Evaluation of a malaria control project in DPR Korea, 2001-2003.

This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate a malaria control project implemented from 2001 to 2003. The evaluation indicators included assessing malaria prevalence, people's knowledge, awareness, and preventive behavior regarding malaria. First, a review of clinical records in the study areas was used to measure malaria prevalence. Second, a cross-sectional study was done, and 1,007 people aged > or = 15 years who lived in Saenal Ri (rural area) Sichon County, South Hwanghae Province and Hwangju Up (urban area), North Hwanghae Province, were randomly sampled and interviewed. The prevalence of malaria, from review of clinical records, declined from 20.5 cases per 1,000 population in 2001 to 4.9 cases per 1,000 population in 2003. Of the 245 malaria cases, 1.6% had three, and 13.9% had two, experiences of malaria infection. Survey data showed that the prevalence of malaria was 2.7 cases per 1,000 population. About 75.6% (31/41) were in the age group 30-49 years. Overall outcome evaluation showed that the targets had been achieved: prevalence (2.7 vs 9 per 1,000 population), people's good knowledge of malaria (97.5 vs 90.0%), awareness (93.8 vs 85.0%), and preventive behavior (84.7 vs 80.0%). However, some aspects of the individual target indicators still needed improvement, ie people's knowledge of malaria symptoms and mosquito-source elimination behavior. The malaria control project appeared to be effective in reducing malaria prevalence and improving people's knowledge, awareness and preventive behavior about malaria in the studied areas.

Cigarette, alcohol use and physical activity among Myanmar youth workers, Samut Sakhon Province, Thailand.

Over 1.2 million migrants from Myanmar are currently residing in Thailand. Little information is known about Myanmar youth risk behaviors. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence and the factors associated with cigarette and alcohol use, and physical inactivity, among Myanmar youth working in a harbor town in Samut Sakhon Province, Thailand. One hundred and seventy-seven young workers aged 15-24 years, living in the study area, were interviewed by structured questionnaire. About 21.5% were current smokers, 25.4% were alcohol drinkers, and 36.7% were physically inactive. Univariate analysis indicated one variable was significantly associated with cigarette smoking: education level higher than primary school (OR=2.3, 95% CI 1.02-5.0), Three variables were significantly associated with alcohol drinking: married status (OR=2.2, 95%CI 1.02-4.5); non-seafood-processing workers, i e, street vendors, construction laborers, etc. (OR=3.4, 95% CI 1.7-7.1), and high job stress due to supervisor/boss (OR=2.1 95% CI 1.1-4.2). Two variables were significantly associated with physical inactivity: female youth (OR=3.9 95% CI 2.1-7.5), and education level higher than primary school (OR=0.4, 95% CI 0.2-0.8). The prevalence of smoking, alcohol drinking and physical inactivity among Myanmar migrant youths was quite high. Government and non-government organizations should co-operate to provide interventions to reduce youths' risk behaviors.

Antimicrobial use in children under five years with diarrhea in a central region province, Thailand.

This cross-sectional study aimed to estimate the prevalence of appropriate antimicrobial prescribing for treating childhood diarrhea within the public hospital system in a central region province, Thailand. Reported are findings of a prospective clinical audit of 424 cases treated by 38 physicians. Appropriate use of antimicrobials was defined as prescribing antimicrobials for managing an invasive bacterial-type, bloody diarrhea or not prescribing antimicrobials for managing a watery-type or non-bloody diarrhea. Among 424 cases with diarrhea, 12.5% were invasive bacterial-type. Of the 66 diarrheal episodes in which stool samples were cultured, 7 stool specimens were positive, two with Shigella sonnei, two with Vibrio cholerae Ogawa and three with E. coli. Based on the presence of mucus and blood in stools, 27.4% of 424 cases received appropriate antimicrobial drugs. Cotrimoxazole was the most commonly prescribed drug (51%), followed by colistin sulfate (15.3%), norfloxacin (11%), and nalidixic acid (0.5%). The average number of antimicrobials per case of inpatients was higher than outpatients (1.15 vs 0.84, p < 0.001). There was a trend toward prescribing norfloxacin in childhood diarrhea. The Ministry of Public Health should continue providing effective interventions aimed at improving physicians' knowledge of diarrhea treatment. Similar efforts should be directed toward improving caretakers' knowledge about home care for childhood diarrhea and encouraging widespread correct use of oral rehydration therapy (ORT) in the community. Hopefully, such activities will help reduce the inappropriate use of antimicrobial agents in treating diarrheal disease.