Screening for drug and alcohol use disorders and their association with HIV-related sexual risk behaviors among men who have sex with men in Peru.

BACKGROUND: Peru's HIV epidemic is concentrated among men who have sex with men (MSM). The contribution of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) to known high-risk behaviors associated with HIV transmission in this context has not been well characterized. METHODS: Between June and October 2011, 5,148 sexually active MSM were recruited using convenience sampling in five cities to participate in a cross-sectional bio-behavioral survey. Five high-risk sexual criteria previously associated with incident HIV infection in this setting were selected a priori as the dependent outcomes. Screening for AUDs used the validated Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and AUDS were stratified by severity. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (AOR) were computed to establish the independent correlates of the five dependent outcomes. RESULTS: The majority (62.8%) of participants met screening criteria for having an AUD, which were independently correlated with each of the following high-risk sexual risk behaviors in the previous 6 months: 1) >5 sexual partners [AOR = 1.76; (1.54-2.02)]; 2) sex with an HIV-infected partner [AOR = 1.29; (1.03-1.62)]; 3) having a sexually transmitted infection [AOR = 1.38; (1.13-1.68)]; 4) being a sex worker [AOR = 1.61; (1.40-1.87)]; and 5) unprotected sex during last encounter [AOR = 1.22; (1.09-1.38)]. Recent drug use was also correlated with having >5 sexual partners [AOR = 1.42 (1.19-1.71)], sex work [AOR = 1.97 (1.63-2.39)] and unprotected sex during last encounter [AOR = 1.31 (1.11-1.54)]. For each dependent variable, the association with AUDs significantly increased with increasing AUD severity. CONCLUSIONS: AUDs are highly prevalent among MSM in Peru and are associated with increased HIV risk-taking behaviors that are associated with HIV transmission. Strategies that target problematic drinking such as medication-assisted therapy, behavioral counseling and structural interventions could potentially reduce risky behaviors and ultimately reduce HIV transmission among MSM in Peru.

Tendencia de la visibilidad y análisis de citas recibidas del Boletín Epidemiológico (Lima) por revistas biomédicas (1991-2011) / Visibility trend and analysis of citations of Boletín Epidemiológico (Lima) by biomedical journals (1991-2011)

No se conocen los indicadores bibliométricos de la información producida por el sistema de vigilancia del Perú. El objetivo de esta comunicación fue conocer la tendencia de las descargas y el número total de citas recibidas del Boletín Epidemiológico (Lima) por revistas biomédicas (Enero 1991 - agosto 2011). Métodos: La visibilidad fue evaluada mediante las estadísticas de descarga disponible en www.dgr.gob.pe. Las citas se buscaron electrónicamente utilizándo los títulos y acrónimos del Boletín Epidemiológico (Lima) en Google Scholar. Adicionalmente, se revisaron manualmente la sección de referencias de seis revistas en formato físico publicados entre el 2000 y el 2004, y electrónicamente, de 12 revistas biomédicas indizadas publicadas entre enero de 1991 y agosto de 2011. Resultados: En el periodo de estudio, el Boletín Epidemiológico (Lima) recibió 89 citas por 13 revistas, cuatro de las cuales eran internacionales. La Revista Peruana de Medicina Experimental y Salud Pública le otorgó 35/89 (39.3 %) citas y la Revista Peruana de Epidemiología, 20/89 (22.4 %) citas. Los temas más citados fueron malaria con 15/89 (16.8 %) y dengue con 14/89 (15.7 %) citas. La secciones más citadas del Boletín Epidemiológico (Lima) fueron situación epidemiológica que recibió 68/89 (76.4 %) citas y 10/89 (11.2 %) citas que recibió los editoriales. En 2006, se contabilizaron 23178 descargas con 469 en promedio de descargas semanales y el año 2007, se contabilizó 21441 descargas con 412 en promedio de descargas semanales. Conclusiones: Existe un bajo índice de descargas, pero con una tendencia histórica al incremento del total de citas recibidas hasta el 2009, que sugiere la utilidad de la información publicada por el Boletín Epidemiológico (Lima).

There are not known bibliometric indicators of the information produced by the surveillance system in Peru. Aim: to determine the trend of downloads and the total number of citations of Boletín Epidemiológico (Lima) for biomedical journals (January 1991 - August 2011). Methods: visibility was evaluated by download statistics available at www.dge.gob.pe. Citations were searched electronically using the titles and acronyms of Boletín Epidemiológico (Lima) on Google Scholar. Additionally, we manually reviewed the reference section of 6 journals printed between 2000 and 2004, and 12 on-line journals, indexed and published between January 1991 and August 2011. Results: During the study period, Boletín Epidemiológico (Lima) was cited 89 times by 13 journals, 4 of which were international. Boletín Epidemiológico (Lima) was cited in 35 (39.3%) articles by Revista Peruana de Medicina Experimental y Salud Pública and in 20 (22.4%) articles by Revista Peruana de Epidemiología. The subjects most cited were malaria with 15 (16.8%) and dengue with 14 (15.7%) citations. The most cited sections of Boletín Epidemiológico (Lima) were epidemiological situation with 68 (76.4%) citations and editorial with 10 (11.2%) citations. During 2006, there were 23 178 downloads with an average of 469 weekly downloads and during 2007 21 441 downloads with 412 downloads per week on average. Conclusions: There is a low rate of downloads, but with a historical tendency to increase until 2009, suggesting the usefulness of the information published by Boletín Epidemiológico (Lima).

A road traffic injury surveillance system using combined data sources in Peru.

A national hospital-based nonfatal road traffic injury surveillance system was established at sentinel units across Peru in 2007 under the leadership of the Ministry of Health. Surveillance data are drawn from three different sources (hospital records, police reports, and vehicle insurance reports) and include nonfatal road traffic injuries initially attended at emergency rooms. A single data collection form is used to record information about the injured, event characteristics related to the driver of the vehicle(s), and the vehicle(s). Data are analyzed periodically and disseminated to all surveillance system participants. Results indicated young adult males (15-29 years old) were most affected by nonfatal road traffic injuries and were most often the drivers of the vehicles involved in the collision. Four-wheeled vehicle occupants comprised one-half of cases in most regions of the country, and pedestrians injured in the event accounted for almost another half. The system established in Peru could serve as a model for the use of multiple data sources in national nonfatal road traffic injury surveillance. Based on this study, the challenges of this type of system include sustaining and increasing participation among sentinel units nationwide and identifying appropriate prevention interventions at the local level based on the resulting data.

A road traffic injury surveillance system using combined data sources in Peru / Sistema de vigilancia de traumatismos por accidentes de tránsito con fuentes de datos combinadas en el Perú

A national hospital-based nonfatal road traffic injury surveillance system was established at sentinel units across Peru in 2007 under the leadership of the Ministry of Health. Surveillance data are drawn from three different sources (hospital records, police reports, and vehicle insurance reports) and include nonfatal road traffic injuries initially attended at emergency rooms. A single data collection form is used to record information about the injured, event characteristics related to the driver of the vehicle(s), and the vehicle(s). Data are analyzed periodically and disseminated to all surveillance system participants. Results indicated young adult males (15-29 years old) were most affected by nonfatal road traffic injuries and were most often the drivers of the vehicles involved in the collision. Four-wheeled vehicle occupants comprised one-half of cases in most regions of the country, and pedestrians injured in the event accounted for almost another half. The system established in Peru could serve as a model for the use of multiple data sources in national nonfatal road traffic injury surveillance. Based on this study, the challenges of this type of system include sustaining and increasing participation among sentinel units nationwide and identifying appropriate prevention interventions at the local level based on the resulting data.

Con el liderazgo del Ministerio de Salud, en el 2007 se estableció un sistema hospitalario nacional de vigilancia de traumatismos no mortales por accidentes de tránsito en unidades centinela de todo el Perú. Los datos de vigilancia se extraen de tres fuentes diferentes (registros hospitalarios, informes policiales e informes del seguro del vehículo) e incluyen los traumatismos no mortales por accidentes de tránsito atendidos inicialmente en las salas de urgencia. Se usa un único formulario de recopilación de datos para registrar la información sobre los heridos, las características del hecho relacionadas con el conductor o los conductores de los vehículos y del vehículo o los vehículos involucrados. Los datos se analizan periódicamente y se comunican a todos los participantes del sistema de vigilancia. Los resultados indicaron que los hombres adultos jóvenes (de 15 a 29 años) fueron los más afectados por traumatismos no mortales por accidentes de tránsito y con mayor frecuencia eran los conductores de los vehículos que participaron en la colisión. Los ocupantes de vehículos de cuatro ruedas representaron la mitad de los casos en la mayoría de las zonas del país y los peatones lesionados en el hecho representaron prácticamente la otra mitad. El sistema establecido en el Perú podría servir de modelo del uso de múltiples fuentes de datos para la vigilancia a nivel nacional de traumatismos no mortales por accidentes de tránsito. Según los resultados de este estudio, los retos de un sistema de este tipo consisten en mantener y aumentar la participación de las unidades de vigilancia de todo el país y determinar las intervenciones de prevención adecuadas en el nivel local según los datos obtenidos.