Prevalence Of Common Diseases Research Articles

A Study of Prevalence and Underlying Causes of Undernutrition among Santal Pre-School Children (1-5 Years) of West Bengal

(Boys - 86.63% and Girls – 56.10%), stunting (Boys -76.24% and Girls – 57.56%) and wasting (Boys - 59.41% and Girls – 30.73%) were significantly higher in boys than girls in santal pre-school children. Dietary assessment showed that mean energy and protein intake were lower amount in santal boys and girls compare with RDA of India. Health assessment found that prevalence of common diseases was fever, common cold, diarrhoea, dysentery, scabies and jaundice in santal pre-school children. Santal boys were more vulnerable than santal girls with these diseases like fever, common cold and jaundice. Study also found that most of the parents in santal children preferred treatment during illness or disease by unqualified quack doctor than health centre or hospital and private MBBS clinic. It was found that overall economic condition of santal children family’s was very poor. Analysis of literacy in parents showed that percentage of illiteracy of both father and mother was very poor in santal pre-school children and fathers of santal communities were involved with verities type of occupation. Most of the santal families used unsafe drinking water and their sanitary facility was also very poor. Food pattern and socio-cultural practices were remarkably very poor. The study suggests that santal pre-school children of both Bankura and Paschim Medinipur are suffering from undernutrition severely in the form of stunting, underweight and wasting. This may be not only dietary inadequacy of protein and energy of their diet but also their poor health status which again may be a reflection of poor socio economic, socio cultural and unhygienic personal habits of the community.

Association of eating habits with health perception and diseases among Chinese physicians: a cross-sectional study.

Some eating habits may be related to the development of gastrointestinal diseases, obesity, and related metabolic dysfunctions. Because of long working hours, and shift schedules, physicians are more likely to form such eating habits and have a high risk of developing these diseases. We aimed to investigate the association between physicians' eating habits and their health perception and diseases. Between 24 June and 5 August 2020, we performed convenience sampling of in-service physicians in hospitals in mainland China. A questionnaire was administered to collect data pertaining to basic sociodemographic characteristics, eating habits, health-related information such as body mass index classification, and prevalence of common diseases. The associations among eating habits and perceived suboptimal health status, micronutrient deficiency-related diseases, obesity, and related metabolic diseases were analysed. The prevalence of unhealthy eating habits was high: more eating out-of-home (53.4% in hospital canteens, 23.0% in restaurants and takeaways), fewer meals at home, irregular meals (30.5%), and eating too fast (the duration <10 min, 34.6%). Among those with the above eating habits, the prevalence rates of sub-optimal health and disease were higher than among those without the above eating habits. Eating habits such as frequent eating out-of-home, irregular meals, and eating too fast were common among physicians, and were significantly related to perceived sub-optimal health status and disease occurrence.

Occupational polyneuropathies in female greenhouse workers and milkmaids

Introduction. Occupational polyneuropathy of the upper extremities, associated with the effects of physical overload, occurs quite often in agricultural workers and is a typical disease requiring rehabilitation measures.&#x0D; The study aims to research the clinical features of occupational pathology and comorbidity of occupational polyneuropathy in female agricultural workers to improve the effectiveness of rehabilitation.&#x0D; Materials and methods. The authors have studied the features of occupational pathology and the prevalence of common diseases in two groups of female agricultural workers who were diagnosed with occupational polyneuropathy from the effects of physical overload: milkmaids (50 people) and greenhouse workers (56 people). In these groups, all the subjects are women.&#x0D; Results. Despite the significant difference in labor in livestock and crop production, in their professional activities, both groups of female workers had a combined effect of several harmful production factors, such as stereotypical work movements, static loads on their hands, causing the development of professional polyneuropathy from physical overload. In the examined groups, radiculopathy of the lumbosacral level prevailed among the concomitant occupational diseases of milkmaids (60%), pathology of the musculoskeletal system prevailed in greenhouse workers (62.5%). Of the common diseases, female workers had ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, dorsopathies and deforming osteoarthritis of various localizations.&#x0D; Limitations. At agricultural enterprises with a different technology of work (poultry farms, field work in a hot climate), the nature of occupational pathology in workers may differ significantly from that described in the article.&#x0D; Conclusions. These features of comorbidity should be taken into account when planning measures for medical and professional rehabilitation of patients.&#x0D; Ethics. This study does not require the submission of the conclusion of the Biomedical ethics committee or other documents.

Evaluation of renal values during treatment for heartworm disease in 27 client-owned dogs

BackgroundCanine heartworm disease (CHD) caused by Dirofilaria immitis remains a common preventable disease with increasing incidence in some parts of the USA. The treatment guidelines of the American Heartworm Society (AHS) currently recommend monthly macrocyclic lactone administration, 28 days of doxycycline given orally every 12 h and three injections of melarsomine dihydrochloride (1 injection on day 2 of treatment followed 30 days later by 2 injections 24 h apart). Minocycline has also been utilized when doxycycline is unavailable. The systemic effects of CHD, which particularly impact cardiac and renal function, have been described, with infected dogs often experiencing renal damage characterized by an increase in serum concentrations of renal biomarkers. Although the AHS treatment protocol for CHD has been shown to be safe and effective in most cases, the potential for complications remains. No study as of yet has evaluated changes in symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA), a sensitive marker of renal function, during treatment for CHD. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate renal function in dogs by measuring serum creatinine and SDMA concentrations during the adulticide treatment period.MethodsSerum creatinine and SDMA concentrations were measured in 27 client-owned dogs affected by CHD at the following time points: prior to starting doxycycline or minocycline therapy (baseline), during doxycycline or minocycline therapy (interim), at the time of the first dose of melarsomine (first dose), at the time of the second dose of melarsomine (second dose) and at the dog’s follow-up visit after treatment, occurring between 1 and 6 months after completion of therapy (post-treatment). Concentrations of creatinine and SDMA were compared between time points using a mixed effects linear model.ResultsMean SDMA concentrations following the second dose of melarsomine were significantly lower (−1.80 ug/dL, t-test, df = 99.067, t = −2.694, P-Value = 0.00829) than baseline concentrations. There were no other statistically significant differences in the concentration of either biomarker between the baseline and the other time points in CHD dogs undergoing treatment.ConclusionsThe results suggest that the current AHS protocol may not have a substantial impact on renal function.Graphical

Knowledge of Saudi Pregnant Women Regarding Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and its Complications in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia

Background: Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is recognized as one of the most common preventable diseases related to perinatal and maternal deaths. Despite the high prevalence of the condition worldwide, research cites limited knowledge about the affected population of pregnant women in Saudi Arabia. The main aim of this study was to assess pregnant women’s knowledge of GDM and its implications for the mother and fetus. Methods and Materials: The study utilized an interview-based questionnaire-based cross-sectional study design that targeted pregnant women coming for antenatal care visits in public health care centers in Riyadh city. Results: One hundred and forty-three pregnant women participated. 35.5% of the population had adequate knowledge of GDM and its implications, 34.7% did not have enough understanding of the condition, and a further 29.8% were not aware of the complication. Knowledge about GDM was found to be statistically significant only with the number of pregnancies (p=0.03). Conclusion: Saudi pregnant women seem to have an inadequate knowledge scope of GDM and its implications to their health and those of their children. Specialized medical institutions and public health initiatives need to implement interventions to raise the awareness of the condition to help in earlier diagnosis and better management of the condition. Key words: Saudi pregnant women, knowledge, Gestational diabetes mellitus , Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Prevalence of Common Diseases in Indigenous People in Colombia.

The Indigenous tribe called the Wiwa lives retracted in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. Little is known about their health status and whether the health care system in place covers their needs. In 2017 and 2018, a permanent physician was in charge for the Wiwa. Diseases and complaints were registered, ranked, and classified with the ICD-10 coding. Datasets from the Indigenous health care provider Dusakawi, collected from local health points and health brigades travelling sporadically into the fields for short visits, were compared. Furthermore, a list of provided medication was evaluated regarding the recorded needs. The most common complaints found were respiratory, infectious and parasitic, and digestive diseases. The top ten diagnoses collected in the health points and in the health brigade datasets were similar, although with a different ranking. The available medication showed a basic coverage only, with a critical lack of treatment for many severe, chronic, and life-threatening diseases. Most of the detected diseases in the Indigenous population are avoidable by an improvement in health care access, an expansion of the provided medication, and an increase in knowledge, hygiene, and life standards.

Knowledge Among School Students Regarding Selected Common Preventable Diseases

Introduction: The health of school children is a common concern of the school, parents and the community. A child has to be healthy to learn and the school is an important place, next to home, where a child learns to be healthy. The schools are particularly important because these institutions represent gathering places for population of age 5-17 years. They are susceptible to many communicable diseases and vulnerable to physical, mental and moral hazards.&#x0D; Objective: To assess the level of knowledge of school students regarding selected common preventable diseases.&#x0D; Methods and Materials: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2019- June 2019 among purposively selected 101 students of class IX and X of Cantonment Public School and Millennium Star School, Rangpur Cantonment. Data were collected through face to face interview using pre-tested structured questionnaire. Data were checked for quality control and analyzed by computer by using SPSS software.&#x0D; Results: Mean age of the respondent was 14.68 ± 0.24 years. Among the participants maximum 77.2% were in the 13-15 years age group, followed by 22.8% were in the age group of 16-18 years, Male were 55.5% and female 44.5%. Majority of the respondents 51.5% from class X and rest 48.5% from class IX. Out of total 101 respondents 40.0% belonged to Good knowledge, 50.0% average and 10.0% were poor knowledge (Table-IV). Association between mean score of knowledge and age, sex, educational status and monthly family income found statistically significant (p&lt;0.05) (Table-V).&#x0D; Conclusion: The study revealed that 40.0% of respondent had ‘good knowledge’,50.0% had ‘Average knowledge’, and 10.0% had ‘poor knowledge’ regarding preventable disease.&#x0D; Sir Salimullah Med Coll J 2022; 30: 40-45

Knowledge, attitude, and practices of mothers from a rural community in Pampanga, Philippines toward childhood immunization: A cross sectional survey

Background/ObjectivesVaccination offers protection against common preventable diseases, and mothers have a significant role in determining the vaccination status of their children. The study aimed to assess the mothers’ knowledge, attitude, and practice toward childhood immunization and associate these variables to their demographic profile. MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted from February to May 2019 involving 240 mothers from a rural community in Pampanga, Philippines. ResultsBased on the results, 67.50% of the mothers showed a high level of knowledge and a positive attitude toward vaccination especially on the importance (96.30%), benefits (92.10%), and safety (95.30%) of immunization. Majority of the mothers also have good practices showing that 90.40% of them have children who are completely immunized, and 91.70% of them complied with the vaccination schedule. It was also reported that 63.75% obtain information about immunization from health care workers. Majority of them (91.30%) go to government facilities to avail of immunization because of the free services and easy accessibility. However, there were no significant associations on mothers’ knowledge, attitude, and practice and their demographic profile. ConclusionThe study revealed that mothers in the selected locale showed a high level of knowledge, a positive attitude, and good practices toward childhood immunization. Strengthening of primary health care facilities are needed to further increase the number of mothers with high knowledge on immunization and address other issues concerning childhood vaccination.

Survey on prevalence of common diseases in pigeon (Columba livia domestica) in Tuticorin district, Tamil Nadu, India

The aim of the study is to estimate the prevalence of diseases in Tuticorin district and to get an insight in pigeon production, disease management and vaccination status. A sample of 50 pigeon fanciers was randomly selected from different taluks in Tuticorin district and face to face interviews were conducted among them using a standard questionnaire. Among these a total of 202 diseased pigeons was examined. According to age, they were classified into three categories squab (1-2 weeks), young (30-90 days) and adult (&gt;90 days). Those diseases were identified by conducting the survey with a standard questionnaire among the pigeon fanciers and the study duration was from July 2016 to December 2016 and September 2t017 to November 2017. Out of 202 diseased pigeons 35.64% were raniket disease or Newcastle disease (paramyxovirus), 18.11%were canker disease, and 11.38% were one eye cold disease. In most of the lofts, the owners didn’t vaccinate their pigeons against the common diseases, even though many of them were aware of the diseases. Pigeon fancier’s education and awareness of pigeon diseases needs to be improved through veterinary public health and health promotion approach. Non pharmaceutical preventive measures such as hand washing and avoidance of eye, nose and mouth touching after handling of diseased pigeons must be improved. The present study has demonstrated that a study solely based on the questionnaire is not adequate in determining the prevalence of diseases in pigeon and also the results concluded that pigeon fanciers of Tuticorin district do not maintain the regular preventive measures or vaccination against the common diseases and to control the diseases.

Knowledge, attitude, and practices of mothers from a rural community in Pampanga, Philippines toward childhood immunization: A cross sectional survey

Background/ObjectivesVaccination offers protection against common preventable diseases, and mothers have a significant role in determining the vaccination status of their children. The study aimed to assess the mothers’ knowledge, attitude, and practice toward childhood immunization and associate these variables to their demographic profile. MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted from February to May 2019 involving 240 mothers from a rural community in Pampanga, Philippines. ResultsBased on the results, 67.50% of the mothers showed a high level of knowledge and a positive attitude toward vaccination especially on the importance (96.30%), benefits (92.10%), and safety (95.30%) of immunization. Majority of the mothers also have good practices showing that 90.40% of them have children who are completely immunized, and 91.70% of them complied with the vaccination schedule. It was also reported that 63.75% obtain information about immunization from health care workers. Majority of them (91.30%) go to government facilities to avail of immunization because of the free services and easy accessibility. However, there were no significant associations on mothers’ knowledge, attitude, and practice and their demographic profile. ConclusionThe study revealed that mothers in the selected locale showed a high level of knowledge, a positive attitude, and good practices toward childhood immunization. Strengthening of primary health care facilities are needed to further increase the number of mothers with high knowledge on immunization and address other issues concerning childhood vaccination.

Is low cost really conducive to primary care utilisation: An empirical analysis of community health centers in China.

Despite community health centers (CHCs) having many potential benefits, their utilisation rate is still low in urban China. Using the health belief model, the study conducted cross-sectional survey to examine factors that affected individuals' intentions to use primary care services in China. This study on 942 participants from Shanghai revealed that low cost had insignificant effect on the choice of CHCs once other key factors were accounted for. Older age, greater perceived susceptibility to contracting common diseases and more benefits of individualised care greatly increased the likelihood of using primary care services. Perceived low competencies of medical personnel along with outdated medical facilities had significant negative relationships with the intention of choosing CHCs. Based on these findings, some policy recommendations are proposed such as promoting education on prevalence of common diseases, recruiting qualified medical personnel, increasing professional training and cooperation, updating medical facilities, and offering high-quality individualised care in order to improve efficiency of primary care utilisation.

Prevalence of Common Diseases among Internally Displaced Persons in a Selected Region of Central African Republic

Introduction: Central African Republic (CAR) is one of the most war-affected countries in the world. The number of forcibly displaced people has grown significantly along with the emergence of many infectious and non-infectious diseases in this region. Very little information is available regarding the health of internally displaced persons (IDPs) of this country.&#x0D; Objectives: To find out the prevalence of common diseases among IDPs of a selected region of CAR.&#x0D; Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at a United Nations level-II hospital, run by Bangladesh medical contingent from November 2017 to October 2018. Patients of both sex irrespective of age who attended at least once to the medical outpatient department of the hospital included in the study.&#x0D; Results: Out of 1561 respondents 57% were female with a female to male ratio1.3:1. Among the health problems identified, communicable diseases were 65.59% and non-communicable diseases 34.40%. Malaria (21.19%), diarrhoeal disease (17.86%) respiratory tract infection (15.52%) and HIV/AIDS (9.96%) were the most common communicable diseases. Non-communicable diseases mainly affected the adult population where the prevalent diseases were hypertension 18.99% followed by diabetes mellitus 15.08%, severe malnutrition 11.91% and mental and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 08.93%.&#x0D; Conclusion: Limited provisions on healthcare facilities imposes a huge health risk for the IDPs especially, easily preventable communicable diseases. An integrated effort from local and international bodies is required for the restoration of the basic health services to continued provision of medicines, medical appliance and provide community health education and thereby, improve the overall health status of this region.&#x0D; JAFMC Bangladesh. Vol 15, No 2 (December) 2019: 181-185

Fidelity of the delivery of NHS Health Checks in general practice: an observational study.

BackgroundThe NHS Health Check programme aims to reduce the risk of common preventable diseases by providing risk information and behaviour change advice. Failure to deliver the consultation appropriately could undermine its efficacy. To date, to the authors’ knowledge, there are no published data on the fidelity of delivery of NHS Health Checks.AimTo assess the fidelity of delivery of NHS Health Checks in general practice.Design & settingFidelity assessment of video and audio recordings of NHS Health Check consultations conducted in four GP practices across the East of England.MethodA secondary analysis of 38 NHS Health Check consultations, which were video or audio recorded as part of a pilot study of introducing discussions of cancer risk into NHS Health Checks. Using a checklist based on the NHS Health Check Best Practice Guidance, fidelity of delivery was assessed as the proportion of key elements completed during the consultations.ResultsThe mean number of elements of the NHS Health Check completed across all consultations was 14.5/18 (80.6%), with a range of 10 to 17 (55.6% to 94.4%). The mean fidelity for risk assessment, risk communication, and risk management sections was 8.7/10 (87.0%), 4.1/5 (82.0%), and 1.7/3 (56.7%), respectively. Clinically appropriate lifestyle advice was given in 34/38 consultations. Elements with the lowest fidelity were ethnicity assessment (n = 12/38; 31.6%), family history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) assessment (n = 25/38; 65.8%), AUDIT-C communication (n = 13/38; 34.2%), and dementia risk management (n = 6/38; 15.8%).ConclusionAlthough fidelity of delivery was high overall, important elements of the NHS Health Check were being regularly omitted. Opportunities for behaviour change, particularly relating to alcohol consumption and dementia risk management, may be being missed.

Trends and Factors Associated with Healthcare Utilization for Childhood Diarrhea and Fever in Ethiopia: Further Analysis of the Demographic and Health Surveys from 2000 to 2016

Background Healthcare use for childhood illness reduces the risk of under-five deaths from common preventable diseases. However, rates of healthcare seeking for childhood diarrhea and fever remain low in most low- and middle-income countries including Ethiopia. This study aimed to assess the trends and factors for healthcare diarrhea and fever in Ethiopia from 2000 to 2016. Methods Analysis of healthcare use for diarrhea and fever trends was done using data from four Ethiopian Demographic Health Surveys. Descriptive statistics were used to report sample characteristics and healthcare use for diarrhea and fever trends, and chi-square tests were used to assess associations between independent variables and healthcare utilization in each survey. Binary logistic regression analysis was fitted to find the factors related to healthcare utilization for diarrhea and fever. All variables with odds ratio p values <0.05 were considered as significant determinants of the outcome. Results Healthcare seeking for diarrheal illness significantly increased from 13% (95% CI: 12.5–13.5) in 2000 to 44% (95% CI: 43.2–44.78) in 2016, while healthcare uses for fever significantly increased from 22% (95% CI: 16.7–27.3) in 2000 to 35% (95% CI: 34.3–35.7) in 2016. Factors of healthcare seeking for diarrhea in 2000–2016 were as follows: maternal age <30 years, urban residence, being a male child, nonexposure to mass media and not hearing information about oral rehydration, no desire to have more children, poor wealth index, and region. Meanwhile, factors for healthcare seeking for fever in 2000–2016 were as follows: a long distance from the nearest health facilities, first birth order, nonexposure to mass media, no desire to have more children, maternal age <30 years, urban residence, region, absence of antenatal and postnatal care utilization, poor wealth index, and being born from uneducated mothers (p values <0.05 were considered as significant determinants of the outcome. Conclusions Factors associated with healthcare utilization for diarrhea and fever differed between 2000 and 2016. Though Ethiopia has achieved a significant reduction in under-five mortality, it needs to accelerate the reduction through strengthening healthcare utilization for common childhood illness to avoid deaths from preventable diseases.

Prevalence of Common Diseases in a Perturbed Wetland Community of Okorombokho in the Niger-Delta Region, Nigeria

Prevalence of Common Diseases in a Perturbed Wetland Community of Okorombokho in the Niger-Delta Region, Nigeria

The relationship between serum NT-pro BNP and the severity of the COPD exacerbation

Introduction: COPD is a common preventable disease characterized by airflow limitation that is not completely reversible.Acute exacerbation is prominent and serious features of COPD. Acute Exacerbation of COPD leads to hospitalization and concomitant with morbidity and mortality .The ventricular dysfunction increases serum Brain Natriuretic Peptide(BNP) . This study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between serum N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro BNP) level and the severity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation. . Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed among 140 patients with COPD exacerbation referred to Imam Reza Hospital affiliated to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran from March 2016 to December 2017 . The patients were asked about the number of exacerbations over the past year including the recent attack. The severity of COPD was determined by the measurement of forced expiratory volume in 1 second by spirometery and level of hypoxemia by pulse oximetery. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software, version 20. Results: Regarding the results, COPD was more prevalent in males. The mean age of the patients was 57.60±9.76years old. There was a significant direct correlation between mean serum level of NT-pro BNP and age (P=0.01). Although mean serum NT-pro BNP level was higher in females patients (5.70±0.96) than males (5.66±1.24), no significant correlation was observed between mean serum NT-pro BNP level and gender (P=0.8). The most common chief complaints of the patients were dyspnea (97.9%), cough (88.9%), and phlegm (81.9%). There was no significant relationship between serum NT-pro BNP levels and the length of stay in hospital (P=0.1). However, there was a significant relationship between mean serum level of NT-pro BNP and COPD exacerbation (P=0.004). The mean serum level of NT-pro BNP was higher in the patients with more than two exacerbations over the last year in comparison to the other patients. Additionally, there was a significant direct relationship between mean serum level of NT-pro BNP and the severity of COPD (P=0.009). Moreover, a significant direct relationship was found between serum NT-pro BNP level and hypoxemia ( SpO2<90%; P=0.01). Furthermore, there was a significant relationship between mean serum level of NT-pro BNP and blood pH, which means that the mean serum level of NT-pro BNP was higher in the patients with blood pH levels of 7.25 and 7.25-7.30 (P=0.001). Conclusion: The serum NT-pro BNP level was a prognostic factor in the patients with COPD exacerbation.

Oral Hygiene Practices among Saudi Arabian Children and Its Relation to Their Dental Caries Status.

Dental caries is one of the most common preventable diseases occurring among children. The aim here is to survey the oral hygiene practices that are commonly followed by Arab children and to see its relationship with their dental caries status. A cross-sectional study with multistage random sampling technique was conducted. Sociodemographic data and information on oral hygiene practices like use of toothbrush, dental floss, siwak, frequency of brushing along with number of snack between meals per day, and consumption of sugar per day was obtained. Presence of plaque on tooth surfaces was reported using plaque index, which was followed by DMFT index to determine the dental caries status. Among the sample of 500 school children, the mean plaque score in male (mean = 0.69; SD = 0.50) was slightly higher than the female (mean = 0.66; SD = 0.46). Increased frequency of snacks (P=0.05; ß=0.08; CI = −0.00, 0.09) and sugar consumption (P=0.01; ß=0.16; CI = 0.04, 0.27) per day significantly showed higher values of DMFT. Also, the odds of dental caries among the school children who were irregular in brushing their teeth was higher in contrast to the children brushing once (P=0.03; OR = 0.89; CI = 0.70, 1.12) or twice (P=0.03; OR = 0.80; CI = 0.64, 0.93) per day. It is recommended that the dental public health practitioners here should consider the effect of oral hygiene practices on oral health status in order to design the future health promotion interventions.

Supervised toothbrushing programs in primary schools and early childhood settings: A scoping review.

In this article we report the findings of a scoping review that aimed to identify and summarise the range of programs and guidelines available for toothbrushing programs in schools and early childhood settings. Dental caries is one of the most common preventable diseases affecting children worldwide. Untreated caries can impact on child health and wellbeing, development, socialisation and school attendance. Supervised toothbrushing programs in schools and other early childhood settings can be effective in improving the oral health of young children. There is limited understanding of the salient issues to consider when developing such programs or how they are best implemented in real world settings. A scoping review methodology was utilised to provide a summary of the guidelines and programs available. Key search terms were developed, mapped and utilised to identify guidelines and programs across 6 databases and key search engines. We located 26 programs and guidelines that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria for the review. These were collated and summarised across key countries and critical aspects of program development and implementation were identified. Toothbrush type and storage, toothpaste strength and method of dispensing, toothbrush storage, staff training and parental consent are key considerations that varied widely. Guidelines for supervised toothbrushing programs vary within and across countries due to differences in water fluoridation and availability of low fluoride toothpastes. The results of this review provide critical information to be considered when establishing and implementing toothbrushing programs in these settings.

Association of smoking with prevalence of common diseases and metabolic abnormalities in community-dwelling Japanese individuals.

Smoking is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Given that certain common pathologies, including hypertension, dyslipidemia and type 2 diabetes mellitus, are major risk factors for CVDs, the association of smoking with CVDs may be attributable, at least in part, to its effects on common diseases. The aim of the present study was to determine the association of smoking with the prevalence of common diseases and metabolic abnormalities in community-dwelling Japanese individuals. The study included 5,959 subjects (1,302 current smokers, 1,418 past smokers and 3,239 nonsmokers) recruited to the Inabe Health and Longevity Study, a longitudinal genetic epidemiological study of atherosclerotic, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Various metabolic parameters and prevalence of common diseases were compared between smokers and nonsmokers using multivariable regression or logistic regression analysis with adjustments for age. Analysis indicated significantly higher serum concentrations of triglycerides and lower concentrations of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol in current smokers compared with nonsmokers in men and women. Serum concentrations of creatinine and systolic blood pressure were significantly lower and estimated glomerular filtration rate was higher in male current smokers. In addition, body weight was higher in female current smokers. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, smoking was significantly associated with the prevalence of dyslipidemia [P=6.3×10-10; odds ratio (OR), 1.81], hypertriglyceridemia (P=2.3×10-20; OR, 2.39), hypo-HDL-cholesterolemia (P=2.0×10-9; OR, 2.14), metabolic syndrome (P=0.0003; OR, 1.61) and chronic kidney disease (P=4.4×10-15; OR, 0.54) in men, but not in women. The results indicated that smoking is significantly associated with various metabolic abnormalities and prevalence of common diseases in Japanese individuals, with certain sex differences, which may lead to accelerated development of CVDs.

Clinical analysis of elderly type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with skin complications

Objective To analyze the prevalence and characteristics of skin diseases in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods Clinical out patient records for both elderly and non-elderly individuals with T2DM were collected from the dermatology department of Beijing Hospital.Statistical comparisons were performed between the elderly group and the non-elderly group on the prevalence of common skin complications and disease characteristics.Analysis was performed in the elderly group to identify any association of common skin disorders with gender, age, duration of T2DM, or level of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Results Among 679 elderly T2DM cases, pruritus was the most common complication (26.1%), followed by eczema (21.1%) and tinea pedis/onychomycosis (18.3%). Pruritus was more prevalent in the elderly group (177 cases, 26.1%) compared to the non-elderly group (34 cases, 9.8%) (χ2=6.006, P<0.01). On the other hand, tinea pedis/onychomycosis was less prevalent in the senior group (124 cases, 18.3%) than in the non-senior group (112 cases, 32.2%) (χ2=37.437, P<0.01). In the senior group, pruritus was more prevalent among male patients (105 out of 358 cases, 29.3%) than among female patients(72 out of 321 cases, 22.4%) (χ2=4.181, P=0.041). On average, patients with eczema were older〔(72.3±2.2)years〕and had a longer history of T2DM〔(8.3±0.3)years〕compared with patients without eczema〔age: (65.2±1.9)years, history of T2DM: (5.2±0.1)years〕 (t=1.250, P=0.023 for age; t=1.680, P=0.033 for disease duration). Patients with tinea pedis/onychomycosis had higher HbA1c levels (6.7±0.4)% than patients without tinea pedis/onychomycosis (6.1±0.3)% (t=0.790, P<0.01). Conclusions Pruritus is the most common skin complication in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes and is more common in elderly patients and male patients.Risk factors for developing eczema in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes may include older age and long disease duration.High levels of glycosylated hemoglobin in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes indicates increased risk for foot fungi infections. Key words: Diabetes mellitus, type 2; Skin diseases