Browsing by Subject "public, environmental & occupational health"

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Open Access
Feasibility and Acceptability of Door-to-Door Rapid HIV Testing Among Latino Immigrants and Their HIV Risk Factors in North Carolina
(2010) Seña, Arlene C; Hammer, Juliana P; Wilson, Kate; Zeveloff, Abigail; Gamble, Julia
Latino immigrants in the United States are disproportionally impacted by the HIV epidemic but face barriers to clinic-based testing. We assessed a community-based strategy for rapid HIV testing by conducting "door-to-door'' outreaches in apartments with predominately Latino immigrants in Durham, North Carolina, that has experienced an exponential growth in its Latino population. Eligible persons were 18 years or older, not pregnant, and reported no HIV test in the previous month. Participants were asked to complete a survey and offered rapid HIV testing. Of the 228 Latino participants, 75.4% consented to HIV testing. There was a high prevalence of sexual risk behaviors among participants, with 42.5% acknowledging ever having sex with a commercial sex worker (CSW). Most (66.5%) had no history of prior HIV testing. In bivariate analysis, perceived HIV risk, no history of HIV testing, sex with a CSW, sex in exchange for drugs or money, living with a partner, and alcohol use were significantly associated with test acceptance. In the multivariate analysis, participants who had never been tested for HIV were more likely to consent to rapid HIV testing than those who had tested in the past (adjusted odds ratio 2.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1, 5.6). Most participants supported rapid HIV testing in the community (97%). Door-to-door rapid HIV testing is a feasible and acceptable strategy for screening high-risk Latino immigrants in the community. Factors associated with HIV risk among Latino migrants and immigrants in the United States should be considered along with novel testing strategies in HIV prevention programs.
Open Access
Incidence of High Altitude Illnesses among Unacclimatized Persons Who Acutely Ascended to Tibet
(2010) Ren, Yusheng; Fu, Zhongming; Shen, Weimin; Jiang, Ping; He, Yanlin; Peng, Shaojun; Wu, Zonggui; Cui, Bo
Ren, Yusheng, Zhongming Fu, Weimin Shen, Ping Jiang, Yanlin He, Shaojun Peng, Zonggui Wu, and Bo Cui. Incidence of high altitude illnesses among unacclimatized persons who acutely ascended to Tibet. High Alt. Med. Biol. 11:39-42, 2010.-High altitude illnesses pose health threats to unwary travelers after their acute ascent to high altitude locations. The incidence of high altitude illnesses among unacclimatized persons who acutely ascend to Tibet has not been previously reported. In the present study, we surveyed the incidence of high altitude illness among 3628 unacclimatized persons who had no previous high altitude experience and who traveled to Tibet by air to an altitude of 3600 m. These subjects were asked to answer questions in a written questionnaire about symptoms associated with high altitude illnesses that occurred within 2 weeks of their first arrival, their severity, and possible contributing factors. Physical examination and appropriate laboratory tests were also performed for hospitalized subjects. We found that 2063 respondents had mild acute mountain sickness with an incidence of 57.2%, and 249 (12.07%) of them were hospitalized for treatment. The incidence of high altitude pulmonary edema was 1.9%, while no case of high altitude cerebral edema was found. Additionally, there was no report of death. Psychological stresses and excessive physical exertions possibly contributed to the onset of HAPE. Acute mountain sickness is common among unacclimatized persons after their acute ascent to Tibet. The incidence of HAPE and HACE, however, is very low among them.