William Sorensen

Latino AIDS immigrants in the Western Gulf states: a different population and the need for innovative prevention strategies.

Abstract Immigrant HIV infected Latinos, and those at highest risk for infection, demonstrate strikingly different patterns of risk behaviors and origins. This complicates the already complex acculturation process impacting their lives. By weaving together immigration and AIDS epidemiological patterns, the impact of tightening immigration policy, and masked sexual behaviors, the authors express concern for a lack of communication with, and lack of health care access for, Latinos in the Western Gulf Coast. To combat this deficit, health care and social workers need to be aware of different social, cultural, and behavioral contexts in Latino populations. Policy makers should support efforts to provide health care workers with skills through appropriate language and cultural sensitivity workshops. HIV prevention strategies specific to Latinos are also discussed.

Poly-helminth infection in east guatemalan school children

Background: Soil transmitted helminths (STH) remain a global public health concern in spite of occasional dosing campaigns. Aims: To determine baseline prevalence and intensity of STH infection in east Guatemalan school children, and describe the associated epidemiology of anemia, stunting, and wasting in this population. Setting and design: Ten schools in Izabal province (eastern Guatemala) were identified, and 1,001 school children were selected for this study. Half of the schools were used as clinical testing sites (blood and stool). Materials and Methods: Anthropometric measures were collected from all children. Over 300 children were tested for anemia and 229 for helminth infection. Ova and parasite specimens were examined via Direct, Kato Katz, and McMaster techniques. Hemoglobin was measured from venipuncture following the hemacue system. Statistical analysis: Correlation between infection intensities and growth indicators were examined. Chi Square or t tests were used for bivariate analysis. Multiple logistic regression was performed on significant variables from bivariate techniques. Results: Over two-thirds of school children were positive for infection by any STH. Prevalence of Hookworm was 30%; Ascaris, 52%; and Trichuris, 39%, most as low-intensity infection. Over half of the children were co-infected. In bivariate analysis, anemia was significantly associated with polyparasitism. Conclusions: For a Guatemalan child who experiences a unit decrease in hemoglobin, one expects to see a 24% increase in the odds of being infected with STH, controlling for age, sex, lake proximity, and growth characteristics. Infection with more than one STH, despite low intensity, led to a significant decrease in hemoglobin.

Why Not the University of New Orleans? Social Disorganization and Sexual Violence Among Internally Displaced Women of Hurricane Katrina

Researchers have reported that natural disasters lead to an increase in sexual violence against women and this is echoed by the current situation in Haiti. This is a social pattern throughout the world during periods of war, as well as natural disasters such as tsunamis, famine, and hurricanes. This article examines the prevalence of sexual violence experienced by women students at the University of New Orleans (UNO) before and after Hurricane Katrina using the CORE Alcohol and Drug Survey. Two hundred and thirty seven women participated in the pre-Katrina study and 215 women participated in the post-Katrina study. We hypothesized that, due to the trauma of this disaster, there would be a higher prevalence of sexual aggression against women after Katrina than there was before Katrina. Our analyses yielded no significant differences in any of the measures of sexual violence toward women (nine CORE survey items) pre to post Katrina, so our hypothesis was not supported. We suggest that social organization and cultural attenuation—often indicators of sexual assault in FEMA Greenfield communities—were mitigated by social cohesion found on the UNO campus post-Katrina.

Visualising the health of communities: Using Photovoice as a pedagogical tool in the college classroom

Objective: To describe the use of Photovoice as a pedagogical tool to promote experiential learning and critical dialogue among participants on an undergraduate community health course. Design: A descriptive study of the use of the pedagogical tool Photovoice, based on three foundational education theories. Results: Based on teachers’ reflective evaluation of student responses, Photovoice emerged as a useful tool for encouraging dialogic engagement in the classroom, for experiential learning through interaction with the physical environment and for increasing student agency by reducing the teacher as authority model. Conclusion: Photovoice may be useful in a variety of college courses as a way to foster critical thinking, to promote agency among students, to enhance understanding of complex social phenomena and to expand the ways in which both students and teachers think about their physical and social worlds.

Evaluation of a Newly Implemented Undergraduate Global Health Course in the Public University Setting

This study evaluates the effectiveness of a new undergraduate global health course by assessing students’ pre/post global knowledge and beliefs. Using factor analysis, student beliefs coalesced into two belief foci: safety/comfort and responsibility/connectedness. Knowledge significantly increased across the board, whereas belief change was more localized.

Perceived stress and worldview influence sleep quality in Bolivian and United States university students

Objective: This study investigated predictors of poor sleep quality among American and Bolivian students. Design: A cross‐sectional survey was designed and administered to undergraduate university students. Setting and participants: Psychology classes from 2 public universities (Texas, USA, and Bolivia) were convenience sampled (n = 80 American students; 60 Bolivian students). Measurements: We used a sleep quality index and the Perceived Stress Scale. We added questions concerning worldview, sleep hygiene, sleep deficiency, health behaviors, and demographics. Results: Five variables predicted poor sleep quality: perceived stress, sleep hygiene, sleep deficiency, worldview, and site. Greater stress positively associated with poorer sleep in both cultures. Yet, Bolivian students reported significantly more stress than American students but experienced significantly better sleep quality. Worldview, a measure of optimism or pessimism about the world, negatively associated with sleep quality in both cultures. Conclusion: Three variables that predict sleep quality (worldview, sleep hygiene, and sleep deficiency) did not differ significantly between countries. Only perceived stress differed by country but contrary to the predicted direction. Thus, this work reveals new avenues for future work to the investigation of sleep in different cultures. Lastly, we offer recommendations to ameliorate poor sleep in university students.

Commentary on "prevalence and risk factors for Chlamydia trachomatis infection among cross-border truck drivers in Hong Kong".

The report by Leung et al 1 highlights many dimensions of concern from the global perspective of sexually transmitted infection (STI) control, while investigating only Chlamydia trachomatis infection among Hong Kong truckers. This is the only truck driver study, to my knowledge, focused solely on chlamydia infection and its determinants. Because of their screening procedure, one third of the truckers accessed their results—unprecedented for men in this occupation. Of course, the problematical characteristic of chlamydia infection is its asymptomatic status, thereby reducing the impetus to seek testing. This probably contributes to the moderate to high rates of infection (estimated at 89 million new cases annually)2 experienced globally. The consistency in prevalence rates across time and distance is uncanny. For example, a recent cross-sectional study among 53 000 young men throughout the USA revealed an 8.2% prevalence.3 Another study conducted in an eastern US city a decade earlier showed rates of 10.6% in symptomatic men and 8.2% in asymptomatic men.4 Leung et al 1 report …