Population, behavioural and environmental drivers of malaria prevalence in the Democratic Republic of Congo

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Malaria is highly endemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), but the limits and intensity of transmission within the country are unknown. It is important to discern these patterns as well as the drivers which may underlie them in order for effective prevention measures to be carried out.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>By applying high-throughput PCR analyses on leftover dried blood spots from the 2007 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) for the DRC, prevalence estimates were generated and ecological drivers of malaria were explored using spatial statistical analyses and multilevel modelling.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the 7,746 respondents, 2268 (29.3%) were parasitaemic; prevalence ranged from 0-82% within geographically-defined survey clusters. Regional variation in these rates was mapped using the inverse-distance weighting spatial interpolation technique. Males were more likely to be parasitaemic than older people or females (p < 0.0001), while wealthier people were at a lower risk (p < 0.001). Increased community use of bed nets (p = 0.001) and community wealth (p < 0.05) were protective against malaria at the community level but not at the individual level. Paradoxically, the number of battle events since 1994 surrounding one's community was negatively associated with malaria risk (p < 0.0001).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This research demonstrates the feasibility of using population-based behavioural and molecular surveillance in conjunction with DHS data and geographic methods to study endemic infectious diseases. This study provides the most accurate population-based estimates to date of where illness from malaria occurs in the DRC and what factors contribute to the estimated spatial patterns. This study suggests that spatial information and analyses can enable the DRC government to focus its control efforts against malaria.</p

Disparities exist between National food group recommendations and the dietary intakes of women

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Preconception and pregnancy dietary intakes can influence the health of future generations. In this study we compared the food intakes of reproductive-aged women by pregnancy status, to current Australian recommendations.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data are from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, younger cohort aged 25-30 years in 2003, with self-reported status as pregnant (n = 606), trying to conceive (n = 454), given birth in the last 12 months (n = 829) or other (n = 5597). Diet was assessed using a validated 74-item food frequency questionnaire. Food group servings and nutrient intakes were compared to the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) and Australian Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>No women met all AGHE food group recommendations. Highest adherence rates [mean (95% CI) servings/day] were for meat [85%, 1.9(1.8-1.9)], fruit [44%, 2.1(2.1-2.2)] and dairy [35%, 1.8(1.8-1.9)], with < 14% meeting remaining recommendations. Women who achieved NRVs (folate, iron, calcium, zinc, fibre) for pregnancy, breastfeeding and adult life stages were 1.5%, 3.3% and 13.7%, respectively. Compared to AGHE, women consumed more servings of fruit (4.9 vs 4.0;<it>P </it>= 0.034) and dairy (3.4 vs 2.0;<it>P </it>= 0.006) to achieve pregnancy NRVs; more dairy (2.9 vs 2.0;<it>P </it>= 0.001), less fruit (3.9 vs 5.0;<it>P </it>< .001) and vegetables (3.4 vs 7.0;<it>P </it>< .001) to achieve breastfeeding NRVs; more fruit (3.6 vs 3.0;<it>P </it>< .001), dairy (2.5 vs 2.0;<it>P </it>< .001), meat (1.8 vs 1.5;<it>P </it>= 0.015), less vegetables (3.6 vs 5.0;<it>P </it>< .001) to achieve adult NRVs.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The AGHE does not align with contemporary diets of Australian women or enable them to meet all NRVs. Current tools to guide food consumption by women during pregnancy require revision.</p

Increasing access to oral healthcare for marriage‐immigrant women in South Korea: programme design to policy recommendation

Objectives: To examine oral health status and access to dental care among marriage-immigrant women (MIW) in South Korea (Korea). Materials and methods: We analysed patients’ demographic information and access to dental services through the ‘Family-Love Dental Program’ and compared them with Korean oral health surveillance data. The ‘Family-Love Dental Program’ resulted from a partnership among the Korean Ministry of the Gender Equality and Family, Seoul National University Dental Hospital, and Cigna Insurance Company (registered as ‘LINA’ in South Korea) to increase access to oral health for MIW from 2010 to 2016. Results: Over the programme duration, 1,944 MIW underwent dental examination and 1598 MIW received dental treatment. More than two-thirds of MIW (69.5%) receiving dental services were aged between 20 and 39 years. In 2016, the proportion of untreated dental caries among MIW was 54.8%, which was significantly higher than that of untreated dental caries among Korean women within the same age group (24.9%). Over the programme duration, 501 MIW (25.8%) underwent final restoration, and advanced care was provided at the Seoul National University Dental Hospital. Conclusion: MIW have a significantly higher number of dental caries than Korean women within the same age group. Future programmes and policies should consider specific barriers that will promote oral health parity for MIW and their children

Gender in STEM Education: an Exploratory Study of Student Perceptions of Math and Science Instructors in the United Arab Emirates

© 2015, Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan. The current study addresses student perceptions of math and science professors in the Middle East. Gender disparity in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education continues to exist in higher education, with male professors holding a normative position. This disparity can also be seen in the United Arab Emirates. As female participation in STEM education lags behind men, it is possible that gender stereotypes may influence students’ first impressions of male and female instructors. The United Arab Emirates provides a unique context to study this phenomenon as it is a traditional patriarchal society that is highly dependent on the engineering discipline, especially within the oil and gas sectors. A total of 176 undergraduate students from 2 universities in the United Arab Emirates completed a survey about teaching effectiveness based on their perceptions of photographs of hypothetical male and female instructors. A factor analysis of survey items revealed 2 main subcategories of teacher effectiveness: namely teacher warmth and professionalism. A 2-way between-groups analysis of variance was conducted to explore the impact of teacher gender and student gender on perceptions of overall teaching effectiveness, as well as their perceptions of teacher warmth and professionalism. Findings revealed that there was a significant cross-gender effect on student perceptions of math and science instructors in the United Arab Emirates