Factors Associated with Treatment Uptake Among Women with Acetic Acid/Lugol's Iodine Positive Lesions of the Cervix in Cameroon.

PURPOSE: Treatment of cervical precancer is the primary aim in secondary prevention of cervical cancer. The purpose of this study was to examine factors associated with treatment uptake among women with acetic acid/Lugol's iodine positive lesions identified by digital cervicography (DC) in a cervical cancer prevention program in Cameroon. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of medical records from 2013 to 2018 of 755 women in Cameroon who screened positive with acetic acid/Lugol's iodine in 2013. RESULTS: Of the 755 women, 422 (55.9%) had treatment/biopsy on the same day or followed up later, but only 344 (45.6%) received treatment/biopsy and 333 (44.1%) were lost to follow-up. Overall, 180 (52.3%) of the 344 women were treated/biopsied the same day they were screened, and 164 (47.7%) were treated/biopsied after the initial visit. Women aged 30-49 and HIV-positive women were significantly more likely to have received treatment or returned for treatment than women less than 30 and HIV-negative women. Of the 266 women who followed up at a later date, the lesions of 78 (29.3%) women regressed spontaneously without treatment. Women with low-grade lesions, HIV-negative women and women who had follow-up more than a year after the initial exam were significantly more likely to have spontaneous regression with regression rates of 30.6%, 32.1% and 62.2%, respectively (p<0.001). Age was not a significant determinant of spontaneous regression (p=0.149). CONCLUSION: Efforts to increase treatment uptake are needed in this population, including adherence to same day "See and treat" policies.

Lung Function and Respiratory Symptoms after Tuberculosis in an American Indian Population. The Strong Heart Study.

Rationale: Permanent lung function impairment after active tuberculosis infection is relatively common. It remains unclear which spirometric pattern is most prevalent after tuberculosis.Objectives: Our objective was to elucidate the impact of active tuberculosis survival on lung health in the Strong Heart Study (SHS), a population of American Indians historically highly impacted by tuberculosis. As arsenic exposure has also been related to lung function in the SHS, we also assessed the joint effect between arsenic exposure and past active tuberculosis.Methods: The SHS is an ongoing population-based, prospective study of cardiovascular disease and its risk factors in American Indian adults. This study uses tuberculosis data and spirometry data from the Visit 2 examination (1993-1995). Prior active tuberculosis was ascertained by a review of medical records. Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and FEV1/FVC were measured by spirometry. An additional analysis was conducted to evaluate the potential association between active tuberculosis and arsenic exposure.Results: A history of active tuberculosis was associated with reduced percent predicted FVC and FEV1, an increased odds of airflow obstruction (odds ratio = 1.45, 95% confidence interval = 1.08-1.95), and spirometric restrictive pattern (odds ratio = 1.73, 95% confidence interval = 1.24-2.40). These associations persisted after adjustment for diabetes and other risk factors, including smoking. We also observed the presence of cough, phlegm, and exertional dyspnea after a history of active tuberculosis. In the additional analysis, increasing urinary arsenic concentrations were associated with decreasing lung function in those with a history of active tuberculosis, but a reduced odds of active tuberculosis was found with elevated arsenic.Conclusions: Our findings support existing knowledge that a history of active tuberculosis is a risk factor for long-term respiratory impairment. Arsenic exposure, although inversely associated with prior active tuberculosis, was associated with a further decrease in lung function among those with a prior active tuberculosis history. The possible interaction between arsenic and tuberculosis, as well as the reduced odds of tuberculosis associated with arsenic exposure, warrants further investigation, as many populations at risk of developing active tuberculosis are also exposed to arsenic-contaminated water.

Maternal Decision-Making and Uptake of Health Services for the Prevention of Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission: A Secondary Analysis.

Objectives We investigated whether a woman's role in household decision-making was associated with receipt of services to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT). Methods We conducted a secondary analysis of the PEARL study, an evaluation of PMTCT effectiveness in Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, South Africa, and Zambia. Our exposure of interest was the women's role (active vs. not active) in decision-making about her healthcare, large household purchases, children's schooling, and children's healthcare (i.e., four domains). Our primary outcomes were self-reported engagement at three steps in PMTCT: maternal antiretroviral use, infant antiretroviral prophylaxis, and infant HIV testing. Associations found to be significant in univariable logistic regression were included in separate multivariable models. Results From 2008 to 2009, 613 HIV-infected women were surveyed and provided information about their decision-making roles. Of these, 272 (44.4%) women reported antiretroviral use; 281 (45.9%) reported infant antiretroviral prophylaxis; and 194 (31.7%) reported infant HIV testing. Women who reported an active role were more likely to utilize infant HIV testing services, across all four measured domains of decision-making (adjusted odds ratios [AORs] 2.00-2.89 all p < .05). However, associations between decision-making and antiretroviral use-for both mother and infant-were generally not significant. An exception was active decision-making in a woman's own healthcare and reported maternal antiretroviral use (AOR 1.69, p < 0.05). Conclusions for Practice Associations between decision-making and PMTCT engagement were inconsistent and may be related to specific characteristics of individual health-seeking behaviors. Interventions seeking to improve PMTCT uptake should consider the type of health-seeking behavior to better optimize health services.

Risk Factors and Prediction of Stroke in a Population with High Prevalence of Diabetes: The Strong Heart Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: American Indians have a high prevalence of diabetes and higher incidence of stroke than that of whites and blacks in the U.S. Stroke risk prediction models based on data from American Indians would be of clinical and public health value. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 3483 (2043 women) Strong Heart Study participants free of stroke at baseline were followed from 1989 to 2010 for incident stroke. Overall, 297 stroke cases (179 women) were identified. Cox models with stroke-free time and risk factors recorded at baseline were used to develop stroke risk prediction models. Assessment of the developed stroke risk prediction models regarding discrimination and calibration was performed by an analogous C-statistic (C) and a version of the Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic (HL), respectively, and validated internally through use of Bootstrapping methods. RESULTS: Age, smoking status, alcohol consumption, waist circumference, hypertension status, an-tihypertensive therapy, fasting plasma glucose, diabetes medications, high/low density lipoproteins, urinary albumin/creatinine ratio, history of coronary heart disease/heart failure, atrial fibrillation, or Left ventricular hypertrophy, and parental history of stroke were identified as the significant optimal risk factors for incident stroke. DISCUSSION: The models produced a C = 0.761 and HL = 4.668 (p = 0.792) for women, and a C = 0.765 and HL = 9.171 (p = 0.328) for men, showing good discrimination and calibration. CONCLUSIONS: Our stroke risk prediction models provide a mechanism for stroke risk assessment designed for American Indians. The models may be also useful to other populations with high prevalence of obesity and/or diabetes for screening individuals for risk of incident stroke and designing prevention programs.

Factors Associated with PMTCT Cascade Completion in Four African Countries.

Background. Many countries are working to reduce or eliminate mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV. Prevention efforts have been conceptualized as steps in a cascade but cascade completion rates during and after pregnancy are low. Methods. A cross-sectional survey was performed across 26 communities in Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, South Africa, and Zambia. Women who reported a pregnancy within two years were enrolled. Participant responses were used to construct the PMTCT cascade with all of the following steps required for completion: at least one antenatal visit, HIV testing performed, HIV testing result received, initiation of maternal prophylaxis, and initiation of infant prophylaxis. Factors associated with cascade completion were identified using multivariable logistic regression modeling. Results. Of 976 HIV-infected women, only 355 (36.4%) completed the PMTCT cascade. Although most women (69.2%) did not know their partner's HIV status; awareness of partner HIV status was associated with cascade completion (aOR 1.4, 95% CI 1.01-2.0). Completion was also associated with receiving an HIV diagnosis prior to pregnancy compared with HIV diagnosis during or after pregnancy (aOR 14.1, 95% CI 5.2-38.6). Conclusions. Pregnant women with HIV infection in Africa who were aware of their partner's HIV status and who were diagnosed with HIV before pregnancy were more likely to complete the PMTCT cascade.

Hepatitis B, HIV, and Syphilis Seroprevalence in Pregnant Women and Blood Donors in Cameroon.

Objectives. We estimated seroprevalence and correlates of selected infections in pregnant women and blood donors in a resource-limited setting. Methods. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of laboratory seroprevalence data from pregnant women and voluntary blood donors from facilities in Cameroon in 2014. Rapid tests were performed to detect hepatitis B surface antigen, syphilis treponemal antibodies, and HIV-1/2 antibodies. Blood donations were also tested for hepatitis C and malaria. Results. The seroprevalence rates and ranges among 7069 pregnant women were hepatitis B 4.4% (1.1-9.6%), HIV 6% (3.0-10.2%), and syphilis 1.7% (1.3-3.8%) with significant variability among the sites. Correlates of infection in pregnancy in adjusted regression models included urban residence for hepatitis B (aOR 2.9, CI 1.6-5.4) and HIV (aOR 3.5, CI 1.9-6.7). Blood donor seroprevalence rates and ranges were hepatitis B 6.8% (5.0-8.8%), HIV 2.2% (1.4-2.8%), syphilis 4% (3.3-4.5%), malaria 1.9%, and hepatitis C 1.7% (0.5-2.5%). Conclusions. Hepatitis B, HIV, and syphilis infections are common among pregnant women and blood donors in Cameroon with higher rates in urban areas. Future interventions to reduce vertical transmission should include universal screening for these infections early in pregnancy and provision of effective prevention tools including the birth dose of univalent hepatitis B vaccine.

Association of diabetes and cancer mortality in American Indians: the Strong Heart Study.

PURPOSE: The metabolic abnormalities that accompany diabetes mellitus are associated with an increased risk of many cancers. These associations, however, have not been well studied in American Indian populations, which experience a high prevalence of diabetes. The Strong Heart Study is a population-based, prospective cohort study with extensive characterization of diabetes status. METHODS: Among a total cohort of 4,419 participants who were followed for up to 20 years, 430 cancer deaths were identified. RESULTS: After adjusting for sex, age, education, smoking status, drinking status, and body mass index, participants with diabetes at baseline showed an increased risk of gastric (HR 4.09; 95% CI 1.42-11.79), hepatocellular (HR 2.94; 95% CI 1.17-7.40), and prostate cancer mortality (HR 3.10; 95% CI 1.22-7.94). Further adjustment for arsenic exposure showed a significantly increased risk of all-cause cancer mortality with diabetes (HR 1.27; 95% CI 1.03-1.58). Insulin resistance among participants without diabetes at baseline was associated with hepatocellular cancer mortality (HR 4.70; 95% CI 1.55-14.26). CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes mellitus, and/or insulin resistance among those without diabetes, is a risk factor for gastric, hepatocellular, and prostate cancer in these American Indian communities, although relatively small sample size suggests cautious interpretation. Additional research is needed to evaluate the role of diabetes and obesity on cancer incidence in American Indian communities as well as the importance of diabetes prevention and control in reducing the burden of cancer incidence and mortality in the study population.

Implementation and Operational Research: Reconstructing the PMTCT Cascade Using Cross-sectional Household Survey Data: The PEARL Study.

BACKGROUND: Given the ambitious targets to reduce pediatric AIDS worldwide, ongoing assessment of programs to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) is critical. The concept of a "PMTCT cascade" has been used widely to identify bottlenecks in program implementation; however, most efforts to reconstruct the cascade have relied on facility-based approaches that may limit external validity. METHODS: We analyzed data from the PEARL household survey, which measured PMTCT effectiveness in 26 communities across Zambia, South Africa, Cote d'Ivoire, and Cameroon. We recruited women who reported a delivery in the past 2 years. Among mothers confirmed to be HIV infected at the time of survey, we reconstructed the PMTCT cascade with self-reported participant information. We also analyzed data about the child's vital status; for those still alive, HIV testing was performed by DNA polymerase chain reaction testing. RESULTS: Of the 976 eligible women, only 355 (36%) completed every step of the PMTCT cascade. Among the 621 mother-child pairs who did not, 22 (4%) reported never seeking antenatal care, 103 (17%) were not tested for HIV during pregnancy, 395 (64%) reported testing but never received their HIV-positive result, 48 (8%) did not receive maternal antiretroviral prophylaxis, and 53 (9%) did not receive infant antiretroviral prophylaxis. The lowest prevalence of infant HIV infection or death was observed in those completing the cascade (10%, 95% confidence interval: 7% to 12%). CONCLUSIONS: Future efforts to measure population PMTCT impact should incorporate dimensions explored in the PEARL study-including HIV testing of HIV-exposed children in household surveys-to better understand program effectiveness.

Psychological trauma symptoms and Type 2 diabetes prevalence, glucose control, and treatment modality among American Indians in the Strong Heart Family Study.

AIMS: The aims of this paper are to examine the relationship between psychological trauma symptoms and Type 2 diabetes prevalence, glucose control, and treatment modality among 3776 American Indians in Phase V of the Strong Heart Family Study. METHODS: This cross-sectional analysis measured psychological trauma symptoms using the National Anxiety Disorder Screening Day instrument, diabetes by American Diabetes Association criteria, and treatment modality by four categories: no medication, oral medication only, insulin only, or both oral medication and insulin. We used binary logistic regression to evaluate the association between psychological trauma symptoms and diabetes prevalence. We used ordinary least squares regression to evaluate the association between psychological trauma symptoms and glucose control. We used binary logistic regression to model the association of psychological trauma symptoms with treatment modality. RESULTS: Neither diabetes prevalence (22%-31%; p=0.19) nor control (8.0-8.6; p=0.25) varied significantly by psychological trauma symptoms categories. However, diabetes treatment modality was associated with psychological trauma symptoms categories, as people with greater burden used either no medication, or both oral and insulin medications (odds ratio=3.1, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The positive relationship between treatment modality and psychological trauma symptoms suggests future research investigate patient and provider treatment decision making.

Measuring coverage in MNCH: population HIV-free survival among children under two years of age in four African countries.

BACKGROUND: Population-based evaluations of programs for prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) are scarce. We measured PMTCT service coverage, regimen use, and HIV-free survival among children ≤24 mo of age in Cameroon, Côte D'Ivoire, South Africa, and Zambia. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We randomly sampled households in 26 communities and offered participation if a child had been born to a woman living there during the prior 24 mo. We tested consenting mothers with rapid HIV antibody tests and tested the children of seropositive mothers with HIV DNA PCR or rapid antibody tests. Our primary outcome was 24-mo HIV-free survival, estimated with survival analysis. In an individual-level analysis, we evaluated the effectiveness of various PMTCT regimens. In a community-level analysis, we evaluated the relationship between HIV-free survival and community PMTCT coverage (the proportion of HIV-exposed infants in each community that received any PMTCT intervention during gestation or breastfeeding). We also compared our community coverage results to those of a contemporaneous study conducted in the facilities serving each sampled community. Of 7,985 surveyed children under 2 y of age, 1,014 (12.7%) were HIV-exposed. Of these, 110 (10.9%) were HIV-infected, 851 (83.9%) were HIV-uninfected, and 53 (5.2%) were dead. HIV-free survival at 24 mo of age among all HIV-exposed children was 79.7% (95% CI: 76.4, 82.6) overall, with the following country-level estimates: Cameroon (72.6%; 95% CI: 62.3, 80.5), South Africa (77.7%; 95% CI: 72.5, 82.1), Zambia (83.1%; 95% CI: 78.4, 86.8), and Côte D'Ivoire (84.4%; 95% CI: 70.0, 92.2). In adjusted analyses, the risk of death or HIV infection was non-significantly lower in children whose mothers received a more complex regimen of either two or three antiretroviral drugs compared to those receiving no prophylaxis (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.60; 95% CI: 0.34, 1.06). Risk of death was not different for children whose mothers received a more complex regimen compared to those given single-dose nevirapine (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.88; 95% CI: 0.45, 1.72). Community PMTCT coverage was highest in Cameroon, where 75 of 114 HIV-exposed infants met criteria for coverage (66%; 95% CI: 56, 74), followed by Zambia (219 of 444, 49%; 95% CI: 45, 54), then South Africa (152 of 365, 42%; 95% CI: 37, 47), and then Côte D'Ivoire (3 of 53, 5.7%; 95% CI: 1.2, 16). In a cluster-level analysis, community PMTCT coverage was highly correlated with facility PMTCT coverage (Pearson's r = 0.85), and moderately correlated with 24-mo HIV-free survival (Pearson's r = 0.29). In 14 of 16 instances where both the facility and community samples were large enough for comparison, the facility-based coverage measure exceeded that observed in the community. CONCLUSIONS: HIV-free survival can be estimated with community surveys and should be incorporated into ongoing country monitoring. Facility-based coverage measures correlate with those derived from community sampling, but may overestimate population coverage. The more complex regimens recommended by the World Health Organization seem to have measurable public health benefit at the population level, but power was limited and additional field validation is needed.

Blood alcohol levels for American Indian mothers and newborns.

Very little is known about the alcohol elimination rates of newborns who have had chronic alcohol exposure in utero. In these case reports, blood alcohol levels were taken immediately before delivery, at delivery, and postdelivery for 2 mothers who drank alcohol during their pregnancies and 3 single-birth newborns. Newborn A1 of Mother A had no physical characteristics of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). The initial blood alcohol level for this newborn was 38.4 mg/dL 129 minutes after birth, with a subsequent blood alcohol level of 5.5 mg/dL 304 minutes after delivery, resulting in an alcohol elimination rate of 11.3 mg/dL per hour. The blood alcohol level for Mother A was 87.4 mg/dL 66 minutes before delivery. Newborn A2 of mother A had FAS. Sixty minutes after delivery, the blood alcohol level for this newborn was 39.5 mg/dL, and the alcohol level of the mother was 42.1 mg/dL. Newborn B1 of mother B had FAS. At 67 minutes after birth, newborn B1 had a blood alcohol level of 246.5 mg/dL, which dropped to 178.7 mg/dL 302 minutes after birth, resulting in an alcohol elimination rate of 17.3 mg/dL per hour. This alcohol elimination rate is within the metabolism range (15-49 mg/dL per hour) of adults with alcoholism. The maternal blood alcohol level was 265.9 mg/dL 27 minutes before delivery. Blood alcohol levels drawn on both the mother and newborn at delivery and 2 or 3 hourly follow-up levels can provide evidence that fetal alcohol dehydrogenase activity is induced by chronic maternal alcohol use.

Acute myocardial infarction quality of care: the Strong Heart Study.

OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the quality of care provided patients with acute myocardial infarction and compare with similar national and regional data. DESIGN: Case series. SETTING: The Strong Heart Study has extensive population-based data related to cardiovascular events among American Indians living in three rural regions of the United States. PARTICIPANTS: Acute myocardial infarction cases (72) occurring between 1/1/2001 and 12/31/2006 were identified from a cohort of 4549 participants. OUTCOME MEASURES: The proportion of cases that were provided standard quality of care therapy, as defined by the Healthcare Financing Administration and other national organizations. RESULTS: The provision of quality services, such as administration of aspirin on admission and at discharge, reperfusion therapy within 24 hours, prescription of beta blocker medication at discharge, and smoking cessation counseling were found to be 94%, 91%, 92%, 86% and 71%, respectively. The unadjusted, 30 day mortality rate was 17%. CONCLUSION: Despite considerable challenges posed by geographic isolation and small facilities, process measures of the quality of acute myocardial infarction care for participants in this American Indian cohort were comparable to that reported for Medicare beneficiaries nationally and within the resident states of this cohort.

Fasting plasma glucose and hemoglobin A1c in identifying and predicting diabetes: the strong heart study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and HbA(1c) in identifying and predicting type 2 diabetes in a population with high rates of diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Diabetes was defined as an FPG level ≥ 126 mg/dL or an HbA(1c) level ≥ 6.5%. Data collected from the baseline and second exams (1989-1995) of the Strong Heart Study were used. RESULTS For cases of diabetes identified by FPG ≥ 126 mg/dL, using HbA(1c) ≥ 6.5% at the initial and 4-year follow-up diabetes screenings (or in identifying incident cases in 4 years) among undiagnosed participants left 46% and 59% of cases of diabetes undetected, respectively, whereas for cases identified by HbA(1c) ≥ 6.5%, using FPG ≥ 126 mg/dL left 11% and 59% unidentified, respectively. Age, waist circumference, urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio, and baseline FPG and HbA(1c) levels were common significant risk factors for incident diabetes defined by either FPG or HbA(1c); triglyceride levels were significant for diabetes defined by HbA(1c) alone, and blood pressure and sibling history of diabetes were significant for diabetes defined by FPG alone. Using both the baseline FPG and HbA(1c) in diabetes prediction identified more people at risk than using either measure alone. CONCLUSIONS Among undiagnosed participants, using HbA(1c) alone in initial diabetes screening identifies fewer cases of diabetes than FPG, and using either FPG or HbA(1c) alone cannot effectively identify diabetes in a 4-year periodic successive diabetes screening or incident cases of diabetes in 4 years. Using both criteria may identify more people at risk. The proposed models using the commonly available clinical measures can be applied to assessing the risk of incident diabetes using either criterion.

Tobacco use and cardiovascular disease among American Indians: the strong heart study.

Tobacco use among American Indians has a long and complicated history ranging from its utilization in spiritual ceremonies to its importance as an economic factor for survival. Despite this cultural tradition and long history, there are few studies of the health effects of tobacco in this population. The Strong Heart Study is a prospective observational study of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in 13 American Indian tribes in Arizona, Oklahoma, and North and South Dakota with 4,549 participants. Baseline examinations were followed by two examinations at regular intervals and 16 years of morbidity and mortality follow-up. Hazard ratios (HRs) for non-fatal CVD for current smokers vs. non-smokers after adjusting for other risk factors were significant in women (HR = 1.94, 95% CI 1.54 to 2.45) and men (HR = 1.59, 95% CI 1.16 to 2.18). Hazard ratios for fatal CVD for current smokers vs. non-smokers after adjusting for other risk factors were significant in women (HR = 1.64, 95% CI 1.04 to 2.58), but not in men. Individuals who smoked and who were diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, hypertension or renal insufficiency were more likely to quit smoking than those without these conditions. On average, American Indians smoke fewer cigarettes per day than other racial/ethnic groups; nevertheless, the ill effects of habitual tobacco use are evident in this population.

Models of population-based analyses for data collected from large extended families.

Large studies of extended families usually collect valuable phenotypic data that may have scientific value for purposes other than testing genetic hypotheses if the families were not selected in a biased manner. These purposes include assessing population-based associations of diseases with risk factors/covariates and estimating population characteristics such as disease prevalence and incidence. Relatedness among participants however, violates the traditional assumption of independent observations in these classic analyses. The commonly used adjustment method for relatedness in population-based analyses is to use marginal models, in which clusters (families) are assumed to be independent (unrelated) with a simple and identical covariance (family) structure such as those called independent, exchangeable and unstructured covariance structures. However, using these simple covariance structures may not be optimally appropriate for outcomes collected from large extended families, and may under- or over-estimate the variances of estimators and thus lead to uncertainty in inferences. Moreover, the assumption that families are unrelated with an identical family structure in a marginal model may not be satisfied for family studies with large extended families. The aim of this paper is to propose models incorporating marginal models approaches with a covariance structure for assessing population-based associations of diseases with their risk factors/covariates and estimating population characteristics for epidemiological studies while adjusting for the complicated relatedness among outcomes (continuous/categorical, normally/non-normally distributed) collected from large extended families. We also discuss theoretical issues of the proposed models and show that the proposed models and covariance structure are appropriate for and capable of achieving the aim.

Coverage of nevirapine-based services to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission in 4 African countries.

CONTEXT: Few studies have objectively evaluated the coverage of services to prevent transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from mother to child. OBJECTIVE: To measure the coverage of services to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission in 4 African countries. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: Cross-sectional surveillance study of mother-infant pairs using umbilical cord blood samples collected between June 10, 2007, and October 30, 2008, from 43 randomly selected facilities (grouped as 25 service clusters) providing delivery services in Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, South Africa, and Zambia. All sites used at least single-dose nevirapine to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission and some sites used additional prophylaxis drugs. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Population nevirapine coverage, defined as the proportion of HIV-exposed infants in the sample with both maternal nevirapine ingestion (confirmed by cord blood chromatography) and infant nevirapine ingestion (confirmed by direct observation). RESULTS: A total of 27,893 cord blood specimens were tested, of which 3324 were HIV seropositive (12%). Complete data for cord blood nevirapine results were available on 3196 HIV-seropositive mother-infant pairs. Nevirapine coverage varied significantly by site (range: 0%-82%). Adjusted for country, the overall coverage estimate was 51% (95% confidence interval [CI], 49%-53%). In multivariable analysis, failed coverage of nevirapine-based services was significantly associated with maternal age younger than 20 years (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.44; 95% CI, 1.18-1.76) and maternal age between 20 and 25 years (AOR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.07-1.54) vs maternal age of older than 30 years; 1 or fewer antenatal care visits (AOR, 2.91; 95% CI, 2.40-3.54), 2 or 3 antenatal care visits (AOR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.60-2.33), and 4 or 5 antenatal care visits (AOR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.34-1.80) vs 6 or more antenatal care visits; vaginal delivery (AOR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.03-1.44) vs cesarean delivery; and infant birth weight of less than 2500 g (AOR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.11-1.62) vs birth weight of 3500 g or greater. CONCLUSION: In this random sampling of sites with services to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission, only 51% of HIV-exposed infants received the minimal regimen of single-dose nevirapine.

Relationship between glycemic control and depression among American Indians in the Strong Heart Study.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between depression and glycemic control in the Strong Heart Study (SHS), a longitudinal study of cardiovascular disease in American Indians. METHODS: This cross-sectional analysis focused on the relationship between depression, diabetes and glycemic control among 2832 individuals aged > or =15 years. Depression was measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies of Depression Scale and diabetes by American Diabetes Association criteria. An ordered logit regression model was used to assess whether diabetes was related to level of depression (none, mild, moderate, severe). Multiple logistic regression was used to explore the relationship between A1c and severe depression in participants with diabetes. RESULTS: Rates of depression were higher in men and women with diabetes when compared to those without diabetes, respectively (P<.05). For every 1-U increase in A1c, the odds of severe depression increased by 22% (OR 1.22, 95% CI: 1.05-1.42). Female sex (OR 2.97, 95% CI: 1.32-6.69) and body mass index (BMI) (OR 1.04, 95% CI: 1.00-1.08) also were significantly associated with increased risk for severe depression. Although BMI appears to be significantly associated with increased risk for severe depression, the magnitude of this effect was small. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with diabetes have higher rates of depression than those without diabetes, consistent with other populations. There is a positive relationship between severity of depression and A1c levels; men and women with severe depression have higher A1c levels than those with moderate-to-no depression.

Hospitalizations of children who have fetal alcohol syndrome or incomplete fetal alcohol syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: The study describes the hospitalization rates and medical diagnoses of children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and incomplete FAS. METHODS: Two retrospective case-control studies were conducted of Northern Plains American Indian children with FAS or incomplete FAS identified from 1981-93 by using the ICD-9-CM code 760.71. Children who had FAS or incomplete FAS were compared to each other and to children who did not have FAS. RESULTS: Compared to the controls, the 43 children with FAS (Study 1) and 35 children with incomplete FAS (Study 2) were hospitalized more often with otitis media (51.2 percent OR=4.32 and 31.4 percent OR=3.02 respectively), pneumonia (46.5 percent OR=4.21 and 34.3 percent OR=2.54), fetal alcohol syndrome (32.6 percent p=.001 and 14.3 percent p=.007), dehydration (23.3 percent OR=9.29 and 17.1 percent OR=4), and anemia (11.6 percent OR=10 and 17.1 percent p=.002) respectively. Children with FAS were hospitalized more often with failure to thrive (32.6 percent p=.001) and neglect (23.3 percent OR=10.0) than children with incomplete FAS and controls. Children with FAS were hospitalized with child sexual abuse (11.6 percent OR=10.0) and feeding problems (11.6 percent p=.007), and children with incomplete FAS were hospitalized with gastroenteritis (22.9 percent OR=14.55) and bronchitis (22.9 percent OR=3.0) more than control children. CONCLUSIONS: Children with FAS or incomplete FAS had more hospitalizations and longer average length of stays than control children.

Time trends and regional differences in the prevalence of HIV infection among women attending antenatal clinics in 2 provinces in Cameroon.

BACKGROUND: HIV prevalence time trends vary in sub-Saharan African countries. In the present study, we studied time trends and regional differences in the prevalence of HIV infection among women attending antenatal care clinics (ANC) in 7 sites located in 2 provinces in Cameroon. METHODOLOGY: As part of ANC, 16,626 women consented to HIV testing from 2000 to 2006. Sociodemographic and risk factor information was collected during the initial 3 years of the study. This information was aggregated within sites and used as site-level covariate in multilevel logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: HIV prevalence decreased significantly in women younger than 20 years from 13% in 2000 to 5% in 2006. Age-specific prevalence varied among the sites, with a peak prevalence occurring more often at a higher age in 2004-2006 versus 2000-2003, suggesting a reduction of HIV incidence over time. There was a substantial heterogeneity across sites in HIV prevalence, which was lower in sites where women had earlier sexual debut and were less well educated. CONCLUSIONS: ANC surveillance indicates a decreasing trend in HIV prevalence in the studied sites in Cameroon. Cultural differences might have accounted for the heterogeneity of HIV infection observed across sites, which call for tailored interventions.

Characteristics of children whose siblings have fetal alcohol syndrome or incomplete fetal alcohol syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical features of American Indian children born just before and just after a sibling with fetal alcohol syndrome or incomplete fetal alcohol syndrome. METHODS: Two retrospective case-control studies were conducted of Northern Plains American Indian children with fetal alcohol syndrome or incomplete fetal alcohol syndrome identified from 1981 to 1993 by using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification code 760.71. RESULTS: Compared with the controls, the 39 siblings born just before children with fetal alcohol syndrome (study 1) and 30 siblings born just before children with incomplete fetal alcohol syndrome (study 2) had more facial dysmorphology (23.1% and 16.7%, respectively), growth delay (38.5% and 10.0%), and central nervous system impairment (48.7% and 33.3%). The 20 siblings born just after children with fetal alcohol syndrome (study 1) and 22 siblings born just after children with incomplete fetal alcohol syndrome (study 2) had more facial dysmorphology (20.0% and 9.1%, respectively), growth delay (45.0% and 22.7%), and central nervous system impairment (50.0% and 31.8%) than the control siblings. CONCLUSIONS: The "before" siblings had characteristics of fetal alcohol syndrome that could have predicted that the next child was at risk for fetal alcohol syndrome. The "after" siblings had better outcomes than the previous siblings with fetal alcohol syndrome, a finding that was associated with a decrease in maternal alcohol consumption during the after-sibling pregnancy.