Knowledge and use of asthma control measurement tools in the management of asthma: a survey of doctors working in family and internal medicine practice in Nigeria.

Objective: To investigate the knowledge and use of asthma control measurement (ACM) tools in the management of asthma among doctors working in family and internal medicine practice in Nigeria. Method: A questionnaire based on the global initiative on asthma (GINA) guideline was self-administered by 194 doctors. It contains 12 test items on knowledge of ACM tools and its application. The knowledge score was obtained by adding the correct answers and classified as good if the score ≥ 9, satisfactory if score was 6-8 and poor if < 6. Results: The overall doctors knowledge score of ACM tools was 4.49±2.14 (maximum of 12). Pulmonologists recorded the highest knowledge score of 10.75±1.85. The majority (69.6%) had poor knowledge score of ACM tools. Fifty (25.8%) assessed their patients’ level of asthma control and 34(17.5%) at every visit. Thirty-nine (20.1%) used ACM tools in their consultation, 29 (15.0%) of them used GINA defined control while 10 (5.2 %) used asthma control test (ACT). The use of the tools was associated with pulmonologists, having attended CME within six months and graduated within five years prior to the survey. Conclusion: The results highlight the poor knowledge and use of ACM tools and the need to address the knowledge gap.

ADVANCES AND CHALLENGES OF BREASTFEEDING IN BRAZIL: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

Objective: To analyze the panorama of breastfeeding in Brazil through an integrative literature review highlighting its advances and challenges. Methods: We carried out an integrative literature review in the SciELO and PubMed databases and in booklets published on the websites of the Ministry of Health and the International Baby Food Action Network (IFBAN) using the following Portuguese and English descriptors: aleitamento materno (breastfeeding), autoeficácia (self-efficacy), promoção da saúde (health promotion) and desmame (weaning) in the period from 2002 to 2015. Results: We identified at first 43 articles, 33 booklets, 1 thesis and 3 dissertations, including in the study 17 articles, 3 dissertations and 19 booklets due to information saturation. It was verified that breastfeeding rates have reduced significantly over time with direct implications in infant mortality rates, being associated with early weaning and the lack of promotion of maternal self-efficacy in the prenatal and postpartum. To change this situation, Brazil imposed a number of public policies aimed at breastfeeding success, which advocated to raise rates. Conclusion: Despite the advances, the Brazilian panorama of breastfeeding shows that the country remains below the recommendations of international organizations, and overcoming the obstacles to successful breastfeeding constitutes a major challenge for the Brazilian public health.