RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To determine the seroprevalence and correlates of HIV infection in a subpopulation of women of childbearing age in Montreal. DESIGN: Anonymous unlinked seroprevalence study. SETTING: Pregnancy termination unit in a teaching hospital in Montreal. PARTICIPANTS: Women presenting for abortion from July 1989 to June 1993 who resided in Quebec and were not known to have HIV infection; 12,017 (99.6%) of 12,068 eligible women were included in the study. INTERVENTION: HIV antibody testing of serum left over from samples obtained for routine Rh typing; the same algorithm as for serodiagnostic testing, namely enzyme immunoassay (EIA) followed by confirmatory testing of repeatedly EIA-reactive samples, was used. OUTCOME MEASURES: HIV serostatus by age, marital status, region of residence (metropolitan Montreal versus other), country of birth and number of living children. RESULTS: Most (84.7%) of the subjects resided in metropolitan Montreal. The median age was 27.0 (range 13 to 50) years. The serum samples of 22 women were confirmed to be HIV positive, for an overall seroprevalence rate of 1.8 per 1000 (95% confidence interval 1.1 to 2.8). The seroprevalence rate did not vary significantly by age, marital status, region of residence or study year. However, it was strongly correlated with country of birth: Canada 0.16, Haiti 23.5, HIV-endemic countries other than Haiti 5.3 and non-HIV-endemic countries other than Canada 0.0 per 1000. The seroprevalence rate among women born in Haiti was 147 times higher than that among women born in Canada (p < 0.0001). Of the women born in Haiti the rate was 3.0 times greater among those who immigrated to Canada in 1985 or later than among those who immigrated earlier (p = 0.047). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that the HIV seroprevalence rate among women in Montreal is strongly associated with country of birth, women born in HIV-endemic countries, especially Haiti, having the highest rate. These results will help in the development of policies regarding HIV antibody testing and prevention of HIV transmission in Quebec.
Assuntos
Aborto Legal/estatística & dados numéricos , Soroprevalência de HIV , Adolescente , Adulto , Intervalos de Confiança , Emigração e Imigração , Feminino , Haiti/etnologia , Humanos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Gravidez , Quebeque/epidemiologia , Características de Residência , Estudos Soroepidemiológicos , Saúde da População UrbanaRESUMO
To prevent posttransfusion viral hepatitis, screening of potential blood donors includes the measurement of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels. The current use of single system-wide ALT cutoffs to determine acceptability of a blood unit or donor may not be appropriate, since male and Hispanic blood donors have much higher rejection rates than other donors, based solely on ALT level. Serum ALT measurements from the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used to confirm these ALT elevations within general population samples of Mexican Americans, Cubans, and Puerto Ricans. Until specific tests are available to detect all hepatitis viral infections, testing blood donors for ALT levels will likely continue. Health personnel should be cautious in their interpretation of "elevated" ALT levels in these Hispanic populations.
Assuntos
Alanina Transaminase/sangue , Hispânico ou Latino , Adulto , Idoso , Doadores de Sangue , Cuba/etnologia , Hepatite Viral Humana/prevenção & controle , Humanos , Americanos Mexicanos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Porto Rico/etnologia , Estados UnidosRESUMO
This report presents descriptive data for clinical chemistry profiles by age and sex. This information is from the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a sample survey of selected groups of civilian noninstitutionalized Hispanic persons residing in the United States. The survey was conducted during 1982-84.
Assuntos
Glicemia , Nitrogênio da Ureia Sanguínea , Eletrólitos/sangue , Enzimas/sangue , Hispânico ou Latino , Americanos Mexicanos , Adulto , Idoso , Cuba/etnologia , Feminino , Inquéritos Epidemiológicos , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Porto Rico/etnologia , Inquéritos e Questionários , Estados UnidosRESUMO
The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of low serum and red blood cell (RBC) folate values of Mexican American (MA), Cuban (C), and Puerto Rican (PR) women examined in the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1982-1984. Serum and RBC folate were determined for all women aged 18-44 y by use of a radio-assay kit. The percent of women with low serum folate (less than 6.8 nmol/L) was 11.9% for MA, 10.1% for C, and 8.1% for PR. The prevalence of low concentrations of RBC folate (less than 363 nmol/L) was 7.8%, 16.7%, and 13.6% for MA, C, and PR, respectively. The percentages of women with reduced tissue stores of folate were 4.3% for MA, 6.0% for C, and 4.0% for PR. Years of education completed and poverty status did not significantly affect folate concentrations; however, the prevalence of low folate concentrations among users of vitamin or mineral supplements was significantly lower than it was among nonusers in selected subgroups.