KSE
Articles
- Page Path
- HOME > Epidemiol Health > Volume 11(1); 1989 > Article
- Original Article An epidemiological assessment of some communicable disease and immunization levels as observed through health center activities
- Helen Chu, Sadamu Anzai
-
Epidemiol Health 1989;11(1):115-126
DOI: https://doi.org/
- 4,520 Views
- 54 Download
- 0 Crossref
- 0 Scopus
Abstract
Through an analytical review of epidemiological information on disease surveillance and factors affecting routine immunization levels determined on the basis of home visit interviews that we conducted as part of operational research into health center activities in Yongsan District, Seoul from 1982 to 1988, the following conclusions can be made regarding disease patterns: 1. The major diseases affecting children during this period were whooping cough, measles, and mumps, whereas polio and diphtheria disappeared. The prevalence rate of intestinal parasitism has drastically decreased; that of Ascaris was 8.9% in 1982 and 0.1% in 1988, while that of hookworm declined from 0.03% in 1982 to only 0.02% now. Bacterial diseases no longer present any health problems. 2. The rates of immunization coverage among children aged 12-24 months against diseases preventable by immunization were: Bacillus Calmette–Guérin vaccine, 79.2%; diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus, 83.8%; trivalent oral polio vaccine, 85.6%; measles, 98.3%; mumps and rubella, 75.8%. Interviews with the members of households in which children had not been vaccinated indicated that half of the reasons offered for non-compliance reflected the lack of competing maternal responsibilities. It would appear logical to stress the importance of health education in the expanded program of immunization. 3. Radioimmunoassay profiles of hepatitis B virus markers prepared from the results of health examinations indicated that 8.5% of the sample was positive for the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), with no statistical disparity between the sexes. The HBsAg-positivity rate among sex workers was 13.1%, which was much higher than was found in other groups. The reason for this finding requires further investigation.
Cite
