Conocimientos, percepciones y prácticas sobre el consumo de micronutrientes en niños Awajún y Wampis (Condorcanqui, Amazonas-Perú) / Knowledge, perception, and practices regarding micronutrient use in Awajun and Wampis children (Condorcanqui, Amazonas, Peru)

Objetivo: Explorar los conocimientos, percepciones y prácticas de familias, actores locales y personal de salud (PS) de la provincia de Condorcanqui, respecto al consumo de micronutrientes (MMN) en niños de 06 a 35 meses de edad. Materiales y métodos: Estudio cualitativo realizado entre junio y agosto del 2015, en población Awajún y Wampis de los distritos de Río Santiago, Cenepa y Nieva; incluyó 38 entrevistas en profundidad, 13 grupos focales y 28 observaciones directas. Resultados:La comunidad entendió que la anemia causaba palidez o delgadez en el niño y pueden tratarla con sus propios 'remedios'. El PS consideraba importante comprender al usuario y observaba problemas de acceso y adecuación cultural en su labor. Reconoció que la capacitación recibida fue insuficiente, pero cumplía con sensibilizar a la comunidad. Los MMN se dieron en la primera comida del día y con alimentos locales, observándose valoraciones positivas y negativas (causa diarrea, alergias o rechazo por su sabor u olor) sobre su aceptabilidad. Existe retroalimentación de la información monitoreada en la consulta y visita domiciliaria, pero no puede asegurarse el consumo y adherencia al MMN. Conclusiones: La intervención debe incorporar elementos culturales y mensajes claros sobre el beneficio y contenido de los MMN. Se deben generar alianzas estratégicas y promover el trabajo interinstitucional con diferentes actores sociales, para facilitar la sensibilización y acceso al MMN y alimentos básicos.

Objective: To explore knowledge, perception, and practices within families, local actors, and healthcare personnel (HP) in Condorcanqui Province, with respect to micronutrient use (MMN) in 6- to 36- month old children. Materials and Methods: This was a qualitative study performed between June and August 2015 in Awajun and Wampis communities in Rio Santiago, Cenepa, and Nieva districts. The study included 38 in-depth interviews, 13 focus group meetings, and 28 direct observation activities. Results: Persons in the community understand that anemia leads to pallor and wasting in children, and that they may treat this condition with their own local 'medicine'. Healthcare personnel understand that it is important to educate users and there are difficulties for access and cultural adaptation for performing their activities. They recognize that training may have been insufficient, but they do their best aiming to sensitize the community. MMN are given with the first meal of the day and combined with local food. Positive and negative comments (perceived as causative agents for diarrhea and nausea, or being rejected because of their taste and smell) were observed with respect to their acceptability. There is some feedback on information collected in office visits and household visits, but the use of MMN cannot be fully ensured. Conclusions: Any intervention must incorporate cultural elements and clear messages about benefits and contents of MMN. Strategic alliances should be established and inter-institutional activities should be performed with different social actors, in order to facilitate sensitization and access for using MMN as well as basic food components.

[Social Representations Related to Anemia in Children Under Three years in Awajún and Wampis Communities of Peru]. / Representaciones sociales relacionadas a la anemia en niños menores de tres años en comunidades Awajún y Wampis, Perú.

OBJECTIVES: To understand the social representations of the Awajún and Wampis communities related to the symptoms and treatment of anemia in children younger than 3 years, as well as the relationship of these representations with the symbolism, constructs, and type of diet of these populations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This qualitative study was conducted from June to August 2015 in the districts of Río Santiago, Cenepa, and Nieva (Amazon region, Peru), and included in-depth interviews (IDIs) of health personnel, community authorities, parents, and focus groups (FGs) for mothers. RESULTS: A total of 38 IDIs and 13 FGs were conducted. The evaluated populations had limited awareness about anemia and health personnel, but anemia with symptoms were correlated with social representations and cultural manifestations. This behavior was reflected in the parents' choice of treatments that were not necessarily the same as those indicated by the health personnel, and these social groups preferred the consumption of certain foods that were considered to cure the "putsumat". Visiting a health care center or using micronutrients was not their first treatment option. CONCLUSIONS: Social representations and traditional practices still exist, and include interpretative systems in health, disease, and disease management. The logic, meaning, and coherence of these practices depend on the cultural group considered. The "putsumat" or "putsuju" is an interpretive model for anemia, and the symptoms in children include pallor, thinness, and fatigue; this model is based on the cultural system of the Awajún and Wampis populations.

OBJETIVOS: Conocer las representaciones sociales de las comunidades awajún y wampis en torno a síntomas y tratamiento de la anemia en niños menores de 03 años, la relación con sus simbolismos, constructos y tipo de alimentación. MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS: Estudio cualitativo realizado entre junio y agosto del 2015, en los distritos de Río Santiago, Cenepa y Nieva (región Amazonas, Perú); que incluyó entrevistas en profundidad (EP) para personal de salud, autoridades de la comunidad y padres de familia, y grupos focales (GF) para madres de familia. RESULTADOS: Se realizaron 38 EP y 13 GF. La población no tuvo un significado claro sobre la anemia, ni manejaba la misma descripción del personal de salud; sino que lo relacionaba con una sintomatología en base a sus representaciones sociales y manifestaciones culturales. Esto aplicaba en la decisión de los padres por el tratamiento a optar, no necesariamente, lo indicado por el personal de salud, y que prefieren el consumo de ciertos alimentos que podrían curar el putsumat. El acudir al establecimiento de salud o utilizar multimicronutrientes no era entonces su primera opción de tratamiento. CONCLUSIONES: Las representaciones sociales y prácticas tradicionales continúan existiendo y poseen sistemas interpretativos sobre la salud, la enfermedad y su manejo, con lógicas, sentidos y coherencia según grupo cultural. El putsumat o putsuju es un modelo interpretativo equivalente para la anemia, con una sintomatología presentada por los niños con palidez, delgadez, cansancio, sustentado en el sistema cultural simbólico de las poblaciones awajún y wampis.

Representaciones sociales relacionadas a la anemia en niños menores de tres años en comunidades Awajún y Wampis, Perú / Social Representations Related to Anemia in Children Under Three years in Awajún and Wampis Communities of Peru

RESUMEN Objetivos Conocer las representaciones sociales de las comunidades awajún y wampis en torno a síntomas y tratamiento de la anemia en niños menores de 03 años, la relación con sus simbolismos, constructos y tipo de alimentación. Materiales y métodos Estudio cualitativo realizado entre junio y agosto del 2015, en los distritos de Río Santiago, Cenepa y Nieva (región Amazonas, Perú); que incluyó entrevistas en profundidad (EP) para personal de salud, autoridades de la comunidad y padres de familia, y grupos focales (GF) para madres de familia. Resultados Se realizaron 38 EP y 13 GF. La población no tuvo un significado claro sobre la anemia, ni manejaba la misma descripción del personal de salud; sino que lo relacionaba con una sintomatología en base a sus representaciones sociales y manifestaciones culturales. Esto aplicaba en la decisión de los padres por el tratamiento a optar, no necesariamente, lo indicado por el personal de salud, y que prefieren el consumo de ciertos alimentos que podrían curar el putsumat. El acudir al establecimiento de salud o utilizar multimicronutrientes no era entonces su primera opción de tratamiento. Conclusiones Las representaciones sociales y prácticas tradicionales continúan existiendo y poseen sistemas interpretativos sobre la salud, la enfermedad y su manejo, con lógicas, sentidos y coherencia según grupo cultural. El putsumat o putsuju es un modelo interpretativo equivalente para la anemia, con una sintomatología presentada por los niños con palidez, delgadez, cansancio, sustentado en el sistema cultural simbólico de las poblaciones awajún y wampis.

ABSTRACT Objectives To understand the social representations of the Awajún and Wampis communities related to the symptoms and treatment of anemia in children younger than 3 years, as well as the relationship of these representations with the symbolism, constructs, and type of diet of these populations. Materials and methods This qualitative study was conducted from June to August 2015 in the districts of Río Santiago, Cenepa, and Nieva (Amazon region, Peru), and included in-depth interviews (IDIs) of health personnel, community authorities, parents, and focus groups (FGs) for mothers. Results A total of 38 IDIs and 13 FGs were conducted. The evaluated populations had limited awareness about anemia and health personnel, but anemia with symptoms were correlated with social representations and cultural manifestations. This behavior was reflected in the parents' choice of treatments that were not necessarily the same as those indicated by the health personnel, and these social groups preferred the consumption of certain foods that were considered to cure the "putsumat". Visiting a health care center or using micronutrients was not their first treatment option. Conclusions Social representations and traditional practices still exist, and include interpretative systems in health, disease, and disease management. The logic, meaning, and coherence of these practices depend on the cultural group considered. The "putsumat" or "putsuju" is an interpretive model for anemia, and the symptoms in children include pallor, thinness, and fatigue; this model is based on the cultural system of the Awajún and Wampis populations.

[Tuberculosis and public health: ¿individual rights or collective rights?]. / Tuberculosis y salud pública: ¿derechos individuales o derechos colectivos?

Tuberculosis (TB) persists as a major public health problem in our country. The appearance of resistant strains has complicated its control and questioned the appropriateness of the current measures towards prevention and control. An analysis from social determinants related to TB, converge on irregular treatment that generates disease persistence and appearance of resistance to TB drugs. The objective of this paper is to identify the role of the government in the treatment of TB patients, to recognize difficulties of treatment adherence considering that its fulfillment depends on the patient, despite that it has direct consequences on public health, and to discuss TB management alternatives with an approach based on individual and collective human rights. International literature shows limit experiences of individual rights and collective ones, but based on health policies and health legislation. In Peru, a new approach is required to guarantee population health without infringing individual rights.

Tuberculosis y salud pública: ¿derechos individuales o derechos colectivos? / Tuberculosis and public health: ¿individual rights or collective rights?

La tuberculosis (TB) persiste como un problema de salud pública de grandes dimensiones en el Perú. La aparición de cepas fármaco-resistentes ha dificultado su control y puesto en cuestionamiento las medidas que actualmente se toman para la prevención y control. Un análisis desde los "determinantes sociales" relacionados con TB, confluyen hacia un tratamiento irregular, lo que ocasiona su persistencia y desarrollo de fármaco-resistencia. El objetivo es identificar el rol del Estado en el tratamiento de pacientes con TB; reconocer las dificultades del paciente en el cumplimiento del tratamiento, lo cual repercute en la salud colectiva; y discutir sus alternativas de manejo, basados en los derechos del paciente y la sociedad. La literatura internacional muestra experiencias límite entre los derechos individuales y colectivos, pero respaldado por políticas sanitarias y su legislación. En el Perú se requiere una nueva mirada que garantice la salud de la población sin vulnerar los derechos individuales.

Tuberculosis (TB) persists as a major public health problem in our country. The appearance of resistant strains has complicated its control and questioned the appropriateness of the current measures towards prevention and control. An analysis from social determinants related to TB, converge on irregular treatment that generates disease persistence and appearance of resistance to TB drugs. The objective of this paper is to identify the role of the government in the treatment of TB patients, to recognize difficulties of treatment adherence considering that its fulfillment depends on the patient, despite that it has direct consequences on public health, and to discuss TB management alternatives with an approach based on individual and collective human rights. International literature shows limit experiences of individual rights and collective ones, but based on health policies and health legislation. In Peru, a new approach is required to guarantee population health without infringing individual rights.

[Validation of the PCR-based universal heteroduplex generator assay for identification of rifampicin-resistant and multiresistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Lima, Peru]. / Validación de la reacción en cadena de la polimerasa basada en generador universal de heterodúplex para la identificación de Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistente a rifampicina y multirresistente en Lima, Perú.

OBJECTIVE: To validate the polymerase chain reaction-based universal heteroduplex generator (PCR UHG-Rif) assay for identifying rifampin-resistant and multidrug-resistant (MDR, resistant to isoniazid and rifampin) Mycobacterium tuberculosis in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis from communities in Lima (Peru) with a high incidence of resistant tuberculosis. DESIGN: To compare the results of antituberculosis drug susceptibility testing in clinical samples performed by the proportion method with those obtained by the PCR UHG-Rif assay, with the aim of analyzing the diagnostic capability of PCR UHG-Rif. RESULTS: Concordance for the identification of antituberculosis drug susceptibility was 0.95 (kappa = 0.899; P < .05), with a sensitivity and specificity of 0.973 and 0.922 (P < .05), respectively. The positive predictive value was 0.939 (95% CI: 0.879-0.970) and the negative predictive value was 0.965 (95% CI: 0.902-0.988). Nevertheless, the probability for MDR prediction was 0.981 (P < .05). PCR UHG-Rif allows the detection of mixed populations; discordant results can be explained by the presence of point mutations, missense mutations and mutations outside the rpoB "hot" region associated with rifampin-resistance. CONCLUSIONS: The PCR UHG-Rif assay detects mutations in the rpoB gene with excellent sensitivity and specificity, and suitable predictive values when compared with the standard method for determining susceptibility to antituberculosis drugs. This test can be considered an excellent tool that can contribute to tuberculosis control by correctly identifying patients infected with resistant and MDR bacilli, leading to a reduction in the cases of tuberculosis and resistant tuberculosis.