Category: Statistics

J Caring Sci. 2025 Mar 9;14(1):52-57. doi: 10.34172/jcs.025.33337. eCollection 2025 Feb.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to investigate health anxiety and its relationships with academic performance and learning styles among nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS: A cross-sectional design was employed, involving 365 participants selected through stratified random sampling in Iran in 2021. Data were collected using Health Anxiety Inventory, Visual, Aural, Reading/Writing, and Kinesthetic Learning Styles Questionnaire and students’ self-reported grade point average (GPA). Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient and chi-square test) by SPSS version 13.

RESULTS: The mean (SD) health anxiety score among nursing students was 24.33(9.79) on a range of 0-54; and the mean (SD) of GPA was 15.60 (1.51) on a range of 0-20. The majority of students (85.8%) had a unimodal learning style, with the dominant pattern being kinetic-motor (39.7%). The study found a negative correlation between health anxiety and academic performance (r=-0.19, P≤0.05). However, no significant association was identified between health anxiety and learning style (r=-0.27, P=0.42). The analysis of health anxiety among participants indicated notable differences based on demographic factors such as sex, interest in nursing, and education level (P<0.001).

CONCLUSION: This study revealed a moderate level of health anxiety among Iranian nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic and identified a significant negative correlation between health anxiety and academic performance. These findings underscore the need for interventions targeting health anxiety to potentially improve academic outcomes for nursing students, as reducing anxiety levels can enhance focus, learning capacity, and overall academic performance.

PMID:40391308 | PMC:PMC12085760 | DOI:10.34172/jcs.025.33337

J Caring Sci. 2025 Feb 11;14(1):1-4. doi: 10.34172/jcs.025.33575. eCollection 2025 Feb.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: In order to avoid bias in systematic reviews (SRs), the accuracy in selection of risk of bias (RoB) assessment tools is essential to obtain highest level of evidence for evidence-based decision making in health care. We aimed to review how ‘CONSORT statement’, as a reporting quality of randomized controlled trials, has been misused in recent SRs as a ROB tool.

METHODS: A mini-review was performed in international databases including PubMed, Google Scholar and hand-searches for published and unpublished literature from 2000 to 2021 and written in English. The following keywords: risk of bias, “Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials”, CONSORT, “systematic review” were used. Citations were screened and those meeting our inclusion criteria were retained.

RESULTS: A total of 11 SRs were identified that misused CONSORT as a ROB tool, four of which were used only CONSORT as ROB tool. Different authentic magazines from various countries were recognized.

CONCLUSION: The CONSORT statement aims to increase clarity and consistency of transparency of reporting in randomized controlled trials. It is quite essential to draw the attention of SR researchers, journal editors/reviewers as well as the reading audience to the fact that CONSORT statement CONSORT statement is not a ROB tool.

PMID:40391306 | PMC:PMC12085767 | DOI:10.34172/jcs.025.33575

J Endocr Soc. 2025 Apr 2;9(5):bvaf054. doi: 10.1210/jendso/bvaf054. eCollection 2025 May.

ABSTRACT

CONTEXT: Postprandial hepatic glycogen synthesis and glycolysis are reduced in hepatic insulin resistance. However, the physiologic interpretation of the reduction in hepatic glucose uptake (GU) during the gold-standard measurement of insulin sensitivity, hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp, in insulin resistance is unclear. This is because the peripheral route of glucose and insulin delivery during a clamp study differs greatly from the physiological route.

OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that hepatic GU during hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp would predict glycemia during oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).

DESIGN: We analyzed cross-sectional data of 120 individuals (70 men and 50 women) who did not have diabetes from the CMgene study cohort. Hepatic GU was measured with [¹⁸F]fluorodeoxyglucose ([¹⁸F]FDG) and positron emission tomography.

RESULTS: In a multiple regression analysis, hepatic GU, endogenous glucose production, insulin secretion capacity, and serum triglycerides predicted OGTT glucose area under the curve (P for all <.05), whereas skeletal muscle GU, the antilipolytic insulin index, and insulin clearance were not statistically significant predictors (P > .05).

CONCLUSIONS: Hepatic GU measured during hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp is an independent predictor of OGTT glucose area under the curves even when accounting for well-known other factors affecting glycemic control. This finding supports the idea that insulin-mediated hepatic GU, and more broadly, first-pass glucose extraction, have a meaningful contribution to glycemic control. Thus, this measurement provides useful information about hepatic insulin sensitivity in the more physiologic conditions of the OGTT which may be useful when studying the pathophysiology of impaired glucose tolerance and when evaluating potential treatments for impaired glycemic control.

PMID:40391305 | PMC:PMC12086998 | DOI:10.1210/jendso/bvaf054

Int J Dermatol. 2025 May 19. doi: 10.1111/ijd.17848. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Although the data on psoriasis epidemiology included in the Global Psoriasis Atlas (GPA) provide valuable information on psoriasis prevalence worldwide, the GPA database is still incomplete. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess the prevalence, incidence, and mortality rates of psoriasis and its types in Poland based on the data registered by the National Health Fund (NHF).

METHODS: The study included psoriasis patients registered at least twice in the Polish NHF database between 2010 and 2023.

RESULTS: At the end of 2023, 639,662 living psoriasis patients had been registered in the Polish NHF database, which constituted 1.70% of the Polish general population. The percentage of female psoriasis patients was found to be higher (54.95%) than male patients (45.05%). Of all the Polish NHF-registered psoriasis patients, plaque psoriasis affected 95.66%, pustular psoriasis 3.05%, psoriatic arthritis 7.20%, and guttate psoriasis 0.27%. In comparison to the general Polish population, psoriasis prevalence was observed to be lower in children (0.84%). The all-cause mortality rate among psoriasis patients was found to be higher in comparison to the general Polish population, with a higher mortality rate noted in male psoriasis patients.

CONCLUSIONS: The NHF database we studied suggests a direct relationship between the prevalence, incidence, and all-cause mortality rates in psoriasis and patients’ age and sex. However, the study also revealed a decrease in mortality rates and a slow increase in the prevalence of psoriasis in the Polish population, which calls for further studies.

PMID:40390157 | DOI:10.1111/ijd.17848

Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2025 May;40(5):e70089. doi: 10.1002/gps.70089.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) is a bicultural nation (Māori and European) with a growing population of Asian and Pacific peoples. Recent analysis of national routinely collected data suggests dementia prevalence is higher in Māori and Pacific peoples when compared with European and Asian, and that inequities in dementia care for Māori, Asian, and Pacific people with dementia exist. A population-based dementia prevalence study is needed to confirm these findings. The aim of this protocol is to describe a dementia prevalence study focussing on the European, Chinese and Indian populations in NZ. The findings will be compared to a separate study on Māori populations using a similar study design.

METHODS: This is a cross-sectional screen-interview survey of people aged ≥ 65 from European, Chinese and Indian/Fijian-Indian backgrounds in sampled meshblocks within two regions of NZ. Stage 1 involves screening eligible participants at the door using the brief cognitive scale of the Community Screening Instrument for Dementia (CSI-D). Stage 2 involves interviewing random samples of screen positive and negative participants using the 10/66 dementia protocol. With a margin of error of approximately 3%, and a confidence level of 5%, a total of 485 European, 410 Chinese and 425 Indian/Fijian-Indian people will be interviewed with the 10/66 protocol. Age-standardised prevalence estimates of 10/66 dementia will be back-weighted for study design.

CONCLUSION: This study will provide evidence for suspected ethnic inequalities in dementia, inform new culturally appropriate dementia management strategies, and contribute to improved outcomes for people with dementia in NZ.

PMID:40390139 | DOI:10.1002/gps.70089

Pilot Feasibility Stud. 2025 May 19;11(1):70. doi: 10.1186/s40814-025-01655-z.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Pilot and feasibility studies are effective tools for assessing the feasibility of performing larger-scale studies. These are particularly useful in anesthesiology, where the research overlaps with several other medical and surgical fields. The objective of this meta-epidemiological study is to assess the design and methodology of pilot and feasibility randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in anesthesiology.

METHODS: We searched for pilot and feasibility RCTs in anesthesiology indexed in PubMed during a 5-year span between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2022. We extracted bibliographic information, field of study, type of intervention, trial duration, trial design, use of qualitative data, use of progression criteria, whether the primary objective and primary outcome were related to feasibility, reported feasibility outcomes, and sample size justification. We conducted logistic regression to determine the factors associated with using progression criteria, having primary feasibility outcomes, and using feasibility outcomes to justify the sample size. We controlled for publication year, journal impact factor, source of funding, intervention type, and region.

RESULTS: Our search retrieved 3015 trials, of which 248 were ultimately included and analyzed. Less than a third of studies stated feasibility as the primary objective (n = 77, 31.0%). Feasibility was a primary outcome in 46 (18.6%) studies, progression criteria were used in 27 (10.9%) studies, a sample size justification was listed in 134 (54.0%) studies, and 24 (9.7%) studies used qualitative data. We did not find any statistically significant association between progression criteria and any of the selected variables. Recently published trials had higher odds of having primary feasibility outcomes (odds ratio [OR] 1.39; 95% CI 1.06-1.83). Studies of pharmacological interventions had lower odds primary feasibility outcomes (OR 0.41; 95% CI 0.19-0.90). Recent studies also had higher odds of having a sample size justification based on a feasibility outcome rather than a clinical outcome or similar studies (OR 1.51; 95% CI 1.06-2.15).

CONCLUSIONS: More recently published pilot RCTs were significantly associated with having a primary feasibility outcome and determining sample size based on feasibility, while pharmacological studies were significantly associated with less reporting of primary feasibility outcomes. Future research addressing the factors limiting adherence to current guidelines is warranted.

PMID:40390137 | DOI:10.1186/s40814-025-01655-z

Ital J Pediatr. 2025 May 19;51(1):145. doi: 10.1186/s13052-025-01995-9.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: To investigate the clinical characteristics, surgical strategy, and surgical outcomes in children with purulent meningitis with hydrocephalus (PMH) under 3 years old.

METHODS: This retrospective controlled study included 46 pediatric patients who underwent the Conventional external ventricular drain (C-EVD) or modified external ventricular drainage (M-EVD) for PMH treatment at Hebei Province of Children’s Hospital from January 2018 to December 2023. Conventional external ventricular drain placement is standard of care in the management of purulent meningitis with hydrocephalus. The indwelling time of conventional external ventricular drainage is relatively short, 7-10 days. Long-term external drainage devices may lead to retrograde infection. This study has modified the external ventricular drain procedure. Clinical outcomes, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) test results, complications, and outcomes were compared between the modified external ventricular drainage (n = 21) group and conventional external ventricular drain (n = 25) group.

RESULTS: The two groups were similar regarding age, sex, weight and other general conditions (P > 0.05). There were significant differences in the values of white blood cells (WBC), glucose (GLU) and protein (PR) in cerebrospinal fluid between the two groups when the drainage tube was removed, which was statistically significant. The median days of removing the drainage tube in the conventional external ventricular drain group and the modified external ventricular drainage group were 9 days and 19 days, respectively. The median days of CSF returning to normal were 19 days and 13 days (P < 0.05). A total of 13 children in the modified external ventricular drainage group underwent ventriculo-peritoneal shunt surgery, while 17 children in the conventional external ventricular drain group were treated with entriculo-peritoneal shunt surgery (P = 0.665).

CONCLUSION: The modified external ventricular drainage has more obvious advantages compared to conventional external ventricular drain. The modified significantly prolonged the catheterization time, which can more effectively treat purulent meningitis with hydrocephalus in pediatric patients.

PMID:40390131 | DOI:10.1186/s13052-025-01995-9

Ital J Pediatr. 2025 May 19;51(1):144. doi: 10.1186/s13052-025-01997-7.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: A major cause of deaths among children under five is neonatal mortality, a worldwide problem. However, the problem in sub-Saharan Africa is not well documented. Understanding the prevalence of neonatal death and its related causes is crucial for creating efforts and policies that could help address the problem. This study set out to determine the prevalence of neonatal death and its determinants in sub-Saharan Africa.

METHODS: Using secondary data analysis of demographic and health surveys conducted between 2014 and 2024 in sub-Saharan Africa. Total weighted samples of 133,448 live births in all during the period in 31 Sub- Saharan Africa. The determinants of neonatal mortality were identified using a multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression model. A multilevel binary logistic regression was fitted to identify the significant determinants of neonatal mortality. The Intra-class Correlation Coefficient, Median Odds Ratio, Proportional Change in Variance was used for assessing the clustering effect, and deviance for model comparison. Variables with a p-value < 0.2 in the Bivariable analysis were considered in the multivariable analysis. In the multivariable multilevel binary logistic regression analysis, Adjusted Odds Ratio with 95% CI was reported to declare statistically significant determinants of neonatal mortality.

RESULTS: The neonatal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa was 32 per 1000 live births (95% CI: 30, 34). maternal occupation (AOR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.16, 1.37), home delivery (AOR = 1.29; 95% CI: 1.21, 1.39), caesarean section (AOR = 1.58; 95%CI: 1.36, 1.83), twin births(AOR = 2.48, 95% CI: 2.05, 2.54), birth order of 2-4 (AOR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.18, 1.44), birth order of ≥ 5 (AOR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.31, 1.59) and smaller size than average (AOR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.36, 1.63)were significantly associated with higher odds of neonatal mortality.

CONCLUSION: According to this study, in sub-Saharan Africa neonatal mortality rate was high. The following factors should be taken into account while developing policies and measures to reduce newborn mortality in sub-Saharan Africa: the mother’s education, wealth index, occupation, place of delivery, mode of delivery, twin birth, neonatal sex, birth order, and size at birth.

PMID:40390123 | DOI:10.1186/s13052-025-01997-7

J Orthop Surg Res. 2025 May 19;20(1):483. doi: 10.1186/s13018-025-05862-5.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Appropriate treatment of chondral lesions in the hip greatly improves symptoms and reduces the need for early joint replacement in these patients. Whilst the outcomes of Autologous Chondrocyte Transplantation (ACT) and Autologous Matrix Induced Chondrogenesis (AMIC) in the knee have been thoroughly researched, data on these treatments in the hip is comparatively limited.

AIM: To evaluate the outcomes of ACT and AMIC in the hip.

METHODS: Following PRISMA guidelines, a literature search was performed using free text and MeSH terms relating to ACT, AMIC, and variations of these terms across 6 databases. This resulted in 506 abstracts, which were screened down to 12 papers which met the eligibility criteria. Weighted means and pooled estimates using a random effects model were used to assess the success of both procedures.

RESULTS: 628 hips were identified within 12 papers. Weighted mean age 35.8 years (18-55 years), weighted mean lesion size 3.3 cm² (2.2-5.1 cm²)., weighted mean follow-up 46.9 months (6-96 months). Improvement in mHHS was measured for both interventions, with a mean improvement of 31.1 points following ACT and 35.8 following AMIC. The pooled success rate for AMIC (99.6% [95% CI, 99.0-100.0%]) was higher than that for ACT (98.3% [95% CI, 96.4-100.0%]). All PROs assessed showed statistically significant postoperative improvements.

CONCLUSION: Both techniques produced significant improvements from baseline. Due to the treatment characteristics, we suggest AMIC is a preferable treatment to ACT. Further research is required to assess the limitations of these procedures concerning chondral lesion size and duration of symptom improvement.

PMID:40390088 | DOI:10.1186/s13018-025-05862-5

BMC Med Genomics. 2025 May 19;18(1):90. doi: 10.1186/s12920-025-02155-y.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Chromosome 17p13.3 is a region of genomic instability associated with different neurodevelopmental diseases. The malformation spectrum of 17p13.3 microdeletions ranges from an isolated lissencephaly sequence to Miller-Dieker syndrome, while 17p13.3 microduplications result in autism, learning disabilities, microcephaly and other brain malformations. This study aims to provide a more comprehensive delineation of the clinical and genetic characteristics associated with 17p13.3 alterations.

METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the next-generation sequencing (NGS) data of more than 40 thousand patients from January 2016 to December 2021 and identified 38 pediatric patients with copy-number variations (CNVs) or single-nucleotide variations (SNVs) in 17p13.3 region. Published patients with CNVs in the 17p13.3 region were also collected and we performed a Chi-square test to compare the phenotype spectrum of microdeletions and microduplications.

RESULTS: Among the 27 CNV patients, 20 patients with microdeletions and 7 patients with microduplications were found. PAFAH1B1 was the most frequently deleted gene and CRK was the most frequently duplicated gene. Affected genes in 11 SNV patients included PAFAH1B1 and PRPF8. Developmental delay was the most common abnormality detected in the 38 patients (29/38, 76.3%). Of note, Case 10 presented omphalocele and Case 23 presented scoliosis, webbed neck and bone cyst, all of which were unusual variant phenotypes in this region. The Chi-square test revealed that epilepsy, lissencephaly and short stature were statistically significant with microdeletions, while behavioral abnormalities and hand and foot abnormalities were significant with microduplications (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS: While PAFAH1B1, YWHAE and CRK are associated with major phenotypes of 17p13.3, RTN4RL1 may be involved in white matter changes and HIC1 might contribute to the occurrence of omphalocele. This study provided a comprehensive understanding of genetic information and phenotype spectrum of the 17p13.3 region.

PMID:40390087 | DOI:10.1186/s12920-025-02155-y