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Biomedical subjects

K M Aziz

Publications and source records attributed to K M Aziz.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Standardized national growth chart of 0-5-year-old Saudi children.

A national survey was carried out to achieve the following objectives: (1) construction of national standards for Saudi children, 0-5 years old, with regard to weight, height and head circumference for males and females; (2) construction of a growth chart for weight, height and head circumference for 0-5-year-old Saudi children that can be used at hospitals and health centres in the Kingdom for routine follow-up of the growth of these children. To achieve these objectives, the WHO recommendations were applied. A total of 24,000 Saudi children, 12,000 males and 12,000 females, were selected randomly representing the five regions of the Kingdom with 200 children in each monthly age group. Demographic data as well as the anthropometric measurements were recorded by well-trained personnel using a pretested questionnaire and new, well calibrated equipment. The current study showed that Saudi boys (0-5 years old) were heavier and taller than Saudi girls in the same age group, and that the median weights and heights of Saudi boys and girls (0-5 years old) were more than those of the Harvard standards. A growth chart was constructed which was suitable for growth monitoring programmes all over the Kingdom.

Anthropometry↗
PubMed2000

Integrating maternal and child health with primary health care in Saudi Arabia.

Integration is an important tool for successful implementation of components of a comprehensive health programme. We describe strategies adopted to integrate the Saudi maternal and child health (MCH) activities with other primary health care (PHC) components in order to achieve optimal quality care. Achieving such integration was one of the specific objectives of the MCH programme. Besides training MCH workers, other important tools of MCH/PHC integration included: organization, supervision, continuing education, data management and health systems research. The strengths and weaknesses of integration are discussed while the opportunities, limitations and implications are reviewed.

Child Health Services↗
PubMed1999

Measles immunization: early two-doses policy experience.

Before the implementation of the two-dose measles immunization policy in Saudi Arabia, 50 per cent of measles cases in children below the age of one year were reported for the age group 6-8 months. In 1991 two doses of measles vaccine, at 6 months and 12 months, the second dose incorporated with MMR, were integrated into the expanded programme of immunization (EPI). Since 1993, vaccination coverage for the second dose has been above 90 per cent. While measles incidence remains stable in infants below 6 months of age, the incidence in children 9-11 months of age dropped by 50 per cent. The greatest impact was seen in the 6-8-month age group where the incidence dropped by more than 75 per cent. Moreover this two-dose strategy resulted in a situation in which 80 per cent of the measles cases were in children above the age of 5 years, mostly those who had not had two doses of measles vaccine. Further control measures should include non-selective vaccination of school children against measles. The two-dose measles vaccination policy is visualized as a necessity if the goal of measles elimination is to be achieved. Routine monthly reports validated by surveys using the WHO standard 30 cluster technique was used for the study.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Setting the scene for an ARI control programme: is it worthwhile in Saudi Arabia?

Baseline data on acute respiratory infections (ARI) were collected by a survey questionnaire distributed to physicians of 10% of the health centres randomly selected from each of the five provinces of Saudi Arabia. The physicians estimated that ARI was the cause of sickness in 50% of ill children < 5 years in 1995. None of the physicians had had any training in ARI and they were not aware of any national protocol or programme. Physicians' responses indicated an over-use of antibiotics and diagnostic procedures. A national protocol for diagnosis and treatment of ARI has been prepared and distributed and leaders of primary health care and 55 national trainers have been trained.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed1997

Evaluation of Teknaf Enteric Agar (TEA): A modified MacConkey's Agar for the isolation of Shigella dysenteriae type 1 and Shigella flexneri.

To develop a better and selective medium for the isolation of Shigella spp., MacConkey's Agar (MAC) was modified by adding potassium tellurite (K2TeO3) at a concentration of 1 microgram/ml. The formulation designated Teknaf Enteric Agar (TEA) was studied for the inhibitory effect of potassium tellurite on the growth of different enteric bacteria, and as a medium for isolating Shigella spp. from clinical stool samples (n = 3125). We observed that the growth of E. coli was effectively inhibited on TEA with no effect on the growth of S. dysenteriae type 1 and S. flexneri. A total of 2019 Shigellae were isolated through the combined use of TEA, MAC, and Salmonella-Shigella Agar (SS). On TEA, 1921 S. dysenteriae type 1 and S. flexneri were isolated as compared to 1765 from the combined use of MAC and SS. A total of 194 of S. dysenteriae type 1 and S. flexneri were exclusively isolated from TEA as compared to 38 which were only made from MAC and SS. We conclude that TEA significantly increased the overall isolation rate of Shigella spp. as compared to the combined use of MAC and SS (P < 0.0001), although it is not suitable for the isolation of S. sonnei.

Agar↗
PubMed1996

Sustainability of a water, sanitation and hygiene education project in rural Bangladesh: a 5-year follow-up.

An integrated water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WSH) education intervention project was run by the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, over the period 1983-87. In the intervention area the project provided handpumps, pit latrines, and hygiene education to about 800 households. The control population did not receive any interventions, but had access to the usual government and private WSH facilities. After 1987 no external support was provided to maintain these provisions. A cross-sectional follow-up survey, which was carried out in 1992, involved about 500 randomly selected households from the intervention and control areas. In 1992 about 82% of the pumps were still in good functional condition and of these, 94% had been functioning well in 1987. Fewer latrines were functional in 1992 (64%) than at the end of 1987 (93%). In the former intervention area about 84% of the adults were using sanitary latrines in 1992 compared with only 7% in the control area. Knowledge related to disease transmission, however, was poor and similar in both areas. People claimed that they used the WSH facilities to improve the quality of their lives. The prevalence of diarrhoeal diseases in the 1992 survey among the control population was about twice that among those in the intervention area.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Factors affecting production of haemolysin by strains of Vibrio fluvialis.

The in vitro production of haemolysin by Vibrio fluvialis was studied using sheep erythrocyte. The effect of the composition of various media and different concentrations of sodium chloride on the production of haemolysin and heat-stability was investigated. Comparatively higher titre of haemolysin production was noted in brain heart infusion (BHI) broth. Adding 0.5% NaCl to BHI broth reduced the production of haemolysin; adding 5.0% NaCl to the medium totally inhibited it. The highest titre of haemolysin was produced at 30 degrees C and 37 degrees C, whereas no haemolysin was produced at 50 degrees C. Haemolytic activity was totally destroyed when heated at 56 degrees C for 30 minutes. Haemolysin could be assayed easily following this method.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Antenatal care, attitudes, and practices.

This paper discusses attitudes and practices of antenatal care in Saudi Arabia, based on the results of the maternal and child health survey of 1991. The survey covered a cluster random sample of 6306 households, with 6294 ever-married Saudi women 15-49 years of age out of whom 1050 were pregnant. The interview questionnaire included maternal care data on current pregnancies and births in the sample, totaling 4777 children less than 5 years old. Coverage of antenatal care and frequency of visits among pregnancies identified, by whom and where, and reasons for not attending antenatal services by age, urban-rural, geographical, and educational differentials. Proportions pregnant at the time of the survey were 17 per cent; antenatal care attendance for the whole sample reached 86 per cent; frequencies of one or two visits were 37 per cent; and three or four visits 25 per cent; those checked by a physician were 85 per cent, while 88 per cent attended governmental facilities. Those with timely attendance were 85 per cent. However, almost one-third of non-attenders (30 per cent) believed they did not need antenatal care. Though utilization of antenatal care services is already high, it has to be further increased through health education and publicity, emphasizing the couples role.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Coverage and quality of natal and postnatal care: women's perceptions, Saudi Arabia.

This paper discusses natal and postnatal care services in Saudi Arabia, as revealed by the National Maternal & Child Health Survey of 1991. The latter was based on a national random sample of 150 clusters, with 6306 households, from urban and rural areas, of five geographic regions. The target of 6294 ever-married Saudi women, 15-49 years old included 6020 currently married women, of whom 1050 reported a pregnancy. Data on maternal care were analysed, including where and why natal care was attended, and for both natal and postnatal care, how much and by whom, by respondents' age, urban-rural residence, geographical location, and education of wife and husband. About three-quarters of the respondents had one or more births within the 5 years preceding the survey, with a total of 4777 children under six. Institutional deliveries reached 86 per cent and about 90 per cent of deliveries were attended by physicians or nurses with a ratio of 2:1. Postnatal care attendance amounted to 88 per cent mainly by physicians than nurses with a ratio of 5:1. In general, the above results describe relatively high coverage with natal and postnatal care services, which can still be improved through health education and community support, particularly of the women. Judging by the high level of institutional care and physician involvement, good quality of care is implied, but needs to be further confirmed, by defining morbidity and mortality patterns.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Overview on breastfeeding patterns in Saudi Arabia.

A national cross-sectional study was carried out in 1991 to investigate child feeding patterns in addition to other MCH issues. The target population was the last live birth born within 5 years preceding the data of the interview. The data were collected by interviewing the mothers of the eligible children using a precoded questionnaire. The total sample size was 3608 children and their mothers were chosen randomly through a multistage cluster sampling technique with representation of different regions. The results observed revealed a previous history of breastfeeding among 92.4 and 94.5 per cent of urban and rural studied children, respectively. The mean duration of breastfeeding among studied children in the urban and rural communities, were 11 and 13 months, respectively. Illiteracy of the parents was associated with a longer breastfeeding duration. Moreover, the results revealed that, the higher the current age of mothers, the longer the average duration of breastfeeding. Governmental health facilities and mass media constituted the main source of essential information about child feeding. The results are further interpreted and suitable recommendations are made.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Role of social factors in the prevalence of diarrhoeal diseases in under-five Saudi children.

Social factors influencing diarrhoea prevalence rates, in Saudi communities, were studied during 1991 taking statistically representative samples from the whole population. The factors included mother's age, child's age, birth order, parent's education, feeding pattern, and urban, rural, and regional residences. This study was a part of the National Maternal and Child Health Survey which involved interviewing of 6308 women with 8292 children under 5 years. The social factors and diarrhoea occurring in children during the preceding 14 days prior to the date of survey were inquired into and recorded in the pre-coded and field-tested questionnaire forms. There were 3.8 episodes of diarrhoea per year per child under 5 or 15 per cent per 2 weeks. This was higher than previously reported. The factors associated with higher prevalence rate were the children of youngest (15-19-years-old) mothers (28 per cent), the last children (18 per cent), and the children aged 6-17 months (24-31 per cent). Additionally, by birth order, the last (third) child on the average had highest rate (18 per cent) than the second (9 per cent) and the second had higher rate than the first (6 per cent) child. The rate in those who lived in rural setting was higher (15 per cent) than in those who lived in urban setting (14 per cent). The rates were almost identical between the areas of the country (13-17 per cent) except having higher rate in the northern area (17 per cent).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

ORS use in diarrhoea in Saudi children: is it adequate?

The prevalence of diarrhoea and especially the pattern of diarrhoea therapy in Saudi children under 5 years were studied as a part of the Maternal and Child Health Survey during 1991. A statistically representative sample of over 6300 mothers, from all over the country was interviewed by trained nurses. There were 3.8 episodes of diarrhoea per child under 5 per year. For treating diarrhoea, ORS, salt-sugar solution (SSS), other available solutions, intravenous fluid and various drugs were the therapeutic agents. In 73 per cent of cases ORS, nearly 3 per cent SSS, 33 per cent other solutions and in over 4 per cent intravenous fluid were used. Anti-diarrhoeal drugs and antibiotics were used in over 40 per cent of cases. Over 9 per cent of cases did not use any treatment. Young mothers used ORS at a higher rate (84 per cent) for their children compared to the average for all (73 per cent). Children of illiterate parents used ORS at a higher rate than children of literate parents. In urban area, the use-rate was lower (68 per cent) than in rural area (80 per cent). The regional use-rates were almost similar excepting a higher rate in the northern area. In over 87 per cent of cases, advice on diarrhoea therapy was obtained from government health centres (physicians/nurses), while only 3 per cent of the diarrhoea cases acquired information from national media. The overall use-rate of ORS was thus better than many other countries and there was a 25 per cent increase over the previous Saudi findings in 1987.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Nuptiality pattern in Saudi Arabia.

The data of this work are based on the 'Saudi Maternal and Child Health Survey' conducted in 1991. This was a nationwide house to house field survey. The study included 6294 ever-married Saudi female in the childbearing age who represent the target population. They were randomly selected from both urban and rural settings of the five geographical areas of Saudi Arabia. The mean current age of the sample of ever-married women was 31 years and the mean age at first marriage was 17 and 16 years for urban and rural females, respectively. Education was associated with upward shift of the age at first marriage. About 20 per cent of the sampled ever-married Saudi females got married before their 15th birthday and 83 per cent before reaching 20 years of age. These percentages are even higher in rural than urban settings. The overall percentage of women who were currently married at the time of the survey was 96 per cent. The divorced and widowed women of childbearing age were 2 and 3 per cent, respectively, of the total. Husband's educational level had positive impact on the frequency of divorce. The latter was highest among women married to illiterate husbands with a dose response pattern. Comparison has been made with the situation 4 years ago. An increase in literacy rates among Saudi ever-married women and their husbands was observed, however, a significant (P < 0.05) difference still exists between female and male literacy rates (38 and 71 per cent, respectively). The events of early marriage, before the age of 15 years, became less frequent. There is an overall decline in teenage marriages which explains a large part of the recent changes observed in nuptiality and pattern of birth in Saudi Arabia.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Breastfeeding and weaning practices in Saudi Arabia.

A National Child Health Survey was conducted during 1987 for which a stratified multi-stage sampling was done. Out of the 8482 mothers interviewed 6131 had at least one live birth 5 years or less before the survey. Eighty-two per cent of the currently breastfed children, were less than 6 months of age, but only 55 per cent of the infants up to 1 month of age were breastfed without supplementation. The mean interval between supplementation and weaning for all age groups of mothers was 7.7 months. The predominant causes of weaning were child reaching suitable age and mother not having enough milk. This study establishes base line information about feeding practice on a nationwide basis in Saudi Arabia.

Breast Feeding↗
PubMed1994

Enterotoxigenicity, hemolytic activity and antibiotic resistance of Aeromonas spp. isolated from freshwater prawn marketed in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Aeromonas spp. were isolated from gills, swimmerets, eggs, stomachs and ventral muscles of freshwater prawns (Macrobrachium malcolmsonii) available in the local fish market of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The density of Aeromonas spp. on these different body parts of the prawn samples ranged from 1.1 +/- 0.2 x 10(4) to 1.5 +/- 0.16 x 10(7) cfu per gram. The viable counts of aeromonads, fecal coliforms (FC) and Escherichia coli gradually increased in prawn samples when stored at 4 C. At -20 C, the viable counts gradually decreased and became zero on the 12th day of storage. The isolation of A. sobria (56%) was more frequent than that of A. hydrophila (31%) and A. caviae (13%). In the rabbit ileal loop (RIL) model, fluid accumulation induced by live cultures and cell-free culture filtrates of 11 strains ranged from 0.5 to 1.5 and 0.5 to 1.7 ml/cm of gut, respectively. Of 11 enterotoxigenic strains, 7 were A. sobria and 4 were A. hydrophila. Enterotoxigenicity correlated with hemolytic activity on blood agar. All enterotoxigenic strains were uniformly sensitive to chloramphenicol and gentamicin and resistant to novobiocin and vancomycin. Isolation of enterotoxigenic and antibiotic-resistant Aeromonas from these prawn samples indicates possible public health problems for their handlers as well for raw prawn consumers.

Aeromonas↗
PubMed1994

Women's involvement in a rural Bangladesh water and sanitation project.

Rural women were involved in a water and sanitation project (WSS) in which health impacts were compared between children in two areas: intervention and comparison areas. In intervention area people were provided with handpumps, latrines and hygiene education, whereas, in the comparison area, people did not receive these project inputs. In the intervention area women were directly involved in the site selection of handpumps and latrines, their installation, construction, and maintenance. Observations on women's involvement and their performances in the intervention area are presented. About 89% of the pumps maintained by women (n = 30), and 86% of those maintained by project workers (n = 49) were found to be in good working condition. Women supervised the construction of all 754 latrines, fenced 58% of the projects-supported latrines (n = 268) and emptied the pits of 65% of the 276 filled-up latrines. Socio-cultural factors were not barriers to women's involvement and performance. The findings have policy implications for effective involvement of rural women towards the development of sustainable WSS programs.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Effect of child survival on contraceptive use in Bangladesh.

A study in Bangladesh showed that couples who lost a child often stopped practising contraception in order to have another child. Logistic regression analysis revealed that contraceptive continuation was related to maternal age, parity, husband's education and the sex of the last child.

Adolescent↗