Extending Bilingual WordNet via Hierarchical Word Translation Classification

PACLIC 23 / City University of Hong Kong / 3-5 December 200

Assessment of Changes in Knowledge and Stigmatization Following Tuberculosis Training Workshops in Taiwan

Background/PurposeThere is little understanding of the depth of knowledge of health workers involved in tuberculosis (TB) control programs, and even less is known about health workers attaching stigma to TB patients. This study surveyed health workers enrolled in TB training workshops prior to the execution of the directly observed treatment, short course (DOTS) program.MethodsAll participants attended the training course and completed structured questionnaires before (pre-test) and after training (post-test). The questionnaires were collected immediately following completion and the scores were analyzed.ResultsPair comparison of knowledge scores revealed that all participants made statistically significant improvements in level of TB knowledge, except those who had a history of TB (p = 0.331). Pair comparison of stigmatization scores revealed a reduction in stigmatization, with the DOTS workers attaching less stigma to TB patients. After training, caregivers, including women (p = 0.012), public health workers (p = 0.028), 40–49-year-old subjects (p = 0.035), those with an education of < 12 years (p = 0.024), those who had been a volunteer (p = 0.018), and those who had a history of TB and those who did not (p = 0.034, p = 0.036), were significantly less likely to stigmatize patients. TB knowledge was not found to be significantly correlated with stigmatization (pre-test, p = 0.298; post-test, p = 0.821).ConclusionTraining workshops in TB control were effective for promotion of knowledge and elimination of stigmatization in first-line caregivers. DOTS workers attached less stigma to TB patients than public health workers, and older workers who had been volunteers attached the least stigma

The Impact of Falls and Fear of Falling on Health-Related Quality of Life in Taiwanese Elderly=台灣老人跌倒與害怕跌倒對健康相關生活品質的衝擊

This study aimed to investigate the relationship among falls , fear of falling (FOF), and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in elderly people living in the community. The study was a community-based surveillance with residents aged 65 or over in Taipei, Taiwan. Data were collected in face-to- face interviews. Of the 4,056 participants, the prevalence of falls was 13.8% and the prevalence of FOF among women (62 .6 %) was significantly higher than that among men (46.2%). Adjusted by covariate factors, fear of falling was identified as a major factor related to HRQOL in the elderly and should be emphasized to assist the improvement of HRQOL in geriatrics

The Incidence, Risk Factors and Consequences of Falling Injury among the Community Elderly in Shihpai, Taiwan=台灣石牌社區老人跌傷發生率危險因子及 其後果

Background and aims: Falls causing injuries among older people and the consequences of those injuries are of increasing concern to public health practitioners. The aims of this study were to determine the incidence, characteristics and risk factors of fall injuries among the community- dwelling elderly in Shihpai, Taiwan; the impact on quality of life and health service utilization was also comprehensively studied. Methods: 1361 community-dwelling elderly who had been enrolled in the Shihpai eye study (1999 -2000) were included. Subjects were interviewed and examined by trained interviewers, and data such as demographics, medical conditions, blood pressure, ophthalmic examination, fall history and quality of life ( SF-36) were collected. Chi -square tests, analyses of covariance and multiple logistic regressions were performed as the main statistical methods. Results: The mean age of the participants was 72.2 (range, 65-91) years old. 16.3% of the elderly persons interviewed had experienced at least one fall; among those, up to 50% had suffered mild injuries, and the incidence of remarkable injury was 27.6%. There were no significant differences in the location or time of falling, but there were different risk factors and consequences in injury severity. Fallers with remarkable injuries had a higher incidence of hospitalization and a greater fear of falling. No statistically significant decline in quality of life with increasing severity of falling injury was identified after a 12-month follow-up period. Conclusions: Gender, visual impairment and orthostatic hypotension were identified as the major risk factors of fall injuries in the elderly. These factors should be emphasized in order to reduce fall injuries in geriatrics

Testing the “Epidemiologic Paradox” of Birth Outcomes Among Asian Immigrant Women in Hsin-Chu County, Taiwan

Taiwan saw an increase in immigration during the last decade. This retrospective study investigated whether immigrant status confers a protective effect on birth outcomes and whether this effect varies across racial/ethnic subgroups in Hsin-Chu County, Taiwan. Methods: A total of 30,770 singleton birth certificates from January 1, 2002 to July 31, 2007 were analyzed using ANOVA and logistic regression. Outcomes included low birth weight (LBW, 4000 g), preterm birth (< 37 weeks) and stillbirth. Covariates included maternal age, year of delivery, mode of delivery, medical care institution, infant sex and congenital birth defects. Five models were designed for various analyses. The reference categories included non-immigrant, non-aboriginal Taiwanese and non-Chinese-speaking immigrants. Results: Preterm rate ranged from 6.3% among mainland Chinese to 13.5% among aboriginal Taiwanese. LBW rate ranged from 4.3% among mainland Chinese to 17.3% among aboriginal Taiwanese. HBW rate ranged from 1.2% among aboriginal Taiwanese to 3.4% among mainland Chinese. Stillbirth rate ranged from 0.2% among Indonesians to 0.7% among aboriginal Taiwanese. Adjusted odds ratio (OR) was lower among mainland Chinese (preterm OR, 0.77; LBW OR, 0.62) but higher among aboriginal Taiwanese (preterm OR, 1.79; LBW OR, 2.68; stillbirth OR, 2.92). HBW rate was significantly higher (OR, 1.84) among mainland Chinese. Chinese-speaking immigrants showed significant differences in LBW (OR, 0.57) and HBW (OR, 1.62) compared with non-Chinese-speaking immigrants. Conclusion: An epidemiologic paradox and heterogeneity of birth outcomes were observed among immigrants in this study. However, aboriginal Taiwanese constituted the subgroup with the highest risk. Further research is needed to identify the determinants of birth outcomes