Could Plasmodium vivax malaria trigger malnutrition? Revisiting the Bradford Hill criteria to assess a causal relationship between two neglected problems
Abstract: The benign characteristics formerly attributed to Plasmodium vivax infections have recently changed owing to the increasing number of reports of severe vivax malaria resulting in a broad spectrum of clinical complications, probably including undernutrition. Causal inference is a complex pr...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT)
2016-06-01
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| Series: | Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0037-86822016000300274&lng=en&tlng=en |
| _version_ | 1818554416561651712 |
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| author | Wuelton Marcelo Monteiro Márcia Araújo Alexandre André Siqueira Gisely Melo Gustavo Adolfo Sierra Romero Efrem d'Ávila Silvana Gomes Benzecry Heitor Pons Leite Marcus Vinícius Guimarães Lacerda |
| author_facet | Wuelton Marcelo Monteiro Márcia Araújo Alexandre André Siqueira Gisely Melo Gustavo Adolfo Sierra Romero Efrem d'Ávila Silvana Gomes Benzecry Heitor Pons Leite Marcus Vinícius Guimarães Lacerda |
| author_sort | Wuelton Marcelo Monteiro |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract: The benign characteristics formerly attributed to Plasmodium vivax infections have recently changed owing to the increasing number of reports of severe vivax malaria resulting in a broad spectrum of clinical complications, probably including undernutrition. Causal inference is a complex process, and arriving at a tentative inference of the causal or non-causal nature of an association is a subjective process limited by the existing evidence. Applying classical epidemiology principles, such as the Bradford Hill criteria, may help foster an understanding of causality and lead to appropriate interventions being proposed that may improve quality of life and decrease morbidity in neglected populations. Here, we examined these criteria in the context of the available data suggesting that vivax malaria may substantially contribute to childhood malnutrition. We found the data supported a role for P. vivax in the etiology of undernutrition in endemic areas. Thus, the application of modern causal inference tools, in future studies, may be useful in determining causation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T09:39:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0dbbc2804344418d9198b0d501969298 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1678-9849 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T09:39:12Z |
| publishDate | 2016-06-01 |
| publisher | Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical |
| spelling | doaj.art-0dbbc2804344418d9198b0d5019692982022-12-22T00:28:36ZengSociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT)Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical1678-98492016-06-0149327427810.1590/0037-8682-0397-2015S0037-86822016000300274Could Plasmodium vivax malaria trigger malnutrition? Revisiting the Bradford Hill criteria to assess a causal relationship between two neglected problemsWuelton Marcelo MonteiroMárcia Araújo AlexandreAndré SiqueiraGisely MeloGustavo Adolfo Sierra RomeroEfrem d'ÁvilaSilvana Gomes BenzecryHeitor Pons LeiteMarcus Vinícius Guimarães LacerdaAbstract: The benign characteristics formerly attributed to Plasmodium vivax infections have recently changed owing to the increasing number of reports of severe vivax malaria resulting in a broad spectrum of clinical complications, probably including undernutrition. Causal inference is a complex process, and arriving at a tentative inference of the causal or non-causal nature of an association is a subjective process limited by the existing evidence. Applying classical epidemiology principles, such as the Bradford Hill criteria, may help foster an understanding of causality and lead to appropriate interventions being proposed that may improve quality of life and decrease morbidity in neglected populations. Here, we examined these criteria in the context of the available data suggesting that vivax malaria may substantially contribute to childhood malnutrition. We found the data supported a role for P. vivax in the etiology of undernutrition in endemic areas. Thus, the application of modern causal inference tools, in future studies, may be useful in determining causation.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0037-86822016000300274&lng=en&tlng=enPlasmodium vivaxMalariaMalnutritionCausationEpidemiology. |
| spellingShingle | Wuelton Marcelo Monteiro Márcia Araújo Alexandre André Siqueira Gisely Melo Gustavo Adolfo Sierra Romero Efrem d'Ávila Silvana Gomes Benzecry Heitor Pons Leite Marcus Vinícius Guimarães Lacerda Could Plasmodium vivax malaria trigger malnutrition? Revisiting the Bradford Hill criteria to assess a causal relationship between two neglected problems Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical Plasmodium vivax Malaria Malnutrition Causation Epidemiology. |
| title | Could Plasmodium vivax malaria trigger malnutrition? Revisiting the Bradford Hill criteria to assess a causal relationship between two neglected problems |
| title_full | Could Plasmodium vivax malaria trigger malnutrition? Revisiting the Bradford Hill criteria to assess a causal relationship between two neglected problems |
| title_fullStr | Could Plasmodium vivax malaria trigger malnutrition? Revisiting the Bradford Hill criteria to assess a causal relationship between two neglected problems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Could Plasmodium vivax malaria trigger malnutrition? Revisiting the Bradford Hill criteria to assess a causal relationship between two neglected problems |
| title_short | Could Plasmodium vivax malaria trigger malnutrition? Revisiting the Bradford Hill criteria to assess a causal relationship between two neglected problems |
| title_sort | could plasmodium vivax malaria trigger malnutrition revisiting the bradford hill criteria to assess a causal relationship between two neglected problems |
| topic | Plasmodium vivax Malaria Malnutrition Causation Epidemiology. |
| url | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0037-86822016000300274&lng=en&tlng=en |
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