Category: Statistics

J Dent Hyg. 2026 Aug 3;100(4):6-18.

ABSTRACT

Purpose There is limited research regarding how work-life balance (WLB) affects job satisfaction, and intention to leave among dental hygienists in clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between WLB, job satisfaction, and turnover intention among dental hygienists.Methods This study used a cross-sectional research design with a convenience sample of dental hygienists (n=274) recruited via social media. The web-based survey consisted of demographics and work characteristics, followed by three previously validated survey instruments: WLB Measure, Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (JSQ), and Turnover Intention Scale (TIS). Descriptive, correlational, and inferential analyses were used.Results The survey completion rate was 76% (n = 209). Participants reported an average WLB of 3.20 (SD = 1.06) and an average JSQ of 3.54 (SD = 0.67) on a scale of 1 to 5. Additionally, participants reported an average TIS of 16.75 (SD = 6.22) on a scale of 6 to 30. A regression analysis with WLB, JSQ, and covariates was done to identify predictors of turnover intention. The model predicted 63% (adjusted R² = 0.63, F (7, 200) = 47.33, p < .001) of the variance in turnover intention. Lower job satisfaction (JSQ; β = -0.65, t = -13.86, p < .001) and WLB (β = -0.21, t = -3.97, p < .001) predicted higher turnover intention.Conclusion Findings suggested both job satisfaction and WLB were predictors of an employee’s turnover intention or intention to leave. These results suggest employers should consider their role in employees’ overall WLB, and job satisfaction, considering factors such as workload, communication, opportunities for advancement, and adequate recognition to retain dental hygienists.

PMID:42552086

J Dent Hyg. 2026 Aug 3;100(4):36-46.

ABSTRACT

Purpose Dietary practices play a key role in chronic disease, and dental hygienists are well-positioned to provide person-centered care to enhance oral health and wellness, including nutritional counseling. The purpose of this study was to utilize the 15-item Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and Diet Quality Score (DQS) to explore the correlation between diet, periodontal inflammation, and the risk of periodontal disease.Methods A total of 1,470 patients of record from the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry dental hygiene clinic were invited to participate in an electronic survey assessing food frequencies. Responses to the 15-item FFQ were assessed using the DQS and were combined with the participants’ bleeding on probing (BOP) and periodontal risk assessment (PRA) scores. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data.Results A response rate of 26% was observed (N = 379). There was a negative correlation between the percentage of BOP sites and DQS scores, indicating an inverse relationship between diet and periodontal inflammation (p = .001). A significant difference in average total DQS scores was found among PRA scores (p = 0.020). Specifically, the low PRA and moderate PRA groups demonstrated a significant difference (p = 0.017). Additionally, significant differences were observed in PRA scores (p < 0.001) and total DQS (p = 0.025), suggesting variations in the risk of periodontal disease and diet quality.Conclusion The use of a 15-item FFQ and a DQS can serve as an effective screening tool for dietary habits as they relate to periodontal inflammation, supporting dental hygienists in identifying dietary risk factors for periodontal disease.

PMID:42552085

J Dent Hyg. 2026 Aug 3;100(4):58-67.

ABSTRACT

Purpose Feedback literacy is a pivotal concept in education. Students with well-developed feedback literacy are able to understand, interpret, and implement feedback effectively to improve learning and performance. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a feedback literacy course for dental hygiene students.Methods This study utilized a quantitative randomized control trial comprising a convenience sample of 42 dental hygiene students over two consecutive semesters. The control group received no formal feedback education, while the experimental group completed a feedback literacy module with an in-person feedback workshop, a follow-up in-person reflection activity, and online feedback literacy resources. Feedback Literacy was measured using the Feedback Literacy Scale, where participants self-rated their abilities on a Likert scale. A pre/posttest design was used, paired with supplemental open-ended questions for the experimental group to determine perceived program impact. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data.Results Overall Feedback Literacy posttest mean scores of the experimental group (n = 21) were significantly higher (p < 0.001) when compared to controls (n = 21). The experimental group demonstrated statistically significant improvements in Appreciation of Feedback (p < .001), Positive Attitude toward Feedback (p = .001), and Openness to Feedback (p < .001). Four key concepts emerged from open-ended questions posed to experimental group, namely: valuing feedback, seeking feedback, managing emotions, and enhancing self-assessment.Conclusion Students may benefit from feedback literacy training delivered early in their education. The feedback literacy module helped students value feedback, use self-assessment to identify learning gaps, actively seek feedback, and regulate emotions during feedback.

PMID:42552082

BMJ Paediatr Open. 2026 Aug 4;10(1):e004689. doi: 10.1136/bmjpo-2026-004689.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Up to 30% of in-utero selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)-exposed newborns experience withdrawal and up to 60% experience behavioural impacts. Breastfeeding may offer benefits from skin-to-skin contact and transfer of SSRIs through breastmilk. Limited data are available on healthcare utilisation of these newborns beyond neonatal intensive care unit admission. We aimed to identify whether newborn feeding method affected healthcare utilisation in the first 30 days of postnatal life among Neonates With In-utero SSRI Exposure (NeoWISE).

METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included newborns born in Ontario hospitals between 1 April 2012 and 31 March 2020 to beneficiaries of the Ontario Drug Benefit Program who filled at least one SSRI prenatal prescription. Administrative health and birth registry data were used. Newborn feeding methods were available from birth to hospital discharge. Outcomes were postnatal length of stay (LOS), emergency department visit(s) and hospital readmission within the first 30 days of life. Adjusted linear regression models using inverse probability of treatment weights for feeding method were conducted.

RESULTS: The cohort included a total of 5079 NeoWISE participants, with 3321 (65.4%) exclusively breastfed. Formula-fed infants were more likely to have older mothers with an urban residence, lower income quintile, prior live birth, who smoked at delivery and to be born via caesarean delivery; these imbalances were balanced after propensity score weighting. Exclusively breastfed newborns were significantly less likely to have postnatal LOS ≥3 days (11.6% vs 16.3%) (adjusted relative risk (adjRR) 0.84, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.97), but more likely to have emergency department visit (adjRR 1.42, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.97) and hospital readmission (adjRR 1.78, 95% CI 1.21 to 2.62) compared with formula-fed newborns, primarily due to jaundice.

CONCLUSION: Women taking SSRI medication during pregnancy should receive anticipatory guidance about newborn feeding effectiveness, signs of jaundice and when to seek healthcare after birth. In-hospital feeding method was associated with emergency department visits and hospital readmission among NeoWISE. Breastfeeding cessation was not measured and could have affected estimated associations.

PMID:42552081 | DOI:10.1136/bmjpo-2026-004689

Addict Behav. 2026 Aug 1;183:108823. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2026.108823. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The federal Tobacco 21 (T21) law, enacted in December 2019, raised the U.S. minimum legal purchasing age for all tobacco products from 18 to 21. Yet overall nicotine use among young adults aged 18-24 has remained nearly unchanged, as declining combustible cigarette use has been offset by rising e-cigarette use. Few studies have examined T21’s association with cessation, and none have found statistically significant effects.

METHODS: Using nationally representative data from the 2014-2024 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS; N = 13,238) and a difference-in-differences design, we estimate T21’s effects on 19-20-year-olds relative to 21-22-year-old counterparts. Outcomes include combustible cigarette or e-cigarette use, recent cigarette cessation (quit smoking within 24 months with no current nicotine use), and demographic heterogeneity in continued use after T21 (non-compliance). Falsification (placebo) tests, which apply the design to ages and periods that T21 did not restrict, and a COVID-period robustness check assess the design.

RESULTS: Federal T21 was associated with a 4.3-4.6 percentage-point reduction in combustible cigarette or e-cigarette use among 19-20-year-olds relative to 21-22-year-olds (p < 0.01; a 26-28 % relative reduction). Excluding COVID years yielded larger estimates (4.8-5.2 percentage points). Both falsification tests yielded null results. The law was associated with a 4.3-5.4 percentage-point increase in recent cessation, stable in magnitude across specifications but less precisely estimated (p = 0.08-0.13).

CONCLUSIONS: Federal T21 was associated with reduced cigarette or e-cigarette use among 19-20-year-olds and suggestive increases in recent cessation. Continued enforcement of the law, with cessation support for young adults, could strengthen its effectiveness.

PMID:42551119 | DOI:10.1016/j.addbeh.2026.108823

Arthropod Struct Dev. 2026 Aug 4;94:101558. doi: 10.1016/j.asd.2026.101558. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Sexually dimorphic coloration is common in Lepidoptera. In addition to differences in pigmentation, Lepidopterans also exhibit sexually dimorphic structural coloration. Lycaenidae are unique among Lepidoptera due to the presence of a multilayer pepper-pot photonic structure located within the body of their cover scales. While sexually dimorphic pepper-pot structures in Lycaenidae have previously been observed between male blue scales and female melanic scales, the nature of sexually dimorphic photonic structures within non-pigmented scales has yet to be examined in detail. In this study, we examined the morphology and reflective capabilities of cover scales from the sexually dimorphic postdiscal forewing region of summer form Celastrina neglecta (W. H. Edwards, 1862) (Lycaenidae: Polyommatinae) specimens to determine the basis of sexually dimorphic structural coloration in the species. Wing region and single-scale reflectance were compared based on spectrometry. Scale morphology was compared based on scanning electron, transmission electron, and light microscopy. Wing region analyses revealed that males and females possess statistically different wing region reflectance. Males exhibit high reflectance of violet (400-450 nm) and low reflectance in the 451-750 nm range, while females exhibit lower reflectance of violet and higher reflectance in the 451-750 nm range. Single-scale analyses revealed both blue and clear cover scales in the region of interest. While male and female scales exhibit similar reflective properties, females possess more clear scales in the dimorphic region than males. Morphological analyses indicate that the ridges and cross-ribbing of clear scales are more densely packed than their blue counterparts. Additionally, blue scales exhibit a fully developed pepper-pot photonic structure within the scale lumen, while clear scales possess irregular photonic structures that are frequently absent from the scale lumen.

PMID:42551101 | DOI:10.1016/j.asd.2026.101558

Injury. 2026 Jul 31;57(10):113547. doi: 10.1016/j.injury.2026.113547. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Muscle contusion injuries frequently cause inflammation, hypoxia, and impaired regeneration. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy have been proposed as potential treatments for enhancing muscle recovery. This study aimed to investigate the effects of PRP and HBO therapy on muscle regeneration following contusion injury and assess their potential synergistic effect.

METHODS: A controlled laboratory study was conducted using a muscle contusion model in sixty C57BL6J mice, which were divided into five groups: control, sham, HBO, PRP, and PRP+HBO. HBO therapy was administered at 2.5 atm for 25 min, three cycles per day over 10 days, while PRP was injected twice, on days 1 and 6. Muscle regeneration was evaluated using histological staining, immunofluorescence, muscle wet weight, and contractile function tests, including assessments of fast-twitch and tetanic strength.

RESULTS: The results demonstrated that HBO treatment alone showed statistically significant improvements in the number of regenerating myofibers and tetanus strength, compared to the sham group. However, the magnitude of the HBO treatment effects might not have been as substantial as those observed in the PRP and PRP+HBO groups. PRP and PRP+HBO significantly increased regenerating myofiber counts compared to the sham group (P < 0.001) and prevented muscle atrophy, as shown by higher muscle wet weights (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION: PRP and PRP+HBO mitigated the adverse effects of muscle contusion in mice, with PRP + HBO potentially exerting a synergistic effect in restoring fast-twitch strength and improving tetanus strength to levels seen in uninjured muscles.

STUDY DESIGN: Level III, Controlled Lab Study.

PMID:42551085 | DOI:10.1016/j.injury.2026.113547

Animal. 2026 Jul 9;20(9):101899. doi: 10.1016/j.animal.2026.101899. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The Baicheng-You chicken is an indigenous Chinese breed known for its superior egg quality and stress resistance, yet the genetic basis of these traits is not fully understood. This study investigated the genomic architecture of 10 egg quality traits in 1 002 Baicheng-You chickens using whole-genome resequencing. The estimated genomic heritabilities for these traits ranged from 0.30 to 0.83. Genome-wide association studies identified 30 single nucleotide polymorphisms reaching genome-wide significant or suggestive association thresholds, which were mapped to 386 candidate genes, including ALAS1, LCORL, and CTNNBL1. Functional enrichment analysis indicated these genes are primarily involved in developmental patterning and embryonic skeletal system morphogenesis. To prioritise candidate variants, statistical fine-mapping using the Sum of Single Effects method (SuSiE) was integrated with epigenomic data (H3K27ac and ATAC-seq). Furthermore, the activity-by-contact model prioritised putative regulatory variants within enhancer regions on chromosomes 20 and 6 that may contribute to the regulation of eggshell colour and thickness, respectively. These findings improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms regulating egg quality and provide potential genetic markers for breeding programmes in indigenous poultry.

PMID:42551065 | DOI:10.1016/j.animal.2026.101899

J Craniomaxillofac Surg. 2026 Aug 4;54(10):109849. doi: 10.1016/j.jcms.2026.109849. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of local photobiomodulation (LPBM) and vascular photobiomodulation (VPBM) on early bone healing after alveolar bone grafting (ABG) in patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP). Eighty-seven CLP patients (104 cleft areas) underwent secondary ABG with autogenous bone from the mandibular symphysis or iliac crest. Eighty-seven patients with CLP, corresponding to 104 grafted alveolar cleft sites, were included from two independent clinical protocols conducted at the same craniofacial rehabilitation center. LPBM was evaluated in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP), whereas VPBM was evaluated in patients with bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP). In each protocol, the PBM group was compared with the corresponding control group, which received simulated laser application. All patients underwent secondary ABG with autogenous bone harvested from the mandibular symphysis or anterior iliac crest, according to the established surgical protocol of the hospital. LPBM was performed using a GaAlAs laser (880 ± 10 nm, 100 mW, 4 J per point) applied in continuous mode at 14 standardized extraoral points. VPBM was performed using a red-spectrum laser (660 ± 10 nm, 100 mW), applied over the radial artery for 10 min in patients aged 9-17 years and 15 min in adults, corresponding to total energies of 60 J and 90 J, respectively. Irradiation was performed immediately after surgery (T0) and 24 h postoperatively (T1). Standardized periapical radiographs were obtained preoperatively and 2 months after ABG (T2). Cleft morphology was assessed by measuring height and width using digital calipers. Bone bridge formation was evaluated at T2 using the Chelsea scale. Statistical analysis included one-way ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, and logistic regression tests (α = 0.05). LPBM showed a higher proportion of favorable Chelsea classes (80%) than control (45%) and VPBM (37.5%) groups (p < 0.05). No differences were found between donor sites or baseline cleft dimensions. VPBM results were similar to control values. LPBM enhanced bone bridge formation after ABG, suggesting a stimulatory effect on bone repair. VPBM, under the tested parameters, did not improve outcomes.

PMID:42551061 | DOI:10.1016/j.jcms.2026.109849

Health Policy. 2026 Jul 28;172:105717. doi: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2026.105717. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Hospitals are known to have a significant carbon footprint, particularly in high-income countries, yet evidence on patients’ view regarding mitigation initiatives within hospital policy is limited.

OBJECTIVE: To examine patients’ perspectives on a Dutch hospital-led environmental sustainability policy related to healthy nutrition, waste reduction, sustainable mobility, and disease prevention by lifestyle interventions.

METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in October 2024 among members of a patient panel from a Dutch tertiary University Medical Centre. The survey included four closed-ended questions and one open-ended question on important environmental sustainability initiatives. Descriptive statistics were used, associations between demographics (sex, age, education) and perceived importance were assessed using Chi-square tests and logistic regression. Qualitative responses underwent thematic content analysis.

RESULTS: Of the 2473 invited patients, 1285 (52%) responded to the closed-ended questions and 742 (30%) provided open-ended responses. Disease prevention was rated most important (88%), followed by waste reduction (82%), healthy nutrition (76%), and sustainable mobility (58%). Older age and level of education were significantly associated with perceived importance. Additional themes for hospital policy include medication use, energy consumption, and awareness.

CONCLUSIONS: Patients generally support environmental sustainability initiatives in hospital-led policy, particularly those promoting disease prevention, waste reduction, and healthy nutrition. They also identify opportunities for policy development, such as circularity strategies to retain the value of health care products and health promotion strategies focusing on nutrition and lifestyle. Future research should explore how patients wish to participate in shared decision-making on environmental sustainability.

PMID:42551053 | DOI:10.1016/j.healthpol.2026.105717