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PubMed1996

[Geographic distribution of avoidable mortality in the community of Valencia (1975-1990)].

BACKGROUND: Avoidable mortality (AM) has been proposed as the indicator of the quality and the efficacy of health care services and a parameter useful to distribute health care resources. The aim of this study was to analyze the size and geographic variability of AM in the Community of Valencia, Spain (1975-1990). METHODS: The causes of AM were analyzed by the classification of Holland divided into indicators of medical care (IMC) and indicators on national health care policy (INHCP) in addition to the causes of the Charlton classification. Standard rates for Spain and the European Community, the rate of masculinity and contribution to total mortality were calculated. Geographic distribution by areas and provinces was analyzed by the rate of standardized mortality. RESULTS: According to the Holland classification AM was 30% of the deaths from 5 to 64 years of age. Out of these cases, 18.5% corresponded to INHCP and 11.1% to IMC. According to the Charlton classification, this percentage was 3.6%. A considerable variation was observed among the 20 areas analyzed due to many causes. The geographic distribution by groups (IMC, INHCP and the Charlton classification) is quite homogeneous. The worse results corresponded to the city of Valencia and to the area 21 (area of the city of Alicante). CONCLUSIONS: A great variation was found in the results regarding geographic distribution for individual causes of death while the distribution was quite homogeneous for all of the groups of mortality with the worst results being observed in large urban centers.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

[Geographic distribution maps of human genes in China].

The first set of geographic distribution maps of human gene in China are published, including 12 alleles: IB and IO of ABO system, m of MNS system, P1, Rh-D, A1 and A11 of HLA system, Gm1;21 and Gm1,3;5 of immunoglobulin, AK1, deficient type of G6PD, and PTC test blindness gene t. These maps not only show the geographic distribution of alleles, but also can be used to study the origin and dispersal of some alleles, gene flow, and the effect of some selective factors on gene frequencies.

Alleles↗

PubMed1996

[Geographic distribution of digestive system tumor mortality in Italy, 1970-87].

The geographical distribution of mortality rates from tumours of digestive tract in Italy is analyzed in this paper. The analysis is based on official mortality data collected by the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT). Age-adjusted mortality rates for stomach cancer presented the highest values in some provinces of the North and the Center, and the lowest values in the South of Italy. A same geographical pattern was observed for men and women, and during the whole considered period. Colorectal cancer presented the highest rates in the North-West of the country, and in some provinces of Liguria and Tuscany. The lowes rates were observed in the South, particularly in Calabria and Sicily. Mortality for this cancer was positively associated with degree of urbanization. The geographical pattern remained fairly constant in time, but the North-South differences narrowed during the years 1980s. A similar geographical distribution, characterized by the highest mortality levels in the north-eastern regions of Italy, was observed for cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx, of the oesophagus, of the pancreas, and for male tumours of the liver. Female liver cancer presented, on the contrary, the highest mortality levels in the southern regions.

Cluster Analysis↗

PubMed2005

Rapid assessment of the geographical distribution of lymphatic filariasis in Uganda, by screening of schoolchildren for circulating filarial antigens.

To permit improvements in the targeting of control activities, the geographical distribution of lymphatic filariasis in Uganda was assessed by using a rapid immunochromatographic card test to check school-aged children for Wuchereria bancrofti-specific circulating filarial antigens (CFA). Survey sites were selected to represent the various ecological and topographical diversities in the country. Overall, 17,533 children from 76 sites were examined. CFA-positive cases were detected at 31 of the sites, with prevalences ranging from 0.4% to 30.7%. There appeared to be strikingly more lymphatic filariasis in the north of the country than in the south. The main focus was north of the Victoria Nile, where 27 (66%) of 41 sites had CFA-positive cases, often at high prevalences. Only four (11.4%) of the 35 sites south of the Victoria Nile had CFA-positive cases, and all four were along the western rift valley and had relatively low CFA prevalences. Geostatistical interpolation was used to create a map showing the geographical distribution of CFA prevalences in Uganda (by ordinary kriging), and to assess the population exposed to W. bancrofti transmission. Estimates based on population data from 2002 indicated that approximately 8.7 million people (35.3% of the national population) lived in areas where > 1% of the school-aged children were CFA-positive. CFA prevalences generally decreased with increasing altitude, and no CFA-positive cases were found at sites that were > 1300 m above sea level. Although it gives an under-estimate of the overall community prevalence (a fact that should be taken into account when interpreting the present results and comparing them with the results of other surveys), the screening of schoolchildren for CFA was found to be a simple and useful approach for mapping the geographical distribution of lymphatic filariasis.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Growth and geographic distribution of selected health professions, 1971-1996.

This article examines the growth and geographic distribution of selected health professions in a 26-year period. The health professionals investigated were physicians, dentists, pharmacists, registered nurses, other health practitioners, dieticians and therapists, medical technologists and technicians, and health service workers. Allied health professions are represented by the last three of these groups. Samples of health professionals were extracted from the Current Population Survey from 1971 to 1996. The ratio technique and GIN1 index are used to describe the growth trend and geographic distribution of each health professional group over time. This historical overview reveals the following general trends in the 1990s: 1) growth of every selected health professional group has slowed down; 2) workforce disparities between the most and least abundantly supplied geographic areas have decreased; 3) selected health professions have become less evenly distributed among the population; and 4) the trends in pharmacy and dentistry call for immediate attention in workforce planning. The findings suggest that with the exception of dentistry, health personnel shortages are no longer an issue in such planning. Future health workforce policies should continue focusing on improving the distribution of workers among the general population.

Allied Health Personnel↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Geographical distribution of congenital heart defects in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Congenital heart defects (CHD), which are caused by abnormalities early in fetal life, encompass over 50 diagnoses. Since the detailed etiology is unknown, the geographical distribution of defects might suggest likely risk factors. METHODS: The geographical distribution of 5 865 Saudi Arabian nationals with CHD was studied by cross-matching their residential provinces and towns with a geographical information system provided by the General Directorate for Military Survey. Population data were obtained from the 1413H census. RESULTS: CHD cases were mostly distributed across the provinces in proportion to their total population but due to their size and inhomogeneity, province-based thematic maps were found to be misleading. City-based maps were preferable and showed similar geographic distributions for cases registered in successive years. Thematic maps of the distribution of the CHD burden highlighted the southwestern provinces, nearthe border with Yemen, and the northeast section of the Eastern Province. CONCLUSIONS: Patterns of disease in Saudi Arabia are best studied at the level of individual towns and villages. The CHD registry has already attained good national coverage and can therefore support nationwide epidemiological studies. Southwestern Saudi Arabia and the northern part of the Eastern Province appear to exhibit a higher burden of CHD.

Heart Defects, Congenital↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Reflection on the geographic distribution of multiple sclerosis in France.

The geographic distribution of multiple sclerosis within the 95 Départements and the 21 Régions of France was defined from a 1986 nationwide prevalence series derived from questionnaires. This indicated a significant clustering of high frequency regions in the northeastern part of the country with most significantly low areas in the south and west. Distributions were similar to those for MS death rates by Département and Région for 1968-1977, indicating geographic stability over time; but there was also evidence of diffusion over time. The 1986 prevalence distribution was also compared with all published prevalence rates for communities of France. From all these resources we conclude that all of France falls within the "high frequency zone" for MS, that the nationwide prevalence rate is at least 50 per 100,000 population, and that there is evidence of geographic clustering of the disease with temporal spread of the cluster.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1980

Human ecology and the geographic distribution of physician assistants.

Ecological characteristics of states were correlated with measures of the geographic distribution of physician assistants, and, for comparative purposes, of new physician licenses. It was hypothesized that prior physician-to-population ratios, the distribution of physician assistant training opportunities, and the nature of state laws regulating physician assistants also would affect the geographic distribution of physician assistants. Population size, of course, is strongly correlated with the total number of both groups in the various states. When numbers relative to population are considered, physician assistants are concentrated in states with extensive training opportunities and, to a lesser extent, favorable laws. In contrast, new physician licenses tend to be concentrated in states that already have high physician-to-population ratios.

Ecology↗

PubMed1993

Application of a random walk model to geographic distributions of animal mitochondrial DNA variation.

In rapidly evolving molecules, such as animal mitochondrial DNA, mutations that delineate specific lineages may not be dispersed at sufficient rates to attain an equilibrium between genetic drift and gene flow. Here we predict conditions that lead to nonequilibrium geographic distributions of mtDNA lineages, test the robustness of these predictions and examine mtDNA data sets for consistency with our model. Under a simple isolation by distance model, the variance of an mtDNA lineage's geographic distribution is expected be proportional to its age. Simulation results indicated that this relationship is fairly robust. Analysis of mtDNA data from natural populations revealed three qualitative distributional patterns: (1) significant departure of lineage structure from equilibrium geographic distributions, a pattern exhibited in three rodent species with limited dispersal; (2) nonsignificant departure from equilibrium expectations, exhibited by two avian and two marine fish species with potentials for relatively long-distance dispersal; and (3) a progression from nonequilibrium distributions for younger lineages to equilibrium distributions for older lineages, a condition displayed by one surveyed avian species. These results demonstrate the advantages of considering mutation and genealogy in the interpretation of mtDNA geographic variation.

Animals↗

PubMed1975

[The geographic distribution of psoriasis].

On the basis of data published in the literature the geographical distribution of psoriasis vulgaris is described. One of the most interesting results is the increase of the psoriasis frequency in countries such as Japan, Korea, Kazachstan and East Africa. This could be due to the fact, that altered life conditions in connection with an increasing industrialization favour the manifestation of psoriasis genes. How far population differences of the psoriasis frequencies are to be seen exclusively as genetical ones, is hitherto unclear, but rather unlikely. No relations between psoriasis and climatec factors could be seen. Associations between psoriasis and several antigens (HL-A 13 and W 17) of the HL-A-systems seem to be present. These associations could be of considerable importance for the interpretation of the geographical distribution pattern of psoriasis. Further studies in psoriatic families are required, which describe the distribution of the HL-A specifities in the possibly potential psoriatic members of the families, who carry the respective genes.

Africa↗

PubMed2005

Rapid assessment of the geographical distribution of Mansonella perstans infections in Uganda, by screening schoolchildren for microfilariae.

The geographical distribution of Mansonella perstans infections in Uganda was assessed by day-time examination of school-aged children for microfilariae. Overall, 12,207 children from 76 sites representing the various topographical and ecological zones in the country were examined. Children with M. perstans microfilaraemia were detected at 47 (61.8%) of the study sites, with prevalences ranging from 0.4% to 72.8%. A broad, east-west-oriented belt of high endemicity was identified, stretching across the central part of the country from the southern end of Lake Albert to the north-western shores of Lake Victoria. To the north and south of this belt prevalences generally decreased, although high-prevalence foci were also identified in the far north-western and south-eastern corners of the country. Geostatistical interpolation was used to create a map showing the geographical distribution of M. perstans prevalences in Uganda (by ordinary kriging), and to assess the population exposed to M. perstans transmission. Estimates based on population data from 2002 indicated that 20.4 million people (82.6% of the national population) and 6.8 million people (27.5% of the national population) lived in areas where, respectively, >1% and >10% of the school-aged children had M. perstans microfilaraemias. Since the prevalence of M. perstans microfilaraemia is known to increase with age, the overall population prevalences are likely to be even higher than the prevalences observed in the school-aged children. More attention needs to be paid to the public-health implications of this wide-spread but neglected infection.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Geographic distribution of the Australian primary health workforce in 1996 and 2001.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the geographic distribution of medical and non-medical primary health professions in 2001, and to compare this with 1996. DESIGN AND SETTING: Census data on the number and characteristics of selected health professionals in Australia by remoteness areas (as measured by the Accessibility Remoteness Index of Australia) were obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of general medical practitioners, allied health professionals and nurses per capita in Australia by remoteness areas in 2001 and 1996. RESULTS: In 2001, the number of general medical practitioners per capita in major cities was significantly higher than the numbers in inner regional areas, outer regional areas, and remote areas. This was also true of the number of allied health professionals per capita. The number of nurses per capita did not show the same pattern. From 1996 to 2001, the number of general medical practitioners per capita showed the largest increase in outer regional areas (10%) and no change in remote areas. The allied health professional workforce per capita increased significantly in all regions, while the nursing workforce per capita showed no significant increases. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Supply of all primary health professionals in remote areas remains low, and distribution patterns changed little from 1996 to 2001. The implementation of numerous government health workforce initiatives has coincided with little observable change in geographic distribution of the health workforce up to 2001.

Australia↗

PubMed1998

Geographical distribution of radiation risks in The Netherlands.

Risk assessment of exposure to sources of radiation is an important tool for national governments in regulating radionuclide emissions and thus reducing radiation doses for the general public. For this reason radiation doses from sources throughout The Netherlands have been analyzed. For sources with well-defined locations and doses that were thought to vary significantly throughout The Netherlands, radiation dose maps were produced. Average dose values were calculated or derived from the literature for doses considered to be evenly distributed throughout the country or for which no information on the geographical distribution of dose was available. Emission, dispersion, and individual dose were modeled for each source using various pathways and exposure routes. Indoor radon and gamma radiation from building materials generate the highest dose values. The highest human induced radiation doses for industries of which the doses showed to be geographically distributed are found in the cement industry, elemental phosphorus production, phosphoric acid production, and iron and steel production. Radiation dose from some of these sources has a very local peak and decreases rapidly with distance. The elemental phosphorus production causes relatively high radiation doses throughout a large part of The Netherlands. Cumulation of doses from various sources occurs, but these are often masked by doses from a few large industries.

Eating↗

PubMed1998

A model for the influence of the greenhouse effect on insect and microorganism geographical distribution and population dynamics.

A model for the influence of the greenhouse effect on insect and microorganism geographical distribution and population dynamics using cellular automata is presented. Based on this model, an algorithm has been developed and used to determine the geographical distribution and population dynamics of a hypothetical species in an scenario of global warming. The species' initial population distribution is assumed to be Gaussian. After the initiation of global warming, the population moves and after a few decades the population distribution is no longer Gaussian. Larger populations are found in the direction of population movement.

Algorithms↗

PubMed1989

Cerebrovascular disease in Scotland during 1959 to 1983: its geographical distribution and associations.

A study of the geographical distribution of cerebrovascular disease in Scottish communities during three quinquennia between 1959 and 1983 showed a marked tendency for high SMRs to be present in the west of Scotland and low SMRs in the east. Cerebrovascular disease was significantly correlated with coronary heart disease, with bronchitis, emphysema and asthma, and to a lesser extent with other heart disease, with other circulatory disease and with indices of overcrowding. It was not associated with either urbanization or industrialization.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗

PubMed1986

[Wet carcass syndrome in sheep: incidence and geographic distribution].

A map showing the prevalence and geographical distribution of the wet carcass syndrome in sheep is presented. Although isolated cases of this syndrome are sporadically reported throughout all the sheep-producing areas of the country, the incidence of this phenomenon is epidemic in the districts of Gordonia, Kuruman, Postmasburg, Hay and Prieska. Some areas within a certain district tend to have a higher prevalence of wet carcasses especially those round the Orange, Kuruman and Molopo rivers. Vegetation type may be involved in the development of this condition in the live animal and should be investigated.

Abattoirs↗

PubMed1997

Geographic distribution of stroke mortality among immigrants to the United States.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study examines the geographic distribution of stroke mortality among immigrants and natives of the United States. METHODS: National Center for Health Statistics and Bureau of the Census data were used to determine the geographic distribution of age-adjusted, race-, and race/sex-specific stroke mortality rates among immigrants and natives of the United States for 1979 to 1981. RESULTS: For whites and blacks and for each of the respective race/sex groups, immigrants had markedly and highly statistically significantly lower age-adjusted stroke mortality rates than either the entire US-born resident population or the US-born interregional migrant population. The spatial pattern of immigrant rates did not parallel the patterns for US-born populations. Immigrant rates were highest in the West and lowest in the Midwest for whites and highest in the Midwest and lowest in the Northeast for blacks, whereas for both US-born whites and blacks, resident and native rates were highest in the South and lowest in the Midwest. With few exceptions, region-specific immigrant rates for whites and blacks were significantly lower than rates for either US-born regional residents, US-born migrants to the regions, or US-born natives of the regions. In contrast, white immigrants to the West had significantly higher rates than US-born groups in that region. CONCLUSIONS: Selection factors strongly influence stroke mortality rates among immigrants to the United States. The aberrantly high rates among white immigrants to the West may in part reflect a bias due to large census undercounts of this population.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

[Analysis of the geographic distribution of mortality in Italy caused by tumors of the respiratory system].

This paper describes the geographical distribution of respiratory cancers in Italy during the period 1970-87. We analysed mortality rates for cancers of the larynx, of the lung, of the paranasal sinuses, and of the pleura in the 95 Italian provinces. For all considered sites, Northern Italy showed the highest levels of mortality. Only Rome and Naples, the most urbanized provinces in the Central and Southern Italy respectively, presented mortality rates comparable to the Northern provinces, particularly in the early 1970's. The geographical distribution of mortality for all considered sites appears to be consistent between the two sexes. For lung cancer, however, the difference between the North and the rest of the country during the considered period decreased in men but steadily increased in women.

Female↗