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Immunization Status (immunization + status)
Selected AbstractsLongitudinal weight gain of immunized infants and toddlers in Moroto District, Uganda (Karamoja subregion)AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2010Sandra Gray This study examines longitudinal weight gain of a sample of 123 immunized children from Moroto District, northeast Uganda. The weight data were combined from two sources: (1) anthropometric examinations carried out between 1998 and 2004 by a research team from the University of Kansas, and (2) weights recorded on children's immunization records by local health care practitioners. Our findings conform generally to the pattern described in previous studies in this as well as other pastoralist populations in sub-Sahara. Relative to international standards, the weight-for-age status of Karimojong children was best during the first 3 months of infancy. Noticeable declines in weight velocity occurred in the fourth month and after the sixth month. Weight gain was static after the second year, when upward of 40% of children were clinically underweight. Factors influencing weight gain in this sample include immunization status and maternal height, weight, and parity, but these effects explain relatively little of the variance in weight gain. We conclude that immunization is not sufficient to buffer Karimojong children from multiple stressors during teething and weaning. Of these, the practice of canine follicle extraction (CFE) is of most interest, although its effects in this study are ambiguous. The data also are suggestive of variability in the pattern of weight gain between closely spaced birth cohorts. This finding may be of particular importance for the interpretation of growth patterns described for other pastoralist populations in sub-Saharan Africa. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Brief Report: Quality Improvement in Critical Access Hospitals: Addressing Immunizations Prior to DischargeTHE JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 4 2003Edward F. Ellerbeck MD These hospitalizations may represent a missed opportunity to address immunizations. Addressing these missed immunizations could provide an opportunity for CAHs to gain practical experience in data-driven quality improvement. Purpose: To improve documentation and delivery of influenza and pneumococcal immunizations prior to hospital discharge and provide CAHs with quality improvement experience. Methods: We recruited 17 CAHs in Kansas to participate in a rapidcycle quality improvement project to address inpatient immunizations. Each hospital identified patient discharges on a monthly basis and abstracted medical records to see if the patient's immunization status had been assessed and if patients had been vaccinated prior to discharge. Findings: Documentation of influenza immunization status improved from 17% of admissions at baseline to 62% at follow-up (P<0.001). Documentation of pneumococcal immunization status increased from 36% at baseline to 51% at follow-up (P<0.001). Documentation of immunizations was significantly higher among the 8 hospitals that developed standard charting forms for recording immunization status (P<0.01). Despite improved documentation of immunization status, at remeasurement only 3.4% received an influenza vaccination and 1.3% received a pneumococcal vaccination prior to discharge. Conclusions: Critical access hospitals can effectively participate in quality improvement activities, but increased involvement of medical staff or standing immunization orders may be needed to improve actual vaccine administration prior to discharge. [source] Development of a questionnaire to collect public health data for school entrants in London: Child Health Assessment at School Entry (CHASE) projectCHILD: CARE, HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 1 2005S. Edmunds Abstract Background, To develop a multiprofessional consensus about the relative contributions of the components of children's health and well-being and to develop a questionnaire that can be used to assess these in London's children. Methods, Semi-structured interviews with health, education and social services professionals were used to identify areas to include in the questionnaire. These ideas were used as the basis for a wider Delphi consultation, with 79 experts in the area of child health. Round 1 of the Delphi asked panellists to rate 54 items as to whether they should be included in the questionnaire or not. Responses were divided into four categories: item to be included measurement method agreed, item to be included measurement method not agreed, no consensus, or excluded. In round 2, consensus was sought for the categories where there was none following round 1. Results, Themes identified by the interviews were: economic factors, ethnicity, environment, nutrition, hygiene and physical activity, growth, suffers from chronic/serious illness, development, disability and learning, accidents and hospital attendances, self-regulation, psychological well-being, significant life events. After Delphi round 1, items included, where quality measurement method was agreed, were: deprivation index (from postcode), child's ethnicity, temporary accommodation, care status, registered with general practitioner, dental visits, height, weight, special educational needs status, baseline educational assessment result, immunization status, visual and hearing function. Following round 2, items relating to chronic illness, mental health, physical functioning, general health, self-esteem, family cohesion and accident status were agreed for inclusion with a measurement method also agreed. The questionnaire was acceptable to parents. Conclusion, The validity, reliability and feasibility of this questionnaire must now be examined. This data set, if collected across London, would substantially increase the public health data available and allow trends in health to be monitored. [source] Young children non-immunized against measles: Characteristics and programmatic implicationsACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 1 2006F Chowdhury Abstract Aim: To examine the presenting characteristics, including nutritional status, of young children without measles immunization and to suggest appropriate public health measures to improve immunization status. Methods: In this retrospective case-control analysis, we studied 4075 children aged 12,23 mo of either sex, who attended ICDDR, B's Dhaka hospital during 1994,2003. Cases included children who reported to this facility without receiving measles vaccine, and the control children were those who received the vaccine. Results: 3181 of 4075 (78%) children, including 1227 (39%) girls and 1954 (61%) boys, received measles immunization. The proportion of vaccinated children increased from 74% in 1997 to 82% in 2001. Some non-specific effects of measles immunization were observed. Fifty-one per cent of the children without measles immunization were stunted, 76% were underweight, and 48% were wasted. The non-immunized children were twice as likely to be stunted, underweight, and wasted than the immunized children; they were more often dehydrated (some or severe dehydration) (28% vs 22%, p<0.001), required longer duration (>72 h) of hospitalization (15% vs 10%, p<0.001), did not receive vitamin A capsule in the previous 6 mo (56% vs 36%, p<0.001), and had more frequent abnormal lung auscultation indicative of acute lower respiratory tract infections (8% vs 5%, p<0.001). Female children, illiterate mother, lack of vitamin A supplementation, and history of measles were significantly associated with non-immunization against measles after controlling for co-variables. Results were similar when different nutritional indicators (underweight, stunting, or wasting) were added separately to logistic regression models. Conclusion: Intervention strategies to enhance immunization coverage in infants should target illiterate mothers and their children, particularly the females and malnourished ones, provide them with measles immunization and vitamin A capsule, and encourage their periodic follow-up visits as part of a preventive nutritional programme. [source] | ||||||||||