Category: Statistics

BMC Psychol. 2025 Jul 4;13(1):739. doi: 10.1186/s40359-025-02849-z.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Sub-threshold depression is a prevalent psychological adaptation issue among university students. Although prior research has explored the potential relationship between social media use and depressive symptoms, the findings have been inconsistent, and the potential mediating and moderating mechanisms remain unclear. This study aims to examine the relationship between passive social network site use and sub-threshold depression in college students from the perspective of the differential susceptibility to media effects model, investigating the mediating role of fear of missing out (FOMO) and the moderating role of coping styles.

METHODS: A total of 738 students from five universities were assessed using the Passive Social Network Site Use Scale, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, the Fear of Missing Out Scale, and the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were conducted using SPSS 26.0, and a moderated mediation model was established using Mplus 8.3.

RESULTS: The findings revealed that: (1) After controlling for gender and age, passive social network site use was a significant positive predictor of sub-threshold depression; (2) FOMO mediated the relationship between passive social network site use and sub-threshold depression; (3) Negative coping styles moderated the relationship between FOMO and sub-threshold depression, such that higher levels of negative coping enhanced the predictive effect of FOMO on sub-threshold depression.

CONCLUSION: The results contribute to understanding the mechanisms through which passive social network site use influences sub-threshold depression in university students. The study suggests that reducing FOMO and enhancing students’ coping styles may help mitigate sub-threshold depression, thereby improving their psychological well-being.

PMID:40616186 | DOI:10.1186/s40359-025-02849-z

BMC Nutr. 2025 Jul 4;11(1):120. doi: 10.1186/s40795-025-01105-2.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Adolescence is a distinct stage of life characterized by significant physical, psychological, and cognitive development. Maintaining healthy eating behaviors during this period is crucial for preventing various forms of malnutrition and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer. This study aimed to assess the effects of educational interventions based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) on improving the healthy eating intention of adolescents in selected schools in Bardiya District.

METHODS: A quasi-experimental study was conducted among eighth and ninth graders aged between 12 and 18 years from two public schools in Badhaiyatal Rural Municipality of Nepal, one as an intervention (IG) and the other as a control group (CG), selected randomly. A total of 167 students participated in the study, with 82 in the IG and 85 in the CG. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires at baseline and4 weeks after the intervention. The intervention package consisted of an interactive lecture, a group discussion, a poster, an educational video, and a song. In contrast, the control group followed the regular school curriculum without any additional nutrition education. The educational intervention for the IG consisted of 6 sessions, each lasting 60 min. Data were entered and analyzed in SPSS V22, using a chi-square test, paired t-test, and linear regression.

RESULTS: The educational intervention led to significant improvements in knowledge and TPB constructs, with these changes being statistically significant (p < 0.001). The adjusted mean score increases in TPB constructs because the interaction of time and intervention increased from 0.47 to 5.49. The highest gain (β = 5.49; p = 0.001) was observed in the perceived behavioural control score whereas, a minor improvement was seen in behaviour (β = 0.47; p = 0.112). After the intervention, a net increase in the healthy eating intention score was 14.8% compared with that of the control group.

CONCLUSIONS: The study concluded that multipronged educational intervention may be effective in improving adolescents’ healthy eating intentions, mainly through perceived eating control and attitude. Model-based and construct-oriented health education can be used with caution in schools to promote healthy eating intentions.

PMID:40616175 | DOI:10.1186/s40795-025-01105-2

J Forensic Sci. 2025 Jul 4. doi: 10.1111/1556-4029.70123. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Forensic anthropologists commonly estimate osteological sex using separate metric and morphological analyses, without integrating both data types into a single statistical model. Combining data types into one classification model has the potential to increase sex classification accuracies for the skull. Therefore, the present study seeks to improve sex classification accuracies for the skull by combining morphological and metric variables using decision trees. The main objectives are to (1) generate multiple decision trees that combine metric and morphological variables, (2) compare the classification accuracies of the generated trees to current standard osteological sex estimation methods, and (3) compare the results of the combined data trees to separate morphological and metric trees. The sample included 212 European Americans (males = 106, females = 106) and 191 African Americans (males = 114, females = 77). Decision trees were trained on 80% of the sample and tested using a 20% holdout sample. Multiple trees were generated using 12 morphological and 14 metric variables. The skull (87.9%-100%) and cranium (90.9%-100%) models achieved higher accuracies compared to the mandible models (72.7%-92%). Additionally, the pooled, population-inclusive models performed as well as or better than the separate population models. Overall, the combined-data models attained higher classification accuracies than previous studies that integrated skull measurements and morphological traits, as well as compared to separate decision trees for both data types. Future research should continue to explore implementing decision trees for osteological sex estimation, including models combining metric and morphological variables from multiple skeletal regions.

PMID:40616150 | DOI:10.1111/1556-4029.70123

BMC Psychol. 2025 Jul 4;13(1):729. doi: 10.1186/s40359-025-03058-4.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: To explore the relationship between virtuous personality and bystander defending behavior among college students, and to examine the roles of moral identity and friendship quality, a survey was conducted with 643 college students.

METHODS: The survey used the Chinese Virtuous Personality Scale, the Bystander Defending Behavior Scale, the Moral Identity Scale, and the Friendship Quality Inventory. To test the hypotheses, descriptive statistics, t-tests, and correlation analysis were conducted using SPSS 22.0. Additionally, mediation and moderation effects were tested using the SPSS macro program PROCESS, specifically Models 4, 7, and 59.

RESULTS: The results revealed the following: (1) a significant positive correlation was found between virtuous personality, bystander defending behavior, moral identity, and friendship quality; (2) virtuous personality not only directly and positively predicted bystander defending behavior, but also influenced this behavior through the mediating role of moral identity; (3) the first part of the mediating effect- “virtuous personality → moral identity → bystander defending behavior”-was moderated by friendship quality. Specifically, the impact of virtuous personality on moral identity was stronger in individuals with higher friendship quality compared to those with lower friendship quality.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that virtuous personality can enhance bystander defending behavior among college students by fostering moral identity. However, lower levels of friendship quality can weaken the positive influence of virtuous personality on moral identity, thereby affecting bystander defending behavior.

PMID:40616135 | DOI:10.1186/s40359-025-03058-4

BMC Vet Res. 2025 Jul 5;21(1):440. doi: 10.1186/s12917-025-04908-4.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Toxoplasmosis in camels is an important zoonotic infection with considerable economic and public health impacts, particularly in the pastoral regions of Ethiopia.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in selected districts of the Borana zone, Southern Oromia of Ethiopia, to estimate the Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence infection and associated risk factors in camels. Accordingly, 352 camel blood samples were randomly collected. Then, the sera were separated from the blood and analyzed using a latex agglutination test.

RESULTS: According to this study, the seroprevalence of camel T. gondii in the study districts using the latex agglutination test was 7.9%. The current study revealed that the T. gondii seroprevalence was relatively higher in the Miyo (9.1%) district. The males (8.9%), the adult age group (5.8%), and the poor-condition camels (21.0%) had higher seroprevalence. There was a statistically significant association between the body condition and the seroprevalence of camel T. gondii (p = 0.016). However, no statistically significant difference was noted between the seroprevalence of camel T. gondii and the peasant association, districts, age, and sex.

CONCLUSION: This study revealed a significant prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in camels, posing a potential public health risk in the study area. To effectively control the disease and minimize its impact on both animal and human health, it is important to raise public awareness, implement practical biosecurity measures, and conduct further comprehensive studies.

PMID:40616134 | DOI:10.1186/s12917-025-04908-4

BMC Nurs. 2025 Jul 4;24(1):839. doi: 10.1186/s12912-025-03308-1.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Constructive works by nurse managers are thought to affect nurses’ profession, satisfaction with work, and engagement with the healthcare organization. instead, it has been shown that the negative behavior of nurse supervisors, such as narcissism, has impacted the psychological health of the nurses and caused them to engage in counterproductive behavior (CWB). Hence, this study aims to determine the influence of the mediating role of nurses’ vengeful behaviors in the link between nurse managers’ narcissism and nurses’ counterproductive work behaviors.

METHODS: A descriptive correlational study was conducted in an Egyptian hospital. A convenient sample of staff nurses (N = 400) who agreed to participate in the study answered the narcissistic admiration and rivalry questionnaire (NARQ), counterproductive work behaviors, and nurses’ counterproductive work behaviors questionnaires, which were proven to be valid and reliable study measures. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied, and relationships were presented using a path model.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: Ethics Committee approval, written informed consent, data privacy and confidentiality, and participants’ rights to voluntary participation and withdrawal were maintained.

RESULTS: Vengeful behaviors (B = 0.191, β = 0.137, t = 2.768, p < 0.001) and unproductive work behaviors (B = 0.099, β = 0.231, t = 4.654, p < 0.001) were substantially predicted by narcissistic adoration and rivalry. Of the variance in CWBs, 8.4% was explained by the model. Vengeful behaviors’ mediating role was validated by path analysis, and the model fit the data well (e.g., CFI = 0.95, RMSEA = 0.04).

CONCLUSION: The narcissism of nurse supervisors fuels the retaliatory and ineffective actions of staff nurses. Reducing toxic leadership attributes may improve corporate outcomes and decrease workplace deviance.

NURSING IMPLICATIONS: Nurse supervisors should receive training in emotional intelligence and ethical leadership from healthcare institutions. The quality of patient treatment and worker satisfaction may both be improved by fostering a friendly and open work environment. Future studies should examine long-term effects and evaluate strategies to lessen negative leadership traits.

CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.

PMID:40616132 | DOI:10.1186/s12912-025-03308-1

Malar J. 2025 Jul 4;24(1):218. doi: 10.1186/s12936-025-05464-w.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Zoonotic malaria is a growing public health concern in Southeast Asia, with Malaysia and Thailand accounting for 95.2% of the 3290 global cases reported in 2023. It is caused by Plasmodium species primarily adapted to long- and pig-tailed macaques, transmitted to humans via certain Anopheles mosquitoes. This meta-analysis quantifies its prevalence and risk factors in the Greater Mekong Subregion and Malaysia.

METHODS: This meta-analysis was conducted following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic) guidelines. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed and Scopus databases (2000-2024) to identify studies on zoonotic malaria infection in humans and monkeys. Backward search was done using Google Scholar. Inclusion criteria were defined using the CoCoPop (Condition, Context, and Population) framework. Two reviewers independently extracted data, and study quality was assessed using appropriate risk-of-bias tools. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted using the metafor package in R programme, with heterogeneity assessed via I² statistics and subgroup analyses. Meta-regression using a linear mixed-effects models estimated unadjusted odds ratios for transmission determinants.

RESULTS: The overall pooled prevalence of malaria infection was 8.6% in humans and 35.0% in monkeys. The pooled prevalence was higher in Malaysia (22.8%) than GMS (1.2%). In GMS, Myanmar with a pooled prevalence of 4.9% contributes a higher burden of human zoonotic malaria than Thailand (1.8%). Significantly high heterogeneity between studies was recorded for both human (I² = 99.7%, P < 0.0001) and monkey (I² = 98.7%, P < 0.0001) infections. The major risk factors assessed were gender (males: OR = 4.3), age (adults 21-40 years: OR = 5.6), mobility, misdiagnosis, and Plasmodium knowlesi infection. Most cases (4773; 89.6%) were initially misdiagnosed by microscopy as non-zoonotic. Prevalence in monkeys was highest in Macaca nemestrina (63.3%) followed by Macaca fascicularis (31.4%) with Plasmodium inui and Plasmodium cynomolgi as the most frequent parasites.

CONCLUSIONS: This study contributes to the understanding of the transmission complexities of zoonotic malaria in the GMS countries and Malaysia, highlighting critical knowledge gaps and the need for a multidisciplinary approach to managing its further spread.

PMID:40616123 | DOI:10.1186/s12936-025-05464-w

Diabetol Metab Syndr. 2025 Jul 4;17(1):256. doi: 10.1186/s13098-025-01812-7.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The relationship between triglyceride glucose (TyG) index and long-term prognosis in individuals with heart failure (HF) remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the relationship between the TyG index and both all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with HF.

METHODS: A total of 709 participants with HF were included from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2018). The primary endpoints were all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality. Participants were classified into three groups (T1, T2, and T3) based on the tertiles of the TyG index, with T1 representing the group having the lowest values, T2 the middle-value group, and T3 the group with the highest values. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to investigate the associations between the TyG index and both all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality. The restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis was used to examine the non-linear associations between TyG index and the endpoint events, and a two-piecewise Cox hazards model was constructed.

RESULTS: During a median follow-up period of 74 months, a total of 355 deaths were recorded, with 128 of them attributed to cardiovascular causes. Multivariate Cox regression models showed that compared to the T1 group, the T2 group exhibited a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular mortality (model 1 h: 0.51, 95%CI: 0.28-0.94; model 2 h: 0.55, 95%CI: 0.30-1.00). The RCS analysis revealed a nonlinear relationship between TyG index and all-cause mortality (p-non-linear: 0.014) as well as the cardiovascular mortality (p-non-linear: 0.049) among patients with HF. The inflection points were identified as 8.89 for all-cause mortality and 8.86 for cardiovascular mortality. The risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality demonstrated a significantly increase when the TyG index exceeded the corresponding inflection points.

CONCLUSIONS: J-shaped associations were observed between TyG index and both all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality in patients with HF. TyG index exhibited significant predictive value in this population.

PMID:40616121 | DOI:10.1186/s13098-025-01812-7

Trials. 2025 Jul 4;26(1):239. doi: 10.1186/s13063-025-08949-w.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Pregnant people are often excluded from clinical trials, primarily due to safety concerns. However, exclusion causes population-level harms as well as sometimes providing individual protection. Harms caused to pregnant people by exclusion from clinical trials have been clearly evidenced and highlighted during the COVID pandemic. The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has since provided guidance on improving inclusion of under-served groups, which includes pregnant people, in clinical research. Appropriate inclusion and active facilitation to participate are required to provide equitable evidence-based healthcare during pregnancy and to comply with ethical principles for research.

METHODS: We carried out an exploratory, online, cross-sectional survey of trialists to assess whether, why, and how pregnant people are included or excluded from clinical trials funded by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme, with awards starting in 2022-2023. Trialists were the respondents, with trials the primary focus of this survey. Invitations were sent to trialists between October 2023 and March 2024. Summary statistics were calculated to describe the characteristics of the trials and respondents, to describe eligibility of pregnant people, reasons for this, and how this eligibility is documented and implemented.

RESULTS: We identified 120 trials of which 88 were eligible for this survey. Responses were received for 81 trials. Pregnant people are excluded from 34 of these 81 trials. Pregnant people are eligible for inclusion in 40 of the 81 trials, including four which partially exclude people during pregnancy. Eligibility is unclear for seven trials. Exclusions are mostly for safety reasons. Sponsors and regulatory authorities are unnecessary barriers to inclusion in some trials. Eight trials of 40 trials make explicit or deliberate attempts to include people during pregnancy.

CONCLUSIONS: A minority of the 120 trials include people during pregnancy. Most trials for which pregnant people are eligible do not report explicitly including people during pregnancy or facilitating their inclusion. A small number of trials, different in setting, clinical area, and intervention type, are intentionally designed and conducted in a way that include people during pregnancy. There are clear opportunities to improve the inclusion of pregnant people in clinical trials in the NIHR HTA Programme.

PMID:40616110 | DOI:10.1186/s13063-025-08949-w

Respir Res. 2025 Jul 4;26(1):236. doi: 10.1186/s12931-025-03312-8.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary emphysema occurs frequently in older adults, often without airflow limitation. Its presence predicts symptoms, respiratory hospitalizations and deaths, and all-cause mortality. Proteomics may provide further insights into emphysema pathogenesis and inform therapeutic targets.

OBJECTIVE: We performed a proteomic discovery analysis of percent emphysema on computed tomography (CT) in a population-based, multiethnic sample from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) Lung Study. Replication was performed in two chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)-based studies, the SubPopulations and InteRmediate Outcome Measures in COPD Study (SPIROMICS) and the Genetic Epidemiology of COPD (COPDGene) Study.

METHODS: MESA recruited participants from the general population in 2000-02. The MESA Lung Study performed full-lung CT scans in 2010-12. Percent emphysema was defined as the percentage of lung voxels < -950 Hounsfield units. Over 7,200 plasma aptamers were measured via SomaScan. Cross-sectional linear and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression models were adjusted for demographics, anthropometrics, smoking, renal function, and scanner parameters. Statistical significance was defined as a false discovery rate p-value < 0.05. Gene Ontology (GO)/Reactome enrichment analyses were performed. LASSO-selected proteins’ predictive performance was evaluated.

RESULTS: Among 2,504 participants in the MESA Lung Study, mean age was 69.4 years, 1,291 had ever smoked, and median percent emphysema-like lung was 1.4%. In total, 1,234 aptamers were significantly associated with percent emphysema in the MESA Lung Study, and 35 replicated in the SPIROMICS and COPDGene Studies. Novel associations included protein family with sequence similarity (FAM) 177A1, syntenin-2, ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase 25, and uncharacterized protein C20orf173. Previously identified emphysema-associated proteins included soluble advanced glycosylation end product-specific receptor (sRAGE), protein S100-A12, high mobility group protein B1, and roundabout homolog 2. Enrichment analyses identified 40 GO biological processes, including chemokine production and regulation and cell-cell adhesion and regulation, and two Reactome pathways, including RAGE signaling. In tenfold cross-validation, novel proteins were largely retained by LASSO (R² = 5.4%), improved overall model performance (R² = 24.8%), and uniquely explained greater variance in percent emphysema.

CONCLUSIONS: This analysis in a general population sample identified novel and previously characterized proteins whose functional roles were validated by GO/Reactome enriched pathways, offering new insights into emphysema pathophysiology and therapeutics.

PMID:40616090 | DOI:10.1186/s12931-025-03312-8