Health Monitoring Units Research Articles

Prevalence of bacterial vaginosis in Chilean sex workers

To determine the prevalence of bacterial vaginosis (BV) in Chilean sex workers and relate the findings to sociodemographic, sexual, and clinical variables. A sample of 379 sex workers seen in Chilean Sexual Health Monitoring and Care Units for check-ups was studied. All of them were interviewed to obtain their sociodemographic and sexual history. A clinical examination was performed that included the characteristics of vaginal discharge, pH, and amine test. A vaginal sample was taken for Gram stain. The Nugent criteria were used for the diagnosis of BV. The data was analyzed with EPI-INFO 3.4.1 and BioStat, using a degree of significance of P < 0.005. BV prevalence was 69.1%. The syndrome was not associated with the sociodemographic variables, age or education. BV was less common in women (married or unmarried) who lived with their partners than in single women (P < 0.001). There were no sexual variables associated with BV, whereas use of intrauterine devices was related (P < 0.0001). The presence of vaginal discharge, abnormal vaginal pH, and positive amine test were associated with infection (P < 0.0001). Like other studies conducted in different countries, this study observed that Chilean sex workers have a high prevalence of BV, with greater risk for women who use IUDs for birth control or women (married or unmarried) who do not live with their partners.

A wireless approach for personal healthcare on everyday mobile devices

This paper presents a wireless approach to remotely monitor physiological signs for mobile users through wireless and mobile networks. A microcontroller-based personal health monitoring unit has been prototyped as a platform for medical sensors and positioning sensors. The unit has been Bluetooth enabled and can pair up with a Bluetooth mobile phone for local health monitoring. Moreover, the mobile phone has been developed as a gateway to further relay these health datasets to a remote database via mobile networks for remote diagnoses. Any medical instructions can be sent back instantly to the mobile users. The use of standard development tools makes it possible for patients to easily use everyday mobile devices for their personal health monitoring and assessment anytime anywhere.

Exzessiver Medienkonsum und Verhaltensauffälligkeiten - eine Querschnittstudie bei Vorschulkindern

The aim of this study was to assess the association between excessive media consumption (TV, video games usw) of more than three hours per day and behavioural problems in 5- to 6-year-old children. Data from 5 155 preschool children were collected within the second health monitoring units (GME survey) during 2005/2006 in Bavaria, Germany. Parentally reported behavioural problems ('normal', 'borderline' or 'abnormal') were assessed from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Daily media consumption was assessed for both weekend and weekdays and classified into three categories (rarely, medium, excessive). A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to control potential confounders. Boys showed more abnormal values on the total difficulties score of the SDQ than girls (8.2 vs. 4.1). Boys were more often excessive media consumers than girls. The association between excessive media consumption and abnormal values on the SDQ was significant in girls (OR: 2.2; 95% CI: 1.3-3.7) for both total difficulties score and subscales in the multivariate analysis. In boys, however, this association was less pronounced (OR: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.0-2.1) and not consistently significant for all subscales. Our study has shown a significant association between excessive media consumption and abnormal SDQ values, especially among 5- to 6-year-old girls, but which is less pronounced in boys. Parents of preschool children with excessive media consumption should be informed and the children should undergo a screening for behavioural problems.

Health indicators for people with intellectual disabilities: a European perspective

People with intellectual disabilities make up about 1% of the population of Europe. As trends toward community life advance, they have become more visible and more likely to access generic health systems. Yet evidence suggests that there are striking disparities between the health of this group and that of the general population. Increased longevity means that adults in this group expect to live longer lives and thus to encounter age-related risks for various health conditions. The ‘Pomona’ project, funded by the EU Health Monitoring Unit, aims to develop a set of health indicators for people with intellectual disabilities. It will build on the work accomplished by the team developing ECHI – European Community Health Indicators. This article outlines the rationale for the project, key elements in its implementation and expected outcomes.

Health indicators for people with intellectual disabilities: a European perspective.

People with intellectual disabilities make up about 1% of the population of Europe. As trends toward community life advance, they have become more visible and more likely to access generic health systems. Yet evidence suggests that there are striking disparities between the health of this group and that of the general population. Increased longevity means that adults in this group expect to live longer lives and thus to encounter age-related risks for various health conditions. The 'Pomona' project, funded by the EU Health Monitoring Unit, aims to develop a set of health indicators for people with intellectual disabilities. It will build on the work accomplished by the team developing ECHI--European Community Health Indicators. This article outlines the rationale for the project, key elements in its implementation and expected outcomes.

Piezoelectric Wafer Embedded Active Sensors for Aging Aircraft Structural Health Monitoring

Piezoelectric wafer active sensors may be applied on aging aircraft structures to monitor the onset and progress of structural damage such as fatigue cracks and corrosion. The state of the art in piezoelectric-wafer active sensors structural health monitoring and damage detection is reviewed. Methods based on (a) elastic wave propagation and (b) the Electro-Mechanical (E/M) impedance technique are cited and briefly discussed. For health monitoring of aging aircraft structures, two main detection strategies are considered: the E/M impedance method for near field damage detection, and wave propagation methods for far-field damage detection. These methods are developed and verified on simple-geometry specimens and on realistic aging aircraft panels with seeded cracks and corrosion. The experimental methods, signal processing, and damage detection algorithms are tuned to the specific method used for structural interrogation. In the E/M impedance method approach, the high-frequency spectrum, representative of the structural resonances, is recorded. Then, overall-statistics damage metrics can be used to compare the impedance signatures and correlate the change in these signatures with the damage progression and intensity. In our experiments, the (1 R2)3 damage metric was found to best fit the results in the 300-450 kHz band. In the wave propagation approach, the pulse-echo and acousto-ultrasonic methods can be utilized to identify the additional reflections generated from crack damage and the changes in transmission phase and velocity associated with corrosion damage. The paper ends with a conceptual design of a structural health monitoring system and suggestions for aging aircraft installation utilizing active-sensor arrays, data concentrators, wireless transmission, and a health monitoring and processing unit.

The work of the Central Health Monitoring Unit in the Department of Health (England).

Accepted for publication September 1992 Central Health Monitoring Unit (CHMU) of the Department of Health (England) was estab lished in March 1989. Its remit is act as a focus within the department for monitoring of the nation's health. purpose of this review is outline the background the unit's development, describe current activities, and identify challenges for the future. genesis of the unit lies within the Report?the report of the Committee of Inquiry into the Future Development of the Public Health Function?which was published in January 1988. * committee was established following two major outbreaks of communicable disease, at Wakefield in 1984 and Stafford in 1985. committee had a broad remit, one element of which was the surveillance of the health of the population centrally and locally. report identified a wide variety of problems and solutions. One such problem was the lack of a specific focus at the centre with the capacity monitor the health of the population and feed the information into the development of health policy. This led a recommendation that a small unit should be established within the Health Department, bringing together relevant dis ciplines and skills monitor the health of the public. unit's remit was, the report said, provide epidemiological data underpin the work within the Department of Health in the formulation and implementation of policy and in managing the NHS, particularly with regards planning. The analyses which it would provide would contribute the assessments on which strategy, manage ment and policy decisions across a broad range of health issues would be based and also the evaluation of outcomes. To fulfil this role, the unit was to develop a portfolio of health indicators and study trends. Acheson Report was accepted by the Government in July 1988. measurement of health was the subject of a commentary in this journal two years ago.2 That article also identified the need for systematic measurement of the national health (to) be under taken show progress . . . and reveal where most effort for improvement is required. conclusion in a more recent paper,3 that existing national data collection systems are largely con centrated on measuring mortality and monitoring activities of health services, will come as no surprise readers of this journal. Problems in the availability of data were also identified in the Government's consultative document, health of the nation.4 This document referred a relative lack of information about ill health and about the risk factors from which ill health arises and the precursors of ill health (such as raised blood pressure and blood cholesterol). More generally, the document stressed the need improve the ability monitor the health of the population. tasks facing the unit therefore seem fall into two categories: (1) the better utilisation of existing data, and (2) assisting in the identification and rectification of information gaps. work programme of the unit is potentially limitless. It must therefore be developed and assessed in terms of the resources it has available it.