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Background:Perceived social support (PSS) measures an individual's beliefs about the available support in need from family and friends, which is an important indicator of subjective wellbeing. The study aimed to determine the level of PSS among women of reproductive age attending a public health facility in a poor area of Northern Lima.
Methods: A total of 106 pregnant women and mothers of less than 3 years child who visited the health center for antenatal care and health education were included in the study. PSS was measured using the 12-item multidimensional scale of PSS. An independent sample t test was carried out to assess variation of PSS across characteristics of study population and health behavior.
Results:Of a maximum of 60, the average score of 12 items, each measured in 5-point Likert scale for PSS was 40.68 ± 9.46, comprising of 26.34 (± 6.42) out of 40 for friends support and 14.11 (± 4.90) out of 20 for family support. The mean PSS was above 3 for all items related to family support, but it was less than 3 for half of the items related to friend support. PSS from family was slightly higher than from friends. PSS was found higher among Catholic, the respondent who was in living together with a relationship, respondents with higher monthly income and who consumed fruits ≥ 2 serving a day.
Conclusion: The study revealed a satisfactory level of PSS among the women, and mean PSS varied across socio-demographic factors and a few health behaviors in the study area.
To improve health, it is important to understand the social determinants of health (SDH). This study aimed to identify the SDH through national-level indices in industrialized countries. To examine the SDH, we conducted a longitudinal analysis using a panel regression. We sampled from 27 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries. We chose 19 indices across four categories of health outcomes, which are the socioeconomic environment, the physical environment, health behavior, and health services. Japan ranked in the highest tier for all outcome categories, followed by Iceland, Sweden, and Switzerland. Gross domestic product (GDP, per capita), unemployment, nitrogen oxides (NOX, kilograms per capita), tobacco consumption (SMO, grams per capita [15+]), sugar intake, fat intake, and number of doctors (DOC, per 1,000) had statistically significant effects on life expectancy at birth. GDP, NOX, alcohol consumption, SMO, DOC, total health expenditure (THE, GDP percent), and vaccination coverage for measles (VACCINE, percent) were associated with mortality. In the case of potential years of life lost (PYLL), GDP, NOX, alcohol consumption (ALC, liters per capita [15+]), SMO, DOC, THE, and VACCINE were statistically significant. GDP, school life expectancy, wastewater treatment rate, and VACCINE were associated with the infant mortality rate (IMR). Combining all of the results shows that to improve national-level health outcomes, tobacco and alcohol controls and nutritional policies should be strengthened first, as they will contribute more to mortality and PYLL. Vaccinations will contribute more to IMR and PYLL reductions.
Objectives
The objective of this case report is to introduce the development process, structure, characteristics, and effectiveness of the web database (DB) system developed for the hypertension management program in the primary health care setting in the low-income urban areas of Peru.
Methods
A Korean research team cooperated with a Peruvian IT startup company to develop a web DB system to improve the data management of the hypertension management program. The entire web application infrastructure was hosted using the Amazon Web Service. Two different web platforms were established for the user groups of health workers and researchers (program managers).
Results
A total of 2,827 program participants were registered in the web DB system until December 2017. Health professionals can input the participant data while providing consultation to the program participants, and the data is accumulated in the web DB in real time. Input errors or data loss is prevented by setting restrictions in the data entry system. During the 4-year project period, 7,696 hours of working time and USD 39,536.48 for data management were saved as the result of web DB system utilization.
Conclusions
The developed web DB system contributed to improve the health condition of the health program participants by providing necessary information to the health professionals at the right time. This case report could be a reference for other researcher to develop web databases for their own context, especially in developing countries.
Introduction: The Healthy Cities approach was initiated and has been promoted through the World Health Organization
Western Pacific Region (WPRO) since the late 1980s, and its implications have been rapidly realized. The Alliance for Healthy
Cities together with the WPRO and member cities organizes a global conference every two year. The 7th Global Conference of the Alliance for Healthy Cities (AFHC) was held in Wonju, the Republic of Korea, from 29th August to 1st September, 2016 with the main theme of “Our Cities, Our Health, and Our Future.”The study aimed to evaluate the outcome of the 7th Global
Conference of the AFHC in terms of participant’s satisfaction and economic effects and to provide future direction of Healthy Cities conferences.
Methods: This study applied a self-reported questionnaire survey for participant’s satisfaction survey. Questionnaires
with Likert-type scales were distributed among the conference participants on the last day of the conference. Independent
sample t-test was used to see the difference in the satisfaction level between domestic and overseas participants. Economic
effect was also evaluated using six indicators of production effect, income-induced effect, labor-induced effect, induced
value-added effect, induced workers effect, and indirect tax repercussion effect. Result: The conference provided abundant opportunity for innovative learning and experience sharing between countries, member cities, and academia with a multi-linguistic approach. Satisfaction survey showed that most of the participants were satisfied with the contents and organization of the conference. Average satisfaction was more than 4 for most of the aspects except for food and organizational arrangement. Overall costeffectiveness, including secondary economic-effect, was more than 2.6 million USD.
Conclusion: The satisfaction of the conference was evaluated as a successful case of conducting a global conference with an
attraction of participants over the World.
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between a school health promotion program and problem drinking behaviors.
Methods: The participants in this study were 1st-5th grade students in secondary school in Lima and Callao, Peru. We conducted pre- and post-surveys in 2014 and 2017, respectively, to assess the effect of a school health promotion intervention. The school health promotion intervention was implemented from 2015 to 2017 in four schools, and two schools were taken as control groups in collaboration with the Korea International Cooperation Agency. Randomized stratified sampling was performed to analyze 971 participants in the experimental group and 585 in the control group. The homogeneity test was conducted before the intervention. A chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were performed. The participants in this study were 1 to 5 grade students in secondary school in Lima and Callao, Peru. We conducted a pre-intervention survey in 2014 and post-intervention survey in 2017 to assess the effect of a school health promotion intervention. The school health intervention was implemented from 2015 to 2017 in 4 schools, and two schools were taken as control groups in collaboration with Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). A randomized stratified sampling was performed to analyze 971 subjects in the experimental group and 585 subjects in the control group. The homogeneity test was conducted before the intervention. Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis was performed.
Results: First, 35.7% of the students had experienced drinking more than once in their lifetime and 59.2% had experienced drinking in the last year. Among the 556 students who had experienced drinking, 21.9% had CRAFFT scores of 2 or more for problem drinking. Second, there were differences in general and problem drinking based on “gender,” “academic performance,” “part-time job,” “depression,” “smoking,” “drugs,” “sexual experience,” “sch
Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the economic efficiency of a nutrition management program for children under 5 years of age in Kenge, Kwango District, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) from 2014 to 2016.
Methods: The economic efficiency of a nutrition management program for children under 5 years of age who have recovered from malnutrition status was evaluated using a cost-benefit analysis. The costs were analyzed according to the executed budget incurred during the project period. The benefits were estimated as the monetary value of the saved lives of children under 5 years of age. The economic efficiency of the program was determined by the Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR). The BCR was calculated by dividing the total discounted benefit by the total discounted costs. The project is economically efficient when the BCR is greater than 1.
Results: The costs of the nutrition management program were calculated as 1,677,609,648 Korean Won (KRW). A total of 2,466 children survived with improved malnutrition status through this program. The benefit for the reduction of mortality for children under 5 years of age was estimated to be 6,814,354,467 KRW, the estimated value of life for 2,466 children. The BCR was 4.06.
Conclusions: The nutrition management program for children under 5 years of age in DR Congo was found to be a cost-effective project. Successful and efficient Official Development Assistance (ODA) for a health project requires integrated and comprehensive strategies and specialized international development consulting to improve efficiency.
Future nutrition management programs should take into account the national health program to maintain the sustainability of the project.
As the United Nations announced Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, the world changed its development goals from focusing on efficiency to equity. As a result, in the health sector, universal health coverage (UHC) has become one of the main issues.
This paper reviews and discusses on future direction and issue of official development assistance program for developing countries.
Korea International Cooperation Agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs published on Korea International Cooperation Agency’s mid-term health strategy 2016?2020 developed on participation program with stakeholder including governments, civil society partner organizations, and educational institutions. The SDGs expands non-communicable diseases, UHC, and global health security from the existing Millenium Development Goals health sector. Progress toward UHC underpins the achievement of all other targets under SDG Goal 3. Progress in reducing health inequality across the life course is drawing on overall data and from specific target. In order to achieve SDG 3, a multi-disciplinary approach, convergence between IT and u-health of this development, is desirable.
Objective : Suicide is a disaster of unknown magnitude in developing countries such as Nepal. This review aimed to explore suicide and suicide prevention policies in Nepal.
Methods:Published articles and other reports were reviewed using content analysis.
Results:The estimated suicide rate in Nepal is between 8.6 to 24.9 per 100,000 populations, which is more than double that of the global age-standardized suicide rate of 11.4 per 100,000. However, there is a severe shortage of reliable, representative, and nationwide data about the burden of suicide in Nepal. The major reasons for the underreporting of suicidal attempt and cases include the misclassification of cases, lack of coordination between the legal and health sectors, stigma, a lack of awareness, legal provisions, and poor death registration systems. Most of the studies were institution-based using either autopsy reports of suicide cases or cases of deliberate self-harm. Hanging and poisoning accounted for more than 90% of suicides; and organophosphorus poisoning was the most common cause of poisoning. Suicide and suicide attempts were more frequently reported in women and young people, especially among those between 20 and 35 years of age. A mental health policy was adopted in 1997 with the objective to ensure accessibility of basic mental health services for all; to develop required manpower; and to improve awareness about mental health. However, its implementation has not been effective. The Mental Health Act was drafted in 2006, but its endorsement by the government is also pending.
Conclusions:The suicide burden in Nepal seems alarming but receives far less attention and priority. Although there is a mental health policy and some provision of mental health services, no specific suicide prevention strategies are developed.
.ABSTRACT
Objectives: This study examined the differences in dietary life and health related
factors, such as drinking behavior, exercise and leisure activities, mental health, and
subjective perception for oneself according to obesity in poor urban Peruvian
adolescents.
Methods: A total of 1,532 Peruvian adolescents were selected from six schools in poor
regions using stratified random sampling. The subjects were classified into two groups
based on their BMI: ‘normal weight group (NW group=980)’ or ‘overweight and obese
group (OWOB group=293)’. The differences in the general characteristics, dietary life,
drinking behavior, physical activity and leisure, mental health and subjective perception
of oneself in the two groups were compared. χ2 analysis and independent sample t-test
were performed using the SPSS program ver. 24.
Results: For the total and male students, the frequency of breakfast and dinner were
significantly lower in the OWOB group than in the NW group (all p<0.001). For total
and female students, the percentage of subjects who received nutrition education was
significantly higher in the OWOB group than in the NW group (all p<0.05). For total
students, the percentage of subject who exercised more than five days/week was lower
in the OWOB group than in the NW group (p<0.05). For the total and female students,
the subjective health status was worse in the OWOB group than in the NW group (all
p<0.05). The subjective body image was significantly different between the OWOB
group and NW group in the total, male and female subjects (all p<0.001).
Conclusions: The frequency of meals and exercise, and the subjective perceptions of
the health status and body image differed according to obesity in poor urban Peruvian
adolescents. Therefore, a school-based intervention program focused on regular meal
and exercise, and adequate subjective perceptions for health status and body image need
to be developed to prevent adolescent obesity.
