scholarly journals How many low birthweight babies in low- and middle-income countries are preterm?

2011 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 607-616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando C Barros ◽  
Aluísio J D Barros ◽  
José Villar ◽  
Alicia Matijasevich ◽  
Marlos R Domingues ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Birthweight ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Regression Methods ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Preterm Babies ◽  
Low And Middle Income

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of preterm birth among low birthweight babies in low and middle-income countries. METHODS: Major databases (PubMed, LILACS, Google Scholar) were searched for studies on the prevalence of term and preterm LBW babies with field work carried out after 1990 in low- and middle-income countries. Regression methods were used to model this proportion according to LBW prevalence levels. RESULTS: According to 47 studies from 27 low- and middle-income countries, approximately half of all LBW babies are preterm rather than one in three as assumed in studies previous to the 1990s. CONCLUSIONS: The estimate of a substantially higher number of LBW preterm babies has important policy implications in view of special health care needs of these infants. As for earlier projections, our findings are limited by the relative lack of population-based studies.

scholarly journals Suicide prevention in low- and middle-income countries: part perceptions, partial solutions

2017 ◽  
Vol 211 (5) ◽  
pp. 264-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. S. Jacob
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Cause Of Death ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Personal Distress ◽  
Public Health Perspective ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Common Cause ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Low And Middle Income

SummarySuicide, a common cause of death in many low- and middle-income countries, has often been viewed through a medical/psychiatric lens. Such perspectives medicalise social and personal distress and suggest individual and medication-based treatments. This editorial argues for the need to examine suicide from a public health perspective and suggests the need for population-based social and economic interventions.

scholarly journals Vitamin and Mineral Supplementation During Pregnancy on Maternal, Birth, Child Health and Development Outcomes in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Oh ◽  
Emily C. Keats ◽  
Zulfiqar A. Bhutta
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Vitamin D ◽  
Child Health ◽  
Low Birthweight ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Micronutrient Supplementation ◽  
Maternal Anemia ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Almost two billion people are deficient in key vitamins and minerals, mostly women and children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Deficiencies worsen during pregnancy due to increased energy and nutritional demands, causing adverse outcomes in mother and child, but could be mitigated by interventions like micronutrient supplementation. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic review that aimed to compile evidence from both efficacy and effectiveness trials, evaluating different supplementation interventions on maternal, birth, child health, and developmental outcomes. We evaluated randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies published since 1995 in peer-reviewed and grey literature that assessed the effects of calcium, vitamin A, iron, vitamin D, and zinc supplementation compared to placebo/no treatment; iron-folic (IFA) supplementation compared to folic acid only; multiple micronutrient (MMN) supplementation compared to IFA; and lipid-based nutrient supplementation (LNS) compared to MMN supplementation. Seventy-two studies, which collectively involved 314 papers (451,723 women), were included. Meta-analyses showed improvement in several key birth outcomes, such as preterm birth, small-for-gestational age (SGA) and low birthweight with MMN supplementation, compared to IFA. MMN also improved child outcomes, including diarrhea incidence and retinol concentration, which are findings not previously reported. Across all comparisons, micronutrient supplementation had little to no effect on mortality (maternal, neonatal, perinatal, and infant) outcomes, which is consistent with other systematic reviews. IFA supplementation showed notable improvement in maternal anemia and the reduction in low birthweight, whereas LNS supplementation had no apparent effect on outcomes; further research that compares LNS and MMN supplementation could help understand differences with these commodities. For single micronutrient supplementation, improvements were noted in only a few outcomes, mainly pre-eclampsia/eclampsia (calcium), maternal anemia (iron), preterm births (vitamin D), and maternal serum zinc concentration (zinc). These findings highlight that micronutrient-specific supplementation should be tailored to specific groups or needs for maximum benefit. In addition, they further contribute to the ongoing discourse of choosing antenatal MMN over IFA as the standard of care in LMICs.

Cancer control-planning and monitoring population-based systems

2009 ◽  
Vol 95 (5) ◽  
pp. 568-578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joe B Harford ◽  
Brenda K Edwards ◽  
Ambakumar Nandakumar ◽  
Paul Ndom ◽  
Riccardo Capocaccia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Control ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Cancer Risk Factors ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Aging Populations ◽  
Global Health Issue ◽  
Palliative Care Services ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Cancer is a growing global health issue, and many countries are ill-prepared to deal with their current cancer burden let alone the increased burden looming on the horizon. Growing and aging populations are projected to result in dramatic increases in cancer cases and cancer deaths particularly in low- and middle-income countries. It is imperative that planning begin now to deal not only with those cancers already occurring but also with the larger numbers expected in the future. Unfortunately, such planning is hampered, because the magnitude of the burden of cancer in many countries is poorly understood owing to lack of surveillance and monitoring systems for cancer risk factors and for the documentation of cancer incidence, survival and mortality. Moreover, the human resources needed to fight cancer effectively are often limited or lacking. Cancer diagnosis and cancer care services are also inadequate in low-and middle-income countries. Late-stage presentation of cancers is very common in these settings resulting in less potential for cure and more need for symptom management. Palliative care services are grossly inadequate in low- and middle-income countries, and many cancer patients die unnecessarily painful deaths. Many of the challenges faced by low- and middle-income countries have been at least partially addressed by higher income countries. Experiences from around the world are reviewed to highlight the issues and showcase some possible solutions.

Primary healthcare providers' attitudes and beliefs about the menopause-related care needs of women who have migrated from low- and middle-income countries to Australia

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 88
Author(s):  
Karin A. Stanzel ◽  
Karin Hammarberg ◽  
Jane Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Primary Healthcare ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Migrant Women ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Structural Support ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Primary Healthcare Providers ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Health behaviour during midlife is linked to health outcomes in older age. Primary healthcare providers (PHCPs) are ideally placed to provide health-promoting information opportunistically to women in midlife. The aim of this study was to explore PHCPs views about the menopause-related care needs of migrant women from low- and middle-income countries and what they perceive as barriers and enablers for providing this. Of the 139 PHCPs who responded to an anonymous online survey, less than one-third (29.9%) routinely offered menopause-related information during consultations with migrant women. Most agreed that short appointments times (70.8%), lack of culturally and linguistically appropriate menopause information (82.5%) and lack of confidence in providing menopause-related care (32.5%) are barriers for providing comprehensive menopause-related care to migrant women. To overcome these, a menopause-specific Medicare item number and a one-stop website with health information in community languages were suggested. These findings suggest that menopause-related care is not routinely offered by PHCPs to migrant women from low- and middle- income countries and that their capacity to do this may be improved with adequate educational and structural support.

scholarly journals Early Detection of CKD: Implications for Low-Income, Middle-Income, and High-Income Countries

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (9) ◽  
pp. 1931-1940 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcello Tonelli ◽  
James A. Dickinson
Keyword(s):  
Early Detection ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Case Finding ◽  
High Income ◽  
Opportunity Costs ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Low And Middle Income

CKD is common, costly, and associated with adverse health outcomes. Because inexpensive treatments can slow the rate of kidney function loss, and because CKD is asymptomatic until its later stages, the idea of early detection of CKD to improve outcomes ignites enthusiasm, especially in low- and middle-income countries where renal replacement is often unavailable or unaffordable. Available data and prior experience suggest that the benefits of population-based screening for CKD are uncertain; that there is potential for harms; that screening is not a wise use of resources, even in high-income countries; and that screening has substantial opportunity costs in low- and middle-income countries that offset its hypothesized benefits. In contrast, some of the factors that diminish the value of population-based screening (such as markedly higher prevalence of CKD in people with diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease, as well as high preexisting use of kidney testing in such patients) substantially increase the appeal of searching for CKD in people with known kidney risk factors (case finding) in high-income countries as well as in low- and middle-income countries. For both screening and case finding, detection of new cases is the easiest component; the real challenge is ensuring appropriate management for a chronic disease, usually for years or even decades. This review compares and contrasts the benefits, harms, and opportunity costs associated with these two approaches to early detection of CKD. We also suggest criteria (discussed separately for high-income countries and for low- and middle-income countries) to use in assessing when countries should consider case finding versus when they should consider foregoing systematic attempts at early detection and focus on management of known cases.

scholarly journals Early-life conditions and older adult health in low- and middle-income countries: a review

2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. McEniry
Keyword(s):  
Heart Disease ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Adult Health ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Life Conditions ◽  
Early Life Conditions ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Population aging and subsequent projected large increases in chronic conditions will be important health concerns in low- and middle-income countries. Although evidence is accumulating, little is known regarding the impact of poor early-life conditions on older adult (50 years and older) health in these settings. A systematic review of 1141 empirical studies was conducted to identify population-based and community studies in low- and middle-income countries, which examined associations between early-life conditions and older adult health. The resulting review of 20 studies revealed strong associations between (1) in utero/early infancy exposures (independent of other early life and adult conditions) and adult heart disease and diabetes; (2) poor nutrition during childhood and difficulties in adult cognition and diabetes; (3) specific childhood illnesses such as rheumatic fever and malaria and adult heart disease and mortality; (4) poor childhood health and adult functionality/disability and chronic diseases; (5) poor childhood socioeconomic status (SES) and adult mortality, functionality/disability and cognition; and (6) parental survival during childhood and adult functionality/disability and cognition. In several instances, associations remained strong even after controlling for adult SES and lifestyle. Although exact mechanisms cannot be identified, these studies reinforce to some extent the importance of early-life environment on health at older ages. Given the paucity of cohort data from the developing world to examine hypotheses of early-life conditions and older adult health, population-based studies are relevant in providing a broad perspective on the origins of adult health.

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