Molecular Epidemiology of Plasmodium falciparum Malaria Outbreak, Tumbes, Peru, 2010-2012.

During 2010-2012, an outbreak of 210 cases of malaria occurred in Tumbes, in the northern coast of Peru, where no Plasmodium falciparum malaria case had been reported since 2006. To identify the source of the parasite causing this outbreak, we conducted a molecular epidemiology investigation. Microsatellite typing showed an identical genotype in all 54 available isolates.

Assessment of inhaler techniques employed by patients with respiratory diseases in southern Brazil: a population-based study.

Objective: To identify incorrect inhaler techniques employed by patients with respiratory diseases in southern Brazil and to profile the individuals who make such errors.

Methods: This was a population-based, cross-sectional study involving subjects ≥ 10 years of age using metered dose inhalers (MDIs) or dry powder inhalers (DPIs) in 1,722 households in the city of Pelotas, Brazil.

Results: We included 110 subjects, who collectively used 94 MDIs and 49 DPIs.

Is obesity a risk factor for wheezing among adolescents? A prospective study in southern Brazil.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of obesity at the start of adolescence on the prevalence, incidence and maintenance of chest wheezing among individuals aged 11-15 years in a birth cohort in a developing country.

Methods: The seventh follow-up of the 1993 Pelotas birth cohort occurred in 2004 (individuals aged 10-11 years). Between January and August 2008, the eighth follow-up of the cohort was conducted.

Ten-year trends in prevalence of asthma in adults in southern Brazil: comparison of two population-based studies.

There are discrepancies in the literature regarding time trends in the occurrence of asthma in adults. This study compared asthma prevalence in two cross-sectional studies with a ten-year interval in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The first, in 2000, included 1,968 individuals, and the second, in 2010, 2,466 adults (20-69 years).

Pharmacological treatment of COPD.

Approximately seven million Brazilians over 40 years of age have COPD. In recent years, major advances have been made in the pharmacological treatment of this condition. We performed a systematic review including original articles on pharmacological treatments for COPD.

Asthma and lung function in a birth cohort at 6-7 years of age in southern Brazil.

Objective: Asthma and respiratory symptoms are common in children, and many studies have shown associations between childhood symptoms and impaired lung function in adult life. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of various respiratory symptoms with wheezing patterns (persistent, early, and late-onset) and lung function, as well as to determine whether lung function was associated with atopy or with demographic, socioeconomic, environmental, and gestational factors, in a birth cohort at 6-7 years of age.

Methods: The target population consisted of children aged 6-7 years from a birth cohort of 5,304 children born in southern Brazil in 1993.

[Use of outpatient services in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil: factors related to above-average number of physician visits].

This cross-sectional, population-based study including males and females 20 to 69 years of age from the urban area of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, aimed to verify characteristics associated with above-average number of medical consultations. The mean number of physician consultations in the previous year was 3.2, with a standard deviation of 5.

[Risk factors for acute respiratory disease hospitalization in children under one year of age].

Objective: To evaluate risk factors for acute respiratory disease hospitalizations in children under one year of age.

Methods: A case-control study was conducted in the city of Pelotas, Southern Brazil. Cases were children under one year of age who were hospitalized due to acute respiratory diseases from August 1997 to July 1998.

[Risk factors for asthma in adults in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil].

Asthma incidence and mortality rates have increased in recent years. The present cross-sectional survey aimed to measure asthma prevalence and risk factors in a random sample of 1,968 individuals (20-69 years of age) in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. Overall prevalence of "current asthma symptoms" was 6%, varying according to diagnostic criteria.

Hypertension prevalence and its associated risk factors in adults: a population-based study in Pelotas.

Objective: To determine hypertension prevalence and its associated risk factors.

Methods: A cross-sectional, population-based study of people ages 20 to 69 living in the urban area of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, was conducted. The dependent variable systemic hypertension was defined as blood pressure > or = 160 x 95 mm Hg (average of two readings) or current use of antihypertensive drugs.

Prevalence and risk factors for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease according to symptoms and spirometry.

The burden of COPD is quite high and its prevalence is increasing. Few data are available from Latin America. There is no consensus on what criteria should be the gold standard for the definition of this disease.

[Adult obesity in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and the association with socioeconomic status].

The objectives of this study were to: (1) describe obesity prevalence in a Brazilian city; (2) test the association between obesity and socio-demographic variables; and (3) compare results with a survey in the same city in 1994. A cross-sectional population-based study was carried out in a random sample of 1,968 20-69-year-olds residing in the urban area of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State. Obesity was defined as Body Mass Index (BMI) > 30 kg/m(2).

[Non-pharmacological management of hypertension in Southern Brazil].

A cross-sectional population-based study was carried out among individuals aged 20 to 69 years in the urban area of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The objective was to analyze characteristics of hypertensive patients in relation to management of arterial hypertension. Among the 1,968 interviewees, 380 were hypertensive (19.

[Prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus in Southern Brazil: a population-based study].

Objective: To compare the prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus among the adult population of an urban area, according to self-reported diabetes and fasting glucose test results.

Methods: We carried out a population-based cross-sectional study of 1,968 subjects aged 20-69 years, living in the urban area of the city of Pelotas, Southern Brazil, in the year 2000. Sample size was calculated at 1,800 subjects.

[Intervention levels for abdominal obesity: prevalence and associated factors].

During 1999 and 2000, a population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Pelotas, southern Brazil, to describe the population distribution of abdominal adiposity according to "action level points" and to identify risk factors. The study included a sample of 1,935 adults (20-69 years) residing in urban areas. Abdominal obesity was classified as action level I for waist circumference (WCLI) 80-88 cm in women and 94-102 cm in men; and as action level II (WCLII) for > 88 cm in women and > 102 cm in men.

[Heavy alcohol consumption and associated factors: a population-based study].

Objective: To determine the prevalence of heavy alcohol consumption and factors associated with it in a Brazilian adult population.

Methods: Cross-sectional population-based study including 2,177 adults (aged 20 to 69), living in the urban area of the municipality of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The sample was selected in multiple stages.

[Pap test coverage in the city of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil].

In Brazil, the effectiveness of preventive public heath programs and actions is rarely evaluated. A cross-sectional study was thus performed in a population-based sample focused on several health characteristics of adults living in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The study aimed to measure temporal trends in coverage of Pap smear testing in the city.

Cost-effectiveness of hypertension treatment: a population-based study.

Context: The cost-effectiveness of the treatment of hypertension has scarcely been investigated in population-based studies. Most data come from secondary analysis of clinical trials and administrative sources.

Objective: To describe the health care costs for outpatient hypertension treatment in comparison with diabetes mellitus and chronic bronchitis, and to examine the cost-effectiveness of different classes of antihypertensive drugs.

[Contraceptive methods and adequacy of hormonal oral contraceptive use in the city of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil: 1992-1999].

A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess contraceptive methods and the adequacy of oral contraceptive use by women aged 20 to 49 years in the city of Pelotas. The results were compared with another cross-sectional study performed in 1992. A sample was randomly selected, including 766 women aged 20 to 49 years.