Takusei Umenai

Drug utilisation and self-medication in rural communities in Vietnam

Reportedly 40-60% of people in Vietnam depend on self-medication. To assess the current situation of self-medication practices as compared with medication given by health professionals in rural areas in Vietnam, we conducted a cross sectional survey at household level. A total of 505 women with at least one child younger than 5 years of age were interviewed in their homes about their drug utilisation practices and attitudes toward medication, by using structured questionnaires. Of the 505 households, 138 stocked drugs for anticipated illness in the future. A total of 96 different antibiotics (in terms of generic type) were kept at 76 households. These antibiotics were kept mainly for coughs and diarrhoea. The self-medication group was twice as likely to use antibiotics than the other group. In addition, self-medication practice was increased when a mother kept medicines in the house. This study revealed that mistaken beliefs about medicines and undesirable attitudes toward medication were prevalent. Mothers used antibiotics as if such drugs were panaceas. In this context, there was insufficient public health education, no control over pharmaceutical promotion, and no efficient drug policy and regulation. More attention should be given to consumers and patients as the ultimate users of drugs so that they can access accurate information, assess the reliability of information and ask necessary questions.

Impact of improvement of water supply on household economy in a squatter area of Manila

To estimate the impact of the improvement of water supply. a comparative study on water collection and household expenditure on water was conducted between a former squatter community with an improved water supply (Leveriza: LE) and a typical squatter community with public water faucets (Maestranza: MA) in Manila, the Philippines. Data were collected from 201 structured household interviews and a focus group discussion among housewives in each community. To measure the time spent collecting water, observations of private and public water faucets were conducted. The residents in LE enjoyed significantly larger quantities of water from private water connections than in MA, where only three public water faucets were available as a water source. Conversely, the unit price of water in LE was much lower than in MA. In LE, 72.1% of the households started working for more income using time saved through the improvement of water supply and the proportion of the households under the poverty threshold was reduced from 55.6% to 29.9%. In MA, 68.6% of the households expressed their willingness to work for more income when time spent collecting water was saved. It would be possible for MA to reduce the proportion of the households under the poverty threshold through the improvement of the water supply. The results of the study indicated that the improvement of water supply would possibly encourage urban slum residents to increase their household incomes through reallocating time saved to income-generating activities. The underserved residents spent more money for less water compared to those with access to private water connections. In MA, it took 3-4 h, on average, to complete one water collecting task, even though the nearest public water faucet was within 100 m of any housing unit. This suggests that the definition of accessibility to safe water be reconsidered when discussing the urban poor.

Socioeconomic factors and dental caries in developing countries: A cross-national study

The purpose of the present study was to analyze statistically correlations between socioeconomic factors and the prevalence of dental caries in developing countries. The DMFT index, which evaluates the incidence of dental caries, showed a positive correlation (P < 0.01) with several socioeconomic factors, such as life expectancy, adult literacy rate, school attendance rate, population employed in the service sector, population aged 15-64 years, and urban population. According to multiple regression analysis, population aged 15-64 years, population employed in the service sector, and urban population were the most influential independent socioeconomic variables, in descending order, with a regression coefficient of 0.635 and a coefficient of determination of 0.404 (P < 0.001). This finding suggests that the prevalence of dental caries in developing countries increases with the degree of urbanization.

Subjective Evaluation of Chewing Ability and Self-Rated General Health Status in Elderly Residents of Japan

The purpose of the present study was to statistically analyse the relationship between subjective evaluation of chewing ability and self-rated general health status in elderly Japanese residents. Interviews were conducted with 1, 544 respondents over 65 years of age in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. The interviews included questions concerning age, sex, health status, capacity to understand conversation, chewing ability, and ADL status. First, the age-adjusted odds ratio between subjective evaluation of chewing ability and self-rated health status was 2.242 (p≤0.01). Second, the age-adjusted odds ratio between respondentive evaluation of chewing ability and ADL status was 2.572 (p<0.01). Third, the age-adjusted odds ratio between self-assessment of chewing ability and the degree of understanding conversations was 5.290 (p≤0.01). These results suggest that chewing ability is related to self-rated general health, ADL status, and the degree of understanding conversation among the elderly.

Smoking among Buddhist monks in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Editor,—According to existing studies, Buddhist monks can have an impact on smoking cessation in a given population.1 2 It is because of their influence that Buddhist monks in Phnom Penh, Cambodia were selected for a study of their knowledge, attitudes, and practices concerning tobacco, with the long term objective of developing ways of enlisting their support in tobacco control efforts in Cambodia. The 30 cluster survey method was employed, wherein all of the temples in the city were listed and, according to the number of monks residing at them, 30 sites were randomly selected for interviewing from seven to 11 monks each for a total of 318 interviews. Questions were designed to reflect the potentially sensitive issue of smoking among religious practitioners. There were no cases of interview refusal. When all 318 respondents were asked, “Do you want to quit smoking?” 44% …

Impact of improvement of water supply on reduction of diarrheal incidence in a squatter area of Manila

To improve the quality of life in squatter settlements, the Zonal Improvement Program (ZIP), which aims to provide direct water connection and a private toilet to every housing unit, has been implemented in Metro Manila, Republic of the Philippines, since 1985. To estimate the impact of the program, particularly the improvement of the water supply, on diarrheal incidence among under-five-year-old children, a comparative survey between a ZIP area and a non-ZIP area was conducted. A significantly higher diarrheal incidence among under-five-year-old children was observed in the non-ZIP area. This may be attributed to the increase in water consumption as a result of the improvement of the water supply in the ZIP area. The Relative Risk (RR) of water consumption with diarrheal incidence was 2.67, indicating a positive association. A water supply that provides for consumption of 60 (lpcd) could be a possible appropriate measure to reduce diarrheal cases.

Epidemiological survey of thyroid volume and iodine intake in schoolchildren, postpartum women and neonates living in Ulaan Baatar

objective  Although endemic goiter had been recognized in most parts of the country, there are few available data on iodine‐deficiency disorders (IDDs) in Mongolia. This study aimed to characterize the current status of iodine deficiency in Ulaan Baatar, Mongolias capital city.

International Hiv and Aids Prevention: Japan/united States Collaboration

As the epicenter of the HIV/AIDS pandemic shifts from Africa to Asia, Japan is becoming ever more aware of the importance of containing and preventing spread of the virus. International collaboration, particularly with the United States, is a logical approach because it allows utilization of expertise from countries in other stages of the pandemic, can prevent duplication of efforts, and complements efforts of the other countries. Further, both Japan and the United States can use their combined influence and prestige to encourage cooperation among all nations. In 1994, Japan established the Global Issues Initiative to extend cooperation to developing countries in the areas of population and AIDS control. It has disbursed more than

Current Status of Iodine Deficiency in Mongolia in 1998-1999

460 million (U.S.

A New Light on the Community Health Fund- Effective Political Support for a Community Essential Drug Project in Vietnam

) to promote active cooperation and stimulate international attention to the importance of addressing these health issues. Japan has established four main programs for international collaboration for control of HIV and AIDS, three operated by ministries and one by a Japanese nongovernmental organization. Japanese/United States collaboration is developing through the United States/Japan Cooperative Medical Sciences Program, the Common Agenda for Cooperation in Global Perspective, the Paris Summit, and the United Nations Joint Programme on AIDS. It is critical that Japan and the United States, as the two largest donors to international development, demonstrate, through their collaboration, ways to maximize the use of limited resources, reduce duplication, and promote sustainable development programs in which HIV prevention and AIDS care programs are systemically integrated.