Factors associated with the condoning of female genital mutilation among university students.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is practiced in Egypt, despite its recent ban, generally in rural and uneducated communities, under unsanitary conditions and by non-medical personnel. Immediate and long-term complications are frequent. The aim of this study was to gain insight into what beliefs or knowledge are conducive to supporting FGM. One thousand and seventy university students in Cairo, Egypt were randomly selected. A 32-item questionnaire was used to interview students regarding their knowledge and attitudes toward FGM. Multivariable analyses were performed to find factors associated with being against the abolishment of FGM.The response rate was 95% (n=1020). Twenty-eight percent of the students support FGM. The most significant factors associated with the condoning of FGM were believing FGM has a religious basis (OR=2.53), disagreeing that FGM is a custom with no other basis (OR=2.59), not believing it is harmful (OR=4.11), and ignoring that it is usually followed by complications (OR=5.14). Even in an educated population, a considerable amount of ignorance concerning FGM exists. Widespread education about FGM is important to dispel the myths that surround its practice and to bring the practice to an end.

Comparison of different methodological approaches to identify risk factors of nosocomial infection in intensive care units.

OBJECTIVE: Comparison of statistical methods and measurement scales to identify nosocomial infection risk factors in intensive care units (ICU). DESIGN: Prospective study in 558 patients admitted to the ICU of a referral hospital between February and November 1994. METHODS: Analysis using three logistic regression models, three standard Cox regression models, and two Cox regression models with time-dependent extrinsic factors. Different scales were used to measure exposures to risk factors (dichotomous, ordinal, quantitative, and time-dependent variables). RESULTS: The most appropriate models were those that measured exposure using dichotomous variables. Models using ordinal or quantitative variables estimated biased coefficients and/or failed to comply with the statistical assumptions underlying the analyses. The Cox regression model with quantitative time-dependent variables met all the statistical assumptions, obtained a precise assessment of risk by exposure time, and estimated unbiased coefficients. CONCLUSIONS: The Cox regression analysis with quantitative time-dependent variables is the most valid alternative for assessing the risk of nosocomial infection per day of exposure to an extrinsic risk factor in the ICU.

[Abnormally broad confidence intervals in logistic regression: interpretation of results of statistical programs]. / Intervalos de confianza anormalmente amplios en regresión logística: interpretación de resultados de programas estadísticos.

This study describes the behavior of eight statistical programs (BMDP, EGRET, JMP, SAS, SPSS, STATA, STATISTIX, and SYSTAT) when performing a logistic regression with a simulated data set that contains a numerical problem created by the presence of a cell value equal to zero. The programs respond in different ways to this problem. Most of them give a warning, although many simultaneously present incorrect results, among which are confidence intervals that tend toward infinity. Such results can mislead the user. Various guidelines are offered for detecting these problems in actual analyses, and users are reminded of the importance of critical interpretation of the results of statistical programs.

[Mortality due to suicide in Spain: associated socioeconomic and environmental factors]. / Mortalidad por suicidio en España: factores socioeconómicos y ambientales asociados.

OBJECTIVE: Describe the cumulative incidence of suicide mortality and self-inflicted injuries in Spain during the period 1987-1991 and identify associated socioeconomic and meteorological factors. DESIGN: Ecological study. SITE: Fifty Spanish provinces excluding Ceuta and Melilla. PATIENTS: Spanish population during the study period. MAIN MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: For each province, the cumulative incidence of mortality from suicide and self-inflicted injuries were calculated by gender and age groups. The associations between suicide mortality and 31 socioeconomical and meteorological variables were evaluated using multiple linear regression. The incidence of suicide deaths was stable during the study period. The most important negative associations identified were with variables indicating economical development and the positive associations with the variable measuring specific general mortality. No significant differences between genders were found. For both genders, the model with the highest coefficient of determination corresponded to the group of adults aged. CONCLUSIONS: In Spain, social and economical factors are associated with the frequency of deaths from suicide and self-inflicted injuries in both genders and specially in the adult age.

[Minimal inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations of some antiseptics and disinfectants against strains of hospital origin]. / Concentraciones mínimas inhibitorias y bactericidas de algunos antisépticos y desinfectantes frente a cepas de origen hospitalario.

The MIC in solid media and the B.M.C. by the dilution-neutralization test using sterile water, was determined using 10 antiseptics and disinfectants with 70 strains of 10 species of Gram negative bacteria more frequently causing nosocomial infections in Ciudad Sanitaria Reina Sofía, Córdoba, in Spain. Relationship between the two tests was searched with no positive results. The more effective antiseptics were silver nitrate and chlorhexidine, the less active was phenol. Activity of some antiseptics was similar at 30 or 60 minutes of contact with the microorganisms.

[Clinical-epidemiological assessment of bacterial meningitis in the province of Cordoba (1983-1989)]. / Valoración clínico-epidemiológica de la meningitis bacteriana en la provincia de Cordoba (1983-1989).

533 cases of bacterial meningitis diagnosed in the province of Cordoba over a period of seven years are analyzed. 53.7% of the cases are in males, with 71.2% of the cases being detected in children under 14 (p less than 0.001). Greater incidence has been observed in Cordoba city than in the province, with a direct relationship being between morbidity and population density. The months with lower average temperature account for 45.6 por 100 of all the diagnosed cases of meningitis. By etiology, 51.9% were meningococcal meningitis, followed by meningitis produced by unknown germs (35.3%) and by H. influenzae. The illness developed in 91.3% of cases to a cure, with sequelae in 4.1% and death in 4.4%. Meningitis produced by H: influenzae was what caused most sequelae and that produced by S. pneumoniae was the most lethal. Isolated N. meningitidis presented 100% sensitivity to penicillin and cephalosporins, H. influenzae 91.7% chloramphenicol and only 28.3% to penicillin.

[Activity of quaternary ammonium derivatives against 145 strains of rapidly-growing atypical mycobacteria]. / Estudio de la acción de los derivados del amonio cuaternario sobre 145 cepas de microbacterias atípicas de crecimiento rápido.

A survey about 145 atypical mycobacteria strains belonging to the M. fortuitum y M. chelonae complex sensitivity in response to three quaternary ammonium derivates has been performed by means of the dilutional and agar spreading methods. High strain sensitivity has been detected, having the three investigated antiseptics a very similar behaviour. The correlation rates and the regression lines equations have been obtained. And as a result of the high values we have obtained, it's possible to get the strain CMI directly from the corresponding inhibition halo.