Nevin Manimala

Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes. 2025 Jan 16:e011107. doi: 10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.124.011107. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Increased burden of socially determined vulnerabilities (SDV), which include nonmedical conditions that contribute to patient health, is associated with incident heart failure (HF). Mediators of this association have not been examined. We aimed to determine if a healthy lifestyle mediates the association between SDV and HF.

METHODS: We included adults aged 45 to 64 years old across the United States from the REGARDS cohort study (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke) without evidence of HF at baseline. The primary exposure was a count of SDV based on the Healthy People 2030 framework. The primary outcome was incident HF. We assessed the role of a healthy behavior score (HBS range, 0-8) and its components (adherence to a Mediterranean diet, physical activity, lack of sedentary lifestyle, and smoking abstinence) as potential mediators of the association between SDV and incident HF.

RESULTS: We included 13 on 525 participants. The median HBS was 4, with 16% with low HBS (0-2), 55% with moderate HBS (3-5), and 29% with high HBS (6-8). Increasing burden of SDV was associated with a stepwise increase in incident HF (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.84 [95% CI, 1.32-2.52] for 1 SDV, 2.59 [95% CI, 1.87-3.60] for 2 SDV, and 4.20 [95% CI, 3.08-5.73] for ≥3 SDV). There was no statistically significant mediation of HBS for the association of SDV count of 1 and incident HF. HBS score mediated 10.6% of the association between SDV count of 2 and incident HF and 11.1% of the association for those with ≥3 SDV. This increased to 10.8% and 18.3%, respectively, in the complete case analysis. Regarding individual components of HBS as mediators, only avoidance of a sedentary lifestyle was statistically significant (8.6% mediation) for the association of SDV count of 2 and incident HF.

CONCLUSIONS: A healthy lifestyle plays a small role in mediating the association between high SDV count and incident HF.

PMID:39817332 | DOI:10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.124.011107

Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2025 Jan 16. doi: 10.1111/apt.18497. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Association between dietary factors and the risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been studied extensively. However, identification of deleterious dietary patterns merits further study.

AIM: To investigate the risk of developing Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) according to the inflammatory score of the diet (ISD) in the multinational European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort.

METHODS: We used validated food frequency questionnaires collected at baseline to compute ISD scores. We estimated the association between ISD score and risks of CD and UC risks using Cox models stratified by centre, sex and age. We adjusted for smoking status, BMI, physical activity, energy intake, educational level and alcohol intake.

RESULTS: We included 394,255 individuals including 184 incident cases of CD and 459 of UC after median follow-up of 13.6 years (4,889,910 person-years). High ISD scores were associated with a higher risk of CD (fourth vs. first quartile-adjusted HR: 1.88, 95% CI: 1.14-3.10; p-trend < 0.01) but not of UC (adjusted HR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.63-1.15; p-trend 0.21). For CD, this association was mainly observed for women (adjusted HR: 2.14, 95% CI: 1.17-3.91; p-trend < 0.01). On subgroup analyses, those differences were mainly driven by low intakes of fibre, mono-unsaturated fatty acids, vitamin C, magnesium, onion and alcohol.

CONCLUSIONS: A high ISD score is associated with a higher risk of developing CD but not UC. These results should be taken into account in high-risk populations.

PMID:39817326 | DOI:10.1111/apt.18497

Disabil Rehabil. 2025 Jan 16:1-11. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2024.2438256. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The necessity to enhance physical rehabilitation services in Zambia has been recognised. To achieve this through expanding human resources for health in rehabilitation and increasing service coverage, it is essential to comprehensively understand the current issues and challenges in physical rehabilitation within the country. This paper aimed to conduct a situational assessment of physical rehabilitation services in Zambia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The World Health Organisation’s Template for Rehabilitation Information Collection, a Systematic Assessment of the Rehabilitation Situation component, was used to collect data. This template provided a specialised framework for data analysis. Data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Scientists.

RESULTS: Zambia has weak Leadership and Governance for physical rehabilitation, with no provincial or district rehabilitation satellite offices. While 0.1% of the total health budget is reserved for rehabilitation, the budget for physical rehabilitation is unspecified. In addition, there needs to be more services at community and primary health care levels.

CONCLUSION: There is an unequal distribution of physical rehabilitation services in Zambia, a shortage of skilled physical rehabilitation professionals and a lack of policy direction. Community health workers trained to specialise in physical rehabilitation could be considered in rendering physical rehabilitation services to address coverage.

PMID:39817311 | DOI:10.1080/09638288.2024.2438256

Indian J Med Ethics. 2024 Oct-Dec;IX(4):296-300. doi: 10.20529/IJME.2024.067.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Misconduct in the publication of research articles is a serious concern for the scientific community. This study was conducted with the objective to assess various reasons for retraction of clinical research articles published in PubMed indexed journals from all over the world since 2012 to 2022.

METHODS: A search was performed on the PubMed database for retracted research articles using filters for “retracted publication”. A total of 314 eligible research articles were assessed for studying basic details. The study outcome measures were to evaluate the reasons for the retraction and authors’ and journal editors’ responses to retractions.

RESULTS: Of the original research articles retracted, 150/242 (61.98%) were clinical trial publications. Of the total 314 retracted research articles, the most retractions were in 2014 (47, 14.96%) and 2013 (40, 12.73%) while the fewest retractions were in 2012 (3, 0.95%) and 2022 (9, 2.86%). The most common reasons for retraction were data errors or data analysis errors (120/314, 38.21%) followed by plagiarism (37/314, 11.8%), duplicate publication (35/314, 11.1%), ethical concerns (23/314, 7.3%) and methodological flaws (22/314, 7%). These concerns were raised mainly by the editor or editor-in-chief (228/314, 72.61%), followed by authors (29/314, 9.23%). Out of 228 editorial concerns on publications, authors of only 91/228 (39.91%) agreed and 17/228 (7.45%) completely disagreed with the editorial decision.

CONCLUSION: Authors need to be more careful about data analysis errors, fabricated or falsified data, and plagiarism while submitting their research papers. On the part of editors, detecting misconduct at the submission and peer review stages will help lower the retraction rate and avoid citation of such articles by other authors.

PMID:39817295 | DOI:10.20529/IJME.2024.067

Indian J Med Ethics. 2024 Oct-Dec;IX(4):271-277. doi: 10.20529/IJME.2024.066.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Sexual harassment (SH) and Gender discrimination (GD) faced by medical students have been neglected areas of study in India. Only a few recent studies could be found, despite frequent media reports on SH and GD. This study aimed to assess the attitudes and perceptions of sexual harassment and gender discrimination and evaluate the forms of SH and GD experienced by them.

METHODS: A Google form based mixed method survey tool was distributed amongst students of 28 medical colleges in Maharashtra. Participants were assured of confidentiality and anonymity.

RESULTS: Of the 308 students who were eligible for the present study, 14.3% (44) and 26.6% (82) reported incidence of sexual harassment and gender discrimination, respectively, while 133 (43.2%) of them reported having experienced some or the other form of SH/GD. A wide range of instances of SH and GD were described by the students.

CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the need to create awareness about sexual harassment and gender discrimination amongst medical students, and to create an atmosphere where such abuses do not occur.

PMID:39817294 | DOI:10.20529/IJME.2024.066

Front Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2022 Oct 28;1:971743. doi: 10.3389/frcha.2022.971743. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Peer relationships are an important aspect of child development that are often overlooked. Maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) may influence peer relationships through intrauterine mechanisms affecting fetal neurodevelopment or through postnatal mechanisms including social discrimination of the obese mother/child. This study aimed to determine the relationship between maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and child peer-relationship problems around 5 years old, including preterm and term-born children.

METHODS AND FINDINGS: Maternal BMI and offspring peer-relationship problems were assessed in participants of three French birth cohorts: EDEN (n = 1,184 children born at term), ELFE (n = 10,889 children born ≥33 weeks of gestation) and EPIPAGE-2 (n = 2,646 children born 23-34 weeks of gestation). Reported or measured pre-pregnancy weight (kg) and height (m) were collected from mothers and used to calculate BMI (kg/m²). Offspring peer-relationship problems were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire at 5.5 years. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) of a high peer-relationship problem score (≥3) in EDEN and ELFE, and generalized estimated equations were used in EPIPAGE-2 to account for the large number of multiple births. Paternal BMI was used as a negative control in sensitivity analyses. Maternal pre-pregnancy obesity was associated with increased odds of a high peer-relationship problem score in all three cohorts, independent of confounding factors [adjusted OR 2.27 (1.32, 3.88); 1.52 (1.29, 1.78); 1.44 (1.04, 1.99); for EDEN, ELFE and EPIPAGE-2, respectively]. Additional analysis based on negative controls (i.e., adjusting for paternal BMI) showed the same pattern of associations.

CONCLUSION: High maternal pre-pregnancy BMI is associated with greater likelihood of a high peer-relationship trouble score in offspring around 5 years of age in both children born preterm and at term.

PMID:39817281 | PMC:PMC11731962 | DOI:10.3389/frcha.2022.971743

Front Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2022 Dec 12;1:1034492. doi: 10.3389/frcha.2022.1034492. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is an infectious disease that was declared as a pandemic and public health emergency in late 2019 and has impacted children’s mental health worldwide. This study aimed to assess the general and mental health status of children during different stages of COVID-19 pandemic, and to identify the associated factors.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study conducted on children aging 3 to 12 years in Kuwait during three different stages of COVID19 pandemic (pre-total curfew, during total curfew, and post-total curfew). The psychological status was assessed using the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria.

RESULTS: Of 2157 children between the age of 3 to 12 years old, 853 (39.5%) reported increased level of aggression, 789 (36.6%) over-crying, 749 (34.7%) sadness, 493 (22.9%) anxiety, 429 (19.9%) anhedonia, 383 (17.8%) confusion, 274 (12.7%) nightmares, 177 (8.2%) avoidance, 174 (8.1%) physical symptoms and 121 (5.6%) bedwetting during the pandemic. General health status was also affected with reported disturbed sleeping pattern (84.6%), altered appetite (50.9%) and weight changes (36.9%), mainly weight gain. Risk factors included being non-national, as well as having lower parental educational level and lower socioeconomic status; while protective factors involved meeting classmates, indoor and outdoor activities, and less screen time.

CONCLUSIONS: COVID19 crisis had drastic impact on children’s mental and general health, requiring serious action regarding evaluating this generation and intervening accordingly.

PMID:39817277 | PMC:PMC11732126 | DOI:10.3389/frcha.2022.1034492

Front Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2023 Jan 18;1:1061451. doi: 10.3389/frcha.2022.1061451. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Identifying signs of autism is essential for enabling timely diagnosis and intervention. Children from multiethnic and socioeconomic disadvantaged settings are typically diagnosed with autism later than their general peers. This feasibility study explored the psychometric properties of a new instrument, Joint Attention Observation Schedule Preschool (JA-OBS Preschool), in children with suspected autism.

METHODS: Data were collected from a prospective longitudinal study of 46 children aged 2-4 years who lived in a multiethnic, low resource area. The children had been referred from the Child Health Centre to a multiprofessional team for a neuropsychiatric assessment. In the diagnostic process, the instrument JA-OBS Preschool for observation of a child’s capability of engaging in joint attention was included. Descriptive statistics and Cronbach’s alfa were used to analyze the psychometric properties, including internal consistency reliability and inter-rater consistency.

RESULTS: All 46 children with suspected autism screened positive on the JA-OBS Preschool. The internal consistency reliability of the instrument was calculated at 0.8 (Cronbach’s alfa). Percent agreement between two examiners in JA-OBS Preschool ranged from 77% to 100%.

CONCLUSION: JA-OBS Preschool was found to be a promising instrument for identifying signs of autism in children in this setting. However, further research is needed to determine the psychometric properties of the JA-OBS Preschool in a general child population as well as in a younger age group.

PMID:39817273 | PMC:PMC11731920 | DOI:10.3389/frcha.2022.1061451

Biomed Res Int. 2025 Jan 6;2025:1709145. doi: 10.1155/bmri/1709145. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is an important pathogen affecting dairy cattle all over the world by causing significant economic losses due to reproductive and respiratory problems, immunosuppressive effects, increased risk of morbidity, and calf mortality. A cross-sectional study was conducted from February 2021 to August 2021 to determine the seroprevalence of bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) and identify risk factors associated with its occurrence in and around Nekemte Town of Ethiopia. Blood samples were collected from 305 dairy cattle of 41 herds by using cluster-sampling method. All sampled animals were identified by their age, breeds, origin, parity, pregnancy status, and history of reproductive and respiratory problems. Competitive ELISA was used in the laboratory to detect the presence of antibodies in the serum. At the animal and herd level, descriptive statistics were utilized to assess the amount of BVDV viral antibody circulation, and multivariable logistic regression analysis was employed to detect potential risk variables. The result demonstrates 9.84% (95% confidence interval (CI): 6.49-13.18) and 28.52% (95% CI: 23.46-33.59) seroprevalence of BVDV antibody at individual and herd level, respectively. Abortion (odds ratio (OR) = 2.75; p = 0.019), retention of fetal membrane (OR = 3.33; p = 0.011), purchasing of animals (OR = 2.98; p = 0.017), and pregnancy (OR = 3.16; p = 0.019) were variables significantly associated with the seropositivity of BVDV. Herd size was found to be substantially linked with BVDV infection at the herd level (p = 0.009). These moderate seroprevalence of BVDV results indicate that the virus is widely spread among dairy cattle at various farms in and around Nekemte Town, hurting dairy farm production and productivity. To reduce the seroprevalence of this infectious agent, cows with a history of reproductive disorders should be tested, and new animals should be quarantined before being introduced into herds, and more research should be done to assess the impact of reproductive failure and other effects associated with this virus.

PMID:39817271 | PMC:PMC11729507 | DOI:10.1155/bmri/1709145

Clin Interv Aging. 2025 Jan 9;20:33-42. doi: 10.2147/CIA.S493029. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Shoulder arthroscopic repair of rotator cuff tears with simultaneous treatment of lesions of the long head of the biceps tendon has become increasingly accepted. However, the clinical outcomes between tenotomy and tenodesis remain unclear. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of tenotomy and tenodesis combined with rotator cuff repair in elderly patients with medium-to-massive rotator cuff tears.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective trial of patients aged > 60 years with medium-to-massive rotator cuff tears who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair with tenotomy or tenodesis. This study included 96 patients: 47 in the tenotomy group and 49 in the tenodesis group. At 3 and 6 months after surgery and at the last follow-up, the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, Constant-Murley score (CS score), anterior shoulder pain (VAS score), elbow flexion strength and supination strength, and complications were recorded.

RESULTS: At 3 months postoperatively, ASES score, CS score and strength of elbow flexion of the tenodesis group were significantly better than those of the tenotomy group. In addition, the VAS score is 4.4 ± 1.4 and 3.3 ± 1.3 in the tenodesis and tenotomy respectively (p = 0.039). At the final follow-up, despite no significant statistical differences in ASES scores, CS scores, VAS scores, and flexion strength between the two groups, the variation in the above items in the tenodesis group was statistically lower than that in the tenotomy group. No difference was observed in the rates of complications and revision between the groups.

CONCLUSION: For people over 60 years of age with medium to massive rotator cuff tears, postoperative shoulder function of tenodesis is superior to tenotomy, and functional recovery is relatively more stable after tenodesis than after tenotomy.

PMID:39817259 | PMC:PMC11733954 | DOI:10.2147/CIA.S493029