How is Indonesia coping with its epidemic of chronic noncommunicable diseases? A systematic review with meta-analysis

Global trends in ischemic stroke burden attributable to high BMI

We aimed to assess the worldwide burden of ischemic stroke (IS) associated with high body mass index (BMI) using data from the Global Burden of Disease 2019. This study examined the impact of high BMI on IS-related age-standardized death rates (ASDR) and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Estimated annual percentage changes (EAPC) is estimated annual percentage change. Trends were assessed using EAPCs. Over the past 3 decades, there has been a declining trend in the global burden of IS associated with high BMI, especially in Western Europe (EAPC = -3.09 for DALYs) and high-income Asia Pacific (EAPC = -4.6 for ASDR). However, certain developing regions, notably Southeast Asia, have experienced significant increases in ASDR (EAPC = 3.7) and age-standardized DALY rates (EAPC = 3.64). The most substantial increase in burden was observed in Southeast Asia for both males (EAPC = 3.85) and females (EAPC = 3.53). Importantly, the burden was most pronounced in regions with low to middle sociodemographic index. The rising disease burden linked to high BMI is largely due to insufficient medical infrastructure and ineffective public health policies in the region. Urgent action is needed from decision-makers to improve these areas and implement effective interventions. This study reveals a consistent global decline in IS related to high BMI, with a more significant burden observed in males under the age of 65, particularly in Southeast Asia, where increases in IS associated with high BMI are notable. Public health officials and global policymakers need timely and reliable quantitative data. This information is essential for implementing effective behavioral interventions, such as monitoring diet and physical activity, to address identified risk factors and reduce the burden of high BMI.

Non-communicable comorbidities in pulmonary tuberculosis and healthcare utilization: a cross-sectional study of 2021 Indonesian national health insurance data

BACKGROUND

Limited research exists on the comorbidity of pulmonary tuberculosis with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and its implications for healthcare utilization in Indonesia. The lack of investigation into NCD comorbidity among pulmonary tuberculosis patients could adversely affect both the healthcare system and the national health insurance scheme. Understanding the NCD comorbidity among pulmonary tuberculosis patients, associated factors, and healthcare utilization is crucial for ensuring the effective and efficient delivery of health services.

METHOD

This study utilized an observational cross-sectional design based on anonymized sample data from tuberculosis cases covered by Indonesia's National Health Insurance in 2021. Chi-square tests were employed to analyze dependent and independent variables, while unadjusted and adjusted logistic regressions were used to explore further associations.

RESULTS

The prevalence of NCD comorbidity in tuberculosis patients was 11.81%. Aged over 60 (aOR 5.16; [CI] 4.23-6.3), married (aOR 1.19; [CI] 1.05-1.34), and unemployed (aOR 1.27; [CI] 1.08-1.49) were associated with the NCD comorbidity in pulmonary tuberculosis patients. Factors associated with increased inpatient service utilization among pulmonary tuberculosis patients included aged over 60 (aOR 5.69; [CI] 4.81-6.74), male (aOR 1.32; [CI] 1.23-1.40), self-employment (aOR 1.42; [CI] 1.29-1.56), having insurance subsidized by central government (aOR 1.89; [CI] 1.73-2.08) or local government funds (aOR 1.75; [CI] 1.58-1.93), and having comorbidity non-communicable diseases (aOR 1.80; [CI] 1.66-1.96).

CONCLUSION

Pulmonary tuberculosis patients exhibit a significant prevalence of NCD comorbidity, which substantially impacts healthcare utilization. Early detection and management of these conditions are critical to mitigate burdens on both the healthcare system and the financial sustainability of the national health insurance scheme. Integrating health services for tuberculosis and NCDs through bidirectional screening is essential for comprehensive patient care.

Association of Countries' Atopic Dermatitis Burden and Sociodemographic Index with Topical Calcineurin Inhibitor Utilization

Background: There is limited knowledge on international trends in topical calcineurin inhibitor (TCI) utilization. Objective: To describe international TCI utilization trends from 2012 to 2019 and evaluate the relationship of country-level economic status, geographic location, and atopic dermatitis (AD) disease burden with drug utilization. Methods: We used IQVIA MIDAS® pharmaceutical quarterly sales data to attain country-level purchasing of TCIs in grams from 2012 to 2019. A multivariable linear regression estimated the association between countries' sociodemographic index (SDI), AD disability-adjusted life year (DALY) rates, and geographic location with TCI utilization. Results: A total of 68 countries were included in our analysis. From 2012 to 2019, overall TCI utilization increased by 66% but remained 11.2 times higher in high-sociodemographic compared with low-middle/low-sociodemographic countries. SDI and geographic location were associated with greater TCI utilization in multivariable analyses, whereas AD DALY rates were not. High-SDI countries used 21,476 grams (95% confidence interval [CI]: 11,915 to 31,036) and high-middle SDI countries used 9,403 grams (95% CI: -393 to 19,200) more TCIs per 100,000 people compared with low-middle/low-SDI countries, respectively. Northern hemisphere countries used 8,588 grams more TCIs per 100,000 people (95% CI: 612 to 16,564). Conclusions: We demonstrated greater TCI utilization among high-SDI compared with lower SDI countries.

Treatment Nonadherence among Multimorbid Chronic Disease Patients: Evidence from 3515 Subjects in Indonesia

Background and Objectives: Multimorbid patients require intensive treatment for their diseases. However, little research has been given to their treatment adherence as part of its management. This study aims to determine the prevalence and characteristics of chronic disease multimorbidity in Indonesia, alongside its treatment nonadherence. Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using the fifth Indonesian Family Life Survey database among adult subjects aged ≥ 15 years with multimorbidity. Our descriptive and multivariate analyses include sex, age, formal education, ethnicity, geographic residence, demographic residence, household size, insurance ownership, annual income, current self-perceived health status, missing active days, smoking behavior, and body mass index. Results: We identified 3515 multimorbid patients, constituting 30.8% prevalence across chronic disease patients. Hypertension was found to be a prevalent component of multimorbidity (61.2%), followed by digestive diseases (44.5%) and arthritis (30.3%). We identified that 36.4% of the subjects were nonadherent to their chronic disease treatment. Characteristics associated with nonadherence were found to be a good self-perception of health (aOR 1.79, 95% CI 1.54-2.08), active smoking behavior (aOR 1.51, 95% CI 1.14-1.99), no smoking behavior (aOR 1.44, 95% CI 1.08-1.90), missing seven active/productive days or less in the past month due to poor health (aOR 1.36, 95% CI 1.10-1.68), no insurance ownership (aOR 1.20, 95% CI 1.04-1.39), age of 15-65 years (aOR 1.25, 95% CI 1.01-1.55), income below IDR 40 million (aOR 1.23, 95% CI 1.04-1.46), and household size of 2-6 people (aOR 1.17, 95% CI 1.01-1.36). Conclusions: While the prevalence of multimorbidity in Indonesia is generally similar to that observed in previous studies, we have identified patient characteristics related to nonadherence. We suggest that patient's nonadherence was primarily dictated by their self-perception of health and treatment complexity. With the longstanding issue of nonadherence, this study indicated the need to consider creating patient-tailored treatment programs in clinical practice to improve adherence by considering individual patients' characteristics.

Immunomodulatory Role of Plants and Their Constituents on the Management of Metabolic Disorders: An Evidence-Based Review

The relationship between the immune system and metabolic diseases is complex and increasingly recognized as critical to understanding conditions like obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Modulation of the immune system in patients with metabolic disorders can offer several potential benefits. While the salutary impact of plant-derived bioactive compounds on metabolic and immune functions is acknowledged, there is a paucity of comprehensive reviews on the multifaceted and synergistic mechanisms through which these effects are mediated. This review elucidates the therapeutic potential of phytochemical formulations in ameliorating metabolic disorders and delineates their mechanistic implications on relevant biomarkers and immune modulation. Our analysis reveals a predominance of plant species, including Boswellia serrata, Cinnamomum cassia, Citrus bergamia, Coffea arabica, Ficus racemosa, Momordica charantia, Morus Alba, and Trigonella foenum-graecum, that have undergone clinical evaluation and have been substantiated to confer both metabolic and immunological benefits. The phytoconstituents contained in these plants exert their effects through a range of mechanisms, such as improving glucose regulation, reducing inflammatory responses, and modulating immune system. As such, these findings hold considerable promise for clinical and therapeutic translation and necessitate further empirical validation through randomized controlled trials and mechanistic elucidations to affirm the safety and efficacy of herbal formulations.

Towards responsive policy and actions to address non-communicable disease risks amongst adolescents in Indonesia: insights from key stakeholders

Background

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, mental disorder and chronic lung conditions are the leading cause of death and disability in Indonesia. Adolescence is when risks for NCDs emerge and it is also an important life stage for intervention, yet young people are often at the margins of NCD policy and actions. This study aimed to understand how policies and actions should address NCD risks (tobacco smoking, inadequate physical activity, and diet) for adolescents in Indonesia, and how young people can be meaningfully involved.

Methods

Qualitative in-depth interviews over videoconference (n = 21) were conducted in English or Bahasa with stakeholders in Indonesia. Participants included policymakers, implementation partners, and advocates who were focused on adolescent health or NCDs. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, translated, and thematically analysed using NVivo12. Findings were disseminated to participants for validation and feedback. Youth participants (n = 7) attended an additional workshop and considered recommendations and actions arising from this research.

Findings

Participants identified that government and non-government organisations are acting on NCDs in Indonesia, but few of the existing initiatives target adolescents, and adolescent services rarely addressed NCD risks. Participants also felt that policies to protect adolescents from NCD risks (i.e., smoke-free areas in public) were not always enforced. For programs or initiatives focused on adolescent health, those that had engaged adolescents as co-creators and leaders were perceived to be more successful. As such, participants recommended more meaningful engagement of young people, including young people's leadership of initiatives. Additional recommendations included the need for intersectoral engagement and a 'whole-of-government' approach to prevention given the complex determinants of NCD risks, and the need for evidence-based actions that are underpinned by quality data to enable monitoring of progress.

Interpretation

There is a recognised need to strengthen policies and actions to address NCD risks amongst adolescents in Indonesia. Meaningful youth engagement that allows young people to take the lead, intersectoral actions, and evidence-based data driven responses were key strategies identified.

Funding

UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office.

Validation in Indonesia of two published scores for mortality prediction after cardiac surgery

Introduction

No mortality risk prediction model has previously been validated for cardiac surgery in Indonesia. This study aimed at validating the EuroSCORE II and Age Creatinine Ejection Fraction (ACEF) score as predictors for in-hospital mortality after cardiac surgery a in tertiary center, and if necessary, to recalibrate the EuroSCORE II model to our population.

Methods

This study was a single-center observational study from prospectively collected data on adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery from January 2006 to December 2011 (n = 1833). EuroSCORE II and ACEF scores were calculated for all patients to predict in-hospital mortality. Discrimination was assessed using the area under the curve (AUC) with a 95% confidence interval. Calibration was assessed with the Hosmer-Lemeshow test (HL test). Multivariable analysis was performed to recalibrate the EuroSCORE II; variables with P < 0.2 entered the final model.

Results

The in-hospital mortality rate was 3.8%, which was underestimated by the EuroSCORE II (2.1%) and the ACEF score (2.4%). EuroSCORE II (AUC 0.774 (0.714-0.834)) showed good discrimination, whereas the ACEF score (AUC 0.638 [0.561-0.718]) showed poor discrimination. The differences in AUC were significant (P = 0.002). Both scores were poorly calibrated (EuroSCORE II: HL test P < 0.001, ACEF score: HL test P < 0.001) and underestimated mortality in all risk groups. After recalibration, EuroSCORE II showed good discrimination (AUC 0.776 [0.714- 0.840]) and calibration (HL test P = 0.79).

Conclusions

EuroSCORE II and the ACEF score were unsuitable for risk prediction of in-hospital mortality after cardiac surgery in our center. Following recalibration, the calibration of the EuroSCORE II was greatly improved.

The relative impact of underweight, overweight, smoking, and physical inactivity on health and associated costs in Indonesia: propensity score matching of a national sample

Background

Indonesia is in the middle of a rapid epidemiological transition with an ageing population and increasing exposure to risk factors for chronic conditions. This study examines the relative impacts of obesity, tobacco consumption, and physical inactivity, on non-communicable diseases multimorbidity, health service use, catastrophic health expenditure (CHE), and loss in employment productivity in Indonesia.

Methods

Secondary analyses were conducted of cross-sectional data from adults aged ≥ 40 years (n = 12,081) in the Indonesian Family Life Survey 2014/2015. We used propensity score matching to assess the associations between behavioural risk factors and health service use, CHE, employment productivity, and multimorbidity.

Results

Being obese, overweight and a former tobacco user was associated with a higher number of chronic conditions and multimorbidity (p < 0.05). Being a former tobacco user contributed to a higher number of outpatient and inpatient visits as well as CHE incidences and work absenteeism. Physical inactivity relatively increased the number of outpatient visits (30% increase, p < 0.05) and work absenteeism (21% increase, P < 0.06). Although being underweight was associated with an increased outpatient care utilisation (23% increase, p < 0.05), being overweight was negatively associated with CHE incidences (50% decrease, p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Combined together, obesity, overweight, physical inactivity and tobacco use contributed to an increased number of NCDs as well as medical costs and productivity loss in Indonesia. Interventions addressing physical and behavioural risk factors are likely to have substantial benefits for individuals and the wider society in Indonesia.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-022-08546-6.

Analysing 11 years of incidence trends, clinicopathological characteristics, and forecasts of colorectal cancer in young and old patients: a retrospective cross-sectional study in an Indonesian national referral hospital

OBJECTIVE

To obtain annual incidence trends, understand clinicopathological characteristics, and forecast the future burden of colorectal cancer (CRC) in Indonesia.

DESIGN

11-year retrospective cross-sectional study.

SETTING

A national referral hospital in Jakarta, Indonesia.

PARTICIPANTS

Data from 1584 eligible cases were recorded for trends and forecasting analyses; 433 samples were analysed to determine clinicopathological differences between young (<50 years) and old (≥50 years) patients.

METHODS

Trend analyses were done using Joinpoint software, expressed in annual percentage change (APC), and a regression analysis was executed to generate a forecasting model. Patients' characteristics were compared using χ2 or non-parametric tests.

MAIN OUTCOMES

Analysis of trends, forecasting model, and clinicopathological features between the age groups.

RESULTS

A significant increase in APC was observed among old patients (+2.38%) for CRC cases. Colon cancer increased remarkably (+9.24%) among young patients; rectal cancer trends were either stable or declining. The trend for right-sided CRC increased in the general population (+6.52%) and old patients (+6.57%), while the trend for left-sided CRC was stable. These cases are expected to be a significant health burden within the next 10 years. Patients had a mean age of 53.17±13.94, 38.1% were young, and the sex ratio was 1.21. Prominent characteristics were left-sided CRC, tumour size ≥5 cm, exophytic growth, adenocarcinoma, histologically low grade, pT3, pN0, inadequately dissected lymph nodes (LNs), LN ratio <0.05, no distant metastasis, early-stage cancer, no lymphovascular invasion, and no perineural invasion (PNI). Distinct features between young and old patients were found in the histological subtype, number of dissected LN, and PNI of the tumour.

CONCLUSIONS

Epidemiological trends and forecasting analyses of CRC cases in Indonesian patients showed an enormous increase in colon cancer in young patients, a particularly concerning trend. Additionally, young patients exhibited particular clinicopathological characteristics that contributed to disease severity.

Participation in community-based healthcare interventions and non-communicable diseases early detection of general population in Indonesia

Background

Community-based Healthcare Interventions (CBHIs) are regarded as a critical component of healthcare task-sharing in LMICs and have the potential to address LMICs’ health system weaknesses to improve NCDs prevention care. This study aims to investigate the relationship between participation in CBHIs and NCDs early detection at medical facilities among Indonesians.

Methods

Data come from the fifth Indonesian Family Life Survey (2014–2015), a total of 27,692 individuals (14,820 female and 12,872 male individuals age 15 and older). Multiple ordered logistics and logistics regression was used to assess the association between individual participation in CBHI and early detection of NCDs at medical facilities.

Findings

Participation in CBHIs are associated with higher odds of having regular blood pressure test (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 3.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.67–3.58), cholesterol test (adjusted OR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.60–2.22), blood glucose test (adjusted OR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.58–2.23), electrocardiogram (adjusted OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.06–1.76) and basic dental examination (adjusted OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.09–1.60) at medical facilities. The odds of having pap smears (adjusted OR, 2.20; 95% CI, 1.62–2.98) and breast self-examination (adjusted OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.37–2.19) among females who participated in CBHIs are substantially larger than those who did not participate in CBHIs. No significant association is shown for the basic vision examination (adjusted OR, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.95–1.37), while the association of participation in CBHIs on prostate cancer checkup (adjusted OR, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.04–0.76) was negative and significant. The results were controlled with a wide range of predisposing, enabling and need factors for NCDs early detection.

Conclusion

and recommendation: CBHIs may benefit NCDs early detection for the general population in Indonesia. Policymakers and health practitioners need to design CBHIs programs that are attractive to the population, especially men and younger people.

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CBHIs are a distinct mode of healthcare delivery and are regarded as a critical component of healthcare task-sharing in LMICs.

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CBHIs have the potential to address LMICs' health system weaknesses to improve NCDs prevention care.

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Participation in CBHIs are associated with regular blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose, electrocardiogram, and dental tests.

Global Burden Attributable to High Low-Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol From 1990 to 2019

Background

High low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) is a public health issue contributing to ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke.

Method

In this ecological study, we collected summary exposure values (SEVs), deaths, disability-adjusted life of years (DALYs), and Social Demographic Index (SDI) of high LDL-C from 1990 to 2019 using the query tool from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Collaborative Network. Outcomes include SEVs, deaths, and DALYs attributable to high LDL-C stratified by sex, age, region, SDI, countries, and territories. Estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) were applied to estimate annual trends of changes in these outcomes. We applied the weighted segmented regression with break-point estimation to detect the linear piecewise relationship between SDI and high LDL-C disease burden.

Results

Globally, 3.00 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI], 2.35-3.76 million) people in 1990 and 4.40 million (95% UI, 3.30-5.65 million) people died from high LDL-C in 2019. The absolute annual burden from deaths and DALYs attributed to high LDL-C increased by 46% (95% UI, 35-56%) and 41% (95% UI, 31-50%) from 1990 to 2019. The age-standardized SEV, death, and DALY was decreased by 9% (95% UI, -11 to -8%), 37% (95% UI, -41-33%), and 32% (95% UI, -37 to -28%), respectively, during the study period. There was a negative association between SDI and high LDL-C-related age-standardized death and DALY rates when SDI surpassed 0.71 and 0.71, respectively.

Conclusion

Although the overall age-standardized burden of high LDL-C is controlled in the past 30 years, it remains increasing in moderate SDI countries, and decreasing trends are disappearing in high SDI countries. New challenges require new actions stratified by countries with different SDI levels.

A Cross-Sectional Assessment of Dietary Patterns and Their Relationship to Hypertension and Obesity in Indonesia

Background

There is a marked increase in the intake of foods associated with higher risks for hypertension and obesity in Indonesia. However, studies assessing the relationship between dietary patterns and health outcomes are few.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to characterize dietary patterns and investigate their relationship with hypertension and obesity in Indonesia.

Methods

Exploratory factor analysis was used to derive dietary patterns from a brief food scanner filled by 31,160 respondents aged 15 y and older in the Indonesian Family Life Survey wave 5 (IFLS 5). Age- and gender-specific quintiles of consumption were created for each pattern and the association between quintiles of each dietary pattern and the odds for hypertension and obesity were assessed using multivariate logistic regression analyses.

Results

Two dietary patterns were identified: a modern dietary pattern characterized by fast foods, soft drinks, sweet snacks, and salty snacks and a traditional pattern characterized by fish, vegetables, and fruits. Younger age and being male were significantly correlated with higher consumption of the modern pattern (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.03, respectively). Analyses showed no association between hypertension and the modern pattern. However, the traditional pattern revealed lower odds for hypertension among those in the highest quintile compared with the lowest quintile (OR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.74, 0.95; P-trend < 0.05). Individuals in the highest quintile of each dietary pattern had higher odds of obesity compared with those in the lowest quintile (modern pattern-OR: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.15, 1.49; P-trend < 0.00; traditional pattern-OR: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.10, 1.42; P-trend < 0.01).

Conclusions

More studies using gold-standard measures of dietary intake are needed to better understand the relationship between the modern dietary pattern and hypertension in Indonesia. Also, both modern and traditional dietary patterns in Indonesia may be energy dense, leading to higher risk for obesity.

Sociodemographic characteristics and health access associated with COVID-19 infection and death: a cross-sectional study in Malang District, Indonesia

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to examine sociodemographic characteristics and health access associated with COVID-19 infection and death in Malang District, Indonesia.

DESIGN

A non-random cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Population in 390 villages in Malang District, East Java Province, Indonesia.

PARTICIPANTS

We used Malang District government COVID-19 contact tracing data from 14 264 individuals, spanning from 1 March 2020 to 29 July 2020.

PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES

The outcome variables in this study are COVID-19 infections and COVID-19 deaths. The associations between sociodemographic characteristics and health access of COVID-19 infection and death were analysed using multilevel logistic regression.

RESULTS

Among the 14 264 samples, 551 individuals were confirmed as being infected with COVID-19; 62 individuals died of COVID-19. Women, individuals with direct contact with confirmed COVID-19 cases and individuals with hypertension constituted the groups most vulnerable to COVID-19 infection. Among respondents with confirmed COVID-19 cases, men, individuals aged 61 years and older, individuals with hypertension, and those diagnosed with pneumonia and respiratory failure were at higher risk of death. The number of community-based healthcare interventions was significantly associated with lower COVID-19 infection and COVID-19 mortality. Greater distance to a COVID-19 referral hospital increased risk of COVID-19 mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

COVID-19 infection and death were related not only to sociodemographic characteristics of individuals but also to the presence of community-based healthcare interventions and access to hospital care. Strategies in public health, including improving healthcare access, are required to reduce COVID-19 infections among the most susceptible groups in Indonesia.

Implementation of Healthy Living Community Movement Supported Automatic Telehealth Machine for Public Health at Poltekkes Kemenkes Palu

Background: Indonesia faces serious challenges from a double burden disease caused by changes in people's lifestyles. Since 2010, Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) include hypertension, stroke, heart disease, and diabetes have taken up a growing share of health-care resources. The coronavirus disease epidemic of 2019 (COVID 19) caused by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV2 is the most serious global health issue. Patients with COVID-19 had more hypertension, diabetes, and other cardiovascular diseases, which all require routine health monitoring. Health monitoring will greatly develop along with the development of technology and information 4.0. This includes nursing services in the future that will take advantage of developments in information technology. Objective: This study aims to implement the healthy living community movement programs using Automatic Telehealth Machine (ATMs) as internet of things for health checking and education at Politeknik Kesehatan Kemenkes Palu. Methods: This research method is a quasi-experimental intervention research. The population of study were 167 employees of Poltekkes Kemenkes Palu. Sampling process used simple random sampling method with sample size consist of 96 people. The study revealed that majority of respondents were gender and aged, physical activity was generally good, and fruits intake was also good.  The measuring instrument used are ATMs device and a questionnaire that has been tested for validity and reliability. Analysis of research data using univariate test (frequency distribution) and bivariate test (t test or alternatives) Results: The variables that were significantly related to systole were gender and age category (p = 0.03). The variables which were significantly related to diastole were gender (p = 0.02) and age category (p = 0.01). The results revealed that gender, age, physical activity and fruits intake was not associated with total cholesterol levels. Conclusions: Automatic Telehealth Machine (ATMs) can be implemented for health checking and education in healthy living community movement programs

Identifying palliative care needs of patients with non-communicable diseases in Indonesia using the SPICT tool: a descriptive cross-sectional study

Background

In Indonesia, Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) are a contributing factor to mortality with most cases involving heart disease, cancer, chronic lung disease and diabetes. Accordingly, the identification of palliative care needs is very important as a first step in providing palliative care for these patients with NCD. However, currently there is no national standardized tool nor guidance system for identifying palliative care needs of NCD patients in Indonesia. The Supportive and Palliative Care Indicators Tool (SPICT) has been used worldwide for screening palliative care needs. This study aimed to identify palliative care needs in NCD patients using the SPICT tool.

Methods

This descriptive study used a cross-sectional design. Sampling technique used convenience sampling with a total sample of 124 adult patients with NCD in Dr. Sardjito Hospital Yogyakarta. Data collection used the Indonesian version of the SPICT. Data analyses used descriptive statistics and chi-square tests with p < 0,05 set as significant. Additionally, the prevalence of patients requiring palliative care was also calculated.

Results

The patients with NCD requiring palliative care who were screened using the SPICT tool were 61.3%. The nurses identified only 17.7%, while the physicians identified only 9.7%. The overall agreement of the clinician’s assessments to the researchers was < 32%. Meanwhile, agreement with nurses was 31 and 25% with the physicians.

Conclusions

These results highlight that by using the SPICT tool, recognition of hospitalized patients with NCD needing palliative care increased from 10 to 18% to > 61%. The Indonesian version of the SPICT tool can help the clinicians to reach meet agreement in identifying hospitalized patients who need palliative care as the first step in addressing palliative interventions for patients with NCD. It can provide several benefits in screening patients with NCD from the beginning of diagnosis.

Preference for initiation of end-of-life care discussion in Indonesia: a quantitative study

Background

Initiating discussion about death and dying is often considered a difficult topic for healthcare providers, thus there is a need for further research to understand this area, particularly in developing countries. The aim of this study was to describe preferences for the initiation of end-of-life care discussions in Indonesia, comparing the general population and health care professionals.

Methods

This cross-sectional, descriptive study analysed quantitative data from 368 respondents to an online questionnaire (255 general population (69%); 113 healthcare professionals (31%)) utilizing consecutive sampling and snowball sampling methods.

Results

Overall, most respondents (80%) stated that they would like to discuss end-of-life issues with a healthcare professional in the case of terminal illness. This was more marked amongst healthcare professionals compared with the general population (94% vs. 75%, respectively, p < 0,001). The preferred time for discussion was at first diagnosis (68% general population, 52% healthcare professionals, p = 0.017) and the preferred person to start the discussion was the doctor (59% general population, 71% healthcare professionals, p = 0.036). Fewer respondents wanted to know about prognosis compared to diagnosis (overall 76% v 93% respectively).

Conclusion

Doctors have vital role in end-of-life care discussion, and attempts should be made to encourage physicians to initiate these conversations and respond to patient’s requests when needed. These findings contribute to the existing body of knowledge in this area of practice, with focus on a developing country. The role of socio-cultural influences on these conversations warrants further research, in order to develop practical resources to support clinicians to appropriately conduct end-of-life care discussions with their patients and to provide data for policymakers to develop services.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12904-021-00894-0.

GeNuIne (gene-nutrient interactions) Collaboration: towards implementing multi-ethnic population-based nutrigenetic studies of vitamin B12 and D deficiencies and metabolic diseases

Gene-nutrient interactions (GeNuIne) collaboration, a large-scale collaborative project, has been initiated to investigate the impact of gene-nutrient interactions on cardiometabolic diseases using population-based studies from ethnically diverse populations. In this project, the relationship between deficiencies of vitamins B12 and D, and metabolic diseases was explored using a nutrigenetic approach. A genetic risk score (GRS) analysis was used to examine the combined effect of several genetic variations that have been shown to be associated with metabolic diseases and vitamin B12 and D deficiencies, respectively. In Sri Lankan, Indonesian and Brazilian populations, those carrying a high B12-GRS had an increased risk of metabolic diseases under the influence of dietary protein, fibre and carbohydrate intakes, respectively; however, in Asian Indians, genetically instrumented metabolic disease risk showed a significant association with low vitamin B12 status. With regards to nutrigenetic studies on vitamin D status, although high metabolic-GRS showed an interaction with dietary carbohydrate intake on vitamin D status, the study in Indonesian women demonstrated a vitamin D GRS-carbohydrate interaction on body fat percentage. In summary, these nutrigenetic studies from multiple ethnic groups have provided evidence for the influence of the dietary factors on the relationship between vitamin B12/D deficiency and metabolic outcomes. Furthermore, these studies highlight the existence of genetic heterogeneity in gene-diet interactions across ethnically diverse populations, which further implicates the significance of personalised dietary approaches for the prevention of these micronutrient deficiencies and metabolic diseases.

Predicting length of stay and mortality among hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension

BACKGROUND

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hypertension (HTN), both non-communicable diseases, are leading causes of death globally, with more imbalances in lower middle-income countries. Furthermore, poor treatment and management are known to lead to intensified healthcare utilization and increased medical care costs and impose a significant societal burden, in these countries, including Indonesia. Predicting future clinical outcomes can determine the line of treatment and value of healthcare costs, while ensuring effective patient care. In this paper, we present the prediction of length of stay (LoS) and mortality among hospitalized patients at a tertiary referral hospital in Tasikmalaya, Indonesia, between 2016 and 2019. We also aimed to determine how socio-demographic characteristics, and T2DM- or HTN-related comorbidities affect inpatient LoS and mortality.

METHODS

We analyzed insurance claims data of 4376 patients with T2DM or HTN hospitalized in the referral hospital. We used four prediction models based on machine-learning algorithms for LoS prediction, in relation to disease severity, physician-in-charge, room type, co-morbidities, and types of procedures performed. We used five classifiers based on multilayer perceptron (MLP) to predict inpatient mortality and compared them according to training time, testing time, and Area under Receiver Operative Curve (AUROC). Classifier accuracy measures, which included positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), F-Measure, and recall, were used as performance evaluation methods.

RESULTS

A Random forest best predicted inpatient LoS (R2, 0.70; root mean square error [RMSE], 1.96; mean absolute error [MAE], 0.935), and the gradient boosting regression model also performed similarly (R2, 0.69; RMSE, 1.96; MAE, 0.935). For inpatient mortality, best results were observed using MLP with back propagation (AUROC 0.899; 69.33 and 98.61 for PPV and NPV, respectively). The other classifiers, stochastic gradient descent with regression loss function, Huber, and random forest models all showed an average performance.

CONCLUSIONS

Linear regression model best predicted LoS and mortality was best predicted using MLP. Patients with primary diseases such as T2DM or HTN may have comorbidities that can prolong inpatient LoS. Physicians play an important role in disseminating health related information. These predictions could assist in the development of health policies and strategies that reduce disease burden in resource-limited settings.

Effect of multimorbidity on utilisation and out-of-pocket expenditure in Indonesia: quantile regression analysis

BACKGROUND

Multimorbidity (the presence of two or more non-communicable diseases) is a major growing challenge for many low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). Yet, its effects on health care costs and financial burden for patients have not been adequately studied. This study investigates the effect of multimorbidity across the different percentiles of healthcare utilisation and out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE).

METHODS

We conducted a secondary data analysis of the 2014/2015 Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS-5), which included 13,798 respondents aged ≥40 years. Poisson regression was used to assess the association between sociodemographic characteristics and the total number of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), while multivariate logistic regression and quantile regression analysis was used to estimate the associations between multimorbidity, health service use and OOPE.

RESULTS

Overall, 20.8% of total participants had two or more NCDs in 2014/2015. The number of NCDs was associated with higher healthcare utilisation (coefficient 0.11, 95% CI 0.07-0.14 for outpatient care and coefficient 0.09 (95% CI 0.02-0.16 for inpatient care) and higher four-weekly OOPE (coefficient 27.0, 95% CI 11.4-42.7). The quantile regression results indicated that the marginal effect of having three or more NCDs on the absolute amount of four-weekly OOPE was smaller for the lower percentiles (at the 25th percentile, coefficient 1.0, 95% CI 0.5-1.5) but more pronounced for the higher percentile of out-of-pocket spending distribution (at the 90th percentile, coefficient 31.0, 95% CI 15.9-46.2).

CONCLUSION

Multimorbidity is positively correlated with health service utilisation and OOPE and has a significant effect, especially among those in the upper tail of the utilisation/costs distribution. Health financing strategies are urgently required to meet the needs of patients with multimorbidity, particularly for vulnerable groups that have a higher level of health care utilisation.

Rural-Urban Differences in Adult Life Expectancy in Indonesia: A Parametric g-formula-based Decomposition Approach

BACKGROUND

Evidence on rural-urban differences in adult mortality in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is limited and mixed. We examined the size of and factors contributing to rural-urban life expectancy differences among adults in Indonesia, the third most populous LMIC.

METHODS

Data come from the 2000, 2007, and 2014/2015 waves of the Indonesian Family Life Survey, a population-representative longitudinal study with mortality follow-up. We used Poisson regression and life tables to estimate rural-urban differences in life expectancy among 18,867 adult respondents ≥30 years. We then used a novel g-formula-based decomposition to quantify the contribution of rural-urban differences in blood pressure (BP), body mass index (BMI), and smoking to life expectancy differences.

RESULTS

Compared with urban adults, life expectancy at age 30 was 2.2 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.4, 3.9) years higher for rural men and 1.2 (95% CI = -0.4, 2.7) years higher for rural women. Setting the BMI and systolic BP distribution equal in urban and rural adults reduced the urban mortality penalty by 22% for men and 78% for women, with the majority of this reduction coming from the contribution of rural-urban differences in BMI. Smoking did not contribute to the urban mortality penalty for either men or women.

CONCLUSIONS

Adult life expectancy is lower in urban than in rural areas in Indonesia and we estimate that this difference is partly related to differences in BMI and systolic BP.

Impact of non-communicable disease multimorbidity on health service use, catastrophic health expenditure and productivity loss in Indonesia: a population-based panel data analysis study

OBJECTIVES

To examine non-communicable diseases (NCDs) multimorbidity level and its relation to households' socioeconomic characteristics, health service use, catastrophic health expenditures and productivity loss.

DESIGN

This study used panel data of the Indonesian Family Life Survey conducted in 2007 (Wave 4) and 2014 (Wave 5).

SETTING

The original sampling frame was based on 13 out of 27 provinces in 1993, representing 83% of the Indonesian population.

PARTICIPANTS

We included respondents aged 50 years and above in 2007, excluding those who did not participate in both Waves 4 and 5. The total number of participants in this study are 3678 respondents.

PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES

We examined three main outcomes; health service use (outpatient and inpatient care), financial burden (catastrophic health expenditure) and productivity loss (labour participation, days primary activity missed, days confined in bed). We applied multilevel mixed-effects regression models to assess the associations between NCD multimorbidity and outcome variables, RESULTS: Women were more likely to have NCD multimorbidity than men and the prevalence of NCD multimorbidity increased with higher socioeconomic status. NCD multimorbidity was associated with a higher number of outpatient visits (compared with those without NCD, incidence rate ratio (IRR) 4.25, 95% CI 3.33 to 5.42 for individuals with >3 NCDs) and inpatient visits (IRR 3.68, 95% CI 2.21 to 6.12 for individuals with >3 NCDs). NCD multimorbidity was also associated with a greater likelihood of experiencing catastrophic health expenditure (for >3 NCDs, adjusted OR (aOR) 1.69, 95% CI 1.02 to 2.81) and lower participation in the labour force (aOR 0.23, 95% CI 0.16 to 0.33) compared with no NCD.

CONCLUSIONS

NCD multimorbidity is associated with substantial direct and indirect costs to individuals, households and the wider society. Our study highlights the importance of preparing health systems for addressing the burden of multimorbidity in low-income and middle-income countries.

Facilitators and barriers for the delivery and uptake of cervical cancer screening in Indonesia: a scoping review

Background

Cervical cancer (CC) is the second most common female cancer. In Indonesia, national CC screening coverage is low at 12%, highlighting the need to investigate facilitators and barriers to screening.

Objective

This review synthesises research on facilitators and barriers to the delivery and uptake of CC screening; analyses them in terms of supply- and demand-side factors and their interconnectedness; and proposes recommendations for further research.

Methods

Medline Ovid, CINAHL, Global Health, Neliti, SINTA and Google Scholar were searched, applying a search string with keywords relevant to screening, CC and Indonesia. In total 34 records were included, all were publications on CC screening in Indonesia (2000-2020) in English or Indonesian. Records were analysed to identify findings relevant to the categories of barriers and facilitators, supply-and demand-side factors.

Results

Demand-side facilitators identified included:  husband, family or social/peer support (14 studies); information availability, knowledge and awareness (12 studies); positive attitudes and strong perception of screening benefit and the seriousness of CC (12 studies); higher education and socioeconomic status (11 studies); having health insurance; and short distance to screening services (4 studies). Evidence on supply-side was limited. Supply-side facilitators included counselling and support (6 studies), and ease of access (6 studies). Demand-side barriers identified focused on: lack of knowledge/awareness and lack of confidence in screening (14 studies); fear, fatalism and shame (10 studies); time and transportation constraints (8 studies); and lack of husband approval and support (6 studies). Supply-side barriers included: lack of skilled screening providers (3 studies); lack of advocacy and health promotion (3 studies); resource constraints (3 studies); and lack of supervision and support for health care providers (3 studies).

Conclusions

Facilitators and barriers were mirrored in the supply- and demand-side findings. The geographical scope and population diversity of existing research is limited and further supply-side research is urgently needed.

'The Devil's Company': A Grounded Theory Study on Aging, Loneliness and Social Change Among 'Older Adult Children' in Rural Indonesia

Introduction: As a consequence of rising life expectancies, many families are no longer made up of one, but two simultaneously aging generations. This elderly parent-older adult child (OAC) dyad has emerged as a newly overserved yet little explored demographic phenomenon. Studies on this intergenerational aging dyad and the possible ramifications of when caregivers are simultaneously aging with care-receivers are scarce, especially in low and middle-income countries. This study explored the process by which rural Indonesian OACs experience their own aging, thereby gaining insights into how this newly evolving reality impacts the traditional ways of old-age care provision. Methods: This study has a qualitative design and draws on eight focus group discussions with 48 community-dwelling OACs (23 men, 25 women; mean age 64 years) in four rural villages in the Yogyakarta Special Region, Indonesia. The theoretical framework was largely inspired by symbolic interactionism aided by the sensitizing concepts of social network deficits, interpersonal emotions, and the social construction of risks. Data were analyzed using Grounded Theory as outlined by Corbin and Strauss. Results: Respondents' accounts reflected four categories: 1) aging in a welt of chronic insecurity; 2) OACs: a generation "betwixt and between" expected demands and unmet expectations; 3) landscapes of loneliness; and 4) compromising against conventions. As depicted in a conceptual model, these categories interrelated with each other and were linked by a core category, "bargaining for a sense of security", which collectively summarized a process by which OACs' experienced their own course of aging. Conclusion: Our study provided insights into how and why loneliness emerged amidst the challenges of social and demographic transformations and how in response to this unconventional compromises were made, which affect both the networks of caretakers and the places of old-age care. It is doing so by including the perspectives of rural Indonesian OACs. The results showed how multiple intersecting negative experiences constrained the aging experiences of OACs and produced precarious aging trajectories. Our findings highlight the importance of old-age loneliness as an emerging public health and social problem by discussing how intrinsically this emotion was interwoven with social life.

Multimorbidity Patterns of Chronic Diseases among Indonesians: Insights from Indonesian National Health Insurance (INHI) Sample Data

Given the increasing burden of chronic diseases in Indonesia, characteristics of chronic multimorbidities have not been comprehensively explored. Therefore, this research evaluated chronic multimorbidity patterns among Indonesians using Indonesian National Health Insurance (INHI) sample data. We included 46 chronic diseases and analyzed their distributions using population-weighted variables provided in the datasets. Results showed that chronic disease patients accounted for 39.7% of total patients who attended secondary health care in 2015–2016. In addition, 43.1% of those were identified as having chronic multimorbidities. Findings also showed that multimorbidities were strongly correlated with an advanced age, with large numbers of patients and visits in all provinces, beyond those on Java island. Furthermore, hypertension was the leading disease, and the most common comorbidities were diabetes mellitus, cerebral ischemia/chronic stroke, and chronic ischemic heart disease. In addition, disease proportions for certain disease dyads differed according to age group and gender. Compared to survey methods, claims data are more economically efficient and are not influenced by recall bias. Claims data can be a promising data source in the next few years as increasing percentages of Indonesians utilize health insurance coverage. Nevertheless, some adjustments in the data structure are accordingly needed to utilize claims data for disease control and surveillance purposes.

Direct assessment of mental health and metabolic syndrome amongst Indonesian adolescents: a study design for a mixed-methods study sampled from school and community settings

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally, with the burden largely borne by people living in low- and middle-income countries. Adolescents are central to NCD control through the potential to modify risks and alter the trajectory of these diseases across the life-course. However, an absence of epidemiological data has contributed to the relative exclusion of adolescents from policies and responses. This paper documents the design of a study to measure the burden of metabolic syndrome (a key risk for NCDs) and poor mental health (a key outcome) amongst Indonesian adolescents. Using a mixed-method design, we sampled 16–18-year-old adolescents from schools and community-based settings across Jakarta and South Sulawesi. Initial formative qualitative enquiry used focus group discussions to understand how young people conceptualise mental health and body weight (separately); what they perceive as determinants of these NCDs; and what responses to these NCDs should involve. These findings informed the design of a quantitative survey that adolescents self-completed electronically. Mental health was measured using the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-Revised (CESD-R) and Kessler-10 (both validated against formal psychiatric interview in a subsample), with the metabolic syndrome measured using biomarkers and anthropometry. The survey also included scales relating to victimisation, connectedness, self-efficacy, body image and quality of life. Adolescents were sampled from schools using a multistage cluster design, and from the community using respondent-driven sampling (RDS). This study will substantially advance the field of NCD measurement amongst adolescents, especially in settings like Indonesia. It demonstrates that high quality, objective measurement is acceptable and feasible, including the collection of biomarkers in a school-based setting. It demonstrates how comparable data can be collected across both in-school and out of school adolescents, allowing a more comprehensive measure of NCD burden, risk and correlates.

Effects of social network diversity in the disablement process: a comparison of causal inference methods and an outcome-wide approach to the Indonesian Family Life Surveys, 2007-2015

BACKGROUND

Social networks (SN) have been proven to be instrumental for healthy aging and function as important safety nets, particular for older adults in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite the importance of interpreting health outcomes in terms of SN, in many LMICs - including Indonesia - epidemiological studies and policy responses on the health effects of SN for aging populations are still uncommon. Using outcome-wide multi-method approaches to longitudinal panel data, this study aims to outline more clearly the role of SN diversity in the aging process in Indonesia. We explore whether and to what degree there is an association of SN diversity with adult health outcomes and investigate potential gender differences, heterogeneous treatment effects, and effect gradients along disablement processes.

METHODS

Data came from the fourth and fifth waves of the Indonesian Family Life Survey fielded in 2007-08 and 2014-15. The analytic sample consisted of 3060 adults aged 50+ years. The primary exposure variable was the diversity of respondents' SN at baseline. This was measured through a social network index (SNI), conjoining information about household size together with a range of social ties with whom respondents had active contact across six different types of role relationships. Guided by the disablement process model, a battery of 19 outcomes (8 pathologies, 5 impairments, 4 functional limitations, 2 disabilities) were included into analyses. Evidence for causal effects of SN diversity on health was evaluated using outcome-wide multivariable regression adjustment (RA), propensity score matching (PSM), and instrumental variable (IV) analyses.

RESULTS

At baseline, 60% of respondents had a low SNI. Results from the RA and PSM models showed greatest concordance and that among women a diverse SN was positively associated with pulmonary outcomes and upper and lower body functions. Both men and women with a high SNI reported less limitations in performing activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental ADL (IADL) tasks. A high SNI was negatively associated with C-reactive protein levels in women. The IV analyses yielded positive associations with cognitive functions for both men and women.

CONCLUSIONS

Diverse SN confer a wide range of strong and heterogeneous long-term health effects, particularly for older women. In settings with limited formal welfare protection, intervening in the SN of older adults and safeguarding their access to diverse networks can be an investment in population health, with manifold implications for health and public policy.

"I just can't sit around and do nothing!": A qualitative study of Indonesian women's experiences diagnosed with heart disease

Research into cardiovascular disease and its management in Indonesia, where it currently accounts for 67% of all deaths, has heavily emphasized the biomedical aspects; little is known about the individual's experience of the disease, especially for Indonesian women. This study aimed to understand how gender shapes Indonesian women's experiences of living with heart disease in their daily lives. Twenty-six women aged 30-67 years were interviewed, and the transcriptions analyzed using a qualitative framework informed by intersectional approaches to gender and culture. Three major themes emerged: (i) the effect of cardiovascular disease on women's day-to-day activities, (ii) its effects on women's family relationships, and (iii) the women's coping strategies. The inability to fulfill their required social roles as mother or wife undermined the women's sense of self, a problem particularly acute in a cultural context where responsibility for maintaining harmony in the home and society is ascribed to women. Healthcare professionals should be aware of the ethnic and cultural backgrounds of women with cardiovascular disease, in order to deliver services that meet female patients' social, spiritual, and cultural needs.

Aljaberi M. Correlation of Mortality Burdens of Cerebrovascular Disease and Diabetes Mellitus with Domestic Consumption of Soya and Palm Oils

BACKGROUND

Cerebrovascular diseases (CBVDs) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are interrelated and cumbersome global health burdens. However, the relationship between edible oils consumption and mortality burdens of CBVDs and DM has not yet been evaluated. This review aims to explore correlations between per capita mortality burdens of CBVDs and DM, as well as food consumption of palm or soya oils in 11 randomly selected countries in 2005, 2010, and 2016.

METHODS

After obtaining data on food consumption of palm and soya oils and mortality burdens of CBVDs and DM, correlations between the consumption of oils and mortality burdens of diseases were explored.

RESULTS

There was a positive correlation between the consumption of soya oil with the mortality burden of CBVDs in Australia, Switzerland, and Indonesia, as well as the mortality burden of DM in the USA. The consumption of palm oil had a positive correlation with the mortality burden of DM in Jordan only.

CONCLUSIONS

Food consumption of soya oil in several countries possibly contributes to the mortality burden of CBVDs or DM more than food consumption of palm oil, which could be a possible risk factor in the mortality burdens of CBVDs and DM.

Primary health care policy and vision for community pharmacy and pharmacists in Indonesia

The practice of community pharmacy in low and middle-income countries, including in Indonesia, is often described as in the state of infancy with several intractable barriers that have been substantially and continuously hampering the practice. Such description might be valid in highlighting how pharmacy is practiced and the conditions within and beyond community pharmacy organizations. Therefore, it is not surprising that the concept of integrating community pharmacy into the primary care system may not be considered in the contemporary discourse despite the fact that community pharmacy has been operating within communities for years. However, in the case of Indonesia, we argue that changes in the health care system within the past decade particularly with the introduction of the universal health coverage (UHC) in 2014, may have significantly amplified the role of pharmacists. There is good evidence which highlights the contribution of pharmacist as a substantial health care element in primary care practice. The initiative for employing pharmacist, identified in this article as primary care pharmacist, in the setting of community health center [puskesmas] and the introduction of affiliated or contracted community pharmacy under the UHC have enabled pharmacist to work together with other primary care providers. Moreover, government agenda under the “Smart Use of Medicines” program [Gema Cermat] recognizes pharmacists as the agent of change for improving the rational use of medicines in the community. Community pharmacy is developing, albeit slowly, and is able to grasp a novel position to deliver pharmacy-related primary care services to the general public through new services, for example drug monitoring and home care. Nevertheless, integrating community pharmacy into primary care is relatively a new notion in the Indonesian setting, and is a challenging process given the presence of barriers in the macro, meso- and micro-level of practice.

Simultaneity of risk factors for chronic non-communicable diseases in a rural population of a Southern Brazilian city

OBJECTIVES

To describe the occurrence of simultaneous risk factors for chronic noncommunicable diseases, and factors associated with these prevalences in rural adults of a Southern Brazilian city.

METHODS

The design of this study was cross-sectional with a sample of 1,445 adults from the rural area of Pelotas, RS. Four risk factors were considered: smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity and inadequate consumption of vegetables. To verify the simultaneous occurrence of the outcomes, a cluster analysis was used. The association was tested by ordinal regression resulting in odds ratios.

RESULTS

Among the four risk factors evaluated, three were the most prevalent among men, and only physical inactivity was greater among women. In the cluster analysis, only the combination of alcohol consumption + smoking + inadequate vegetable consumption presented an observed prevalence that was significantly higher than the expected (O/E = 2.67, 95%CI 1.30, 5.48), and higher than another study in the south of the country. This can be justified because that study included an evaluation of urban dwellers and the consumption of fruits. After adjustment, men, single individuals, non-white people, those with less schooling, those with a worse socioeconomic status, those who reported poor perception of health, and those who do not work in specifically rural activities had a greater probability of having the simultaneity of risk factors.

CONCLUSION

The results show the importance of developing priority actions regarding the health of rural populations with special attention to the subgroups with an identified higher risk.

Estimating the potential impact of behavioral public health interventions nationally while maintaining agreement with global patterns on relative risks

Objective

This paper introduces a novel method to evaluate the local impact of behavioral scenarios on disease prevalence and burden with representative individual level data while ensuring that the model is in agreement with the qualitative patterns of global relative risk (RR) estimates. The method is used to estimate the impact of behavioral scenarios on the burden of disease due to ischemic heart disease (IHD) and diabetes in the Turkish adult population.

Methods

Disease specific Hierarchical Bayes (HB) models estimate the individual disease probability as a function of behaviors, demographics, socio-economics and other controls, where constraints are specified based on the global RR estimates. The simulator combines the counterfactual disease probability estimates with disability adjusted life year (DALY)-per-prevalent-case estimates and rolls up to the targeted population level, thus reflecting the local joint distribution of exposures. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2016 study meta-analysis results guide the analysis of the Turkish National Health Surveys (2008 to 2016) that contain more than 90 thousand observations.

Findings

The proposed Qualitative Informative HB models do not sacrifice predictive accuracy versus benchmarks (logistic regression and HB models with non-informative and numerical informative priors) while agreeing with the global patterns. In the Turkish adult population, Increasing Physical Activity reduces the DALYs substantially for both IHD by 8.6% (6.4% 11.2%), and Diabetes by 8.1% (5.8% 10.6%), (90% uncertainty intervals). Eliminating Smoking and Second-hand Smoke predominantly decreases the IHD burden 13.1% (10.4% 15.8%) versus Diabetes 2.8% (1.1% 4.6%). Increasing Fruit and Vegetable Consumption, on the other hand, reduces IHD DALYs by 4.1% (2.8% 5.4%) while not improving the Diabetes burden 0.1% (0% 0.1%).

Conclusion

While the national RR estimates are in qualitative agreement with the global patterns, the scenario impact estimates are markedly different than the attributable risk estimates from the GBD analysis and allow evaluation of practical scenarios with multiple behaviors.

Risk of metabolic syndrome and early vascular markers for atherosclerosis in obese Indonesian adolescents

Background: The prevalence of childhood obesity has increased in low- and middle-income countries, including Indonesia. It is important to identify risk factors for cardiovascular disease in obese adolescents in this region.Aim: To assess the risk of metabolic syndrome and early vascular markers for atherosclerosis in obese Indonesian adolescentsMethods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken in obese high school students aged 15-<18 years in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. All eligible adolescents were interviewed about their medical history, were physically examined and had a fasting blood sample taken. Arterial stiffness was measured during systole and diastole blood pressure, endothelial dysfunction was estimated using flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and arterial wall thickness using carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT).Results: A total of 4268 students were screened, 298 (7%) of whom were classified as obese. Of those, 229 had blood samples taken, 173 had FMD performed and 156 had CIMT examination. Adolescents with a higher body mass index or BMI Z-score (>3.0) had a significantly poorer lipid profile, insulin level and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) than those with a lower BMI Z-score. There were no significant differences for early vasculature markers for atherosclerosis between these two groups.Conclusion: The prevalence of risks of cardiovascular disease in obese adolescents was significant. The higher the BMI Z-score, the higher the risks of cardiovascular disease. Interventions to reduce obesity and its cardiovascular disease morbidities are urgently needed in low- and middle-income countries.Abbreviations: BMI; body mass index; CIMT, carotid artery intima-media thickness; CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; FMD flow-mediated dilation; HDL high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; HbA1c haemoglobin A1c; HOMA-IR, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance; IOTF, International Obesity Task Force; LDL, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; WHO, World Health Organization.

Behaviors toward Noncommunicable Diseases Prevention and their Relationship with Physical Health Status among Community-dwelling, Middle-aged and Older women in Indonesia

We aim to clarify the behaviors toward noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) prevention focusing on lifestyle-related diseases and physical health status and examine their relationship among community-dwelling women in Indonesia. This cross-sectional study included women aged 45 years and older. Data were collected through an interview using a structured questionnaire; the following parameters were also measured: height, weight, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP), handgrip strength, and 10 m gait speed. This study found that the majority of women adopted one or more healthy behaviors to prevent NCDs, while few women practiced comprehensive behaviors. Age, satisfaction with house income, living alone, social support, social participation, and household decision making were the determinant factors for behaviors toward NCDs prevention. A high prevalence of underweight (26.4%), overweight (31.9%), obesity (5.6%), high systolic blood pressure (SBP) (62.5%), and low muscle strength (54.2%) were frequently observed. Eating well-balanced meals, avoiding fatty foods, and undergoing blood cholesterol testing had significant correlations with physical health status. It is concluded that the activities at Posyandu Lansia (health village posts for older adults) are necessary to help women with unhealthy eating behaviors and lower physical activity and unawareness of health checkups to maintain focus and to develop a more practical approach to NCDs prevention.

On the verge of a chronic disease epidemic: comprehensive policies and actions are needed in Indonesia

In the midst of tackling the persistent burden of maternal mortality and infectious diseases, Indonesia is facing an increasing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Although there are increasing national efforts in NCD prevention and control, the worsening trend of NCD risk factors and morbidity is alarming. We provided assessment and discussion on the policies and actions needed in the country including comprehensive efforts to reduce tobacco use and unhealthy diet, the need to reorient the health systems for better NCD prevention and control, and the promotion of NCD-related research that are still lacking.

Community engagement strategy for healthy diet in urban community: A phenomenological study

Unhealthy diet is the risk factors for non-communicable diseases with limited intervention in Indonesia. Environmental change interventions are known to be effective in encouraging changes in healthy diet. However, community engagement is needed to ensure the adoption of the behaviour. This study seeks to identify the strategy to engage urban community in healthy diet intervention. Qualitative research with phenomenological approach was conducted in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Samples were selected among citizens of Yogyakarta city with the age range from 19 yr old to 65 yr old. The informants consist of lay persons, cadres and stakeholders. Data from 87 respondents were collected through 7 focus group discussions and 2 in-depth interviews. Strategies to engage community in healthy eating interventions consists of 3 main themes: i) intervention’s characteristics, ii) information characteristics and iii) the information channel. The intervention’s expected characteristics are aimed at various ages, using family approach through stakeholder support and collaboration and by increasing cadre’s capacity and providing opportunity to manage funding. Information characteristics are accessible, valid, up to date and personal. Information can be disseminated through virtual and non-virtual media. Community engagement strategies in healthy eating interventions should be segmented, strengthening the role of family and easily accessible.

Socioeconomic inequalities in the utilisation of hypertension and type 2 diabetes management services in Indonesia

OBJECTIVES

To describe socioeconomic inequalities in the utilisation of hypertension and type 2 diabetes (T2D) management services in the Indonesian population and to determine whether education level and geographical location contribute to inequalities.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study using data from the 2014 Indonesia Family Life Survey (N = 30 762 for hypertension; N = 6758 for T2D). Socioeconomic status was measured by household consumption. The prevalence of hypertension and T2D was determined using internationally standardised clinical measurement, while disease management was defined by participation in screening and current use of medication. The relative index of inequality (RII) was used to estimate inequalities, adjusted to education level and geographical location.

RESULTS

For all household consumption quintiles, we observed low rates of screening participation for T2D and low medication use in both hypertension and T2D. We found socioeconomic inequalities in screening participation for hypertension (RII 2.68, 95% CI 2.42-2.96) and T2D (RII 7.30, 95% CI 5.48-9.72) and also for medication use in hypertension (RII 3.09, 95% CI 2.28-4.18) and T2D (RII 2.81, 95% CI 1.09-7.27). Education level contributed to socioeconomic inequalities in screening utilisation for both hypertension and T2D. Geographical location contributed to inequalities in screening utilisation and medication use for T2D. Socioeconomic inequalities in medication use for hypertension and T2D were larger among men than women.

CONCLUSIONS

Large socioeconomic inequalities were found in the utilisation of hypertension and T2D management services in Indonesia. Improving affordability, availability and approachability of services is crucial to reduce such inequalities.

Overweight in Indonesia: an observational study of trends and risk factors among adults and children

OBJECTIVE

To conduct a secondary data analysis detailing overweight prevalence and associations between key hypothesised determinants and overweight.

DESIGN

This observational study used publicly available data from the Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS) (1993-2014). The IFLS is a home-based survey of adults and children that collected data on household characteristics (size, physical infrastructure, assets, food expenditures), as well as on individual-level educational attainment, occupation type, smoking status and marital status. These analyses used data on the self-reported consumption of ultra-processed foods and physical activity. Anthropometrics were measured.

SETTING

Indonesia.

PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES

We described the distribution of overweight by gender among adults (body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m2) and by age among children, over time. Overweight was defined as weight-for-height z-score >2 among children aged 0-5 years and as BMI-for-age z-score >1 among children aged 6-18 years. We also described individuals who were overweight by selected characteristics over time. Finally, we employed multivariable logistic regression models to investigate risk factors in relation to overweight in 2014.

RESULTS

One-third of adults were overweight in 2014. Between 1993 and 2014, the prevalence of overweight among adults doubled from 17.1% to 33.0%. The prevalence of overweight among children under 5 years increased from 4.2% to 9.4% between 1993 and 2007, but then remained relatively stagnant between 2007 and 2014. Among children aged 6-12 years and 13-18 years, the prevalence of overweight increased from 5.1% to 15.6% and from 7.1% to 14.1% between 1993 and 2014, respectively. Although overweight prevalence remains higher in urban areas, the increase in overweight prevalence was larger among rural (vs urban) residents, and by 2014, the proportions of overweight adults were evenly distributed in each wealth quintile. Data suggest that the consumption of ultra-processed foods was common and levels of physical activity have decreased over the last decade. In multivariable models, urban area residence, higher wealth, higher education and consumption of ultra-processed foods were associated with higher odds of overweight among most adults and children.

CONCLUSION

Urgent programme and policy action is needed to reduce and prevent overweight among all ages.

Risk factors for nutrition-related chronic disease among adults in Indonesia

OBJECTIVE

To conduct a secondary data analysis detailing the associations between sociodemographic and behavioral factors and nutrition-related chronic disease.

METHODS

These analyses utilized 2014 data from the Indonesian Family Life Survey, a home-based survey that collected socioeconomic, dietary intake, physical activity, and biological data among adults. We explored four outcomes in relation to sociodemographic and behavioral determinants: 1) hypertension, 2) elevated high-sensitivity c-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and 3) central obesity, as these are critical metabolic determinants in the progression to cardiovascular disease, and 4) type 2 diabetes. Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90mm or current use of antihypertensive medication. Elevated hs-CRP was defined as hs-CRP >3 mg/dL. Central obesity was defined as waist circumference ≥ 90 cm if male and waist circumference ≥ 80 cm if female, which are specific to South Asia. Type 2 diabetes was defined as glycated hemoglobin ≥ 6.5%. We employed separate gender-stratified multivariate logistic regression models to test the associations between sociodemographic and behavioral determinants and each nutrition-related chronic disease outcome. All analyses employed sampling weights, which account for the survey design.

RESULTS

In 2014, about 30% of adults were hypertensive and one-fifth had elevated hs-CRP. Approximately 70% of women had central obesity and 11.6% of women and 8.9% of men had diabetes. Older-age was consistently associated with nutrition-related chronic disease and being overweight was associated with hypertension, elevated hs-CRP, and type 2 diabetes. Regularly consuming instant noodles (women) and soda (men) were associated with elevated hs-CRP and soda consumption was associated with central obesity among men.

CONCLUSIONS

Large segments of the adult population in Indonesia now have or are at risk for non-communicable disease. Our analyses provide preliminary empirical evidence that interventions that target healthful food intake (e.g. reduce the intake of ultra-processed foods) should be considered and that the reduction of overweight is critical for preventing chronic diseases in Indonesia.

Waist Circumference and All-Cause Mortality among Older Adults in Rural Indonesia

Waist circumference, a measure of abdominal obesity, is associated with all-cause mortality in general adult population. However, the link between abdominal obesity with all-cause mortality in the studies of older adults is unclear. This study aims to determine the association between waist circumference and all-cause mortality in older adults in Indonesia. The association between waist circumference and all-cause mortality was examined in 10,997 men and women aged 50 years and older, in the World Health Organization (WHO) and International Network of field sites for continuous Demographic Evaluation of Populations and their Health in developing countries (INDEPTH) collaboration Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) in Purworejo District Central Java, Indonesia during 2007⁻2010. Multivariate Cox regression analysis with restricted cubic splines was used to assess the non-linear association between waist circumference and all-cause mortality. During the 3-year follow-up, a total of 511 men and 470 women died. The hazard ratio plot shows a pattern of U-shape relationship between waist circumference and all-cause mortality among rich women, though the result was significant only for women in the lower end of waist circumference distribution (p < 0.05). Poor men with a low waist circumference (5th percentile) have a two times higher mortality risk (HR = 2.1; 95% CI = 1.3, 3.3) relative to those with a waist circumference of 90 cm. Poor women with a low waist circumference (25th percentile) have a 1.4 times higher mortality risk (HR = 1.4; 95% CI = 1.1, 1.8) relative to those with a waist circumference of 80 cm. This study shows a significant association between low waist circumference measure and mortality, particularly among poor men and women. Though the association between large waist circumference and mortality was not significant, we observed a trend of higher mortality risk particularly among rich women with large waist circumference measure. Public health intervention should include efforts to improve nutritional status among older people and promoting healthy lifestyle behaviours including healthy food and active lifestyle.

The Prevalence and Social Determinants of Hypertension among Adults in Indonesia: A Cross-Sectional Population-Based National Survey

BACKGROUND

Hypertension is the most significant avoidable cause of morbidity and mortality, yet nationally representative adult data on Indonesia have not been available. The study aimed at assessing the prevalence and determinants of hypertension, including sociodemographic variables, weight status, health behaviour, and psychosocial stress and support risk factors.

METHODS

The Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS-5) interviewed and examined in a national population-based cross-sectional study 29965 individuals aged 18 years and older, mean age 43.3 years (SD=15.3). Blood pressure, body height and weight, dietary behaviour, physical activity, tobacco use, and psychosocial variables were measured. Logistic regression analyses were used to estimate determinants of hypertension by gender.

RESULTS

The prevalence of hypertension among study participants was 33.4 % (95 % CI: 32.7-34.0), among males 31.0% (95% CI: 30.2, 31.9), and among females 35.4% (95% CI: 34.6, 36.3). Among hypertensives, 42.9% were aware, 11.5% were treated, and 14.3% were controlled. In fully adjusted analyses, in both men and women, older age, no or elementary education, being overweight or obese, and having visited an outpatients health facility in the past 4 weeks were positively associated hypertension. Significant linear relationships of hypertension were found with age (P for trend <0.001) and body mass index (BMI) (P for trend < 0.001). In addition, among men having quit tobacco use and depressive symptoms were positively associated with hypertension, while current tobacco use was negatively associated with hypertension. Moreover, among women lower subjective economic status was associated with hypertension.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of hypertension was high and awareness was low, and treatment and control were very low. Significant multilevel public health interventions are urgently needed to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and control of hypertension in Indonesia.

Determinants of hardship financing in coping with out of pocket payment for care seeking of under five children in selected rural areas of Bangladesh

Background

Around 63% of total health care expenditure in Bangladesh is mitigated through out of pocket payment (OOP). Heavy reliance on OOP at the time of care seeking poses great threat for financial impoverishment of the households. Households employ different strategies to cope with the associated financial hardship.

Objective

The aim of this paper is to understand the determinants of hardship financing in coping with OOP adopted for health care seeking of under five childhood illnesses in rural setting of Bangladesh.

Methods

A community based cross sectional survey was conducted during August to October, 2014 in 15 low performing sub-districts of northern and north-east regions of Bangladesh. Of the 7039 mothers of under five children surveyed, 1895 children who suffered from illness and sought care for their illness episodes were reported in this study. Descriptive statistics and ordinal regression analysis were conducted.

Results

A total number of 7,039 under five children reported to have suffered illness by their mothers. Among these children 37% suffered from priority illness. Care was sought for 88% children suffering from illnesses. Among them 26% went to a public or private sector medically trained provider. 5% of households incurred illness cost more than 10% of the household’s monthly expenditure. The need for assistance was higher among those compared to others (31% vs 13%). Different financing mechanisms adopted to meet OOP are loan with interest (6%), loan without interest (9%) and financial help from relatives (6%) Need for financial assistance varied from 19% among households in the lowest quintile to 9% in the highest wealth. Ordinal regression analysis revealed that burden of hardship financing increases by 2.17 times when care is sought from a private trained provider compared to care seeking from untrained provider (CI: 1.49, 3.17). Similarly, for families that incur a health care expenditure that is more than 10% of their total monthly expenditure (CI:1.46, 3.88), the probability of falling into more severe financial burden increases by 2.4 times. We also found severity of the hardship financing to be around half for households with monthly income of more than BDT 7500 (OR = 0.56, CI: 0.37, 0.86). The burden increased by 2.10 times for households with a deficit (CI: 1.53, 2.88) between their monthly income and expenditure. The interaction between family income and severity of illness showed to significantly affect the scale of hardship financing. Children suffering from priority illness belonging to poor households were found have two times (CI: 1.09, 3.47) higher risks of suffering from hardship financing.

Conclusion and policy implications

Findings from this study will help the policy makers to identify the target groups and thereby design effective health financing programs.

Socioeconomic inequality in abdominal obesity among older people in Purworejo District, Central Java, Indonesia - a decomposition analysis approach

BACKGROUND

Obesity has become a global health challenge as its prevalence has increased globally in recent decades. Studies in high-income countries have shown that obesity is more prevalent among the poor. In contrast, obesity is more prevalent among the rich in low- and middle-income countries, hence requiring different focal points to design public health policies in the latter contexts. We examined socioeconomic inequalities in abdominal obesity in Purworejo District, Central Java, Indonesia and identified factors contributing to the inequalities.

METHODS

We utilised data from the WHO-INDEPTH Study on global AGEing and adult health (WHO-INDEPTH SAGE) conducted in the Purworejo Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) in Purworejo District, Indonesia in 2010. The study included 14,235 individuals aged 50 years and older. Inequalities in abdominal obesity across wealth groups were assessed separately for men and women using concentration indexes. Decomposition analysis was conducted to assess the determinants of socioeconomic inequalities in abdominal obesity.

RESULTS

Abdominal obesity was five-fold more prevalent among women than in men (30% vs. 6.1%; p < 0.001). The concentration index (CI) analysis showed that socioeconomic inequalities in abdominal obesity were less prominent among women (CI = 0.26, SE = 0.02, p < 0.001) compared to men (CI = 0.49, SE = 0.04, p < 0.001). Decomposition analysis showed that physical labour was the major determinant of socioeconomic inequalities in abdominal obesity among men, explaining 47% of the inequalities, followed by poor socioeconomic status (31%), ≤ 6 years of education (15%) and current smoking (11%). The three major determinants of socioeconomic inequalities in abdominal obesity among women were poor socio-economic status (48%), physical labour (17%) and no formal education (16%).

CONCLUSION

Abdominal obesity was more prevalent among older women in a rural Indonesian setting. Socioeconomic inequality in abdominal obesity exists and concentrates more among the rich population in both sexes. The inequality gap is less prominent among women, indicating a trend towards obesity being more common in poor women. Policies to address social determinants of health need to be developed to address the socioeconomic inequality gaps in obesity, with particular focus on addressing the existing burden of obesity among the better-off population group, while preventing the imminent burden of obesity among the worst-off group, particularly among women.