalance Of Cervical Cancer In Vietnamese Women (1993-1995): A Analysis Of Seer Reported Cases, Thuy Do

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Cervical cancer is the third most common reproductive cancer in the U.S. To date, one report concluded that U.S. Vietnamese women had the highest incidence rate (43.0/100,000). The current study examines whether U.S. Vietnamese women are more likely to have cervical cancer in comparison to Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, American Indians, and other Asian subgroups. Methods: SEER data of cervical cancers diagnosed from 1993-1995 (n = 37,790) was utilized. Using SPSS, chi-square statistics assessed whether Vietnamese women were older and more likely to be married or diagnosed at a later stage. Logistic regression assessed the amount of risk race/ethnicity contributes …

The Effectiveness Of Back Belts As A Control Measure For Occupational Low Back Pain In A Retail Hardware Chain, Nick Merdith

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of the mandatory introduction of back belts on the incidence, days lost and cost of occupational low back injuries resulting from manual handling in 11 retail hardware chain. The study was of a non-experimental before-and-after design with all retail employees in Western Australia being included in a retrospective cohort. The pre-intervention period extended for 21 months and included 2,265,933 work hours with 647 full-time equivalent positions, while the intervention period was 32 months for 4,411,352 hours worked and 827 full-time equivalent positions. Workers' compensation claims for all occupational injuries occurring …

Hearing Sensitivity Among Anniston Army Depot Workers., Melissa W. Norman

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.