Patrick Opiyo Owili

Association between Dietary Patterns and Cardiovascular Risk Factors among Middle-Aged and Elderly Adults in Taiwan: A Population-Based Study from 2003 to 2012

Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of mortality and loss of disability-adjusted life years in developed countries. This study derived a dietary pattern using an a priori method and additionally derived dietary patterns using a posteriori methods, and assessed the relationship with CVD risk factors in Taiwanese middle-aged and elderly adults. Methods Cross-sectional analyses of 62,965 subjects aged 40 years and above from the Mei Jau (MJ) database collected between 2003 and 2012 in Taiwan. Diet was assessed using a 22 item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Using this information, three dietary patterns were generated. The a priori diet was labeled the Taiwanese dietary pattern and was derived using hypothesized effect of 22 food groups, while two a posteriori dietary patterns, “vegi-fruits” and “meat-processed”, were derived using principal component analysis. The association between dietary patterns and a range of CVD risk factors (i.e. blood lipids, blood glucose and C-reactive protein) was evaluated using linear regression. Results The results showed that high intake (Q5, quintile 5) of Taiwanese diet was negatively associated with CVD risk factors at (p < 0.001, model 3), but not with triacylglycerol. In addition, high intake of vegi-fruit dietary pattern (Q5) was negatively associated with CVD risk factors (p < 0.001), but not with high-density lipoprotein, while high consumption of meat-processed dietary pattern (Q5) was positively associated with CVD risk factors (p < 0.001), but negatively related with triacylglycerol in Q3 level and no association with C-reactive protein. Conclusion A negative association was observed between Taiwanese or vegi-fruit dietary patterns and CVD risk factors, while a positive association was found between meat-processed dietary pattern and CVD risk factors. The findings suggested that a diet rich in vegetables and fruits has a beneficial effect in the management of CVD risk factors.

Family Structure Types and Adequate Utilization of Antenatal Care in Kenya.

Features of the health care delivery system may not be the only expounding factors of adequate utilization of antenatal care among women. Other social factors such as the family structure and its environment contribute toward pregnant womens utilization of antenatal care. An understanding of how women in different family structure types and social groups use basic maternal health services is important toward developing and implementing maternal health care policy in the post-Millennium Development Goal era, especially in the sub-Saharan Africa where maternal mortality still remains high.

Associations in the continuum of care for maternal, newborn and child health: a population-based study of 12 sub-Saharan Africa countries

BackgroundDespite the progress in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5, inequity in the utilization of maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) care services still remain high in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The continuum of care for MNCH that recognizes a tight inter-relationship between maternal, newborn and child health at different time periods and location is key towards reducing inequity in health. In this study, we explored the distributions in the utilization MNCH services in 12 SSA countries and further investigated the associations in the continuum of care for MNCH.MethodsUsing Demographic and Health Surveys data of 12 countries in SSA, structural equation modeling approach was employed to analyze the complex relationships in continuum of care for MNCH model. The Full Information Maximum Likelihood estimation procedure which account for the Missing at Random (MAR) and Missing Completely at Random (MCAR) assumptions was adopted in LISREL 8.80. The distribution of MNCH care utilization was presented before the estimated association in the continuum of care for MNCH model.ResultsSome countries have a consistently low (Mali, Nigeria, DR Congo and Rwanda) or high (Namibia, Senegal, Gambia and Liberia) utilization in at least two levels of MNCH care. The path relationships in the continuum of care for MNCH from ‘adequate antenatal care’ to ‘adequate delivery care’ (0.32) and to ‘adequate child’s immunization’ (0.36); from ‘adequate delivery care’ to ‘adequate postnatal care’ (0.78) and to ‘adequate child’s immunization’ (0.15) were positively associated and statistically significant at p < 0.001. Only the path relationship from ‘adequate postnatal care’ to ‘adequate child’s immunization’ (−0.02) was negatively associated and significant at p < 0.001.ConclusionsIn conclusion, utilization of each level of MNCH care is related to the next level of care, that is – antenatal care is associated with delivery care which is then associated with postnatal and subsequently with child’s immunization program. At the national level, identification of communities which are greatly contributing to overall disparity in health and a well laid out follow-up mechanism from pregnancy through to child’s immunization program could serve towards improving maternal and infant health outcomes and equity.

Perceptions and attitudes of health professionals in kenya on national health care resource allocation mechanisms: a structural equation modeling.

Background Health care resource allocation is key towards attaining equity in the health system. However, health professionals’ perceived impact and attitude towards health care resource allocation in Sub-Saharan Africa is unknown; furthermore, they occupy a position which makes them notice the impact of different policies in their health system. This study explored perceptions and attitudes of health professionals in Kenya on health care resource allocation mechanism. Method We conducted a survey of a representative sample of 341 health professionals in Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital from February to April 2012, consisting of over 3000 employees. We assessed health professionals’ perceived impact and attitudes on health care resource allocation mechanism in Kenya. We used structural equation modeling and applied a Confirmatory Factor Analysis using Robust Maximum Likelihood estimation procedure to test the hypothesized model. Results We found that the allocation mechanism was negatively associated with their perceived positive impact (-1.04, p < .001), health professionals’ satisfaction (-0.24, p < .01), and professionals’ attitudes (-1.55, p < .001) while it was positively associated with perceived negative impact (1.14, p < .001). Perceived positive impact of the allocation mechanism was negatively associated with their overall satisfaction (-0.08) and attitude (-0.98) at p < .001, respectively. Furthermore, overall satisfaction was negatively associated with attitude (-1.10, p <.001). On the other hand, perceived negative impact of the allocation was positively associated with overall satisfaction (0.29, p <.001) but was not associated with attitude. Conclusion The result suggests that health care resource allocation mechanism has a negative effect towards perceptions, attitudes and overall satisfaction of health professionals who are at the frontline in health care. These findings can serve as a crucial reference for policymakers as the Kenyan health system move towards devolving the system of governance.

The Associations between Types of Ambient PM2.5 and Under-Five and Maternal Mortality in Africa

Exploring the effects of different types of PM2.5 is necessary to reduce associated deaths, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Hence we determined types of ambient PM2.5 before exploring their effects on under-five and maternal mortality in Africa. The spectral derivate of aerosol optical depth (AOD) from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) products from 2000 to 2015 were employed to determine the aerosol types before using Generalized Linear and Additive Mixed-Effect models with Poisson link function to explore the associations and penalized spline for dose-response relationships. Four types of PM2.5 were identified in terms of mineral dust, anthropogenic pollutant, biomass burning and mixture aerosols. The results demonstrate that biomass PM2.5 increased the rate of under-five mortality in Western and Central Africa, each by 2%, and maternal mortality in Central Africa by 19%. Anthropogenic PM2.5 increased under-five and maternal deaths in Northern Africa by 5% and 10%, respectively, and maternal deaths by 4% in Eastern Africa. Dust PM2.5 increased under-five deaths in Northern, Western, and Central Africa by 3%, 1%, and 10%, respectively. Mixture PM2.5 only increased under-five deaths and maternal deaths in Western (incidence rate ratio = 1.01, p < 0.10) and Eastern Africa (incidence rate ratio = 1.06, p < 0.01), respectively. The findings indicate the types of ambient PM2.5 are significantly associated with under-five and maternal mortality in Africa where the exposure level usually exceeds the World Health Organization’s (WHO) standards. Appropriate policy actions on protective and control measures are therefore suggested and should be developed and implemented accordingly.

Managing mass events and competitions with difficult-to-access locations using mobile electrocardiac monitoring.

OBJECTIVE Using mobile wireless technology to monitor ECG in participants of mass events and sports taking place in difficult-to-access location could both prevent and easier detect arrhythmias as well as provide real-time monitoring for any type of injury. We assessed the effectiveness of mobile wireless monitoring technology and IT in detecting possible emergencies during a skyscraper race. METHODS We attached specially designed wireless surveillance biopatches on 120 individuals participating to monitor their continuous ECG and location during a skyscraper run-up race at Taipei 101 building, Taiwan. The outcomes of interest were detection of abnormal heartbeats and QRS waves indicative of possible cardiac problems and the exact location of participants during the occurrence of emergencies. RESULTS The devices accurately sent over 50 warnings to our monitoring platform when both, danger limits were reached by competitors (<60 or >195 beats per minute) or competitors stopped moving, proving very effective in quickly detecting abnormities and alerting staff of possible emergencies at exact locations. CONCLUSION This efficient and inexpensive monitoring method can also prevent arrhythmias in unscreened competitors, the danger of collision among staff and competitors, and preserves oxygen by eliminating additional on-foot monitoring staff. Additionally, it could have multipurpose usage, especially during disasters and accidents occurring in difficult-to-access locations, in military exercises and personal monitoring.

Relationship between women's characteristics and continuum of care for maternal health in Kenya: Complex survey analysis using structural equation modeling.

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to understand and estimate the complex relationships in the continuum of care for maternal health to provide information to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes. Women (n = 4,082) aged 15–49 years in the 2008/2009 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey data were used to explore the complex relationships in the continuum of care for maternal health (i.e., before, during, and after delivery) using structural equation modeling. Results showed that the use of antenatal care was significantly positively related to the use of delivery care (β = 0.06; adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02–1.10) but not postnatal care, while delivery care was associated with postnatal care (β = 0.68; AOR = 1.97; 95% CI: 1.75–2.22). Socioeconomic status was significantly related to all elements in the continuum of care for maternal health; barriers to delivery of care and personal characteristics were only associated with the use of delivery care (β = 0.34; AOR = 1.40; 95% CI: 1.30–1.52) and postnatal care (β = 0.03; AOR = 1.03; 95% CI: 1.01–1.05), respectively. The three periods of maternal health care were related to each other. Developing a referral system of continuity of care is critical in the Sustainable Development Goals era.

Cooking fuel and risk of under-five mortality in 23 Sub-Saharan African countries: a population-based study

Abstract Relationship between cooking fuel and under-five mortality has not been adequately established in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We therefore investigated the association between cooking fuel and risk of under-five mortality in SSA, and further investigated its interaction with smoking. Using the most recent Demographic Health Survey data of 23 SSA countries (n = 783,691), Cox proportional hazard was employed to determine the association between cooking fuel and risk of under-five deaths. The adjusted hazard ratios were 1.21 (95 % CI, 1.10–1.34) and 1.20 (95 % CI, 1.08–1.32) for charcoal and biomass cooking fuel, respectively, compared to clean fuels. There was no positive interaction between biomass cooking fuel and smoking. Use of charcoal and biomass were associated with the risk of under-five mortality in SSA. Disseminating public health information on health risks of cooking fuel and development of relevant public health policies are likely to have a positive impact on a child’s survival.

Gender Difference in the Association between Environmental Tobacco Smoke and Birth Weight in Africa

The adverse health effects of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) on children are well-documented, and yet, gender difference in low birthweight among newborns whose mothers were exposed to ETS during pregnancy still remains contentious. We therefore explored the association between ETS exposure and risk of low birthweight, and further determined the gender difference in the association between exposure to ETS during pregnancy and birth weight in Africa. The Demographic Health Surveys of 23 African countries with information on 208,027 newborns were used. The associations between exposure to ETS and birth weight was estimated using multiple logistic regression models. Exposure to ETS increased the risk of low birthweight in Africa (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.06; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.02–1.10). A stratified analysis, by gender, revealed that male newborns whose mothers were exposed to ETS were 1.08 (95% CI: 1.02–1.14) times more likely to be low in birthweight than those whose mothers were not exposed, with those exposed weekly (adjusted OR = 1.17; 95% CI: 1.01–1.35) and daily (adjusted OR = 1.06; 95% CI: 1.01–1.12) being more likely to have low birthweight. Exposure to ETS is significantly associated with low birthweight in Africa, mainly among male newborns. Gender could possibly be a modifier, and hence, research on biological plausibility is necessary. Moreover, a public health promotion on behavioral changes is likely to have a positive impact on newborns’ health.

Indoor secondhand tobacco smoke and risk of under-five mortality in 23 sub-Saharan Africa countries: A population based study and meta-analysis

Background Inhalation of secondhand smoke from tobacco results in serious health outcomes among under-five children, and yet, few studies have assessed its effect on under-five mortality. We investigated the association between frequency of exposure to household tobacco smoke and risk of under-five mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Methods Demographic Health Survey data of under-five children from 23 SSA countries (n = 787,484) were used. Cox proportional hazard models described the association between exposure to tobacco smoke and the risk of under-five mortality in each country, with age as the time-to-event indicator. Meta-analysis was used to investigate the overall effect of tobacco smoke in SSA. Results The association between tobacco smoke exposure and the risk of under-five mortality attenuated in eight countries (Burkina Faso, Benin, Congo, Gabon, Guinea, Liberia, Togo, and Zambia) after adjustment, while the hazard ratios (HR) of daily exposure to tobacco smoke in Kenya (HR = 1.40; 95% CI, 1.16–1.70) and Namibia (HR = 1.40; 1.07–1.83) grew. The children in rural areas in SSA were 1.08 (95% CI, 1.04–1.13) times more likely to die than their urban peers. In general, the exposure to household tobacco smoke was associated with an increased risk of under-five mortality in SSA (HR = 1.09; 95% CI, 1.06–1.13). Conclusions This study provided evidence of a positive association between exposure to household tobacco smoke and risk of under-five mortality in SSA. Policymakers in low- and middle-income countries, where tobacco control as a child health issue is relatively neglected, should integrate tobacco control measures with other child health promotion policies.