Under-reporting of maternal deaths in Jamaica in 2008 was attributable to delayed registration of coroners' cases and misclassification. Timely registration of coroners' cases and training of nosologists to recognize and code maternal deaths is needed.

To determine the knowledge, beliefs and practices of patients with diabetic retinopathy attending the Retina Eye Clinic at the University Hospital of the West Indies. A prospective study was done using a questionnaire with a sample population of 150 patients. The questions included their knowledge about the frequency of their eye examination, the relevance of exercise and a healthy diet, the role of the ophthalmologist and their views on the importance of compliance with medications for diabetes and hypertension. One hundred and fifty patients were recruited. Sixty six percent (99/150) were females and 34 % (51/150) males. The ages ranged from 29 to 83 years (mean ± SD, 56.1 ± 10.3) years. Type II diabetes was more common; 63 and 79 % of females and males respectively. A minority (19.8 %) obtained tertiary education. The mean % knowledge scores were 86 ± 14 for males and 82.8 ± 16.4 for females (p = 0.260). Prior to attending the retina clinic, 50 % were unaware of the need for annual eye examinations. Compliance with medication, exercise and a special diet was seen in 73, 40.3 and 49.7 % respectively. Current knowledge scores were good. However, knowledge about the timing and frequency of eye examinations prior to attending the retina clinic was inadequate. Correct knowledge and beliefs did not correspond to a high level of compliant practices.

Background: Health surveys provide important information on the burden and secular trends of risk factors and disease. Several factors including survey and item non-response can affect data quality. There are few reports on efficiency, validity and the impact of item non-response, from developing countries. This report examines factors associated with item non-response and study efficiency in a national health survey in a developing Caribbean island.

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Background: Stroke remains a major contributor to mortality and morbidity both locally and globally. To date, there has been no study examining the impact of stroke on quality of life (QOL) in the Jamaican population. Our study was the first to look at QOL among Jamaican stroke survivors across the vast spectrum of stroke severity ranging from mild to severe. We also aimed to identify variables that led to decreased QOL in this cohort when compared to healthy adults. Methods:This was a hospital-based case-control study comparing the QOL of 50 stroke patients admitted to the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) in Jamaica between 2012 and 2013 to that of 50 apparently healthy adults (AHAs). Stroke severity was calculated using the National Institutes of Health stroke scale (NIHSS) at admission. The health-related quality of life in stroke patients (HRQOLISP) tool was used to attain the QOL score in each group. Results:Of the 108 patients that were coded as having an acute ischemic stroke in the year 2012, 38 (35.1%) were deceased and 20 (18.5%) were lost to follow-up at the time of the study. There was no statistical difference between the stroke group and the AHAs with regard to age, race and traditional risk factors for stroke. Within the stroke population, the mean age was 61 ± 17.8 years. The mean age among the AHAs was 60 ± 13.1 years. Of the stroke survivors, 25 (50%) were male and 25 (50%) were female. Forty-five (90%) patients were hypertensive. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) was significantly reduced across most domains when compared to AHAs (P = 0.0001). Greater stroke severity, presence of depression and previous stroke were all significantly associated with worse QOL. Conclusions:In Jamaica, HRQOL among stroke survivors at the UHWI is consistently and significantly lower than that of healthy adults. Strategic interventions that target stroke severity, depression and non-adherence to secondary prevention regimens must be implemented in order to improve patient outcomes.