METHODS: Data were used from children and adolescents aged 8-19 years in six pooled childhood cohorts (19,261 participants, collected between 1972 and 2010) to create reference standards for fasting glucose and total cholesterol. Using the models for glucose and cholesterol as well as previously published reference standards for body mass index and blood pressure, clinical cardiovascular health charts were developed. All models were estimated using sex-specific random-effects linear regression, and modeling was performed during 2020-2022.
RESULTS: Models were created to generate charts with smoothed means, percentiles, and standard deviations of clinical cardiovascular health for each year of childhood. For example, a 10-year-old girl with a body mass index of 16 kg/m2 (30th percentile), blood pressure of 100/60 mm Hg (46th/50th), glucose of 80 mg/dL (31st), and total cholesterol of 160 mg/dL (46th) (lower implies better) would have a clinical cardiovascular health percentile of 62 (higher implies better).
CONCLUSIONS: Clinical cardiovascular health charts based on pediatric data offer a standardized approach to express clinical cardiovascular health as an age- and sex-standardized percentile for clinicians to assess cardiovascular health in childhood to consider preventive approaches at early ages and proactively optimize lifetime trajectories of cardiovascular health.
METHODS: An online survey was conducted using a non-probabilistic snowball sampling approach via the social media channels WhatsApp and Instagram. The inclusion criteria were female Bruneian citizens or permanent residents, aged between 18 and 65 years old, who can understand English or Malay, and use cosmetic products at least once a day.
RESULTS: A total of 445 participants responded to the online survey. Most of the participants agreed that the use of cosmetic products improves one's physical appearance to the public (391, 87.8%) and also improves self-confidence (405, 91.1%). There were significant differences in monthly cosmetic product expenses and participants' attitudes about safe cosmetic use (p = 0.001). No significant changes in the individuals' attitudes based on their age or educational level were observed. Overall, the participants had a good level of cosmetic safety practice. Almost half of the participants use social media to obtain information regarding what cosmetics to use or purchase.
CONCLUSION: There is a medium to high level of attitude and a high level of practice regarding the safe use of cosmetics among Bruneian female adults. Social media was the main source of information for the respondents, followed by friend circle and family members.
OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to evaluate whether a 1-time measurement of non-HDL-C or LDL-C in a young adult can predict cumulative exposure to these lipids during early adulthood, and to quantify the association between cumulative exposure to non-HDL-C or LDL-C during early adulthood and the risk of ASCVD after age 40 years.
METHODS: We included CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study) participants who were free of cardiovascular disease before age 40 years, were not taking lipid-lowering medications, and had ≥3 measurements of LDL-C and non-HDL-C before age 40 years. First, we assessed the ability of a 1-time measurement of LDL-C or non-HDL-C obtained between age 18 and 30 years to predict the quartile of cumulative lipid exposure from ages 18 to 40 years. Second, we assessed the associations between quartiles of cumulative lipid exposure from ages 18 to 40 years with ASCVD events (fatal and nonfatal myocardial infarction and stroke) after age 40 years.
RESULTS: Of 4,104 CARDIA participants who had multiple lipid measurements before and after age 30 years, 3,995 participants met our inclusion criteria and were in the final analysis set. A 1-time measure of non-HDL-C and LDL-C had excellent discrimination for predicting membership in the top or bottom quartiles of cumulative exposure (AUC: 0.93 for the 4 models). The absolute values of non-HDL-C and LDL-C that predicted membership in the top quartiles with the highest simultaneous sensitivity and specificity (highest Youden's Index) were >135 mg/dL for non-HDL-C and >118 mg/dL for LDL-C; the values that predicted membership in the bottom quartiles were <107 mg/dL for non-HDL-C and <96 mg/dL for LDL-C. Individuals in the top quartile of non-HDL-C and LDL-C exposure had demographic-adjusted HRs of 4.6 (95% CI: 2.84-7.29) and 4.0 (95% CI: 2.50-6.33) for ASCVD events after age 40 years, respectively, when compared with each bottom quartile.
CONCLUSIONS: Single measures of non-HDL-C and LDL-C obtained between ages 18 and 30 years are highly predictive of cumulative exposure before age 40 years, which in turn strongly predicts later-life ASCVD events.
METHODS: Utilizing a cross-sectional design, the research was conducted in April and May 2023 with 1348 LBCs from a total sample of 4049 students inZhejiang. A two-step random, stratified, cluster-based sampling strategy was employed, and structural equation modeling was used to examine the hypothesized relationships among the constructs.
RESULTS: The statistical analysis demonstrated significant positive effects of intellectual engagement (IE), AUT, COM, and RE on both REL and PTG (p .60) underscoring their importance. Notably, REL was found to moderate the relationships among RES, COM, and PTG, highlighting its critical role in the psychological adaptation of left-behind children.
CONCLUSION: The study underscores the importance of nurturing intellectual and REs, AUT, and COM to enhance psychological REL and well-being among LBAs. These elements are crucial for supporting the mental health and developmental needs of children facing the challenges of parental migration. The findings advocate for targeted interventions that can address the unique needs of this vulnerable population, emphasizing the potential for growth and adaptation despite adversities.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in two tertiary hospitals, specifically the pediatric ophthalmology services at Hospital Selayang and Universiti Sains Malaysia, spanning from 2019 to 2020. Participants aged between 8 and 15 years were categorized into two groups: those diagnosed with VKC and healthy children serving as the control group. Each participant completed the Quality of Life in Children with Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis (QUICK) questionnaire, consisting of 16 questions, divided into two subscales: 12 questions focusing on symptoms and four questions for daily activities.
RESULTS: A total of 240 children took part in the study, with 120 children diagnosed with VKC and another 120 in the control group. The mean age of participants with VKC was 11.21 ± 1.91 years, with a male predominance of 4:1 compared to female. Tearing (98.4%) and itchiness (98.3%) emerged as the most prevalent symptoms affecting HRQoL, while the most challenging activities were outdoor play (36.6%) and participation in recreational water activities (34.2%). The mean total score was significantly higher in the VKC group compared to the control group. Additionally, both the mean total score and all subscale scores were significantly higher in the severe type compared to the mild-moderate type.
CONCLUSIONS: VKC significantly reduce the HRQoL among Malaysian children, and the negative impact increases with the disease severity.
METHOD: Quantitative studies published in English until May 2023 were sought by searching seven electronic databases: Web of Science, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Scopus, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection. This review included studies that identified participants as individuals with disabilities and reported the overall (non) compliance with the 24-HMG among children and adolescents with disabilities.
RESULTS: A total of 13 studies, involving 21,101 individuals (65.95% males), aged 6 to 21 years from 9 countries, were included in the analysis. In general, 7% (95%CI: 0.05-0.09, p
METHOD: The online survey was conducted among the residents of Sindh, Pakistan, in July 2021 through a survey tool designed using Google Forms and sent to the population through various social media.
RESULTS: Of 926 study participants, 59.0% were male, and 68.6% were aged between 18 and 31 years. Higher percentages of responses were recorded from the Hyderabad division (37.5%), and 60.0% of respondents were graduates, with 34.8% of them in the private sector. The results showed that 36.4% of respondents had good knowledge, and 30.3% had a positive attitude toward COVID-19 vaccination. Almost 77% of respondents perceived that everyone should get vaccinated in the country and those health care workers on priority. A majority (80.8%) of respondents were willing to accept COVID-19 vaccination.
CONCLUSION: Despite having insufficient knowledge and a low percentage of positive attitude public in Sindh are willing to be vaccinated. Based on this finding, more effort has to be done to promote vaccination among the public, especially among the less educated population.
METHODS: We analyzed data from 91 seroprevalence surveys and sentinel surveillance among antenatal care clinic (ANC) attendees using model-based geostatistical methods to produce estimates of HIV prevalence across 43 countries in SSA, from years 2000 to 2018, at a 5 × 5-km resolution and presented among second administrative level (typically districts or counties) units.
RESULTS: We found substantial variation in HIV prevalence across localities, ages, and sexes that have been masked in earlier analyses. Within-country variation in prevalence in 2018 was a median 3.5 times greater across ages and sexes, compared to for all adults combined. We note large within-district prevalence differences between age groups: for men, 50% of districts displayed at least a 14-fold difference between age groups with the highest and lowest prevalence, and at least a 9-fold difference for women. Prevalence trends also varied over time; between 2000 and 2018, 70% of all districts saw a reduction in prevalence greater than five percentage points in at least one sex and age group. Meanwhile, over 30% of all districts saw at least a five percentage point prevalence increase in one or more sex and age group.
CONCLUSIONS: As the HIV epidemic persists and evolves in SSA, geographic and demographic shifts in prevention and treatment efforts are necessary. These estimates offer epidemiologically informative detail to better guide more targeted interventions, vital for combating HIV in SSA.
METHODS: A systematic search was conducted across six databases, including PubMed, to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that satisfied the specified inclusion and exclusion criteria. The intervention measure consisted of Internet-based self-help interventions.
RESULTS: A total of 23 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included in this analysis. Meta-analysis indicated that Internet-based self-help therapies significantly reduced depression scores in adolescents and young adults. (OR = -0.68, 95%CI [-0.88, -0.47], P
METHODS: A household-based cross-sectional study was conducted in March 2024 in six Semai sub-ethnic indigenous villages in Pos Lenjang, Kuala Lipis, Pahang. A structured questionnaire was administered to randomly selected individuals (≥ 12 years old) to collect data on sociodemographic characteristics and KAP. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and predictors of KAP were determined using logistic regression. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
RESULTS: A total of 267 individuals from 160 households were interviewed. Nearly half had good knowledge (49.4%) and positive attitudes (54.3%) towards malaria, with high practice scores for prevention and control (83.1%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed higher odds of good knowledge in those aged 40-59 years (adjusted odd ratio [aOR] = 6.90, p = 0.034), with primary (aOR = 2.67, p = 0.015) or secondary education (aOR = 2.75, p = 0.019), and with previous malaria history (aOR = 5.14, p
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with school-going children from 16 selected schools of a tribal district in Jharkhand using multistage cluster random sampling. In each selected school, 60 students, 30 boys and 30 girls, were chosen randomly, totaling 960 children (full data was for 935 children only). Growth charts were created using Lambda-Mu-Sigma (LMS) chart maker version 2.5 for height, weight and body mass index (BMI). In the charts, the LMS values with Z scores for each age and respective height and weight for boys and girls were recorded.
Results: The 468 boys and 467 girls were in the range of 6-14 years of age. Percentile values obtained for the measured heights in centimetres were evaluated and compared with Indian Academy of Pediatrics reference charts for boys and girls for the same age group, and our values were found to be on the lower side. We were able to plot a growth chart of the data set; as the tribal children's ethnicity is different, this growth chart might be used to assess nutritional status.
Conclusion: We concluded that growth curves for height, weight, and BMI may be used for evaluating children of age 6-14 years in the tribal population. The measures can be a good indicator of their nourishment status and overall growth patterns, which might be indigenous to their ethnicity. A larger sample size of similar tribal populations may give a clearer picture.
Methods: This school-based, non-randomised controlled study was conducted among secondary school students with a total of 236 respondents. The KAPS score were assessed before and 1 month after using self-administered validated KAPS questionnaire on TB. Analysis was done using repeated measures ANOVA.
Results: The mean percentage score (SD) for baseline knowledge, attitude, practice and stigma score for the respondents were 54.0 (4.48), 65.6 (1.74), 70.0 (1.43) and 66.0 (6.88), respectively. There was a significant difference (P < 0.001) in the knowledge and stigma score for intervention group compared to control group, adjusted for gender, ethnicity and smoking status 4 weeks post-TB educational programme. However, with regards to attitude and practice score, there was no significant difference (P = 0.210 and P = 0.243, respectively).
Conclusion: TB education programme was effective in improving knowledge and stigma related to TB. This health education programme can be used as one of the strategies for the prevention and control of TB in schools.
Conclusion: This form of treatment provides a less-invasive option with a more concrete evaluation of the venous abnormality and its drainage during venous aneurysm occlusion.