Publications by authors named "Peter Rohloff"

Introduction: Indigenous languages are integral to the individual and collective identity of humankind. Health benefits of speaking Indigenous languages have been demonstrated but may also be masked by various forms of linguistic and ethnic discrimination. Guatemala has experienced a significant degree of Mayan language loss and endangerment in recent decades.

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Background: Chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) is a major health concern among outdoor manual workers in rural Central America and South Asia. The CURE study is a prospective longitudinal cohort designed to investigate CKDu's environmental risk factors through standardized exposure assessments, questionnaires, and biological and environmental sample collection.

Methods: This manuscript details the development of a standardized exposure assessment protocol within the CKDu CURE Consortium.

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Background: The World Health Organization HEARTS Technical Package is a widely implemented global initiative to improve the primary care management of cardiovascular disease risk factors. The study's objective is to report outcomes from a pilot implementation trial of integrated hypertension and diabetes management based on the HEARTS model in Guatemala.

Methods: We conducted a single-arm pilot implementation trial over six months from October 2023 to May 2024 in 11 Guatemalan Ministry of Health primary care facilities in two districts.

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Fungal toxins in local food supplies are a critical environmental health risk to communities globally. To better characterize hypothesized toxin control points among households, we conducted household surveys across four departments (first administrative division) in Guatemala. Data gathered included maize harvesting, processing, storage, and traditional nixtamalization practices.

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The disadvantaged populations eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) epidemiology (DEGREE) study was designed to gain insight into the burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) of undetermined cause (CKDu) using standard protocols to estimate the general-population prevalence of low eGFR internationally. Therefore, we estimated the age-standardized prevalence of eGFR under 60 ml/min per 1.73m in adults aged 18-60, excluding participants with commonly known causes of CKD; an ACR (albumin/creatinine ratio) over 300 mg/g or equivalent, or self-reported or measured (HT) hypertension or (DM) diabetes mellitus, stratified by sex and location.

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Article Synopsis
  • The DEGREE study explored the impact of chronic kidney disease of undetermined cause (CKDu) globally by analyzing the prevalence of low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in adults aged 18-60, focusing on participants without known CKD causes.
  • The study included data from 60,964 participants across 43 areas in 14 countries collected from 2007 to 2023, revealing the highest CKDu prevalence in rural areas of Uddanam, India, and Northwest Nicaragua (14%).
  • The findings indicate that CKDu is notably prevalent in specific regions, especially within Central America and South Asia, prompting the need for global monitoring while acknowledging the potential existence of unidentified disease clusters elsewhere.
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Background: The World Health Organization HEARTS Technical Package is a widely implemented global initiative to improve the primary care management of cardiovascular disease risk factors. The study's objective is to report outcomes from a pilot implementation trial of integrated hypertension and diabetes management based on the HEARTS model in Guatemala.

Methods: We conducted a single-arm pilot implementation trial over 6 months from October 2023 to May 2024 in 11 Guatemalan Ministry of Health primary care facilities in two districts.

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Article Synopsis
  • - This paper presents a new method for accurately transferring blood pressure (BP) data from oscillometric devices into medical records, focusing on accessibility for low literacy populations, particularly during pregnancy and postpartum.
  • - An automated image transcription technique was developed to capture and analyze BP readings from photos taken in mobile health (mHealth) monitoring programs in Guatemala and Georgia, involving midwives and postpartum women.
  • - A deep learning model was created to enhance digit recognition from BP devices, utilizing advanced techniques like the YOLO object detection and convolutional neural networks; training experiments showed that models using transfer learning performed better than those that did not.
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As statistical reviewers and editors for BMJ Paediatrics Open (BMJPO), we frequently see methodological and statistical errors in articles submitted to our journal. To make a list of these common errors and propose suitable corrections, and inspired by similar efforts at other leading journals, we surveyed the statistical reviewers and editors at BMJPO to collect their 'pet peeves' and examples of best practices.(1, 2) We have divided these into seven sections: graphics; statistical significance and related issues; presentation, vocabulary, textual and tabular presentation; causality; model building, regression and choice of methods; meta-analysis; and miscellaneous.

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Article Synopsis
  • High-risk pregnancy conditions significantly contribute to perinatal mortality in low- and middle-income countries, mainly due to poor screening and care access.
  • A new low-cost one-dimensional Doppler ultrasound (1-D DUS) device has been introduced in rural Guatemala, showing promise in gathering maternal and fetal health data while being analyzed using AI for greater accuracy.
  • This study aims to follow 700 pregnant women in Guatemala to assess the effectiveness of 1-D DUS in predicting fetal growth restriction and pre-eclampsia compared to traditional ultrasound methods.
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Background: Sensitive measures to predict neuromotor outcomes from data collected early in infancy are lacking. Measures derived from the recordings of infant movement using wearable sensors may be a useful new technique.

Methods: We collected full-day leg movement of 41 infants in rural Guatemala across 3 visits between birth and 6 months of age using wearable sensors.

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Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the prevalence of diabetes in a clinical population of primarily Indigenous women in Guatemala.

Results: In a retrospective chart review of a clinical program serving 13,643 primarily Indigenous women in Guatemala, crude diabetes prevalence was 8.3% (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 7.

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There is little evidence on optimizing the effectiveness and implementation of evidence-based early childhood development (ECD) interventions when task-shifted to frontline workers. In this Methods Forum paper, we describe our adaptation of the International Guide for Monitoring Child Development (GMCD) for task-shifting to frontline workers in Guatemala and India. In 2021-2022, implementers, trainers, frontline workers, caregivers, and international GMCD experts collaborated to adapt the GMCD for a task shifted implementation by frontline workers.

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  • Neonatal mortality is a significant public health issue in Guatemala, particularly affecting Indigenous Maya Kaqchikel communities, which have the fifth highest neonatal mortality rate in Latin America.
  • The study utilized a combination of quantitative data from a health registry and qualitative interviews with mothers and health professionals to explore factors contributing to high neonatal mortality rates, including maternal education, antenatal care, and healthcare trust issues.
  • Key findings indicate that social and structural factors, such as maternal health conditions and community trust in healthcare systems, significantly impact neonatal outcomes and highlight the importance of strengthening cooperation between traditional midwives and health facilities.
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Background: Tools to accurately assess infants' neurodevelopmental status very early in their lives are limited. Wearable sensors may provide a novel approach for very early assessment of infant neurodevelopmental status. This may be especially relevant in rural and low-resource global settings.

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There are limited data on diabetes among Indigenous populations in Guatemala. In a retrospective chart review of a clinical program serving more than 13 000 primarily Indigenous women in Guatemala, age-adjusted diabetes prevalence was 7.9% (95% CI: 7.

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Background: The HEARTS technical package was developed by the World Health Organization to address the implementation gap in cardiovascular disease prevention in low- and middle-income countries. Guatemala is a middle-income country that is currently implementing HEARTS. National authorities in Guatemala are interested in exploring how hypertension and diabetes management can be integrated in HEARTS implementation.

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Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 has impacted globally the care of chronic diseases. However, direct evidence from certain vulnerable communities, such as Indigenous communities in Latin America, is missing. We use observational data from a health district that primarily serves people of Maya K'iche' ethnicity to examine the care of type 2 diabetes in Guatemala during the pandemic.

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The potential of chicken eggs as a nutritionally complete protein and source of key micronutrients during the first 1000 days post-conception has been progressively recognized across the globe, particularly in resource-poor settings. Fluctuation of egg nutrient content by season is relatively unknown, which may influence international food composition databases and outcomes in intervention studies using egg supplementation. To better interpret the findings of The Saqmolo' Project, we conducted comprehensive nutrient analyses on eggs produced during the wet and dry seasons in the highlands of central Guatemala.

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Background: Multiple studies have highlighted the inequities minority and Indigenous children face when accessing health care. Health and wellbeing are positively impacted when Indigenous children are educated and receive care in their maternal language. However, less is known about the association between minority or Indigenous language use and child development risks and outcomes.

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Importance: Aspirin is an effective and low-cost option for reducing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) events and improving mortality rates among individuals with established CVD. To guide efforts to mitigate the global CVD burden, there is a need to understand current levels of aspirin use for secondary prevention of CVD.

Objective: To report and evaluate aspirin use for secondary prevention of CVD across low-, middle-, and high-income countries.

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Background: Given that the diabetes burden is rising rapidly in low- and middle-income countries, it is critical to understand perspectives of people living with diabetes in these settings. This qualitative study examines perceptions of causality and treatment among adults with type 2 diabetes in rural Indigenous communities of Guatemala.

Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 29 people living with type 2 diabetes from a population survey in two majority Indigenous Guatemalan towns.

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