Category: Statistics

BMC Palliat Care. 2026 Jun 4. doi: 10.1186/s12904-026-02176-z. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Globally, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, with 2.3 million women newly diagnosed in 2020. In Africa, most women present with advanced disease necessitating nurse-led palliative care interventions. This study pilot tested a nurse-led palliative care programme for women receiving palliative chemotherapy for breast cancer at a teaching hospital in the Volta Region of Ghana.

METHODS: An intervention design and pre-test post-test approach was used. The primary outcome focused on unmet palliative care needs and secondary outcomes included pain, quality of life, and spiritual needs, measured by means of the Symptoms Distress Scale (SDC), Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), Spiritual Needs Questionnaire (SpNQ), and European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire – Breast Cancer Module 45 items (EORTC QLQ-BR45). Census sampling entered 31 women in the programme but only 24 completed it. Descriptive statistics were used to analyzed the data and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, with significance set at p ≤ 0.05, compared the medians of the two samples. The study was registered with Pan African Clinical Trial Registry (PACTR202509735988120) on September 29th, 2025.

RESULTS: Results showed positive outcomes post-intervention. Symptom distress decreased from x̄ 2.98 to x̄ 1.97, pain severity reduced from x̄ 9.34 to x̄ 2.75, and quality of life improved from x̄ 2.79 to x̄ 1.94. Spiritual needs increased from x̄ 1.04 to x̄ 3.00.

CONCLUSION: The study provided evidence that a nurse-led palliative care programme, based on the care needs of women with advanced breast cancer receiving palliative chemotherapy in the Volta Region of Ghana, lessened symptom distress, pain and improved quality of life.

PMID:42243806 | DOI:10.1186/s12904-026-02176-z

BMC Surg. 2026 Jun 4. doi: 10.1186/s12893-026-03899-9. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Optimal anatomical sites for temperature monitoring that most closely correlates with cerebral temperature remain debated in cardiac surgery, particularly during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) with deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) and subsequent rewarming. This experimental study aimed to identify the monitoring site best correlated with intracerebral temperature during the rewarming phase and to assess whether some sites may underestimate cerebral rewarming, thereby increasing the risk of undetected hyperthermia.

METHODS: The study was conducted in six male Landrace pigs (≈58 kg) undergoing CPB with a 45-min DHCA at 18 °C, followed by a gradual rewarming phase. Temperature was monitored throughout the procedure at seven anatomical sites (jugular, bladder, esophageal, rectal, nasopharyngeal, venous, and arterial) and compared with direct intracerebral temperature measured using a Pt1000 probe inserted into the cerebral parenchyma. Correlation analyses were performed between peripheral and intracerebral temperature measurements.

RESULTS: Jugular temperature demonstrated the strongest correlation with intracerebral temperature (r = 0.975), with no statistically significant difference between jugular values and cerebral temperature (p = 0.2189). In contrast, a significant discrepancy was observed between cerebral and esophageal temperatures (p = 0.0247), indicating differences in thermal kinetics during the early rewarming phase. No cases of cerebral hyperthermia were observed.

CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that jugular temperature most accurately reflects cerebral temperature during the rewarming phase of CPB following DHCA. Esophageal and nasopharyngeal measurements, although commonly used, may underestimate cerebral temperature during early rewarming, potentially increasing the risk of cerebral hyperthermia. These findings underscore the value of multisite temperature monitoring and highlight the importance of understanding the mechanisms underlying cerebral thermal dynamics.

PMID:42243805 | DOI:10.1186/s12893-026-03899-9

BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. 2026 Jun 5. doi: 10.1186/s12911-026-03612-z. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of deep learning algorithms in simulating standard acquisition time images from shortened acquisition times in ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT imaging, thereby optimizing both image quality and radiopharmaceutical use.

METHODS: We evaluated 322 patients who underwent ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT, simulating half-dose conditions and reconstructing images at acquisition times of 30 s, 45 s, 60 s, 75 s, and 90 s while maintaining identical bed positions and anatomical coverage. Images were reconstructed using a residual U-Net architecture with data augmentation to enhance training. Image quality was assessed using a 5-point Likert scale, inter-reader consistency with Cohen’s kappa, and quantitative metrics (PSNR, SSIM, MAE, MSE, RMSE) to compare pre- and post-processing conditions, validating the model’s effectiveness. Lesion detectability was specifically assessed by counting detectable lesions before and after processing, evaluated by two senior nuclear medicine physicians to ensure consistency. Statistical analyses employed Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and kappa statistics, considering p-values less than 0.05 as statistically significant.

RESULTS: Deep learning significantly improved image quality scores in the half-dose group from 3.45 ± 0.48 to 4.33 ± 0.55 and enhanced kappa values from 0.76 to 0.82 (p < 0.05). Quantitative metrics demonstrated marked improvements, with SSIM values rising from 0.75 to 0.87 and PSNR from 37.65 dB to 41.37 dB in half-dose scenarios. Similarly, in the 30s model, SSIM increased from 0.73 to 0.84 and PSNR from 35.38 dB to 40.15 dB. Lesion detectability in small lesions improved by up to 16.3% in shortened acquisition conditions, effectively enhancing the detection of critical pathological features.

CONCLUSIONS: The application of deep learning models in PET/CT imaging may improve scan efficiency and reduce radiopharmaceutical usage while maintaining image quality without apparent loss of diagnostic information. These findings support the potential of AI-enhanced imaging protocols to reduce patient radiation exposure and improve clinical workflow efficiency.

PMID:42243803 | DOI:10.1186/s12911-026-03612-z

BMC Public Health. 2026 Jun 4. doi: 10.1186/s12889-026-27726-1. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the effect of menstrual knowledge, and of menstrual education interventions, on broader dimensions of menstrual health. We assessed factors associated with menstrual knowledge and attitudes, and the association of menstrual knowledge with menstrual health related outcomes among female Ugandan adolescents enrolled in the control arm of a menstrual health intervention trial.

METHODS: We conducted a secondary data analysis of longitudinal data from control arm participants in a cluster-randomised trial conducted in Ugandan secondary schools. Endline data were collected one year after baseline. We identified baseline factors associated with the menstrual knowledge and attitudes at endline, and estimated associations of menstrual knowledge items with menstrual practice needs and menstrual confidence at endline, using random-effects Poisson and linear regression analyses to estimate adjusted incidence rate ratios (aIRR) and mean differences (aMD) respectively.

RESULTS: Among 1453 female and 317 male participants in 30 control arm schools who completed both baseline and endline surveys, there was evidence of small associations between better menstrual knowledge at endline with better baseline knowledge (both male and female participants), and in females only, being in a private school (aIRR = 1.05, 95%CI 1.00-1.11), and knowledge about menstruation prior to menarche (aIRR = 1.08, 95%CI 1.03-1.14). Positive attitudes towards menstruation at endline were associated with baseline positive attitudes (male and female participants), and with knowledge prior to menarche (aIRR = 1.10, 95%CI 1.01-1.21). Participants with better knowledge scores had better menstrual experiences (Menstrual Practice Needs Scale: aMD = 0.19, 95%CI 0.08-0.30, p < 0.001 for high versus low knowledge scores).

CONCLUSIONS: Female adolescents who know about menstruation before menarche have slightly greater menstrual knowledge and positive attitudes towards menstruation. In turn, menstrual knowledge is associated with fewer unmet menstrual practice needs. Future interventions should consider tailoring educational content to address specific knowledge gaps and cultural attitudes and include boys.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN45461276 Registration date: 16/09/2021.

PMID:42243798 | DOI:10.1186/s12889-026-27726-1

BMC Pulm Med. 2026 Jun 4. doi: 10.1186/s12890-026-04386-w. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Prompt detection and isolation of active Pulmonary Tuberculosis(PTB) are critical to prevent hospital transmission. In Ethiopia, evidence on PTB isolation practices in high-risk settings is limited. This study assessed the median time to isolation and factors associated with delays in a teaching hospital emergency department.

METHODS: All adult GenXpert-confirmed active PTB patients diagnosed in the emergency outpatient (acute care) department of a Yekatit 12 Hospital Medical College in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, between November 2021 and March 2024, were included. Data were extracted from the electronic medical records database. Delay in isolation was defined as failure to isolate a patient suspected or confirmed to have infectious tuberculosis (TB) at the first point of contact in the study hospital (triage). The Multivariable analysis using the Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine the statistically significant predictors of delayed isolation of active PTB with P-values < 0.05.

RESULTS: Seventy-five patients with a mean age of 32 years were included. The median time to isolation for active PTB was two days (interquartile range: 1-4 days). More than half (58.7%) of patients were isolated within two days. In the Multivariable Cox regression analysis, several factors were associated with a longer time to isolation: acute cough (Hazard Ratio, HR: 0.43; 95% CI: 0.23-0.80), requirement for supplemental oxygen (HR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.23-0.89), non-cavitary lesion on chest radiograph (HR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.25-0.85), intravenous antibiotic use (HR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.33-0.97), abnormal white blood cell count (HR: 0.27; 95% CI: 0.13-0.56), and weekend emergency department visits (HR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.25-0.84).

CONCLUSIONS: This study found that clinical and laboratory factors, as well as the timing of hospital visits, were associated with delayed isolation of active PTB patients in the emergency department. These findings highlight key areas for improving timely isolation in the acute care setting.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: The study is purely observational. Thus, the clinical trial registration number is not applicable.

PMID:42243793 | DOI:10.1186/s12890-026-04386-w

BMC Oral Health. 2026 Jun 5. doi: 10.1186/s12903-026-08759-9. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Accurate and accessible screening tools for periodontitis are essential for early detection and disease prevention. This study evaluated a non-invasive diagnostic approach integrating sociodemographic data, self-reported oral health (SROH) questionnaires, and salivary biomarkers, using both conventional statistical and machine learning (ML) predictive models.

METHODS: Seventy-seven adults completed a validated SROH questionnaire and provided saliva samples for quantification of six biomarkers: interleukins (IL-1β, IL-6), tumour necrosis factor (TNF-α), matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-8, MMP-9), and metallothionein (MT). Participants were clinically classified as having (i) periodontal health, (ii) gingivitis, or (iii) periodontitis. Predictive models were developed using Logistic Regression (LR), Random Forest (RF), and Naive Bayes (NB) across three feature sets: (i) SROH, salivary biomarkers and sociodemographic, (ii) SROH and salivary biomarkers, (iii) SROH and sociodemographic and (v) SROH alone. Model performance was assessed using 10-fold cross-validation and standard evaluation metrics.

RESULTS: The RF model trained on SROH, and salivary biomarkers achieved the highest accuracy with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC = 0.856), with superior precision (70.13%), sensitivity (0.701) and lower error rates (RMSE = 0.371) compared with NB (AUC = 0.795) and LR (AUC = 0.724) models in detecting periodontitis.

CONCLUSIONS: This non-invasive, SROH and biomarker-integrated approach shows potential as a first-line screening and referral tool in primary care and population-based settings where comprehensive periodontal examination is not routinely available. Further validation in larger, more diverse populations is warranted to support clinical translation.

PMID:42243783 | DOI:10.1186/s12903-026-08759-9

BMC Psychiatry. 2026 Jun 4. doi: 10.1186/s12888-026-08238-z. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a globally prevalent intracellular parasite capable of causing latent infections in humans. T. gondii, a widely prevalent protozoan parasite, has been increasingly linked to mental, psychiatric, and neurological disorders. Understanding its seroprevalence is critical to assess its potential public health impact and guide preventive strategies. Despite the extensive research conducted in Türkiye on this association, the outcomes have shown variability. A comprehensive synthesis is required to elucidate the seroprevalence of T. gondii among affected patient groups and to enhance our understanding of the potential public health implications. This study posits that the prevalence of T. gondii among patients with psychiatric and neurological disorders in Türkiye is substantial, with notable socioeconomic and geographical variations. It aims to estimate the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection among these patients in Turkey, adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed following the guidelines of the PRISMA. In November 2024, comprehensive searches were conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and the TR index using a set of predetermined keywords without imposing any temporal limitations. The methodological quality of the studies included in the review was evaluated using the Joanna Briggs Institute’s Critical Appraisal Checklist, which is applicable to both randomized controlled trials and cross-sectional studies. Data were synthesized using a meta-analytic technique.

RESULTS: Prevalence was calculated using a random-effects model with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Cochran’s Q and I² statistics were performed to assess heterogeneity among the included studies, while funnel plots and Egger’s tests were used to evaluate publication bias. The prevalence of toxoplasmosis was 34% (95% CI: 28%-39%). When the patient groups of the studies included in the research were classified, the subgroup analysis performed with the obtained data was found to be 34% (95% CI: 28%-39%) in patients with both neurological and psychiatric disorders.

CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis identified a significant seroprevalence of T. gondii infection among individuals with psychiatric and neurological disorders in Türkiye. These findings indicate a potential association between T. gondii exposure and neuropsychiatric conditions, highlighting the need for further research and increased clinical awareness in at-risk populations.

PMID:42243782 | DOI:10.1186/s12888-026-08238-z

BMC Public Health. 2026 Jun 4. doi: 10.1186/s12889-026-28028-2. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Inherited hemoglobinopathies, particularly sickle cell disease (SCD) and thalassemia, represent a major public health burden in Saudi Arabia. However, comprehensive nationwide real-world data have historically been fragmented across healthcare facilities. This study describes the development, governance framework, and epidemiological characterization of the Saudi National Inherited Hemoglobin and Blood Disorders (IHBD) Registry and reports population-level patterns derived from unified Ministry of Health (MOH) data integration.

METHODS: A nationwide registry infrastructure was established under the MOH using phased implementation: retrospective manual digitization of historical records (2016-2018), followed by phased automated electronic medical record (EMR) integration implemented between 2019 and 2025. Between 2019 and 2025, 166,727 IHBD-related diagnostic entries were extracted from 31 MOH-affiliated hospitals. Two different data sources were leveraged. For all records, 3-year retrospective data were entered, and prospective data were utilized moving forward in the IHBD registry. Records were consolidated using national identification numbers to generate a de-duplicated patient-level dataset. Descriptive statistics summarized demographic and geographic distributions. IHBD Registry coverage per 100,000 population was calculated using the 2024 Saudi census estimate. Associations between disease groups and geographic regions were evaluated using chi-square testing.

RESULTS: After deduplication, 105,008 unique patients with inherited blood disorders were identified, corresponding to approximately 298 patients per 100,000 population in the IHBD Registry. The registry captured 105,008 unique diagnosed patients (surveillance coverage), of whom 65,679 (62.6%) had fully structured, longitudinally validated records within the registry module. SCD represented the predominant subgroup. Geographic clustering was observed, with the Eastern (32.0%), Makkah (28.1%), and Riyadh (19.1%) regions accounting for the majority of registered cases. Approximately 32.6% of patients had multiple IHBD-related diagnoses, reflecting overlapping hemoglobinopathy and bleeding disorder classifications within the healthcare system.

CONCLUSIONS: The IHBD Registry provides the first unified, nationwide MOH-based dataset for inherited hemoglobinopathies, enabling population-level surveillance and regional burden assessment. By integrating phased data consolidation and EMR interoperability, the registry establishes a scalable national infrastructure for rare hematologic disease monitoring. These findings support evidence-based resource allocation, regional health planning, and future expansion toward integrated screening, longitudinal outcome tracking, and advanced analytic applications.

PMID:42243779 | DOI:10.1186/s12889-026-28028-2

BMC Public Health. 2026 Jun 4. doi: 10.1186/s12889-026-27958-1. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate oral health parameters and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children and adolescents with chronic kidney disease (CKD), and compare them with non-CKD peers. Additionally, the impact of various sociodemographic, health-related, and oral health parameters on HRQoL was examined within the CKD group.

METHODS: In this cross-sectional observational study, 82 children with CKD were compared to 85 non-CKD controls within the same age range. Participants were evaluated through a comprehensive clinical assessment that included sociodemographic and health-related characteristics, oral hygiene habits, and oral health parameters including dental caries, oral hygiene status, gingival health, and developmental enamel defects. Both child self-report and parent proxy-report versions of the KINDL questionnaire were used to assess HRQoL. Statistical analyses were conducted to evaluate group differences and associations between variables.

RESULTS: Children with CKD had significantly lower HRQoL scores across all domains (p < 0.05). They also exhibited higher rates of enamel defects, gingival inflammation, and poorer oral hygiene. Although DMFT/dft scores were lower in the CKD group, ICDAS II showed a higher prevalence of early carious lesions. Multiple regression analysis revealed that HRQoL was significantly associated with CKD status, number of siblings, oral hygiene, and gingival health (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Oral health is strongly associated with HRQoL in children with CKD. Public health strategies should prioritize regular HRQoL monitoring and early preventive dental care to improve overall well-being in this vulnerable population.

PMID:42243776 | DOI:10.1186/s12889-026-27958-1

BMC Cancer. 2026 Jun 4. doi: 10.1186/s12885-026-16296-5. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) remains a significant challenge in pediatric malignancies, particularly in cases of relapse and treatment resistance. This study aimed to investigate the expression patterns of ferroptosis-related genes, GPX4 and LINC00618, across different disease phases in pediatric B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL).

METHODS: This case-control study analyzed 82 samples from pediatric BCP-ALL patients comprising 14 new cases, 29 in remission, and 17 relapsed cases alongside 22 healthy controls. Expression levels of GPX4 and LINC00618 were evaluated using quantitative real-time PCR. The relationship between gene expression and clinical parameters was assessed. Statistical analyses were performed employing parametric or nonparametric tests.

RESULTS: GPX4 expression was significantly elevated in ALL patients compared to controls (p < 0.01), with notably higher levels in new cases (p < 0.01) and relapsed patients (p < 0.05). Similarly, LINC00618 exhibited significant upregulation in ALL patients (p < 0.05), particularly in new cases (p < 0.01) and relapsed patients (p < 0.05). Both genes demonstrated reduced expression during the remission. External validation using the GSE13159 dataset demonstrated a consistent direction of increased GPX4 expression in ALL samples compared to controls.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest phase-associated expression patterns of GPX4 and LINC00618 in pediatric BCP-ALL. The consistent direction of GPX4 expression observed in external validation supports its potential relevance in leukemic biology. These results provide a basis for further studies to clarify the role of ferroptosis-related pathways in disease progression and therapeutic response.

PMID:42243765 | DOI:10.1186/s12885-026-16296-5