Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Genome-Wide Joint Meta-Analysis Of Snp And Snp-By- Smoking Interaction Identifies Novel Loci For Pulmonary Function, Dana B. Hancock, Maria Soler Artigas, Sina A. Gharib, Amanda Henry, Ani Manichaikul, Adaikalavan Ramasamy, Daan W. Loth, Medea Imboden, Beate Koch, Wendy L. Mcardle, Albert V. Smith, Joanna Smolonska, Akshay Sood, Wenbo Tang, Jemma B. Wilk, Guangju Zhai, Jing Hua Zhao, Hugues Aschard, Kristen M. Burkart, Ivan Curjuric, Mark Eijgelsheim, Paul Elliott, Xiangjun Gu, Tamara B. Harris, Christer Janson, Georg Homuth, Pirro G. Hysi, O. Dale Williams

Department of Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Genome-wide association studies have identified numerous genetic loci for spirometic measures of pulmonary function, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV₁), and its ratio to forced vital capacity (FEV₁/FVC). Given that cigarette smoking adversely affects pulmonary function, we conducted genome-wide joint meta-analyses (JMA) of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and SNP-by-smoking (ever-smoking or pack-years) associations on FEV₁ and FEV₁/FVC across 19 studies (total N = 50,047). We identified three novel loci not previously associated with pulmonary function. SNPs in or near DNER (smallest P_JMA =5.00×10⁻¹¹), HLA-DQB1 and HLA-DQA2 (smallest P …

Relationship Of Omega-3 Fatty Acids On C-Reactive Protein And Homocysteine In Haitian And African Americans With And Without Type 2 Diabetes, Fatma G. Huffman, Joan A. Vaccaro, Joel C. Exebio, Sahar Ajabshir, Gustavo G. Zarini, Lemia H. Shaban

Department of Dietetics and Nutrition

Background: Omega-3 fatty acids (n-3) may be protective of cardiovascular risk factors for vulnerable populations. The purpose of this study was to assess the association between n-3 with, C-reactive protein (CRP), and homocysteine (HCY) in Black minorities with and without type 2 diabetes.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 406 participants: Haitian Americans (HA): n=238. African Americans (AA): n=172. Participants were recruited from a randomly generated mailing lists, local diabetes educators, community health practitioners and advertisements from 2008-2010. Sociodemographics and anthropometrics were collected and used to adjust analyses. All dietary variables were collected using the semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire …

Alterations In Glutathione Levels And Apoptotic Regulators Are Associated With Acquisition Of Arsenic Trioxide Resistance In Multiple Myeloma, Shannon M. Matulis, Alejo A. Morales, Lucy Yehiayan, Kelvin P. Lee, Yong Cai, Lawrence H. Boise

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Arsenic trioxide (ATO) has been tested in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma with limited success. In order to better understand drug mechanism and resistance pathways in myeloma we generated an ATO-resistant cell line, 8226/S-ATOR05, with an IC50 that is 2–3-fold higher than control cell lines and significantly higher than clinically achievable concentrations. Interestingly we found two parallel pathways governing resistance to ATO in 8226/S-ATOR05, and the relevance of these pathways appears to be linked to the concentration of ATO used. We found changes in the expression of Bcl-2 family proteins Bfl-1 and Noxa as well as an increase in cellular glutathione (GSH) …

Prognostic Value Of Stress Myocardial Perfusion Positron Emission Tomography: Results From A Multicenter Observational Registry, Sharmila Dorbala, Marcelo F. Di Carli, Rob S. Beanlands, Micheal E. Merhinge, Brent A. Williams, Emir Veledar, Benjamin Jw Chow, James K. Min, Michael J. Pencina, Daniel S. Berman, Leslee J. Shaw

Department of Biostatistics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Women With High-Risk Pregnancies, Problems, And Apn Interventions, Dorothy Brooten, Joanne M. Youngblut, Deborah Donahue, Margaret Hamilton, Jean Hannan, Donna Felber Neff

Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Purpose

To (a) describe women’s prenatal and postpartum problems and advanced practice nurses (APN) interventions; and (b) determine if problems and APN interventions differed by women’s medical diagnosis (diabetes, hypertension, preterm labor).

Design and Methods

Content analysis of 85 interaction logs created by APNs during a randomized clinical trial in which half of physician-provided prenatal care was substituted with APN-provided prenatal care in the women’s homes. Patients’ problems and APN interventions were classified with the Omaha Classification System.

Findings

A total of 212,835 health problems and 212,835 APN interventions were identified. The dominant antenatal problems were physiologic (59.2%) and health-related …

Image Guided Biodistribution Of Drugs And Drug Delivery, Hong Ding, Fang Wu

HWCOM Faculty Publications

Image guided technique is playing an increasingly important role in the investigation of the biodistribution and pharmacokinetics of drugs or drug delivery systems. The application of these new materials and techniques with combined properties of diagnosis and therapy can benefit the development of targeted drug delivery system and modern personalized medicine This special issue provides an up-to-date collection of original research articles and review on the development of novel targeted drug and drug delivery systems combining with non-invasive image guided techniques for chemotherapeutic reagents or DNA delivery.

Image Guided Biodistribution And Pharmacokinetic Studies Of Theranostics, Hong Ding, Fang Wu

HWCOM Faculty Publications

Image guided technique is playing an increasingly important role in the investigation of the biodistribution and pharmacokinetics of drugs or drug delivery systems in various diseases, especially cancers. Besides anatomical imaging modalities such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), molecular imaging strategy including optical imaging, positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) will facilitate the localization and quantization of radioisotope or optical probe la-beled nanoparticle delivery systems in the category of theranostics. The quantitative meas-urement of the bio-distribution and pharmacokinetics of theranostics in the fields of new drug/probe development, diagnosis and treatment process monitoring as …

Perinatal And Pediatric Issues In Palliative And End-Of-Life Care From The 2011 Summit On Compassionate Care, Joanne M. Youngblut, Dorothy Brooten

Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences

More than 25,000 infants and children die in US hospitals annually; 86% occur in the NICU or PICU. Parents see the child’s pain and suffering and, near the point of death, must decide whether to resuscitate, limit medical treatment and/or withdraw life support. Immediately after the death parents must decide whether to see and/or hold the infant/child, donate organs, agree to an autopsy, make funeral arrangements, and somehow maintain functioning. Few children and their families receive pediatric palliative care services, especially those from minority groups. Barriers to these programs include lack of services, difficulty identifying the dying point, discomfort in …

Living With Uncertainty: Acting In The Best Interests Of Women, Erica Gollub, Zena Stein

HWCOM Faculty Publications

A recent multi-country study on hormonal contraceptives (HC) and HIV acquisition and transmission among African HIV-serodiscordant couples reported a statistically significant doubling of risk for HIV acquisition among women as well as transmission from women to men for injectable contraceptives. Together with a prior cohort study on African women seeking health services, these data are the strongest yet to appear on the HC-HIV risk. This paper will briefly review the Heffron study strengths and relevant biological and epidemiologic evidence; address the futility of further trials; and propose instead an alternative framework for next steps. The weight of the evidence calls …

Epidemiologic Features Of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis Among Reproductive-Age Women In India, Sujit D. Rathod, Jeffrey D. Klausner, Karl Krupp, Arthur R. Rhinegold, Purnima Madhivanan

HWCOM Faculty Publications

Background. Vulvovaginal candidiasis is characterized by curd-like vaginal discharge and itching, and is associated with considerable health and economic costs. Materials and Methods. We examined the incidence, prevalence, and risk factors for vulvovaginal candidiasis among a cohort of 898 women in south India. Participants completed three study visits over six months, comprised of a structured interview and a pelvic examination. Results. The positive predictive values for diagnosis of vulvovaginal candidiasis using individual signs or symptoms were low (<19%). We did not find strong evidence for associations between sociodemographic characteristics and the prevalence of vulvovaginal candidiasis. Women clinically diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis had a higher prevalence of vulvovaginal candidiasis (Prevalence 12%, 95% CI 8.2, 15.8) compared to women assessed to be negative for bacterial vaginosis (Prevalence 6.5%, 95% 5.3, 7.6); however, differences in the prevalence of vulvovaginal candidiasis were not observed by the presence or absence of laboratory-confirmed bacterial vaginosis. Conclusions. For correct diagnosis of vulvovaginal candidiasis, laboratory confirmation of infection with Candida is necessary as well as assessment of whether the discharge has been caused by bacterial vaginosis. Studies are needed of women infected with Candida yeast species to determine the risk factors for yeast’s overgrowth.

Epidemiologic Features Of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis Among Reproductive-Age Women In India, Sujit Rathod, Jeffrey D. Klausner, Karl Krupp, Arthur L. Reingold, Purnima Madhivanan

Department of Epidemiology

Background. Vulvovaginal candidiasis is characterized by curd-like vaginal discharge and itching, and is associated with considerable health and economic costs. Materials and Methods. We examined the incidence, prevalence, and risk factors for vulvovaginal candidiasis among a cohort of 898 women in south India. Participants completed three study visits over six months, comprised of a structured interview and a pelvic examination. Results. The positive predictive values for diagnosis of vulvovaginal candidiasis using individual signs or symptoms were low (<19%). We did not find strong evidence for associations between sociodemographic characteristics and the prevalence of vulvovaginal candidiasis. Women clinically diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis had a higher prevalence of vulvovaginal candidiasis (Prevalence 12%, 95% CI 8.2, 15.8) compared to women assessed to be negative for bacterial vaginosis (Prevalence 6.5%, 95% 5.3, 7.6); however, differences in the prevalence of vulvovaginal candidiasis were not observed by the presence or absence of laboratory-confirmed bacterial vaginosis. Conclusions. For correct diagnosis of vulvovaginal candidiasis, laboratory confirmation of infection with Candida is necessary as well as assessment of whether the discharge has been caused by bacterial vaginosis. Studies are needed of women infected with Candida yeast species to determine the risk factors for yeast’s overgrowth.

Use Of Evidence To Support Healthy Public Policy: A Policy Effectiveness–Feasibility Loop, Sarah Bowman, Nigel Unwin, Julia Critchley, Simon Capewell, Abdullatif Husseini, Wasim Maziak, Shahaduz Zaman, Habiba Ben Romdhane, Fouad Fouad, Peter Phillmore, Belgin Unal, Rana Khatib, Azza Shoaimi, Balsam Ahmad

Department of Epidemiology

Public policy plays a key role in improving population health and in the control of diseases, including non-communicable diseases. However, an evidence-based approach to formulating healthy public policy has been difficult to implement, partly on account of barriers that hinder integrated work between researchers and policy-makers. This paper describes a “policy effectiveness–feasibility loop” (PEFL) that brings together epidemiological modelling, local situation analysis and option appraisal to foster collaboration between researchers and policy-makers. Epidemiological modelling explores the determinants of trends in disease and the potential health benefits of modifying them. Situation analysis investigates the current conceptualization of policy, the level of …

Why Most Biomedical Findings Echoed By Newspapers Turn Out To Be False: The Case Of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Francois Gonon, Jan-Pieter Konsman, David Cohen, Thomas Boraud

School of Social Work

Context: Because positive biomedical observations are more often published than those reporting no effect, initial observations are often refuted or attenuated by subsequent studies. Objective: To determine whether newspapers preferentially report on initial findings and whether they also report on subsequent studies. Methods: We focused on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Using Factiva and PubMed databases, we identified 47 scientific publications on ADHD published in the 1990s and soon echoed by 347 newspapers articles. We selected the ten most echoed publications and collected all their relevant subsequent studies until 2011. We checked whether findings reported in each ‘‘top 10’’ publication …

Magneto-Electric Nano-Particles For Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation, Kun Yue, Rakesh Guduru, Jeongmin Hong, Ping Liang, Madhavan Nair, Sakhrat Khizroev

HWCOM Faculty Publications

This paper for the first time discusses a computational study of using magneto-electric (ME) nanoparticles to artificially stimulate the neural activity deep in the brain. The new technology provides a unique way to couple electric signals in the neural network to the magnetic dipoles in the nanoparticles with the purpose to enable a non-invasive approach. Simulations of the effect of ME nanoparticles for non-invasively stimulating the brain of a patient with Parkinson’s Disease to bring the pulsed sequences of the electric field to the levels comparable to those of healthy people show that the optimized values for the concentration of …

Relationship Of Lifestyle Medical Advice And Non-Hdl Cholesterol Control Of A Nationally Representative Us Sample With Hypercholesterolemia By Race/Ethnicity, Joan A. Vaccaro, Fatma G. Huffman

Department of Dietetics and Nutrition

Objective: The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the associations of lifestyle medical advice and non-HDL cholesterol control of a nationally representative US sample of adults with hypercholesterolemia by race/ethnicity.

Methods: Data were collected by appending sociodemographic, anthropometric, and laboratory data from two cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Survey (2007-2008 and 2009-2010). This study acquired data from male and female adults aged ≥ 20 years (N = 11,577), classified as either Mexican American (MA), (), other Hispanic (OH) (), Black non-Hispanic (BNH) (), or White non-Hispanic (WNH) ().

Results: Minorities were more likely to report having …

Use Of Hemoglobin A1c To Detect Haitian-Americans With Undiagnosed Type 2 Diabetes, Joel C. Exebio, Gustavo G. Zarini, Joan Vaccaro, Cristobal Exebio, Fatma G. Huffman

Department of Dietetics and Nutrition

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the validity of hemoglobin A1C (A1C) as a diagnostic tool for type 2 diabetes and to determine the most appropriate A1C cutoff point for diagnosis in a sample of Haitian-Americans. SUBJECTS AND METHODS:

Subjects (n = 128) were recruited from Miami-Dade and Broward counties, FL. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was run in order to measure sensitivity and specificity of A1C for detecting diabetes at different cutoff points.

RESULTS: The area under the ROC curve was 0.86 using fasting plasma glucose ≥ 7.0 mmol/L as the gold standard. An A1C cutoff point of 6.26% had sensitivity of …

Cultural Competency Observation Tool, David R. Brown, Tim Spruill, Agueda Hernandez, Luther Brewster, Michel Celestin, Barry Nierenberg, Rodolfo Bonnin, Siri Akal, Cheryl Brewster, Mitchell Hammer, Simar Singh, Bryan Page

HWCOM Faculty Publications

This observational assessment rubric includes rating of the elements of patient centered communication defined in the Kalamazoo Consensus Statement regarding patient centered communication: These are augmented with sections that highlight factors that emerged in our observations specific to intercultural communication such as language and interpreters, nonverbal communication, mental and social issues with a large cultural overlay (mental health, pain, and disability). In addition, the tool incorporates issues specific to the medical context such as professional competence and professional regard. The rubric is also informed by the developmental model of intercultural sensitivity and Dreyfus's phenomenology of skill acquisition with skill levels …

Examining The Determinants Of Sexual Violence Among Young, Married Women In Southern India, Karuna S. Chibber, Karl Krupp, Nancy Padian, Purnima Madhivanan

Department of Epidemiology

The prevalence of sexual violence is increasingly being studied in India. Yet the determinants of sexual violence, irrespective of physical violence, remain largely unexplored. Here the authors identify the determinants of sexual violence, and additionally, explore how the presence of physical violence modifies these determinants. A cross-sectional analysis is conducted using baseline data from a longitudinal study involving young married women attending reproductive health clinics in Southern India. A multivariable logistic regression analysis is conducted to first identify determinants of sexual violence and then repeated after stratifying elements based on presence or absence of physical violence identified from participants’ reports. …

Ventajas Y Desventajas Del Bilinguismo [Advantages And Disadvantages Of Bilingualism], Alfredo Ardilla

Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences

No abstract provided.

Television Watching, Diet Quality, Physical Activity And Diabetes Among Three Ethnicities In The United States, Fatma G. Huffman, Joan A. Vaccaro, Joel C. Exebio, Gustavo G. Zarini, Timothy Katz, Zisca Dixon

Department of Dietetics and Nutrition

Diabetes is a world-wide epidemic associated with multiple environmental factors. Prolonged television viewing (TV) time has been related to increased risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes in several studies. TV viewing has been positively associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors, lower energy expenditure, over-eating high-calorie and high-fat foods. The objective of this study was to assess the associations of hours of TV viewing with dietary quality, obesity and physical activity for three ethnic minorities with and without type 2 diabetes. Diet quality and physical activity were inversely related to prolonged TV viewing. African Americans and participants with type 2 …

A Complex Multilevel Attack On Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Algt/U Expression And Algt/U Activity Results In The Loss Of Alginate Production, Robert Sautter, Damaris Ramos, Lisa Schneper, Oana Ciofu, Tina Wassermann, Arne Heydron, Morton Hentzer, Niels Hoiby, Arsalan Kharazmi, Soren Molin, Caroline A. Devries, Dennis E. Ohman, Kalai Mathee

HWCOM Faculty Publications

Infection by the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality seen in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. This is mainly due to the genotypic and phenotypic changes of the bacteria that cause conversion from a typical nonmucoid to a mucoid form in the CF lung. Mucoid conversion is indicative of overproduction of a capsule-like polysaccharide called alginate. The alginate-overproducing (Alg+) mucoid phenotype seen in the CF isolates is extremely unstable. Low oxygen tension growth of mucoid variants readily selects for nonmucoid variants. The switching off mechanism has been mapped to the algT/U locus, and the molecular …

Identification Of Conserved Splicing Motifs In Mutually Exclusive Exons Of 15 Insect Species, Patricia Buendia, John Tyree, Robert Laredo, Shu-Ning Hsu

School of Computing and Information Sciences

Background: During alternative splicing, the inclusion of an exon in the final mRNA molecule is determined by nuclear proteins that bind cis-regulatory sequences in a target pre-mRNA molecule. A recent study suggested that the regulatory codes of individual RNA-binding proteins may be nearly immutable between very diverse species such as mammals and insects. The model system Drosophila melanogaster therefore presents an excellent opportunity for the study of alternative splicing due to the availability of quality EST annotations in FlyBase.

Methods: In this paper, we describe an in silico analysis pipeline to extract putative exonic splicing regulatory sequences from a multiple …

Review Of The History And Current Status Of Cell-Transplant Approaches For The Management Of Neuropathic Pain, Mary J. Eaton, Yerko Berrocal, Stacey Q. Wolfe, Eva Widerström-Noga

HWCOM Faculty Publications

Treatment of sensory neuropathies, whether inherited or caused by trauma, the progress of diabetes, or other disease states, are among the most difficult problems in modern clinical practice. Cell therapy to release antinociceptive agents near the injured spinal cord would be the logical next step in the development of treatment modalities. But few clinical trials, especially for chronic pain, have tested the transplant of cells or a cell line to treat human disease. The history of the research and development of useful cell-transplant-based approaches offers an understanding of the advantages and problems associated with these technologies, but as an adjuvant …

Health Problems And Apn Interventions In Pregnant Women With Diabetes, Dorothy Brooten, Joanne M. Youngblut, Jean Hannan, Frank Guido-Sanz, Donna Felber, Wannee Deoisres

Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences

The purpose of this study was to compare health problems and advanced practice nursing (APN) interventions in two types of APN care provided to 41 childbearing women with diabetes. The study’s design involved content analysis of interaction logs containing the process of APN care during two clinical trials: 1) APN care was added to physician care (n = 22); and, 2) half of physician care was substituted with APN care (n = 19). Women’s’ health problems and APN interventions were classified using the Omaha System’s Problem Scheme and Intervention Scheme. The women, in the study, had a mean age of …

The Regulatory Repertoire Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Ampc Ss-Lactamase Regulator Ampr Includes Virulence Genes, Deepak Balasubramania, Lisa Schneper, Massimo Merighi, Roger Smith, Giri Narasimhan, Stephen Lory, Kalai Mathee

HWCOM Faculty Publications

In Enterobacteriaceae, the transcriptional regulator AmpR, a member of the LysR family, regulates the expression of a chromosomal β-lactamase AmpC. The regulatory repertoire of AmpR is broader in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic pathogen responsible for numerous acute and chronic infections including cystic fibrosis. In addition to regulating ampC, P. aeruginosa AmpR regulates the sigma factor AlgT/U and production of some quorum sensing (QS)-regulated virulence factors. In order to better understand the ampR regulon, we compared the transcriptional profile generated using DNA microarrays of the prototypic P. aeruginosa PAO1 strain with its isogenic ampR deletion mutant, PAOΔampR …

Perceived Stress And Self‑Rated Health Of Haitian And African Americans With And Without Type 2 Diabetes, Fatma G. Huffman, Joan A. Vaccaro, Sahar Ajabshir, Gustavo G. Zarini, Joel C. Exebio, Zisca Dixon

Department of Dietetics and Nutrition

Background: Blacks have a higher incidence of diabetes and its related complications. Self-rated health (SRH) and perceived stress indicators are associated with chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to examine the associations between SRH, perceived stress and diabetes status among two Black ethnicities.
Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study included 258 Haitian Americans and 249 African Americans with (n = 240) and without type 2 diabetes (n = 267) (N = 507). Recruitment was performed by community outreach.
Results: Haitian-Americans were less likely to report ‘fair to poor’ health as compared to African Americans [OR=0.58 (95% CI: …

Interactive Effects Of Morphine On Hiv Infection: Role In Hiv-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder, Pichili Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy, Sudheesh P. Kanthikeel, Shailendra K. Saxena, Madhavan P.N. Nair

HWCOM Faculty Publications

HIV epidemic continues to be a severe public health problem and concern within USA and across the globe with about 33 million people infected with HIV. The frequency of drug abuse among HIV infected patients is rapidly increasing and is another major issue since injection drug users are at a greater risk of developing HIV associated neurocognitive dysfunctions compared to non-drug users infected with HIV. Brain is a major target for many of the recreational drugs and HIV. Evidences suggest that opiate drug abuse is a risk factor in HIV infection, neural dysfunction and progression to AIDS. The information available …

Potential For Cell-Transplant Therapy With Human Neuronal Precursors To Treat Neuropathic Pain In Models Of Pns And Cns Injury: Comparison Of Hnt2.17 And Hnt2.19 Cell Lines, Mary J. Eaton, Yerko Berrocal, Stacey Q. Wolfe

HWCOM Faculty Publications

Effective treatment of sensory neuropathies in peripheral neuropathies and spinal cord injury (SCI) is one of the most difficult problems in modern clinical practice. Cell therapy to release antinociceptive agents near the injured spinal cord is a logical next step in the development of treatment modalities. But few clinical trials, especially for chronic pain, have tested the potential of transplant of cells to treat chronic pain. Cell lines derived from the human neuronal NT2 cell line parentage, the hNT2.17 and hNT2.19 lines, which synthesize and release the neurotransmitters gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and serotonin (5HT), respectively, have been used to evaluate …

Are Marginalized Women Being Left Behind? A Population-Based Study Of Institutional Deliveries In Karnataka, India, Paul C. Adamson, Karl Krupp, Bhavana Niranjankumar, Alexandra H. Freeman, Mudassir Khan, Purniman Madhivanan

HWCOM Faculty Publications

Background

While India has made significant progress in reducing maternal mortality, attaining further declines will require increased skilled birth attendance and institutional delivery among marginalized and difficult to reach populations.

Methods

A population-based survey was carried out among 16 randomly selected rural villages in rural Mysore District in Karnataka, India between August and September 2008. All households in selected villages were enumerated and women with children 6 years of age or younger underwent an interviewer-administered questionnaire on antenatal care and institutional delivery.

Results

Institutional deliveries in rural areas of Mysore District increased from 51% to 70% between 2002 and 2008. …

Factors Influencing Chinese Male's Willingness To Undergo Circumcision: A Cross-Sectional Study In Western China, Xiaobo Yang, Abu S. Abdullah, Bo Wei, Junjun Jiang, Wei Deng, Bo Qin, Weili Zhang, Qianqiu Wang, Chaohui Zhong, Qian Wang, Yuhua Ruan, Yunfeng Zou, Peiyan Xie, Fumei Wei, Na Xu, Hao Liang

Department of Epidemiology

Background

Male circumcision (MC) has been shown to reduce the risk of female to male transmission of HIV. The goal of this survey was to explore the acceptability of MC among the Chinese and to identify factors associated with circumcision preference.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted between September 2009 and December 2010. We interviewed 2,219 male community participants, from three high HIV prevalence provinces in western China. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on MC knowledge, willingness to accept MC, reasons to accept or refuse MC, and sexual behaviors and health. For those who refused MC, a …