Displaying publications 81 - 100 of 6431 in total

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  1. Yeap TB, Koo TH, Ang SY, Ab Mukmin L
    BMJ Case Rep, 2023 Nov 27;16(11).
    PMID: 38011949 DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2023-255897
    Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a neurostimulatory modality in treating patients with medically resistant epilepsy (MRE). It was introduced in 1997 and has been proven to reduce patients' dependency on antiepileptic drugs and seizure frequency. However, the usage of VNS in children with MRE has been limited, especially those with Lennox Gastaut Syndrome (LGS). Our teenage boy with this syndrome developed MRE and successfully underwent VNS placement. We discuss the perianaesthetic challenges, a brief description of VNS and the reported successes in patients with LGS.
    Matched MeSH terms: Adolescent
  2. Ismail NF, Rahman AE, Kulkarni D, Zhu F, Wang X, Del Carmen Morales G, et al.
    J Glob Health, 2023 Nov 24;13:06051.
    PMID: 37994839 DOI: 10.7189/jogh.13.06051
    BACKGROUND: With the emergence of new variants and sub-lineages of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), reinfections can significantly impact herd immunity, vaccination policies, and decisions on other public health measures. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to synthesise the global evidence on SARS-CoV-2 reinfections in the pre-Omicron era.

    METHODS: We searched five global databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL Plus, Global Health, WHO COVID-19) on 12 May 2022 and 28 July 2023 and three Chinese databases (CNKI, Wanfang, CQvip) on 16 October 2022 for articles reporting incidence and outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection before the period of Omicron (B.1.1.529) predominance. We assessed risk of bias using Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools and conducted meta-analyses with random effects models to estimate the proportion of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection among initially infected cases and hospitalisation and mortality proportions among reinfected ones.

    RESULTS: We identified 7593 studies and extracted data from 64 included ones representing 21 countries. The proportion of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection was 1.16% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.01-1.33) based on 11 639 247 initially infected cases, with ≥45 days between the two infections. Healthcare providers (2.28%; 95% CI = 1.37-3.40) had a significantly higher risk of reinfection than the general population (1.00%; 95% CI = 0.81-1.20), while young adults aged 18 to 35 years (1.01%; 95% CI = 0.8-1.25) had a higher reinfection burden than other age groups (children <18 years old: 0.57%; 95% CI = 0.39-0.79, older adults aged 36-65 years old: 0.53%; 95% CI = 0.41-0.65, elderly >65 years old: 0.37%; 95% CI = 0.15-0.66). Among the reinfected cases, 8.12% (95% CI = 5.30-11.39) were hospitalised, 1.31% (95% CI = 0.29-2.83) were admitted to the intensive care unit, and 0.71% (95% CI = 0.02-2.01) died.

    CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest a relatively low risk of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection in the pre-Omicron era, but the risk of hospitalisation was relatively high among the reinfected cases. Considering the possibility of underdiagnosis, the reinfection burden may be underestimated.

    REGISTRATION: PROSPERO: CRD42023449712.

    Matched MeSH terms: Adolescent
  3. Ibrahim NH, Kassim N, Othman S, Omar A, Shaari N, Awiskarni AA, et al.
    J Health Popul Nutr, 2023 Nov 20;42(1):129.
    PMID: 37986125 DOI: 10.1186/s41043-023-00464-5
    BACKGROUND: This study aims to validate two predictive formulas of weight estimating strategies in children with special needs, namely the Cattermole formula and the Mercy formula.

    METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study with a universal sampling of children and adolescents with special needs aged 2-18 years old, diagnosed with cerebral palsy, down syndrome, autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder was conducted at Community-Based Rehabilitation in Central Zone Malaysia. Socio-demographic data were obtained from files, and medical reports and anthropometric measurements (body weight, height, humeral length, and mid-upper arm circumference) were collected using standard procedures. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS version 26. The accuracy of the formula was determined by intraclass correlation, prediction at 20% of actual body weight, residual error (RE) and root mean square error (RMSE).

    RESULT: A total of 502 children with a median age of 7 (6) years were enrolled in this study. The results showed that the Mercy formula demonstrated a smaller degree of bias than the Cattermole formula (PE = 1.97 ± 15.99% and 21.13 ± 27.76%, respectively). The Mercy formula showed the highest intraclass correlation coefficient (0.936 vs. 0.858) and predicted weight within 20% of the actual value in the largest proportion of participants (84% vs. 48%). The Mercy formula also demonstrated lower RE (0.3 vs. 3.6) and RMSE (3.84 vs. 6.56) compared to the Cattermole formula. Mercy offered the best option for weight estimation in children with special needs in our study population.

    Matched MeSH terms: Adolescent
  4. Lim HM, Ng CJ, Abdullah A, Dunn AG
    BMC Prim Care, 2023 Nov 15;24(1):240.
    PMID: 37964208 DOI: 10.1186/s12875-023-02182-7
    BACKGROUND: People are exposed to variable health information from the Internet, potentially influencing their health decision-making and behaviour. It remains a challenge for people to discern between good- and poor-quality online health information (OHI). This study explored how patients evaluate and determine trust in statin-related OHI in patients with high cardiovascular risk.

    METHODS: This qualitative study used vignettes and think-aloud methods. We recruited patients from a primary care clinic who were at least 18 years old, had high cardiovascular risk and had previously sought OHI. Participants were given two statin-related vignettes: Vignette 1 (low-quality information) and Vignette 2 (high-quality information). Participants voiced their thoughts aloud when reading the vignettes and determined the trust level for each vignette using a 5-point Likert scale. This was followed by a semi-structured interview which was audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The transcripts were coded and analysed using thematic analysis.

    RESULTS: A total of 20 participants were recruited, with age ranging from 38-74 years. Among all the high cardiovascular-risk participants, eight had pre-existing cardiovascular diseases. For Vignette 1 (low-quality information), five participants trusted it while nine participants were unsure of their trust. 17 participants (85%) trusted Vignette 2 (high-quality information). Five themes emerged from the analysis of how patients evaluated OHI: (1) logical content, (2) neutral stance and tone of OHI content, (3) credibility of the information source, (4) consistent with prior knowledge and experience, and (5) corroboration with information from other sources.

    CONCLUSION: Patients with high cardiovascular risks focused on the content, source credibility and information consistency when evaluating and determining their trust in statin-related OHI. Doctors should adopt a more personalised approach when discussing statin-related online misinformation with patients by considering their prior knowledge, beliefs and experience of statin use.

    Matched MeSH terms: Adolescent
  5. Samsudin EZ, Yaacob SS, Xin Wee C, Mat Ruzlin AN, Azzani M, Jamil AT, et al.
    BMJ Open, 2023 Nov 15;13(11):e072801.
    PMID: 37967999 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-072801
    BACKGROUND: Cyberbullying is a growing public health concern with clear, negative impacts on the mental, physical and social health of targeted victims. Previous research on cyberbullying has largely focused on examining its occurrence among children and adolescents. The present study aims to examine the prevalence of cyberbullying victimisation and its association with family dysfunction, health behaviour and psychological distress among young adults in Selangor, Malaysia.

    METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a locality within Selangor, sampling a total of 1449 young adults. The Cyberbullying and Online Aggression Survey was used to measure cyberbullying victimisation. The Family APGAR scale, General Health Questionnaire, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and single-item measures were used to assess family dysfunction, psychological distress and health behaviour, respectively.

    RESULTS: The 1-month prevalence of cyberbullying victimisation among young adults was 2.4%. The most common cyberbullying act experienced was mean or hurtful comments about participants online (51.7%), whereas the most common online environment for cyberbullying to occur was social media (45.8%). Male participants (adjusted OR (AOR)=3.60, 95% CI=1.58 to 8.23) had at least three times the odds of being cyberbullied compared with female participants. Meanwhile, participants with higher levels of psychological distress had increased probability of being cyberbullied compared with their peers (AOR=1.13, 95% CI=1.05 to 1.21).

    CONCLUSIONS: As evident from this study, cyberbullying victimisation prevails among young adults and is significantly related to gender and psychological distress. Given its devastating effects on targeted victims, a multipronged and collaborative approach is warranted to reduce incidences of cyberbullying and safeguard the health and well-being of young adults.

    Matched MeSH terms: Adolescent
  6. Hamzah H, Tan CS, Ramlee F, Zulkifli SS
    BMC Psychol, 2023 Nov 13;11(1):392.
    PMID: 37957763 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-023-01435-5
    BACKGROUND: The original Family Resilience Scale (FRS) is a reliable tool to assess family resilience. However, the FRS is based on the United States and parental context. Thus, the usefulness of the FRS for the adolescent and young adult population in Asian countries, particularly Malaysia remains unknown. This study translated the FRS into the Malay language and validated it on Malaysian adolescents and young adults to identify its potential as a self-report tool to assess the resilience level of their family.

    METHODS: A total of 351 participants (Mage = 19.75, SDage = 3.29) were recruited in the study using purposive sampling. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to examine the factorial structure of the Family Resilience Scale-Malay (FRS-Malay) and measurement invariance between adolescents and young adults. Then, the scale's reliability was investigated using Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's omega coefficients, and composite reliability index. Finally, we examined the discriminant validity of the FRS-Malay by correlating its score with individual resilience score and examined the incremental validity of the scale using hierarchical multiple regression analysis to test if family resilience can explain individual well-being levels beyond and above individual resilience.

    RESULTS: The findings of the confirmatory factor analysis suggest that a single-factor model is supported for both age groups. Furthermore, the scale exhibited scalar invariance between adolescents and young adults. The scale also exhibited good reliability, as the value of Cronbach's alpha, McDonald omega coefficients, and composite reliability index were above 0.80. Additionally, the Pearson correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between the FRS-Malay and individual resilience scores, which supports the discriminant validity of the scale. Similarly, the incremental validity of the scale is also supported. Specifically, family resilience had a positive correlation with well-being, even after controlling for individual resilience in the regression analysis.

    CONCLUSIONS: The FRS-Malay has demonstrated good reliability and validity. The scale measures the same construct of family resilience across adolescents and young adults, making it suitable for comparisons. Therefore, this unidimensional tool is appropriate for self-reporting their perceived level of family resilience. It is also useful for studying the development and fluctuation of family resilience in the Malaysian context.

    Matched MeSH terms: Adolescent
  7. Liew SH, Razak MAA, Kassim MSA, Ahmad NA, Tan L
    BMC Public Health, 2023 Nov 06;23(1):2165.
    PMID: 37932717 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-17019-2
    BACKGROUND: According to World Health Organization (WHO), the fourth leading cause of death among adolescents aged 15 -19 years is suicide. The National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2017 reported that suicidal attempts among school adolescents increased from 6.8%-6.9% as compared to NHMS 2012. Suicide attempts can cause significant negative impacts on health, social and economic status. Bullying is one of the factors for adolescent suicide attempts, and its relationship to suicidality in adolescents has been shown in numerous research.

    OBJECTIVES: This study examined the relationship between suicide attempts and bullying among school adolescents in Malaysia.

    METHODS: Data from the Malaysia NHMS 2017, a nationwide study that adopted a two-stage cluster sampling design, were analysed. The survey used a self-administered questionnaire in bilingual language adapted from GSHS developed by WHO. Participants were secondary school students aged 13 -17 in all states. Descriptive and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed using IBM SPSS version 28.

    RESULTS: A total of 27,497 school adolescents participated in the study. Results showed that 6.9% of school adolescents had attempted suicide. There was 16.2% of adolescents being bullied. Multiple logistic regression revealed that students who were bullied were more likely to have suicide attempts (aOR 4.827, 95% CI: 4.143, 5.624) P 

    Matched MeSH terms: Adolescent
  8. Nguyen TH, Mat Daud ZA, Abd Talib R, Mohd R, Poh BK
    Transplant Proc, 2023 Nov;55(9):2176-2182.
    PMID: 37743189 DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2023.08.008
    BACKGROUND: Although metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a significant risk factor, and dietary intake may affect the quality of life (QoL) of kidney transplant recipients (KTRs), the association between them are unclear. This study identified MetS and nutritional factors associated with the QoL of KTRs.

    METHODS: This study reports baseline data from a longitudinal study that was conducted at a hospital in Vietnam. KTRs aged ≥18 years and >3 months post-transplantation were recruited. Assessments included sociodemographic and blood biomarkers. Dietary intake was estimated from 24-hour recalls. A Short Form-36 Health Survey, comprising physical (PCS) and mental component summaries (MCS), was administered to assess QoL. Multivariate linear regression models were performed.

    RESULTS: The study included 106 patients (79 men) with a mean age of 43.2 years (± 11.9). Mean duration after kidney transplantation was 28.5 months (± 14.9). Patients with MetS had 6.43 lower PCS score (P < .05) and 3.20 lower MCS score (P < .05) than their counterparts without MetS. Calcium intake (β = -0.01; 95% CI, -0.03 to 0.00) and inadequate protein (β = -14.8; 95% CI, -23 to -6.65) were negatively associated with PCS score. MCS score was negatively associated with calcium intake (β = -0.02; 95% CI, -0.04 to -0.01) and inadequate protein intake (β = -15.1; 95% CI, -24.3 to -5.86), and positively associated with fat intake (β = 0.43, 95% CI, 0.02-0.85).

    CONCLUSIONS: MetS and poor dietary intake are independently associated with the QoL of KTRs. Nutritional intervention plans developed specifically for the recipients will improve dietary intake, reduce the incidence of MetS, and help enhance QoL.

    Matched MeSH terms: Adolescent
  9. Fung HW, Cong CW, Tan CS, Yuan GF, Liu C, He KL, et al.
    Child Abuse Negl, 2023 Nov;145:106436.
    PMID: 37690435 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106436
    BACKGROUND: Childhood trauma is one of the most preventable risk factors for mental health problems. Considering the substantial amount of time that young people spend in school during their early years, it is important to understand the potential impacts of teachers' behaviors on students' mental health.

    OBJECTIVES: This study examined the relationship between exposure to teacher violence and mental health problems.

    PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: An international sample of young adults aged 18 to 24 (N = 283).

    METHODS: Participants completed self-report measures of childhood trauma, exposure to teacher violence, depressive symptoms, post-traumatic stress, and alcohol misuse.

    RESULTS: Exposure to teacher violence could be reliably and validly measured using the Teacher Violence Scale (TVS). Current mental health problems - including depressive symptoms, post-traumatic stress, and alcohol misuse - were associated with exposure to teacher violence during high school years, but not with childhood non-betrayal trauma.

    CONCLUSIONS: Our findings expand the application of the betrayal trauma theory to school settings and point to the importance of preventing and managing teacher violence. It is important to provide more support and training to teachers and enhance monitoring measures in schools. More research on the prevalence and correlates of exposure to teacher violence is needed. We also provided first evidence supporting the reliability and validity of the English version of the TVS to facilitate future research.

    Matched MeSH terms: Adolescent
  10. Loh HW, Ooi CP, Oh SL, Barua PD, Tan YR, Molinari F, et al.
    Comput Methods Programs Biomed, 2023 Nov;241:107775.
    PMID: 37651817 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2023.107775
    BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity problem (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopment problem in children and adolescents that can lead to long-term challenges in life outcomes if left untreated. Also, ADHD is frequently associated with Conduct Disorder (CD), and multiple research have found similarities in clinical signs and behavioral symptoms between both diseases, making differentiation between ADHD, ADHD comorbid with CD (ADHD+CD), and CD a subjective diagnosis. Therefore, the goal of this pilot study is to create the first explainable deep learning (DL) model for objective ECG-based ADHD/CD diagnosis as having an objective biomarker may improve diagnostic accuracy.

    METHODS: The dataset used in this study consist of ECG data collected from 45 ADHD, 62 ADHD+CD, and 16 CD patients at the Child Guidance Clinic in Singapore. The ECG data were segmented into 2 s epochs and directly used to train our 1-dimensional (1D) convolutional neural network (CNN) model.

    RESULTS: The proposed model yielded 96.04% classification accuracy, 96.26% precision, 95.99% sensitivity, and 96.11% F1-score. The Gradient-weighted class activation mapping (Grad-CAM) function was also used to highlight the important ECG characteristics at specific time points that most impact the classification score.

    CONCLUSION: In addition to achieving model performance results with our suggested DL method, Grad-CAM's implementation also offers vital temporal data that clinicians and other mental healthcare professionals can use to make wise medical judgments. We hope that by conducting this pilot study, we will be able to encourage larger-scale research with a larger biosignal dataset. Hence allowing biosignal-based computer-aided diagnostic (CAD) tools to be implemented in healthcare and ambulatory settings, as ECG can be easily obtained via wearable devices such as smartwatches.

    Matched MeSH terms: Adolescent
  11. Nadhiroh SR, Micheala F, Tung SEH, Kustiawan TC
    Nutrition, 2023 Nov;115:112094.
    PMID: 37572547 DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2023.112094
    OBJECTIVES: Maternal anemia is a worldwide health issue and a common pregnancy complication. It leads to consequences including infant mortality, low birth weight, preterm birth, unrecoverable or partially reversible neurobehavioral and cognitive deficits, and short birth length. However, the relationship between maternal anemia and stunting in children is not well defined. This systematic literature review sought to determine whether maternal anemia was associated with height or length and stunting conditions in infants and children ages 0-60 mo in cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies carried out in several countries.

    METHODS: A systematic review was performed on articles published from 2014-2021 related to maternal anemia and stunting. The electronic databases used were ScienceDirect, PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, Google Search, and AJOG (American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology). The literature search was performed up to December 7, 2021.

    RESULTS: Twelve studies were included. Nine studies examined the correlation between maternal anemia and length or weight in children. Seven of the nine studies showed an association between maternal anemia and stunting in children; the others showed an association between maternal anemia and birth length. Three studies found no association between maternal anemia and stunting in children under age 5 y.

    CONCLUSIONS: The current review emphasizes that stunting in children may be associated with maternal anemia, specifically in developing countries. This implies that it is crucial to prevent anemia in adolescent girls and women before and during pregnancy as a part of programs to eliminate stunting in children.

    Matched MeSH terms: Adolescent
  12. Appadurai U, Gan F, Hong J, Hamdan M, Tan PC
    Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM, 2023 Nov;5(11):101157.
    PMID: 37722505 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajogmf.2023.101157
    BACKGROUND: Compared with a planned 12-hour placement of a double-balloon catheter, a planned 6-hour placement of a double-balloon catheter shortens the labor induction to delivery interval. The Foley catheter is low cost. Moreover, it has at least comparable effectiveness to the proprietary double-balloon labor induction devices. Of note, a 6-hour placement of a Foley balloon catheter in nulliparas has not been evaluated.

    OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate 6- vs 12-hour Foley balloon placement for cervical ripening in the labor induction of nulliparas.

    STUDY DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial was conducted at the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre from January 2022 to August 2022. Nulliparas aged ≥18 years, with a term, singleton pregnancy in cephalic presentation, with intact membranes, with reassuring fetal heart rate tracing, with an unripe cervix, and without any significant contractions, were recruited at admission for labor induction. Participants were randomized after successful Foley balloon insertion, for the balloon to be left passively in place for 6 or 12 hours and then removed to check for a ripened cervix. Amniotomy was performed once the cervix had ripened, followed by titrated oxytocin infusion to expedite labor and delivery. The primary outcome was the labor induction to delivery interval. The secondary outcomes were mostly from the core outcome set for trials on labor induction of labor trial reporting, such as change in the Bishop score after the intervention, use of an additional method for cervical ripening, time to delivery after double-balloon device removal, mode of delivery, indication for cesarean delivery, duration of oxytocin infusion, blood loss during delivery, presence of a third- or fourth-degree perineal tear, maternal infection, maternal satisfaction regional analgesia in labor, length of hospital stay, intensive care unit admission, cardiorespiratory arrest, need for hysterectomy. The neonatal outcomes were Apgar score at 1 and 5 minutes, neonatal intensive care unit admission, cord pH, neonatal sepsis, fetal birthweight, birth trauma, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, or need for therapeutic hypothermia. Data were analyzed using the t test, Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test, and Fisher exact test, as appropriate for the data type.

    RESULTS: Overall, 240 women were randomized, 120 to each arm. The median labor induction to delivery intervals were 21.3 hours (interquartile range, 16.2-27.9) for the 6-hour balloon catheter placement and 26.0 hours (interquartile range, 21.5-30.9) for the 12-hour balloon catheter placement (P

    Matched MeSH terms: Adolescent
  13. Kamarudzman N, Omar SZ, Gan F, Hong J, Hamdan M, Tan PC
    Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM, 2023 Nov;5(11):101142.
    PMID: 37643690 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajogmf.2023.101142
    BACKGROUND: Planned 6- vs 12-hour placement of the double-balloon catheter for cervical ripening in labor induction hastens delivery. The Foley catheter is low-priced and typically performs at least as well as the proprietary double-balloon devices in labor induction. Maternal satisfaction with labor induction is usually inversely related to the speed of the process.

    OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare Foley balloon placement for 6 vs 12 hours in the labor induction of multiparas with unfavorable cervixes.

    STUDY DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial was conducted in a university hospital in Malaysia from January to October of 2022. Eligible multiparous women admitted for induction of labor for various indications were enrolled. Participant inclusion criteria were multiparity (at least 1 previous vaginal delivery of ≥24 weeks' gestation), age ≥18 years, term pregnancy >37 weeks' gestation, singleton pregnancy, cephalic presentation, intact membranes, normal fetal heart rate tracing, no significant contractions (< 2 in 10 minutes), and unfavorable cervix (Bishop score < 6). Participants were randomized after successful Foley balloon insertion for the balloon to be left in place for 6 or 12 hours of passive ripening before removal to check cervical suitability for amniotomy. The primary outcomes were the induction-to-delivery interval and maternal satisfaction with the allocated intervention assessed using a visual numerical rating scale (0-10). Secondary outcomes were derived in part from the core outcome set for trials on induction of labor (Core Outcomes in Women's and Newborn Health [CROWN]). Maternal outcomes were change in first Bishop score after intervention, use of additional method for cervical ripening, time to delivery after balloon removal, mode of delivery, indication for cesarean delivery, duration of oxytocin infusion, blood loss during delivery, presence of third- or fourth-degree perineal tear, maternal infection, use of regional analgesia in labor, length of hospital stay, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, cardiorespiratory arrest, and need for hysterectomy. The secondary neonatal outcomes were Apgar score at 1 and 5 minutes, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, cord blood pH, neonatal sepsis, birthweight, birth trauma, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, or need for therapeutic hypothermia. Analyses were conducted with the t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test, and Fisher exact test, as appropriate.

    RESULTS: A total of 220 women were randomized (110 to each intervention). Regarding the 2 primary outcomes, the induction-to-delivery intervals were a median (interquartile range) of 15.9 (12.0-24.0) and 21.6 (17.3-26.0) hours (P

    Matched MeSH terms: Adolescent
  14. Lim KS, Wong KY, Chee YC, Fong SL, Yu X, Ng CG, et al.
    Epilepsy Behav, 2023 Nov;148:109455.
    PMID: 37774547 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2023.109455
    OBJECTIVE: People with epilepsy (PWE) have a high prevalence of developing depression and anxiety. The objective is to determine the feasibility of brief screening tools to screen for depression and anxiety in epilepsy, and the predictive factors.

    METHOD: This is a cross-sectional study in the neurology clinic in a tertiary teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur. The screening tools used were the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E) and the General Anxiety Disorder Form (GAD-7).

    RESULTS: Five hundred and eighty-five patients were recruited in this study, and 50.8% of them were male, predominantly Chinese (46.7%), with a mean age of seizure onset of 21.8 ± 16.1 years. The majority had focal seizures (75.0%), and 41.9% had seizure remission. There were 15.5% who scored ≥15 in the NDDI-E, and 17.0% had moderate or severe anxiety (scored ≥10 in the GAD-7). In a regression model to predict the NDDI-E score, the age of seizure onset recorded a higher beta value (β = -0.265, p =

    Matched MeSH terms: Adolescent
  15. Morita A, Strober B, Burden AD, Choon SE, Anadkat MJ, Marrakchi S, et al.
    Lancet, 2023 Oct 28;402(10412):1541-1551.
    PMID: 37738999 DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)01378-8
    BACKGROUND: Spesolimab is an anti-interleukin-36 receptor monoclonal antibody approved to treat generalised pustular psoriasis (GPP) flares. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of spesolimab for GPP flare prevention.

    METHODS: This multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 2b trial was done at 60 hospitals and clinics in 20 countries. Eligible study participants were aged between 12 and 75 years with a documented history of GPP as per the European Rare and Severe Psoriasis Expert Network criteria, with a history of at least two past GPP flares, and a GPP Physician Global Assessment (GPPGA) score of 0 or 1 at screening and random assignment. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1:1:1) to receive subcutaneous placebo, subcutaneous low-dose spesolimab (300 mg loading dose followed by 150 mg every 12 weeks), subcutaneous medium-dose spesolimab (600 mg loading dose followed by 300 mg every 12 weeks), or subcutaneous high-dose spesolimab (600 mg loading dose followed by 300 mg every 4 weeks) over 48 weeks. The primary objective was to demonstrate a non-flat dose-response curve on the primary endpoint, time to first GPP flare.

    FINDINGS: From June 8, 2020, to Nov 23, 2022, 157 patients were screened, of whom 123 were randomly assigned. 92 were assigned to receive spesolimab (30 high dose, 31 medium dose, and 31 low dose) and 31 to placebo. All patients were either Asian (79 [64%] of 123) or White (44 [36%]). Patient groups were similar in sex distribution (76 [62%] female and 47 [38%] male), age (mean 40·4 years, SD 15·8), and GPP Physician Global Assessment score. A non-flat dose-response relationship was established on the primary endpoint. By week 48, 35 patients had GPP flares; seven (23%) of 31 patients in the low-dose spesolimab group, nine (29%) of 31 patients in the medium-dose spesolimab group, three (10%) of 30 patients in the high-dose spesolimab group, and 16 (52%) of 31 patients in the placebo group. High-dose spesolimab was significantly superior versus placebo on the primary outcome of time to GPP flare (hazard ratio [HR]=0·16, 95% CI 0·05-0·54; p=0·0005) endpoint. HRs were 0·35 (95% CI 0·14-0·86, nominal p=0·0057) in the low-dose spesolimab group and 0·47 (0·21-1·06, p=0·027) in the medium-dose spesolimab group. We established a non-flat dose-response relationship for spesolimab compared with placebo, with statistically significant p values for each predefined model (linear p=0·0022, emax1 p=0·0024, emax2 p=0·0023, and exponential p=0·0034). Infection rates were similar across treatment arms; there were no deaths and no hypersensitivity reactions leading to discontinuation.

    INTERPRETATION: High-dose spesolimab was superior to placebo in GPP flare prevention, significantly reducing the risk of a GPP flare and flare occurrence over 48 weeks. Given the chronic nature of GPP, a treatment for flare prevention is a significant shift in the clinical approach, and could ultimately lead to improvements in patient morbidity and quality of life.

    FUNDING: Boehringer Ingelheim.

    Matched MeSH terms: Adolescent
  16. Koskela M, Ståhlberg T, Yunus WMAWM, Sourander A
    BMC Psychiatry, 2023 Oct 24;23(1):779.
    PMID: 37875905 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-05279-6
    BACKGROUND: Selective mutism (SM) is a childhood onset anxiety disorder, and the main symptom is not speaking in certain social situations. Knowledge about the duration and long-term outcomes of SM have been lacking and the aim of this systematic literature review was to address this gap in the literature. We investigated how long SM symptoms persisted as well as other psychiatric outcomes associated with SM in later life.

    METHODS: The PubMed, PsycInfo, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Embase databases were initially searched from inception to 11 September 2023. Studies were included if they were published in English and had followed up subjects with clinically diagnosed SM for at least two years. The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines and the protocol was registered with the Open Science Framework. The papers were assessed using the Quality Assessment with Diverse Studies tool.

    RESULTS: This review screened 2,432 papers and assessed 18 studies. Seven case series studies were excluded from discussion because of the low number of subjects and the fact that their findings could not be generalized to wider populations. In the end, nine clinical cohorts and two case control studies were reviewed. These provided a total of 292 subjects and the sample sizes ranged from 11-49. The overall quality of the studies was moderate. The review found that 190 of the 243 subjects in the studies that reported recovery rates showed moderate or total improvement from SM during follow up. Other anxiety disorders were the most common psychiatric disorders later in life, although these results should be interpreted with caution. Older age at baseline and parental psychopathology might predict greater impairment, but further studies are needed to confirm these results.

    CONCLUSIONS: Most subjects with SM recovered from this disorder during adolescence, but anxiety disorders were common in later life. Early detection and treatment are needed to prevent symptoms from persisting and other psychiatric disorders from developing.

    Matched MeSH terms: Adolescent
  17. Tan YR, Jawahir S, Doss JG
    BMC Oral Health, 2023 Oct 05;23(1):719.
    PMID: 37798660 DOI: 10.1186/s12903-023-03470-5
    BACKGROUND: The development and implementation of appropriate strategies to enhance oral health in the community can be aided by an understanding of oral healthcare seeking behavior among urban and rural populations. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors associated with oral healthcare seeking behavior of the Malaysians in urban and rural locations who self-reported dental problems.

    METHODS: The National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019, a cross-sectional nationwide household survey that focused on non-institutionalised Malaysians, provided the data for this study on adults in Malaysia who were 18 years of age and older. A two-stage stratified random sampling technique was employed to ensure national representativeness. Data was collected using a multilingual (Malay and English), structured, and validated questionnaire via face-to-face interviews from July to October 2019. The dependent variable was oral healthcare seeking behavior (sought oral healthcare and self-medication). Independent variables were predisposing, enabling and health needs factor based on Andersen's Behavioral Model. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the characteristics and oral healthcare seeking behavior of the respondents. The relationship between the independent and dependent variables were investigated using multivariable logistic regression analysis.

    RESULTS: The analysis comprised a total of 10,134 respondents, representing about 18.2 million Malaysian adults aged 18 and above. The overall prevalence of Malaysian adults who self-reported dental problems was low (5.5%) and was slightly higher in the rural than urban population. Almost half sought treatment from healthcare practitioners, and almost a quarter self-medicated. Ethnicity was associated with seeking healthcare and self-medication among urban dwellers. Among the rural population, income level was associated with seeking healthcare while education level was associated with self-medication.

    CONCLUSION: Disparities in oral healthcare seeking behaviors exist between Malaysians living in urban and rural areas. Future policies should adopt focused strategies that concentrate on oral healthcare accessibility and health literacy of the vulnerable and rural populations to achieve the best oral healthcare for this population group.

    Matched MeSH terms: Adolescent
  18. Cheah YK, Zainuddin NH, Kee CC, Lim KH, Omar MA, Cheong YL
    Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry, 2023 Oct;28(4):1341-1357.
    PMID: 36428238 DOI: 10.1177/13591045221142497
    Sexual behaviour and mental health among adolescents are major public health issues. This study examines how lifestyles affect sexual behaviour among school-going adolescents in Malaysia, and the potential mediational role of mental health. It is the first to our knowledge to explore the mediating effect of mental health on sexual behaviour with a focus on a fast-growing developing country. Data were obtained from the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2017 (n = 27,497). Structural equation modelling was utilized to examine depression and anxiety as mediators of the relationships between sexual behaviour and smoking, alcohol drinking and illicit drug use, controlling for sociodemographic factors. Results showed that adolescents who smoked, consumed alcohol, used illicit drugs, and had depression and anxiety were more likely to engage in sexual behaviour than others. Depression and anxiety partially mediated the relationships between sexual behaviour and smoking, and illicit drug use. The association between alcohol drinking and sexual behaviour was fully mediated by depression and anxiety. In conclusion, lifestyles may affect sexual behaviour through mediation of mental health. Therefore, policymakers should take mental health factors into consideration when designing adolescent sexual behaviour preventative interventions.
    Matched MeSH terms: Adolescent
  19. Khoo CS, Shukor MF, Tan JK, Tan MM, Yong LL, Sahibulddin SZ, et al.
    Epilepsy Behav, 2023 Oct;147:109432.
    PMID: 37716324 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2023.109432
    BACKGROUND: Vitamin D deficiency among adult people with epilepsy (PWE) is scarcely studied, despite its essential role in bone health and maintaining homeostasis. Several studies have studied the relationship between factors related to epilepsy and vitamin D metabolism. We aim to investigate this in our multi-ethnic society.

    METHODS: This was a single-center cross-sectional study. We recruited 159 participants diagnosed with epilepsy on antiseizure medications (ASMs). We included those aged 18 years and above, excluding patients with long-term medical conditions that would affect vitamin D metabolism. Sociodemographic data and details of epilepsy were collated. Venous sampling was performed to analyze the levels of albumin-corrected calcium, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D]. Serum 25(OH)D level is defined as deficient (<20 ng/ml), insufficient (20-29 ng/ml), and sufficient (≥30 ng/ml).

    RESULTS: The study reported that 73 (45.9%) participants had vitamin D deficiency, 38 (23.9%) had vitamin D insufficiency, and 48 (30.2%) patients had sufficient vitamin D levels. The predictors identified were PWE aged 18 to 44 years old (p = 0.001), female gender (OR 3.396, p = 0.002), and ethnicity (p 

    Matched MeSH terms: Adolescent
  20. Raj S V, Ismail M, Chan WK, Majid HA
    Clin Nutr ESPEN, 2023 Oct;57:131-137.
    PMID: 37739647 DOI: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2023.06.014
    BACKGROUND & AIMS: Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is a global public health risk. The occurrence of adolescent NAFLD coincides with high rates of overweight and obesity, with an unhealthy lifestyle also playing a role. Data on prevalence and factors contributing to NAFLD among Asian adolescents is lacking as most studies focus on adults. This systematic review aims to determine the prevalence and factors contributing to NAFLD among adolescents.

    METHODS: A systematic search was conducted using five (Goh et al., 2013) [5] databases: Cochrane, PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, EBSCO and grey literature. Two reviewers independently screened studies using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria and performed data extraction. Assessment of methodological quality was completed using the Newcastle-Ottawa checklist.

    RESULTS: The quality of most studies were of high quality, with the majority reporting no association between lifestyle factors and NAFLD. A total of 6 studies were included in this systematic review. The prevalence of NAFLD among adolescents varied between 8.0% (Fraser et al., 2007) in a study on 5586 adolescents aged 12-19 and 16.0% (Chen et al., 2009) in another survey of 1724 adolescents aged 12-13 years old. Snacking habits and lack of physical activity had potential associations with adolescent NAFLD. Current evidence shows that lifestyle factor (Western dietary pattern) is associated with a higher risk of developing NAFLD among adolescents.

    CONCLUSIONS: Lifestyle factors, including snacking habits and lack of physical activity, were associated with a higher risk of developing NAFLD among adolescents from high-income countries. The difference in the prevalence of NAFLD between countries with different incomes requires further investigation.

    Matched MeSH terms: Adolescent
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