Tag: pubmed

BMC Urol. 2026 Jan 7. doi: 10.1186/s12894-025-02035-8. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This randomized controlled trial evaluated the clinical efficacy of super-lubricous Foley catheters in reducing urethral complications during indwelling catheterization. Focusing on addressing friction-induced injuries, the study assessed four outcomes: 1) urethral adverse reactions; 2) urethral trauma and inflammatory responses; 3) patient comfort; and 4) post-removal voiding symptoms.

METHODS: A total of 114 patients from a tertiary hospital (December 2023-June 2024) were randomly allocated into two arms: 57 individuals in the experimental arm were treated with super-lubricous Foley catheters, whereas the same number in the control arm received conventional catheters. Primary outcomes included bladder irritation and urethral pain. Secondary outcomes encompassed urethral injury (red blood cells and epithelial cells), inflammation (white blood cells), comfort metrics (activity restriction, sleep disturbance, anxiety), and voiding parameters (dysuria, urinary hesitation, incomplete bladder emptying and lower abdominal pain).

RESULTS: The baseline data revealed no statistically meaningful differences between the two groups. (all P > 0.05). The experimental group demonstrated significantly lower overall rates of bladder irritation (31.6% vs. 50.9%, P < 0.05) and urethral pain during catheterization (14.0% vs. 31.6%, P < 0.05). Notably, urinary epithelial cells (median 6 vs. 13.5/HP) and leukocytes (31 vs. 81/μL) were reduced in the experimental group (P < 0.05). Activity restriction rates decreased significantly (42.1% vs. 68.4%, P < 0.05), and first void volume improved (200 vs. 150 mL, P < 0.05). There were no meaningful differences between groups in the occurrence of the four urination-related symptoms-including dysuria, urinary hesitation, incomplete bladder emptying, and lower abdominal pain (all P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Super-lubricous Foley catheters effectively mitigate bladder irritation, urethral trauma, and inflammation while enhancing patient mobility. However, they show limited efficacy in alleviating post-removal voiding dysfunction. These findings support the clinical adoption of super-lubricous Foley catheters for reducing catheterization-related complications.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was a randomized controlled trial registered at Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2300078483, https://www.chictr.org.cn/) on 11 December 2023.

PMID:41501738 | DOI:10.1186/s12894-025-02035-8

BMC Oral Health. 2026 Jan 7. doi: 10.1186/s12903-025-07589-5. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Oral cancer remains a major global health concern with low survival in late stages. In Palestine, the burden is amplified by delayed detection and limited healthcare resources, yet public awareness has never been assessed. This study aimed to evaluate knowledge and awareness of oral cancer risk factors, symptoms, and preventive measures among Palestinian adults.

METHODS: A cross-sectional, web-based survey was conducted between May and August 2025 using an anonymous bilingual (Arabic/English) questionnaire adapted from a validated Middle East-North Africa tool. Palestinian adults aged ≥ 18 years were eligible, excluding health-related professionals and students. Snowball sampling via social media produced 753 valid responses. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and multivariable logistic regression to identify predictors of good knowledge (≥ 4 correct responses per domain).

RESULTS: Participants were predominantly female (66.3%) and university educated (72.6%). Overall, 46.7% demonstrated good knowledge of risk factors, 32.5% of symptoms, and 53.7% of protective measures. Awareness was highest for tobacco (79.2%) and lowest for HPV infection (38.5%) and alcohol-containing mouthwash (34.1%). Females and university graduates consistently showed better knowledge across all domains (p < 0.001). Current smokers had significantly poorer awareness of risk and protective factors (p < 0.001). Logistic regression identified female gender (OR = 1.59-1.65) and university education (OR = 2.22) as independent predictors of higher knowledge, while current smoking predicted lower protective awareness (OR = 0.65). Receiving oral cancer education from a dentist was the strongest predictor of good knowledge across all domains (risk factors OR = 3.79; symptoms OR = 2.16; protective measures OR = 1.95; all p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION: The surveyed Palestinian sample demonstrated limited awareness of oral cancer, especially regarding symptoms and less-recognized risk factors. Dentist-led education markedly improves knowledge, suggesting that integrating standardized awareness materials into routine dental visits and community campaigns could strengthen early detection and national prevention efforts.

PMID:41501724 | DOI:10.1186/s12903-025-07589-5

BMC Psychiatry. 2026 Jan 7. doi: 10.1186/s12888-025-07767-3. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:41501723 | DOI:10.1186/s12888-025-07767-3

BMC Public Health. 2026 Jan 7. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-25902-3. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) comprises individuals’ perceived health status, including physical, psychological and social well-being. Investigating aspects that put adolescents at a good quality of life is important for designing public health efforts to promote their health. This study examined the associations between sports participation and HRQoL among adolescents in Witten, Germany.

METHOD: This cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2021 to February 2022. Tenth-grade students from nine secondary schools in Witten, who were at least 15 years old, were included (n = 649). Data were collected using a self-report written questionnaire. Sports participation was defined as participation in any sports outside of school. Performance-based sport types, such as individual- and team-based sports were also explored. HRQoL (KIDSCREEN-27) was characterized as subjective perceptions of five multidimensional constructs: (1) physical and (2) psychological well-being, (3) parent relations and autonomy (4) social support and peers and (5) school environment. T-values across five dimensions were used to assess HRQoL, with higher values indicating better HRQoL. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Multiple linear regression between sport participation and HRQoL, as well as performance-based sport types and HRQoL adjusted for covariates, were performed. Analyses were adjusted for gender, age, Body Mass Index, subjective socio-economic status, migration background and frequency of physical activity.

RESULTS: Data from 561 participants were included in the analysis. Students who participated in sports showed better physical well-being than adolescents who where inactive in sports (difference (B) = 4.92 (p < 0.001)). Joining all types of sports was significantly associated with better physical well-being than being sport inactive, but individual- and team-based sports showed the highest increase (difference (B) individual-based sports = 3.52 (p < 0.001), difference (B) team-based sports = 6.14 (p < 0.001), difference (B) individual- and team-based sports altogether = 9.06 (p < 0.001)). Engaging in individual-based sports alone was associated with poorer parent relations and autonomy (difference (B) = -2.40, (p = 0.048)).

CONCLUSION: This is the first study to investigate the association between sports participation and HRQoL among adolescents in Witten, Germany. Engagement in sports was positively associated with physical well-being. Participations in individual and team sports outside school could be valuable for adolescents to improve physical activity.

PMID:41501714 | DOI:10.1186/s12889-025-25902-3

BMC Oral Health. 2026 Jan 8. doi: 10.1186/s12903-025-07634-3. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: With the rapid advancement of digital technologies, digital intraoral scanning offers potential advantages for post-and-core impressions. However, its accuracy in relation to the complete spectrum of clinically relevant post space diameters, particularly smaller conservative preparations, requires comprehensive evaluation. This in vitro study aimed to systematically assess the accuracy of direct digital impressions compared to conventional impressions across four diameters and varying depths.

METHODS: Forty extracted single-rooted teeth were divided into four groups (n = 10/group) based on post space diameter: 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 mm. Each specimen was scanned using an intraoral scanner (TRIOS 5). Silicone impressions scanned with an extraoral scanner served as the reference. Root mean square (RMS) deviations were analyzed at four depths (1.65, 5.0, 7.0, 9.0 mm). Statistical analysis employed linear mixed-effects models.

RESULTS: The scanner completely failed to capture data for the 1.0 mm diameter at depths ≥ 7 mm and for the 1.5 mm diameter at 9 mm. A significant diameter-by-depth interaction was found (p < 0.001). For diameters ≥ 1.5 mm and depths ≤ 7 mm, accuracy was clinically acceptable. At the 9 mm depth, the 2.0 mm and diameter group showed significantly higher deviation and critically high variability (135.0 ± 79.5 μm, CV 59.0%), while the 2.5 mm group maintained superior and more reliable accuracy (41.4 ± 28.8 μm).

CONCLUSIONS: Direct intraoral scanning is a viable option for post spaces with a diameter ≥ 1.5 mm and depth ≤ 7 mm. Its application is strictly limited in narrow canals (≤ 1.5 mm). For deep preparations (9 mm), a minimum diameter of 2.0 mm allows data capture but with poor reliability, whereas a diameter ≥ 2.5 mm ensures acceptable and predictable accuracy. Clinical adoption requires careful consideration of these diameter- and depth-dependent performance boundaries.

PMID:41501705 | DOI:10.1186/s12903-025-07634-3

BMC Public Health. 2026 Jan 7. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-26034-4. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Changes in movement behaviors – physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior, and sleep patterns – across preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum are associated with maternal and child health but remain understudied. Longitudinal accelerometer-measured data, including weekday-weekend differences, are lacking. Understanding these patterns is essential for developing targeted interventions that account for lifestyle variations. We investigated longitudinal changes in PA, sedentary behavior, and sleep patterns throughout preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum using prospectively collected accelerometry data.

METHODS: In a Singapore prospective preconception cohort, women aged 18-45 wore an accelerometer on their non-dominant wrist for seven days during preconception (within one year of planned conception), mid-pregnancy (24-28 weeks), and 12-month postpartum. Valid data required measurements at all three or at least two consecutive timepoints (preconception-pregnancy or pregnancy-postpartum). Changes in PA (vigorous-, moderate-, and light-intensity), sedentary behavior, and sleep were analyzed using generalized estimating equations.

RESULTS: Among 139 women (mean age: 30.8 years), most were under/normal weight (61.9%), Chinese (83.5%), had undergraduate education (59.0%), were employed (88.5%), and nulliparous (65.5%). Moderate- and vigorous-intensity PA decreased from preconception to mid-pregnancy, with vigorous-intensity PA remaining low postpartum, while moderate-intensity PA rebounded (daily mean [95% confidence interval] vigorous: 4.1 [2.8-5.4)], 1.7 [0-4.2], and 1.8 [0-5.0] min/day; moderate: 88.2 [82.8-93.5], 68.7 [58.6-78.7], and 90.2 [77.7-102.7] min/day, respectively). Light-intensity PA remained consistent from preconception to mid-pregnancy but increased postpartum (301.5 [289.6-313.5], 298.3 [273.1-323.5], and 340.1 [305.9-374.5] min/day, respectively). Sedentary behavior rose mid-pregnancy but decreased postpartum (618.2 [603.4-633.1], 639.6 [607.6-671.5], and 597.1 [553.5-640.7] min/day, respectively). Sleep duration remained stable from preconception to mid-pregnancy until postpartum, when it decreased (428.9 [420.6-437.3], 432.2 [412.2-452.1], and 408.4 [387.2-429.6] min/day, respectively). Moderate-/vigorous-intensity PA showed no weekday/weekend differences (daily percentage range, moderate: 4.7-6.6%; vigorous: 0.1-0.3%). Women engaged in less light-intensity PA on weekdays during mid-pregnancy and postpartum (weekdays: 20.5-23.2% versus weekends: 21.3-24.8%). Weekends showed lower sedentary behavior (weekdays: 42.5-45.4% versus weekends: 38.5-42.1%) and longer sleep duration (weekdays: 27.8-29.3% versus weekends: 29.8-32.0%) across all timepoints.

CONCLUSIONS: Sustained moderate- and vigorous-intensity PA from preconception through postpartum should be promoted, particularly vigorous-intensity PA recovery postpartum. Light-intensity PA, which increased postpartum, could be leveraged to reduce sedentary behavior, especially on weekdays. Given postpartum sleep decline, strategies to support maternal sleep, particularly on weekdays, are needed.

CLINICAL TRIAL INFORMATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03531658 (registered May 22, 2018).

PMID:41501702 | DOI:10.1186/s12889-025-26034-4

BMC Public Health. 2026 Jan 7. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-26031-7. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:41501701 | DOI:10.1186/s12889-025-26031-7

BMC Med Res Methodol. 2026 Jan 7. doi: 10.1186/s12874-025-02738-4. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Popularized in the 1980s, N-of-1 trials have emerged as a useful study design to assess the effects of interventions in single individuals. This study design consists of observing outcomes over time for the same individual under periods of exposure to an intervention and a comparator. Despite the simple idea, N-of-1 trials can require strong assumptions in the analysis phase to identify and estimate causal effects. As an illustrative example, we present an N-of-1 trial aiming at assessing the effect of alcohol abstinence on mood.

METHODS: The N-of-1 trial participant decided to join a month-long nationwide alcohol abstinence campaign and was interested in the effects of alcohol abstinence on his mood. Every eight hours, the participant collected data about his own mood levels, number of alcohol units consumed, and social interactions, before, during, and after the alcohol abstinence period. Mood levels were measured using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from -2 to 2. To analyze the N-of-1 trial data, we relied on an explicit causal framework and made precise assumptions about the data generating process. We used a g-computation algorithm to estimate, for each time point, the individual-specific difference between the expected mood outcomes under the “always abstain from alcohol” intervention and “always drinking as usual” comparator.

RESULTS: Overall, 264 time points were recorded, 171 under no intervention, and 93 during the intervention (alcohol abstinence) period. After adjusting for the other time-varying causes of mood, no statistically significant effect of alcohol units on mood level was found for measurements at the same time point; however, the number of alcohol units reported had a statistically significant negative effect on mood levels at the subsequent time point. The mean of the individual-specific average treatment effects across the entire study period was 0.05 (95%CI: -0.06, 0.15).

CONCLUSIONS: N-of-1 trials can be truly individual-centric studies, tailored to the needs and preferences of the participants. Analyzing data from N-of-1 trials can be complex, and the use of a causal framework can help inform the analyses.

PMID:41501684 | DOI:10.1186/s12874-025-02738-4

BMC Pediatr. 2026 Jan 8. doi: 10.1186/s12887-025-06480-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Although the risk factors of neonatal mortality are currently known, it was necessary to know the risk factors of mortality in neonatal preterm birth. The present study was conducted to find and investigate the potential maternal, fetal and neonatal risk factors of neonatal mortality among the cases of preterm birth.

METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted with a secondary analysis of existing data of a national registry. All premature infants born in Iran from March 21^st 2019 to March 21^st 2020 were included in the study using census. Mixed model logistic regression was used to identify the potential risk and protecting factors from a selected groups of the variables of the national registry with reporting odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).

RESULTS: A total of 120,688 cases of preterm labor were studied with GA in the range of 22-36 weeks. A total of 5458 neonatal deaths (4.52% of total cases) were recorded. The most effective protecting factor was increased gestational age (GA) (adjusted OR = 0.664 per week, 95% CI: 0.658-0.669). The risk factors remained in the multivariable modeling were maternal hypertension, eclampsia / preeclampsia, addiction, placental abruption, meconium staining, impaired fetal heart rate, previous neonatal death, intrauterine growth restriction, lack of corticosteroid administration, rural and nomadic residency, cesarean delivery, malformation, public hospital (vs. private), and out-of-hospital delivery (P < 0.1). The protecting factors remained in the multivariable modeling were gestational diabetes mellitus, premature rupture of membrane for more than 18 h, female sex, GA, and mother age (P < 0.1).

CONCLUSION: The present study showed that many maternal and neonatal related variables were potential risk and protecting factors of neonatal death among the preterm birth neonates. The main predictor of the outcome was GA, and using corticosteroid before birth was a modifiable protecting factor.

PMID:41501678 | DOI:10.1186/s12887-025-06480-0

BMC Geriatr. 2026 Jan 8. doi: 10.1186/s12877-026-06971-4. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Although physical frailty has long been recognized as a clinical condition, it has only recently gained attention in Bangladesh. This growing interest reflects the country’s increasing focus on the health challenges faced by its aging population. This study examined the prevalence of physical frailty and its association with cognitive impairment among older adults.

METHODS: The study used a cross-sectional design conducted among 540 older adults aged 65 and above using a multistage sampling technique. Physical frailty status was assessed using the Fried frailty phenotype, and cognitive function was measured with the 30-item Mini-Mental State Examination.

RESULTS: Across two districts, 60% of participants were classified as frail, and 33% were classified as pre-frail. Significant demographic differences were observed across frailty categories, including age, gender, marital status, net monthly income level, and smoking history (p < 0.001). Multinomial logistic regression analyses indicated that several demographic and clinical factors were associated with cognitive impairment, including gender, education, household income, and multimorbidity. Higher household income (> 60,000 Bangladeshi Taka [BDT] per month) was associated with lower odds of severe cognitive impairment (OR = 0.14, 95% CI = 0.04, 0.45). Regular visits from family or friends showed a suggestive association with lower odds of cognitive impairment (OR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.03, 1.54), although this association did not reach statistical significance at the 0.05 level. Cognitive function tended to be lower among frail participants aged 81 and above, with the lowest observed scores.

CONCLUSION: The findings demonstrate a significant association between physical frailty and cognitive impairment among older adults in Bangladesh, emphasizing the role of social determinants in shaping these outcomes. The results highlight the need for targeted interventions and policy strategies addressing these determinants to promote healthy aging and mitigate cognitive decline in this population.

PMID:41501676 | DOI:10.1186/s12877-026-06971-4