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Objective Despite the widespread awareness of the harms of smoking, millions continue to smoke around the world partly due to the difficulty it takes to quit smoking. Identifying the factors associated with making quit attempts is an essential pillar to reach successful quitting. The purpose of this study is to assess the factors associated with the past quit attempts and their past length of abstinence in a Lebanese sample of cigarette smokers. Methods This study was conducted between March 2014 and March 2015, involving 382 patients randomly chosen from 5 outpatient clinics in 5 hospitals in Lebanon. A standardized questionnaire was completed including socio-demographic characteristics, smoking behavior, chronic respiratory symptoms, Fagerstrom scale, Mondor scale, packaging perception, quitting behavior and readiness to quit ladder. Results Smokers who have chronic allergies (ORa = 2.45, p = 0.03), those who have ever stopped smoking for at least one month due to the warnings implemented on the packages (ORa = 4.6, p < 0.0001) and smokers with an intention to quit in 2 months (ORa = 2.49, p < 0.0001) had significantly more past quit attempts. Furthermore, longer quit attempts duration (more than 1 month) were significantly associated with low-nicotine dependent smokers (ORa = 0.56, p = 0.02), higher-motivated smokers (ORa = 1.85, p = 0.01), people with chronic allergies (ORa = 2.07, p = 0.02), smokers who have ever stopped smoking for at least one month due to the warnings (ORa = 3.72, p < 0.0001) and those with an intention to quit in 2 months (ORa = 1.98, p = 0.05). Conclusion The promoters of smoking cessation services should consider these factors when designing comprehensive tobacco control initiatives and in service planning., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

The aim of the present study is to analyse the age effect on the lag patterns of relative risk of hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction and NO2, PM10 and O3. Daily hospitalizations for AMI during the period 2008–2011 were extracted from administrative data. Analyses were performed using the quasi-Poisson regression model adjusted for seasonality, long-term trend, day of the week and temperature. We observed very different patterns depending on age. For NO2 and PM10, the younger group (25–54 years) shows a more delayed effect in comparison with the two older age groups (55–64 and ≥ 65 years). Overall, the associations between NO2 and AMI are higher compared to PM10. There are no associations between O3 and AMI. This study indicates that age plays a major role in the lag pattern. Younger people have delayed effects, but they are nevertheless sensitive to air pollution., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

La thèse a permis d’élaborer un cadre d’analyse de la qualité de l’encadrement clinique en sciences infirmières au Bénin, de concevoir et tester des outils d’amélioration de la qualité de cet encadrement clinique et de proposer des pistes de conception d’un Référentiel de Compétences et d’un Référentiel de Formation des encadreurs de stage, Doctorat en Santé Publique, info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

De nombreuses études ont mis en évidence les effets à court terme entre la pollution atmosphérique et l’état de santé. Les principaux polluants de l’air sont les particules en suspension, le dioxyde d’azote, l’ozone et le dioxyde de soufre. Ils sont produits essentiellement par le trafic routier et les industries. La température est également associée à la santé cardiovasculaire ou respiratoire et elle peut aussi avoir un effet modificateur sur l’association entre la pollution atmosphérique et événements sanitaires. Les effets à court terme de la pollution atmosphérique peuvent être immédiats, décalés ou cumulés. Le décalage entre exposition et effet sanitaire peut être d’un à plusieurs jours. En général, on observe des effets immédiats pour les maladies cardiovasculaires et des effets légèrement décalés pour les maladies respiratoires. Les maladies cardiovasculaires sont la première cause de mortalité dans les pays industrialisés. Les facteurs de risque de ces maladies sont liés à la fois à l’environnement, aux comportements et aux caractéristiques génétiques des individus. Une association entre pollution atmosphérique, principalement les particules en suspension et le NO2, et morbi-mortalité a été mise en évidence pour les maladies cardiovasculaires suivantes :les accidents vasculaires cérébraux (AVC), les troubles du rythme et l’infarctus du myocarde (IDM). Le but de cette thèse est d’évaluer l’impact à court terme de la pollution atmosphérique sur la santé cardiovasculaire ainsi que sur la mortalité non traumatique en Wallonie et en Belgique tout en vérifiant si des effets immédiats, décalés ou cumulés peuvent être observés en fonction des sensibilités différentielles des sujets exposés., Doctorat en Santé Publique, info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Objectives Summary evidence of influenza vaccine effectiveness (IVE) against hospitalized influenza is lacking. We conducted a meta-analysis of studies reporting IVE against laboratory-confirmed hospitalized influenza among adults. Methods We searched Pubmed (January 2009 to November 2016) for studies that used test-negative design (TND) to enrol patients hospitalized with influenza-associated conditions. Two independent authors selected relevant articles. We calculated pooled IVE against any and (sub)type specific influenza among all adults, and stratified by age group (18–64 and 65 years and above) using random-effects models. Results We identified 3411 publications and 30 met our inclusion criteria. Between 2010–11 and 2014–15, the pooled seasonal IVE was 41% (95%CI:34;48) for any influenza (51% (95%CI:44;58) among people aged 18–64y and 37% (95%CI:30;44) among ≥65 years). IVE was 48% (95%CI:37;59),37% (95%CI:24;50) and 38% (95%CI:23;53) against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, A(H3N2) and B, respectively. Among persons aged ≥65 year, IVE against A(H3N2) was 43% (95%CI:33;53) in seasons when circulating and vaccine strains were antigenically similar and 14% (95%CI:-3;30) when A(H3N2) variant viruses predominated. Conclusions Influenza vaccines provided moderate protection against influenza-associated hospitalizations among adults. They seemed to provide low protection among elderly in seasons where vaccine and circulating A(H3N2) strains were antigenically variant., SCOPUS: re.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Background. This dissertation focuses on two major epidemics, Waterpipe (WP) and Cigarette tobacco smoking, as two considerable global public health issues. It consists of three papers that were published in international peer review journals. We aimed at evaluating the acute and chronic effects of WP and cigarette smoking on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, as well as evaluating the patient's acceptability of shocking pictorial versus actual textual warnings on tobacco packages as an effective control intervention towards smoking cessation".Methods. In the first part of the study, patients were recruited from restaurants in Beirut and Mount Lebanon in order to evaluate the acute (after 45 minutes of waterpipe smoking or immediately following one cigarette smoking) and chronic (before the smoking session) effects on the Forced Expiratory Volume at 1 second (FEV1), Forced Expiratory Volume at 6 seconds (FEV6), FEV1/FEV6, Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP), Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) and heart rate (HR). The second part of the study recruited patients from 5 outpatient clinics located in 5 hospitals in Lebanon. The purpose was to evaluate the acceptability of shocking pictorial health warnings versus the actual textual warnings on packages as an effective tobacco control intervention by evaluating their impact on smoking behaviors and motivation.Results. Mean values of FEV1, FEV6, FEV1/FEV6, DBP, SBP in the acute effect of smoking WP and cigarette smokers were very close. There was a trend to significant acute variation between the three groups for DBP (p=0.05) and a significant variation for HR (p˂0.001): DBP increased in WP smokers while it decreased in cigarette smokers. However, the HR increased in both WP and cigarette smokers after the smoking session, but much more with WP. The pulmonary functions (FEV1, FEV6 and FEV1/FEV6) and the cardiovascular values (DBP, SBP and HR) were significantly associated with the following factors: duration of smoking, ag, Doctorat en Sciences de la santé Publique, info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Background: Obstetric fistula is a serious medical condition which affects women in low income countries. Despite the progress of research on fistula, there is little data on long term follow-up after surgical repair. The objective of this study is to analyse the factors associated with the recurrence of fistula and the outcomes of pregnancy following fistula repair in Guinea. Methods: A descriptive longitudinal study design will be used. The study will include women who underwent fistula repair between 2012 and 2015 at 3 fistula repair sites supported by the Fistula Care Project in Guinea (Kissidougou Prefectoral Hospital, Labé Regional Hospital and Jean Paul II Hospital of Conakry). Participants giving an informed consent after a home visit by the Fistula Counsellors will be interviewed for enrolment at least 3 months after hospital discharge The study enrolment period is January 1, 2012 - June 30, 2015. Participants will be followed-up until June 30, 2016 for a maximum follow up period of 48 months. The sample size is estimated at 364 women. The cumulative incidence rates of fistula recurrence and pregnancy post-repair will be calculated using Kaplan-Meier methods and the risk factor analyses will be performed using adjusted Cox regression. The outcomes of pregnancy will be analysed using proportions, the Pearson's Chi Square (χ2) and a logistic regression with associations reported as risk ratios with 95 % confidence intervals. All analyses will be done using STATA version 13 (STATA Corporation, College Station, TX, USA) with a level of significance set at P<0.05. Discussion: This study will contribute to improving the prevention and management of obstetric fistula within the community and support advocacy efforts for the social reintegration of fistula patients into their communities. It will also guide policy makers and strategic planning for fistula programs. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02686957. Registered 12 February 2016 (Retrospe, SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

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Objective: To synthesise the evidence on pregnancy and childbirth after repair of obstetric fistula in sub-Saharan Africa and to identify the existing knowledge gaps. Methods: A scoping review of studies reporting on pregnancy and childbirth in women who underwent repair for obstetric fistula in sub-Saharan Africa was conducted. We searched relevant articles published between 1 January 1970 and 31 March 2016, without methodological or language restrictions, in electronic databases, general Internet sources and grey literature. Results: A total of 16 studies were included in the narrative synthesis. The findings indicate that many women in sub-Saharan Africa still desire to become pregnant after the repair of their obstetric fistula. The overall proportion of pregnancies after repair estimated in 11 studies was 17.4% (ranging from 2.5% to 40%). Among the 459 deliveries for which the mode of delivery was reported, 208 women (45.3%) delivered by elective caesarean section (CS), 176 women (38.4%) by emergency CS and 75 women (16.3%) by vaginal delivery. Recurrence of fistula was a common maternal complication in included studies while abortions/miscarriage, stillbirths and neonatal deaths were frequent foetal consequences. Vaginal delivery and emergency C-section were associated with increased risk of stillbirth, recurrence of the fistula or even maternal death. Conclusion: Women who get pregnant after repair of obstetric fistula carry a high risk for pregnancy complications. However, the current evidence does not provide precise estimates of the incidence of pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes post-repair. Therefore, studies clearly assessing these outcomes with the appropriate study designs are needed., SCOPUS: re.j, FLWIN, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Introduction. L'incontinence urinaire ne peut être ignorée par l'expert lors de son évaluation. On ne peut toutefois pas attendre de la victime un énoncé de ce préjudice de manière ouverte et presque publique dans une sphère aussi chargée d'émotion. La pudeur élude ce handicap du discours revendicateur et le médecin devra rechercher les signes évocateurs de cette affection cachée par un sentiment de honte car il se doit d'évaluer le dommage et tout le dommage. Tant dans le cadre de l'expertise d'un dommage que de l'évaluation des atteintes de la santé dans un contexte de médecine sociale, le médecin se doit de recourir à des méthodes d'évaluation adaptées (et non invasives), fiables, reproductibles et scientifiquement validées. Les méthodes d'évaluation et leurs limites d'application dans un contexte non thérapeutique doivent être analysées de même que la procédure actuelle de l'évaluation personnelle dans le cadre de l'incontinence urinaire. Nous nous intéressons tout d'abord aux notions épidémiologiques en rapport avec l'incontinence urinaire en définissant le problème et en déterminant la terminologie adaptée au français. Après une analyse de la prévalence, nous présentons les facteurs de risque associés. Après avoir déterminé les facteurs prédictifs et précisé le principe d'anticipation, nous rapportons l'impact économique et social d'un tel symptôme. Le contexte non thérapeutique de l'expertise implique des limites dans la méthodologie d'évaluation. Nous reprenons les techniques non invasives d'évaluation en analysant la littérature avec les procédures utilisées dans ce travail. Nous évaluons les techniques peu invasives et analysons l'intérêt dans le cadre évaluatif des informations fournies par les techniques modérément invasives et invasives prescrites dans un cadre thérapeutique. La procédure actuelle d'évaluation de l'incapacité personnelle dans le cadre de l'incontinence urinaire est présentée avec une définition du terme "incapacité personnelle" et en pr, Doctorat en Sciences médicales (Médecine), info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Background: The prevention and treatment of obstetric fistula still remains a concern and a challenge in low income countries. The objective of this study was to estimate the overall proportions of failure of fistula closure and incontinence among women undergoing repair for obstetric fistula in Guinea and identify its associated factors. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study using data extracted from medical records of fistula repairs between 1 January 2012 and 30 September 2013. The outcome was the failure of fistula closure and incontinence at hospital discharge evaluated by a dye test. A sub-sample of women with vesicovaginal fistula was used to identify the factors associated with these outcomes. Results: Overall, 109 women out of 754 (14.5 %; 95 % CI:11.9-17.0) unsuccessful repaired fistula at discharge and 132 (17.5 %; 95 % CI:14.8-20.2) were not continent. Failure of fistula closure was associated with vaginal delivery (AOR: 1.9; 95 % CI: 1.0-3.6), partially (AOR: 2.0; 95 % CI: 1.1-5.6) or totally damaged urethra (AOR: 5.9; 95 % CI: 2.9-12.3) and surgical repair at Jean Paul II Hospital (AOR: 2.5; 95 % CI: 1.2-4.9). Women who had a partially damaged urethra (AOR: 2.5; 95 % CI: 1.5-4.4) or a totally damaged urethra (AOR: 6.3; 95 % CI: 3.0-13.0) were more likely to experience post-repair urinary incontinence than women who had their urethra intact. Conclusion: At programmatic level in Guinea, caution should be paid to the repair of women who present with a damaged urethra and those who delivered vaginally as they carry greater risks of experiencing a failure of fistula closure and incontinence., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Outdoor air pollution is increasingly considered as a serious risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). High levels of airborne particulate matter (PM) constitute the greatest international air pollution threat. The purpose of this thesis is to broaden our knowledge regarding the relationship between outdoor air pollution and cardiovascular diseases in the Middle Eastern countries, specifically in Lebanon. Moreover, we aimed to develop a scale as CVD screening tool among the Lebanese population. To achieve these goals, we conducted three studies. The first was a systematic review of the literature aiming to assess levels and sources of PM across the Middle East area and to search for an evidence of relationship between PM exposure and CVD (Paper I).The second manuscript was a multicenter case-control study investigating the association between outdoor pollutants and cardiovascular diseases among Lebanese adults (Paper II) while the third study was conducted to develop a score that can be used as a screening tool in clinical and epidemiological settings among the Lebanese adults (Paper III).The annual average values of PM pollutants in the Middle East region are considered to be much higher than the WHO 2006 tolerated levels (PM2.5 = 10 µg/m3, PM10 = 20 µg/m3). We uncovered evidence of an association between PM and CVD in 4 Middle East countries: Iran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Ambient PM pollution is considered a potential risk factor for platelet activation and atherosclerosis. Moreover, it was associated with CVD and found to be linked with an increased risk for mortality and hospital admissions (Paper I). Increased risk of CVD with an odds ratio OR of 5.04, 95% CI (4.44-12.85) for living near busy highway and 4.76, 95% CI (2.07-10.91) for living close to local diesel generator was noticed among population exposed to outdoor air pollution (Paper II). In addition, our results highlight the importance of scale generation, whic, Doctorat en Santé Publique, info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Implementation of newborn hearing screening programmes is widely recommended and programme organisational designs may differ in practice. The objective of this article was to establish an overview of the newborn hearing screening programmes in the 28 countries of the European Union on four topics (policy-decision, financing, general designs, organisational features)., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

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Introduction: This study aimed to determine the influence of the age and the level of malaria transmission on the clinical and biological expression of severe malaria in children. Methods: A prospective descriptive study was conducted in nine referral hospitals in Kinshasa. A total of 1350 children, less than 15 years old and hospitalized for severe malaria, were progressively included in the study between January and November 2011. Results: The majority of these children (74.5%) were less than 5 years of age. Major syndromes were severe anemia (11.4%), cerebral malaria (27.1%), and respiratory distress (20.5%). Severe anemia and cerebral malaria were associated with the age of the child and not the area transmission. On the other hand, respiratory distress was associated with high malaria transmission areas (P < 0.05). After adjustment, these associations were maintained. High malaria lethality was observed in the group of children aged 12-59 months (11.6%) and those from areas of high malaria transmission (8.4%). Conclusion: The child's age and level of transmission are associated with certain severe types of childhood malaria. Early and appropriate support would reduce the most fatal consequences associated with severe childhood malaria., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Contexte: En Belgique, on évalue à 600.000 le nombre de mineurs vivant à un moment donné la séparation de leurs parents, ce qui est déjà le cas pour 10% des enfants en âge préscolaire pour monter à 25, voire 30% pour les adolescents. Une étude qualitative finalisée en 2006, avait permis d’établir un premier état des lieux, en analysant 240 cas de séparation concernant des enfants de 0 à 15 ans. Les éléments reconnus importants étaient les suivants: - Dans les suites d’une séparation, les enfants de parents séparés risqueraient plus souvent que les autres, des troubles psychologiques, somatoformes ou comportementaux, des difficultés scolaires et des problèmes liés à la gestion de leur santé physique.- Les conflits entre les parents après la séparation sont un facteur de risque majeur de troubles pour l’enfant et de difficultés de suivi pour le généraliste.- L’environnement de l’enfant après la séparation et notamment le type de garde influence également l’évolution du jeune patient, même si aucun type d’hébergement (alterné ou pas) ne parait adapté à toutes les situations.- Les principales difficultés professionnelles pour les généralistes sont le fait d’être «instrumentalisés» par les familles avec ses corollaires et par exemple l’aggravation de la situation de l’enfant, de même que le morcellement du suivi médical.Objectif: Dans les suites de cette recherche, et en tenant compte de la littérature disponible, nous avons voulu étudier l’hypothèse selon laquelle le fait pour un enfant de ne pas vivre avec ses deux parents, serait un facteur de risque indépendant pour sa santé.Si cette hypothèse devait se confirmer il était prévisible que le généraliste en soit le témoin privilégié.Méthodologie: A cette fin, nous avons procédé à des études transversales à partir de données de la Banque de données médico-sociales de l’Office de la Naissance et de l’Enfance (ONE) pour les enfants de 7 à 32 mois. Ensuite, nous avons confronté ces résultats avec ceux rapportés par la litté, Doctorat en Sciences médicales (Médecine), info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

La présente thèse s’inscrit dans le cadre de l’évaluation de programmes en santé publique et plus précisément sur le dépistage néonatal de la surdité. Ces programmes sont largement implémentés de par le monde et visent à diagnostiquer et prendre en charge précocement les enfants déficients auditifs, afin de leur permettre de se développer de façon optimale, notamment sur le plan du langage ou socio-émotionnel. Ce type de programme de médecine préventive a été mis en place par la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles (FWB), à l’échelle de la communauté, à la fin de l’année 2006. La thèse a pour objectif d’analyser la mise en place du programme de dépistage néonatal de la surdité dans la FWB, d’en évaluer les résultats et de le mettre en perspective avec les programmes de dépistage de la surdité implémentés dans les pays de l’Union Européenne. A cette fin, nous avons réalisé plusieurs études et analyses qui visaient à répondre à cinq objectifs spécifiques. Le cadre de référence utilisé pour l’évaluation était celui de la recherche évaluative. Tout d’abord, le processus de la mise à l’agenda politique du programme dans la FWB et sa mise en place ont été analysés, respectivement sur base du modèle de Kindgon et par l’application de la matrice SWOT. Ensuite, une analyse des résultats chiffrés générés par le programme a été réalisée, au moyen des indicateurs généralement utilisés pour des programmes de dépistage et les résultats pour la FWB ont été comparés à ceux d’autres programmes de dépistage néonatal de la surdité et aux critères de qualité du Joint Committee on Infant Hearing, considérés comme la référence pour l’évaluation de ces programmes. Par après, les facteurs de risque néonataux de surdité initialement élaborés pour le programme de la FWB ont été révisés, par une approche associant le niveau de preuve (échelle GRADE) et la recherche d’un consensus auprès d’experts cliniciens (méthode Delphi). Ensuite, l’âge des enfants lors de leur prise en charge a été étudié ;pour, Doctorat en Santé Publique, info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Air pollution is a widespread environmental concern. Considerable epidemiological evidence indicates air pollution, particularly particulate matter (PM), as a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in the developed countries. The main objective of our review is to assess the levels and sources of PM across the Middle East area and to search evidence for the relationship between PM exposure and CVD. An extensive review of the published literature pertaining to the subject (2000-2013) was conducted using PubMed, Medline and Google Scholar databases. We reveal that low utilization of public transport, ageing vehicle fleet and the increasing number of personal cars in the developing countries all contribute to the traffic congestion and aggravate the pollution problem. The annual average values of PM pollutants in the Middle East region are much higher than the World Health Organization 2006 guidelines (PM2.5 = 10 μg/m3, PM10 = 20 μg/m3). We uncover evidence on the association between PM and CVD in 4 Middle East countries: Iran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The findings are in light of the international figures. Ambient PM pollution is considered a potential risk factor for platelet activation and atherosclerosis and has been found to be linked with an increased risk for mortality and hospital admissions due to CVD. This review highlights the importance of developing a strategy to improve air quality and reduce outdoor air pollution in the developing countries, particularly in the Middle East. Future studies should weigh the potential impact of PM on the overall burden of cardiac diseases., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Background: Understanding the risk factors for hearing loss is essential for designing the Belgian newborn hearing screening programme. Accordingly, they needed to be updated in accordance with current scientific knowledge. This study aimed to update the recommendations for the clinical management and follow-up of newborns with neonatal risk factors of hearing loss for the newborn screening programme in Belgium. Methods: A literature review was performed, and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system assessment method was used to determine the level of evidence quality and strength of the recommendation for each risk factor. The state of scientific knowledge, levels of evidence quality, and graded recommendations were subsequently assessed using a three-round Delphi consensus process (two online questionnaires and one face-to-face meeting). Results: Congenital infections (i.e., cytomegalovirus, toxoplasmosis, and syphilis), a family history of hearing loss, consanguinity in (grand)parents, malformation syndromes, and foetal alcohol syndrome presented a ‘high’ level of evidence quality as neonatal risk factors for hearing loss. Because of the sensitivity of auditory function to bilirubin toxicity, hyperbilirubinaemia was assessed at a ‘moderate’ level of evidence quality. In contrast, a very low birth weight, low Apgar score, and hospitalisation in the neonatal intensive care unit ranged from ‘very low’ to ‘low’ levels, and ototoxic drugs were evidenced as ‘very low’. Possible explanations for these ‘very low’ and ‘low’ levels include the improved management of these health conditions or treatments, and methodological weaknesses such as confounding effects, which make it difficult to conclude on individual risk factors. In the recommendation statements, the experts emphasised avoiding unidentified neonatal hearing loss and opted to include risk factors for hearing loss even in cases with weak evidence. The panel also highli

Background: In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), few studies have focused on treatment-seeking paths selected by caretakers for the management of severe childhood malaria in an urban environment. The present study aims at describing the treatment-seeking paths according to the characteristics of households, as well as the subsequent impact on pre-hospitalization delay and malarial fatality and on the main syndromes associated with severe childhood malaria. Methods: This descriptive study included data collected at nine hospitals in Kinshasa between January and November 2011. A total of 1,350 children, under 15 years of age and hospitalized for severe malaria, were included in the study. Results: Regarding the management of malaria, 31.5% of households went directly to the health centre or hospital while 68.5% opted for self-medication, church and/or traditional healing therapy. The most frequent first-line option was self-medication, adopted by more than 61.5% of households. Nevertheless, rational self-medication using antimalarial drugs recommended by the WHO (artemisinin-based combinations) was reported for only 5.5% of children. Only 12.5% of households combined 2 or 3 traditional options. The following criteria influenced the choice of a modern vs. traditional path: household socioeconomic level, residential environment, maternal education level and religious beliefs. When caretakers opted for traditional healing therapy, the pre-hospitalization delay was longer and the occurrence of respiratory distress, severe anaemia and mortality was higher. Conclusion: The implementation of a malaria action plan in the Democratic Republic of Congo should take into account the diversity and pluralistic character of treatment-seeking behaviors in order to promote the most appropriate options (hospital and rational self-medication) and to avoid detrimental outcomes., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

The case-crossover design is frequently used for analyzing the acute health effects of air pollution. Nevertheless, only a few studies compared different methods for selecting control periods. In this study, the bidirectional method and three time-stratified methods were used to estimate the association between air pollution and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Charleroi, Belgium, during 1999-2008. The strongest associations between air pollution and AMI were observed for PM10 and NO2 during the warm period, OR = 1.095 (95 % CI: 1.003-1.169) and OR = 1.120 (95 % CI: 1.001-1.255), respectively. The results of this study reinforce the evidence of the acute effects of air pollution on AMI, especially during the warm season. This study suggests that the different methods of case-crossover study design are suitable to studying the association between acute events and air pollution. The temperature-stratified design is useful to exclude temperature as a potential confounder., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

ETIOLOGIE, CLASSIFICATION ET TRAITEMENT DES FISTULES TRAUMATIQUES GÉNITO-URINAIRES ET GÉNITO-DIGESTIVES BASSES (FTUG-DB) DANS L’EST DU CONGO. Objectif généralContribution à l’amélioration de la prise en charge de la FTUG-DB en RDC en :1) Clarifiant les étiologies des FTUG-DB en RDC.2) proposant une meilleure classification de la FTUG-DB afin de définir une stratégie opératoire adaptée.3) Évaluant les traitements de la FTUG-DB à l’hôpital Panzi.Objectifs spécifiques1. L’importance des fistules iatrogènes en RDC nous a amenés à étudier l’incidence et les caractéristiques des fistules d’origine iatrogènes (2 articles).- Cesarean delivery-related fistulae in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Onsrud M1, Sjøveian S, Mukwege D. International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics. 2011; 114(1):10-14- Complete destruction of urethra and bladder neck following symphysiotomy and results of attempted corrective surgery. Onsrud M1, Sjøveian S, Mukwege D. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica. 2008; 87(5):574-5762. Suite à la découverte de cette nouvelle étiologie qu’est la fistule traumatique due au viol avec extrême violence, nous avons voulu la définir, en comprendre les raisons afin de prévenir leur survenue et déterminer la morbidité résultante de la fistule traumatique après viol (4 articles).- Sexual violence-related fistulas in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Onsrud M1, Sjøveian S, Luhiriri R, Mukwege D. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2008 Dec; 103(3):265-9. - Rape as a strategy of war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mukwege DM1, Mohamed-Ahmed O, Fitchett JR. Int Health. 2010 Sep; 2(3):163-4.- Rape with Extreme Violence: The New Pathology in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo. Denis Mukengere Mukwege, Cathy Nangini. International Journal and Obstetrics 2009; 6(12)- No more! Organized rape in the Democratic Republic of the Congo must stop now. Mukwege D. International journal of gynecology and Obstetrics 2011; 114(1):1-33. Les classifications des fistules vésico-vaginal, Doctorat en Sciences médicales (Santé Publique), info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Background: Malaria is a major health problem in tropical Africa. In DRC, little is known about the characteristics of households of children with severe malaria or the factors associated with its lethality, especially relative to hospital status. Methods: This study of 9 hospitals of the cityprovince of Kinshasa studied 1350 children younger than 15 years and hospitalized for severe malaria from January to November 2011. Results: More than three quarters of children admitted to public (state) and church hospitals were from poor households and with uneducated mothers (P < 0.001). The case-fatality rate (5.9% of all children) differed according to hospital status: 5.3% in state hospitals, 8.4% in private hospitals, and 4.0% in the faithbased hospitals (P < 0.001). The risk of death was significantly associated with circulatory collapse (odds ratio, OR = 10.3), number of associated syndromes>2 (OR = 3.5), z-score of weight-for-age ≤-2 (OR = 3.5), delay in seeking medical care (OR = 4.9), body temperature ≥40°C (OR = 2.9), respiratory distress (OR = 1.9) and home rental (versus ownership) a tenant (OR = 2.8), and anorexia was a protective factor (odds ratio = 0.5). Conclusion: Severe cases of malaria are rife Epiin poor households and periurban residential areas. Orienting prevention, control, and care- according to the vulnerability of affected households and providing early treatment are imperative if we are to reduce mortality from malaria., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Introduction: The objective of this study was to determine the source of health care funding for heads of households related to the management of severe malaria in children admitted to a Kinshasa reference hospital. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 1,350 hospitalised children under the age of 15 years treated for severe malaria in Kinshasa reference hospitals from January to November 2011 and the heads of households of these children. Results: Only 46% of heads of households reported having sufficient funds directly available in the household budget. The remaining 54% had to call upon external sources of funding (sale of assets, loans, pawning goods). The use of a loan tended to increase significantly mainly for households with a low (adjusted odds ratio = 6.2), and intermediate socioeconomic status (adjusted odds ratio = 3.8) and for households working in the informal sector (adjusted odds ratio = 2.5). Similarly, the sale of assets was more frequently reported for households working in the informal sector (adjusted odds ratio = 2.4) ) and for female heads of households (adjusted odds ratio = 3.9). Conclusion: The management of severe malaria is a burden on household income. The majority of heads of households concerned needs to use external funding sources. A State subsidy for this management would help to reduce the risk of debt and sale of assets, especially for the poorest households., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

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Background: Over time, the circumstances encountered in case of child mistreatment, can be quite complex and then, can lead to methodological questions for the analysis of the data. Based on data coming from 395 children hospitalized, alone (66.1 %) or in siblings (33.9 %), in a pediatric ward between 2007 and 2012 for mistreatment or because of a severe risk of mistreatment, the aims of this paper were to quantify the degree of similarity between sibling members, to study the differences between children hospitalized alone or with siblings and to compare four statistical methods (logistic regression and GEE, both without and with robust standard error) for the analyses of the associated factors of mistreatment. Results: Almost all intracluster correlation coefficients were large, meaning that the sibling's members have a higher degree of similarity between them. The odds ratios were not exactly the same between the two models and the robust standard errors where almost always higher than the model-based standard errors in both logistic and GEE models leading to wider confidence intervals. Conclusion: Because many of the intra-siblings correlations observed were relatively strong, the failure to take this cluster dependency into account had a substantial effect on the statistical analyses. Methods taking into account the cluster dependency are widely available in statistical software and strongly recommended., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Iodine is necessary for thyroid hormones synthesis which in turn are essential for brain development during fetal and early postnatal life. In these critical periods, severe iodine deficiency can induce irreversible brain damage in the fetus and the infant, resulting in retarded cognitive and/or psychomotor development. Despite the introduction of salt iodization programs such as national measures to control iodine deficiency, some European countries, including Belgium, are still affected by Mild Iodine Deficiency (MID) and MID during pregnancy may affect neurodevelopment of the offspring. Elevated thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) concentration (>5mU/l) at birth has been used as an indicator of iodine deficiency during late pregnancy and at the population level. This doctoral research aimed to investigate the association between neonatal TSH level, used as a surrogate marker of MID during late pregnancy, and cognitive, psychomotor and psychosocial development of preschool children. It was hypothesized that elevation of TSH at birth is associated with impaired intellectual and psychomotor development and with behavioral problems at 4-5 years. As the use of TSH as an indicator of iodine deficiency has been criticized, we have also set out to assess the potential factors influencing neonatal TSH level measured through neonatal screening using a representative sample of TSH values between 0 and 15 mIU/L. Additionally, we aimed to reevaluate the neonatal TSH cut-off (5mIU/L) used to monitor iodine status in the population. The objective was to evaluate the cut-off point from which we can observe the impairment of children’s neurodevelopment. We hypothesized that this is a good way to establish the best cut-off value for identifying iodine deficiency.The study included 315 Belgian preschool children with a TSH concentration between 0 and 15 mU/L at screening. For each sex and TSH-interval (0-1 mU/L, 1-2 mU/L, 2-3 mU/L, 3-4 mU/L, 4-5 mU/L, 5-6 mU/L, 6-7 mU/L, 7-8 mU/L, 8, Doctorat en Sciences psychologiques et de l'éducation, info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

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BACKGROUND:Despite being a well-documented phenomenon, gender differences in psychological health complaints in adolescence are poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to test factors related to well-being as explanatory factors of gender differences in psychological complaints (feeling low, irritability or bad temper, nervousness, and sleeping difficulties) in adolescence.METHODS:This study was based on the 9(th) Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, conducted in 2010 in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, Belgium, on 9-24 year olds. Using logistic regression analyses, we studied gender differences in psychological complaints through well-being factors (life satisfaction, self-confidence, helplessness, and body image), across age categories, and examined the variation of female excess after taking into account each factor.RESULTS:The four well-being factors together explained more than half of the female excess in feeling low. However, there were still significant gender differences in feeling low for children over 13. Among 13 to 15-year-olds, there were no gender differences in irritability after adjustment. An important decrease in gender differences in nervousness was observed in the multivariate analyses, although there was still significant female excess in nervousness increasing from 13 years old. After full adjustment, only gender differences in sleeping difficulties among 13-15-year-olds remained significant. For all psychological complaints studied, self-confidence caused the most important decrease in gender difference.CONCLUSIONS:This study showed that factors related to well-being could mediate the association between gender and psychological complaints, and pointed to the importance of taking into account well-being factors in the analyses of the aetiology of gender differences in psychological complaints. However, our results suggested that future research should explore additional explanations for gender differences in psycho, SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Cette thèse concerne la morbidité maternelle de l’accouchement et du post-partum. Elle cherche à mieux comprendre le phénomène en mesurant son ampleur, identifiant ses déterminants. Cette thèse a cherché également à explorer les conséquences de la morbidité maternelle sévère (near miss) lors de l’accouchement et dans le post-partum. Ceci, afin de contribuer à l’amélioration de la prise en charge de la mère et de son nouveau-né.Notre cadre d’analyse s’est appuyé sur deux modèles conceptuels complémentaires. le premier modèle utilisé est celui de Geller et al (2002) qui montre la progression de l’état de santé des femmes tout au long du continuum de la grossesse et le degré d’évolution des complications; celles-ci pouvant éventuellement survenir en post-partum (Geller et al 2002). Le deuxième modèle est celui de Graham et al (2006), qui montre l’importance de décrire les différents facteurs influençant l’évolution de la santé de la femme pendant la grossesse, l’accouchement et en post-partum; à savoir les facteurs liés à l’environnement de la femme et ceux en rapport avec le système de santé. Les résultats de notre recherche sont structurés comme suit:La première étude a défini l’ampleur et les catégories de la morbidité en post-partum. Elle en a également comparé la perception par les femmes et celle diagnostiquée par le médecin. Pour faire aboutir notre démarche, nous avons mené une étude descriptive transversale dans le quartier Al Massira de Marrakech pendant une année (en 2011). Nous avons combiné un examen clinique et un examen de laboratoire (NFS, hémoglobine) à un questionnaire administré au 42ème jour après l’accouchement adressé à 1 210 femmes ayant réalisé une consultation du post-partum. Lors de cette consultation, 44% des femmes ont exprimé au moins une plainte. Concernant les problèmes gynécologiques (20%), les problèmes de santé mentale (10%), des hémorroïdes; et les problèmes mammaires représentant respectivement 6% et 5% des femmes. Lors de cette même, Doctorat en Sciences de la santé Publique, info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Outdoor air pollution is increasingly considered as a serious threat for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The aim of this study is to investigate the association between outdoor pollutants and cardiovascular diseases among adults in Lebanon and to examine the possible moderator effect of cigarette smoking status on this association. A multicenter case-control study was conducted between October 2011 and October 2012. Cases were hospitalized patients diagnosed with CVD by a cardiologist while the control group subjects were free of any cardiac diseases. Information on sociodemographic characteristics, tobacco consumption, self-rated global health, pollution exposure, and other risk factors was collected using a questionnaire. The results of the logistic regression revealed that living near busy highway (OR 5.04, 95% CI (4.44-12.85), P < 0.001) and close to local diesel generator (OR 4.76, 95% CI (2.07-10.91), P < 0.001) was significantly associated with CVD. The association between the CVD and exposure to outside pollutants differed by cigarette smoking status. A clear difference was noted between nonsmokers and current smokers OR 4.6, 95% CI (1.10-19.25) and OR 10.11, 95% CI (7.33-20.23), respectively. Forthcoming studies are needed to clarify the potential link between outdoor air pollution and cardiovascular diseases in Lebanon. Public health interventions must be implemented to reduce air pollution and to improve air quality., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Introduction: The European Union (EU) is a political and economic confederation composed by 27 member states (EU-27). The EU implemented several standardizations in laws, justice and home affairs and shares the consensus that health care should be regulated by the state. A high level of human protection should be ensured in all its member states. European health systems are funded and managed by each national government and for historical reasons health policy and health expenditure are not homogeneous. Whereas cancer incidence is dependent on factors such as population age, life-style and genetic predisposition, cancer mortality in general is dependent on the efficacy of health systems in providing cancer prevention, efficient screening methods and treatments. Around 20% of the breast cancers show amplification/overexpression of HER2 that is associated with a more aggressive disease and worse clinical outcome. By targeting the HER2 receptor trastuzumab has significantly improved overall survival and changed the natural course of this disease. Objectives: This study aims to evaluate (1) the association of health expenditure with breast cancer outcome, (2) to explore to which degree the differences in breast cancer survival are related to the speed of uptake of trastuzumab and its determinants and (3) to evaluate the real usage of trastuzumab and its relation to breast cancer survival in the EU. Results: Breast cancer survival was found strongly correlated with health expenditure. A clear cutoff divides Western and Eastern Europe in that regard, with western countries showing higher health expenditure and higher breast cancer survival than Eastern Europe. Trastuzumab reimbursement was faster in Western European countries, a factor associated with higher health expenditure and better health policy performance. Trastuzumab uptake is increasing all over Europe in the last 12 years, however it is still bei, Doctorat en sciences médicales, info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Le paludisme grave de l’enfant est une maladie potentiellement mortelle dans de nombreuses zones tropicales et subtropicales. Sa prise en charge nécessite des moyens coûteux et pèse lourdement sur l’économie des ménages. En République Démocratique du Congo, les ménages sont obligés de débourser directement les frais de prise en charge, faute de la quasi-inexistence de la sécurité sociale. En dépit de la conférence d’Abidjan 2001, demandant aux chefs d’Etats africains de consacrer 15% des budgets nationaux à la santé, le budget alloué à la santé en RDC reste faible. La charge financière s’est transférée graduellement sur les ménages qui sont paupérisés à l’extrême. La subvention de l’Etat seule ne suffit plus à subvenir aux besoins de la population. Objectifs et hypothèses.Les hypothèses suivantes ont été posées, Doctorat en Sciences de la santé publique, info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

A large number of studies have demonstrated an association between ambient air pollutant exposures and acute myocardial infarctions (AMI). Case-crossover methods are frequently used for analyzing the acute health effects of air pollution. Nevertheless, only a few studies controlled for potential confounders like other air pollutants and temperature., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published