Diseases Commons^™

Sustainable Antenatal Care Services In An Urban Indigenous Community: The Townsville Experience, Kathryn S. Panaretto, Melvina R. Mitchell, Lynette Anderson, Sarah L. Larkins, Vivienne Manessis, Petra G. Buettner, David Watson

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objective: To evaluate the impact of a sustained, community-based collaborative approach to antenatal care services for Indigenous women.

Design: Prospective quality improvement intervention, the Mums and Babies program, in a cohort of women attending Townsville Aboriginal and Islanders Health Service, 1 January 2000 – 31 December 2005 (MB group), compared with a historical control group (PreMB group), 1 January 1998 – 30 June 1999.

Main outcome measures: Proportion of women having inadequate antenatal care and

screening; perinatal indicators. Results: Thenumberofantenatalvisitsperpregnancyincreasedfromthree

(interquartilerange[IQR],twotosix)inthePreMBgrouptosix(IQR,fourtoten)inthe MB group (P < 0.001). There were significant improvements in care planning, completion of cycle-of-care, and antenatal education activities throughout the study period. About 90% of all women attending for antenatal care were screened for sexually transmitted diseases, 89% had measurement of haemoglobin level, and serological tests for hepatitis B and syphilis (minimum antenatal screening). There was increased attendance for dating and morphology scans. In the MB group compared with the PreMB group, there was a significant reduction in perinatal mortality (14 v 60 per 1000 births; P=0.014). Conclusion: Sustained access to a community-based, integrated, shared antenatal service has improved perinatal outcomes among Indigenous women in Townsville.

A Relationship Between Us Healthcare Worker Smallpox Vaccination Rates In 2003 And Presidential Election Results In 2004, F. Matthew Mihelic, David G. Schultz Jr., Melinda R. Mihelic

Faculty Publications

A statistical relationship exists between state per capita smallpox vaccination rates of healthcare workers in 2003 and state presidential election results in 2004. The potential implications of political influence on national biosecurity decision making are discussed.

Eight Key Household Practices Of Integrated Management Of Childhood Illnesses (Imci) Amongst Mothers Of Children Aged 6 To 59 Months In Gambat, Sindh, Pakistan, Ajmal Agha, Muhammad Younus, Muhammed Masood Kadir, Sajid Ali, Zafar Fatmi

Community Health Sciences

Objective:

To determine Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) regarding eight key integrated management of childhood illness (IMCI) suggested practices and the association of these key practices with stunting as outcome.

Methods:

Sampling proportionate to sub-population sizes was employed to ensure representation from all the Union Councils of taluka Gambat-Sindh.

Results:

Low female education and mobility show the status of child's first care provider in a typical rural community. Few women knew about giving more food to a child suffering from diarrhoea. Moreover, very few exclusively breastfed their children for first 4-6 months, got their children completely immunized, washed hands before …

Repeatability Of Serial Carotid Intima Media Thickness Scanning On Individual Subjects, Judi Nightingale

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background. Heart disease affects millions of Americans each year. In order to improve primary prevention, early risk identification is essential. B-mode ultrasound of the common carotid artery (CCA) intima-media thickness (IMT) assesses risk of a coronary event early in the process of plaque development. Because IMT changes are so small over time, in order to determine clinically significant versus clinically insignificant changes in IMT over a 12 month time period, a protocol is needed which can detect the least significant difference (LSD) of at least 0.030 mm.

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a well-defined …

Food Facilities, Food Service Workers And The Flow Of Food: Food-Borne Illnesses In Taiwan's Preschools, Shu-Chen Lin

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

This study examined food-borne illnesses in Taiwan's preschools which are a major cause of personal distress and preventable death. They are of particular concern in preschools as very young children are highly susceptible to food-borne illnesses. Previous studies that comprehensively investigated the factors impacting food-borne illnesses in Taiwan were not found in the literature. The development of a universal food safety model is necessary as a means to measure relevant constructs. Application of the model should be able to prevent the occurrence of food-borne illnesses in organizations. This explanatory (correlational) study examined the relationships among food facilities, food service workers, …

The Association Between Lifestyle Factors And Inflammatory Markers, Kerry Ann Stonebrook

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. While smoking, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol levels are established risk factors for CVD, inflammation is being evaluated as a potential independent risk factor. A key cytokine regulator of the inflammatory response, interleukin-1 (IL-1), has emerged as playing a particularly important role at the genetic level in determining the degree to which the inflammation pathway is turned on. How an individual’s genetic make-up affects inflammation, CVD risk, and response to lifestyle intervention is an area of research that is in …

Nevada Institute For Children's Research And Policy Public Health Bills- 2007 Session - Final, Nevada Institute For Children's Research And Policy Reports

Nevada Institute for Children's Research and Policy Reports

Nevada Institute for Children's Research and Policy Public Health Bills- 2007 Session - Final

Promovendo Normas E Comportamentos Eqüitativos De Gênero Entre Homens Jovens Estratégia De Prevenção Do Hiv/Aids, Julie Pulerwitz, Gary Barker, Marcio Segundo, Marcos Nascimento

HIV and AIDS

The Horizons program and the Promundo Institute studied the effectiveness of interventions in Brazil designed to change the attitudes of young men in relation to gender norms and reducing the risk of contracting HIV/STIs. One conclusion of the study was the recognition of the importance of engaging young people (men and women) in the issue of gender relations and the risks of HIV contamination. The results of the study indicate that addressing inequitable gender norms, particularly those that define masculinity, can be an important element of HIV prevention strategies. These findings suggest that group education interventions can successfully influence young …

Community-Based Approaches To Prevention Of Mother-To-Child Transmission Of Hiv: Findings From A Low-Income Community In Kenya, Susan Kaai, Carolyn Baek, Scott Geibel, Peter Omondi, Benson Ulo, Grace Muthumbi, Carol Nkatha, Naomi Rutenberg

HIV and AIDS

The Horizons program, in partnership with International Medical Corps and Steadman Research Services International, conducted an intervention study in Kibera, an urban slum in Nairobi, Kenya to determine what effect three different community-based activities had on utilization of key prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services. The interventions included moving services closer to the population via mobile clinics, as well as increasing psychosocial support through the use of traditional birth attendants and peer counselors as PMTCT promoters. Data from the study showed that there were positive trends during the study period in most of the PMTCT indicators, including knowledge of MTCT, …

Beacon Of Hope: Evaluation Of The Kenya Girl Guides Association Hiv/Aids Program For School Children, Karusa Kiragu, George Odingo, Milka Juma, Jane Mbugua, Magdalen Waweru, Wamuyu Mahinda, Beatrice Mwaniki, Charity Muturi, Simon Ochieng, Tobey C. Nelson, Ann P. Mccauley

HIV and AIDS

This Horizons report presents findings from an evaluation of the Kenya Girl Guides Participatory Peer Education Program for HIV and AIDS Prevention. The objective of the program was to train Girl Guide patrol leaders as peer educators, who in turn would communicate key information and concepts about such topics as HIV prevention, relationships, and self-esteem to other Girl Guides, and ultimately to their school peers. The results demonstrate that peer education conducted by Girl Guides is a feasible strategy for imparting HIV and AIDS education to school-going youth; however, such a program would need to be branded, strengthened, and appropriately …

Reaching Truckers In Brazil With Non-Stigmatizing And Effective Hiv/Sti Services, Magda Chinaglia, Sheri A. Lippman, Julie Pulerwitz, Maeve De Mello, Rick Homan, Juan Diaz

HIV and AIDS

Research with mobile populations has demonstrated that men in the mobile workforce tend to be exposed to greater HIV risk, and have higher sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV prevalence, than those in less mobile or non-mobile professions. At the request of the Brazilian Ministry of Health and with support from USAID/Brazil, the Population Council conducted an assessment in Brazilian border areas to determine which populations were most in need of HIV prevention activities. The research revealed the presence of an extremely mobile, international truck driver community with little to no access to HIV prevention, testing, and treatment services. The …

Day Of Dialogue—Insights And Evidence From Product Introduction: Lessons For Microbicides, Martha Brady, C. Elizabeth Mcgrory

HIV and AIDS

This report summarizes key issues and themes emerging from a Population Council Day of Dialogue held in March 2007. The Council convened this meeting of experts in the fields of product development, introduction, and social marketing; clinical trials; and reproductive health and HIV/AIDS in order to identify key features that can be used to guide efforts to introduce microbicides.

Continuum Of Care For Hiv-Positive Women Accessing Programs To Prevent Parent-To-Child Transmission: Findings From India, Vaishali Sharma Mahendra, Rupa Mudoi, Archana Oinam, Venkat Pakkela, Avina Sarna, Sucheta Panda, Ashok Rau, L. Birendrajit Singh, Naomi Rutenberg

HIV and AIDS

This study examined the efforts of PPTCT programs in different cities in India to offer women a continuum of care, and shows that the programs have both strengths and shortcomings. The government launched a national treatment program that offers antiretroviral therapy (ART) to HIV-positive women, children below 15 years of age, and men. However, since the start-up of the ART program there have been concerns about limited access to and utilization of these services by women and children. To address these shortcomings, the PPTCT programs studied should strengthen their referral systems to public and private treatment and family planning services, …

Key Findings From An Evaluation Of The Mothers2mothers Program In Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, Carolyn Baek, Vuyiswa Mathambo, Sibongile Mkhize, Irwin Friedman, Louis Apicella, Naomi Rutenberg

HIV and AIDS

The Horizons program of Population Council, in collaboration with Health Systems Trust, completed the first evaluation of mothers2mothers (m2m) as part of its introduction in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. It is the first external evaluation that provides quantitative evidence about the role of the well-known m2m program in complementing services to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT). m2m is a peer support program that aims to provide education and psychosocial support to HIV-positive pregnant women and new mothers, help women access existing health care, and follow up with mothers and babies to ensure they receive appropriate medical care after delivery. …

Biodosepr-2006 Consensus Committee Report On Biodosimetric Methods To Evaluate Radiation Doses At Long Times After Exposure, Steven L. Simon, Ian Bailiff, André Bouville, Paola Fattibene, Ruth A. Kleinerman, David C. Lloyd, Stephen W.S. Mckeever, Alexander Romanyukha, Alexander V, Sevan’Kaev, James D. Tucker, Albrecht Wieser

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

The requirements for biodosimetric techniques used at long times after exposure, i.e., 6 months to more than 50 years, are unique compared to the requirements for methods used for immediate dose estimation. In addition to the fundamental requirement that the assay measures a physical or biologic change that is proportional to the energy absorbed, the signal must be highly stable over time to enable reasonably precise determinations of the absorbed dose decades later. The primary uses of these biodosimetric methods have been to support long-term health risk (epidemiologic) studies or to support compensation (damage) claims. For these reasons, the methods …

Hiv-Positive Inmates Released From Nevada’S Prisons In 2001: Results From Matching Health Division And Corrections’ Databases, Paul G. Devereux, Kristen Clements-Nolle, Sharon Clodfelter, Jessey Bargmann-Losche, Miguel Feroro, Wei Yang

Nevada Journal of Public Health

It is estimated that about one quarter of all HIV-infected individuals in the United States are released from a correctional facility each year. To better understand the needs of inmates with HIV exiting the prison system, a partnership with the Nevada State Health Division (NSHD), the Nevada Department of Corrections (DOC), and the University of Nevada, Reno School of Public Health was formed to examine this population using information contained in existing databases. An analysis of DOC data matched with the data from the HIV/AIDS Reporting System (HARS) maintained by the NSHD identified 2,802 HIV-negative inmates (2,451 males and 350 …

A Computational Model For Analysis Of Uncoupled No Synthase On Nitric Oxide And Superoxide Interaction In Microcirculation, William Richardson, Mahendra Kavdia

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Nitric oxide (NO) produced by endothelial cells is a key component for blood-vessel dilation. Dilation is achieved through smooth muscle relaxation as a response to NO transport. Inhibition of this process occurs through the inactivation of NO by reactive oxygen species, especially superoxide (O2 -). NO and superoxide react quickly, forming peroxynitrite (ONOO-). Both superoxide and peroxynitrite apply oxidative stress on vascular tissue. Experimental studies investigating NO interactions are difficult since these reactions occur rapidly and over small distances. This study presents a computational model to describe the interactions of NO, superoxide, and peroxynitrite across an arteriole/venule pair. Based on …

Knowledge And Beliefs Of Adolescents Regarding Sexually Transmitted Infections And Hiv/Aids In A Rural District In Pakistan, Hafsa Raheel, Franklin White, Muhammad Masood Kadir, Zafar Fatmi

Community Health Sciences

Objective:

To assess the knowledge and beliefs of adolescents (15-19 years girls and boys) regarding sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS.

Methods:

A community based cross-sectional survey was conducted in October 2002 in a rural district (Mirpurkhas) of Sindh province, Pakistan.

Results:

A total of 428 adolescent girls and boys were interviewed. Only 44% correctly named at least one STI, while 55% knew at least two modes of transmission for HIV/AIDS. Adolescents with education greater than or equal to secondary level, those who were able to read the newspaper, possessed electricity in their homes and were allowed to meet their …

Resource Allocation Within The National Aids Control Program Of Pakistan: A Qualitative Assessment Of Decision Maker's Opinions, Sara Husain, Masood Kadir, Zafar Fatmi

Community Health Sciences

Background:

Limited resources, whether public or private, demand prioritisation among competing needs to maximise productivity. With a substantial increase in the number of reported HIV cases, little work has been done to understand how resources have been distributed and what factors may have influenced allocation within the newly introduced Enhanced National AIDS Control Program of Pakistan. The objective of this study was to identify perceptions of decision makers about the process of resource allocation within Pakistan's Enhanced National AIDS Control Program.

Methods:

A qualitative study was undertaken and in-depth interviews of decision makers at provincial and federal levels responsible to …

Review Of Diabetes Among Indigenous Peoples, Australian Indigenous Healthinfonet

Research outputs pre 2011

This review provides detailed information on the extent of diabetes, and its complications and comorbidities among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including: incidence and prevalence data; hospitalisations; mortality and burden of disease. This review discusses the issues of prevention and management of diabetes, and provides information on relevant programs, services, policies and strategies that address the health issue of diabetes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

This review concludes by discussing possible future directions for combatting the growing epidemic of diabetes in Australia.

The review focuses primarily on type 2 diabetes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people …

A Likelihood Based Method For Real Time Estimation Of The Serial Interval And Reproductive Number Of An Epidemic, Laura Forsberg White, Marcello Pagano

Harvard University Biostatistics Working Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Women’S Health In Developing Countries, Javed Rizvi, Nadeem F. Zuberi

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Healthcare priorities are different in developing and developed countries. A more effective resource allocation, complemented by efforts to implement only those practices that are effective, should be a priority for improving reproductive health services in developing countries. A large burden of gynaecological disease exists in developing countries and it is difficult to envisage serious reforms and improvements without an increase in public-sector spending. However, communities themselves could assume some responsibility for women's health in ways that prioritize women's own perceptions and primary needs. In this chapter we have compiled existing evidence regarding various gynaecological problems faced by women in developing …

Spatio-Temporal Analysis Of Areal Data And Discovery Of Neighborhood Relationships In Conditionally Autoregressive Models, Subharup Guha, Louise Ryan

Harvard University Biostatistics Working Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Stress, Coping, Social Support, And Prostate Cancer Risk Among Older African American And Caucasian Men, Ann L. Coker, Maureen Sanderson, Gary L. Ellison, Mary Kay Fadden

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

Objectives: While psychosocial stress and high effort coping have been associated with reduced immune function, no epidemiologic study has addressed psychological stress and risk of prostate cancer. The purpose of this analysis was to investigate the association between stress, coping, social support, and risk of prostate cancer among older men (age 65–79 years). Design: Population-based case-control study in South Carolina.

Participants: Cases were 400 incident, histologically confirmed prostate cancer cases identified through the South Carolina Central Cancer Registry between 1999 and 2001 (70.6% response rate). Controls were 385 men identified through the 1999 Health Care Financing Administration Medicare beneficiary file …

Long-Term Trends In Indigenous Deaths From Chronic Diseases In The Northern Territory: A Foot On The Brake, A Foot On The Accelerator, David P. Thomas, John R. Condon, Ian P. Anderson, Shu Q. Li, Stephen Halpin, Joan Cunningham, Steven L. Guthridge

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objective: To examine trends in Northern Territory Indigenous mortality from chronic diseases other than cancer. Design: A comparison of trends in rates of mortality from six chronic diseases (ischaemic heart disease [IHD], chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD], cerebrovascular disease [CVD], diabetes mellitus [DM], renal failure [RF] and rheumatic heart disease [RHD]) in the NT Indigenous population with those of the total Australian population.

Participants: NT Indigenous and total Australian populations, 1977–2001. Main outcome measures: Estimated average annual change in chronic disease mortality rates and in mortality rate ratios. Results: DeathratesfromIHDandDMamongNTIndigenouspeoplesincreased between 1977 and 2001, but this increase slowed after 1990. …

Obesity, Physical Activity, And Mortality In A Prospective Chinese Elderly Cohort, Mary Schooling, Tai Hing Lam, Zhi Bin Li, Sai Yin Ho, Wai Man Chan, Kin Sang Ho, May Ked Tham, Benjamin J. Cowling, Gabriel M. Leung

Publications and Research

Background
In older people, it is unclear whether obesity relates to mortality, which calls into question its etiologic role in disease and its public health relevance. This apparent lack of relationship in older people could be an artifactual result of their diverse health states.

Methods
We used Cox regression analysis to determine whether the effect of body mass index (BMI) (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters) or physical activity on mortality varied with health status in a prospective cohort study of Chinese people 65 years or older enrolled from 1998 to 2000 at …

Hepatitis B And C: Prevalence And Risk Factors Associated With Seropositivity Among Children In Karachi, Pakistan, Wasim Jafri, Nadim Jafri, Javed Yakoob, Muhammad Islam, Syed Farhan Ali Tirmizi, Tazeen Jafar, Saeed Akhtar, Saeed Hamid, Hasnain Ali Shah, Sheikh Qamaruddin Nizami

Section of Gastroenterology

Background

Infections with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) can lead to chronic liver disease and hepato-cellular carcinoma (HCC). This cross-sectional study estimated the prevalence and identified risk factors associated with Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and HCV antibody (anti-HCV) sero-positivity among children 1 to 15 years of age.

Methods

The study targeted the low to middle socioeconomic population that comprises 80% to 85% of the population. Consent was obtained from parents of the eligible children before administering questionnaire and collected a blood sample for anti-HCV and HBsAg serology.

Results

3533 children were screened for HBsAg and …

Hierarchical Models For Combining Ecological And Case-Control Data, Sebastien Haneuse, Jon Wakefield

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

The ecological study design suffers from a broad range of biases that result from the loss of information regarding the joint distribution of individual-level outcomes, exposures and confounders. The consequent non-identifiability of individual-level models cannot be overcome without additional information; we combine ecological data with a sample of individual-level case-control data. The focus of this paper is hierarchical models to account for between-group heterogeneity. Estimation and inference pose serious compu- tational challenges. We present a Bayesian implementation, based on a data augmentation scheme where the unobserved data are treated as auxiliary variables. The methods are illustrated with a dataset of …

Disease Mapping And Spatial Regression With Count Data, Jon Wakefield

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

In this paper we provide critical reviews of methods suggested for the analysis of aggregate count data in the context of disease mapping and spatial regression. We introduce a new method for picking prior distributions, and propose a number of refinements of previously-used models. We also consider ecological bias, mutual standardization, and choice of both spatial model and prior specification. We analyze male lip cancer incidence data collected in Scotland over the period 1975–1980, and outline a number of problems with previous analyses of these data. A number of recommendations are provided. In disease mapping studies, hierarchical models can provide …

Knowledge, Attitude And Misconceptions Regarding Tuberculosis In Pakistani Patients, Javaid Ahmed Khan, Muhammad Irfan, Amna Zaki, Madiha Beg, Syed Fayyaz Hussain, Nadeem Rizvi

Section of Pulmonary & Critical Care

Objective:

To assess knowledge of patients with tuberculosis; about their disease and misconceptions regarding TB.

Methods:

A cross sectional study was conducted at Out-patient clinics of two teaching hospitals (private and public) in Karachi, Pakistan. A questionnaire was filled for the purpose.

Results:

A total of 170 patients were interviewed, 112 from private and 58 from a public sector hospital. Cough, fever, bloody sputum and chest pain were recognized as the common symptoms of TB. Eleven (7%) patients thought TB was not an infectious disease and 18 (10.6%) did not consider it a preventable disease. Contaminated food was considered the …