Unravelling Delay in Care for Sexually Transmitted Infections-Related Symptoms in a Developing Country Setting (Jamaica).

Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and STI treatment remain a challenge in public health. There is little understanding of related factors influencing health seeking behaviour and delay of care among clinic attendees in Jamaica.

Aim: To determine socio-demographic profile of clinic attendees with STI and identify factors associated with delay in seeking care for STI-related symptoms.

Taxi drivers and COVID-19 in Jamaica: Occupationally related income decline and health behaviour.

Income and employment are recognised as social determinants of health. Occupationally related exposures and working conditions impact health behaviours. Taxi drivers have been recognised as an occupationally COVID-19 at-risk group.

COVID-19 related risk perception among taxi operators in Kingston and St. Andrew, Jamaica.

Background: In the Caribbean, all countries have confirmed COVID-19 cases. Considering the high infectivity of the virus, no preexisting immunity to the virus and an associated modest reproductive rate (R), the high density of persons utilizing public transport is of immense public health concern. Public transport systems may facilitate and accelerate the transmission of the disease.

Structured internship in health promotion: an approach used in a middle-income developing country - Jamaica.

Internship programmes have the potential to provide learning and professional experiences, build students' competency and strengthen partnerships between community and training institutions. In this paper, we examine the extent to which a structured internship at The University of the West Indies contributed to experience and competency-building, provided focus and met learners' expectations and satisfaction among a cohort of unpaid health promotion interns. The contribution of placements to the strengthening of health education and promotion competencies and interns' feelings about their experiences are included.

Zarit burden interview among caregivers of community-dwelling older adults in a caribbean setting (Jamaica): Reliability and factor structure.

The Zarit Burden Interview has been the most popularly used tool for measuring caregiver burden and with the 60 years and over population in Jamaica and developing countries expected to increase, caregiver burden and its assessment assume increased importance. Establishing the reliability and underlying factor structure of instruments such as the ZBI is critical. This study sought to determine the reliability of the Zarit Burden Interview and to assess its underlying factor structure.

Socio-demographic, Health and Functional Status Correlates of Caregiver Burden Among Care Recipients Age 60 Years and Older in Jamaica.

The provision of care to older persons can impose significant burden on those providing care, burdens influenced by care recipient characteristic, caregiver attributes and availability of social support. This paper focuses on identifying relationships between caregiver burden and the socio-demographic, health and functional status attributes of care recipients age 60 years and older in Jamaica. A nationally representative cross-sectional study was done among persons providing non-institutional care for a single person 60 years and older.

Caregivers of Older Persons in Jamaica: Characteristics, Burden, and Associated Factors.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine and characterize caregiver burden among caregivers of community-dwelling older persons in Jamaica.

Method: A nationally representative cross-sectional study was done among persons providing noninstitutional care for a single person (≥60 years). The Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) and a structured questionnaire were administered to 180 caregivers from four geographic health regions.

Performance and Receiver Operating Characteristics of the Mini-Mental State Examination Instrument in Detecting Dementia in a Rapidly Aging Developing Country (Jamaica).

Objective: To examine the performance of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in community-dwelling older persons in a developing country (Jamaica) undergoing rapid population aging.

Methods: An embedded validity study was conducted utilizing participants from a nationally representative sample of 2782 older persons. Standardized MMSE scores were obtained for study participants.

Predictors of Health Service Utilization Among Older Men in Jamaica.

Objectives: To determine the relative influence of sociodemographic, socioeconomic, psychosocial, and health variables on health service utilization in the last 12 months.

Methods: Data were analyzed for 1,412 men ≥60 years old from a 2012 nationally representative community-based survey in Jamaica. Associations between six health service utilization variables and several explanatory variables were explored.

Participation in Social Activities and the Association with Socio-Demographic and Health-Related Factors among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Jamaica.

Social participation is critical for maintaining independence and facilitating active ageing. The aim of this paper is to describe participation in social activities among older adults in Jamaica and to identify independently associated socio-demographic and health characteristics. We analysed data from a nationally representative, community-based survey of 2943 persons 60 years and older.

Ageing in place: implications of morbidity patterns among older persons--findings from a cross-sectional study in a developing country (Jamaica).

Aim: This paper describes morbidity patterns among older people, relevant health-care resources in a localised population in a developing country (Jamaica) and implications for ageing in place in the community.

Methods: Local morbidity patterns among older people were determined in Jamaica from a 2007 cross-sectional study involving record searches at major hospitals and clinics. Age-specific morbidity distributions were compiled.