Children below five years of age residing in an urban settlement of Papua New Guinea were monitored from May 1987 to July 1988 in an attempt to identify aetiological factors of childhood diarrhoea. Presence of faeces in the compound was associated with a 48% increase (incidence density ratio (IDR) = 1.48, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.163-1.897) in diarrhoea morbidity whilst the presence of pigs in the compound was associated with a 69% increase (IDR = 1.694, 95% CI:1.317-2.189). The presence of a standpipe in the compound was associated with a reduction in diarrhoea morbidity of 56%. The effect of presence of faeces, animals, and standpipe on the incidence of diarrhoea was not dependent on whether or not mothers were literate. We conclude that any intervention aimed at these factors is likely to reduce diarrhoea morbidity in similar urban ecosystems.
A retrospective review of cancer of breast in Papua New Guinean females for a period of 10 years revealed an annual reporting rate of 2.7 per 100 000. It contributed to 4.8% of all malignancies. The Islands region has the highest incidence. The most common age group at diagnosis was 40–49 years. Histologically invasive ductal carcinomas formed 66% of the tumours. Resembling the African experience, the incidence of breast carcinoma in Papua New Guinea appears to be low and most patients report quite late.
Children under 5 years of age residing in an urban settlement of Papua New Guinea were monitored from May 1987 to July 1988 in an attempt to identify aetiological factors of childhood diarrhoea. Low birthweight was found to be strongly associated with diarrhoea (incidence density ratio (IDR) = 1.60, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.26-2.03). The low birthweight effect was noticeable to at least 3 years of age. Greater attention should be paid to reducing the incidence of low birthweight, because such a reduction will not only be of benefit in the control of diarrhoea, but will also alleviate other factors which contribute to infant morbidity and mortality.
Transient risk factors may play an important role in the aetiology of acute diarrhoea. These factors have not been well elucidated. To assess them, we monitored 479 children below the age of 5 years living in a well-defined urban community in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, for one year, using the nested case-control method with density sampling. Comparing the odds ratios, we found that eating food that had been kept for more than 12 h, eating away from home, temporary absence of mother from home for more than one day, and the presence of respiratory infection in the child, were statistically associated with an increased risk of diarrhoea. We conclude that these transient factors must be addressed if effective control of diarrhoea is to be achieved. We believe that further studies will identify the factors more precisely and provide a better understanding of the method we have employed.
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