A step-wise approach to find a valid and feasible method to detect non-adherence to tuberculosis drugs.

A step-wise approach to identify valid and feasible methods to detect non-adherence to tuberculosis drugs was evaluated in a prospective study among pulmonary tuberculosis patients in an outpatient clinic in Indonesia. First, adherence was measured by self-reporting with the standardized Morisky questionnaire, physician assessment, pill-count, visit attendance, diary and an electronic medication event monitoring system (MEMS). Next, validity of single methods was assessed against MEMS as gold standard. Feasibility of methods was then judged by physicians in the field. Finally, when valid and feasible methods were combined, it appeared that self-reporting by a questionnaire plus physician assessment could identify all non-adherent patients. It is recommended to use a systematic approach to develop a valid and locally feasible combination of methods to detect non-adherence to TB drugs.

The association between prenatal and or post natal growth disorder and lipid profile in adolescents aged 12 - 15 years old in Tanjungsari Subdistrict, Sumedang, West Java.

AIM: to investigate association between growth disorders in pre and post natal period and abnormal lipid profile in adolescents aged 12 -15 years old in Tanjungsari population. METHODS: a cohort study was conducted in 3350 children who were born in 1988-1990 in Tanjungsari Subdistrict, Sumedang, West Java. A complete anthropometric data since their birth were collected from October 2002-February 2003. Inclusion criteria: Children who had birth weight in the range of +/- 3 of standard deviation (SD). Post natal growth disorder based on Z score of height according to age group and height changes at the age of 0-12 months and 12-36 months. SGA criteria were determined based on cross tabulation between weight and birth length at birth. Study subjects were divided into control group, groups of pre natal, post natal and pre-postnatal growth disorder. All subjects were checked for lipid profiles. Statistical calculation used analysis of variance, t test and logistic regression. 312 subjects were included in this study, 73 were in control group, 90 subjects in postnatal, 96 subjects were in pre natal and 53 subjects were in pre-post natal growth disorder group. RESULTS: this study has not shown significant difference in risk factor of having abnormal lipid profile between normal control group and growth disorder group except for those in prenatal growth disorder group with RR = 2.375 (p = 0.014). CONCLUSION: the post natal growth disorder had not influenced lipid profile in adolescents with SGA. Recent BMI was an additional risk factor for pre-post natal growth disorder group.