International Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology

International Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology ISSN 2167-0447 Vol. 4 (10), pp. 216-219, November, 2015. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Morbidity risk in an Italian cohort of HCV and HBV patients

Cristina Stasi^*,1,2, Caterina Silvestri^*1, Stefano Bravi¹, Fabio Voller¹ and Francesco Cipriani¹

¹Regional Health Agency of Tuscany, Florence, Italy

²Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy

*Corresponding author Email: [email protected]

Accepted 20 July, 2015

Abstract

We aimed at evaluating the HBV and HCV epidemiology and the corresponding hospital admissions, as well as morbidity risk. We analysed one Hospital’s database, located in a city with a population of 57,891 foreign residents out of 378,376 as at 12.31.2012. We evaluated the HBV and HCV hospital admissions from 2000 until 2012 for liver cirrhosis using the International Classification of Diseases. 2,697 hepatitis cases were reported (1,237 HBsAg and 1,460 HCV RNA positive patients). HBV and HCV occurred more often in males (63% and 59%) than in females (37% and 41%). 1,270 (87%) in the HCV group and 492 (40%) in the HBV group had at least one hospital admission. HBV hospital admission was detected in 1% of people aged 15-30; 10% in those aged 31-45; 50% among those aged 46-60; 39% in people over 61; HCV hospital admission was detected in 1% of people aged 15-30; 6% among those aged 31-45; 48% among those aged 46-60; 45% among those over 61 . We found a high rate of hospital admissions for HBsAg and HCV RNA positive patients. This suggests that in the next future chronic hepatitis will have a high impact on health care costs.

Keywords: HBV, HCV, epidemiology, hospital admissions, chronic hepatitis, International Classification of Disease.

International Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology ISSN 2326-7291 Vol. 4 (10), pp. 205-215, October, 2015. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Effect of meteorological variables on malaria incidence in Ogun State, Nigeria

Babajide Sadiq MPH, DrPH¹, Perry Brown MSPH, DrPH¹, Fred W. Huffer PhD²,

Uloma Onubogu Ph.D³, Matthew Dutton Ph.D¹, Alan Becker Ph.D¹, Saleh Rahman MD, Ph.D., MPH¹

¹Florida A&M University, Institute of Public Health, Tallahassee, FL, USA.

²Florida State University, Department of Statistics, Tallahassee, FL, USA.

³Florida A&M University, School of Nursing, Tallahassee, FL, USA.

Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 25 October, 2015

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the impact of climatic variation on malaria in Ogun state, Nigeria. A 10-year time-series analysis from 2004 to 2013 was conducted to evaluate the relationship between climatic variables (i.e. rainfall, humidity, minimum and maximum temperature) and malaria cases in Ogun State, Nigeria. Cross-correlation analysis was performed to know the association between meteorological variable at lag 0 to 4 and the number of malaria cases. The ARIMAX model was then used to measure the relationship between them using the significant climatic variables. The results from this study indicated that for every one degree centigrade rise in maximum temperature, the number of malaria cases will decrease between 90.8 and 97.8 percent and a one degree rise in minimum temperature may be related to a decrease in the number of malaria cases between 93.4 and 99.4 percent and one degree rise in minimum temperature may be related to an increase in the number of malaria cases between 0.25 and 6.47 percent. In conclusion, temperature plays a significant role in malaria transmission in Ogun State, Nigeria.

Keywords:  Meteorological variables, malaria, Ogun State, ARIMAX, ARIMA, Time series analysis.

International Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology ISSN 2326-7291 Vol. 4 (9), pp. 198-204, September, 2015. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Theory of Planned Behavior and how they predict Lebanese medical students’ behavioral intention to advise patients to quit smoking

*Fakih Carlos¹, Amal Dewan² and Salma Rima Hayek²

¹Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.

²Department of Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural Sciences, Haigazian University, Beirut, Lebanon.

Corresponding Author. Email: [email protected] 

Accepted 13 September, 2013

Abstract

Objectives of this study were to examine the constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior and determine how they predict Lebanese medical students’ behavioral intention to advise patients to quit smoking. This was a cross-sectional study conducted among 191 medical students from 6 medical schools in Lebanon. The instrument contained scales that measured attitudes toward the behavior, behavioral beliefs, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Psychometric properties of the scale were examined. Item to total scale score correlations were determined and linear regression conducted to predict the intention to advise smokers to quit. Respondents had a positive, but not very high, intention to deliver smoking cessation advice. Students reported a positive attitude toward advising patients to quit cigarette smoking and a strong belief in the physician’s obligations in smoking cessation advising. The majority reported lack of time to provide smoking cessation advice, insufficient knowledge of pharmacological aids, and the lack of openness of the patient to receive the advice. The attitude scale was the only variable that yielded a significant prediction of the intended behavior. The construct of attitude toward the behavior appeared to be the most predictive of intention to deliver advice to quit smoking among Lebanese medical students. Focusing training efforts on this construct could improve the rate of delivery of brief cessation counseling.

Key words: Medical students, lebanon, smoking cessation, theory of planned behavior, tobacco, physicians, beliefs.   

 International Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology ISSN 2326-7291 Vol. 4 (8), pp. 195-197, August, 2015. © International Scholars Journals

Full length Research paper

The socioeconomic patterning of perceived stress and hair cortisol in Dutch 10-12 year olds

Hans Bosma¹, Bart Golsteyn², Danielle Groffen¹, Trudie Schils², Tobias Stalder³, Elena Syurina¹, Lex Borghans²and Frans Feron ¹ 

¹Maastricht University, Department of Social Medicine, CAPHRI, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.

² Maastricht University, Department of Economics, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.

³ Technische Universität Dresden, Department of Psychology, Zellescher Weg 19, 01069 Dresden, Germany.

*Corresp. E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 28 June, 2015

Abstract

The relation between low socioeconomic status and stress in 10 to 12 year olds was examined, using both subjective (self-reports) and objective (hair cortisol concentration) measures of stress. From 33 Dutch 10-12 year olds, data were collected (in April 2014) on the socioeconomic status of the parents (education of the father and mother, mean house value and mean income in the postal area of the child’s residence) and stress (reports of stress and self-efficacy and hair cortisol concentration in two segments of individual hair strands). Pearson (partial) correlation and linear regression analyses were used to examine the associations. Most correlations were in the expected direction. Adverse socioeconomic scores correlated with higher stress reports, lower self-efficacy, and higher cortisol levels. Due to the small sample, only two correlations were significant: low education of the mother and reports of both more stress and less self-efficacy in the child (Pearson correlation: 0.44 and–0.43, respectively (p-value = 0.01 for both correlations)). Although the sample was small, the findings clearly suggest a socioeconomic patterning of stress in Dutch 10 to 12 year olds. Adverse socioeconomic conditions, particularly related to the mother’s educational level, might predispose children to a heightened susceptibility to stress.

Key words: Children, hair cortisol, mother’s education, socio-economic background, stress. 

International Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology ISSN 2326-7291 Vol. 4 (8), pp. 189-194, August, 2015.  © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Prevalence of malaria parasitaemia and related anaemia among pregnant women in a semi-urban community in Nigeria

¹Akpan M. O. Edet, ²Ahmed M. S and ¹Nathan B. Vincent

¹Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.

²Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Lagos State University, Ojo, Nigeria.

E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 24 July, 2015

Abstract

The study was carried out to ascertain the incidence of malaria parasitaemia and associated anaemia among pregnant women in a semi-urban community nine years after commencement of roll back malaria (RBM) initiative. The study was hospital-based among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at a central hospital. Structured questionnaires were administered containing relevant information on age, educational level, number of previous pregnancies and methods used for malaria control. Thick and thin blood films from capillary blood were stained with Giema’s stain and examined microscopically for malaria parasites. Packed cell volume (PCV) and blood groups were also carried out while body temperatures were measured using mercurial thermometers. Ethical clearance and informed consents were appropriately obtained. Data was analysed using Epi info 6 statistical software. The incidence of malaria parasitaemia was found to be 308 (42.4%); Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium malariae accounted for 302 (98%) and 6 (2%) of the isolates respectively. Anaemia was detected in 221 (71.6%) of the subjects with malaria parasites (P< 0.001). The rate of use of insecticide treated bed nets (ITNs) was 165 (22.7%) with a significantly lower rate of infection (22.2%) among them compared to other control methods (P< 0.001); there was a corresponding significantly higher rate of infection 253 (67.1%) among the uneducated compared to the educated (P< 0.001). Malaria is still a major health problem among pregnant women in Otukpo. Efforts should be intensified towards provision of insecticide treated bed nets (ITNs) and provision of adequate facilities for formal and informal adult education.

Key words: Malaria, parasitaemia, insecticide treated bed nets, pregnant women, Nigeria.