ECD - Pregnancy outcomes of a birth cohort. Are adolescent mothers really at more risk?

This sub-study within the JAKIDS longitudinal cohort study compares medical and psychosocial outcomes of pregnancy in younger adolescent mothers (<16 years), older adolescent mothers (16-19 years) and adult mothers (>19 years) in Jamaica. Participants were recruited from July to September 2011 and included 9521 mother-infant dyads; mean maternal age 26.0 years (SD 6.

Factors associated with elevated blood pressure or hypertension in Afro-Caribbean youth: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Although several studies have identified risk factors for high blood pressure (BP), data from Afro-Caribbean populations are limited. Additionally, less is known about how putative risk factors operate in young adults and how social factors influence the risk of high BP. In this study, we estimated the relative risk for elevated BP or hypertension (EBP/HTN), defined as BP ≥ 120/80 mmHg, among young adults with putative cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in Jamaica and evaluated whether relative risks differed by sex.

Birth weight and maternal socioeconomic circumstances were inversely related to systolic blood pressure among Afro-Caribbean young adults.

Objectives: In this study, we examined the effects of birth weight (BWT) and early life socioeconomic circumstances (SEC) on systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) among Jamaican young adults.

Study Design And Setting: Longitudinal study of 364 men and 430 women from the Jamaica 1986 Birth Cohort Study. Information on BWT and maternal SEC at child's birth was linked to information collected at 18-20 years old.

The new imperative: reducing adolescent-related violence by building resilient adolescents.

Involvement in violence is affected by a variety of risk factors and timing, duration, number of risks, and intensity of risk factors. The earlier the exposure to risk starts, the longer the exposure continues, the number of risks one is exposed to, and intensity of the risk factors experienced are all important. A child who is severely beaten, sexually abused, or both; one who grows up witnessing intimate partner or family violence; one who attends a failing school or is not involved in structured after-school activities; or one who lives in a violent neighborhood is at increased risk of becoming involved in violent behavior.

Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its components in relation to socioeconomic status among Jamaican young adults: a cross-sectional study.

Background: The metabolic syndrome has a high prevalence in many countries and has been associated with socioeconomic status (SES). This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its components among Jamaican young adults and evaluate its association with parental SES.

Methods: A subset of the participants from the 1986 Jamaica Birth Cohort was evaluated at ages 18-20 years between 2005 and 2007.

Prevalence of prehypertension and its relationship to risk factors for cardiovascular disease in Jamaica: analysis from a cross-sectional survey.

Background: Recent studies have documented an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in persons with systolic blood pressures of 120-139 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressures of 80-89 mmHg, classified as prehypertension in the Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure. In this paper we estimate the prevalence of prehypertension in Jamaica and evaluate the relationship between prehypertension and other risk factors for CVD.

Methods: The study used data from participants in the Jamaica Lifestyle Survey conducted from 2000-2001.

Factors affecting study efficiency and item non-response in health surveys in developing countries: the Jamaica national healthy lifestyle survey.

Background: Health surveys provide important information on the burden and secular trends of risk factors and disease. Several factors including survey and item non-response can affect data quality. There are few reports on efficiency, validity and the impact of item non-response, from developing countries.

Physical and psychological violence in Jamaica's health sector.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of experiences with physical violence and psychological violence that health staff have had in the workplace in Jamaica, and to identify factors associated with those experiences of violence.

Design And Methods: A total of 832 health staff answered the standardized questionnaire that was used in this cross-sectional study. Sampling was done at public facilities, including specialist, tertiary, and secondary hospitals in the Kingston Metropolitan Area; general hospitals in the rural parishes; and primary care centers in urban and rural areas.

Rotavirus antigenemia in patients with acute gastroenteritis.

Although rotavirus infections are generally considered to be confined to the intestine, recent reports suggest that extraintestinal disease occurs. We studied whether rotavirus infection was associated with antigenemia during a major outbreak of gastroenteritis in the Kingston metropolitan area, during July-August 2003. Rotavirus antigen was identified in 30 of 70 acute-phase serum samples (including from 2 deceased individuals) but in only 1 of 53 control samples.

Interventions to prevent and control food-borne diseases associated with a reduction in traveler's diarrhea in tourists to Jamaica.

Background: In 1996 a study found that approximately one in four tourists to Jamaica were affected with traveler's diarrhea (TD) during their stay. That year the Ministry of Health initiated a program for the prevention and control of TD. The aim of this ongoing program was to reduce attack rates of TD from 25% to 12% over a 5-year period by improving the environmental health and food safety standards of hotels.

Non-fatal violence-related injuries in Kingston, Jamaica: a preventable drain on resources.

Using data for a one-year period from the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) in Jamaica, we describe patterns of non-fatal violence-related injuries, and carry out simulation analysis to estimate rates of hospital admission under various injury reduction scenarios, and the potential savings that can be realized by reducing violent crimes. In this period there were 6107 registered violence-related visits to the KPH representing 11.5% of all recorded visits.

Implementing a hospital-based violence-related injury surveillance system--a background to the Jamaican experience.

Violence, a leading cause of injuries and death, is recognized as a major public health problem. In 1996, injuries were the second leading cause of hospitalizations in Jamaica. The estimated annual cost of in-patient care for injuries was 11.

The establishment of a Jamaican all-injury surveillance system.

The impact of injuries on the Jamaican health care system is a growing problem. Based on the successful implementation of a Violence-Related Injury Surveillance System (VRISS) in the Accident and Emergency (A&E) department of the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH), Ministry of Health (MOH) officials decided to expand the system to the Jamaica Injury Surveillance System (JISS), allowing for the surveillance of both intentional and unintentional injuries. A working group designed the expanded injury surveillance system based on the International Classification of External Causes of Injury.

Nutritional status of 11-12-year-old Jamaican children: coexistence of under- and overnutrition in early adolescence.

Objective: To determine the nutritional status of a cohort of 11-12 year olds and ascertain social and demographic factors associated with under- and overweight in early adolescence.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Subjects: Subgroup (n = 1698) of the birth cohort (September-October 1986) of the Jamaican Perinatal Survey enrolled in schools in the Kingston Metropolitan area.

Enzootic Angiostrongylus cantonensis in rats and snails after an outbreak of human eosinophilic meningitis, Jamaica.

After an outbreak in 2000 of eosinophilic meningitis in tourists to Jamaica, we looked for Angiostrongylus cantonensis in rats and snails on the island. Overall, 22% (24/109) of rats harbored adult worms, and 8% (4/48) of snails harbored A. cantonensis larvae.