Showing papers by "Central University of Ecuador published in 1994"
01 Jun 1994
TL;DR: The findings indicate that it will be important to consider the identified gaps in knowledge and gender perceptions regarding the disease and its treatment when planning future control programs.
Abstract: In 1989-1991 a study of 466 children and adults (i.e. = or > 18 years) living in 26 small agricultural villages in the remote subtropical forest of Northwest Pichincha Province on the western slope of the Andes Mountains in Ecuador examined perceptions and knowledge of cutaneous leishmaniasis and local methods used to treat it. 13% of all adult subjects had active cutaneous leishmaniasis. Men were 2.83 times more likely to have cutaneous leishmaniasis than women (p = .037) perhaps due to increased occupational exposure (i.e. agricultural work in the rain forest) and social exposure (i.e. outside during times of maximum vector activity). They were more likely to consider it to have a negative effect on the affected persons capacity to work (77.3% vs. 61.2%; p = .025). Women were more likely than men to perceive it as a severe disease (85.2% vs. 68%; p = .015) that reduced the victims self- esteem (89.9% vs.75.7%; p = .017). 97.3% of subjects were familiar with the sandfly vector yet less than 10% knew it was responsible for cutaneous leishmaniasis. 80% of adults knew at least 1 treatment option. Women could name more treatment methods than men (1.6 vs. 1.2; p < .05). The adults named more than 150 treatment options most of which were traditional methods involving the application of topical preparations or objects to the ulcers (e.g. herbs trees or other plants and homemade rum wood alcohol iodine menthol methiolate and sulfur). Just 7% were familiar with antimonial drugs. Most adults and children who had either active cutaneous leishmaniasis or a history of past infection (68%) had been treated with traditional methods. 8.5% received both traditional treatments and Glucantime. Just 12% received the full course of Glucantime therapy. 7.5% received an incomplete course of glucantime therapy. These results show that public health officials need to consider the gaps in knowledge and gender perceptions of cutaneous leishmaniasis and in its treatment when they plan control programs.
61 citations
01 Dec 1994
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigate the creencias y conocimientos popularares acerca de leishmaniasis cutánea and its tratamiento.
Abstract: En una zona endémica de la región subtropical del noroeste del Ecuador se investigaron las creencias y conocimientos populares acerca de la leishmaniasis cutánea y su tratamiento. Aunque la mayoría de las personas adultas entrevistadas estaban familiarizadas con la enfermedad, el vector y los tratamientos tradicionales, muchas no tenían conocimientos sobre la transmisión de la enfumedad, la curación de las ulceras y el tratamiento médico convencional. Se encontró que el riesgo de contraer la enfermedad y las creencias y conocimientos sobre la misma variaban mucho según el género. Entre los varones, el riesgo de sufrir leishmaniasis cutánea fue casi el triple del observado en mujeres. Asimismo, los varones opinaron con masfrecuencia que la enfermedad reducía de manera importante la capacidad de trabajo del paciente. Por otra parte, las mujeres se mostraron más proclives a considerara la leishmaniasis cutánea un trastorno grave capaz de menoscabar considerablemente la autoestima de quien la padece. Aunque 80% de las personas entrevistadas conocían por lo menos uno de los métodos de tratamiento de la enfermedad, las mujeres en general conocían más métodos que los hombres. La mayoría de los 150 regímenes terapéuticos que se mencionaron se basaban en el uso de plantas autóctonas, sustancias químicas, ácidos, antibióticos, tratamientos térmicos o productos derivados del petróleo. Algunos de esos tratamientos podrían tener eficacia clínica. Sin embargo, solo 7% de las personas entrevistadas conocúm los compuestos antimoniales pentavalentes. Casi 70% de los que notijkanm infección previa o activa fueron tratados únicamente con métodos tradicionales. Solo 12% recibieron el tratamiento completo con Glucantime@, mientras que Z5% recibieron un tratamiento incompleto. Los resultados indican que al planificar futuros programas de lucha contra la leishmaniasis cutánea será importante tener en cuenta aquellas áreas en las que se han detectado un déficit de conocimientos y creencias sobre la enfermedad y su tratamiento que varían según el género.
14 citations
TL;DR: The bioevaluation proved to be an useful and rapid procedure for the diagnosis of the nutricional status of both species, since there was a significant negative correlation between absorption of N and P and dry matter yield.
Abstract: Rice and bean plants were grown in nutrient solution in the presence of three levels of N, P and K. The method of the bioevaluation of the nutricional status, in which excised roots are allowed to take up tagged elements, in this case 15N and 32P, was compared with foliar analysis. Two main conclusions were drawn: 1) the bioevaluation proved to be an useful and rapid procedure for the diagnosis of the nutricional status of both species, since there was a significant negative correlation between absorption of N and P and dry matter yield; 2) the uptake of the tagged ions with either element by the roots of plants grown under deficient levels of N and P in the nutrient solution was inversely proportional to the leaf concentration of both nutrients.
3 citations