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The GEMKAP study (2023) unveiled consistent knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) levels across Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Latin America (LATAM) countries regarding dengue, with variations in the willingness to vaccinate. Despite an overall KAP parity, the disparities within and between the countries indicated the need for both overarching and tailored strategies. Population-wide gaps in dengue awareness result in suboptimal vaccination priorities and preventive measures. This commentary delves into identifying the drivers and barriers for implementing a multi-pronged dengue prevention and management program, emphasizing the pivotal role of vaccination alongside education and vector control. Drawing on expert interviews in APAC and LATAM, informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), four key themes emerged: prioritizing and continuously advocating for dengue on national health agendas, fostering stakeholder collaboration, incorporating population perspectives for behavioral change, and designing sustainable dengue prevention and management programs. Successful implementation requires evidence-based decision making and a comprehensive understanding of population dynamics to design adaptive education tailored to diverse population views. This commentary provides actionable strategies for enhancing dengue prevention and management, with a pronounced emphasis on dengue vaccination, advocating for a holistic, population-centric approach for sustained effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dengue represents a major public health concern. With effective vaccines in development, it is important to identify motivational factors to maximize dengue vaccine uptake. A cross-sectional, quantitative, electronic survey was administered to a nationally representative adult population (n = 3800) in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. Willingness to vaccinate against dengue, and Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) toward dengue, vector control, prevention, and vaccination were determined. The Capability, Opportunity, Motivation for Behavior change (COM-B) framework was used to identify factors correlated with dengue vaccine(s) uptake. KAP scores (standardized, 0–100% scale) resulted in a low global score for Knowledge (48%) and Practice (44%), and a moderate score for Attitude (66%); scores were comparable across countries. Of all respondents, 53% had a high willingness (Score: 8–10/10) to vaccinate against dengue, which was higher (59%) in Latin America (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico) than in Asia Pacific (40%) (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore). Key factors significantly (p < 0.05) associated with increased willingness to vaccinate included accessibility to the public (subsidies and incentives) and trust in the healthcare system and government. A common approach to dengue prevention across endemic countries––with some country-specific customization, including education, vaccination, and vector control (multi-pronged)––may reduce dengue burden and improve outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Long-term complications of type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1) can be prevented with adequate glycaemic control. However, high levels of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) occur in 60%–90% of the patients with DM1. Thus, we aimed to investigate the role of sociodemographic, behavioural and clinical factors on the HbA1c levels of patients with DM1 in Brazil. Design, setting and participants A cross-sectional study was conducted in ambulatory patients with DM1 aged ≥18 years from 10 Brazilian cities. Sociodemographic, behavioural and clinical data were obtained through interviews. Main outcome measures HbA1c level was measured by liquid chromatography. Hierarchical multiple variable linear regression models were used to identify factors correlated with high levels of HbA1c. Results Of 979 patients with DM1, 63.8% were women, and the mean age was 40 (SD 14.6) years. The mean HbA1c level was 9.4% (SD 2.2%), and 89.6% of the patients had HbA1c ≥7.0%. Factors independently correlated with increased HbA1c levels included: lower education, non-participation in diabetes classes/lecture during the year before, having a self-perception of poor adherence to diet and insulin, not having private medical care and not measuring the HbA1c levels in the prior year. Of note, poor adherence to diet and insulin were the independent factors most strongly associated with high levels of HbA1c (mean increment in HbA1c levels of 0.88% and 1.25%, respectively). Conclusion Poor glycaemic control, which is common among Brazilian patients with DM1, is associated with lower education, self-perception of insufficient adherence to diet and insulin and inadequate monitoring of HbA1c levels. Specific actions, particularly those targeting improving adherence to diet and insulin, may contribute to successful management of patients with DM1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Brazil, zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (ZVL) control programs based on the mass elimination of seropositive dogs have failed to reduce the number of leishmaniasis cases. However, these programs have been done under sub-optimal conditions. We studied a cohort of dogs in an urban area in Brazil to determine, whether a dog-culling program optimized with: (i) replacement of a relatively low-sensitivity indirect immune-fluorescent test on blood eluate by a more sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay on serum blood samples; (ii) shortening of the time interval from serodiagnosis to removal of dogs; (iii) screening a high proportion of the dog population could reduce the incidence of canine Leishmania infection (CLI). The study ran from December 1997 to July 2000, with four follow-up assessments performed at approximately 8-month intervals. All dogs seropositive for anti-Leishmania antibodies were promptly eliminated. A large number of new dogs immigrated to the study area throughout the study period. They comprised 43.8–49.8% of the cohort at each follow-up assessment, and upto 15% of them already had Leishmania infection. Overall, 42 news cases of CLI were identified, for a crude incidence rate of 11.8 cases per 100 dog-years (95% CI 8.6–15.6). In the first, second, third and fourth follow-up assessments the incidence rates were 8.2 (95% CI 3.0–17.9), 12.2 (95% CI 6.3–21.2), 16.4 (95% CI 8.5–28.6) and 13.6 (95% CI 7.1–23.8), respectively. There was no statistically significant change in these rates throughout the study period. Our results suggest that dog-culling programs do not reduce the incidence of CLI, even with an optimized intervention. Possible reasons for this failure include: currently available serologic methods lack sufficient sensitivity and/or specificity to accurately identify all infected dogs warranting removal in order to prevent Leishmania transmission; destroyed dogs are immediately replaced by susceptible puppies, and quite often, by already infected dogs; and other reservoirs may be involved in maintaining canine infection. Further efforts on ZVL control should be directed to developing new strategies or to testing control methods already in place with properly designed trials. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

: ObjectivesTo estimate the incidence of erectile dysfunction (ED) in Brazilian men 40 to 69 years old at study entry during an average 2-year follow-up and study the effect of age, socioeconomic status, and medical conditions on the risk of developing ED.: MethodsWe analyzed data from a randomly sampled cohort of men living in Salvador, Bahia (Brazil), a racially diverse city with a population of 2.3 million. A total of 602 men completed the baseline interview in 1998 and 501 completed follow-up in 2000. The analysis sample consisted of 428 (83.4%) of 513 men without ED at baseline. The men were interviewed in person, using a standardized questionnaire, and ED was assessed by a single global self-rating question.: ResultsThe crude incidence rate for ED was 65.6 cases per 1000 person-years (95% confidence interval 49.6 to 85.2). The incidence rate increased with age and was 33.3, 53.7, and 189.5 cases per 1000 person-years for men 40 to 49, 50 to 59, and 60 to 69 years old, respectively. The age-adjusted risk of developing new-onset ED was higher for men with lower education, diabetes, hypertension, and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Population projections for men 40 to 69 years old suggest that approximately 68,600 new cases of ED in Bahia and 1,025,600 in Brazil would be expected annually.: ConclusionsThe incidence of ED in Brazilian men was 2.5-fold higher than that in the Massachusetts Male Aging Study (26/1000 person-years) and increased with age, lower education, diabetes, hypertension, and benign prostatic hyperplasia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the level of symptoms of lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD) in orphans in institutions, and compare these data with schoolchildren of the same age group who were not institutionalised, as LUTD in children is related to factors such as social isolation and low self-esteem, with other psychological changes also being cited, although it is unknown whether these problems are primary or secondary to the symptoms of LUTD. PATIENTS AND METHODS Children institutionalised in orphanages with no parental presence and who are isolated from a family environment are probably more sensitive to psychological disturbances. Psychological changes have been associated with symptoms of urgency and urinary incontinence. Thus 89 orphans were compared with 143 schoolchildren not in institutions. A questionnaire was devised and completed by the care-taking staff in the orphanage, while for the schoolchildren the parents completed the questionnaire. The mean age in the institutionalised children was 7.9 years and that of the control group 7.8 years ( P = 0.32). Thirty-nine (44%) of the orphans were boys, vs 74 (54%) of the control group ( P = 0.17). RESULTS The incidence of urgency, diurnal urinary incontinence, nocturnal enuresis and constipation in the orphans and in the control group were: 45 (51%) and 57 (40) ( P = 0.17), 36 (40%) and 19 (13%) ( P < 0.001), 39 (47%) and 38 (27%) ( P = 0.002), and 27 (30%) and 43 (30%) ( P = 0.76), respectively. CONCLUSION Children living in orphanages have a significantly higher level of diurnal urinary incontinence and nocturnal enuresis than those not in an institution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]