Sociodemographic and Behavioral Factors Associated With Hypertension and Depression in 4 Rural Communities in Northern Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVES: The prevalences of hypertension and depression in sub-Saharan Africa are substantial and rising, despite limited data on their sociodemographic and behavioral risk factors and their interactions. We undertook a cross-sectional study in 4 communities in the Upper East Region of Ghana to identify persons with hypertension and depression in the setting of a pilot intervention training local nurses and health volunteers to manage these conditions. METHODS: We quantified hypertension and depression prevalence across key sociodemographic factors (age, sex, occupation, education, religion, ethnicity, and community) and behavioral factors (tobacco use, alcohol use, and physical activity) and tested for association by multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Hypertension prevalence was higher in older persons (7.6% among 35- to 50-year-olds vs 16.4% among 51- to 70-year-olds) and among those reporting alcohol use (18.9% vs 8.5% between users and nonusers). In multivariable models, only older age (AOR 2.39 [1.02, 5.85]) and residence in the community of Wuru (AOR 7.60 [1.81, 32.96]) were independently associated with hypertension, and residence in Wuru (AOR 23.58 [7.75-78.25]) or Navio (AOR 7.41 [2.30-24.74]) was the only factor independently associated with depression. CONCLUSIONS: We report a high prevalence of both diseases overall and in select communities, a trend that requires further research to inform targeted chronic disease interventions.

Association of socio-demographic characteristics with hypertension awareness, treatment, and control in Bangladesh.

Hypertension has been rapidly growing in Bangladesh. However, there has been limited analysis of differences in the hypertension cascade across socio-demographic groups. This study was a secondary analysis of the 2017-18 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. Four dichotomous outcome variables - hypertension prevalence, awareness among those with hypertension, treatment among those aware, and control among those treated - were analyzed. The variation of each outcome was assessed across socio-demographic factors. The association between socio-demographic characteristics and outcomes was analyzed using logistic regression. Less than half of the hypertensive individuals were aware of their hypertension (42.5%), and awareness was higher among those who were older, female, of higher household wealth, and living in urban areas. Among those aware, most were receiving treatment (87.4%), and this proportion was higher in older individuals (89.2% among 65 + , 70.4% among 18-24; p < 0.001). One-third of those treated (33.8%) had their blood pressure controlled, and this was higher among younger and more educated individuals. In multivariable models stratified by rural/urban community, most of the aforementioned trends remained with additional differences between communities. Notably, the association of higher education level with treatment odds differed in rural and urban communities (OR 0.34 [95%CI 0.16, 0.75] in rural; OR 2.83 [95%CI 1.04, 7.73] in urban). Efforts to improve hypertension awareness among individuals who are younger, male, of lower household wealth, and in rural areas are required to address disparities in care. Socio-demographic variations in hypertension awareness, treatment, and control must be considered to design targeted interventions for each step of the cascade.

Cost-Effectiveness and Cost-Benefit Analyses of Providing Menstrual Cups and Sanitary Pads to Schoolgirls in Rural Kenya.

Objective: To analyze the relative value of providing menstrual cups and sanitary pads to primary schoolgirls. Design: Cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analyses of three-arm single-site open cluster randomized controlled pilot study providing menstrual cups or sanitary pads for 1 year. Participants: Girls 14-16 years of age enrolled across 30 primary schools in rural western Kenya. Methods: Cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted based on the health effects (reductions in disability-adjusted life years [DALYs]) and education effects (reductions in school absenteeism) of both interventions. The health and education benefits were separately valued and compared with relative program costs. Results: Compared with the control group, the cost of menstrual cups was estimated at $3,270 per year for 1000 girls, compared with $24,000 for sanitary pads. The benefit of the menstrual cup program (1.4 DALYs averted, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -4.3 to 3.1) was higher compared with a sanitary pad program (0.48 DALYs averted, 95% CI: -4.2 to 2.3), but the health effects of both interventions were not statistically significant likely due to the limited statistical power. Using point estimates, the menstrual cup intervention was cost-effective in improving health outcomes ($2,300/DALY averted). The sanitary pad intervention had a cost-effectiveness of $300/student-school year in reducing school absenteeism. When considering improvements in future earnings from reduced absenteeism, the sanitary pad program had a net benefit of +$68,000 (95% CI: -$32,000 to +$169,000). Conclusions: The menstrual cup may provide a cost-effective solution for menstrual hygiene management in low-income settings. This study outlines a methodology for future analyses of menstrual hygiene interventions and highlights several knowledge gaps that need to be addressed. Trial registration: ISRCTN17486946.

Roles for community health workers in diabetes prevention and management in low- and middle-income countries.

Diabetes prevalence is increasing worldwide, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), posing the need for improved detection and management strategies. Chronic disease models and lifestyle medicine provide structures for action. Community health workers (CHWs) can significantly contribute to chronic disease care if they are trained and integrated into low-resource health systems. Although most current CHWs worldwide are performing maternal/child health and infectious disease-related tasks, other programs involving CHWs for noncommunicable disease prevention and management are increasing. In this article, we discuss the advantages, challenges, and questions regarding possible roles assigned to CHWs in the prevention and management of diabetes. These roles include performing simple screening tests, implementing lifestyle/behavioral interventions, and connecting patients with alternatives to biomedicine. Specifically, CHWs can aid diabetes epidemiological surveillance by conducting risk score-based screening or capillary glucose testing, and they can facilitate diabetes self-management by delivering interventions described in the transcultural diabetes nutrition algorithm. Furthermore, while this role has not formally been assigned, CHWs can leverage their intimate knowledge of local practices to provide decision-making support to patients in environments with pluralistic health systems. Ethnocultural differences in CHW functions and transcultural adaptations of their roles in diabetes care should also be considered. In summary, CHWs can improve diabetes care by screening high-risk individuals and implementing lifestyle interventions, especially in LMIC.

Roles for community health workers in diabetes prevention and management in low- and middle-income countries / O papel dos agentes comunitários de saúde na prevenção e manejo do diabetes em países de renda baixa e média / Roles de trabajadores comunitarios en salud para la prevención y gestión de la diabetes en países con medios y bajos ingresos

Diabetes prevalence is increasing worldwide, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), posing the need for improved detection and management strategies. Chronic disease models and lifestyle medicine provide structures for action. Community health workers (CHWs) can significantly contribute to chronic disease care if they are trained and integrated into low-resource health systems. Although most current CHWs worldwide are performing maternal/child health and infectious disease-related tasks, other programs involving CHWs for noncommunicable disease prevention and management are increasing. In this article, we discuss the advantages, challenges, and questions regarding possible roles assigned to CHWs in the prevention and management of diabetes. These roles include performing simple screening tests, implementing lifestyle/behavioral interventions, and connecting patients with alternatives to biomedicine. Specifically, CHWs can aid diabetes epidemiological surveillance by conducting risk score-based screening or capillary glucose testing, and they can facilitate diabetes self-management by delivering interventions described in the transcultural diabetes nutrition algorithm. Furthermore, while this role has not formally been assigned, CHWs can leverage their intimate knowledge of local practices to provide decision-making support to patients in environments with pluralistic health systems. Ethnocultural differences in CHW functions and transcultural adaptations of their roles in diabetes care should also be considered. In summary, CHWs can improve diabetes care by screening high-risk individuals and implementing lifestyle interventions, especially in LMIC.

A prevalência do diabetes está aumentando em nível global, sobretudo nos países de renda baixa e média, o que exige melhor detecção e manejo da doença. O modelo de doenças crônicas e a medicina de estilo de vida fornecem estruturas para a ação nesse sentido. Os agentes comunitários de saúde (ACS) podem contribuir de maneira significativa para a assistência às doenças crônicas, desde que sejam capacitados e integrados aos sistemas de saúde, que dispõem de recursos limitados. Embora a maioria dos ACS no mundo esteja desempenhando tarefas relacionadas à saúde materno-infantil e doenças infecciosas, estão crescendo outros programas que envolvem a prevenção e manejo das doenças não transmissíveis. O artigo discute as vantagens, desafios e questões relacionados aos possíveis papéis definidos para os ACS na prevenção e manejo do diabetes. Esses papéis incluem testes simples de triagem, implementação de intervenções comportamentais e de estilo de vida e recomendação de alternativas à biomedicina para os pacientes. Especificamente, os ACS podem auxiliar na vigilância epidemiológica do diabetes, realizando triagem baseada em pontuação de risco ou testagem de glicemia capilar, e podem facilitar o auto-manejo do diabetes através de intervenções baseadas no algoritmo nutricional transcultural do diabetes. Além disso, embora o papel não tenha sido definido formalmente, os ACS podem alavancar seu conhecimento íntimo das práticas locais para apoiar decisões pelos pacientes em contextos com sistemas de saúde pluralistas. Devem ser consideradas as diferenças etnoculturais nas funções dos ACS e nas adaptações transculturais de seus papéis durante a assistência ao diabetes. Em resumo, os ACS podem melhorar a assistência ao diabetes através da triagem e da implementação oportuna de intervenções de estilo de vida, principalmente nos países de renda baixa e média.

La prevalencia de diabetes está aumentando en todo el mundo, especialmente en los países de bajos y medios ingresos (LMIC por sus siglas en inglés), imponiendo la necesidad de una detección y gestión mejoradas. Un modelo de enfermedad crónica y la medicina del estilo de vida proporcionan estructuras para la acción. Los trabajadores comunitarios de salud (CHWs por sus siglas en inglés) pueden contribuir significativamente al cuidado de la enfermedad crónica, si son entrenados e integrados en sistemas con pocos recursos de salud. A pesar de que la mayoría de los actuales CHWs en todo el mundo están desarrollando tareas relacionadas con enfermedades infecciosas en la salud maternal/infantil, otros programas que implican a los CHWs para la prevención y gestión de enfermedades no comunicables están aumentando. En este artículo, discutimos las ventajas, desafíos, y preguntas respecto a los posibles roles asignados a los CHWs, en la prevención y gestión de la diabetes. Estos roles incluyen realizar simples pruebas de detección, implementando intervenciones de estilo de vida/comportamentales, y conectando pacientes con alternativas a la biomedicina. Específicamente, los CHWs pueden ayudar en la vigilancia epidemiológica de la diabetes, llevando a cabo pruebas de detección basadas en marcadores de riesgo o pruebas de glucosa capilares, y pueden facilitar el autocontrol de la diabetes proporcionando intervenciones descritas en el algoritmo transcultural de nutrición en diabetes. Asimismo, mientras este rol no se les haya asignado formalmente, los CHWs pueden potenciar su conocimiento profundo de prácticas locales para proporcionar apoyo en la toma de decisiones a pacientes en entornos con sistemas de salud plurales. Las diferencias etnoculturales en las funciones de los CHW y las adaptaciones transculturales de sus papeles en el cuidado de la diabetes deberían también ser consideradas. En resumen, los CHWs pueden mejorar el cuidado de la diabetes detectando e implementando oportunamente las intervenciones de estilo de vida, especialmente en LMIC.

Exploring the Health and Spatial Equity Implications of the New York City Bike Share System.

INTRODUCTION: This paper examines spatial equity and estimates the health impact of Citi Bike, New York City's (NYC) bike share system. We discuss how further system expansion and utilization by residents in high-poverty communities of color could affect the potential benefit of the largest bicycle share system in the United States. METHODS: First, we compared the Citi Bike station distribution by census tract poverty during the system's 2013 launch and after the 2015 geographic expansion. Second, we applied the World Health Organization's Health Economic Assessment Tool (HEAT) to estimate the benefit of cycling associated with annual Citi Bike members for two 12-month time periods and analyzed change of the benefit over time. RESULTS: The results showed that the greatest proportion of Citi Bike stations were located in low-poverty (wealthier) NYC census tracts (41% per period), and there were no significant changes in station distribution during expansion. HEAT estimated an increase from two to three premature deaths prevented and an increased annual economic benefit from $18,800,000 to $28,300,000 associated with Citi Bike use. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, although Citi Bike stations are not equitably located, the estimated annual health benefits are substantial and have increased over time. Our findings underscore the potential for even greater benefits with increased spatial access in higher-poverty neighborhoods and communities of color. Our findings highlight the importance of the built environment in shaping health and the need for a health equity lens to consider the social and political processes that perpetuate inequities.