Taxi drivers and COVID-19 in Jamaica: Occupationally related income decline and health behaviour.

Income and employment are recognised as social determinants of health. Occupationally related exposures and working conditions impact health behaviours. Taxi drivers have been recognised as an occupationally COVID-19 at-risk group. COVID-19 threatens their lives and livelihoods. This study describes self-reported income changes attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic among taxi drivers. Associations between percentage change in income and reported prevention practices were ascertained. In May 2020, a cross-sectional study was done among 282 taxi drivers in the Kingston and St. Andrew Metropolitan Area in Jamaica. Multi-stage sampling was used to select taxi driver from seven hubs. Data collection utilised a 28-item questionnaire. Self-reported income before and during the COVID-19 pandemic was ascertained and correlations between relative changes in income and COVID-19 prevention practices were assessed. The median pre-COVID-19 monthly income was USD 1,428.57 (IQR = 1,467.26), about USD 51/day. Median monthly income since the COVID-19 outbreak was USD 500 (IQR = 472.37), about USD 18/day, representing a 65% reduction in income. There was a statistically significant association between the relative change in income and the practice of wearing mask while transporting passengers. Generally, as the relative change (decline) in income increased, reported compliance with mask wearing decreased (Spearman's rho = -0.15, p = 0.02). Taxi drivers have experienced marked decline in income due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with implications for health practices and the maintenance of desired health behaviours. Authorities should be cognisant of the economic impact and COVID-related consequences in the taxi industry, as they seek to develop COVID-19 occupationally related prevention and control programmes.

Sexual Activity and Depressive Symptoms in Later Life: Insights from Jamaica.

Objectives: To explore relationships between sexual activity and depressive symptoms in urology and gynecology out-patients aged 50 years and older.Methods: Depressive symptoms were assessed using Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. Sexual activity was measured by interviewer-administered questionnaires assessing relationships, intimacy and sexual function (N = 557). Aging and sexual activity were discussed in focus groups (N = 52).Results: More men (51%) than women (41%) reported engagement in sexual intercourse and approximately 40% of men reported sexual activities in the past 4 weeks. The mean number of sex-related complaints per woman was 1.5 (Standard Deviation, 1.2). Approximately four of every ten men reported difficulty with erectile function. Men placed high value on sexual intercourse while women also embraced other activities. After controlling for demographic and health variables, men who reported sexual activity in the past 4 weeks had depressive symptom scores approximately five points lower than those who reported no sexual activity. Each additional sexual complaint was associated with a two-point increase in depressive symptoms scores in women.Conclusions: Higher depressive symptom scores are associated with reduced sexual activity in men and increased sexual complaints in women. Sexual activities remain important for older adults, despite declining sexual function and men place higher value on sexual intercourse than women.Clinical implications: Mental health assessments and sexual activity history should be included in routine healthcare consultations in persons 50 and over.

Socio-demographic, Health and Functional Status Correlates of Caregiver Burden Among Care Recipients Age 60 Years and Older in Jamaica.

The provision of care to older persons can impose significant burden on those providing care, burdens influenced by care recipient characteristic, caregiver attributes and availability of social support. This paper focuses on identifying relationships between caregiver burden and the socio-demographic, health and functional status attributes of care recipients age 60 years and older in Jamaica. A nationally representative cross-sectional study was done among persons providing non-institutional care for a single person 60 years and older. Data were obtained from a total of 180 caregivers from the four geographic health regions of Jamaica using the Zarit Burden Interview and a 44-question structured questionnaire. Associations between caregiver burden and socio-demographic, health and functional status of care recipients were examined and logistic regression applied to ascertain independent predictors of caregiver burden. The results revealed statistically significant relationships between caregiver burden and care recipients' receipt of conditional cash transfer grants and the ability to toilet independently. In multivariate analysis, ability to toilet remained a significant predictor of caregiver burden-Caregivers who had care recipients who were able to toilet independently were 71% less likely to have mild to severe caregiver burden compared to those who had care recipients that were not able to toilet (OR 0.29; 95% CI 0.14-0.57). Families, health care providers, social workers, state actors and caregivers should take this into account as they develop strategies to mitigate associated caregiver burden.

Zarit burden interview among caregivers of community-dwelling older adults in a caribbean setting (Jamaica): Reliability and factor structure.

The Zarit Burden Interview has been the most popularly used tool for measuring caregiver burden and with the 60 years and over population in Jamaica and developing countries expected to increase, caregiver burden and its assessment assume increased importance. Establishing the reliability and underlying factor structure of instruments such as the ZBI is critical. This study sought to determine the reliability of the Zarit Burden Interview and to assess its underlying factor structure. The ZBI was administered to 180 caregivers of community dwelling older persons in Jamaica in a nationally representative sample across four geographic health regions in 2016. The factor structure was identified using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with Varimax rotation. Cronbach's alpha was used to assess internal consistency/reliability of the instrument. The internal consistency/reliability of the ZBI instrument was high (Cronbach's α = 0.859) and the corrected item-total correlations ranged from 0.134 to 0.730. The ZBI mean score was found to be 16.92 ± 12.04. EFA produced a six-factor model comprised of 19 items which explained 48.97% of total variance, and was subsequently reduced to four (37.27% of total variance) via the use of parallel analysis and scrutiny of confidence intervals. The four factors identified were 'personal strain', 'social relations disruption', 'resource strain/imbalance' and 'role intensity'. The ZBI-22 tool is a reliable instrument for evaluating caregiver burden among community dwelling older persons in Jamaica. A four factor model has emerged providing greater insights on the underlying constructs of the ZBI, the most widely used caregiver burden assessment tool.

Breast Cancer in Jamaica: Trends From 2010 to 2014-Is Mortality Increasing?

PURPOSE: This study sought to provide a detailed analysis of breast cancer-specific mortality in Jamaica on the basis of reported deaths between 2010 and 2014. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was done to analyze breast cancer-specific mortality data from the Registrar General's Department, the statutory body responsible for registering all deaths across Jamaica. RESULTS: A total of 1,634 breast cancer-related deaths were documented among Jamaican women between 2010 and 2014, which accounted for 24% of all female cancer deaths. The age-standardized breast cancer mortality rate increased from 21.8 per 100,000 in 2010 to 28 per 100,000 in 2014 for the total female population. The overall difference in breast cancer mortality rates between the 2014 and 2010 rates was not statistically significant (P = .114). Analysis of the year-by-year trend reflected by the annual percentage of change did show, however, a statistically significant increasing trend in breast cancer mortality (P = .028). Mortality rates varied by age, with statistically significant annual increases observed in the 35-44-, 65-74-, and ≥ 75-year age groups (P = .04, .03, and .01, respectively). CONCLUSION: Breast cancer remains the leading cause of death among Jamaican women. Despite global advances in breast cancer screening and management, breast cancer remains a major public health challenge and represents a public health priority in Jamaica. The increasing breast cancer-specific mortality in Jamaica over the 5-year period contrasts with decreasing mortality rates among US women with breast cancer. This study highlights the critical need to address the implementation of a national organized breast cancer screening program in Jamaica and to focus future research efforts on the biology of breast cancer, especially among young Jamaican women.