Growing Public Health Problem Research Articles

The Role of Mobile Van Mammography Supported by Teleradiology in the Early Diagnosis of Breast Cancer: An Innovative Approach to a Growing Public Health Problem

Cancer is a leading cause of death in women, accounting for 14% of cancers in Indian women. Reduction in mortality rates is contingent upon early diagnosis. Mammography is established as a diagnostic modality that ensures early detection of breast cancer. With the aim of promoting early diagnosis of breast cancer. The Poornasudha Cancer Foundation, a registered non-profit organization and Teleradiology Solutions, Bangalore, a teleradiology service provider collaborated together. ‘MOM Express’, (Mobile on-site Mammography) a bus equipped with mammography equipment provides mammography facilities to the women of rural and urban areas of Karnataka. DICOM images of mammograms were electronically transmitted by technologists from the Poornasudha mammography van to experts at a teleradiology reporting hub in Bangalore. Over a period of 4 years beginning September 2018, 2888 studies were interpreted via teleradiology. Women from rural and urban areas of Karnataka were included in the study. The mean age of the participants was 49.80 years (8.83 SD) confidence interval CI (95%) (50.12–49.47). The mean turn-around-time (TAT) for the report to reach the Poornasudha mammography vans once the images had been received was 12.74 hours (CI 95%: 13.15 – 12.34). The importance of mammography lies in the early diagnosis of breast cancer at an early stage of the disease before it has progressed with distant metastasis, which allows for an effective treatment strategy with an enhanced prognosis for long-term survival. In the setting of radiologist shortages, teleradiology provides a solution that allows for timely reporting of mammograms in a screening environment. This study highlights the role of teleradiology in the early detection of breast cancer in India.

Suicide Among South Asians in the United States: A Growing Public Health Problem

This research study quantifies and describes suicide among South Asian Americans (SAAs), an emerging population that are underrepresented group in suicide research. The purpose of this study was to examine key characteristics of suicide deaths among SAAs. Data were employed from DuPage County, IL, a county with a large SAA population. Following federal recommendations for disaggregating Asian American data at a granular level, four SAA researchers used name recognition to identify all SAA cases classified as suicide in the DuPage County coroner’s database from 2001 to 2017 ( N = 38). Coroner’s reports were analyzed for contextual details and correlating factors specific to each suicide. Overall, 76.3% of victims were male and 45.0% were married. An analysis of the coroner reports established that 71.1% of decedents showed behavioral disorders that were predisposing risk factors for suicide including mental health diagnoses (57.9%), and a reported prior suicide attempt (21.1%). Among these decedents only 34.2% had received any prior psychiatric care. Significant errors in racial classification of SAAs, lead to a gross undercount of SAA deaths by suicide with 55% of South Asian suicides assigned to a different race or ethnic group. Future studies must increase the scope of this research to other geographic locations with high concentrations of SAAs and examine the risk factors for suicide among SAAs, one of the fastest growing ethnic populations in the U.S.

Acute Aluminium Phosphide Poisoning in East Delta, Egypt: a Growing Public Health Problem Over the Last Five Years

Acute Aluminium Phosphide Poisoning in East Delta, Egypt: a Growing Public Health Problem Over the Last Five Years

Metabolic Fatty Liver Disease in Children: A Growing Public Health Problem.

Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), previously called nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD), is one of the most important causes of chronic liver disease worldwide and will likely become the leading cause of end-stage liver disease in the decades ahead. MAFLD covers a continuum of liver diseases from fatty liver to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), liver fibrosis/cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer. Importantly, the growing incidence of overweight and obesity in childhood, 4% in 1975 to 18% in 2016, with persisting obesity complications into adulthood, is likely to be harmful by increasing the incidence of severe MAFLD at an earlier age. Currently, MAFLD is the leading form of chronic liver disease in children and adolescents, with a global prevalence of 3 to 10%, pointing out that early diagnosis is therefore crucial. In this review, we highlight the current knowledge concerning the epidemiology, risk factors and potential pathogenic mechanisms, as well as diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, of pediatric MAFLD.

The CDC Injury Center's response to the growing public health problem of falls among older adults.

Older adult falls are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. This leading cause of injury in adults aged 65 and older results in $35 billion in direct medical costs. To project the number of older adult falls by 2030 and the associated lifetime medical cost. A secondary objective is to review what clinicians can do to incorporate falls screening and prevention into their practice for community-dwelling older adults. Using the CDC's Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System and the US Census Bureau data, the number of older adults in 2030, fatal falls, and medical costs associated with fall injuries was projected. In addition, evidence-based interventions that can be integrated into clinical practice were reviewed. The number of older adult fatal falls is projected to reach 100,000 per year by 2030 with an associated cost of $100 billion. By integrating screening for falls risk into clinical practice, reviewing and modifying medications, and recommending Vitamin D supplementation, physicians can reduce future falls by nearly 25%. Falls in older adults will continue to rise substantially and become a significant cost to our health care system if we do not begin to focus on prevention in the clinical setting.

Overweight and Obesity: Prevalence, Consequences, and Causes of a Growing Public Health Problem.

This review considers a variety of perspectives on overweight and obesity (OW/obesity), including measurement and classification; prevalence and changes in prevalence in recent years; genetic, biological, medical, individual, and social correlates of OW/obesity; and treatment approaches. Despite increased attention, OW/obesity is escalating in prevalence worldwide, and the causes are exceedingly complex. A range of innovative studies, including basic research on gut microflora, dietary composition, pharmacologic interventions, and surgical procedures, is generating findings with potential for future prevention and treatment of OW/obesity. Social system changes such as school programs and the awareness of the roles of personal, family, health provider, and cultural experiences related to OW/obesity have also gained traction for vital prevention and treatment efforts over the past decade.

Current Issues in Cigarette Smoking Among Persons Living with HIV/AIDS: A Growing Public Health Problem Surrounded by Missing Information and Misconceptions

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco is one of the world’s leading risk factors for premature morbidity and mortality. [1] More people die each year from tobacco related diseases than from HIV, car accidents, alcohol use, illegal drug use, murders, and suicides combined [1]. Worldwide, over two million deaths are attributable to cigarette smoking and estimates indicated that tobacco will kill one billion people worldwide in the 21st century [2].

Caffeinated Alcoholic Beverages: A Growing Public Health Problem?

Caffeinated Alcoholic Beverages: A Growing Public Health Problem?

Overweight and Obesity: Prevalence, Consequences, and Causes of a Growing Public Health Problem

This paper provides an overview of the evidence on the current epidemic of obesity in the United States. The prevalence of overweight and obesity now exceeds 60% among US adults, and the rate is rapidly increasing among children and adolescents. Dismal medical, social, and economic consequences are already apparent and likely to worsen without multipronged intervention. Increased rates of hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia, among other medical conditions, threaten to shorten the longevity of the American populace by as much as 5 years. The incidence of depression is increasing and experts suggest this is linked with the increased prevalence of obesity. The cost of obesity-related medical care has increased astronomically since 1987, in addition to lost productivity and income. Novel multidisciplinary, preventive, and therapeutic approaches, and social changes are needed that address the complex interplay of biologic, genetic, and social factors that have created the current obesity epidemic.

Adolescent mothers: a challenge for First Nations

Objectives. Adolescent pregnancy is a growing Public Health problem in Greenland, resulting in higher risk of mortality of mothers and their children. Since social and cultural aspects are associated with adolescent pregnancy, a closer look was taken at the situation of adolescent mothers in Greenland and in Native American communities. Methods and Results. Adolescent pregnancies and birth rates were followed in Greenland and in the First Nation communities in Alaska. Adolescent pregnancies decreased during the 1990s in both communities, but increased in 2000, bringing up the birth rate to 79 and 92 babies per 1,000 girls aged 15–19 yrs in Greenland in the U.S., respectively. Conclusions. A mentoring program to delay adolescent pregnancy and parenting, shown to be effective in African Amerian and Latino communities, could be also used in the Greenlandic setting.

Four Decades of Shigellosis in Israel: Epidemiology of a Growing Public Health Problem

Despite the improved standard of living in Israel, shigellosis remains a common disease. Examination of trends in the incidence of shigellosis in Israel between 1951 and 1987 showed a period of declining rates followed by an increase in the reported incidence beginning around 1969. This increase was mainly due to Shigella sonnei; rates of infection with Shigella flexneri remained relatively constant. Trends showed marked differences between age groups and between ethnic groups. In comparison, the rates in the United States--much lower than those in Israel--began to decline in the early 1950s and have remained low. The incidence in Israel is now about 20 times higher than that in the United States. Thus shigellosis remains a major and growing public health problem in Israel, a country that has enjoyed a dramatic improvement in basic sanitary services and infrastructure over the past few decades. This disturbing finding lends urgency to efforts to control the disease.