Factors Influencing HIV Knowledge Among Women Of Childbearing Age In South Sumatra, Indonesia

@#This study aims to provide detailed information on the role of the following social determinants (i.e. education, occupation, place of residence, marital and economic status) in the acquisition of HIV knowledge among women of childbearing age (15-49 years old). The study uses secondary data from the 2012 Indonesian Demographic and Health Survey (IDHS). The IDHS used a quantitative analytical approach with a cross-sectional study design and multi-stage stratified sampling. The sample included 1,335 women aged 15 to 49 years old living in South Sumatra Province, Indonesia. Descriptive analysis, ANOVA, and t-test and multiple logistic regressions were performed in this study. The results show one out of two women have little HIV knowledge. The more highly educated women were positively associated with a greater degree of knowledge related to comprehensive knowledge related to HIV (AOR: 3.7, 2.2-6.2, p.<0.05), HIV prevention (AOR:16.6, 1.8-153.9, p <0.05), transmission from mother to child (AOR:11.1, 3.3-36.9, p <0.05), HIV misconceptions (AOR:5.1, 1.1-23.1, p <0.05) and HIV services (AOR:5.7, 2.8-11.4, p < 0.05). In addition, the women lived in urban areas had more knowledge related to HIV prevention and transmission (AOR: 3.36, 1.8-6.2, p <0.05), and knowledge about mother-to-child of HIV transmission (AOR: 3.2, 1.8-5.5, p <0.05) compared to those who lived in rural areas. To conclude, education level was found to be the dominant factor associated with knowledge of HIV across all categories of knowledge after controlling by other determinants, age, marital status, working status and residence. HIV awareness and comprehensive HIV information among women who are considered to be in a low-risk group for HIV infection should be integrated with formal education as well as in maternal health services, particularly in rural areas.

Head and neck malignancies are mostly from dermatological origin

Head and neck cancer includes epithelial malignancies of the upper aerodigestive tract [UADT], including the paranasal sinuses, nasal cavity, oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx; and, as the sixth most common cancer worldwide, head and neck cancer represents about 6% of solid tumors. Advances in surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy have improved locoregional control, survival, and quality of life. The outcomes of these treatment modalities have shifted the focus of curative efforts from radical ablation to preservation and restoration of function. This evolution has been documented in the pages of Cancer for the past 6 decades. The median age of diagnosis is in the sixth decade of life, and there is a large male-to-female predominance. Although there has been a slight decrease in overall incidence of head and neck cancer over the past two decades, an increase in base of tongue and tonsillar cancer recently has been observed

Determinants of Indonesian People Attitudes Towards People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA)

Negative attitudes toward people with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) can occur from various groups. Negative attitude from the community can affect the psychological condition of people living with HIV. In addition, the reduction of stigma and discrimination in society is an important indicator to measure the success of prevention programs of HIV/AIDS. The objective of the study was to determine the factors associated with the Indonesian people towards PLWHA. The purpose of this study assess the factors associated with the Indonesian people attitudes towards PLWHA. This study use secondary data sourced from the Indonesia Demographic Health Survey 2007 which was a cross-sectional study. The study population was married men and women between the ages of 15-54 years and they have ever been heard about HIV/AIDS. The total respondents were 20.465 people. More than half respondent (58,3,1%) showed behavioral discrimination or stigma to PLWHA (people with HIV/AIDS) or show a negative attitude. Most of respondents (61.1%) said it would keep confidential HIV-positive status for his family. They worry that if HIV-positive status to know other people will show a variety of unfair treatment towards them like a shunned, mocked up to the restriction of their rights. The majority of respondents also expressed do not want to buy vegetables from vendors who are HIV positive. The study found that Indonesian people attitudes towards PLWHA was significant associated with age, sex, place of residence, education, socioeconomic status, knowledge and perception. Increased community knowledge necessary to reduce the negative stigma against PLWHA and provides a balanced source of information not only about the dangers of HIV/AIDS but also social aspects such as the behavior of PLWHA's own discrimination or stigma they receive.

The Effect of Needle and Syringe Program on Injecting Drug Users’ Use of Non-Sterile Syringe and Needle Behaviour in Palembang, South Sumatera Province, Indonesia

HIV/AIDS has become one of international public health problem. An effective method to spread HIV/AIDS is through shared needle and syringe among Injecting Drug Users (IDUs). Many studies have been undertaken to know the effect of Needle and Syringe Program (NSP) to reduce the risk behaviours of IDUs in sharing needle and syringe among IDUs. NSP has been implemented in Palembang since 2009. However, there is no previous research to examine IDUs behaviours in using non sterile injection and syringe in Palembang.Therefore, a research is needed to be undertaken to know the effect of NSP on IDUs’ behaviours in using sterile needle an syringe.To identify association between seeking behaviours of NSP on IDUs’ behaviours in using sterile needle and syringe.This was a case control study with respondents recruited using snowball and purposive technique. Simple and multiple logistic regression tests were performed using statistics program (Stata version 10) to identify main association between NSP access status and behaviours of using non-sterile needle and syringe. Some possible confounders were also explored. Odds ratio, 95 % Confidence interval and P value were reported.There were 121 IDUs, consisting of 41 IDUs in cases group (High risk group to use non sterile injection and syringe) and 80 IDUs in control group (low risk group to use non sterile injection and syringe). Mostly,respondents were male with senior high school education level and single status. Crude odds ratio indicated that IDUs accessing NPSs had an odds of 1.07 to share needle and syringe among IDUs compared to IDUS without accessing NSPs (OR=1.07, 95 % CI = 0.49-2.31), p=0.87). After OR was adjusted by knowledge about the spread and prevention of HIV/AIDS, IDUs’ Attitude towards Harm Reduction, education level, age, length of using Injectig, and income level, IDUs accessing NSPS tend to minimize their behaviours to share needle and syringe compared to IDUs in NSPs group by 29 % (odd ratio, 0.69, 95 % CI = 0.23-2.06, p=0.51). P value showed that there is weak evidence against the null hypotesis of no association between IDUs accessing NSPs and risk behavior of using non-sterile needle and syringe. Previous studies indicated that IDUS using NSPs tend to reduce the use of shared needle and syringe, and tend to wash their needle and syringe before another IDUs use them again (Gibson, 2001, Wodak A & Cooney A 2006). Therefore, NSP increase awareness of IDUs to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.Availability of NSP appeared to reduce the use of shared or non-sterile syringe or needle in this study, although the association was not significant. One of the reasons could be the free access of needle and syringe in pharmacy could be one confounding factors that contributed to this non significant association. Further research with bigger sample size and qualitative research to explore more in-depth information about IDUs’ behaviours in using non-sterile injection and syringe is recommended.

Hip Structure Associated With Hip Fracture in Women: Data from the Geelong Osteoporosis Study (Gos) Data Analysis-Geelong, Australia

Aging leads to changes in bones to be highly fragile causing fractures. In this research, changes in the dimensions of the hip structure can be measured by using a computer program called ‘Hip Structural Analysis (HSA)’. The objective of this study is to estimate the association between hip geometries in Femoral Neck (FN) and the risk of hip fracture in older women. A case control study was performed to explore the objective respectively using the data of participants from population cohort and fracture cohort of the Geelong Osteoporosis Cohort Geelong, Southern Victoria, Australia. Simple and multiple logistic regressions were performed.Of total of 598, comparing Fracture group (44 subjects) and nonfracture group (454 subjects) aged over 63 years, the odds of hip fracture increased by approximately 2 fold for each 1 SD increase in width (OR=1.70(1.18-2.45,p 0.005), endocortical diameter (OR=1.80 (1,23-2.62, p=0.002), and buckling ratio (OR=1.85(1.32- 2.61, p <0.0001) and for each 1 SD decrease in BMD (OR=1.98(1.21-3.23,p.0.006) and average cortical thickness (OR=2.02(1.23-3.34), p.0.006) controlling for age, height, weight and menopausal status. Findings suggest that not only is BMD associated with hip fractures, but also other hip geometry dimensions, including WID, ENDO, AVCO and AVBR, independent of age, height, weight and physical activity.These results provide additional insights that the geometries of FN is associated with fracture neck of femur in older women and strongly suggest its potential value, not only BMD, as clinical predictors for assessing the risk of hip fracture in older women. In addition to this, utilization of some combined parameters of bone geometries in FN might be a more effective method in screening than case findings to reduce the burden of hip fracture in the future. Further statistical methods is needed to analyze the combined hip structure to predict hip fracture.