Tag: statistics

J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. 2022 Jul-Aug;44(5-6):366-385. doi: 10.1080/13803395.2022.2128068.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Neuropsychology trainees have identified mentorship as an important factor in their training. Limited past work has been conducted on mentorship within neuropsychology, and there is a need to better understand the experiences and perspectives of neuropsychology mentors.

METHOD: Self-identified mentors in clinical neuropsychology completed a survey about their mentorship practices, including culturally responsive mentorship, as well as perceived barriers and challenges to providing effective mentorship. Themes were derived using qualitative analyses for free response questions, and descriptive statistics were calculated for quantitative variables.

RESULTS: Mentors identified assessment, professionalism, and ethics as top priorities in mentorship, which may reflect the overlap within neuropsychology of assessment supervision and mentoring. Reported best practices included being self-aware and engaging in a personalized approach to mentorship relationships that varies depending upon the needs of the mentee. A majority reported that their training program is not diverse and they themselves do not mentor trainees from diverse backgrounds which provides a clear area for targeted efforts to recruit and retain diversity in the discipline. Mentors described practices related to discussing diversity-related differences with their trainees including self-disclosure, creating a safe space for conversations, and tailoring discussions to the individual trainee. They reported an interest in more training on how to engage in culturally competent mentorship. Two barriers to providing effective mentorship identified most by mentors were time constraints and a lack of training.

CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight a variety of perspectives and approaches to mentorship, which may be beneficial for mentors to consider as they reflect on their mentorship practices and/or for trainees as part of their professional development toward becoming future mentors themselves. These results also highlight the need for a greater emphasis on mentorship training within neuropsychology, including training in culturally responsive mentorship practices.

PMID:36239024 | DOI:10.1080/13803395.2022.2128068

J Agromedicine. 2022 Oct 14. doi: 10.1080/1059924X.2022.2134245. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to compare the risk of developing respiratory symptoms in farmers and other occupational groups over a period of 11 to 23 years.

METHODS: The study includes data from questionnaires and interviews in HUNT1-3 in The Trøndelag Health study (HUNT). In all three surveys, farmers can be identified. Two control groups are used. Control group 1 consists of all HUNT participants who are not farmers or fishermen. Control group 2 consists of occupational groups who presumably have low exposure to dust, chemicals or gases, but similar educational status as farmers. The data are analysed in SPSS 25 (IBM, Armonk NY), with use of frequency analyses and multiple binary logistic regressions.

RESULTS: Our main finding is that healthy farmers have increased risk of developing respiratory symptoms as wheezing or breathlessness over a period of 11 and 23 years. This increased risk is statistically significant after 11 years of follow-up (HUNT1 to HUNT2), and also after 23 years (HUNT1 to HUNT3). Corresponding results regarding wheezing and breathlessness are found for healthy farmers in HUNT2 after 12 years of follow-up in HUNT3. In a subgroup analysis, we find a highly significant difference in both wheezing and shortness of breath when at work, in believing that the symptoms are caused by work, and in having to change jobs or quit because of breathing problems.

CONCLUSION: Farmers have more respiratory symptoms than controls, and the main symptom is attacks of wheezing or breathlessness. Preventive measures such as ventilation and respiratory protection should be implemented on the farm.

PMID:36239019 | DOI:10.1080/1059924X.2022.2134245

J Nurs Scholarsh. 2022 Oct 14. doi: 10.1111/jnu.12826. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Since mid-March 2020, a state of emergency was decreed in Portugal due to the COVID-19 pandemic and, consequently, measures were implemented to protect public health, such as social isolation, which will certainly have a notable impact on the mental health of the population, especially in the most vulnerable groups. Positive Mental Health (PMH) is essential to deal with adversity, in this case with the pandemic, and to live better and with greater satisfaction. We consider it relevant to investigate how PMH was used as a resource to deal with the pandemic, depending on the level of vulnerability and sex. A, cross-sectional study was carried out whose the aim was to evaluate the levels of PMH and psychological vulnerability in people with COVOD-19 infection and analyze the association between PMH and psychological vulnerability among men and women.

METHODS: The instruments used were a sociodemographic characterization questionnaire, the Positive Mental Health Questionnaire, and the Psychological Vulnerability Scale (PVS), that were sent and filled out online. A quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive, and correlational study was carried out.

RESULTS: After analyzing the results, it was found that approximately 50.4% of the respondents (n = 387) had global PMH values that place them in quartile 50. There was also a statistically significant difference between female and male PMH, with women showing greater psychological vulnerability and lower overall PMH.

CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the women present a greater psychological vulnerability and a lower level of PMH when compared to men.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Considering the study’s statistically significant results, when we talk about mental health, we should always consider the sex variable as a vulnerability factor, in a pandemic or non-pandemic phase.

PMID:36239008 | DOI:10.1111/jnu.12826

J Int Med Res. 2022 Oct;50(10):3000605221130015. doi: 10.1177/03000605221130015.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: We assessed the magnitude of disrespect and abuse experienced by women giving birth at public health facilities in Dire Dawa, Eastern Ethiopia.

METHODS: We conducted a facility-based quantitative cross-sectional study in Dire Dawa City Administration from 21 October to 8 December 2020. We used a pre-tested structured questionnaire to interview 555 randomly selected women who gave birth in public health facilities during the study period. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed in statistical analysis.

RESULTS: Among 555 women, 473 (85.2%) reported having experienced at least one form of disrespect and abuse. Giving birth at a hospital (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 4.15; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.29-7.51) and being attended by male providers (AOR = 3.27; 95% CI, 1.57-6.81), as well as being attended by three or four providers (AOR = 0.44; 95% CI, 0.22-0.88) and delivering at night (AOR = 0.27; 95% CI, 0.15-0.48) were significantly associated with greater or less likelihood, respectively, of disrespect and abuse.

CONCLUSION: We revealed an unacceptable level of disrespect and abuse toward women giving birth at public health facilities. Health care providers must understand the importance of respectful maternity care. The city’s health bureau should conduct provider training and enforce adherence to respectful care.

PMID:36238988 | DOI:10.1177/03000605221130015

JNCI Cancer Spectr. 2022 Oct 14:pkac067. doi: 10.1093/jncics/pkac067. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Research suggests that geographic location may impact ovarian cancer (OC) outcomes. Insurance status often remains an important predictor of outcomes. The Affordable Care Act was enacted in 2010 to expand access to affordable health insurance. Our objective was to examine spatiotemporal trends in OC treatment non-adherence and disease-specific mortality in California (USA) among women diagnosed with OC.

METHODS: Newly diagnosed epithelial OC cases between 1996-2017 were identified from the California Cancer Registry. Spatiotemporal trends in adherence to treatment guidelines were examined using generalized additive models and OC-specific mortality using Cox proportional hazards additive models. Prediction grids covering California were used to display the odds ratios (ORs) and hazards ratios (HRs) of location, using the median value for the study area as the referent value. Seven overlapping 5-year time periods and two larger ones (pre- and post-2013) were assessed. Analyses were stratified according to stage (early versus advanced), and used P = 0.05 to determine statistical significance.

RESULTS: Statistically significant spatial patterns in treatment non-adherence were observed for every time period examined (P < 0.001). Odds of treatment non-adherence associated with geographic location were highest among women with early-stage OC in southern Los Angeles County during 2014-2017 (OR max : 3.89, Confidence Interval: 1.04-7.61). For women with advanced-stage OC, residing in Northern California was generally associated with lower ORs, while Southern California was associated with higher ORs, with higher odds in the latter time period (OR range 0.53-1.84 in 1996-2012 vs 0.49-2.37 in 2013-2017). Geographic location was not a significant predictor of mortality.

CONCLUSIONS: Residential location was significantly associated with treatment received in California, with spatial patterns varying over time, but not OC-specific mortality. Changes in insurance status over time were accompanied by shifts in population demographics and increased travel distances to receive care.

PMID:36238987 | DOI:10.1093/jncics/pkac067

Thromb J. 2022 Oct 13;20(1):64. doi: 10.1186/s12959-022-00423-w.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Vitamin K antagonists and different direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have different renal clearance rates. However, the impact of different stages of chronic renal impairment on the efficacy and safety of warfarin, dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients remains unclear.

METHODS: This study enrolled AF patients from the Chang Gung Research Database. The study endpoints included thromboembolic events, major/fatal bleeding, gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding and intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). The risks of time to study endpoints between groups were compared using a Cox proportional hazards regression model with adjustment.

RESULTS: This study enrolled 3525 patients with moderate renal impairment (30 ≤ creatinine clearance (CrCl) < 60 mL/min), 2846 patients with mild renal impairment (60 ≤ CrCl < 90 mL/min) and 1153 patients with CrCl ≥ 90 mL/min. Over the 3.3 ± 0.9 years follow-up period, the cumulative thromboembolic events rates and the cumulative event rates of major/fatal bleeding and ICH did not differ among the warfarin and different DOAC groups at different stages of chronic renal impairment. The annual incidences of thromboembolic events, major/fatal bleeding, GI bleeding, and ICH were similar among the warfarin and different DOAC groups at different stages of renal impairment.

CONCLUSION: There did not appear to be major differences in bleeding or thromboembolic risk compared to warfarin in AF patients across a range of degree of renal failure when appropriate dose reductions of the DOACs are made.

PMID:36229879 | DOI:10.1186/s12959-022-00423-w

BMC Chem. 2022 Oct 13;16(1):77. doi: 10.1186/s13065-022-00871-5.

ABSTRACT

The experimental design extracts valuable information about the main effects and interactions from the least number of experiments. The current work constructs a solid-state sensor for selective assay of Ondansetron (OND) in pharmaceutical dosage form and plasma samples. During optimization, the Design Expert^® statistical package constructed a custom design of 15 sensors with different recipes. We fed the software with the experimentally observed performance parameters for each sensor (slope, LOQ, correlation coefficient, and selectivity coefficient for sodium ions). The computer software analyzed the results to construct a prediction model for each response. The desirability function was adjusted to optimize the Nernstian slope, minimize the LOQ and selectivity coefficients, and maximize the correlation coefficient (r). The practical responses of the optimized sensor were close to those predicted by the model (slope = 60.23 mV/decade slope, LOQ = 9.09 × 10^-6 M, r = 0.999, sodium selectivity coefficient = 1.09 × 10^-3). The sensor successfully recovered OND spiked to tablets and human plasma samples with mean percentage recoveries of 100.01 ± 1.082 and 98.26 ± 2.227, respectively. Results were statistically comparable to those obtained by the reference chromatographic method. The validated potentiometric method can be used for fast and direct therapeutic drug monitoring of OND co-administered with chemotherapeutic drugs in plasma samples.

PMID:36229874 | DOI:10.1186/s13065-022-00871-5

Arthritis Res Ther. 2022 Oct 13;24(1):232. doi: 10.1186/s13075-022-02920-9.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of cardiovascular risk (CVR) on the diagnostic accuracy of the ultrasonographic (US) Halo Score in patients with suspected giant cell arteritis (GCA).

METHODS: Retrospective observational study of patients referred to our US fast track clinic with suspected GCA for a 2-year period. The intima-media thickness (IMT) of cranial and extra-cranial arteries and the Halo Score was determined to assess the extent of vascular inflammation. The European Society of Cardiology Guidelines on CV Disease Prevention were used to define different categories of CVR and patients were classified according to the Systemic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE). The gold standard for GCA diagnosis was clinical confirmation after a 6-month follow-up.

RESULTS: Of the 157 patients included, 47 (29.9%) had GCA after a 6-month follow-up. Extra-cranial artery IMT was significantly higher in patients with high/very high CVR than in those with low/moderate CVR, but only among patients without GCA. Non-GCA patients with high/very high CVR had also a significantly higher Halo Score in contrast with low/moderate CVR [9.38 (5.93) vs 6.16 (5.22); p = 0.007]. The area under the ROC curve of the Halo Score to identify GCA was 0.835 (95% CI 0.756-0.914), slightly greater in patients with low/moderate CVR (0.965 [95% CI 0.911-1]) versus patients with high/very high CVR (0.798 [95% CI 0.702-0.895]). A statistically weak positive correlation was found between the Halo Score and the SCORE (r 0.245; c = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS: Elevated CVR may influence the diagnostic accuracy of the US Halo Score for GCA. Thus, CVR should be taken into consideration in the US screening for GCA.

PMID:36229861 | DOI:10.1186/s13075-022-02920-9

BMC Public Health. 2022 Oct 13;22(1):1912. doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-14266-7.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Food environments are viewed as the interface where individuals interact with the wider food system to procure and/or consume food. Institutional food environment characteristics have been associated with health outcomes including obesity and nutrition-related non-communicable diseases (NR-NCDs) in studies from high-income countries. The objectives of this study were (1) to map and characterise the food-outlets within a Ghanaian university campus; and (2) to assess the healthiness of the food outlets.

METHODS: Data collection was undertaken based on geospatial open-source technologies and the collaborative mapping platform OpenStreetMap using a systematic approach involving three phases: remote mapping, ground-truthing, and food-outlet survey. Spatial analyses were performed using Quantum Geographical Information System (QGIS) and comprised kernel density, buffer, and average nearest neighbour analyses to assess outlet distribution, density, and proximity. A classification system was developed to assess the healthiness of food-outlets within the University foodscape.

RESULTS: Food-outlets were unevenly distributed over the University foodscape, with many outlets clustered closer to student residencies. Informal food-outlets were the most frequent food-outlet type. Compared to NCD-healthy food-outlets, NCD-unhealthy food-outlets dominated the foodscape (50.7% vs 39.9%) with 9.4% being NCD-intermediate, suggesting a less-healthy university foodscape. More NCD-unhealthy food outlets than NCD-healthy food outlets clustered around student residences. This difference was statistically significant for food outlets within a 100-m buffer (p < 0.001) of student residence and those within 100 and 500 m from departmental buildings/lecture halls (at 5% level of significance).

CONCLUSION: Further action, including research to ascertain how the features of the University’s food environment have or are influencing students’ dietary behaviours are needed to inform interventions aimed at creating healthier foodscapes in the study University and other campuses and to lead the way towards the creation of healthy food environments at the home, work, and community levels.

PMID:36229836 | DOI:10.1186/s12889-022-14266-7

Genome Biol. 2022 Oct 13;23(1):213. doi: 10.1186/s13059-022-02786-9.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:36229829 | DOI:10.1186/s13059-022-02786-9