Statistics and Probability Commons^™

The Impact Of Economic Recession On The Health Of Adult Nevadans, Ariana Goertz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Recessions are generally considered to cause negative consequences, but recent studies have provided evidence that some health outcomes improve as the economy deteriorates. The relationship between economic downfalls and health is not straightforward; it is important to look at how health has been impacted in one of the areas hit hardest by the recession. Las Vegas, Nevada was previously considered recession-proof, seemingly unaffected by previous economic downturns exhibited by the rest of the country. However, during the Great Recession of 2007-2009, Las Vegas led the country in highest rates of unemployment and foreclosures. This was quite a collapse for a …

Increasing Use Of Research Findings In Improving Evidence-Based Health Policy At The National Level, Meiwita Budiharsana

Kesmas

In February 2016, the Minister of Health decided to increase the use of research findings in improving the quality of the national health policy and planning. The Ministry of Health has instructed the National Institute of Health Research and Development or NIHRD to play a stronger role of monitoring and evaluating all health programs, because “their opinion and research findings should be the basis for changes in national health policies and planning”. Compared to the past, the Ministry of Health has increased the research budget for evidence-based research tremendously. However, there is a gap between the information needs of program …

The Change In Mental Health Status Of Indonesian Health Care Migrant Worker In Japan, Susiana Nugraha, Yuko Hirano, Honda Sumihisha

Kesmas

Under the Japan – Indonesia Economic Partnership Agreement, more than 1,000 of Indonesian health care workers have migrated to Japan. Social adjustment during the process of migration is linked to mental health changes. This study aimed to figure out the strongest predictor that influences the change in mental health status as a result of migration. Baseline data were collected in Jakarta in 2013 during pre-departure orientation. Follow-up study was conducted one year after the study participants migrated to Japan in 2014. Using longitudinal design, this study employed 92 participants consisting of nurse and certified care worker candidates. The multiple linear …

Husband’S Education Level And Alcohol Drinking Habit As Risk Factors Of Hiv Infection Among Housewives In Pati District, Nurul Aeni, Annemarie Westendorp

Kesmas

Cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection in Pati District increase, particularly among housewives. The aim of this study was to analyse the risk factors of HIV infection among housewives in Pati District using case-control study design. The respondents were 90 housewives divided into case and control group. The case group consisted of 30 housewives living with HIV, while the control group comprised 60 housewives living in the similar area of the counterparts. The data collection was focused on demographic, sexual behaviour, and sociocultural variables possessed by housewives and their husbands. The study resulted that the risk factors of HIV …

Implementation Of Cigarette Excise Policy Against Cigarette Consumption Reduction Among Adolescent In Kuningan, Indonesia, Jani Ramjani, Fitri Kurnia Rahim, Icca Stella Amalia, Wahyu Manggala Putra

Kesmas

Indonesia has the highest prevalence of smoking (50.68%) compared to other ASEAN countries. On January 1st, 2017, the Indonesian government raised cigarette excise taxes. The purpose of this study was to analysis the impact of cigarette excise increase on cigarette consumption among adolescents aged 17 to 25 years. The study design used cross-sectional survey. A total of 153 adolescents were recruited in this study through simple random sampling technique. Questionnaires and observation papers were used in this study. A face-to-face interview was conducted to fulfill the data collection through home visit for each respondent. The data were obtained during May …

Spatial Analysis Of Determinants Of Filariasis-Endemic Areas In West Sumatra, Masrizal Masrizal, Fivi Melva Diana, Rosfita Rasyid

Kesmas

West Pasaman District and Agam District are filariasis-endemic areas in West Sumatra with prevalence of 12.40 per 100,000 cases and 11.27 per 100,000 cases respectively. This study aimed to determine risk factors associated with the prevalence of filariasis and mapping the vulnerability of the area in West Sumatra. A case control study design was conducted in the West Pasaman District and Agam District. The study used a sample of 74 cases and 74 controls taken by simple random sampling for the case and purposive random sampling for control. Data analysis used univariate, bivariate, multivariate and spatial. The results in Agam …

Effect Of Health Education On Community Participation To Eradicate Aedes Aegypti-Breeding Sites In Buahbatu And Cinambo Districts, Bandung, Zahratul Elsa, Uun Sumardi, Lia Faridah

Kesmas

Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is still a major public health problem in many regions in Indonesia including Bandung City. Community participation in implementing Eradication of Mosquito-Breeding Sites is still needed as it is considered the most effective method in controlling the dengue fever. This study aimed to determine the influence of health education towards community participation to eradicate mosquito-breeding sites, which was measured by knowledge level and larva index conducted in Bandung, specifically in two different locations with the highest and the lowest incidence rates of DHF. This study used quasi-experimental method. Samples were 100 people living in Cijawura and …

Maternal Energy Intake At The Sixth Month As Dominant Factor Of Exclusive Breastfeeding Success, Devi Suryanti Sihite, Sandra Fikawati, Ahmad Syafiq

Kesmas

Breastfeeding mothers needed adequate energy intake to provide 6-month exclusive breastfeeding that is necessary for infant growth and development. This study aimed to investigate real intake at the first and sixth month of breastfeeding and determine the dominant factor affecting 6-month exclusive breastfeeding provision. The design of this study was cross-sectional conducted in March-April 2015 among 109 mothers with 6-12- month-old infant living and registered at integrated health care in Kalangan Primary Health Care area. Data were collected through interview using questionnaires. Breastfeeding mothers’ intake was asked using Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire. The study found that 6-month exclusive breastfeeding proportion …

Equity Level Of Health Insurance Ownership In Indonesia, Risky Kusuma Hartono

Kesmas

Social health insurance from government program are expected to be able to reduce inequalities access to health services in the middle of rising of health care cost, while private health insurance is still limited for up and middle class population. This study aimed to analyze the equity level of health insurance ownership including social and private health insurance in Indonesia. This study examined the condition of Indonesia in the middle of entering National Health Insurance (NHI) era. This study used data of Indonesian Socio-Economic Survey 2012. Data were analyzed by using econometric approach through multinomial logit analysis. The results showed …

Clinical Evaluation Of The Cepheid Xpert® Tv Assay For Detection Of Trichomonas Vaginalis With Prospectively Collected Female And Male Specimens., Jane R Schwebke, C A Gaydos, T Davis, J Marrazzo, D Furgerson, S N Taylor, B Smith, L H Bachmann, R Ackerman, T Spurrell, D Ferris, C A Burnham, H Reno, J Lebed, D Eisenberg, P Kerndt, S Philip, J Jordan, N Quigley

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

Trichomoniasis is the most prevalent curable sexually transmitted disease (STD). It has been associated with preterm birth and acquisition/transmission of HIV. Recently, nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT) have been FDA-cleared in the United States for detection of Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) in specimens from both women and men. This current study reports the results of a multicenter study recently conducted using the Xpert TV Assay to test specimens from both men and women. On-demand results were available in as little as 40 minutes for positive specimens. A total of 1867 women and 4791 men were eligible for inclusion in the analysis. …

Persistent Organic Pollutants And Mortality In The United States, Nhanes 1999-2011., Kristiann Fry, Melinda C Power

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

Background

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are environmentally and biologically persistent chemicals that include polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and organochlorine (OC) pesticides. Currently, data on the associations between exposure to POPs and the risk of mortality in the U.S. population is limited.

Our objective was to determine if higher exposure to POPs is associated with greater risk of all-cause, cancer, heart/cerebrovascular disease, or other-cause mortality.

Methods

Analyses included participants aged 60 years and older from the 1999–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). We included 483 participants for analyses of PBDEs, 1043 …

Healthcare Outcomes And Resource Utilization Associated With Neonatal Hypoglycemia: Analysis Of Data From The Hcup Kid’S Inpatient Database, Brook T. Alemu

Health Services Research Dissertations

Neonatal hypoglycemia is the most common metabolic abnormality in infants and is associated with neurological damage and death. The risk of developing hypoglycemia among infants born from diabetic mothers is even higher. Although much work has been performed addressing issues for treatment and care, research related to neonatal hypoglycemia has been focused on the clinical or individual level risk factors. Contextual risk factors such as hospital characteristics, neighborhood economic status, and regional variations were not considered in earlier studies. Additionally, although healthcare resources utilization of hypoglycemia has been adequately addressed in the adult population, this topic has not been studied …

Dietary Inflammatory Index And Colorectal Cancer Risk – A Meta-Analysis, Nitin Shivappa, Justyna Godos, James R. Hébert, Michael David Wirth, Gabriele Piuri, Attilio Speciani, Giuseppe Grosso

Faculty Publications

Diet and chronic inflammation of the colon have been suggested to be risk factors in the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). The possible link between inflammatory potential of diet, measured through the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII®), and CRC has been investigated in several populations across the world. The aim of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis on studies exploring this association. Data from nine studies were eligible, of which five were case-control and four were cohort studies. Results from meta-analysis showed a positive association between increasing DII scores, indicating a pro-inflammatory diet, and CRC. Individuals in the highest versus …

Prevalence And Trends In Transmitted And Acquired Antiretroviral Drug Resistance, Washington, Dc, 1999-2014., Annette M Aldous, Amanda D Castel, David M Parenti

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

Background

Drug resistance limits options for antiretroviral therapy (ART) and results in poorer health outcomes among HIV-infected persons. We sought to characterize resistance patterns and to identify predictors of resistance in Washington, DC.

Methods

We analyzed resistance in the DC Cohort, a longitudinal study of HIV-infected persons in care in Washington, DC. We measured cumulative drug resistance (CDR) among participants with any genotype between 1999 and 2014 (n = 3411), transmitted drug resistance (TDR) in ART-naïve persons (n = 1503), and acquired drug resistance (ADR) in persons with genotypes before and after ART initiation (n = 309). Using logistic regression, …

Level Of Exposure Of Childhood Tuberculosis With Adult Pulmonary Tuberculosis Household Contacts, Al Asyary, Tris Eryando, Purwantyastuti Purwantyastuti, Purnawan Junadi, Carol Clark, Edwin Van Teijlingen

Kesmas

Tuberkulosis paru (TB) pada anak kian menjadi masalah kesehatan global yang masih terlupakan seiring dengan peningkatan proporsi TB di Indonesia. Penularan penyakit ini di populasi umum seringkali berdampak pada anak, terlebih ketika kontak TB terjadi di rumah tangga. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memperoleh faktor protektif sehingga anak tetap sehat meskipun memiliki kontak dengan penderita TB dewasa serumah. Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan pendekatan kasus kontrol pada 132 responden anak yang berasal dari delapan rumah sakit rujukan dan beberapa puskesmas di Provinsi Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta. Penelitian dilakukan dalam periode Januari hingga Desember 2014 yang hasilnya dianalisis dengan uji bivariat (kai kuadrat) dan …

Influence Of Quality Of Work Life Towards Psychological Well-Being And Turnover Intention Of Nurses And Midwives In Hospital, Indra Wahju Hardjanti, Aryo Dewanto, Noermijati Noermijati

Kesmas

Selama ini perawat telah dilatih untuk memberikan perawatan pasien dan meningkatkan kualitas hidup pasien, namun kualitas kehidupan kerja dan psychological well-being mereka sendiri terabaikan. Rendahnya kualitas kehidupan kerja perawat di rumah sakit menyebabkan tingginya keinginan pindah kerja perawat. Tingginya angka keinginan pindah kerja perawat dan bidan di Rumah Sakit X Malang merupakan masalah yang memerlukan perhatian dari manajemen rumah sakit agar tidak menjadi menyebabkan rendahnya mutu pelayanan kesehatan di rumah sakit. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan antara kualitas kehidupan kerja, psychological well-being, dan keinginan pindah kerja perawat dan bidan di rumah sakit. Penelitian ini menggunakan desain penelitian kuantitatif korelasional …

Risk Differences Between Elderly Men And Women Toward Doctor-Diagnosed Diabetes Mellitus In Urban Areas In Indonesia: 2013 National Basic Health Research Data, Meiwita Budiharsana

Kesmas

Diabetes melitus (DM) adalah salah satu penyakit tidak menular yang paling umum di Indonesia. DM disebabkan berbagai faktor risiko. Peningkatan prevalensi DM salah satunya disebabkan oleh perubahan gaya hidup di perkotaan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji perbedaan prevalensi DM yang didiagnosis dokter pada laki-laki dan perempuan usia 15 tahun keatas yang tinggal di daerah perkotaan di Indonesia. Analisis menggunakan data sekunder Riset Kesehatan Dasar (Riskesdas) 2013 dengan desain studi potong lintang. Total sampel sebanyak 333.731 responden. Metode analisis menggunakan regresi logistik ganda. Hasil menunjukkan bahwa DM yang didiagnosis dokter pada laki-laki dan perempuan usia 15-39 tahun di perkotaan tidak berbeda. …

Bancroftian Filariasis Transmission Parameters After The Fifth Year Of Filiariasis Mass Drug Administration In Pekalongan City, Tutik Ida Rosanti, Sugeng Juwono Mardihusodo, Wayan Artama

Kesmas

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengukur parameter parasitologi (microfilaria rate, kepadatan mikrofilaria), parameter imunologi (antigen prevalence) dan parameter entomologi (infection rate dan infective rate) pada tahun kelima pelaksanaan mass drug administration di Kelurahan Pabean Kota Pekalongan. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian observasional dengan pendekatan potong lintang yang dilaksanakan pada bulan Juli sampai dengan Agustus 2015 di Kelurahan Pabean Kota Pekalongan. Microfilaria rate dan kepadatan mikrofilaria ditentukan dengan pemeriksaan darah jari pada 313 responden. Antigen prevalence ditentukan dengan mengukur antigen beredar menggunakan metode immunochromatographic test (ICT) Wuchereria bancrofti. Incective rate dan infection rate diukur dengan cara menemukan larva cacing filaria pada nyamuk hasil …

Provision Of Informed Consent Towards The Level Of Anxiety In Pre-Operative Patients At Mamuju District Public Hospital, Imelda Appulembang

Kesmas

Tindakan pembedahan merupakan salah satu tindakan medis yang dapat mendatangkan stressor sehingga menimbulkan kecemasan pada pasien. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh pemberian informed consent terhadap tingkat kecemasan pada pasien pra-operasi di Rumah Sakit Umum Daerah (RSUD) Mamuju. Populasi pada penelitian ini adalah pasien pra-operasi. Sampel ditentukan dengan menggunakan pendekatan accidental sampling sehingga diperoleh sampel sebanyak 32 orang. Jenis penelitian ini adalah penelitian kuantitatif dengan menggunakan metode quasi experimental design melalui pendekatan non-equivalent time sample design yang dianalisis dengan menggunakan uji statistik Wilcoxon. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa terdapat pengaruh pemberian informed consent terhadap tingkat kecemasan pasien. Dapat disimpulkan pemberian informed …

Effects Of Contraceptive Use On Productivity Of Women Labor At Pt. Bomar Makassar Industrial Area, Masni Mappajanci, Andi Misnawati, Darmawansyah Darmawansyah

Kesmas

Produktivitas kerja potensial pada kelangsungan hidup perusahaan. Penggunaan kontrasepsi dapat memengaruhi fisiologi setiap perempuan, sehingga dapat memengaruhi aktivitas sehari-hari dan akan berdampak terhadap produktivitas tenaga kerja. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh penggunaan alat kontrasepsi terhadap produktivitas tenaga kerja perempuan dengan mengontrol usia, pendidikan dan motivasi kerja. Penelitian dengan rancangan potong lintang melibatkan 71 pekerja perempuan PT Bomar Makassar yang telah menikah. Pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan wawancara menggunakan kuesioner pada bulan Mei sampai Juni 2015, kemudian dianalisis secara univariat, bivariat, dan multivariat. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa terdapat pengaruh penggunaan alat kontrasepsi terhadap produktivitas kerja setelah dikontrol dengan variabel usia (nilai …

Influence Of Scaling Up Nutrition Education Towards Knowledge And Attitude Of Students At Santa Elisabeth Medan School Of Health Sciences, Rani Gartika Holivia Silalahi, Yesschi Anggraeni Tambunan

Kesmas

Tingginya angka pernikahan pada usia remaja yang disertai dengan rendahnya pengetahuan tentang pola asuh merupakan salah satu pemicu terjadinya masalah gizi. Remaja merupakan orang tua masa depan. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk mengetahui pengaruh pendidikan 1.000 hari pertama kehidupan terhadap pengetahuan dan sikap mahasiswi Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan Santa Elisabeth Medan tahun 2016. Penelitian ini menggunakan kuasi eksperimental dengan desain one group pre- dan post test. Metode pengambilan sampel dengan metode purposive sampling sebanyak 115 mahasiswi tingkat III program studi Diploma III Kebidanan. Pendidikan dilakukan di kelas sebanyak 4 kali dalam 2 minggu dengan menggunakan metode mengajar dan diskusi. Penelitian ini …

The Profile And Determinant Factors Of Quality Of Life In Patients With Diabetic Neuropathy, Rizaldy Taslim Pinzon, Kadek Sinthia Grahita Adnyana, Marta Lisnawati Zalukhu

Kesmas

Neuropati merupakan salah satu komplikasi tersering pada diabetes melitus (DM). Neuropati dapat memengaruhi kualitas hidup, derajat kesehatan, maupun tingkat ekonomi. Oleh karena itu, penting untuk mengetahui kualitas hidup pasien DM dengan neuropati beserta dampak yang ditimbulkannya terlebih dahulu agar mendapatkan penanganan yang tepat demi meningkatkan kualitas hidup pasien. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui profil kualitas hidup pasien DM dengan neuropati. Penelitian ini merupakan studi observasional menggunakan Short Form 8 (SF-8) Health Survey Standard Indonesia terhadap pasien diabetes melitus dengan neuropati yang diambil secara konsekutif pada bulan Maret hingga Agustus 2016 di Poli Saraf Rumah Sakit Bethesda, Yogyakarta. Terdapat 57 subjek …

The Relationship Of Plasma Trans Fatty Acids With Dietary Inflammatory Index Among Us Adults, Mohsen Mazidi, Hong-Kai Gao, Nitin Shivappa, Michael David Wirth, James R. Hébert, Andre Pascal Kengne

Faculty Publications

Background: It has been suggested that trans fatty acids (TFAs) play an important role in cardiovascular diseases. We investigated the association between plasma TFAs and the dietary inflammatory index (DII) ™ in US adults.

Methods: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) participants with data on plasma TFAs measured from 1999 to 2010 were included. Energy-adjusted-DII ™ (E-DII ™) expressed per 1000 kcal was calculated from 24-h dietary recalls. All statistical analyses accounted for the survey design and sample weights.

Results: Of the 5446 eligible participants, 46.8% (n = 2550) were men. The mean age of the population was 47.1 …

Socioeconomic Status, Air Quality And Geographic Variation In Emergency Room Visits For Acute Bronchitis On The California Central Coast, Sean Lang-Brown, Heather W. Starnes, Gary B. Hughes

Symposium

IMPORTANCE: Analysis of geospatial variation in acute bronchitis due to socioeconomic and environmental factors can allow the efficient delivery of resources to populations most at risk.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine if small scale variation in socioeconomic factors and emergency room (ER) visits for acute bronchitis are associated in small cities or rural communities. We also modeled the effects of air quality on daily rates of ER visits for acute bronchitis in the context of socioeconomic factors to investigate modifying relationships.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: We examined ER visits for acute bronchitis in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties …

Mixture Models For Undiagnosed Prevalent Disease And Interval-Censored Incident Disease: Applications To A Cohort Assembled From Electronic Health Records., Li C Cheung, Qing Pan, Noorie Hyun, Mark Schiffman, Barbara Fetterman, Philip E Castle, Thomas Lorey, Hormuzd A Katki

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

For cost-effectiveness and efficiency, many large-scale general-purpose cohort studies are being assembled within large health-care providers who use electronic health records. Two key features of such data are that incident disease is interval-censored between irregular visits and there can be pre-existing (prevalent) disease. Because prevalent disease is not always immediately diagnosed, some disease diagnosed at later visits are actually undiagnosed prevalent disease. We consider prevalent disease as a point mass at time zero for clinical applications where there is no interest in time of prevalent disease onset. We demonstrate that the naive Kaplan-Meier cumulative risk estimator underestimates risks at early …

Safety Of Induced Sputum Collection In Children Hospitalized With Severe Or Very Severe Pneumonia., Andrea N Deluca, Laura L Hammitt, Julia Kim, Melissa M Higdon, Henry C Baggett, Daniel E Park, +Several Additional Authors

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

Background.: Induced sputum (IS) may provide diagnostic information about the etiology of pneumonia. The safety of this procedure across a heterogeneous population with severe pneumonia in low- and middle-income countries has not been described.

Methods.: IS specimens were obtained as part a 7-country study of the etiology of severe and very severe pneumonia in hospitalized childrenbefore, during, and after the procedure to record oxygen requirement, oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, consciousness level, and other evidence of clinical deterioration. Criteria for IS contraindications were predefined and serious adverse events (SAEs) were reported to ethics committees and a central safety monitor.

Results.: A …

Data Management And Data Quality In Perch, A Large International Case-Control Study Of Severe Childhood Pneumonia., Nora L Watson, Christine Prosperi, Amanda J Driscoll, Melissa M Higdon, Daniel E Park, Megan Sanza, Andrea N Deluca, Juliet O Awori, Doli Goswami, Emily Hammond, Lokman Hossain, Catherine Johnson, Alice Kamau, Locadiah Kuwanda, David P Moore, Omid Neyzari, Uma Onwuchekwa, David Parker, Patranuch Sapchookul

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

The Pneumonia Etiology Research for Child Health (PERCH) study is the largest multicountry etiology study of pediatric pneumonia undertaken in the past 3 decades. The study enrolled 4232 hospitalized cases and 5325 controls over 2 years across 9 research sites in 7 countries in Africa and Asia. The volume and complexity of data collection in PERCH presented considerable logistical and technical challenges. The project chose an internet-based data entry system to allow real-time access to the data, enabling the project to monitor and clean incoming data and perform preliminary analyses throughout the study. To ensure high-quality data, the project developed …

Colonization Density Of The Upper Respiratory Tract As A Predictor Of Pneumonia-Haemophilus Influenzae, Moraxella Catarrhalis, Staphylococcus Aureus, And Pneumocystis Jirovecii., Daniel E Park, Henry C Baggett, Stephen R C Howie, Qiyuan Shi, Nora L Watson, W Abdullah Brooks, Perch Study Group

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

Background.

There is limited information on the association between colonization density of upper respiratory tract colonizers and pathogen-specific pneumonia. We assessed this association for Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pneumocystis jirovecii. Methods.

In 7 low- and middle-income countries, nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal swabs from children with severe pneumonia and age-frequency matched community controls were tested using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Differences in median colonization density were evaluated using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Density cutoffs were determined using receiver operating characteristic curves. Cases with a pathogen identified from lung aspirate culture or PCR, pleural fluid culture or …

Microscopic Analysis And Quality Assessment Of Induced Sputum From Children With Pneumonia In The Perch Study., David R Murdoch, Susan C Morpeth, Laura L Hammitt, Amanda J Driscoll, Daniel E Park, +Several Additional Authors

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

Background.

It is standard practice for laboratories to assess the cellular quality of expectorated sputum specimens to check that they originated from the lower respiratory tract. The presence of low numbers of squamous epithelial cells (SECs) and high numbers of polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells are regarded as indicative of a lower respiratory tract specimen. However, these quality ratings have never been evaluated for induced sputum specimens from children with suspected pneumonia. Methods.

We evaluated induced sputum Gram stain smears and cultures from hospitalized children aged 1–59 months enrolled in a large study of community-acquired pneumonia. We hypothesized that a specimen representative …

Is Higher Viral Load In The Upper Respiratory Tract Associated With Severe Pneumonia? Findings From The Perch Study., Daniel R Feikin, Wei Fu, Daniel E Park, Qiyuan Shi, Melissa M Higdon, Henry C Baggett, +Several Additional Authors

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

Background.

The etiologic inference of identifying a pathogen in the upper respiratory tract (URT) of children with pneumonia is unclear. To determine if viral load could provide evidence of causality of pneumonia, we compared viral load in the URT of children with World Health Organization–defined severe and very severe pneumonia and age-matched community controls.

Methods.

In the 9 developing country sites, nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal swabs from children with and without pneumonia were tested using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction for 17 viruses. The association of viral load with case status was evaluated using logistic regression. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed …