Survey data for ex-post evaluation of the horticulture project in the Marshall Islands.

This Data in Brief article provides supplementary information about how we explored aid effectiveness of Taiwanese government's horticulture project in the Marshall Islands. The issue of sustainable development in small island developing countries has become increasingly important [1], [2], [3]. Moreover, Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have become more serious in the Pacific Islands in recent years, adversely affecting people's health. The data will also benefit those interested in understanding the eating habits in the Pacific Islands. We selected and assigned participants (using household as a unit) of the project to the experimental group and non-participants to the control group to evaluate the impact of the horticulture project. As for data collection in the field, we collected data through a structured questionnaire. We recruited one interviewer to conduct household surveys in the field for 40 days from April to June in 2017. A total of 96 valid questionnaires were collected, including 36 participants and 60 non-participants. The average household consumption of vegetables and fruits is 6.18 units (SD=7.84). Comparing project participants with non-participants, consumption of vegetables and fruits of the participants is 1.96 units higher than non-participants (P = 0.062).

Trajectories and predictors of return to work after traumatic limb injury--a 2-year follow-up study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to explore the trajectories of return to work (RTW) and examine the predictors of different trajectories among workers following traumatic limb injury. METHODS: A total of 804 participants were recruited during hospital admission for a 2-year prospective study. The RTW outcome was repeatedly assessed at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after the injury. A group-based trajectory model (GBTM) was employed to identify trajectories of RTW among the participants. Comparisons of group characteristics of different trajectories were performed based on a multinomial logistic regression. RESULTS: GBTM identified three distinct trajectories of RTW: (i) fast RTW consisted of workers with early and stable RTW status from the first month after the injury; (ii) average RTW consisted of workers who achieved and remained at a stable RTW status within 6 months; and (iii) slow RTW consisted of workers who had slow and unsustainable RTW status within the 2-year follow-up period. The estimated proportions were 21.5%, 50.7%, and 27.8%, respectively. Workers with slow and unsustainable RTW after injury were found to be older, married, less educated, employed as repair personnel/operators/laborers, seriously injured, and depressed; they were also found to feel more disturbance in daily life, have lower self-efficacy, and believe they experience a poorer quality of life. CONCLUSION: Following traumatic limb injury, individual workers showed three distinct RTW trajectories, each of which was associated with different categories of biopsychosocial factors. An understanding of how different factors contribute to increasing the likelihood of RTW for injured workers in each trajectory group should aid policy-making in worker-oriented vocational rehabilitation programs.

Epidemiologic features of hand-foot-mouth disease and herpangina caused by enterovirus 71 in Taiwan, 1998-2005.

OBJECTIVE: In 1998, an epidemic of hand-foot-mouth disease/herpangina was caused by human enterovirus 71 infection in Taiwan. The underlying factors of widespread emergence of viral infection are unclear. The purpose of this study was to assess the epidemiology of hand-foot-mouth disease/herpangina in Taiwan between March 1998 and December 2005. METHODS: We analyzed data reported to surveillance systems at the Taiwan Center for Disease Control. Viral isolation was performed by 11 reference virus laboratories at medical centers as well as the Taiwan Center for Disease Control. RESULTS: During the 8-year study period, the reported incidence of mild cases of hand-foot-mouth disease/herpangina varied from 0.8 to 19.9 cases per sentinel physician per week, peaking in 1998. Seasonal variations in incidence were observed, with an incidence peak observed during the summer season. Annual incidence changed significantly from 1998 to 2005. Both age-specific incidence and fatality of severe hand-foot-mouth disease/herpangina decreased as age increased. Most (93%) cases occurred in children who were aged 4 years and younger. Inpatients had a higher rate of enterovirus 71 infection than outpatients. Among severe cases, the majority (80%) had pulmonary edema/hemorrhage and encephalitis. CONCLUSIONS: Hand-foot-mouth disease/herpangina is a common disease in Taiwan. Enterovirus 71 infection has emerged as an important public problem causing serious clinical illness and, potentially, death in young children. Vaccine development is recommended for prevention of enterovirus 71 infection in the future.

An eight-year study of epidemiologic features of enterovirus 71 infection in Taiwan.

In 1998, an epidemic of enterovirus 71 (EV 71) infection occurred in Taiwan. The purpose of this study was to assess the epidemiology of EV 71 infection in Taiwan. Between March 1998 and December 2005, a total of 1,548 severe cases of hand-foot-mouth disease and herpangina (HFMD/HA) was reported to the Center for Disease Control in Taiwan. A seasonal variation in number of severe cases was observed, with the annual peak in second quarter. Deaths from severe HFMD/HA varied from year to year (chi(2) for trend = 6.781, P = 0.009). Most (92%) cases occurred in children