Impact of Policy and Practice on the Effectiveness of Contact Screening for Tuberculosis

Background.Screening for tuberculosis is conducted because TB is a disease of public health importance that can be prevented if screening is followed by isoniazid prophylaxis for infected individuals. Screening alone is not effective unless that screening is rational and systematic and is followed by prevention where appropriate. Our aim was to consider whether the TB contact screening guidelines are evidence-based and appropriate, how well these guidelines are implemented, and how policy and practice impact on prevention.Methods.A cohort of 1,142 recent contacts screened in 1991 in Victoria, Australia, was studied. We evaluated the appropriateness of the screening guidelines and how well they were implemented and how the combination of these two factors impacted on the efficacy of the screening program.Results.The screening guidelines required updating and were not evidence-based. Chest radiograph (CXR) was overused and was the sole screening tool for nearly 40% (449/1,142) of contacts. Eighty percent of repeat CXRs were done following a normal initial study. Skin testing was underused. In nearly 60% (658/1,142) of all contacts, the presence or absence of infection could not be determined because a skin test was not done and the CXR, if done, was clear. Only 22% (38/175) of identified, eligible contacts received isoniazid preventive therapy.Conclusions.Lack of evidence-based guidelines, as well as poor adherence to guidelines, resulted in an inefficient program. This problem may not be unique to the study setting, but cannot be identified without systematic program evaluation, for which we have provided a model.     

'As every good mother should'. Childhood immunization in New Zealand: a qualitative study

Immunization coverage is a cause for concern in both developed and developing countries. In New Zealand immunization uptake rates have been estimated at less than 60% for children under the age of 2 years old. A qualitative exploration of knowledge, experiences and concerns appeared necessary to supplement the quantitative data and offer some explanations for low uptake. Focus groups and individual interviews were held with primary child caregivers in Auckland, a major multi-cultural metropolis of New Zealand. A total of 67 parents took part of whom 97% were mothers. Discussion focused on identifying the knowledge and experiences participants had of childhood diseases and immunizations, and on their concerns. Interview data were analysed following construction of role ordered and conceptually clustered matrices. The results demonstrated limited knowledge and a lack of experience regarding childhood diseases. Some mothers conceptualized immunization using a metaphor of ‘protection’. Others perceived immunization as socio-politically driven and were distrustful of immunization campaigns. Many mothers faced a dilemma about immunization and were highly anxious. There was a greater concern about the side effects of immunization than about the side effects of childhood diseases. This may reflect a ‘developed world’ view with a difference between the concerns of white middle class mothers, and those mothers from the Pacific Islands, where common childhood diseases are more endemic. Predominantly the onus for immunization lay with mothers and this was not considered to be sufficiently recognized by health service providers. Personalized programmes designed to meet the needs of mothers are required to complement existing population oriented immunization programmes.     

Recent Negative Cytology Prior to Histologically Confirmed Carcinoma in Situ of the Cervix

Summary: Women with histologically confirmed carcinoma in situ of the cervix were studied within the records of the Victorian Cervical Cytology Registry. The prevalence of histologically confirmed carcinoma in situ during 1992 was 2.67 per 1,000 women screened. Thirty per cent (401 of 1,327) of the women with carcinoma in situ had negative cervical cytology reported during the 2 years prior to the diagnosis of carcinoma in situ and at least 49% (648 of 1,327) had negative cytology during the preceding 5 years. Adenocarcinoma in situ comprised 3.4% of all cases; these women were significantly older and more likely to have had a recent negative smear report than women with squamous carcinoma in situ. Fifty-five per cent of the women with squamous carcinoma in situ had HPV reported on the biopsy compared with only 27% of the women with adenocarcinoma in situ. Ten per cent of the women with carcinoma in situ had a past history of cytological or histological abnormality; this proportion did not vary by type of carcinoma in situ. This relatively high proportion of negative cytology in close proximity to a diagnosis of carcinoma in situ is to be expected if there is active treatment of lesser lesions and frequent screening of members of the community.     

Low Birth-weight in NSW, 1987: a Population-based Study

Summary: The New South Wales perinatal data collection was used to examine the association between low birth-weight and some of its potential risk factors. The study population comprised all recorded singleton births to residents of NSW in 1987. Low birth-weight infants were categorized as either small for gestational age (SGA) or preterm (less than 37 weeks). Risk factors were analyzed separately for these categories. The risk factors examined were primarily demographic or reproductive history variables. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression were used to evaluate the risk factors. The factors associated with SGA birth were mainly demographic (maternal age, parity, marital status, socioeconomic status, and ethnic group) while those associated with preterm birth had more reproductive history variables (maternal age, parity, marital status, prior spontaneous abortion, prior induced abortion, prior stillbirth or neonatal death, sex of infant). A first antenatal visit after 12 weeks had a statistically significant but small effect on both SGA and preterm birth.