Representing infant feeding: content analysis of British media portrayals of bottle feeding and breast feeding

ObjectiveTo examine how breast feeding and bottle feeding are represented by the British media.DesignContent analysis.Subjects Television programmes and newspaper articles that made reference to infant feeding during March 1999.SettingUK mass media.ResultsOverall, 235 references to infant feeding were identified in the television sample and 38 in the newspaper sample. Bottle feeding was shown more often than breast feeding and was presented as less problematic. Bottle feeding was associated with “ordinary” families whereas breast feeding was associated with middle class or celebrity women. The health risks of formula milk and the health benefits of breast feeding were rarely mentioned.ConclusionsThe media rarely present positive information on breast feeding, even though this feeding practice is associated with the most health benefits. Health professionals and policy makers should be aware of patterns in media coverage and the cultural background within which women make decisions about infant feeding.     

Community Studies in Latin America

Revolt Against the Dead: The Modernization of a Mayan Community in the High- lands of Guatemala. Douglas E. Brintnall .
Agrarian Reform and Peasant Economy in Southern Peru. David Guillet .
San Rafael: Camba Town. Ally MacLean Stearman .     

拉丁美洲药用植物

本文简介了拉丁美洲药用植物的总体情况,30多种重要种类的产地、药用部位、活性成分、功效,以及常用种类的简要情况。     

Eltor cholera in Latin America

Cholera epidemics in South and Central America in the period 1991-1999 are characterized. The mechanisms of existence of Vibrio eltor in environmental objects have been substantiated. The causes and conditions of endemic foci formation which determine the infection spread not only within the countries of the subcontinent, but also far beyond its borders are shown. The effectiveness of cholera control interventions is evaluated.     

Epidemiology of sporotrichosis in Latin America

Summary Applying the concept of epidemiological chain, it is successively analyzed: the etiologic agent, Sporothrix schenckii and its natural reservoirs (sources of infection); the different ways that infecting particles may reach man (mechanisms of infection); the susceptible population and the population at risk; the incidence and distribution by sex and age in countries of Latin America; the prevalence of the disease according to clinical cases in dermatological clinics and the variation of incidence rates in some countries with time; the influence of the environment mainly climatic conditions on the geographic distribution of the disease.Finally, according to Mackinnon's hypothesis, the climate could have a determining role on the predominance of a certain clinical form on another in different countries.This paper was presented at the X^th ISHAM Congress, Barcelona, Spain, 1988.     

The effect of the Flemish breast cancer screening program on breast cancer-specific mortality: A case-referent study

BackgroundBreast cancer screening programs were introduced in many countries worldwide following randomized controlled trials in the 1980s showing a reduction in breast cancer-specific mortality. However, their effectiveness remains debated and estimates vary. A breast cancer screening program was introduced in 2001 in Flanders, Belgium where high levels of opportunistic screening practices are observed. The effectiveness of this program was estimated by measuring its effect on breast cancer-specific mortality.MethodsWe performed a case-referent study to investigate the effect of participation in the Flemish population-based mammography screening program (PMSP) on breast cancer-specific mortality from 2005 to 2017. A multiple logistic regression model assessed the association between breast cancer-specific death and screening program participation status in the four years prior to (pseudo)diagnosis (yes/no), with adjustment for potential confounders (individual socio-economic position and calendar year of diagnosis) and stratified for age. In addition, we performed different sensitivity analyses.ResultsWe identified 1571 cases and randomly selected 6284 referents. After adjustment, women who participated in PMSP had a 51 % lower risk of breast cancer-specific mortality compared to those who did not (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] =0.49, 95 % CI: 0.44–0.55). Sensitivity analyses did not markedly change the estimated associations. Correction for self-selection bias reduced the effect size, but the estimate remained significant.ConclusionOur results indicate that in a context of high opportunistic screening rates, participation in breast cancer screening program substantially reduces breast cancer-specific mortality. For policy, these results should be balanced against the potential harms of screening, including overdiagnosis and overtreatment.