Objectives: This study investigated the knowledge, awareness and practices of health care workers towards universal precautions at the University Hospital of the West Indies. The study also examined the prevalence of injuries experienced by health care workers, as well as incidence of accidents and compliance with post-exposure prophylaxis. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional survey was conducted in September and October 2007. A 28-item self-administered questionnaire was provided to two hundred health care workers including medical doctors, medical technologists, nurses and porters to assess knowledge and practices regarding universal precautions, prevalence of injuries and incidence of accidents. Results: Almost two-thirds (62.3%) of the respondents were aware of policies and procedures for reporting accidents while one-third (33.2%) were unsure. All nurses were aware of policies and procedures for reporting accidents, followed by medical doctors (88%) and medical technologists (61.2%). The majority (81.5%) of the respondents experienced splashes from bodily fluid. Over three-quarters of medical doctors (78%) and two-thirds of nurses (64%) reported having experienced needle stick injuries, while the incidence among medical technologists was remarkably lower (26%). The majority of the respondents (59%) experienced low accident incidence while just over one-tenth (14%) reported high incidence. Eighty four respondents reported needle stick injuries; just under two-thirds (59.5%) of this group received post-exposure treatment. Conclusions: The study found that majority of health care workers were aware of policies and procedures for reporting accidents. Splashes from body fluids, needle stick injuries and cuts from other objects were quite prevalent among health care workers. There is a need for monitoring systems which would provide accurate information on the magnitude of needle stick injuries and trends over time, potential risk factors, emerging new problems, and the effectiveness of interventions at The University Hospital of the West Indies and other hospitals in Jamaica.

Metabolic syndrome has become quite prevalent within our society. Over the past two decades, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome has sharply increased worldwide and it has become a major public health problem in several countries. It is associated with the global epidemic of obesity and diabetes mellitus and imposes numerous cardiovascular risks. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men, surpassed only by non-melanoma skin cancer. A considerable body of evidence exists suggesting that some components of the metabolic syndrome have been associated with the risk of prostate cancer. These components include obesity, an abdominal fat distribution, and hyperinsulinemia. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is the most widely used therapeutic modality in prostate cancer. It changed the body composition and lipid profile of men with prostate cancer. Androgen deficiency is associated with increased levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, increased production of proinflammatory factors, and increased thickness of the arterial wall and contributes to endothelial dysfunction. The aim of this review is to evaluate the association between metabolic syndrome and prostate cancer and to discuss the implications of androgen deficiency in men with cardiovascular risk factors. A comprehensive literature search was carried out with the use of PubMed from 1980 through 2011, and relevant articles pertinent to metabolic syndrome and prostate cancer are evaluated and discussed.

Health literacy is a measure of the patient’s ability to read, comprehend and act on medical instructions. This research article examines health literacy and health-seeking behaviors among elderly men in Jamaica, in order to inform health policy. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. A 133-item questionnaire was administered to a random sample of 2,000 men, 55 years and older, in St Catherine, Jamaica. In this study, 56.9% of urban and 44.5% of rural residents were health literate. Only 34.0% of participants purchased medications prescribed by the medical doctor and 19.8% were currently smoking. Despite the reported good self-related health status (74.4%) and high cognitive functionality (94.1%) of the older men, only 7.9% sought medical care outside of experiencing illnesses. Thirty-seven percent of rural participants sought medical care when they were ill compared with 31.9% of their urban counterparts. Thirty-four percent of the participants took the medication as prescribed by the medical doctor; 43% self-reported being diagnosed with cancers such as prostate and colorectal in the last 6 months, 9.6% with hypertension, 5.3% with heart disease, 5.3% with benign prostatic hyperplasia, 5.3% with diabetes mellitus, and 3.8% with kidney/bladder problems. Approximately 14% and 24% of the participants indicated that they were unaware of the signs and symptoms of hypertension and diabetes mellitus, respectively. The elderly men displayed low health literacy and poor health-seeking behavior. These findings can be used to guide the formulation of health policies and intervention programs for elderly men in Jamaica.

BackgroundThere have been growing concerns about increasing mental health problems in the Caribbean region. This study explores rates and factors associated with selected mental health disorders within 2 Caribbean countries: Jamaica and Guyana.MethodsProbability samples of 1218 Jamaicans and 2068 Guyanese participants were used. A modified version of the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview (WHO CIDI) defined by the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) was administered in order to assess lifetime mental disorders. Descriptive statistics, χ2 and hierarchical regression analytic procedures were used to examine rates and factors associated with mental disorders.ResultsRates of mental health conditions were different across contexts and were generally higher for Guyanese compared with Jamaicans for alcohol abuse (3.6% vs 2.2%), drug abuse (1.4% vs 1.3%), substance abuse (4.7% vs 2.7%) and mania (0.4% vs 0.1%). The rate of depression, however, was higher among Jamaicans than Guyanese (7.4% vs 4.1%). There were also noticeable differences in rates in both countries, due to social and economic factors, with social factors playing a larger contributory role in the mental health status of individuals across countries.ConclusionsThe results of this study suggest the need for more indepth analyses of factors contributing to mental health conditions of peoples within the Caribbean region, including the influence of additional sources of stress, quality of care and help-seeking behaviours of individuals.

Population ageing in Jamaica follows a global trend where the number of persons aged 60 and over is increasing. This study investigated age-specific death rates, mortality sex ratio and health status of the elderly in Jamaica aged 55 years and over. The study utilized secondary data published by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica on mortality and secondary cross-sectional probability survey data were used to model poor health status in elderly residents. The findings revealed that there is increased life expectancy. In 2005, the age-specific mortality rate for elderly 75 years and older was 4.4 times more than that of the crude death rate for the population; 9.4 times more than that of age-specific death rate at ages 55 to 59 years and that disparity narrows at the elderly gets older. The mortality sex ratio revealed that between 115 to 120 males die for every 100 females. More men die between the ages of 55 and 75, than men 75 years and older. As Jamaicans become older than 55 years their poor health status significantly increased. Poor health status was accounted for significantly by hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and arthritis. Eight factors determine poor health status of elderly Jamaicans. Some of these factors are retirement income (OR = 1.461, 95%CI:1.001, 2.131); cost of medical care (OR = 1.144, 95%CI = 1.073, 1.220); area of residence (other towns-OR = 0.754, 95%CI = 0.597, 0.953); marital status (separated-OR = 1.901, 95%CI = 1.479, 2.445; married-OR = 1.406, 95%CI = 1.103, 1.792); education (secondary-OR = 1.206, 95%CI = 1.001, 1.451; tertiary level education-OR = 0.492, 95%CI = 0.281, 0.861), and number of men in household (OR = 0.987, 95%CI = 0.806, 0.998). This study provides valuable information about the mortality rates and health status of elderly residents in Jamaica. High mortality rates for avoidable and preventable diseases and potential years of life lost are major public health concerns, especially for regional healthcare providers.