Estimating the burden of disease and the economic cost attributable to chikungunya, Colombia, 2014.

Background: Chikungunya (CHIK) virus disease is expected to be a considerable cause of disability and economic burden in Latin America given its chronic sequelae, particularly its chronic inflammatory rheumatism. There have been no previous studies assessing CHIK costs and disability in Latin America.

Methods: We calculated incidence rates for CHIK during the 2014 outbreak in Colombia using epidemiological data provided by the Colombian National Institute of Health, using demographic data from the National Administrative Department of Statistics.

Age and the amplitude of accommodation measured using dynamic retinoscopy.

Purpose: Dynamic retinoscopy (DR) is a procedure for assessing the accommodative response using a standard clinical instrument. The present study compared measurements of the amplitude of accommodation (AA) obtained using this technique with two subjective methods (modified push-down and minus lens). Additionally, the expected ranges for AA when measured by DR were determined.

Validation of the chronic respiratory questionnaire in the Colombian population with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Objective: To assess the validity and reliability of the chronic respiratory questionnaire (CRQ) in the measurement of HRQL in the Colombian population with COPD.

Study Design And Setting: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 200 patients diagnosed with COPD according to GOLD criteria. Convergence validity was evaluated by correlating the questionnaire results with other clinical variables such as exercise tolerance, forced expiratory volume at the first second (FEV1), and depression levels.

A comparison of the reliability of dynamic retinoscopy and subjective measurements of amplitude of accommodation.

Purpose: Dynamic retinoscopy (DR) is an objective technique for assessing maximum accommodative responsivity. The present study examined the test-retest reliability of this procedure when measuring the amplitude of accommodation (AA).

Methods: In the first trial, the within-session repeatability of the AA was measured in 79 subjects between 18 and 30 years of age using DR and two subjective procedures, namely the modified push-down (MPD) and minus lens (ML) techniques.

[Validating Latin-American and Caribbean Latin-American food security scale on pregnant adolescents].

Objective: Statistically validating the Latin-American and Caribbean household food security scale (ELCSA) which had been linguistically adapted for Colombia during 2008 by the University of Antioquia's School of Nutrition.

Methodology: This was a descriptive study. The ELCSA scale (95 % confidence interval) was applied to a representative sample of 150 households containing pregnant adolescents from poor and vulnerable populations.