2007 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Medical ecology of malaria and lifestyle change after the ethnic tension in the Northen Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands
| Project/Area Number |
17406018
|
|---|
| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
|
| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
|---|
| Section | 海外学術 |
|---|
| Research Field |
Public health/Health science
|
|---|
| Research Institution | Gunma University |
|---|
Principal Investigator |
NAKAZAWA Minato Gunma University, Graduate School of Medicine, Associate Professor (40251227)
|
|---|
| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
KAWABATA Masato Kobe University, Faculty of Medicine, Professor (30175294)
OHMAE Hiroshi National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 寄生動物部, Senior Researcher (90302405)
YAMAUCHI Taro Hokkaido University, Faculty of Medicine, Associate Professor (70345049)
|
|---|
| Project Period (FY) |
2005 – 2007
|
| Keywords | Solomon Islands / Ethnic Tension / Modernization / Urinalysis / WHOQOL-BREF / Interview / Malaria / Re-modernization |
|---|
| Research Abstract |
During 1980's and 90's, the East Tasimboko area of the Solomon Islands experienced rapid population growth and Westernization including frequent visit to Honiara, the capital city. There were three nearby clinics, where people easily obtained chloroquine and some other medicines so that mortality was decreasing. However, around 2000, the ethnic tension occurred in Guadalcanal Island, in which people fought between the two islands, Guadalcanal and Malaita. The tension changed everything. About 66% people lost their housings in East Tasimboko. People lost the transportation to Honiara due to the destruction of bridges and paved roads. Clinics were also broken so that availability of medicine was largely damaged.
The present study aimed to clarify the effect of the ethnic tension on the health and life of the East Tasimboko residents. Mbambala area is made of 7 hamlets, which can be grouped into the two. In 4 hamlets, populations were naturally/socially increased, but in other 3 those unch
… More
anged or decreased due to move-out to other hamlets or high mortality probably caused by malaria. Urine diagnosis suggested overall improvement of health status. Considering the bimodal urine pH distribution in February 2006 and the fact that richer (and thus more obese) people suffered from more material effect, the change of health status can be judged as that some richer-obese people reduced energy intake due to the shortage of purchased food. However, in September 2006, urine pH distribution changed back to unimodal and most people took purchased staples more than once a day. WHOQOL-BREF showed moderate level of QOL, except that the scores of environmental domain were relatively lower than other domains.
Immediately after the research in Sep. 2006, the transportation to Honiara has been re-established. It should make people's life drastically changed. Frequencies of going to Honiara were raised and cultivation of cash-crops like watermelon and shallot restarted. Some villagers started to store beer in their houses to sell them to other villagers. Frequency of eating purchased food increased. The WHOQOL-BREF in Sep. 2007 and Feb. 2008 clarified the drastic increase in the scores of environmental domain, which may reflect the re-establishment of regular transportation to Honiara. On the other hand, in Feb. 2008, the scores of social domain look decreasing. There is a possibility that psychological aftereffect of the Ethnic Tension has also disappeared. The prevalence of malaria seems to continuously decrease, amongst P. falciparum. Malaria positive individuals were not evenly distributed but converged into several households. The geographic/family effects should be further studied. Less
|
Research Products
(31 results)
