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Adolescent abortions: Situational analysis based on official statistics conducted in Kazakhstan during the last 5 years (2007-2011)
Get PDFIn recent decades, adolescent pregnancy has become an important health issue in a great number of both developed and developing countries.We have investigated the official statistics database of the National Ministry of the Health (MoH) and their #13 Statutory Form (SF) and found the total number of abortions between 2007-2011 in Kazakhstan decreased by 28%. The total number of adolescent (?15 and 15-18 years of age) abortions decreased by 52.7%. Contrary to this decrease in the total number of adolescent abortions, spontaneous abortions have increased from 23.2% to 45.0%. We found a tendency towards a decrease in the number of adolescents with the first pregnancy among adolescents 15-18 who had abortion between 2007-2011, from 51.3% to 35.8%. This clearly reflects the success of prevention activities among adolescents who have already had an abortion or birth. During the analyzed period, there were two lethal outcomes from abortions among girls 15-18 years old. There are some limitations in the assessment levels and dynamic changes of abortions among adolescents due to the division of age in the official statistical database
Precision of Disability Estimates for Southeast Asians in the American Community Survey 2008-2010 Microdata
Get PDFDetailed social data about the United States (US) population was collected as part of the US decennial Census up until 2000. Since then, the American Community Survey (ACS) has replaced the long form previously administered in decennial years. The ACS uses a sample rather than the entire US population and therefore, only estimates can be created from the data. This investigation computes disability estimates, standard error, margin of error, and a more comprehensive “range of uncertainty” measure for non-Latino-whites (NLW) and four Southeast Asian groups. Findings reveal that disability estimates for Southeast Asians have a much higher degree of imprecision than for NLW. Within Southeast Asian groups, Vietnamese have the highest level of certainty, followed by the Hmong. Cambodians and Laotians disability estimates contain high levels of uncertainty. Difficulties with self-care and vision contain the highest level of uncertainty relative to ambulatory, cognitive, independent living, and hearing difficulties
TB case detection in Tajikistan – analysis of existing obstacles
Get PDFBackground: Tajikistan National TB Control ProgramObjective: (1) To identify the main obstacles to increasing TB Detection in Tajikistan. (2) To identify interventions that improve TB detection.Methods: Review of the available original research data, health normative base, health systems performance and national economic data, following WHO framework for detection of TB cases, which is based on three scenarios of why incident cases of TB may not be notified.Results: Data analysis revealed that some aspects of TB case detection are more problematic than others and that there are gaps in the knowledge of specific obstacles to TB case detection. The phenomenon of “initial default” in Tajikistan has been documented; however, it needs to be studied further. The laboratory services detect infectious TB cases effectively; however, referrals of appropriate suspects for TB diagnosis may lag behind. The knowledge about TB in the general population has improved. Yet, the problem of TB related stigma persists, thus being an obstacle for effective TB detection. High economic cost of health services driven by under-the-table payments was identified as another barrier for access to health services.Conclusion: Health system strengthening should become a primary intervention to improve case detection in Tajikistan. More research on reasons contributing to the failure to register TB cases, as well as factors underlying stigma is needed
Editorial: BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes mutations screening in sporadic breast cancer patients in Kazakhstan
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Is the Supercourse useful for Latin America?
Get PDFBACKGROUND: The success of the Supercourse showed that the effort was needed in Latin America. But would a Spanish language version be better for the region?METHODS: Google Analytics was used to determine website usage. A custom evaluation form was created to get user feedback on the usefulness of both the English language and Spanish language Supercouse lectures.RESULTS: Over a year\u27s span from June 2009 to June 2010 there were 257,403 unique visits and 448,939 page views. The overall average rating of lectures was 4.87 with the Spanish language lectures getting even higher ratings.CONCLUSION: Supercourse lectures in Spanish were a great success in Latin America. This success shows the need for this information and similar success could be found in Central Asia
Alcohol Use, Risk Taking, Leisure Activities and Health Care Use Among Young People in Northern Vietnam
Get PDFAlcohol consumption is associated with a wide range of health and social consequences. It is also associated with a number of risk taking behaviours. These include illicit drug use and unsafe sex. Alcohol consumption appears to be increasing in Vietnam. The purpose of this paper is to examine the patterns of alcohol consumption and its relationship with a number of other risk taking behaviours amongst young people. Information was also obtained concerning leisure activities and use of health care. The paper also sets out to examine possible gender differences in relation to alcohol consumption and risk behaviour and to propose the development and implementation of alcohol monitoring and prevention programs in Vietnam. The study involved a cross-sectional, community survey using a standardised interview. This was conducted during face-to-face interviews with 1,408 young people aged 10-19 years. Respondents were recruited randomly through the lists of the households from 12 selected communes in three areas in Northern Vietnam. The findings presented here were part of a larger health risk behaviour survey. Levels of alcohol use were low. Overall, 16.5% of participants were experienced drinkers, and only 4% of them were current drinkers. Males were significantly more likely than females to report drinking. This study also showed that rates of alcohol consumption were associated with age, education, geographical area, gender, tobacco smoking, involvement in violence, watching television, computer use and playing computer games, wearing safety helmets and use of health services. Alcohol consumption tended to increase with age for both males and females. Alcohol and its effects on young people are clearly a growing public health issue in Vietnam. Because of this, more detailed behavioral research should be conducted into the relationship between alcohol consumption and other risky behaviours amongst young people. It is also recommended that alcohol harm reduction policies should be implemented and integrated into measures to reduce levels of other health problems such as HIV/AIDS and non communicable diseases. Such policies should ideally be evidence-based and evaluated
Total and high-molecular-weight adiponectin levels in relation to insulin resistance among overweight/obese adults
Get PDFObjective: To determine whether baseline levels or intervention-associated changes in total and high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin levels were associated with insulin resistance after six months of behavioral treatment for weight loss.Design: An ancillary study to a behavioral weight loss trial; the intervention was delivered in group sessions.Methods: Participants included 143 overweight/obese adults with a mean BMI of 33.7 kg/m2. The sample was 88% female, 67% white, and 44.2 ± 8.5 years old. Circulating adiponectin levels (total and HMW) and the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) of insulin resistance were measured and evaluated.Results: At baseline, there was significant inverse associations between total adiponectin and HOMA (p < 0.001) and between HMW adiponectin and HOMA (p < 0.001) independent of weight. At 6-mo, there was a 17% improvement in HOMA, 8% increase in total adiponectin, 17% increase in HMW adiponectin levels, and 8.72% weight loss (p\u27s for all< 0.001). There was also a significant inverse association between changes in total adiponectin and HOMA (p = 0.04) that was independent of baseline weight and weight loss. In contrast, the association between changes in HMW adiponectin and HOMA was attenuated after adjustment for weight loss.Conclusions: An increased level of total adiponectin was associated with improved insulin sensitivity, regardless of baseline weight and weight loss. However, baseline total and HMW adiponectin levels were more strongly associated with HOMA than changes in these measures at six months. HMW adiponectin level was not related more closely to insulin resistance than total adiponectin level.
Prevalence of obesity among Bangladeshi pregnant women at their first trimester of pregnancy
Get PDFBACKGROUND: Paradoxically, the escalating global epidemic of maternal obesity coexists with malnutrion in many areas of Bangladesh. This proves a major challenge to obstetric practice from preconception to postpartum due to related comorbid conditions including: maternal death or severe morbidity, gestational diabetes and hypertension, increased risk of early and recurrent miscarriage, pre-eclampsia, thromboembolism, post-caesarean wound infection, postpartum haemorrhage, and low breastfeeding rates. A dramatic increase in birth defects and other pregnancy-induced disorders related to maternal obesity has added millions of dollars to health care costs leading great economical loss to the country.OBJECTIVE: The study was designed to determine the prevalence of obesity among Bangladeshi pregnant women in their 1st trimester of pregnancy.STUDY DESIGN: 426 pregnant women presenting to the antenatal care until of Azimpur maternity hospital of Dhaka, Bangladesh were randomly selected for this cross sectional study to determine their weight status using body mass index (BMI, kg/m2).RESULT: 90 (21.2%) pregnant women were reported as obese with pregnancy BMI of >30 kg/m2. 171 (40.1%) and140 (32.8%) pregnant women were reported as overweight and healthy with pregnancy BMI of 25-29.9 kg/m2 and 18.5-24.9 kg/m2, respectively.Statistical analysis revealed obesity and overweight status were found to be significantly associated with age; women aged 31 or above were more likely to be obese (OR=2.5; 95% CI 1.53–3.96) and overweight (OR=3.3; 95% CI 2.15–4.99).CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence of increasing trends in obesity among Bangladeshi pregnant women, which poses possible health risks both for mother and child. The findings of this study may act as baseline data for monitoring the effectiveness of national programs for the prevention and control of maternal obesity