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Evaluation of Hypertension Prevention and Control Programs in Lima, Peru

Bonhee CHUNG ; Dohyeong KIM ; Eun Woo NAM

Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives.2018;9(1):36-41. doi:10.24171/j.phrp.2018.9.1.07

OBJECTIVES: The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) established 4 health centers to provide hypertension screening and a health support program in a deprived urban area of Lima, Peru. This case report provides a mid-term evaluation of the KOICA’s hypertension prevention and control programs. METHODS: A follow up study was performed on 663 residents who were diagnosed with prehypertension or hypertension (Stage 1 and 2) in the 4 KOICA health centers. Patients participated in programs designed to prevent and control hypertension through education sessions over the course of 6 months. Using simple descriptive statistics and computer simulations, we evaluated the effect of hypertension prevention and control programs on the participants. RESULTS: The KOICA health programs appeared to significantly contribute to lowering the blood pressure (BP) of the participants. The total number of participants with normal BP increased from none to 109. Overall, the female and younger patients responded better to the KOICA programs than the male and older participants. In addition, the average systolic BP, diastolic BP, and body mass index of all participants was significantly reduced. CONCLUSION: The KOICA programs were effective at lowering blood pressure, particularly amongst the prehypertension group than the Stage 1 and 2 hypertension groups. This suggests that providing an extensive screening service for adults with prehypertension will help control hypertension in the early stages.
Adult ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Computer Simulation ; Education ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypertension ; International Cooperation ; Korea ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Peru ; Prehypertension

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Enhancing ‘Whole-of-Government’ Response to Biological Events in Korea: Able Response 2014

Sangwoo TAK ; Anton JAREB ; Suon CHOI ; Marvin SIKES ; Yeon Hwa CHOI ; Hyeong wook BOO

Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives.2018;9(1):32-35. doi:10.24171/j.phrp.2018.9.1.06

Since 2011, the Republic of Korea (ROK) and United States (U.S.) have been collaborating to conduct inter- and intra-governmental exercises to jointly respond to biological events in Korea. These exercises highlight U.S. interest in increasing its global biosurveillance capability and the ROK’s interest in improving cooperation among ministries to respond to crises. With Able Response (AR) exercises, the ROK and U.S. have improved coordination among US and ROK government and defense agencies responding to potential bio-threats and identified additional areas on which to apply refinements in policies and practices. In 2014, the AR exercise employed a Biosurveillance Portal (BSP) to facilitate more effective communication among participating agencies and countries including Australia. In the present paper, we seek to provide a comprehensive assessment of the AR 2014 (AR14) exercise and make recommendations for future improvements. Incorporating a more realistic response in future scenarios by integrating a tactical response episode in the exercise is recommended.
Australia ; Biosurveillance ; Disease Outbreaks ; Exercise ; Korea ; Public Health ; Republic of Korea ; United States

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Perception and Practice of Road Safety among Medical Students, Mansoura, Egypt

Randah HELAL ; Ghada EL-KHAWAGA ; Abdel Hady EL-GILANY

Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives.2018;9(1):25-31. doi:10.24171/j.phrp.2018.9.1.05

OBJECTIVES: To assess the knowledge and attitude of medical students towards road safety and to determine their driving behavior and its relation to different related factors. METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved 480 medical students at Mansoura University, Egypt. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect student personal data, knowledge about road safety, attitude towards road safety, and driving practices. RESULTS: More than 40% of students experienced an injury in the previous year, mainly as a pedestrian (56%), and 15.2% practiced driving, although only 9.6% had a driving licence. Most of the students had correct road safety knowledge except for awareness that the safe time to read maps is when your vehicle is parked (44%), one should drive in the left lane (29.6%), and one should overtake from the right-hand lane only (25.8%). The majority of the students reported that road traffic injuries can be prevented (89.2%). The mean score of the driving practices of the students ranged from 0.66±1.04 to 2.44±6.28 and rural residents showed significantly higher score regarding errors and lapses. CONCLUSION: Good road safety knowledge and a favorable, low risk attitude, did not translate into improved road traffic behavior and this highlights the importance of stricter implementation of the existing rules and including road safety in medical education programs.
Cross-Sectional Studies ; Education, Medical ; Egypt ; Humans ; Students, Medical

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Associations between Social and Physical Environments, and Physical Activity in Adults from Urban and Rural Regions

Bongjeong KIM ; Hye Sun HYUN

Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives.2018;9(1):16-24. doi:10.24171/j.phrp.2018.9.1.04

OBJECTIVES: This study investigates investigated the relationship between social and physical environments, and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) amongst adults in both rural and urban areas within Korea. METHODS: A sample of 128,735 adults from the 2013 Community Health Survey (CHS) was analyzed using a multilevel logistic analysis. RESULTS: Urban residents with higher satisfaction in public transportation satisfaction and rural residents with more access to sports parks, hiking trails, and bike cycle paths were more likely to be active. The MVPA of adults from rural areas correlated urban adults was uncorrelatedwith neighborhood factors, but that of rural adults was whereas no correlations were observed in adults from urban areas. CONCLUSION: These differences should be considered when developing interventions strategies to enhance adult physical activity in different communities.
Adult ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Korea ; Motor Activity ; Multilevel Analysis ; Residence Characteristics ; Social Environment ; Sports ; Transportation

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Prevalence of Fecal Carriage of CTX-M-15 Beta-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia coli in Healthy Children from a Rural Andean Village in Venezuela

María ARAQUE ; Indira LABRADOR

Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives.2018;9(1):9-15. doi:10.24171/j.phrp.2018.9.1.03

OBJECTIVES: Antimicrobial resistant extended-spectrum-β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-PE) have been shown to be present in healthy communities. This study examined healthy children from the rural Andean village of Llano del Hato, Mérida, Venezuela, who have had little or no antibiotic exposure to determine the prevalence of fecal carriage of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-EC). METHODS: A total of 78 fecal samples were collected in healthy children aged from 1 to 5 years. ESBL-EC were selected in MacConkey agar plates with cefotaxime and further confirmed by the VITEK 2 system. ESBL were phenotypically detected and presence of bla genes and their variants were confirmed by molecular assays. Determination of phylogenetic groups was performed by PCR amplification. Risk factors associated with fecal carriage of ESBL-EC-positive isolates were analyzed using standard statistical methods. RESULTS: Of the 78 children studied, 27 (34.6%) carried ESBL-EC. All strains harbored the bla(CTX-M-15) allele. Of these, 8 were co-producers of bla(TEM-1), bla(TEM-5), bla(SHV-5) or bla(SHV-12). Co-resistance to aminoglycosides and/or fluoroquinolones was observed in 9 strains. 51.9% of ESBL-EC isolates were classified within phylogroup A. A significant, positive correlation was found between age (≥2.5 – ≤5 years), food consumption patterns and ESBL-EC fecal carriage. CONCLUSION: This is the first study describing the high prevalence of fecal carriage of ESBL-EC expressing CTX-M-15- among very young, healthy children from a rural Andean village in Venezuela with scarce antibiotic exposure, underlining the importance of this population as a reservoir.
Agar ; Alleles ; Aminoglycosides ; Cefotaxime ; Child ; Enterobacteriaceae ; Escherichia coli ; Escherichia ; Fluoroquinolones ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Venezuela

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Multilevel Analysis of the Risk Factors in High-Risk Health Behavior among Korean Adolescents

Eun Gyeong KIM

Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives.2018;9(1):3-8. doi:10.24171/j.phrp.2018.9.1.02

OBJECTIVES: To examine health behaviors among Korean adolescents with a focus on both individual and school-based factors, specifically in relation to predictors of high-risk groups. METHODS: Secondary data analysis was conducted with data from the 8th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey, using descriptive statistics, t tests, χ2 test, and multilevel logistic regression analysis. Health Practice Index was calculated and a range of 0 to 2 was classified as a high-risk group. RESULTS: The results revealed that the individual-level variables of sex, age, stress, depression, subjective health status, school performance, health education, father’s level of education, and living situation were significant predictors of high-risk behaviors. The risk was greater in girls, greater with higher age and higher stress scores, greater in adolescents with depression, greater with lower paternal educational level, and greater in adolescents who did not live with both parents, as were the school-level variables of school grade and school affluence score. The possibility of being in the high-risk group in health behavior was greater if a student attended a school where the Family Affluence Score (FAS) was lower. CONCLUSION: School health education should be expanded to manage students’ high-risk health behaviors, especially in schools that have many students from families with a low affluence status.
Adolescent ; Depression ; Diagnostic Self Evaluation ; Education ; Female ; Health Behavior ; Health Education ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Multilevel Analysis ; Parents ; Risk Factors ; Risk-Taking ; School Health Services ; Statistics as Topic

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A Joint Exercise against Intentional Biothreats

Hae Wol CHO ; Chaeshin CHU

Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives.2018;9(1):1-2. doi:10.24171/j.phrp.2018.9.1.01

No abstract available.
Joints

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Enteroparasitism and Risk Factors Associated with Clinical Manifestations in Children and Adults of Jalisco State in Western Mexico

María de la Luz GALVÁN-RAMÍREZ ; Ana Luisa MADRIZ-ELISONDO ; Cynthia Guadalupe Temores RAMÍREZ ; Jorge de DE JESÚS ROMERO RAMEÑO ; Dania Araceli DE LA O CARRASCO ; Marco Antonio Cardona LÓPEZ

Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives.2019;10(1):39-48. doi:10.24171/j.phrp.2019.10.1.08

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with intestinal parasites in the population of San Juan Cosala, Jalisco, Mexico. METHODS: A total of 277 samples from 104 participants were analysed using direct smear, flotation, formaldehyde/ethyl acetate, and modified Kinyoun’s acid-fast stain methods. The Graham method was applied only for samples from children under 12 years of age for the diagnosis of Enterobius vermicularis. RESULTS: The prevalence of parasite infections in the study population was 77.9% including: Entamoeba histolytica/E. dispar/E. moshkovskii/E. bangladeshi (37.5%), Giardia intestinalis (11.5%); commensals: Endolimax nana (44.2%), Entamoeba coli (27.9%), Chilomastix mesnili (6.7%) and Iodamoeba bütschlii, (2.9%); emerging intestinal protozoans: Blastocystis spp. (49%), Cryptosporidium spp. (7.7%) and Cyclospora cayetanensis (2.9%); and helminths: Enterobius vermicularis (18.3%) and Ascaris lumbricoides (5.8%). The results also showed that 58.64% of the studied population presented polyparasitism. A significant association was found between protozoan infections and housewives, and houses that were not built with concrete ceilings, brick walls and cement floors (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Polyparasitism was observed in over half the study population. The most prevalent parasite was Blastocystis spp, whilst the prevalence of helminths was less than that of protozoans. The risk factors for infection to intestinal parasites were being a housewife and not having solid brick, cement and concrete materials for house construction.
Adult ; Ascaris lumbricoides ; Blastocystis ; Child ; Cryptosporidium ; Cyclospora ; Diagnosis ; Endolimax ; Entamoeba ; Enterobius ; Giardia lamblia ; Helminths ; Humans ; Methods ; Mexico ; Parasites ; Prevalence ; Protozoan Infections ; Retortamonadidae ; Risk Factors

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Characteristics of Inpatients Who Survive Suicide Attempts

Sang Mi KIM ; Hyun Sook LEE

Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives.2019;10(1):32-38. doi:10.24171/j.phrp.2019.10.1.07

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to analyze the characteristics and factors affecting the survival of inpatients admitted following a suicide attempt. METHODS: A total of 3,095 cases retrieved from the Korean National Hospital Discharge In-depth Injury Survey data (from 2011 to 2015) were grouped according to survival and death and analyzed using descriptive statistics chi-square and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The following factors had statistically significant risks on reducing survival: female (OR = 2.352, p < 0.001), 40–59 years old (OR = 0.606, p = 0.014), over 60 years old (OR = 0.186, p < 0.001), poisoning (OR = 0.474, p = 0.009), hanging (OR = 0.031, p < 0.001), jumping (OR = 0.144, p < 0.001), conflicts with family (OR = 2.851, p < 0.001), physical diseases (OR = 1.687, p = 0.046), mental health problems (OR = 2.693, p < 0.001), financial problems (OR = 3.314, p = 0.002), 2014 (OR = 2.498, p = < 0.001) and 2015 (OR = 2.942, p = 0.005). CONCLUSION: The survival group that had a history of attempted suicide (high-risk suicide group), should be further characterized. It is necessary to identify the suicide methods and risk factors for suicide prevention management policies and to continuously expand the management policy according to these characteristics.
Female ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Logistic Models ; Mental Health ; Poisoning ; Risk Factors ; Suicide ; Suicide, Attempted

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Analysis of Resistance to Macrolide–Lincosamide–Streptogramin B Among mecA-Positive Staphylococcus Aureus Isolates

Mahmoud KHODABANDEH ; Mohsen MOHAMMADI ; Mohammad Reza ABDOLSALEHI ; Azadeh ALVANDIMANESH ; Mehrdad GHOLAMI ; Meysam Hasannejad BIBALAN ; Abazar POURNAJAF ; Ramin KAFSHGARI ; Ramazan RAJABNIA

Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives.2019;10(1):25-31. doi:10.24171/j.phrp.2019.10.1.06

OBJECTIVES: Genetic determinants conferring resistance to macrolide, lincosamide, and streptogramin B (MLSB) via ribosomal modification such as, erm, msrA/B and ereA/B genes are distributed in bacteria. The main goals of this work were to evaluate the dissemination of MLSB resistance phenotypes and genotypes in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates collected from clinical samples. METHODS: A total of 106 MRSA isolates were studied. Isolates were recovered from 3 hospitals in Tehran between May 2016 to July 2017. The prevalence of MLSB-resistant strains were determined by D-test, and then M-PCR was performed to identify genes encoding resistance to macrolides, lincosamides, and streptogramins in the tested isolates. RESULTS: The frequency of constitutive resistance MLSB, inducible resistance MLSB and MSB resistance were 56.2%, 22.9%, and 16.6%, respectively. Of 11 isolates with the inducible resistance MLSB phenotype, ermC, ermB, ermA and ereA were positive in 81.8%, 63.6%, 54.5% and 18.2% of these isolates, respectively. In isolates with the constitutive resistance MLSB phenotype, the prevalence of ermA, ermB, ermC, msrA, msrB, ereA and ereB were 25.9%, 18.5%, 44.4%, 0.0%, 0.0%, 11.1% and 0.0%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Clindamycin is commonly administered in severe MRSA infections depending upon the antimicrobial susceptibility findings. This study showed that the D-test should be used as an obligatory method in routine disk diffusion assay to detect inducible clindamycin resistance in MRSA so that effective antibiotic treatment can be provided.
Bacteria ; Clindamycin ; Diffusion ; Drug Resistance ; Genotype ; Lincosamides ; Macrolides ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Methods ; Phenotype ; Prevalence ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Staphylococcus ; Streptogramin B ; Streptogramins

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