Average Prevalence Research Articles

A Systematic Review on the Genetic Contribution to Tinnitus

PurposeTo assess the available evidence to support a genetic contribution and define the role of common and rare variants in tinnitus.MethodsAfter a systematic search and quality assessment, 31 records including 383,063 patients were selected (14 epidemiological studies and 17 genetic association studies). General information on the sample size, age, sex, tinnitus prevalence, severe tinnitus distribution, and sensorineural hearing loss was retrieved. Studies that did not include data on hearing assessment were excluded. Relative frequencies were used for qualitative variables to compare different studies and to obtain average values. Genetic variants and genes were listed and clustered according to their potential role in tinnitus development.ResultsThe average prevalence of tinnitus estimated from population-based studies was 26.3% for any tinnitus, and 20% of patients with tinnitus reported it as an annoying symptom. One study has reported population-specific differences in the prevalence of tinnitus, the white ancestry being the population with a higher prevalence. Genome-wide association studies have identified and replicated two common variants in the Chinese population (rs2846071; rs4149577) in the intron of TNFRSF1A, associated with noise-induced tinnitus. Moreover, gene burden analyses in sequencing data from Spanish and Swede patients with severe tinnitus have identified and replicated ANK2, AKAP9, and TSC2 genes.ConclusionsThe genetic contribution to tinnitus is starting to be revealed and it shows population-specific effects in European and Asian populations. The common allelic variants associated with tinnitus that showed replication are associated with noise-induced tinnitus. Although severe tinnitus has been associated with rare variants with large effect, their role on hearing or hyperacusis has not been established.

Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection among Children and Adults in 15 US Communities, 2021

During January-August 2021, the Community Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Study used time/location sampling to recruit a cross-sectional, population-based cohort to estimate SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and nasal swab sample PCR positivity across 15 US communities. Survey-weighted estimates of SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccine willingness among participants at each site were compared within demographic groups by using linear regression models with inverse variance weighting. Among 22,284 persons >2 months of age and older, median prevalence of infection (prior, active, or both) was 12.9% across sites and similar across age groups. Within each site, average prevalence of infection was 3 percentage points higher for Black than White persons and average vaccine willingness was 10 percentage points lower for Black than White persons and 7 percentage points lower for Black persons than for persons in other racial groups. The higher prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among groups with lower vaccine willingness highlights the disparate effect of COVID-19 and its complications.

Pain characterization in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) often report chronic pain, which is one of the most complex non-motor symptoms. Therefore, this study aims to review the literature on the characteristics of pain in patients with PD. A systematic literature review was conducted following MOOSE recommendations. Observational studies reporting pain in patients with PD were included. No time restrictions were applied, but studies in Portuguese, Spanish, and English were considered. The search was performed in PubMed®, LILACS, and SciELO databases. Twenty-six articles of observational studies were identified, reporting an average pain prevalence of 67.36%, emphasizing the significance of this symptom in the PD population. Pain was reported in various body regions, including lower limbs, upper limbs, lumbar spine, cervical spine, and other joints. Pain classification varied, encompassing musculoskeletal pain, PD-related pain, neuropathic pain, and dystonic pain, among others. Pain in patients with PD is a prevalent and multifactorial condition, significantly impacting patients' quality of life. Heterogeneity in data across included studies was observed, highlighting the need for additional research to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of pain in patients with PD and develop effective therapeutic strategies to address this symptom and improve the quality of life for individuals living with the disease.

Development of Flipbook with Living Value Education Program-Based as Teaching Materials to Improve Students' Religious Values

The current use of technology-based learning media is still limited to textbooks from the government and projectors that display presentation slides or videos. The current study used a flipbook as a new alternative for teaching materials with additional religious values. This study aimed to 1) generate a flipbook for social and science studies (Ilmu Pengetahuan Alam dan Sosial or IPAS) with living values education program-based feasible to improve religious values; 2) determine the responses about the IPAS flipbook as a learning material from the teachers; 3) evaluate the responses about the IPAS flipbook as a learning material from the teachers from the students in enhancing their religious characteristics. The research design used was a research-and-development with a 4D research and development model (define, design, development, and dissemination). The subjects of the validation test are material experts and media experts, while the responders to the media are teachers and 19 fourth-grade students of SD IT Samawi. The data was collected using interviews, observations, and questionnaires. The data analysis methods used are qualitative and quantitative. The results showed that the feasibility assessment of the IPAS flipbook is categorized as having "very good" criteria by material experts (average score of 4.6) and media experts (average score of 4.1). Furthermore, according to the fourth-grade teachers from SD IT Samawi, the flipbook media received an average score of 4.8, with "very good" criteria and is worthy of use. The fourth-grade students of SD IT Samawi responded well to the IPAS flipbook media, which obtained positive response results with an average prevalence of 90.7%.

Prevalence of pediatric lower urinary tract symptoms in a national claims database of privately insured patients, 2003-2014.

We conducted this study to estimate the prevalence of pediatric lower urinary tract symptoms (pLUTS) in a US privately insured pediatric population who are 6-20 years old by age, sex, race/ethnicity from 2003-2014. This has not been previously described in the literature. We retrospectively reviewed Optum's de-identified Clinformatics® Data Mart Database between 2003-2014. A pLUTS patient was defined by the presence of ≥ 1 pLUTS-related ICD-9 diagnosis code between the age of 6-20 years. Neurogenic bladder, renal transplant and structural urologic disease diagnoses were excluded. Prevalence by year was calculated as a proportion of pLUTS patients among the total population at risk. Variables reviewed included age, sex, race, geographic region, household factors and clinical comorbidities including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), constipation, and sleep apnea. Point of service (POS) was calculated as a proportion of pLUTS-related claims associated with a POS compared to the total claims at all POS in the time period. We identified 282,427 unique patients with ≥ 1 claim for pLUTS between the ages of 6-20 years from 2003 to 2014. Average prevalence during this period was 0.92%, increasing from 0.63% in 2003 to 1.13% in 2014. The median age group of patients was 6-10 years. More patients were female (59.80%), white (65.97%), between 6 and 10 years old (52.18%) and resided in the Southern US (44.97%). Within a single household, 81.71% reported ≤ 2 children, and 65.53% reported ≥ 3 adults. 16.88% had a diagnosis of ADHD, 19.49% had a diagnosis of constipation and 3.04% had a diagnosis of sleep apnea. 75% of pLUTS-related claims were recorded in an outpatient setting. Families consistently seek medical care in the outpatient setting for pLUTS. The demographic and clinical characteristics of our cohort reflect prior literature. Future studies can help define temporal relationships between household factors and onset of disease as well as characterize pLUTS-related healthcare resource utilization. Additional work is required in publicly insured populations.

EXAMINING STUNTING INCIDENCE BASED ON MATERNAL FACTORS IN TEGAL CITY

Stunting, a condition resulting from inadequate nutrition, recurrent infections, and insufficient psychosocial stimulation, affects children's development. It is characterized by stunted growth due to nutritional deficiencies and chronic or recurring infectious diseases, indicated by a height-for-age z-score of less than -2 standard deviations. In Indonesia, the average prevalence of stunting among children under five is 30.8%. In Central Java, the prevalence is 28.5%, and in Semarang, it is 16.89%. The prevalence of stunting in Tegal City is projected to decrease by 6.7% in 2019, 4.76% in 2020, and 7.1% in 2021, reaching 16.8% from the initial value of 23.9%. This descriptive study focuses on identifying the determinants of mothers with stunted children. The study included all mothers with stunted children under five years of age in 7 villages of Tegal City, with a sample size of 27 willing participants. The findings highlight family income and maternal parity as the most dominant characteristics among the respondents. Maternal anemia, CED history, and excellent maternal knowledge level were also noted.

Identification of dMMR in metastatic colorectal and non-colorectal cancers in a private Mexican institution.

177 Background: DNA mismatch repair is a process in which normal cells maintain their original genomic information avoiding errors in mismatched nucleotides or base modifications from recombination processes. The failure of this process could drive carcinogenesis due to increased mutation rate as well as high microsatellite instability. It is estimated that the global average prevalence of dMMR/MSI-H across tumor types and stages is approximately 16%, with higher rates reported for early stages. However, the prevalence for colorectal (CRC) and non-colorectal cancers for this biomarker in Mexico has not been reported. Objective:To explore the prevalence of dMMR in metastatic CRC (mCRC) and non-CRC (gastric, esophageal, and endometrial cancer) from a private Mexican institution. Methods: In this retrospective study, the dMMR status of 215 samples were analyzed from a primary database of stored biopsies from patients diagnosed with metastatic CRC, gastric, esophageal, or endometrial cancers between January 2017 and December 2020. 65 records had information about MMR status. Samples were analyzed using a commercial kit to detect dMMR (BioSb). Prevalence of dMMR was stratified by age and gender and expressed as frequencies. Statistical analysis was conducted in SPSS. Results: dMMR was found in 18.5% (N=27) endometrial cancer cases, 12.7% (N=150) of CRC cases, and 8.3% (N=24) of gastric cancer cases. However, it was not detected in any cases of esophageal cancer (N=14). In CRC, we found a higher percentage of incidence in men than in women, 15.6% (n = 14/90) vs. 8.3% (n = 5/60) respectively. By age groups, the highest total percentage (20%) was observed among those 41-50 years old. The age group with the lowest dMMR rate was 31- 40 yo, with 7.7%. All cases of CRC patients over 91 yo (n=3), were pMMR. Conclusions: Even though this data is not representative for the entire Mexican population, it provides preliminary prevalence dMMR estimates for some key cancers. Additional research is needed to give the limited sample sizes available for non-CRC.

Epidemiology of hepatitis C infection among pregnant women and parturients in Nizhny Novgorod

Hepatitis C is an urgent global health problem. The high prevalence of infection among the population leads to the involvement of women of reproductive age in the epidemic process. In order to study the prevalence of specific markers of hepatitis C virus in pregnant women and to assess the risk of intrauterine infection of the fetus, an epidemiologic analysis was conducted using information collections of statistical and analytical materials of Rospotrebnadzor, blood serum samples of pregnant and postpartum women (n = 28394) at admission to obstetric institutions for the period 2018–2022 were examined. According to statistical reporting, the average annual prevalence of anti-HCV prevalence in pregnant women was 1.7% (95% CI: 1.5–1.9%). Women aged 40–49 years were found to be most actively involved in the epidemic process (4.3% [95% CI: 3.3–5.6%]). Among anti-HCV-positive samples, HCV RNA was detected in 47.0% (95% CI: 41.7–52.9%) of cases, the prevalence of current infection confirmed by HCV RNA detection in pregnant women was 0.9% (95% CI: 0.8–1.0%). The pattern of HCV genotypes in pregnant women was as follows: subtype 1b was detected in 34.9% (95% CI: 25.6–45.7%) of cases, subtype 3a in 42.2% (95% DI: 32.1–52.9%), minor subtype 1a was 9.6% (95% CI: 5.0–17.9%) and genotype 2 was 7.0% (95% CI: 3.4–14.9%). Samples containing two genotypes simultaneously (1a/1b, 1b/3a) were 3.6% (95% CI: 1.2–10.1%) and non-genotyped samples were 2.4% (95% CI: 0.7–4.1%). The results of the assessment of the significance of risk factors for perinatal transmission of hepatitis C virus show a high degree of influence on vertical transmission of HCV RNA in the presence of active infection in the mother (RR = 6.4; [95% CI: 0.9–44.6%]: p < 0.05), no statistical significance of HCV genotypic affiliation (p > 0.05) and maternal viral load level (R = 0.00009; p > 0.05). The obtained data argue the necessity of screening examinations for molecular genetic markers of hepatitis C virus in women planning pregnancy in order to conduct antiviral therapy and, as a consequence, to reduce the risk of perinatal infection of children.

Race, Prevalence of POLE and POLD1 Alterations, and Survival Among Patients With Endometrial Cancer.

Black patients with endometrial cancer (EC) in the United States have higher mortality than patients of other races with EC. The prevalence of POLE and POLD1 pathogenic alterations in patients of different races with EC are not well studied. To explore the prevalence of and outcomes associated with POLE and POLD1 alterations in differential racial groups. This retrospective cohort study incorporated the largest available data set of patients with EC, including American Association for Cancer Research Project GENIE (Genomics Evidence Neoplasia Information Exchange; 5087 participants), Memorial Sloan Kettering-Metastatic Events and Tropisms (1315 participants), and the Cancer Genome Atlas Uterine Corpus Endometrial Carcinoma (517 participants), collected from 2015 to 2023, 2013 to 2021, and 2006 to 2012, respectively. The prevalence of and outcomes associated with POLE or POLD1 alterations in EC were evaluated across self-reported racial groups. Patients of different racial groups with EC and with or without POLE or POLD1 alterations. The main outcome was overall survival. Data on demographic characteristics, POLE and POLD1 alteration status, histologic subtype, tumor mutation burden, fraction of genome altered, and microsatellite instability score were collected. A total of 6919 EC cases were studied, of whom 444 (6.4%), 694 (10.0%), and 4869 (70.4%) patients were self-described as Asian, Black, and White, respectively. Within these large data sets, Black patients with EC exhibited a lower weighted average prevalence of pathogenic POLE alterations (0.5% [3 of 590 cases]) compared with Asian (6.1% [26 of 424]) or White (4.6% [204 of 4520]) patients. By contrast, the prevalence of POLD1 pathogenic alterations was 5.0% (21 cases), 3.2% (19 cases), and 5.6% (255 cases) in Asian, Black, and White patients with EC, respectively. Patients with POLD1 alterations had better outcomes regardless of race, histology, and TP53 alteration status. For a total of 241 clinically annotated Black patients with EC, a composite biomarker panel of either POLD1 or POLE alterations identified 7.1% (17 patients) with positive outcomes (1 event at 70 months follow up) in the small sample of available patients. In this retrospective clinicopathological study of patients of different racial groups with EC, a composite biomarker panel of either POLD1 or POLE alteration could potentially guide treatment de-escalation, which is especially relevant for Black patients.

Prevalence of Brucella melitensis and Brucella abortus aminoglycoside-resistant isolates: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aminoglycosides are vital antibiotics for treating Brucella infections, because they interfere with bacterial protein production and are often combined with other antibiotics. They are cost-effective, have fewer side effects, and can penetrate biofilms. The prevalence of brucellosis has increased in recent years, increasing the need for effective treatments. In addition, the emergence of multidrug-resistant Brucella strains has highlighted the need for an updated and comprehensive understanding of aminoglycoside resistance. This systematic review aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the global prevalence of aminoglycoside resistance in B. melitensis and B. abortus. A systematic search of online databases was conducted and eligible studies met certain criteria and were published in English. Quality assessment was performed using the JBI Checklist. A random-effects model was fitted to the data, and meta-regression, subgroup, and outlier/influential analyses were performed. The analysis was performed using R and the metafor package. The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis suggested that the average prevalence rates of streptomycin, gentamicin, and amikacin resistance were 0.027 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.015-0.049), 0.023 (95% CI, 0.017-0.032), and 0.008 (95% CI, 0.002-0.039), respectively. The prevalence of streptomycin resistance was higher in the unidentified Brucella group than in the B. abortus and B. melitensis groups (0.234, 0.046, and 0.017, respectively; p < 0.02). The prevalence of gentamicin resistance increased over time (r = 0.064; 95% CI, 0.018 to 0.111; p = 0.007). The prevalence of resistance did not correlate with the quality score for any antibiotic. Funnel plots showed a potential asymmetry for streptomycin and gentamicin. These results suggest a low prevalence of antibiotic resistance in the studied populations. The prevalence of aminoglycoside resistance in B. melitensis and B. abortus was low. However, gentamicin resistance has increased in recent years. This review provides a comprehensive and updated understanding of aminoglycoside resistance in B. melitensis and B. abortus.

Global Insights into Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Coronary Artery Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 6,400,000 Patients.

The high prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in coronary artery disease (CAD) has been acknowledged over the past decade, although the cause/s remain uncertain due to differences in diagnoses. COPD has also become a leading CAD comorbidity, although again little is known about its interactions. This meta-analysis explored COPD prevalence in the global CAD population, as well as the influence of COPD on CAD. PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and grey literature were searched until 26th November 2021. The prevalence of COPD was calculated, and data were grouped according to COPD diagnostic methods, interventions, region, economic status, etc. Outcomes including all-cause death, cardiac death, myocardial infarction, revascularization, stroke, heart failure, and respiratory failure were analyzed. This study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD No.42021293270). There was an average prevalence of 14.2% for COPD in CAD patients (95% CI: 13.3-15.1), with diagnostics of COPD through spirometry, International Classification of the Diseases (ICD codes), and self-reported methods. Comorbid COPD-CAD patients were more likely to be smokers and suffer from cardiovascular and respiratory complications (all odds ratios [OR] 1). COPD-CAD has higher mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 2.81, 95% CI: 2.40-3.29), and myocardial infarction, stroke, and respiratory failure rates (all HR 1). Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) reduces the need for revascularization (HR 0.43, 95% CI: 0.20-0.94) compared to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), without increasing mortality. The global prevalence of COPD is particularly high in CAD patients. COPD-CAD patients are more likely to encounter cardiovascular and respiratory complications and endure poorer outcomes. Limited evidence suggests that CABG may reduce the need for revascularization without increasing mortality, although further research is required to confirm these observations.

Cross-national analysis of the prevalence of prolonged grief disorder

BackgroundProlonged grief disorder (PGD) is now included as a diagnosis in international classification systems. Most research on PGD is based on Western populations, but first data from non-Western countries have recently become available. Little is still known about country-related effects on PGD's prevalence. ObjectiveDetermining possible causes of variations in the prevalence of PGD as defined by DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 within and between countries. MethodsWe retrieved data from 24 prevalence studies, the World Bank and the 2022 World Risk Report. Negative binomial regressions were used to explore methodological, loss-related and country context characteristics as predictors of PGD. The average rate of PGD was calculated using random effects models. ResultsThe included studies comprised 34 samples from 16 countries (20,347 participants). Non-probability sampling and older mean age of the sample as well as lower country vulnerability were associated with higher PGD rates. The average PGD prevalence was 13 % (95 % CI [11, 22]), varying from 5 % (95 % CI [3, 11]) in probability to 16 % (95 % CI [13, 25]) in non-probability samples. LimitationsSamples from Europe and North America were overrepresented. For about half of the countries, data were available from only one sample. ConclusionsWhile confirming the importance of studies' methodological quality, the results show that PGD is of public health relevance around the world, but especially common in less vulnerabled countries with better access to daily necessities and healthcare services, highlighting sociocultural impacts on grief processing. Further investigations of cross-national differences are needed.

Trends in social determinants of inequality in child undernutrition from the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Surveys, 2005-2016.

While child undernutrition has been eliminated in some middle-income countries, it remains highly prevalent in sub-Sahara African (SSA) and South Asian regions, and is disproportionately concentrated among the poor. In this study, we estimated trends in child undernutrition by social determinants and related risks from wealth inequality in Ethiopia, from 2005 to 2016. We analyzed data from three consecutive surveys (2005, 2011, and 2016) from the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey. First, we estimated trends in the prevalence of childhood undernutrition variables (stunting, underweight, and wasting) and social determinants (household wealth status, education level, place of residence, and administrative regions). Then we assessed evidence of undernutrition by wealth-related inequality with concentration curves (visual) and concentration indeces (quantitative). A multilevel mixed-effect Poisson regression model was used to identify predictors of undernutrition variables expressed as covariate-adjusted rate ratios, with 95% confidence intervals (RRs, 95%CI). A total of 23,934 mother-child pairs were obtained from the three surveys. The average prevalence decreased by 12.4 percentage points for stunting (from 50.8 to 38.4%, P<0.01), 9.5 percentage points for underweight (33.2% to23.7%, P<0.01), and 2.1 percentage points for wasting (12.2% to10.1%, P<0.01). There was persistent and statistically evidence of wealth inequality in stunting, underweight, and wasting (concentration indeces of -0.2 to -0.04, all P values <0.05). Stunting, underweight, and wasting variables were associated with male sex of the child (RR 0.94, 0.95, 0.85, all P-values <0.01) recent diarrhea (RR 1.18, 1.27, 1.37, all P-values <0.01), secondary education status of the mother (RR 0.66, 0.57, 0.61, all P-values < 0.057), increasing wealth index (richest) (RR 0.73, 0.70, 0.50, all P-values < 0.05), and having no toilet facility (RR 1.16, 1.22, 1.18, all P-values < 0.05). Despite the decreased burden of stunting and underweight, the prevalence of wasting remained relatively unchanged in Ethiopia from 2005 to 2016. Moreover, wealth-related inequality in child undernutrition increased for most of the child undernutrition indicators during this period. Social determinants of child undernutrition warrant urgent implementation of strategies to reduce their health impacts in SSA.

Genetic evaluations and genome-wide association studies for specific digital dermatitis diagnoses in dairy cows considering genotype × housing system interactions

The present study aimed to use detailed phenotyping for the claw disorder digital dermatitis (DD) considering specific DD stages in 2 housing systems (conventional cubicle barns [CON] and compost-bedded pack barns [CBPB]) to infer possible genotype × housing system interactions. The DD stages included 2,980 observations for the 3 traits DD-sick, DD-acute, and DD-chronic from 1,311 Holstein-Friesian and 399 Fleckvieh-Simmental cows. Selection of the 5 CBPB and 5 CON herds was based on a specific protocol to achieve a high level of herd similarity with regard to climate, feeding, milking system, and location, but with pronounced housing-system differences. Five other farms had a "mixed system" with 2 subherds, one representing CBPB and the other one CON. The CBPB system was represented by 899 cows (1,530 observations), and 811 cows (1,450 observations) represented the CON system. The average disease prevalence was 20.47% for DD-sick, 13.88% for DD-acute, and 5.34% for DD-chronic, with a higher prevalence in CON than in CBPB. After quality control of 50K genotypes, 38,495 SNPs from 926 cows remained for the ongoing genomic analyses. Genetic parameters for DD-sick, DD-acute, and DD-chronic were estimated by applying single-step approaches for single-trait repeatability animal models considering the whole dataset, and separately for the CON and CBPB subsets. Genetic correlations between same DD traits from different housing systems, and between DD-sick, DD-chronic, and DD-acute, were estimated via bivariate animal models. Heritabilities based on the whole dataset were 0.16 for DD-sick, 0.14 for DD-acute, and 0.11 for DD-chronic. A slight increase of heritabilities and genetic variances was observed in CON compared with the "well-being" CBPB system, indicating a stronger genetic differentiation of diseases in a more challenging environment. Genetic correlations between same DD traits recorded in CON or CBPB were close to 0.80, disproving obvious genotype × housing system interactions. Genetic correlations among DD-sick, DD-acute and DD-chronic ranged from 0.58 to 0.81. SNP main effects and SNP × housing system interaction effects were estimated simultaneously via GWAS, considering only the phenotypes from genotyped cows. Ongoing annotations of potential candidate genes focused on chromosomal segments 100 kb upstream and downstream from the significantly associated candidate SNP. GWAS for main effects indicated heterogeneous Manhattan plots especially for DD-acute and DD-chronic, indicating particularities in disease pathogenesis. Nevertheless, a few shared annotated potential candidate genes, that is, METTL25, AFF3, PRKG1, and TENM4 for DD-sick and DD-acute, were identified. These genes have direct or indirect effects on disease resistance or immunology. For the SNP × housing system interaction, the annotated genes ASXL1 and NOL4L on BTA 13 were relevant for DD-sick and DD-acute. Overall, the very similar genetic parameters for the same traits in different environments and negligible genotype × housing system interactions indicate only minor effects on genetic evaluations for DD due to housing-system particularities.

Identifying Risk Factors for Stephanofilaria-Caused Ulcerative Dermal Lesions, in Black and White Rhinoceros’ Meta-Population in Kenya

Ulcerative skin lesions caused by Stephanofilaria dinniki are common in populations of the critically endangered eastern black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis michaeli). Although considered benign, they have been associated with loss of body condition and mortality in rhinoceros. Stephanofilarial lesions in rhinoceros may also lead to delayed puberty, reduced milk yields, and prolonged intercalving periods as observed with a similar disease in cattle. In this study the prevalence and predilection sites of stephanofilarial wounds were examined and the influence of age, sex, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), rainfall, temperature, rhinoceros’ species, and population density on the prevalence of stephanofilarial skin lesions was evaluated in 10 rhinoceros’ populations in Kenya. The results revealed that the prevalence of stephanofilarial skin lesions was 0% in the lowland sanctuaries such as Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary, Tsavo West Intensive Protection Zone, and Tsavo East National Park to ≥90% in the highland rhinoceros’ sanctuaries including Solio Wildlife Sanctuary, Ol Pejeta Wildlife Conservancy, Lewa-Borana Wildlife Conservancies, and Nairobi National Park. Generalized linear models revealed that monthly minimum temperature and NDVI negatively influenced the probability of stephanofilarial skin lesions. However, spatial heterogeneity in NDVI, and rhino density were positively related to the probability of rhinoceros’ infection with Stephanofilaria. Black rhinoceros had a higher average prevalence of stephanofilarial wounds (50.9%, n = 228) than white rhinoceros’ (3.6%, n = 110). Temperature and heterogeneity in NDVI can directly influence the presence of the filaria vector Rhinomusca dutoiti as corroborated by the previous studies on their distribution. Moreover, the inverse relationship between NDVI and the prevalence of stephanofilarial skin lesions suggests that nutrition negatively impacts rhinoceros’ immunity. Comprehensive studies on the vectors of Stephanofilaria and their bionomics may illuminate the epidemiological patterns of stephanofilariosis in rhinoceros.

Association between the implementation of standardised tobacco packaging legislation and illicit tobacco and cross-border purchasing in England: a time-series analysis between 2012 and 2020

BackgroundIn May 2016, the UK announced standardising packaging legislation for tobacco products. There was a 12-month transition period with both branded and standardised packs on the market until May 2017....

Brief interventions for smoking and alcohol associated with the COVID-19 pandemic: a population survey in England

BackgroundFollowing the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, in March 2020 health care delivery underwent considerable changes. It is unclear how this may have affected the delivery of Brief Interventions (BIs) for smoking and alcohol. We examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the receipt of BIs for smoking and alcohol in primary care in England and whether certain priority groups (e.g., less advantaged socioeconomic positions, or a history of a mental health condition) were differentially affected.MethodsWe used nationally representative data from a monthly cross-sectional survey in England between 03/2014 and 06/2022. Monthly trends in the receipt of BIs for smoking and alcohol were examined using generalised additive models among adults who smoked in the past-year (weighted N = 31,390) and those using alcohol at increasing and higher risk levels (AUDIT score 38, weighted N = 22,386), respectively. Interactions were tested between social grade and the change in slope after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and results reported stratified by social grade. Further logistic regression models assessed whether changes in the of receipt of BIs for smoking and alcohol, respectively, from 12/2016 to 01/2017 and 10/2020 to 06/2022 (or 03/2022 in the case of BIs for alcohol), depended on history of a mental health condition.ResultsThe receipt of smoking BIs declined from an average prevalence of 31.8% (95%CI 29.4–35.0) pre-March 2020 to 24.4% (95%CI 23.5–25.4) post-March 2020. The best-fitting model found that after March 2020 there was a 12-month decline before stabilising by June 2022 in social grade ABC1 at a lower level (~ 20%) and rebounding among social grade C2DE (~ 27%). Receipt of BIs for alcohol was low (overall: 4.1%, 95%CI 3.9–4.4) and the prevalence was similar pre- and post-March 2020.ConclusionsThe receipt of BIs for smoking declined following March 2020 but rebounded among priority socioeconomic groups of people who smoked. BIs for alcohol among those who use alcohol at increasing and higher risk levels were low and there was no appreciable change over time. Maintaining higher BI delivery among socioeconomic and mental health priority groups of smokers and increasing and higher risk alcohol users is important to support reductions in smoking and alcohol related inequalities.

Effect of Rainfall on Seasonality of Malaria Transmission Dynamics and Percentage Occurrence of mRDT Positives Around the Five Rural Health Facilities in Vihiga County, Kenya

Background: The negative impact and concern of malaria is felt world over with 247 million cases reported in 2021. The cases were reported in 84 malaria endemic countries with high number of casualties experienced in Africa. Normally, malaria infection is influenced by climatic factors while its treatment and resilience to drugs is controlled by health interventions measures both at the hospital level and in the community. Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests (mRDTs) are recommended by WHO for malaria testing and are expansively used in rural set-ups. However, their success in performance is controlled by many factors. This study aimed at correlating the effect of rainfall patterns to malaria positive case as tested by mRDT in Vihiga County, Kenya. Methodology: This study focused on the participation of 500 patients from a population of 18201 patients within a two (2) Kilometre radius of the five rural health facilities in Vihiga County. Facilities had poor infrastructure in terms of malaria testing and mostly relied on mRDT for malaria testing and surveillance. Data was collected from the five health facilities at the end of every month for a period of twelve months. The rain gauge reading was also collected daily by Vihiga metrological department from which the average monthly rainfall was computed. This was run from April 2022 and March 2023. Care start TM Rapid Diagnostic Tests were used to detect HRP2/3 proteins/antigens which are specifically responsive to Plasmodium falciparum antibodies. Results and Data Analysis: Average rainfall for the period between April 2022 and March 2023 was 185mm; the average percentage prevalence of malaria during the same period in this region was 21.3%. This region experienced one peak of rainfall recorded at 360mm in the month of September; 2022.The month of April recorded the highest malaria prevalence of 38.4% with an average rainfall amount of 311.7mm while February recorded the lowest malaria prevalence of 7.16% with an average rainfall amount of 0.2mm. The data showed that there were more patients in the middle age category of between five (5) and eighteen (18) years. More women came to the facilities than men; hence more women were malaria positive than men. Linear regression analysis was performed which emerged that the average rainfall accounts for 28.37% variations in prevalence (R2=0.2837). The model coefficient showed that average rainfall has a positive significant effect on prevalence (β=0.0591, p&lt;0.05). This implies that malaria prevalence is determined by rainfall amount. Although the infection rate is on the downward trend, there was a constant of 10 from the model equation which is apparent that malaria infection is not dependent on rainfall alone; there could be other factors as well. Conclusion: This study reported fluctuating average rainfall throughout the year. There was fluctuating average malaria prevalence as well. When the average rainfall was high, average malaria prevalence was also high and the converse was true. Therefore, rainfall significantly caused the malaria infection in this region. High rainfall is a significant determinant of malaria prevalence.

Prevalence of Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Tanzania: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

We systematically searched the PubMed, Web of Science, African Journals Online, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar databases for studies conducted up to March 1, 2023, that estimated the prevalence of HBV in Tanzania based on HBV surface antigen measurements. The DerSimonian-Laird random effects model was used to estimate the overall prevalence of HBV with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Potential sources of heterogeneity were also investigated. Thirty-one studies with a total sample size of 37,988 were included in the meta-analysis. The overall average HBV prevalence estimate in Tanzania was 6.91% (95% CI = 5.18-8.86%). Subgroup analysis revealed the highest prevalence in the northern zone (9.32%, 95% CI; 2.24-20.36%), among the blood donors (18.72%, 95% CI: 17.43-20.05%) and among the community volunteers (8.76%, 95% CI: 4.55-14.15%). The lowest prevalence was observed in the lake zone at 4.66% (95% CI: 3.49-5.99) and in pregnant women at 4.72% (95% CI: 3.42-6.21). The overall between-study variability showed significant heterogeneity (I 2 = 97.41%, P < 0.001). Our results showed that Tanzania is a country with moderately high HBV endemicity, with large interregional differences and significantly high numbers of HBV infections within the community. This underscores the need for immediate development of targeted prevention strategies and further epidemiological studies to better understand the pattern of the disease.

Prevalence of anxiety and depression among patients with glaucoma.

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression among patients with glaucoma compared to the average Brazilian prevalence (9.8% of anxiety and 5.8% of depression, according to the World Health Organization) and its correlation with the severity of the disease. This was a transversal, single-arm trial of patients from four glaucoma centers in São Paulo and Curitiba-Brazil. Patients comprised adults at least 18 years of age with glaucoma diagnosis under treatment for at least 6 months. All subjects of the study answered two questionnaires (PHQ-9 and GAD-7) to evaluate the presence of anxiety and depression, and the results were analyzed accordingly to clinical and demographic characteristics. The protocol included a total of 210 patients. The average age was 61.6 ± 15.3 years, and the female gender was more common (68.86%). Primary open-angle glaucoma was the most common diagnosis (59.90%). The average IOP was 18.5 mmHg, and 1.5 anti-glaucoma drops were the mean treatment. The prevalence of depression and anxiety was 26.90 and 25.71%, respectively. Most patients with anxiety were classified as early glaucoma, while those with depression had severe glaucoma. This study found that the prevalence of anxiety and depression among patients with glaucoma is higher than in the general population in our country.