Fiji is a low tuberculosis (TB) burden country, with a TB incidence rate of 24 cases per 100 000 population and a high treatment success rate of 90% (2012 data). 1 However, diabetes mellitus (DM) is very common in Fiji, and its prevalence is thought to be increasing. The STEPwise approach to Surveillance (STEPs) study conducted in 2002 reported a population prevalence of 16% for DM. 2 A more recent estimate, using a different methodology, gave a DM prevalence among adults in Fiji of 10.9%, with impaired glucose tolerance in a further 11.0%. 3 This remarkably high prevalence of DM is a matter of concern for TB control in Fiji. Published data from other settings have concluded that people with DM have a significantly increased risk of developing TB and worse treatment outcomes, with a higher risk of mortality and treatment failure during anti-tuberculosis treatment than among patients without DM. [4][5][6] In response to this evidence, the Fiji National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP) introduced random blood glucose (RBG) testing to screen for DM in all registered TB patients in 2011. 7 A recent local study reported DM in 14% of TB patients in Fiji. 8 It has been noted by local clinical and public health staff that sputum smear-positive TB patients with DM take longer to convert to smear-negative than TB patients without DM, and that they thus require longer periods of hospitalisation. However, this observation has not been verified empirically, and there are no published data from Fiji reporting sputum smear conversion or treatment response in TB patients with and without DM.In the present study, we aimed to evaluate treatment outcomes and sputum smear conversion in TB patients with DM and compare these indicators in TB patients without DM. METHODS Study designThis was a retrospective descriptive study using routinely collected data from the TB register and in-patient folders from three TB treatment hospitals in Fiji. SettingFiji is an island nation, located in the Pacific Ocean, classified as an upper middle-income economy. 9 It comprises 332 islands, of which 110 are inhabited. The population of 837 231 comprises 56.8% i-Taukei (indigenous Fijians) and 37.5% Fijians of Indian descent; the remaining 5.7% are from other ethnic backgrounds. 10 The Fiji NTP is largely funded by the government, and TB diagnosis and treatment are provided free of charge. Three government hospitals provide TB services for the entire country; the private sector is not involved in TB control. All patients diagnosed with TB are registered as TB cases and treated at one of the three TB treatment centres. The majority of TB patients are admitted for the 2-month intensive phase of treatment, during which they receive anti-tuberculosis treatment and clinical follow-up. Clinical evaluation on admission routinely includes a full medical history and RBG screening if the patient is not known to have DM. If RBG is 6.1 mmol/l, fasting blood glucose (FBG) is tested. If the FBG is 7 mmol/l, 8 patients are diagnosed as having DM and referred to a ph...

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Experiential learning is the process where learners create meaning from direct experience. This systematic review aimed to examine the effects of experiential learning activities on dietary outcomes (knowledge, attitudes, behaviors) in children. Four databases: Education Research Complete, Scopus, Web of Science and PsychINFO were searched from database inception to 2020. Eligible studies included children 0–12 years, assessed effect of experiential learning on outcomes of interest compared to non-experiential learning and were open to any setting. The quality of studies was assessed using the revised Cochrane risk of bias tool by two independent reviewers and effect size was calculated on each outcome. Nineteen studies were conducted in primary school, six in pre-school and one in an outside-of-school setting and used nine types of experiential learning strategies. Cooking, taste-testing, games, role-playing, and gardening were effective in improving nutrition outcomes in primary school children. Sensory evaluation, games, creative arts, and storybooks were effective for preschool children. Multiple strategies involving parents, and short/intense strategies are useful for intervention success. Experiential learning is a useful strategy to improve children’s knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors towards healthy eating. Fewer studies in pre-school and outside of school settings and high risk of bias may limit the generalizability and strength of the findings.

Anti-tuberculosis treatment outcomes were more likely to be successful in patients who were supervised by a family member than in SAT patients. As this method of treatment supervision is not likely to be resource-intensive, we recommend that it continue in Fiji. Further prospective operational research could be carried out to determine patient preferences for anti-tuberculosis treatment supervision in Fiji, to promote a patient-centred approach.

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