Adherence to the integrated management of childhood illness guidelines in Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda: Evidence from the national service provision assessment surveys

© 2017 The Author(s). Background: Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) is regarded as a standard public health approach to lowering child mortality in developing countries. However, little is known about how health workers adhere to the guidelines at the national level in sub-Saharan African countries. Methods: Data from the Service Provision Assessment surveys of Namibia (NA) (survey year: 2009), Kenya (KE) (2010), Tanzania (TZ) (2006) and Uganda (UG) (2007) were analysed for adherence to the IMCI guidelines by health workers. Potential influencing factors included the survey country, patient's age, the different levels of the national health system, the training level of the health care provider (physician, non-physician clinician, nurse-midwife, auxiliary staff), and the status of re-Training in IMCI. Results: In total, 6856 children (NA: 1495; KE: 1890; TZ: 2469; UG: 1002 / male 51.2-53.5%) aged 2-73 months (2-24 months, 65.3%; median NA: 19 months; KE: 18 months; TZ: 16 months; UG: 15 months) were clinically assessed by 2006 health workers during the surveys. Less than 33% of the workers carried out assessment of all three IMCI danger signs, namely inability to eat/drink, vomiting everything, and febrile convulsions (NA: 11%; KE: 11%; TZ: 14%; UG: 31%) while the rate for assessing all three of the IMCI main symptoms of cough/difficult breathing, diarrhoea, and fever was < 60% (NA: 48%; KE: 34%; TZ: 50%; UG: 57%). Physical examination rates for fever (temperature) (NA: 97%; KE: 87%; TZ: 73%; UG: 90%), pneumonia (respiration rate/auscultation) (NA: 43%; KE: 24%; TZ: 25%; UG: 20%) and diarrhoea (dehydration status) (NA: 29%; KE : 19%; TZ: 20%; UG: 39%) varied widely and were highest when assessing children with the actual diagnosis of pneumonia and diarrhoea. Adherence rates tended to be higher in children = 24 months, at hospitals, among higher-qualified staff (physician/non-physician clinician) and among those with recent IMCI re-Training. Conclusion: Despite nationwide training in IMCI the adherence rates for assessment and physical examination remained low in all four countries. IMCI training should continue to be provided to all health staff, particularly nurses, midwives, and auxiliary staff, with periodic re-Training and an emphasis to equally target children of all age groups

Einfluss des sozioökonomischen Status auf Gesundheitskosten für Kinder und Jugendliche mit Störungen des Sozialverhaltens. Eine Analyse von Routinedaten einer gesetzlichen Krankenversicherung  

Hintergrund Für verschiedene somatische und psychiatrische Krankheitsbilder ist bekannt, dass die Inanspruchnahme medizinischer Leistungen und die damit verbundenen Kosten vom sozioökonomischen Status (SES) der Patienten abhängen. Für den Bereich kinder- und jugendpsychiatrischer Störungen liegen zu dieser Thematik bislang keine Untersuchungen vor. Fragestellung Es wurde explorativ untersucht, inwieweit Kosten für Gesundheitsleistungen bei Kindern und Jugendlichen mit Störung des Sozialverhaltens (SSV), einem der häufigsten kinder- und jugendpsychiatrischen Störungsbilder, vom SES abhängen. Material und Methoden Grundlage der Analysen bildeten Routinedaten der AOK Nordost aus dem Jahr 2011 von 6461 Kindern und Jugendlichen (Alter: 5–18 Jahre) mit ICD-10-Diagnose einer SSV. Der SES der Versicherten wurde indirekt über die Sozialstruktur des Wohnortes (PLZ-Bezirk) mithilfe des German Index of Multiple Deprivation (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Brandenburg) bzw. des Berliner Sozialindex I (Berlin) bestimmt, die in Quintile aufgeteilt wurden. Auf Basis dieser Quintile wurden die durchschnittlichen Kosten pro Fall für ambulante Behandlungen bei Allgemeinärzten, Pädiatern, Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatern bzw. -psychotherapeuten sowie für stationäre Krankenhausaufenthalte und Arzneimittelverordnungen analysiert. Ergebnisse Für keine der untersuchten Kostenarten fand sich ein funktionaler Zusammenhang zwischen SES und Gesundheitskosten. Diskussion Im Gegensatz zu bisherigen Daten bei Erwachsenen zeigte sich in dieser Studie keine Assoziation zwischen dem SES und den Gesundheitskosten von Kindern und Jugendlichen mit SSV. Es scheint somit bei der medizinischen Versorgung dieser Patientengruppe in Deutschland keine signifikante sozial bedingte Ungleichheit zu bestehen. &nbsp

Media use in gynecological and obstetric care and women's perceived level of education received of lifestyle-related risks: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE: The application of media on lifestyle-related risk factors (LRRFs) by healthcare providers to educate women may improve women's adherence, health literacy, and awareness of LRRFs, as well as offspring's health outcomes. This study investigated whether exposure to media-based education in gynecological and obstetric care is associated with LRRFs perceived levels of education received during pregnancy and lactation. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional, observational study across 14 randomly generated sample points in the 12 most populated cities in Baden-Württemberg, southwest Germany. Women were recruited from gynecological and obstetric institutions. Participants were 219 women who met our inclusion criteria and completed the quantitative questionnaire. We applied ordinal logistic regression analyses to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of women's perceived level of education received related to healthcare providers' exposure to media-based education. RESULTS: Media-based education on LRRFs during pregnancy through gynecologists and/or midwives were significantly associated with women's perceived level of education received (gynecologists: OR = 4.26 (95% CI: 2.04, 8.90; p < .001); midwives: OR = 3.86 (95% CI: 1.66, 8.98; p = .002)). Similar results were found for media-based education through gynecologists and/or midwives on LRRFs during lactation and its association with women's self-assessed level of perceived level of education received (gynecologists: OR = 4.76 (95% CI: 2.15, 10.56; p < .001); midwives: OR = 7.61 (95% CI: 3.13, 18.53; p < .001)). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the exposure to media-based education in gynecological and obstetric care increases women's perceived level of education received of LRRFs during pregnancy and lactation. Therefore, it is recommendable to apply media in gynecological and obstetric care settings

Women's Media Use and Preferences of Media-Based Interventions on Lifestyle-Related Risk Factors in Gynecological and Obstetric Care: A Cross-Sectional Multi-Center Study in Germany

This study aimed to investigate factors affecting (1) women’s media use regarding health-related behaviors during pregnancy and lactation, (2) women’s preferences for media format, and (3) the content of media-based interventions on lifestyle-related risk factors during pregnancy and lactation. A cross-sectional observational multi-center study of pregnant and lactating women and women of childbearing age was carried out in 14 randomly selected obstetric and gynecologic care settings in the 12 most populated cities in Baden-Wuerttemberg, South-West Germany. Data from 219 surveyed women showed that older women, pregnant women, and lactating women have a higher probability of using media during pregnancy and lactation, respectively. The majority of women preferred a combination of analog and digital media-based interventions in gynecological (46.9%) and obstetric (47.1%) care settings and at home (73.0%). Women would like to see information brochures and flyers on health-related behaviors during pregnancy and lactation for use in gynecological and obstetric care settings, and for media use at home, they would like to have books. The probability of preferring the favored media formats in gynecological and obstetric care settings and at home were associated with pregnancy status, relationship status, socioeconomic status (SES), ethnicity, and health insurance status. About 80% of the surveyed women preferred media content regarding recommendations for a healthy lifestyle and healthy behavior during pregnancy and lactation. All of the independent variables were associated with the probability of preferring a specific media content. The SES was found to play a major role in the probability of preferring a specific media content, followed by pregnancy status, ethnicity, and health insurance status. The results from our study provide a basis for tailored preventive interventions in gynecological and obstetric care settings and for use at home. The results imply that a woman can be reached before conception, during pregnancy, or during lactation with preventive measures tailored to their requirements; however, acceptance may vary across personal attributes, such as SES, ethnicity, and others

Validity of the ICDAS-II for detection of fissure caries – an in-vitro study

Aim: The aim of this study was to validate the International Caries Detection and Assessment System [ICDAS-II) for the detection of occlusal caries. For this purpose, reproducibility, sensitivity, specificity and the correlation to histology were assessed. Material and Method: The occlusal surfaces of 100 teeth [181 investigation sites) were examined using the ICDAS-II graded scores of 0-6. Thereafter, the teeth were serially sectioned and the depth of the lesions assessed microscopically. Results: Weighted kappa values for inter- and intra-examiner reproducibility were 0.61-0.86 in the visual and histological examinations. The Spearman correlation coefficient between the visual and histological findings was 0.7. At the 01 diagnostic threshold (enamel and dentine lesions), specificity was 0.54% and sensitivity was 90.7%. At the 03 diagnostic threshold [dentine lesions) for the ICDAS cut-off 1/2 specificity was 69.6% and sensitivity was 86.6%. For the ICDAS cutoff 2/3, specificity was 91.1% and sensitivity was 70.1%. Conclusion: The ICDAS-II showed good reproducibility after a short training period. The ICDAS-II can be used in clinical studies with the acquired data on specificity and sensitivity

Randomised in situ clinical trial investigating self-assembling peptide matrix P11-4 in the prevention of artificial caries lesions

AbstractThe aim was to investigate the ability of self-assembling Peptide P11-4 Matrix (SAPM) to remineralize artificial initial caries lesions compared to the use of fluoride varnish. Volunteers were recruited for this randomised, cross-over in situ trial. Bovine specimens, half including orthodontic brackets, were recessed on the buccal aspects of mandibular appliances. Specimens included internal sound enamel control, a demineralised control and a part exposed during the in situ phase. Each phase lasted four weeks, followed by a one-week washout. Treatment groups were: A: negative control, no treatment,B: positive control, 22,600 ppm fluoride varnish,C: test group, 1,000 ppm SAPM. Laser fluorescence values (LF) were measured before/after demineralisation, and after the in situ period. Micro-CT analysis was used to assess mineral changes within the specimens after the in situ phase. In specimens without brackets, ΔLF values after in situ phase were: A: +5.28, B: +0.85, C: -2.89. Corresponding ΔLF for specimens with brackets were: A: +5.77, B: +1.30, C: -3.15. LF-values between groups significantly differed from each other (p < 0.0001) after the in situ phase. Micro-CT analysis yielded no significant difference among groups for specimens without brackets. For specimens with brackets, the test group showed significantly more remineralisation than the negative (p = 0.01) and positive control (p = 0.003). Within the limitations of the study, SAPM showed prevention of caries and remineralisation of enamel around orthodontic brackets.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Supplementary Material for: Association between a New Sugar Index and Caries Experience: Results of a Cross-Sectional Field Study

<b><i>Objectives:</i></b> The aim of this study was to test the relationship between a newly developed sugar index and caries experience in 4th- and 6th-graders. <b><i>Materials and Methods:</i></b> A total of 1,019 fourth-graders and 925 sixth-graders from 2 regions in Northern Germany participated in the study. Caries experience was recorded by applying the ICDAS criteria. Tooth-brushing habits and other independent variables were examined psychometrically. Structured questions were formulated that were related to specific everyday eating situations, especially between main meals, which proved to be relevant for a higher caries risk. To compare mean caries scores, nonparametric tests were applied. The Pearson coefficient was calculated in order to verify the correlation between the sugar index and the caries experience. The influence of various independent variables on caries experience was assessed by stepwise backward logistic regression analysis. <b><i>Results:</i></b> With regard to the primary teeth of the 4th-graders, significant correlations with values > 0.1 were found for all ICDAS outcome variables. With regard to the permanent teeth of the 6th-graders, the only significant correlations with the sugar index were for the ICDAS outcome variables D_3–6MFT and D_3–6FS. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> The results of our study show that not only the correlation between the sugar index and caries experience was stronger for 4th-graders than for 6th-graders, but also more distinctly visible differences were observed when comparing extreme groups. This indicates that protective factors, such as fluoridation and the preventive sealing of fissures, help level out the differences in caries occurrence in older children when compared to younger children

Ruling out coronary heart disease in primary care: external validation of a clinical prediction rule.

BACKGROUND: The Marburg Heart Score (MHS) aims to assist GPs in safely ruling out coronary heart disease (CHD) in patients presenting with chest pain, and to guide management decisions. AIM: To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of the MHS in an independent sample and to evaluate the generalisability to new patients. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional diagnostic study with delayed-type reference standard in general practice in Hesse, Germany. METHOD: Fifty-six German GPs recruited 844 males and females aged ≥ 35 years, presenting between July 2009 and February 2010 with chest pain. Baseline data included the items of the MHS. Data on the subsequent course of chest pain, investigations, hospitalisations, and medication were collected over 6 months and were reviewed by an independent expert panel. CHD was the reference condition. Measures of diagnostic accuracy included the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios, and predictive values. RESULTS: The AUC was 0.84 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.80 to 0.88). For a cut-off value of 3, the MHS showed a sensitivity of 89.1% (95% CI = 81.1% to 94.0%), a specificity of 63.5% (95% CI = 60.0% to 66.9%), a positive predictive value of 23.3% (95% CI = 19.2% to 28.0%), and a negative predictive value of 97.9% (95% CI = 96.2% to 98.9%). CONCLUSION: Considering the diagnostic accuracy of the MHS, its generalisability, and ease of application, its use in clinical practice is recommended