Tag: statistics

Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2026 Mar 9. doi: 10.1002/acr.80039. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: We describe trajectories of physical function in children newly diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and identify trajectories with persisting functional impairments and associated baseline characteristics.

METHODS: We included patients enrolled in the Canadian Alliance of Pediatric Rheumatology Investigators (CAPRI) Registry between 2017 and 2024, whose parents provided Kids Disability Screen scores in at least two visits (KDS, from 0=no disability to 10=severe disability). Analyses included descriptive statistics, locally weighted scatterplot smoothing (LOWESS), Kaplan-Meier plots of time to KDS=0, latent class trajectory analysis (LCTA), and classification trees to predict trajectories with persisting impairments.

RESULTS: We included 940 patients providing 7,351 KDS scores starting a median 6 days after diagnosis up to 7 years. Baseline KDS scores were highest for RF-positive polyarthritis (mean 4.9, SD 3.1) and lowest for psoriatic arthritis (mean 2.4, SD 2.5), and mean scores improved within the first year in all JIA categories. Median time to KDS=0 was 36 weeks (from 13w for systemic arthritis to 73w for undifferentiated arthritis). LCTA identified 5 trajectories: one with little measurable impairment (38% of patients), two with impairments resolving in 1-2 years (24%), and two with persisting mild impairments (38%). A baseline KDS≥1.5 had a sensitivity of 0.79 and specificity of 0.48 to detect persisting mild impairment trajectories. There were no trajectories with persisting moderate or severe impairments.

CONCLUSION: Most children with JIA in this cohort had mild to moderate functional impairments at diagnosis that resolved in 1-2 years, but 1 in 3 followed trajectories with mild persisting impairments.

PMID:41801091 | DOI:10.1002/acr.80039

West Afr J Med. 2025 Aug 29;42(8):635-641.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Higher Education Institutions are expected to lead the paradigm shift in waste management by adopting strategies that will contribute to sustainable development in their operations. The impact of these innovations will expectedly diffuse to their surrounding communities. Waste composition studies in HEIs enables the identification of campus-specific opportunities for waste reduction and recycling. The aim of this study was to assess the quantity, composition of solid waste generated by the staff and students of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital and College of Medicine, University of Lagos (LUTH/CMUL) compound.

METHODS: The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in the LUTH/CMUL compound. Solid waste generated from the commercial, academic and research; administrative and residential areas were quantified and characterized during the study. Solid waste generated in the four activity areas collected were sorted, classified and weighed using a weighing balance.

RESULTS: An estimated 14.775 tonnes of waste is generated daily from the compound with a waste generation rate of 0.29/kg/capita/day. Plastic and polythene bags made up majority (31.1%) of the total solid waste generated in the compound followed by organic waste (23%). In the commercial area, organic waste (57.21%) formed majority of the waste, plastics formed the majority (22.95%) of the waste in the residential areas and paper waste was mostly generated in the administrative area (41.22%) and, the academic and research areas (36.10%).

CONCLUSION: The quantity and composition of the solid waste generated are affected by the activities ongoing in the different categorized areas. A solid waste management scheme hinged on a zero waste policy should be designed by the LUTH and CMUL authorities. This scheme should tackle reduction of waste at source, efficient waste collection from generation points, waste recovery, recycling and composting, proper training of stakeholders and provision of incentives.

PMID:41801075

Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2026 Mar 9. doi: 10.1002/acr.80036. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to construct and evaluate the first laboratory-based frailty index (FI-Lab) for predicting adverse outcomes in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to compare its predictive ability to that of an existing clinical frailty index (FI).

METHODS: We used data from a single-centre prospective cohort of adult SLE patients whose baseline visit occurred between 2010 and 2019. A 30-item FI-Lab was constructed by adapting an existing list of FI-Lab variables. Cox proportional hazards regression examined the association between baseline FI-Lab scores and all-cause mortality, while negative binomial regression evaluated the association with organ damage accrual. We compared the performance of multivariable models containing the FI-Lab and/or SLICC-FI as predictor variables using AIC, Harrell’s C-statistic, and pseudo-R² values.

RESULTS: Among 283 patients (89% female; mean age 47.7 years), 97 were classified as frail at baseline (FI-Lab >0.21). Frail individuals had increased mortality risk [Hazard ratio (HR) 3.71; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.82-7.54] and a higher rate of organ damage accrual during follow-up [Incidence rate ratio (IRR) 2.26; 95% CI 1.59-3.22] compared to non-frail patients. The FI-Lab remained significantly associated with mortality risk after multivariable adjustment. While both indices were significant baseline predictors of organ damage accrual during follow-up, the multivariable model containing both FIs outperformed models containing either index alone.

CONCLUSION: An FI constructed exclusively from routinely collected laboratory variables can measure frailty and predict adverse outcomes in SLE. It may serve as a convenient screening tool to detect subclinical frailty and promote early risk mitigation in this population.

PMID:41801062 | DOI:10.1002/acr.80036

Int J Radiat Biol. 2026 Mar 9:1-9. doi: 10.1080/09553002.2026.2640977. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to identify mutant lines developed through gamma irradiation that demonstrate adaptability to semiarid environments and possess enhanced agronomic traits.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, the cultivars Oğuz-2002 and Anadolu Pembesi-2002 were used as control, alongside seven mutant lines developed through mutation breeding. Yield trials were conducted during the 2019 and 2020 growing seasons using a Randomized Complete Block Design with four replications.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: A statistically significant variation (p < .01) was observed among the genotypes in terms of both biological yield and grain yield, indicating considerable potential for genetic improvement. Upon analysis, the mutant line OG802 exhibited the highest biological yield (4.23 t ha^-1), while the highest grain yield (0.98 t ha^-1) was recorded in the OG602 line. The OG802 line demonstrated a significant increase in biological yield compared to the control cultivars, without any compromise in grain yield. Additionally, OG802 showed greater adaptability to semiarid conditions than the control cultivars. These results suggest that gamma irradiation-induced mutations can enhance biomass productivity and stress resilience without negatively impacting seed production. Such improvements may be attributed to altered physiological or morphological traits, including improved water-use efficiency or biomass allocation. In conclusion, the OG802 mutant line holds strong potential for the cultivation of Hungarian vetch in semiarid environments, owing to its superior biological yield and enhanced adaptability to harsh climatic conditions. These findings underscore the effectiveness of gamma radiation-induced mutation breeding as a promising approach for developing new, climate-resilient genotypes in future breeding programs.

PMID:41801054 | DOI:10.1080/09553002.2026.2640977

Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2026 Mar 9. doi: 10.1002/acr.80034. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the performance of LFA-REAL, BILAG, and SLEDAI in detecting the clinician’s perception of improvement and worsening disease and identifying patients requiring treatment escalation.

METHODS: This was a prospective, observational study conducted at four centers. Adults with SLE were evaluated at a baseline and follow-up visit. Disease activity was assessed using SLEDAI, BILAG, and LFA-REAL at both visits by the same physician. At the follow-up visit, the Clinician’s Global Impression of Change (CGIC) was recorded to classify patients as improved, worsened, or unchanged. ROC-curve analysis was used to evaluate each instrument in detecting clinician-rated change gauged by CGIC with optimal cut-off points determined using the Youden-Index.

RESULTS: Of 163 patients enrolled, 145 (89%) completed a follow-up visit. Based on CGIC, 23% improved, 16% worsened, and 61% remained stable. For detecting CGIC-defined improvement, LFA-REAL had an AUC of 0.85 (95%CI: 0.77-0.92), compared to 0.75 (0.66-0.85) for BILAG and 0.74 (0.64-0.84) for SLEDAI. For CGIC-defined worsening, AUCs were 0.86 (0.77-0.96), 0.79 (0.67-0.90), and 0.76 (0.66-0.87). Of those with CGIC-defined worsening, 8 (35%) required treatment escalation. LFA-REAL identified a difference of ⋝10mm in all eight of these patients, compared to 4 by BILAG and 2 by SLEDAI.

CONCLUSIONS: LFA-REAL showed comparable performance relative to SLEDAI and BILAG in detecting clinician-rated change. There was a statistically significant advantage over SLEDAI for detection of improvement. These findings support its utility as a metric for disease activity in clinical practice and research.

PMID:41801044 | DOI:10.1002/acr.80034

Nurs Open. 2026 Mar;13(3):e70483. doi: 10.1002/nop2.70483.

ABSTRACT

AIM: The study aimed to identify the relationship between traumatic growth and the meaning of life among nursing students and examined the influential variables.

DESIGN: The study has a cross-sectional, descriptive, and correlational design based on self-reported data.

METHOD: This study was conducted with 649 undergraduate nursing students in Turkey from May to September 2022. Data was collected using the Personal Information Form, Traumatic Experiences List (TEL), Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), and Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), and it was analysed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, Student-t test, post hoc test, Scheffe test, Pearson correlation, and Multiple linear regression.

RESULTS: It was found that 40.5% of the nursing students had their own traumatic experience (15.7% loss of a loved person, 5.1% physical, sexual or emotional assault). It was seen that the PTGI total mean scores varied between groups concerning their class grades, experiencing trauma or being exposed to the trauma of a relative, and receiving psychological support. The MLQ total mean scores varied by class grade, economic status, and exposure to a relative’s traumatic event. In the regression analysis, post-traumatic growth, economic status, and a relative’s traumatic experience explained 10.6% of the variance in meaning in life. The relatively low explanatory power of the model and the below-average levels of post-traumatic growth may reflect the cumulative and recent nature of large-scale stressors (e.g., pandemic-related disruptions and societal traumas), as well as insufficient time for cognitive processing and meaning reconstruction following trauma.

CONCLUSION: It was revealed that the students’ traumatic growth scores were below the mean; their meaning of life scores were above the mean, and the meaning of life increased as post-traumatic growth increased. As can be seen, although a traumatic experience is a stressful, destructive experience that leads to negative experiences and even disorders, it is also an opportunity that allows people to create a new structure and become more functional than before.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Nursing students share their perspectives on their traumatic growth and on the meaning of life.

IMPACT: These findings will provide important information for nursing education, aiming to increase students’ psychological resilience to traumatic events, improve their coping skills in the face of negative events, organise training in coping with trauma, and ensure their psychosocial adaptation.

PMID:41797674 | DOI:10.1002/nop2.70483

Clin J Pain. 2026 Mar 9. doi: 10.1097/AJP.0000000000001369. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

CONTEXT: Chronic pain affects 1 in 9 young adults worldwide. Intensive interdisciplinary pain treatment (IIPT) has shown favorable outcomes in pain intensity, mood, school attendance and social and physical functioning in pediatric studies. However, few IIPT programs are designed for young adults (YAs), a distinctly vulnerable developmental stage. Given this limitation, we sought to study the benefits of applying an IIPT model for YAs with chronic pain and functional impairment.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to 1) describe the design and implementation of our pilot YA-IIPT program and 2) assess outcomes of YA-IIPT on pain experience, psychological and physical functioning, disability, and quality of life, in YAs with chronic pain and functional impairment.

METHODS: In this observational study, we adapted the pediatric IIPT model for YAs using a biopsychosocial approach to chronic pain treatment. Outcome measures included physical functioning, psychological functioning, disability and quality of life, and pain experience. Paired t-tests and repeated measure ANOVAs were used to compare admission, discharge, 6-week, and 6-month follow-up data.

RESULTS: Patients showed clinically and statistically significant improvements across the majority of physical and psychological functioning, disability, quality of life, and pain experience measures between admission and discharge (P values<0.01). Most improvements were maintained at 6-week and 6-month follow-up.

DISCUSSION: On average, participants in our YA-IIPT program demonstrated clinically and statistically significant improvements in most areas of functioning, quality of life, and pain experience that were maintained after discharge. Further research is needed on YA pain treatment and whether outcomes after YA-IIPT are sustained long term.

PMID:41797645 | DOI:10.1097/AJP.0000000000001369

Nurs Open. 2026 Mar;13(3):e70482. doi: 10.1002/nop2.70482.

ABSTRACT

AIM: To investigate the prevalence of patient-led covert recording in Western China, nurses’ attitudes towards covert recording and explore the factors.

DESIGN: A descriptive cross-sectional study.

METHODS: This study was conducted in 33 cities in 6 provinces of China from November to December 2021. A convenience sampling strategy was used to get access to 2323 participants, and a self-designed questionnaire was used for evaluation.

RESULTS: This study included 2124 nurses; of this, 442 (20.8%) had the experience of patient-led covert recording. After being covertly recorded, they felt stressful (76.9%), nervous (61.3%) and angry (58.6%). A total of 1287 (60.6%) nurses didn’t accept covert recording under any condition. There were differences in age, education, professional titles, years of working, departments, and management measures launched by hospitals between the groups with or without the experience of being covertly recorded. Furthermore, the binary logistic regression analysis showed that nurses running outpatient clinics (OR = 0.635, 95% CI: 0.425-0.950, p < 0.05) were accompanied by higher prevalence of patient-led covert recording while the opposite was true when hospitals launched related management measures (OR = 1.632, 95% CI: 1.126-2.366, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Patient-led covert recording might be a form of workplace violence which could be stressful. Thus, it deserves attention and consideration. Management measures and training on patient-led covert recording are urgently required to meet the needs of nurses.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: The findings of this study emphasise the significant role of patient and public contributions in healthcare dynamics. By revealing nurses’ stress and anxiety associated with covert recordings, it highlights the need for open dialogue about privacy and consent. Engaging patients in discussions about the ethical implications of such recordings can foster collaboration and trust in clinical settings. The findings suggest that implementing better management measures in hospitals could alleviate negative impacts and enhance communication between patients and healthcare providers.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR2100048557.

PMID:41797636 | DOI:10.1002/nop2.70482

Nurs Open. 2026 Mar;13(3):e70452. doi: 10.1002/nop2.70452.

ABSTRACT

AIM: This study aimed to examine the stress and burden experienced by parents of children with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

DESIGN: A quantitative cross-sectional approach was used, including the results from an online questionnaire about stress and burden in parents of children (10-17 years) with T1D.

METHODS: The data were collected using the Swedish-translated version of the Parental Stress Scale and the Zarit Scale of Caregiver Burden, analysed and presented through descriptive and inferential statistics.

RESULTS: Parents with a university education reported lower stress, burden, role strain, and personal strain but higher satisfaction compared to those with a high school education. Cohabiting participants reported lower stress than singles (d = 0.301), though these differences were not statistically significant. No significant differences were found regarding age, number of children, or place of living. Satisfaction was negatively correlated with stress, personal strain, and role strain, while stress was positively correlated with personal and role strain.

CONCLUSION: Parents with higher education and greater caregiving satisfaction reported lower stress, while single parents and those experiencing high role strain were most vulnerable. These findings highlight the importance of family-centered interventions and accessible psychosocial support to reduce stress and enhance outcomes for children with T1D.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: The findings highlight the importance of identifying parents who need support in medical, educational, emotional, and psychological areas. Healthcare professionals must implement family-centered interventions to create a supportive environment and enhance health outcomes for the entire family.

PMID:41797635 | DOI:10.1002/nop2.70452

Psychogeriatrics. 2026 Mar;26(2):e70156. doi: 10.1111/psyg.70156.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of extreme behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) in hospitalised patients in comparison with people with dementia with a long hospital stay but no mental health and behavioural problems related to dementia.

DESIGN: Retrospective analysis using the Admitted Patient Data Collection for people aged ≥ 50 with a diagnosis of dementia who had a long stay (defined as ≥ 42 days) in a public hospital between January 2015 and December 2019.

SETTING: New South Wales (NSW), Australia.

PARTICIPANTS: People with dementia aged ≥ 50 years with long stays in NSW hospitals.

MEASUREMENTS: Characteristics of behaviour-related long stays (BRLS) and non-behaviour-related long stays (NBRLS) cohorts were compared using Welch’s t-test and Fisher’s exact test.

RESULTS: There were 115 people with dementia who had 120 BRLS (range 42-2043 days, median 86 days, IQR 53-151 days) and 6186 people with dementia who had 7523 NBRLS (range 42-5750 days, median 61 days, IQR 49-84 days). Those in the BRLS cohort were younger by a mean of 5.96 years (p < 0.001; Welch’s t-test, 95% CI 4.18-7.74) and more likely to be men (0.0062, p < 0.001, Fisher’s exact test). BRLS occurred predominantly in non-psychiatric public hospitals (92.4%). People with BRLS were more likely to have mental health comorbidities (n = 65, 56.5%) than people with NBRLS (2011, 32.7%).

CONCLUSIONS: BRLS in people with dementia are less common than NBRLS and are more likely to occur in the context of mental health comorbidities and in younger males.

PMID:41797625 | DOI:10.1111/psyg.70156