Category: Statistics

PLoS One. 2022 Aug 22;17(8):e0272920. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272920. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to assess the global prevalence of occult hepatitis B in blood donors. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Global Index Medicus, and Excerpta Medica Database. Study selection and data extraction were performed by at least two independent investigators. Heterogeneity (I2) was assessed using the χ2 test on the Cochran Q statistic and H parameters. Sources of heterogeneity were explored by subgroup analyses. This study is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42021252787. We included 82 studies in this meta-analysis. The overall prevalence of OBI was 6.2% (95% CI: 5.4-7.1) in HBsAg negative and anti-HBc positive blood donors. Only sporadic cases of OBI were reported in HBsAg negative and anti-HBc negative blood donors. The overall prevalence of OBI was 0.2% (95% CI: 0.1-0.4) in HBsAg negative blood donors. The prevalence of OBI was generally higher in countries with low-income economic status. The results of this study show that despite routine screening of blood donors for hepatitis B, the transmission of HBV by blood remains possible via OBI and/or a seronegative window period; hence there is a need for active surveillance and foremost easier access to molecular tests for the screening of blood donors before transfusion.

PMID:35994469 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0272920

PLoS One. 2022 Aug 22;17(8):e0270061. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270061. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

Although three monovalent EV-A71 vaccines have been launched in mainland China since 2016, hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) still causes a considerable disease burden in China. Vaccines’ use may change the epidemiological characters of HFMD. Spatial autocorrelation analysis and space-time scan statistics analysis were used to explore the spatiotemporal distribution pattern of this disease at the provincial level in mainland China. The effects of meteorological factors, socio-economic factors, and health resources on HFMD incidence were analyzed using Geodetector. Interrupted time series (ITS) was used to analyze the impact of the EV-A71 vaccine on the incidence of HFMD. This study found that the median annual incidence of HFMD was 153.78 per 100,000 (ranging from 120.79 to 205.06) in mainland China from 2011 to 2018. Two peaks of infections were observed per year. Children 5 years and under were the main morbid population. The spatial distribution of HFMD was presented a significant clustering pattern in each year (P<0.001). The distribution of HFMD cases was clustered in time and space. The range of cluster time was between April and October. The most likely cluster appeared in the southern coastal provinces (Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan) from 2011 to 2017 and in the eastern coastal provinces (Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang) in 2018. The spatial heterogeneity of HFMD incidence could be attributed to meteorological factors, socioeconomic factors, and health resource. After introducing the EV-A71 vaccine, the instantaneous level of HFMD incidence decreased at the national level, and HFMD incidence trended downward in the southern coastal provinces and increased in the eastern coastal provinces. The prevention and control policies of HFMD should be adapted to local conditions in different provinces. It is necessary to advance the EV-A71 vaccination plan, expand the vaccine coverage and develop multivalent HFMD vaccines as soon as possible.

PMID:35994464 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0270061

PLoS One. 2022 Aug 22;17(8):e0271348. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271348. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Currently, sub-second monitoring of neurotransmitter release in humans can only be performed during standard of care invasive procedures like DBS electrode implantation. The procedure requires acute insertion of a research probe and additional time in surgery, which may increase infection risk. We sought to determine the impact of our research procedure, particularly the extended time in surgery, on infection risk.

METHODS: We screened 602 patients who had one or more procedure codes documented for DBS electrode implantation, generator placement, programming, or revision for any reason performed at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center between January 2011 through October 2020 using International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes for infection. During this period, 116 patients included an IRB approved 30-minute research protocol, during the Phase 1 DBS electrode implantation surgery, to monitor sub-second neurotransmitter release. We used Fisher’s Exact test (FET) to determine if there was a significant change in the infection rate following DBS electrode implantation procedures that included, versus those that did not include, the neurotransmitter monitoring research protocol.

RESULTS: Within 30-days following DBS electrode implantation, infection was observed in 1 (0.21%) out of 486 patients that did not participate in the research procedure and 2 (1.72%) of the 116 patients that did participate in the research procedure. Notably, all types of infection observed were typical of those expected for DBS electrode implantation.

CONCLUSION: Infection rates are not statistically different across research and non-research groups within 30-days following the research procedure (1.72% vs. 0.21%; p = 0.0966, FET). Our results demonstrate that the research procedures used for sub-second monitoring of neurotransmitter release in humans can be performed without increasing the rate of infection.

PMID:35994460 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0271348

JMIR Aging. 2022 Aug 22;5(3):e38172. doi: 10.2196/38172.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Physical activity (PA) is vital for attenuating the aging-related physiological and functional declines in women aged 60 years or above. However, little is known about the objectively assessed PA behavior in older women during the COVID-19 pandemic and its association with sociodemographics, health and physical function, and COVID-19 related factors.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the objectively measured PA levels and associated factors among older US women who were living under the physical distancing guidelines during the second year of the pandemic.

METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we collected free-living PA data from 94 community-dwelling older women aged between 60 and 96 years (mean age 75.1 years, SD 7.3) using wrist-worn ActiGraph GT9X accelerometers between February and August 2021. We examined whether their daily duration spent in sedentary behavior (SB), light-intensity physical activity (LPA), and moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) varied by sociodemographic characteristics, health and physical function, and COVID-19 related factors.

RESULTS: On average, participants accumulated 12.4 (SD 1.9) hours/day in SB, 218.6 (SD 64.3) minutes/day in LPA, and 42.4 (SD 31.0) minutes/day in MVPA, exhibiting overall reduced PA levels than previously published pre-COVID-19 norms of older US women. Among participants aged ≥80 years, sedentary time was 7.5% (P=.003) higher and the time spent in LPA and MVPA was, respectively, 13.3% (P=.03) and 44.9% (P<.001) lower than those aged 60-79 years. More MVPA participation and a less sedentary lifestyle were observed in those who had a higher self-rated health score (MVPA: P=.001, SB: P=.04) and lower fear of falling (FOF; MVPA: P=.003, SB: P=.04). Poorer performance in the 30-second sit-to-stand (STS) test was independently associated with more SB (P=.01) and less LPA (P=.04) and MVPA (P=.001) time among participants. In addition, sedentary time was 5.0% higher (P=.03) in frail and prefrail participants than their healthy counterparts.

CONCLUSIONS: During the pandemic, older women spent the majority of their waking time being sedentary, while LPA accounted for a larger portion of their daily PA. Therefore, replacing SB with LPA (rather than MVPA) might provide a more feasible PA target for older women, particularly those aged ≥80 years or who have reduced physical function. In addition, targeted interventions might be beneficial in promoting an active lifestyle for those who live alone, are prefrail or frail, and have a high FOF in older age.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR2-10.2196/27381.

PMID:35994346 | DOI:10.2196/38172

JMIR Serious Games. 2022 Aug 22;10(3):e37079. doi: 10.2196/37079.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Preschool-aged children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) receive long-term treatment according to the Taiwan Pediatric Oncology Group (TPOG)-ALL 2013 protocol. Severe anxiety and noncompliance ahead of frequent invasive therapies leads to an increase in health care costs. Previous studies have shown that therapeutic video games (TVGs) can decrease the anxiety experienced by children who are ill. To our knowledge, no existing TVG has been designed specifically for preschool-aged children with ALL in Taiwan.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to develop a TVG using the popular Mechanics, Dynamics, and Aesthetics (MDA) framework for game design and to investigate the effect of this TVG on the reduction of therapy-related anxiety among preschool-aged children with ALL.

METHODS: This study used a mixed methods approach over three phases: (1) develop a TVG using the MDA framework, (2) test the reliability of the TVG among three certified children’s art therapists, and (3) evaluate the reduction of therapy-related anxiety among participants after using the TVG for 6 weeks, using a two-group, stratified randomized controlled trial at a medical center in northern Taiwan. Eligible preschool-aged children with ALL were randomly assigned 1:1 into an experimental group or a control group. The two groups of subjects received the same usual care, and only the experimental group had access to and used the TVG. The children’s anxiety responses were reported by their family caregivers using the face rating scale (FRS). Descriptive analyses, the Fisher exact test, the Pearson chi-square test, and the Mann-Whitney U test were used to statistically analyze the variables.

RESULTS: Six mechanics rules supported the dynamics of the TVG using four main features-character, nursery, tasks, and market-in order to complete all of the therapy-related anxiety reduction scenarios and to achieve eight aesthetics goals. The results of reliability test showed that participants found the TVG to be useful and trustworthy for preschool-aged children with ALL (Cronbach α=.98). A total of 15 participants were enrolled and randomly allocated to the experimental group (n=7) or the control group (n=8). The average number of TVG log-ins was 37.9 (SD 15.30, range 14-62) in the experimental group. The demographic data showed homogeneity across the two groups regarding age (3 to 5 years), sex (male), risk classification (standard risk), and treatment status (continuation therapy). The mean FRS score was 6.16 (SD 3.31) for the experimental group as compared to 7.45 (SD 2.71) for the control group (P=.04), which represented a significant difference between the groups at the 6-week follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS: This research provides evidence that using a TVG can decrease anxiety in preschool-aged children with ALL in Taiwan. The TVG could be used to support clinical professionals before they perform invasive therapies. However, it is recommended to increase the statistical power for inference.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04199637; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04199637.

PMID:35994340 | DOI:10.2196/37079

J Thorac Imaging. 2022 Sep 1;37(5):292-299. doi: 10.1097/RTI.0000000000000642. Epub 2022 Mar 11.

ABSTRACT

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to elucidate the prevalence and factors associated with follow-up chest computed tomography (CT) imaging in patients undergoing stress-perfusion cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (sCMR) and coronary CT angiography (cCTA).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cardiac imaging encounters between January 1, 2015 and May 16, 2020 were selected for analysis. Follow-up was tracked within 1-year of initial cardiac imaging, up to May 16, 2021. Patient demographics, comorbidities, and cardiopulmonary outcomes were also analyzed.

RESULTS: Between 2015 and 2020, there were 4024 cCTA and 837 sCMR imaging procedures on unique patients with 1.1% and 0.5% of patients having follow-up CT chest studies within 1 year, respectively. When controlling for patient demographic factors, body mass index, insurance status, smoking history, and comorbid diagnostic codes, there was statistically significant increased odds (adjusted odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 2.864 [1.129-7.265]) of undergoing follow-up within the cCTA cohort. Pulmonary nodules represented the most common incidental finding, with cCTA associated with higher rates of pulmonary nodules detected on imaging (adjusted odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 5.947 [4.136-8.552]). sCMR was associated with higher rates of MI, percutaneous coronary intervention, and lung malignancy within 1 year, with no difference in all-cause mortality.

CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing either cCTA and sCMR demonstrated a low prevalence of follow-up CT chest imaging; however, follow-up was 2 times greater after cCTA due to greater pulmonary nodule detection. Potential for follow-up should be considered when evaluating the comparative effectiveness of these modalities, including the impact of follow-up imaging on cost and patient outcomes. Strategies to improve lung nodule detection and characterization at the time of sCMR may provide added value in these patients.

PMID:35994335 | DOI:10.1097/RTI.0000000000000642

J Med Internet Res. 2022 Aug 22;24(8):e37611. doi: 10.2196/37611.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Artificial intelligence (AI) for use in health care and social services is rapidly developing, but this has significant ethical, legal, and social implications. Theoretical and conceptual research in AI ethics needs to be complemented with empirical research to understand the values and judgments of members of the public, who will be the ultimate recipients of AI-enabled services.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the Australian Values and Attitudes on AI (AVA-AI) study was to assess and compare Australians’ general and particular judgments regarding the use of AI, compare Australians’ judgments regarding different health care and social service applications of AI, and determine the attributes of health care and social service AI systems that Australians consider most important.

METHODS: We conducted a survey of the Australian population using an innovative sampling and weighting methodology involving 2 sample components: one from an omnibus survey using a sample selected using scientific probability sampling methods and one from a nonprobability-sampled web-based panel. The web-based panel sample was calibrated to the omnibus survey sample using behavioral, lifestyle, and sociodemographic variables. Univariate and bivariate analyses were performed.

RESULTS: We included weighted responses from 1950 Australians in the web-based panel along with a further 2498 responses from the omnibus survey for a subset of questions. Both weighted samples were sociodemographically well spread. An estimated 60% of Australians support the development of AI in general but, in specific health care scenarios, this diminishes to between 27% and 43% and, for social service scenarios, between 31% and 39%. Although all ethical and social dimensions of AI presented were rated as important, accuracy was consistently the most important and reducing costs the least important. Speed was also consistently lower in importance. In total, 4 in 5 Australians valued continued human contact and discretion in service provision more than any speed, accuracy, or convenience that AI systems might provide.

CONCLUSIONS: The ethical and social dimensions of AI systems matter to Australians. Most think AI systems should augment rather than replace humans in the provision of both health care and social services. Although expressing broad support for AI, people made finely tuned judgments about the acceptability of particular AI applications with different potential benefits and downsides. Further qualitative research is needed to understand the reasons underpinning these judgments. The participation of ethicists, social scientists, and the public can help guide AI development and implementation, particularly in sensitive and value-laden domains such as health care and social services.

PMID:35994331 | DOI:10.2196/37611

J Med Internet Res. 2022 Aug 22;24(8):e30581. doi: 10.2196/30581.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The increasing prevalence of smartphone apps to help people find different services raises the question of whether apps to help people find physical activity (PA) locations would help better prevent and control having overweight or obesity.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper is to determine and quantify the potential impact of a digital health intervention for African American women prior to allocating financial resources toward implementation.

METHODS: We developed our Virtual Population Obesity Prevention, agent-based model of Washington, DC, to simulate the impact of a place-tailored digital health app that provides information about free recreation center classes on PA, BMI, and overweight and obesity prevalence among African American women.

RESULTS: When the app is introduced at the beginning of the simulation, with app engagement at 25% (eg, 25% [41,839/167,356] of women aware of the app; 25% [10,460/41,839] of those aware downloading the app; and 25% [2615/10,460] of those who download it receiving regular push notifications), and a 25% (25/100) baseline probability to exercise (eg, without the app), there are no statistically significant increases in PA levels or decreases in BMI or obesity prevalence over 5 years across the population. When 50% (83,678/167,356) of women are aware of the app; 58.23% (48,725/83,678) of those who are aware download it; and 55% (26,799/48,725) of those who download it receive regular push notifications, in line with existing studies on app usage, introducing the app on average increases PA and decreases weight or obesity prevalence, though the changes are not statistically significant. When app engagement increased to 75% (125,517/167,356) of women who were aware, 75% (94,138/125,517) of those who were aware downloading it, and 75% (70,603/94,138) of those who downloaded it opting into the app’s push notifications, there were statistically significant changes in PA participation, minutes of PA and obesity prevalence.

CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that a digital health app that helps identify recreation center classes does not result in substantive population-wide health effects at lower levels of app engagement. For the app to result in statistically significant increases in PA and reductions in obesity prevalence over 5 years, there needs to be at least 75% (125,517/167,356) of women aware of the app, 75% (94,138/125,517) of those aware of the app download it, and 75% (70,603/94,138) of those who download it opt into push notifications. Nevertheless, the app cannot fully overcome lack of access to recreation centers; therefore, public health administrators as well as parks and recreation agencies might consider incorporating this type of technology into multilevel interventions that also target the built environment and other social determinants of health.

PMID:35994313 | DOI:10.2196/30581

JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Aug 1;5(8):e2228002. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.28002.

ABSTRACT

IMPORTANCE: Placenta previa is widely acknowledged as a risk factor for placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) disorders, which are severe maternal complications; however, data are limited regarding whether placenta previa is associated with a higher risk of worse maternal outcomes among patients with PAS disorders.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between placenta previa and the risk of severe maternal morbidities (SMMs) and higher resource use among patients with PAS disorders.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This retrospective cohort study extracted records of 3793 patients with PAS diagnosis and delivery indicators between October 1, 2015, and December 31, 2019, from the US National Inpatient Sample database.

EXPOSURES: Placenta previa.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Data on 21 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-defined SMMs and 25 study-defined surgical morbidities associated with PAS were extracted. Six surgical procedures (cystoscopy, intra-arterial balloon occlusion, cesarean delivery, hysterectomy, cystectomy, and oophorectomy), hospital length of stay, and inpatient costs were compared. Multivariable Poisson regression models built in the generalized estimating equation framework were used.

RESULTS: Among 3793 patients with PAS (median [IQR] age at admission, 33 [29-37] years), 621 women (16.4%) were Black, 765 (20.2%) were Hispanic, 1779 (46.9%) were White, 441 (11.6%) were of other races and/or ethnicities (47 [1.2%] were American Indian, 220 [5.8%] were Asian or Pacific Islander, and 174 [4.6%] were of multiple or other races and/or ethnicities), and 187 (4.9%) were of unknown race and ethnicity. A total of 1323 patients (34.9%) had placenta previa and 2470 patients (65.1%) did not; of those with placenta previa, 405 patients (30.6%) had invasive PAS. Patients with vs without placenta previa had a significantly higher rate and risk of any SMM (935 women [70.7%] vs 1087 women [44.0%]; P < .001; adjusted risk ratio [aRR], 1.19; 95% CI, 1.12-1.27) and any surgical morbidity (1170 women [88.4%] vs 1667 women [67.5%]; P < .001; aRR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.13-1.23). With regard to specific outcomes, those with vs without placenta previa had a significantly higher rate of peripartum hemorrhage (878 patients [66.4%] vs 1217 patients [49.3%]; P < .001), blood product transfusion (413 patients [31.2%] vs 610 patients [24.7%]; P < .001), shock (83 patients [6.3%] vs 108 patients [4.4%]; P = .01), disseminated intravascular coagulation or other coagulopathy (77 patients [5.8%] vs 105 patients [4.3%]; P = .04), and urinary tract injury (44 patients [3.3%] vs 41 patients [1.7%]; P = .002). Patients with vs without placenta previa were more likely to undergo cesarean delivery (1292 patients [97.7%] vs 1787 patients [72.3%]; P < .001), hysterectomy (786 patients [59.4%] vs 689 patients [27.9%]; P < .001), cystoscopy (301 patients [22.8%] vs 203 patients [8.2%]; P < .001), cystectomy (157 patients [11.9%] vs 98 patients [4.0%]; P < .001), and intra-arterial balloon occlusion (121 patients [9.1%] vs 77 patients [3.1%]; P < .001) and to have significantly longer hospital length of stay (median [IQR], 5 [4-11] days vs 3 [3-5] days; P < .001) and total inpatient costs (median [IQR], $17 496 [$10 863-$30 619] vs $9728 [$6130-$16 790]; P < .001). Hypertensive disorder of pregnancy was associated with a decreased risk of placenta previa (aRR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.46-0.96) among patients with PAS.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this study, placenta previa was associated with an increased risk of maternal and surgical morbidities and higher resource use among women with PAS. These findings suggest that interventions to alleviate maternal and surgical morbidities are especially needed for patients with placenta previa-complicated PAS disorders.

PMID:35994286 | DOI:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.28002

JAMA Intern Med. 2022 Aug 22. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2022.3171. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

IMPORTANCE: Risk prediction for coronary heart disease (CHD) is a cornerstone of primary prevention strategies. Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) have emerged as a new approach to predict risk in asymptomatic people. Polygenic risk scores for CHD have been studied in several populations, but there is lack of agreement about the incremental value of PRS beyond traditional risk factor scores in the primary prevention of CHD.

OBSERVATIONS: This narrative review critically appraised the 5 most highly cited studies published through 2021 that also included a large number (>45 000) of single-nucleotide variations (formerly single-nucleotide polymorphisms) and evaluated the incremental value of PRS in CHD risk prediction according to published PRS reporting standards. The cohorts studied included the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, FINRISK, the Framingham Heart Study, the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, and the UK Biobank. All of the studies focused predominantly on populations of European ancestry. The hazard ratio per standard deviation of PRS ranged from 1.24 (95% CI, 1.15-1.34) to 1.74 (95% CI, 1.61-1.86). The C statistic for PRS alone ranged from 0.549 to 0.623. The change in C statistic when PRS was added to a standard risk factor model ranged between -0.001 to +0.021. Net reclassification index was reported in 4 of the 5 studies and varied from 0.001 to 0.097. At a sensitivity (true-positive rate) of 90%, positive predictive values ranged from 1.8% to 16.6%, and false-positive rates ranged from 77.1% to 85.7%.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this review, PRS was significantly associated with CHD risk in all studies. The degree of improvement in C statistic and the net reclassification indexes when PRS was added to traditional risk scores ranged from negligible to modest. Based on established metrics to assess risk prediction scores, the addition of PRS to traditional risk scores does not appear to provide meaningful improvements in clinical decision-making in primary prevention populations.

PMID:35994254 | DOI:10.1001/jamainternmed.2022.3171