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Hossain MJ, Das M, Islam MW, Shahjahan M, Ferdous J. Community engagement and social participation in dengue prevention: A cross-sectional study in Dhaka City. Health Sci Rep 2024; 7:e2022. [PMID: 38572117 PMCID: PMC10987789 DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Dengue is a major public health concern in Bangladesh. This study aimed to assess the perceptions and practices of community members in Dhaka regarding community engagement and social participation for dengue prevention. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Dhaka City from May 2022 to December 2022. The respondents were randomly selected. The association between community participation and prevention practices was tested using the χ 2 test. Results The findings of this study indicate that the majority of participants (92%) believed that community effort would be relied upon in the event of a dengue outbreak. Environmental cleaning campaigns were the preferred approach, and religious leaders viewed them positively. This study also revealed significant variations in knowledge levels, with those involved in community efforts and mass gatherings demonstrating greater knowledge. This study sheds light on the demographic factors that influence dengue knowledge and provides valuable insights into the development of targeted public health interventions. Conclusion The study revealed negative perceptions and limited participation in dengue prevention among participants, with the majority demonstrating a poor understanding of preventive measures. While some showed positive attitudes towards community engagement, significant disparities existed in participation, highlighting the need for targeted educational campaigns and enhanced community mobilization efforts. Moreover, the importance of multisectoral collaboration is emphasized, underscoring the need for coordinated efforts among health departments, NGOs, religious institutions, and community leaders to effectively combat dengue transmission. Recommendations include ongoing educational initiatives, targeted interventions to promote community involvement, and fostering collaboration across sectors to strengthen dengue prevention efforts and to safeguard public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Jubayer Hossain
- Population Health Studies Division, Center for Health InnovationResearch, Action, and Learning—Bangladesh (CHIRAL Bangladesh)DhakaBangladesh
| | - Manisha Das
- Population Health Studies Division, Center for Health InnovationResearch, Action, and Learning—Bangladesh (CHIRAL Bangladesh)DhakaBangladesh
- Dhaka Medical College and HospitalDhakaBangladesh
| | - Md Wahidul Islam
- Population Health Studies Division, Center for Health InnovationResearch, Action, and Learning—Bangladesh (CHIRAL Bangladesh)DhakaBangladesh
- Department of MicrobiologyJagannath UniversityDhakaBangladesh
| | - Muhibullah Shahjahan
- Population Health Studies Division, Center for Health InnovationResearch, Action, and Learning—Bangladesh (CHIRAL Bangladesh)DhakaBangladesh
- Department of MicrobiologyJagannath UniversityDhakaBangladesh
| | - Jannatul Ferdous
- Population Health Studies Division, Center for Health InnovationResearch, Action, and Learning—Bangladesh (CHIRAL Bangladesh)DhakaBangladesh
- Department of MicrobiologyJagannath UniversityDhakaBangladesh
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Adhikari A, Mikrani JA, Nepal S, Rauniyar A, Chaudhary M, Atreya A. Delayed diagnosis of pemphigus vulgaris in rural Nepal due to healthcare inaccessibility and harmful traditional practices: A case report. Clin Case Rep 2024; 12:e8754. [PMID: 38617063 PMCID: PMC11009452 DOI: 10.1002/ccr3.8754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Early intervention is imperative for potentially fatal dermatologic diseases such as pemphigus vulgaris. In rural Nepal, limited public awareness, home remedies, and delays in healthcare access lead to poor outcomes. Although biopsy confirms the diagnosis, experienced dermatologists can make an accurate clinical diagnosis when characteristic skin lesions are present.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Samata Nepal
- Department of Community MedicineLumbini Medical CollegePalpaNepal
| | | | | | - Alok Atreya
- Department of Forensic MedicineLumbini Medical CollegePalpaNepal
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Brimblecombe P, Müller G, Schmidt M, Tischhauser W, Landau I, Querner P. Urban Pest Abundance and Public Enquiries in Zurich 1991-2022. Insects 2023; 14:798. [PMID: 37887810 PMCID: PMC10607578 DOI: 10.3390/insects14100798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Zurich's Urban Pest Advisory Service (UPAS) aims to survey, control and reduce hazards posed by pests. Records submitted to the UPAS may not exactly correlate with abundance but can reveal patterns of change. These reflect changes in species, public and media perceptions and the effects of climate and COVID-19, along with the effectiveness of new pest controls. Records for Blattodea and Plodia interpunctella declined in the period 1990-2022, while Cimex lectularius and Psocoptera increased. Summer has typically revealed the largest number of insects reported and Google searches show parallel seasonal variations. The Blattodea declined five-fold over time, likely due to better pest control methods (gel baits). Aedes albopictus, though rare, was the subject of media reports and awareness campaigns, which resulted in much public interest. Vespidae are abundant and have been reported in sufficient numbers to warrant an analysis of seasonal records, suggesting that July temperatures affect numbers. COVID-19 restrictions led to more frequent reports of rodents, pigeons, Zygentoma and Stegobium paniceum. The long-term reporting to the UPAS gives a useful indication of the changing concerns about pests in Zurich.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Brimblecombe
- Department of Marine Environment and Engineering, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan;
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Gabi Müller
- City of Zurich, Department of Environment and Public Health, Urban Pest Advisory Service, Eggbühlstrasse 23, CH-8050 Zurich, Switzerland; (G.M.); (M.S.); (W.T.); (I.L.)
| | - Marcus Schmidt
- City of Zurich, Department of Environment and Public Health, Urban Pest Advisory Service, Eggbühlstrasse 23, CH-8050 Zurich, Switzerland; (G.M.); (M.S.); (W.T.); (I.L.)
| | - Werner Tischhauser
- City of Zurich, Department of Environment and Public Health, Urban Pest Advisory Service, Eggbühlstrasse 23, CH-8050 Zurich, Switzerland; (G.M.); (M.S.); (W.T.); (I.L.)
| | - Isabelle Landau
- City of Zurich, Department of Environment and Public Health, Urban Pest Advisory Service, Eggbühlstrasse 23, CH-8050 Zurich, Switzerland; (G.M.); (M.S.); (W.T.); (I.L.)
| | - Pascal Querner
- Natural History Museum Vienna, Burgring 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria
- Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, Institute of Zoology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria
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Zavaleta E, Ferrara F, Zovi A, Díaz-Madriz JP, Fallas-Mora A, Serrano-Arias B, Valentino F, Arguedas-Chacón S, Langella R, Trama U, Nava E. Antibiotic Consumption in Primary Care in Costa Rica and Italy: A Retrospective Cross-Country Analysis. Cureus 2023; 15:e41414. [PMID: 37546059 PMCID: PMC10403152 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.41414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE The increasing emergence and spread of drug-resistant pathogens resulting from inappropriate antibiotic usage have become more evident in recent years, particularly with the rising incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. Since joining the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Costa Rica can now compare its healthcare system with other countries, and similarities have been noted with Italy regarding health indicators. Both nations have universal healthcare systems, covering their entire populations, and hold similar positions in the Human Development Index (HDI). Consequently, the goal is to compare antibiotic prescribing and consumption patterns to collaboratively develop strategies against bacterial resistance. METHODS In order to compare antibiotic consumption between regions, a standardized contrast was utilized, specifically using the defined daily dose (DDD). An Orthogonal Contrast test was performed to test the means, followed by the application of the Student's t-test on these contrasts. This analysis aimed to assess the potential influence of regions on DDD values. Antibiotic consumption data were collected between January 2021 and December 2022 from the Local Health Authority of Naples 3 South (LHANS) in Italy and IMS Health, Q Quintiles, and VIA by way of (IQVIA) reports in Costa Rica. RESULTS LHANS shows a considerable disparity in gross expenditure compared to Italy's overall expenditure, while the private sector of Costa Rica exhibits even lower gross expenditure than Italy. Antibiotic consumption in Italy exceeds that of Costa Rica, with Costa Rica's consumption amounting to 47.70% of Italy's total consumption. Additionally, LHANS exhibited a 22.43% higher gross expenditure compared to the Campania region, emphasizing the variability in antibiotic usage within the same country The results indicated no statistically significant differences in antibiotic consumption between the regions, as none of the null hypotheses were rejected. CONCLUSIONS The study provides valuable insights into expenditure patterns and antibiotic consumption, highlighting the need for improved prescribing practices and awareness campaigns to address the issue of antibiotic resistance. The findings emphasize the importance of implementing international guidelines to combat the growing threat of antibiotic resistance and ensure the effective management of infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ugo Trama
- Pharmacy, Ministry of Health, Rome, ITA
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Hamoudi H, Avilés-Palacios C. Awareness Campaigns in a Horizontally Differentiated Market with Environmentally Conscious Consumers, Private Versus Public Duopoly. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19:12891. [PMID: 36232192 PMCID: PMC9566589 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191912891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
This paper examines horizontally differentiated duopolies à la Hotelling with environmentally conscious consumers and a planner promoting a sustainable good with costly awareness campaigns (ACs). The objective is to find the planner's optimal strategies and their effects on the firms' behaviour. The analysis is carried out with two approaches, considering a private and a public duopoly. In both, it is shown that the planner chooses the average characteristic supported by a higher intensity campaign. However, with the private one, such an outcome is possible if the planner has minimal resources. Consumer consciousness and ACs have opposite effects on the firms and the planner. It is proven that consumer awareness favours the interests of the duopolies and reduces those of the planner, while the contrary is true for ACs. Finally, it is shown that a public duopoly is the best scenario for sustainability. This study provides an environmental policy to replace or complement traditional instruments and a more suitable business framework to achieve efficient results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamid Hamoudi
- Departamento de Fundamentos de Análisis Económico, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos-URJC, Paseo Artilleros s/n, 28032 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen Avilés-Palacios
- ETSI Montes, Forestal y del Medio Natural—Universidad Politécnica de Madrid-UPM, Calle José Antonio Novais 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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Bruyndonckx R, Coenen S, Hens N, Vandael E, Catry B, Goossens H. Antibiotic use and resistance in Belgium: the impact of two decades of multi-faceted campaigning. Acta Clin Belg 2021; 76:280-288. [PMID: 32024450 DOI: 10.1080/17843286.2020.1721135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Objective: To present an overview of almost two decades of multi-faceted campaigning by the Belgian Antibiotic Policy Coordination Committee (BAPCOC) and partners, and its impact on public and prescribers' awareness, outpatient antibiotic use, its cost and antimicrobial resistance in Belgium.Methods: Awareness of both public and prescribers was assessed through pre- and post-campaign interviews and surveys. Outpatient antibiotic use was evaluated using national reimbursement data expressed in number of defined daily doses and packages (a good proxy for treatments) per 1000 inhabitants per day (DID and PID, respectively) from July 1997 to June 2018. Its cost was studied using the same data expressed in number of euros per 1000 inhabitants per day. Antimicrobial resistance was evaluated between 1986 and 2017 using national data on the proportion of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates not susceptible to penicillins, macrolides and tetracyclines.Results: Antibiotic awareness improved significantly, with general practitioners preferred by 87.5% of respondents as source of information. The Belgian outpatient antibiotic use has decreased by 12.8% in DID and by 42.8% in PID in the 2017-2018 winter compared to the winter before the start of its public awareness campaigns (1999-2000). This evolution coincided with decreasing costs for antibiotics and decreasing antimicrobial resistance. Despite multi-faceted campaigning, outpatient antibiotic use and use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, especially fluoroquinolones and amoxicillin with clavulanic acid, are still high in Belgium.Conclusion: Almost two decades of multi-faceted campaigning coincide with improvements in antibiotic awareness among the public and prescribers, outpatient antibiotic use and resistance. Nevertheless, additional efforts are needed to reach the targets set in BAPCOC's national action plan 2014-2019. Therefore, a new national action plan was developed for 2020-2024 using a One Health approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Bruyndonckx
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology, Vaccine & Infectious Diseases Institute (VAXINFECTIO), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics (I-biostat), Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - S. Coenen
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology, Vaccine & Infectious Diseases Institute (VAXINFECTIO), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Primary and Interdisciplinary Care (ELIZA), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine (ESOC), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - N. Hens
- Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics (I-biostat), Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
- Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine (ESOC), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Centre for Health Economic Research and Modelling Infectious Diseases (CHERMID), Vaccine & Infectious Disease Institute, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - E. Vandael
- Healthcare-associated Infection & Antimicrobial Resistance (NSIH), Scientific Directorate Epidemiology and Public Health, Brussels, Belgium
| | - B. Catry
- Healthcare-associated Infection & Antimicrobial Resistance (NSIH), Scientific Directorate Epidemiology and Public Health, Brussels, Belgium
- Faculty of Medicine, Université Libre De Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - H. Goossens
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology, Vaccine & Infectious Diseases Institute (VAXINFECTIO), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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Bahl A, Sharma A, Asghar MR. Vulnerability disclosure and cybersecurity awareness campaigns on twitter during COVID‐19. Security and Privacy 2021; 4:e180. [PMCID: PMC8420613 DOI: 10.1002/spy2.180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The COVID‐19 pandemic introduced the new norm that changed the way we work and live. During these unprecedented times, most of the organizations expected their employees to work from home. Remote working created new opportunities for hackers since more users were making use of digital platforms for online shopping, accessing Virtual Private Network (VPN), videoconferencing platforms, and software alike. Consequently, cybercrime increased due to the increase in the attack surface, and software vulnerabilities were exploited for launching cyberattacks. There is existing research that explores vulnerability disclosure on Twitter. However, there is a lack of study on opportunistic targeted attacks where specific vulnerabilities are exploited in a way that benefit adversaries the most in times such as COVID‐19. The primary aim of this work is to study the effectiveness of vulnerability disclosure pattern on Twitter in COVID‐19, and discuss how Twitter can be leveraged as Open‐Source Intelligence (OSINT) during a pandemic where the global users can follow a coordinated approach to share security‐related information and conduct awareness campaigns. The study identifies Twitter as an apt source for conducting cybersecurity awareness campaigns as 99.83% of the security vulnerabilities are found to be accurate. The information can help global cybersecurity agencies to proactively identify vulnerabilities, coordinate activities, and plan for mitigation strategies since releasing patches from the vendor might take time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya Bahl
- School of Computer ScienceThe University of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
| | - Aastha Sharma
- School of Computer ScienceThe University of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
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Viguria I, Alvarez-Mon MA, Llavero-Valero M, Asunsolo Del Barco A, Ortuño F, Alvarez-Mon M. Eating Disorder Awareness Campaigns: Thematic and Quantitative Analysis Using Twitter. J Med Internet Res 2020; 22:e17626. [PMID: 32673225 PMCID: PMC7388051 DOI: 10.2196/17626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2019] [Revised: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Health awareness initiatives are frequent but their efficacy is a matter of controversy. We have investigated the effect of the Eating Disorder Awareness Week and Wake Up Weight Watchers campaigns on Twitter. Objective We aimed to examine whether the Eating Disorder Awareness Week and Wake Up Weight Watchers initiatives increased the volume and dissemination of Twitter conversations related to eating disorders and investigate what content generates the most interest on Twitter. Methods Over a period of 12 consecutive days in 2018, we collected tweets containing the hashtag #wakeupweightwatchers and hashtags related to Eating Disorder Awareness Week (#eatingdisorderawarenessweek, #eatingdisorderawareness, or #EDAW), with the hashtag #eatingdisorder as a control. The content of each tweet was rated as medical, testimony, help offer, awareness, pro-ana, or anti-ana. We analyzed the number of retweets and favorites generated, as well as the potential reach and impact of the hashtags and the characteristics of contributors. Results The number of #wakeupweightwatchers tweets was higher than that of Eating Disorder Awareness Week and #eatingdisorder tweets (3900, 2056, and 1057, respectively). The content of tweets was significantly different between the hashtags analyzed (P<.001). Medical content was lower in the awareness campaigns. Awareness and help offer content were lower in #wakeupweightwatchers tweets. Retweet and favorite ratios were highest in #wakeupweightwatchers tweets. Eating Disorder Awareness Week achieved the highest impact, and very influential contributors participated. Conclusions Both awareness campaigns effectively promoted tweeting about eating disorders. The majority of tweets did not promote any specific preventive or help-seeking behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iranzu Viguria
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Miguel Angel Alvarez-Mon
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, University of Alcala, Alcalá de Henares, Spain.,Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Hospital Universitario Infanta Leonor, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria Llavero-Valero
- Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | | | - Felipe Ortuño
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Melchor Alvarez-Mon
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, University of Alcala, Alcalá de Henares, Spain.,Internal Medicine and Immune System Diseases-Rheumatology Service, University Hospital Príncipe de Asturias, Alcala de Henares, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigaciones Sanitarias, Madrid, Spain
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Rojas García P, Antoñanzas Villar F. Effects of economic and health policies on the consumption of antibiotics in a Spanish region. Expert Rev Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res 2019; 20:379-386. [PMID: 31329476 DOI: 10.1080/14737167.2019.1647105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Inappropriate and indiscriminate use of antibiotics is one of the main factors contributing to the increasing bacterial resistance. Surveillance of antibiotic consumption is fundamental for assessing the effects of rational use-oriented measures introduced under economic or health policies. This study quantifies and assesses the introduction of a pharmaceutical co-payment and implementation of campaigns to increase awareness about and rational use in the consumption of antibiotics (volume and expenditure). METHODS Monthly official dispensations recorded by a health authority (La Rioja, Spain) between January 2009 and December 2017 (108 observations). Total and disaggregated (by active principle and patient's income level) time series for a number of packages and expenditure were studied using intervention and counterfactual analyses (Box-Jenkins methodology). RESULTS Co-payment reduced the total antibiotic consumption (number of packages -8.52% and expenditure -8.61%) and the difference was greater for the highest-priced antibiotics. Only two of the four campaigns had a significant effect, which lasted 6 months. Counterfactual analysis estimated the savings. CONCLUSION Economic and health policies helped to reduce antibiotic consumption. Each policy has different effects, co-payment reduces overall drug consumption through a price effect (loss of purchasing power), awareness campaigns depend on other elements for their success (media, scope and patient income).
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Rojas García
- Department of Economics and Business, Area of Applied Economics, University of La Rioja , Logroño, Spain
| | - Fernando Antoñanzas Villar
- Department of Economics and Business, Area of Applied Economics, University of La Rioja , Logroño, Spain
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Javed N, Ghazanfar H, Naseem S. Knowledge of Dengue Among Students Exposed to Various Awareness Campaigns in Model Schools of Islamabad: A Cross-Sectional Study. Cureus 2018; 10:e2455. [PMID: 29888159 PMCID: PMC5991922 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.2455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To determine the knowledge of dengue among school students exposed to various awareness campaigns in model schools of Islamabad. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of students who were studying in Islamabad Model School for Girls F-7/2 and Islamabad Model College for Boys F-7/3 from September 2017 to October 2017. Students in the ninth and tenth grades who were willing to participate in the study and who were studying in the school for more than six months were included in the study. The data was collected through a self-constructed questionnaire. Cronbach's alpha was used to assess the internal consistency of the questionnaire, and it was found to be 0.83. The data obtained was analyzed on IBM's statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 21 (IBM, Armonk, NY). Results Out of 601 participants, 345 (57.4%) were males and 256 (42.6%) were females. The mean age of the participants was 14.72±1.09. About 380 participants (63.2%) were studying in the ninth grade and 221 participants (36.8%) were studying in the tenth grade. A majority of the participants (67.2%) had poor knowledge of dengue. The participants scored highest in knowledge of prevention of the dengue domain and scored the lowest in knowledge of transmission of dengue. A majority of the participants (72.9%) reported that they acquire knowledge about dengue fever through television and radio. About 44.60% of the participants reported that they acquired knowledge about dengue fever through awareness campaigns in school. Conclusions The knowledge of the students was found to be insufficient despite several awareness campaigns. There is a need to re-evaluate the structure of the awareness campaigns as they fail to reach their target. Electronic media was identified as the most useful source of knowledge, and its incorporation can help increase the effectiveness of awareness campaigns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nismat Javed
- Shifa College of Medicine, Shifa Tameer-E-Millat University Shifa International Hospital
| | | | - Sajida Naseem
- Department of Community and Family Medicine, Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan
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11
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Coenen S, Gielen B, Blommaert A, Beutels P, Hens N, Goossens H. Appropriate international measures for outpatient antibiotic prescribing and consumption: recommendations from a national data comparison of different measures. J Antimicrob Chemother 2014; 69:529-34. [PMID: 24084641 PMCID: PMC3937596 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkt385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2013] [Revised: 09/03/2013] [Accepted: 09/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Many European countries have engaged in awareness campaigns to decrease outpatient antibiotic use and several measures have been proposed, e.g. the number of defined daily doses (DDDs) or packages per 1000 inhabitants per day, producing conflicting findings. Therefore, we set out to explore what measure is most appropriate. METHODS Outpatient data on each dispensed and reimbursed medicinal package in Belgium between 2002 and 2009 were aggregated at the level of the active substance in accordance with the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification and expressed as the numbers of DDDs (WHO, version 2010), packages, treatments and insured individuals per 1000 inhabitants, insured individuals and patient contacts, per day, and in July-June years. Using these measures, time trends of outpatient antibiotic use were compared and explored in detail. RESULTS Expressed per 1000 inhabitants per day, outpatient antibiotic use increased between 2002-03 and 2008-09 in DDDs, whereas in packages, treatments and insured individuals it decreased. The same was true for use expressed per 1000 insured individuals or when allowing for the decreasing number of patient contacts. Increasing numbers of DDDs per package (more items per package and higher doses per unit for amoxicillin and co-amoxiclav) explain these discrepancies. CONCLUSIONS The number of packages is a more appropriate measure than the number of DDDs when assessing outpatient antibiotic use over time and the impact of awareness campaigns in countries dispensing 'complete packages'. We recommended the use of different complementary measures or caution when interpreting trends based only on DDDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Coenen
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology, Vaccine & Infectious Disease Institute (VAXINFECTIO), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Centre for General Practice, Vaccine & Infectious Disease Institute (VAXINFECTIO), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Birgit Gielen
- Intermutualistic Agency (IMA-AIM), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Adriaan Blommaert
- Centre for Health Economic Research and Modeling Infectious Diseases (CHERMID), Vaccine & Infectious Disease Institute (VAXINFECTIO), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Philippe Beutels
- Centre for Health Economic Research and Modeling Infectious Diseases (CHERMID), Vaccine & Infectious Disease Institute (VAXINFECTIO), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Niel Hens
- Centre for Health Economic Research and Modeling Infectious Diseases (CHERMID), Vaccine & Infectious Disease Institute (VAXINFECTIO), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics (I-BIOSTAT), University of Hasselt, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Herman Goossens
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology, Vaccine & Infectious Disease Institute (VAXINFECTIO), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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