Marital violence in Barranquilla [Colombia]: prevalence and risk factors

Objetivos: Determinar la prevalencia de maltrato físico marital en mujeres en edad fértil que viven con su pareja, así como identificar factores personales, socioeconómicos y de función familiar que se relacionen con el maltrato. Métodos: Estudio transversal sobre una muestra aleatoria de 275 mujeres en edad fértil del barrio Carlos Meissel, de la ciudad de Barranquilla, Colombia. La información se obtuvo mediante entrevista personal en el hogar a partir de un cuestionario estructurado y siguiendo las recomendaciones éticas y de seguridad para la investigación sobre violencia doméstica contra mujeres de la Organización Mundial de la Salud. En el cuestionario se recogen datos sobre características personales, consumo habitual de alcohol y drogas, función familiar (según test de Apgar Familiar), características socioeconómicas y antecedentes de maltrato físico durante los 12 meses previos a la entrevista. Resultados: La prevalencia de maltrato marital fue del 22,9%, y el grupo de 25-29 años es el más afectado (33,3%). Se asociaron con el maltrato físico el consumo habitual de alcohol en las mujeres (odds ratio, OR = 6,02; intervalo de confianza del 95%, IC del 95%, 1,7-22,2) y en el cónyuge (OR = 10,11; IC del 95%, 5,1-20,1) y el consumo de sustancias psicoactivas en el cónyuge (OR = 11.01; IC del 95%, 4,2-29,5). Los ingresos mensuales por debajo de 300.000 pesos colombianos (140 euros) también se asociaron con maltrato, así como presencia de disfunción familiar moderada o grave (OR = 16,9; IC del 95%, 4,8-59,0; OR = 81,6; IC del 95%, 18,8-35,5, respectivamente). Conclusiones: La naturaleza transversal del estudio limita la interpretación de los resultados. Sin embargo, se ha observado que en las mujeres de la muestra estudiada en este estudio el maltrato físico de la mujer por parte de su pareja se asocia con factores potencialmente modificables.Objective: To determine the prevalence of violence against women of fertile age living in a couple and identify the personal, socioeconomic, and family function characteristics associated with this phenomenon. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study in a random sample of 275 women of fertile age living in the neighborhood of Carlos Meisel in Barranquilla, Colombia. Information was gathered through a structured questionnaire and face-to-face interviews at the participants’ homes. The questionnaire was adapted from the World Health Organization's recommendations on ethics and safety when investigating domestic violence. The questionnaire included items on personal characteristics, habitual alcohol and drug consumption, family function test (Family Apgar), socioeconomic characteristics, and physical abuse in the 12 months prior to the interview. Results: The prevalence of marital violence was 22.9%. Women aged 25-29 years old were the most commonly affected (33.3%). Factors associated with violence were habitual alcohol consumption in women (Odds ratio [OR] = 6.02; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.7-22.2) and in the spouse (OR = 10.11; 95% CI, 5.1-20.1) and drug consumption by the husband (OR = 11.01; 95% CI, 4.2-29.5). A monthly wage of less than 300,000 Colombian pesos (140 euros) was also significantly associated with domestic violence as was moderate or severe family dysfunction (respectively, OR = 16.9; 95% CI, 4.8-59.0; OR = 81.6; 95% CI, 18.8-335)

Fuentes de abastecimiento de agua para consumo humano: análisis de tendencia de variables para consolidar mapas de riesgo: el caso de los municipios ribereños del departamento del Atlántico

Las directrices relacionadas con el agua y el saneamiento, establecidas por las secretarías de Salud departamentales y las secretarías municipales, deben apoyar los procesos y mecanismos para la elaboración y construcción de los mapas de riesgos que permitan orientar las actuaciones relacionadas con el agua para consumo humano. Por lo tanto, este documento corresponde a la fase I dentro de los requerimientos para sugerir a la autoridad sanitaria y al prestador correspondiente los requerimientos que permitan construir el mapa de riesgo de la calidad de agua

La Calidad de Vida, su importancia y cómo medirla

Resumen Este artículo revisa algunos aspectos relacionados con los instrumentos actualmente utilizados en diversos países de Europa, Asia y América para medir calidad de vida relacionada con la salud –CVRS–. Además, describe fortalezas y utilidad en su aplicación y plantea el interés de estas herramientas, en especial el SF 36, para los análisis económicos y sociales. Esta herramienta permite establecer una línea base en la determinación del perfil de salud, que se inserta en estudios como la Encuesta Nacional de Salud, lo cual, aprovechando la continuidad de esta información seriada, permite estrategias en planificación sanitaria, la atención a los usuarios de salud y el sentir con respecto a su percepción del estado de salud. Palabras claves: Calidad de vida, SF-36, EuroQol-5D. Abstract The purpose of this article is to document some aspects related to the instruments at present used in diverse european, asian and american countries to measure quality of life related to the health. Also describes the fortitude and utility in its application, and proposes the interest of these tools, specially the SF38 for the social and economic analysis. This instrument allows to establish a base line in the health profile determination wich is inserted in the studies as the National Health Survey because of the continuity of this dates allow us medical care planification estrategies and the health usuaries attention. Key words: Quality of life, SF 36 and EuroQol-5D

Synthesis, characterization, and application of polyethylene glycol modified insulin for oral delivery using complexation hydrogels

Therapeutic proteins and peptides represent a major area of research in current pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Due to their inherent instability, the vast majority of these drugs require parenteral administration. Such is the case for as many as 6 million patients in the United States who use insulin in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Oral insulin delivery would is a highly desirable alternative method of administration, though it continues to be an elusive target due the enzymatic digestion of insulin and low levels of absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. Hydrogel polymers have shown promise as potential carriers for oral insulin delivery. In particular, a pH responsive hydrogel composed of poly(methacrylic acid-g-polyethylene glycol), P(MAAg- EG), has shown the ability to protect insulin from enzymes in the gastric environment and release in small intestines. It was also able to induce a hypoglycemic effect in vivo when delivered to isolated ileal segments in rats. However, this material has not shown similar potential for oral protein delivery of other model drugs. To date, the unique interaction between P(MAA-g-EG) and insulin, which give it such potential for oral delivery, are not completely understood.The focus of this research is to investigate how P(MAA-g-EG) hydrogels interact with insulin and to improve upon current designs for oral insulin delivery. An attempt is made to correlate the structure and chemistry of the hydrogel to its interaction with insulin over the pH range exhibited by the gastrointestinal tract in vitro. Further insight is gained by observing the interaction of the hydrogel with insulin-like proteins including insulin glargine, an insulin analog, and polyethylene glycol (PEG) modified insulin. The PEG-insulin conjugate is synthesized and characterized to maintain the bioactivity of the protein, which is confirmed in vivo using intravenous and subcutaneous administration in rats. Finally, the proposed system is tested using an in vivo model in Sprague Dawley rats and related to the potential application of P(MAA-g-EG) to deliver insulin and PEG modified insulin for the treatment of diabetes.Ph.D., Biochemical Engineering -- Drexel University, 200

Hydrogels based on copolymers of 2‐hydroxyethylmethacrylate and 2‐hydroxyethylacrylate as a delivery system for proteins: Interactions with lysozyme

Hydrogels have attracted considerable attention due to numerous applications, in particular as contact lenses and carriers for sustained drug delivery. The aim of the present work is to characterize the interactions of copolymer hydrogels consisted of 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) and 2-hydroxyethylacrylate (HEA) with a small protein (lysozyme) and to assess the potential applications of these hydrogels as a drug delivery system for sustained release of protein-based therapeutics. Physicochemical properties of protein-loaded hydrogels, as well as lysozyme in vitro loading and release and the conformation of the protein released from hydrogels were studied. The effect of copolymer composition on the protein deposition on hydrogels and protein aggregation in the presence of hydrogels was also assessed. The results show that introduction of HEA into the copolymeric hydrogels enhances their suitability as a delivery system for proteins. Copolymerisation of HEMA and HEA allows controlling the physicochemical properties of hydrogels and the protein release rate