Chlamydia Trachomatis Infections Among Ethnic Groups: Aged 15 to 24 in Miami, Dade, Florida - Dissertation Example

?Chlamydia trachomatis infections among ethnic groups aged 15 to 24 in Miami, Dade, Florida Chlamydia trachomatis is a species of bacteria that cause sexually transmitted infections. Such infections are symptomatic in men than in women and affects body parts such as urethra, cervix, and the pelvic area. This paper offers an introduction to the dissertation, ‘Chlamydia trachomatis infections among ethnic groups aged 15 to 24 in Miami, Dade, Florida’. The introduction includes preliminary information on the subject locality, problem statement, reason for the research, research questions, significance of the research, definition of terms, and involved challenges. Preliminary information on the problem Miami is a city in Florida with diversified demographics. It is about 1897 square miles with a population density of about 1315 people per square miles. Its population promises an increasing trend, having increased alongside the state’s population size, from the year 2010 to the year 2011. Women form a majority of the city’s population by gender. By ethnicity, the city is predominantly white at about 77 percent. The black ethnic group also forms a significant percentage of the city’s population at 19 percent (Census, 2012). The city’s rich ethnic mix further offers a wide range of culture and hence cultural practices. Existence of the different culture is a factor of historic events. The original natives, Calusa, were for example significantly eroded by British immigration that was associated by communicable diseases. The region’s population mix then stagnated in the then underdeveloped area until the industrialization era and the events of the Second World War. The post world war period has since registered constant immigration into Miami (Encyclopedia, 2012). The City’s healthcare facilities are advanced, owing to the fact that Miami hosts one of the United States’ most established hospitals. Its neighborhood, the Dade County is also rich in health care resources that include about 28 registered hospitals and more than 33000 qualified health care personnel. The region’s health care industry also produces differentiated pharmaceutical products and undertakes research initiatives towards solving clinical problems (Encyclopedia, 2012). Its performance in delivering health care services has also been nationally recognized as it was ranked eleventh among all counties in the Florida, in 2010. The city’s care system is also significantly sensitive to sexually transmited infections (Munzenrieder, 2010). Dade County has also made past initiatives to reform the region’s health sector to ensure affordable health care among its citizens. An example is the “Miami-Dade Blue” that was unveiled in the year 2009 (Munzenrieder, 2009, p. 1). The region’s communication services are enhanced by both the print and electronic media and it registers sports activities for recreational purposes. The city, together with its extended neighborhood in Dade, therefore, has the potential to research on an identified health care problem for policy development (Encyclopedia, 2012). Problem statement Chlamydia trachomatis infections has emerged to be a serious and common problem in the society because of diversified reasons that includes its mode of transmission, its incidence and prevalence as well as possibility of its detection and its potential adverse effect in the human body. The disease that is sexually transmitted is for instance commonly identified among the sexually active populations whose risk of infection is raised by other factors such as social norms and individuals’ behavioral factors. The identified fact about the infections’ mild existence in the body that may lead to its undetected existence has also drawn concerns because of the possible health effects that it relays. This is particularly because the disease is fatal if not treated in a body. It may for example hinder roles of different organs that it affects such as sex organs and other body parts, especially of a child who is infected by a mother during delivery (Chlamydia, 2012). The identified significance in the infection’s prevalence and incidence has led to diversified research initiatives that have investigated different risk factors to Chlamydia trychomatis infections, factors that can be explored towards decision on necessary measures for controlling the infections. Leon and co authors, in a research, for example established a number of factors that determine the infections’ occurrence. Age is one of the factors as the prevalence identifies a trend that increases with increase in age up to a point where the prevalence rate decreases with further increase in age. The general trend of the rates of the infections’ occurrence also identifies variations across ethnic groups as members of some ethnicities have higher probabilities of infection than members of other ethnic groups (Leon, Konda, Klausner, Jones, Caceres and Coates, 2009). The infections’ trend in incidence has also established significant data that is worth investigation into the disease’s control measures at different geographical levels. Its prevalence in the United States, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is the highest among sexually transmitted infections. Analysis of database on the infection over a decade period from the year 1999 for instance indicated a prevalence rate of 6.8 percent among teenagers above thirteen years. The same report identified adverse effects of the infections, such as “infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and chronic pelvic pain” among women suffering from Chlamydia trachomatis infections (CDC2010, 2011, P. 1). The agency also identified possible intervention measures against the infections, the infections adverse effects on a person’s level of immunity as well as the probability of mother to child infection during birth, in cases where the mother is infected at the time of delivery. The trend also indicates increase in reported cases, an indicator of better detection initiatives of the infections or a primary increase in prevalence rate. The screening rate is particularly reported to have increased from around the first quartile in the year 2000 to the second quartile in the year 2009. The reported incidence rate of the infections also increased, by five percent, from the year 2009 to the year 2010. In 2010, the Centre for disease control reported almost 1,308,000 cases with a rate of 426 cases per 100000 individuals (CDC2010, 2011). Data on the infections’ incidence can further be inferred from the observations in Wisconsin that has established a constantly increasing trend over the past decade. The prevalence that was reported at 304 per 100000 individuals in the year 2000 shows a generally increasing trend that reached a record of 368 per 100000 persons in the year 2009. The same increasing trend was observed in reported cases by gender that also identified higher prevalence rates in women than in men. In the year 2000 for example, less than 4000 men reported the infections in Wisconsin while the number of reported cases among women was more than 12000. The same trend in vulnerability by gender was observed in the year 2009 with 9317 more cases being reported among women than among men (Wisconsin, 2010). Susceptibility to Chlamydia trachomatis infection is also a factor of age. A number of research findings and data review from medical agencies have established this. Published statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention supports this. According to the agency’s publications in the year 2010, higher vulnerability was reported between two age groups. Individuals between 15 years and 19 years reported the highest rates with a record of 3329 reported cases per 100000 individuals while the age group of between 20 and 24 years followed with a rate of 3274 cases per 10000 individuals. The prevalence rates in men was notably higher between 20 and 24 years than between 15 and 19 while women indicated higher prevalence rates in the age group between 15 and 19 (CDC2009, 2010). The same trend was reported in the year 2010, based on the agency’s report in 2011. The prevalence rates among the age groups of between 15 and 19 years and between 20 to 24 years were the highest. The 15 to 19 years age group reported a rate of 3378 cases per 100000 individuals while the group of between 20 years and 24 years reported a rate of 3407 cases per 100000 individuals. A higher rate of infection among men was similarly reported in the group of between 20 years to 24 years (CDC2009, 2010; CDC2010, 2011). The same observation was also established by a research initiative, conducted by Kucinskiene, et al. The researchers associated higher risk factors by the youthful age group that is sexually active, especially the adolescents (Kucinskiene, et al, 2006). Many research findings have also established ethnicity as a determinant of the incidence and prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infections across age groups. Established data in San Francisco for example identified extremely high prevalence rates among blacks followed by Hispanics and the lowest rates among Asians (Health, 2012). In a research to investigate Chlamydia trachomatis infections among sexually active women in Pacific Northwest, researchers established that, among whites, Hispanics and blacks, the blacks reported the highest frequency of 10 percent followed by Hispanics who reported a frequency of 6 percent with whites reporting a lower frequency of less than 5 percent (Singh, Fine and Marrazzo, 2011). This consistency in susceptibility to Chlamydia trachomatis infections by ethnicity is therefore widely reported, though with varying percentages. A research on risk factors for the infections in Alaska also identified the blacks and native Alaska ethnic groups to be the most vulnerable (Locke, Mclaughlin and Jones, 2010). Similarly, research by Ginnocchio et al that explored the infections’ prevalence in the United States identified the highest vulnerability among the blacks (Ginnocchio, et al, 2012). Lawton et al. also identified significance of ethnicity in the infections incidence, in their bid to investigate the infections among expectant women (2004). There is however a significant difference in the infections’ incidence across regions or states. Reported statistics for the year 2007 for example indicates as high a rate of 745 per 100000 individuals, in Mississippi and as low as a rate of 156 per 100000 individuals in New Hampshire (Centres, 2009). The difference in prevalence rates by regions was similarly reported in the year 2010 to indicate a level of consistency on the fact that the infections incidence varies across regions (CDC2010, 2011). Rich information therefore exists to identify the significance Chlamydia trachomatis infections in the society. This is because of its high level of incidence that establishes it as the most registered among sexual transmitted infections. The constantly and generally increasing prevalence rate of the infections, with time, also identifies concerns over whether such a trend is due to increased screening or increasing rates of infections. Established research findings also identify risk factors, such as ethnicity and age, whose understanding is essential towards controlling the infections across populations. The difference in the incidence across regions and the lack of research on the infections’ prevalence and risk factors across regions is therefore an obstacle towards controlling Chlamydia trachomatis infections at regional levels. This is because the difference in prevalence rates by regions indicates variation in risk factors, a concept that is essential in designing healthcare policies. Reason for the research The research aims at developing information gap in incidence of Chlamydia trachomatis infections in Miami, Dade, Florida. The main reason for developing this information is to identify significance of the two risk factors, age and ethnicity, which have been identified in general trend of the infections’ incidence, in Miami. This will further achieve the objective of offering information for health care policy making towards prevention and management of the infections. Research questions The research seeks to explore research the following research questions Is there a significant relationship between the incidence of Chlamydia trachomatis infections and age in Miami, Dade, Florida? Is there a significant relationship between the incidence of Chlamydia trachomatis infections and ethnicity in Miami, Dade, Florida? Is there an interaction effect between age and ethnicity in affecting the incidence of Chlamydia trachomatis infections in Miami, Dade, Florida? Significance of the research The research is significant to the city’s general population and the health care policy makers. This is because it establishes a basis for making informed health care policies for a healthier population. The research therefore develops a basis for the infections’ prevention and treatment policies. Definition of terms Incidence Incidence refers to the rate of occurrence of an event. In the research, it is used to refer to the reported cases of infection. Prevalence Prevalence refers to the property of general occurrence and represents the density of incidence. Challenges The research expects challenges in data collection and maintaining participants’ confidentiality in the final report. This is because primary patients’ data are strictly protected by legal provisions and ethical provisions protects confidentiality in reporting research findings (Staunton and Chiarella, 2007; Streubert and Carpenter, 2010). References CDC2009. (2010). Chlamydia. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats09/chlamydia.htm CDC2010. (2011). Chlamydia. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats10/chlamydia.htm. Census. (2012). Miami-Dade County, Florida. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved from: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/12/12086.html. Centres. (2009). Chlamydia. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats07/chlamydia.htm#a3 Chlamydia. (2012). Chlamydia- CDC fact sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/std/chlamydia/chlamydia-fact-sheet-February-2012.pdf Encyclopedia. (2012). Miami. Retrieved from: http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Miami.aspx. Ginnocchio, C. et al. (2012). Prevalence of trichomonas vaginalis and coinfection with chalmydia trachomatis and nessseria gonorrhoeae in the United States as determined by the APTIMA trichomonas vaginalis nucleic acid amplification assay. Journal of Clinical Microbiology. Retrieved from: http://jcm.asm.org/content/early/2012/05/17/JCM.00748-12.short?rss=1. Health. (2012). Chlamydia incidence rate. Health Matters in San Francisco. Retrieved from: http://www.healthmattersinsf.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=NS-Indicator&file=indicator&iid=12511 Kucinskiene, et al. (2006). Prevalence and risk factors of genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection. Medicina (42.11) 885- 894. Lawton, B. et al. Rates of Chlamydia trachomatis testing and Chlamydia infection in pregnant women. The New Zealand Medical Journal (117.1194) 1- 7. Leon, S., Konda, K., Klausner, J., Jones, F., Caceres, C. and Coates, T. (2009). Chlamydia trachomatis infection and associated risk factors in a low income marginalized urban population in coastal Peru. Public Health. 26(1). 39-45. Locke, E., Mclaughlin, J. and Jones, S. (2010). Risk factorsfor repeat Chlamydia trachomatis infection and Alaska-specific rescreening recommendations. State of Alaska Epidemiology: Department of Health and Social Services (13.1) 1- 10. Munzenrieder, K. (2009). Miami-Dade unveils affordable health care. Miami New Times. Retrieved from: http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2009/05/miami-dade_unveils_affordable.php. Munzenrieder, K. (2010). Miami-Dade ranked 11th healthiest county in Florida; # 1in category that takes risky sexy, drinking into account. Miami New Times. Retrieved from: http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2010/02/miami-dade_ranked_11th_healthi.php. Singh, D., FineD. and Marrazzo, J. (2011). Chlamydia trachomatis infection among women reporting sexual activity with women screened in family planning clinics in the Pacific Northwest, 1997 to 2005. American Journal of Public Health (101. 7) 1284- 1291. Staunton, P. and Chiarella, M. (2007). Nursing and the law. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier. Streubert, H. and Carpenter, D. (2010).Qualitative research in nursing: Advancing the humanistic imperative. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Wisconsin. (2010). Chlamydia trachomatis incidence. Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Retrieved from: http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/statehealthplan/track2010/pdf/data/F3bchlamrate.pdf Read More