Multilevel Logistic Analysis Research Articles

Neighborhood contributions in influencing overweight and obesity among Chinese children and adolescents: Temporal, geographical and gender variations.

The precise extent to which neighborhood influences childhood overweight and obesity (O/O) remains unknown. We investigated the magnitudes of neighborhood contributions to childhood O/O and explored potential temporal, geographical and gender variations. This was a pooled analysis using secondary survey data from six China Family Panel Studies from 2010 to 2020. 26262 children and adolescents aged 6-16 years residing in the low, medium and high O/O prevalence areas were included. Multilevel logistic analyses with random slopes were utilized to regress O/O on various individual and neighborhood covariates. Intraclass Correlation Coefficients were applied to quantify neighborhood contributions and 80% Interval Odds Ratio and Proportions of Opposed Odds Ratios were used to evaluate between-neighborhood discrepancies in specific neighborhood factors. Overall, neighborhood accounted for 2%-8% of O/O variations. Temporally, neighborhood contributions declined from 2010 to 2016 but increased thereafter. Geographically, they were higher in medium/low prevalence areas than high prevalence areas (4%-10% vs. 2%-6%). Compared to males, they were greater among females (3%-9% vs. 1%-7%). Neighborhood contributions in high prevalence areas have rapidly increased recently with those among males growing faster. Besides O/O prevalence areas, residence (OR: 1.12, CIs: 1.01-1.23)) and percentage of households with minimum living allowance (1.01, 1.00-1.01) were significant neighborhood factors with the effects of residence exhibited lower between-neighborhood variations (32%-43% vs. 48%-50%). This study empirically suggests the importance of neighborhood and supports the potential of governmental policies aiming at curbing childhood overweight/obesity through tailored neighborhood-based interventions.

The emergence of citizen collectives for care: the role of social cohesion

BackgroundAgeing populations and the ability to cure an increasing number of ailments put pressure on the health care sector. Meanwhile, care institutions retreat from rural areas and some governments emphasizes the need for citizens to find informal care primarily in their own social network. In The Netherlands, citizens increasingly respond by coming together to organize (in)formal care among themselves in ‘care collectives’. However, little is known about the conditions that need to be met for such collective action to develop, and explanations that go beyond an individualist perspective are particularly lacking. In this study, we aim to fill this gap, and specifically argue for the potential role of social cohesion to facilitate collective action among citizens through fostering a social identity, and through the prevalence of social relations that facilitate reciprocity and mutual trust among citizens. We further test whether these relations vary between municipalities, and whether they depend on the necessity for care services.MethodsWe obtain data on the location of care collectives from an extensive Dutch inventory and match it to register data from Statistics Netherlands from 2020. We create measures for neighborhood attachment and contact using the ‘ecometric approach’. We test our hypotheses with multilevel logistic regression models and multilevel event history analysis for a subset of the data that can be analyzed longitudinally.ResultsWe find evidence for a positive association between neighborhood attachment and the emergence of a care collective, which is stronger if the necessity for care is higher. We do not find a relation between neighborhood contact and care collectives, nor do we find evidence that these relations vary between municipalities. We cannot replicate our positive associations in the longitudinal model, and thus remain reserved about their causal interpretation.ConclusionsThere is considerable variability in the extent to which neighborhoods organize care services collectively. Partly, this may be attributable to differences in the prevalence of neighborhood identity, which would imply that an increasing reliance on citizen collectives may increase inequality in access to healthcare. Further research should emphasize combining community-level information with data on individual participation in care collectives to delve deeper into the dynamics of invitation, representation and embeddedness than current data allows.

Indivudual and implant factors associeated with peri-implantitis: a multi-level analysis

The study aimed to carry out a multilevel analysis of the factors associated with peri-implantitis in patients who were rehabilitated with osseointegrated implants at the Dental Clinic of Universidade Paulista (UNIP). Being analyzed by means of influence on the patients' quality of life, 171 patients with 668 implants, with 5 years in function, were selected through clinical and radiographic examinations. Systemic and local factors and characteristics were evaluated to determine the health of the peri-implant tissues. Quality of life was assessed using the Oral Health Impact Profile Index (OHIP-14). Multilevel logistic analysis was performed to estimate the OR of peri-implantitis at implant and patient level. The model was analyzed using the likelihood ratio test and the Wald test. Through the results, it was verified that the probing depth both at the implant and patient level and the distance from the gingival margin to the implant platform are factors risk for peri-implantitis. However, due to the low prevalence of the disease, there was no negative impact on the patients' quality of life.

Friendship Homophily Trajectories among Asian American Youth from High School to College.

Friendship racial homophily, the tendency to form friendships with individuals who share the same racial background, is a normative developmental phenomenon that holds particular significance for youth of color in a racialized society. Yet, there exists a paucity of longitudinal research elucidating the stability and change of friendship racial composition across developmental span. This study aimed to examine the friendship racial homophily trajectories over a six-year period encompassing four time points. The sample comprised 437 Asian American youth (MAge = 16.52, SDAge = 1.36, 53% female), with 197 Filipino and 240 Korean participants. Using logistic multilevel modeling analyses, it was found that both Filipino and Korean American youth demonstrated an increase in friendship racial homophily from high school to college, but that Filipino youth overall reported lower levels of racial homophily compared to their Korean counterparts. The study findings also pinpointed several influential factors impacting these trajectories, including proficiency in heritage languages, ethnic identity, and encounters with racial discrimination from both White Americans and other People of Color. These results highlight the continuous evolution of friendship racial composition from high school to college and emphasize the crucial role of ethnic identity and experiences of discrimination in influencing these dynamics, with ethnic identity exerting more enduring effects and experiences of discrimination showing more situational impacts on the levels of racial homophily.

Determinants of nutritional status of children aged 6–59 months in the case of Itang special woreda, Gambella, Ethiopia

Nutritional status is one of the most important causes of improper physical and mental development in children. The study attempts to assess the factors affecting the severity status of children aged 6–59 months’ malnutrition based on the weight-for-age anthropometric index (z-score) and examine between-kebeles-level differences in determinants of the nutritional status of children. A community-based, cross-sectional study design was conducted from October 12 to November 12, 2022. A sample of 397 children aged 6–59 months primary data by applying multi–stage clustered sampling technique was used by considering their heterogeneity. The data were entered by SPSS and analyzed by using R version 3.4.0 and STATA 14.2 statistical software package using a multilevel ordinal logistic regression model and inferences were conducted at a 5% significance level. The results show that birth interval ≥ 24 months (OR = 1.431253, 95% CI 1.221337 1.6763421, P-value = 0.008), economic status of households medium (OR = 16.21466, 95% CI 1.221403 1.423929, P-value = 0.000), economic status of households rich (OR = 223.2856, 95% CI 1.34295 2.582325, P-value = 0.000), employment status of the mother unemployed (OR = 0.2291348, 95% CI 0.0529511 0.9966281, P-value = 0.049), No toilet facility (bush field) (OR = 0.3163329, 95% CI 0.1825356 0.5481975, P-value = 0.000), number of household members (OR = 0.9100682, 95% CI 0.8313481 0.9967315, P-value = 0.042), breastfeeding < 12 months (OR = 0.53803, 95% CI 0.322315 0.898135, P-value = 0.018), educational level of father Primary (OR = 4.601687, 95% CI 1.758009 2.22053, P-value = 0.000), educational level of father Secondary above (OR = 99.65229, 95% CI 2.533502 4.788896, P-value = 0.000) and geographical area (kebeles) were found to be important factors that affect a child's nutritional status between 6 and 59 months. 15% of the overall variation is attributable to the Kebeles level, according to two-level multilevel ordinal logistic regressions with estimates of the variation attributable to the Kebeles level equal to 0.569 and an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.15. Due to the nature of the response variable random intercept model with random coefficients fitted the data adequately in predicting the severity status of children aged 6–59 months’ malnutrition for the multilevel ordinal logistic regression model analysis. So, the researcher recommended that implementing primary health care and nutrition programs that would fit each kebeles’ features in Itang Special Woreda to safeguard children from nutritional deficiency.

Association of same-sex criminalisation laws and national HIV policies with HIV testing in African MSM: an ecological single-level and multilevel cross-sectional study of sub-Saharan African countries

BackgroundHIV incidence among men who have sex with men (MSM) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remains high compared with the general population. Many countries in the region still criminalise consensual homosexual...

Investigating the Challenges in Alcoholic Beverage Control and Law Enforcement: Analyzing Binge Drinking Prevalence Among the Working-Age Population in Thailand Based on 2017 National Survey

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of binge drinking and to investigate the association between socioeconomic factors, risk behaviors, and problems in enforcing the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law among the working-age population in Thailand. Utilizing data from the Smoking and Drinking Behaviors Survey 2017 conducted by the National Statistical Office of Thailand, the study analyzed responses from 61,708 participants. A multilevel logistic analysis was employed to identify the association between issues in enforcing alcoholic beverage control laws and binge drinking, controlling for the effects of covariates and presenting adjusted odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals. Among the 61,708 respondents, the prevalence of binge drinking was found to be 11.47%. Factors related to the enforcement of alcoholic beverage control laws were significantly associated with binge drinking. Other notable covariates included being male, age, and tobacco consumption. Gaps in the enforcement of alcohol regulations have led to increased alcohol consumption among the working-age population. Consequently, the implementation of rigorous public interest legislation is necessary. This includes setting surveillance standards to strictly monitor alcohol sales, particularly to youth and adolescents, enhancing moral awareness, and increasing penalties for violations of alcohol control laws. Additionally, there is a need to promote the development of practical and comprehensive policies and penalties for breaching alcohol control laws in Thailand.

Retention rate of vaccination card and its associated factors among vaccinated children aged 12─23 months in Ethiopia: Multilevel logistic regression analysis.

Vaccine card is a crucial tool for gauging vaccine coverage. It is imperative to hold these health cards to have well-fitted data which are crucial in reaching data-driven decisions in the era of immunization surveillance and monitoring processes. However, there is limited knowledge about the retention rate of vaccination card and its associated factors in Ethiopia. This research aimed to assess the retention rate and associated factors of vaccination card in Ethiopia, using data from the 2016 Ethiopian demographic health survey. This study included a total of 1304 (weighted) children aged 12─23 months who were vaccinated and provided with a vaccination card. We used a multilevel logistic regression model to analyze factors associated with vaccination card retention. We considered factors to be statistically significant if they had a p-value of less than 0.05 with a respective 95% confidence interval. Among the cohort of 1,304 immunized children, it was observed that 684, representing 52.5% (95% CI: 49.7%─55.2%), were able to present their respective vaccination card during the interview time. According to the results of the multilevel logistic analysis, there is a considerable reduction in the rate of vaccination card retention by 65% (adjusted OR 0.35, 95% CI: 0.19─0.65) and 37% (adjusted OR 0.63, 95% CI: 0.4─0.91) for individuals who are rural residents and those who are fully vaccinated, respectively. Furthermore, it is noteworthy to mention that individuals originating from socio-economic backgrounds with low poverty levels exhibit a 59% increase in vaccination card possession (adjusted OR 1.59, 95% CI: 1.11─2.50). This study revealed a low rate of holding vaccination cards. Place of residency, wealth status, and vaccination status were factors that contributed to the change in the vaccination card retention rate. It is advisable to customize the interventional strategy by taking into account the individual's residency, immunization status, and degree of poverty within the community, to achieve a favorable rate of holding vaccination cards.

Unmet Need for Family Planning and Spousal Separation in Nepal: A Spatial and Multilevel Analysis.

Objectives: In Nepal, where increasing numbers of married couples live apart due to migration, progress in reducing unmet need for family planning (UMN) is stagnant. This study aims to identify spatial patterns of UMN of married women and spousal separation in Nepal and explore associations between UMN and spousal separation at individual- and district-levels. Methods: We used 2016 Nepal Demographic and Health Surveys data to conduct spatial and multilevel logistic analyses. Results: This study shows evidence of similar geographical patterns in UMN of married women and spousal separation. At the individual level, women living with their spouses had 88% (aOR = 0.12, 95% CI 0.11-0.13) decreased odds of experiencing UMN compared to those living apart from their spouses. While not statistically significant, increasing odds of UMN were observed with higher prevalence of spousal separation at the district level. Conclusion: This study contributes to the existing literature by showing similar geographical patterns of UMN and spousal separation across Nepal and demonstrating both individual and contextual effects of spousal separation on UMN among married women. Theoretical and policy implications are discussed.

The relationship between loneliness and the experiences of everyday stress and stressor-related emotion.

Loneliness influences how people experience and respond to stressors, which may account for its role as a risk factor for morbidity and mortality. The present study was motivated by emerging evidence that affective responses to minor daily events have long-term implications for health and well-being. Specifically, we evaluated how individual differences in loneliness relate to the frequency of everyday stressors and stressor-related negative emotions. A diverse community sample of 255 adults (age 25-65years) completed ecological momentary assessments (EMA), during which they reported recent stressors and current negative affect (NA) five times a day for 14days. Multilevel logistic analyses indicated that there was a quadratic association between loneliness and likelihood of reporting stressors, controlling for demographics, social isolation, depressive symptoms, and context (current activities, current location). Multilevel regression indicated that loneliness was unrelated to the concurrent effect of stressors on NA but significantly larger lagged stressor effects were observed among individuals in the low and high ranges of loneliness. These findings suggest that individuals with high levels of loneliness are more likely to experience everyday stressors and have prolonged emotional responses following stressors.

Left Behind Together and Voting for Populism: Regional Out-Migration, Civic Engagement and the Electoral Success of Populist Radical Right Parties

According to the academic debate, the populist radical right is particularly successful in regions that have been left behind economically or culturally. Although civic engagement in networks of civil society, a specific form of social capital, seems important, its influence remains ambiguous. In contrast, regional out-migration as a social dimension of being left behind receives limited attention despite the relevance of internal migration to political geography. This study investigates two theoretically possible models to clarify the relationships between regional out-migration, civic engagement, and their impacts on voting for the populist radical right. Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) and official regional statistics, logistic multilevel analyses are conducted for Germany and the election of the AfD (Alternative for Germany) in the 2017 federal election. The key finding of the cross-sectional analysis is that regional out-migration is a condition that moderates the relationship between civic participation and the election of the AfD. In general, civically involved individuals support established democratic parties, but in regions with high out-migration, they tend to vote for the populist radical right. However, there is no empirical evidence that regional out-migration contributes to the election of the AfD by reducing civic engagement and being mediated by it.

A high sense of coherence can mitigate suicidal ideation associated with insomnia.

The present study aimed to investigate whether insomnia is associated with suicidal ideation (SI) among Japanese workers by conducting a multi-level analysis with sense of coherence (SOC) as a random effect. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 19,481 workers in Tsukuba, Japan. Data from 7,175 participants aged 20-65 years were included in the analysis. The Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) was used as the independent variable, and SI over the past year was used as the dependent variable. SOC was measured using the five-point SOC-13 scale, and socioeconomic and health factors were investigated as covariates. Participants were divided into three groups (low, medium, and high) based on their SOC scores. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was performed to calculate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). In the high-SOC group, only one person had SI. In a multi-level logistic analysis that excluded the high SOC group, insomnia was found to be associated with SI (OR = 2.26, 95% CI [1.75, 2.93]). Furthermore, the AIS sub-items "Final awakening earlier than desired" (OR = 1.26, 95% CI [1.05, 1.50]) and "Sense of well-being during the day" (OR = 1.63, 95% CI [1.34, 1.99]) were associated with SI. 8.95% or 11% of the variation in the presence or absence of SI was found to be explained by differences between SOC groups. The study highlights that insomnia is associated with SI, and that high SOC may reduce SI even under insomnia. Future longitudinal studies are needed to confirm whether high SOC reduces SI due to insomnia.

House Condition Scoring Scale as a Risk Indicator of Infestation by Aedes in Two Mexican Localities.

Mexico has shown an increase in dengue incidence rates. There are factors related to the location that determine housing infestation by Aedes. This study aimed to determine factors associated with housing infestation by immature forms of Aedes spp. in the dengue endemic localities of Axochiapan and Tepalcingo, Mexico, from 2014 to 2016. A cohort study was carried out. Surveys and inspections of front- and backyards were conducted every 6 months, looking for immature forms of Aedes spp. A house condition scoring scale was developed using three variables (house maintenance, tidiness of the front- and backyards, and shading of the front- and backyards). Multiple and multilevel regression logistic analysis were conducted considering the housing infestation as the outcome and the household characteristics observed 6 months before the outcome as factors; this was adjusted by time (seasonal and cyclical variations of the vector). The infestation oscillated between 5.8% of the houses in the second semester of 2015 and 29.3% in the second semester of 2016. The factors directly associated with housing infestation by Aedes were the house condition score (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.64; 95% CI: 1.40-1.91) and the previous record of housing infestation (aOR: 2.99; 95% CI: 2.00-4.48). Moreover, the breeding-site elimination done by house residents reduced the housing infestation odds by 81% (95% CI: 25-95%). These factors were independent of the seasonal and cyclical variations of the vector. In conclusion, our findings could help to focalize antivectorial interventions in dengue-endemic regions with similar demographic and socioeconomic characteristics.

A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY TO EVALUATE HIGH LEVELS OF SERUM URIC ACID IN DIFFERENT INDIAN COMMUNITIES

Higher uric acid levels or hyperuricemia is a product of more uric acid production, dysfunctional renal excretion, or a combination of both leading to deposition of urate crystals in the joints and kidneys and has been strongly linked with the development of gout, that is, acute inflammatory arthritis. Uric acid levels have been suggested to depend on multiple factors including lifestyle, diet, alcohol consumption, etc. As these are risk parameters for hyperuricemia and since lifestyle choices vary amongst different Indian communities, we sought to study the prevalence of hyperuricemia in these communities. Also, large-scale data (in terms of gender, age, lifestyle, community) on the prevalence of hyperuricemia in subjects amongst different community populations, Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, and Christian was generated.In a retrospective study conducted at Dr. D. Y. Patil School of Medicine &amp; Research Centre, Navi Mumbai from April 2018 to May 2021, information was gathered from four major communities on a range of indicators including serum uric acid levels followed by a thorough multilevel logistic analysis. We evaluated uric acid levels in 10,378 patients of four different communities. Outcomes were assessed biochemically as well as clinically based on the levels of serum uric acid.The mean serum uric acid levels were highest in Sikhs (7.6 mg%, n=732) followed by Christians (7.3 mg%, n=892) and then by Hindus (5.9 mg%, n=6846) and Muslims (5.6 mg%, n=1908). About 83.7% of Christians consumed meat in a non-vegetarian diet followed by 45.7% Muslims. Percentage of Christians who binge drink were highest whereas percentage of Sikh people in the heavy drinkers’ category were 5.2%. Further, 9.5% Hindus were current smokers followed by 7.8% Sikhs who smoked at present.Overall, our study of 10,378 patients demonstrated that the serum uric acid levels varied from one Indian community to another due to varying external factors like diet, age, lifestyle, and addictions. Thus, lifestyle modification in communities with higher serum uric acid levels is highly advocated and this may reduce the healthcare burden of gouty arthritis in these communities.

Influence of work and family environment on burnout among emergency medical technicians.

Burnout among emergency medical technicians is a serious problem affecting delivery of quality emergency medical services. Although the repetitive nature of the job and lower education level requirements for technicians have been reported as risk factors, little is known about the influence of burden of responsibility, degree of supervisor support, and home environment on burnout among emergency medical technicians. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that burden of responsibility, degree of supervisor support, and home environment increase burnout probability. A web-based survey was conducted among emergency medical technicians in Hokkaido, Japan from July 26, 2021 to September 13, 2021. A total of 21 facilities were randomly selected from 42 fire stations. Prevalence of burnout was measured using the Maslach Burnout-Human Services Survey Inventory (MBI-HSS). Burden of responsibility was measured using a visual analog scale. Occupational background was also measured. Supervisor support was measured using the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ). Family-work negative spillover was measured using the Japanese version of Survey Work-Home Interaction-NijmeGen (SWING). The cutoff value for burnout syndrome was defined as emotional exhaustion≥27 and/or depersonalization≥10. A total of 700 survey respondents were included, and 27 surveys with missing data were excluded. The suspected burnout frequency was 25.6%. Covariates were adjusted using multilevel logistic regression model analysis. Low supervisor support (odds ratio, 1.421; 95% confidence interval, 1.136-1.406; P<0.001) and high family-work negative spillover (odds ratio, 1.264; 95% confidence interval, 1.285-1.571; P<0.001) were independent factors associated with higher probability of burnout. This study indicated that focusing on improvement of supervisor support for emergency medical technicians and creating supportive home environments may assist in reducing burnout frequency.

No relevant spectator impact on home advantage in male and female professional volleyball – A longitudinal multilevel logistic model analysis over 25 years

Home advantage (HA) regularly occurs in volleyball (Pollard et al., 2017: men: 56.62%, women: 55.26%). Research to date has investigated primarily small samples of mostly female matches and not looked into the potential impact of spectators on HA. This archival analysis uses multilevel modelling to examine HA in professional German volleyball (men & women) over 25 seasons in all regular and play-off matches (N = 6,833). We analyze how spectators drive HA and whether this projects to the COVID-19 season 2020/21.When intercepts varied between teams (2-level model, ICC = 27%), the winning probability increased when playing at home (men: 57.01%, ORmen = 2.39, d = 0.48; women: 55.39%, ORwomen = 2.19, d = 0.43), while controlling for team strength, interaction with gender, and travelling distance. More spectators had a negligible effect on the men’s and women’s chances (|d| < 0.07). Similar trends were observed for the probability of winning sets. Contrary to other team sports (e.g., soccer), there is no HA-development over the last decades.

Access to medicines among the Brazilian population based on the 2019 National Health Survey.

Access to medicines is a challenge, especially in developing countries, highlighting the need of population-based research to evaluate access and related factors. This study aimed to assess access to medicines and identify associated factors using data from the 2019 Brazilian National Health Survey (PNS). This population-based cross-sectional study used data from the 2019 PNS and considered access to prescription medicines as the primary outcome. The sample included 24,753 individuals aged 15 years or older who looked for medical care in the last 15 days and received a medicine prescription. Andersen's behavioral model was used to select independent variables. After descriptive analysis, a multinomial logistic regression multilevel analysis was performed using the independent variables with a significance level lower than 0.20 in the bivariate analysis. The lowest chances of getting access to medicines were observed in individuals aged between 40 and 59 years, women, with complete middle and high school, with lower-income families, who attended public services, with worse self-assessed health, and those who looked for health care for disease prevention and health promotion. Access to medicines among the Brazilian population is associated with social, economic, and health perception factors. Our findings may update and guide the development of public policies on medication and pharmaceutical care, facilitating medication purchases by the care user and promoting health equity.

Factors associated with referral to physiotherapists for adult patients consulting for musculoskeletal disorders in primary care; an ancillary study to ECOGEN

BackgroundMusculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are multifactorial requiring multidisciplinary treatment including physiotherapy. General practitioners (GP) have a central role in managing MSDs and mostly solicit physiotherapists accounting for 76.1% of physiotherapy referrals in France. Patient, physician, and contextual factors, including healthcare accessibility, can influence physiotherapy referral rates.ObjectiveTo identify patient, physician, and contextual factors associated with physiotherapy referral in adult patients with MSDs in general practice.MethodsThis study is based on the 2011/2012 French cross-sectional ECOGEN study. Analyses included working-age patients consulting their GP for any MSD. Physiotherapy referral was assessed initially, then adjusted multilevel logistic model analysis of patient, physician, geographical area-related factors associated with these referrals was performed.ResultsAmong the 2305 patients included, 456 (19.8%) were referred to a physiotherapist. Following multilevel multivariate analyses, physiotherapist referral was more frequent for female patients (OR 1.28; 95% CI [1.03, 1.59]) with spinal (OR 1.47; 95% CI [1.18, 1.83]) and upper limb disorders (OR 1.66; 95% CI [1.20, 2.29]), and less frequent for patients ≥ 50 years (OR 0.69; 95% CI [0.52, 0.91]), living in deprived geographical areas (OR 0.60; 95% CI [0.40, 0.90]). GPs referred to a physiotherapist less frequently if they were ≥ 50 years (OR 0.50; 95% CI [0.39, 0.63]), had a high number of annual consultations, or were practicing in semi-urban area in a multidisciplinary team.ConclusionThis multilevel analysis identifies factors associated with physiotherapy referral for patients with MSDs, including living in deprived geographical areas. This constitutes an original contribution towards addressing healthcare disparities.

Marital-history differences in increased loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic: A European study among older adults living alone

The COVID-19 pandemic and related physical distancing measures have disproportionally affected older adults living alone due to their greater social isolation. Unlike previous studies on the subject, the current research recognizes the diversity amongst older adults living alone by considering the impact of marital history. Combining information from Wave 8 of the Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement (SHARE), with data of SHARELIFE and the SHARE Corona survey, we investigated the differential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on loneliness in older men (N = 1504) and women (N = 4822) living alone. Logistic multilevel analyses were performed on data from 26 European countries and Israel. For men, we found that the short-term widowed were more likely to report increased loneliness than the medium- and long-term widowed and those living apart together (LAT). For women, the results indicated that the short- and medium-term widowed and the divorced were at greater risk for increased loneliness than those in a LAT relationship. Also, medium-term widowed women were more likely to report increased loneliness than their long-term widowed counterparts. The three hypothesized underlying mechanisms – i.e., (i) the opportunity mechanism, (ii) the expectation mechanism, and (iii) the vulnerability mechanism – only played a small role in explaining the observed differences. In sum, our study highlights the importance of recognizing the diversity within the group of older adults living alone when investigating the effects of the pandemic on loneliness, yet the mechanisms behind the stratifying role of marital history are not fully understood.

Hygienic Disposal of Children's Stools Practices Among Women of Children With Diarrhoea in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Diarrhoea stools contain infectious agents and pose a public health threat to children and members of the entire family when exposed to them. Therefore, their hygienic disposal is essential. Empirical data are needed to stir the needed public health interventions to encourage or enforce proper disposal practices to curb associated clinical issues. This study assessed the prevalence and correlates of hygienic stool disposal practices by mothers of children with diarrhoea in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) data of 16 sub-Saharan African countries from 2015 to 2021 involving 22 590 mother-child pairs were analysed. Multilevel binary logistic analysis was conducted to assess the individual- and household-level factors associated with the hygienic disposal of stool practices by mothers of children with diarrhoea. The results were presented using adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) at a statistical significance of P < .05. The overall prevalence of hygienic disposal of children's stools among women of children with diarrhoea was 49.01% (95% CI: 48.40-49.62) and ranged from 15.70% in Liberia to 86.6% in Rwanda. The practice of hygienic disposal of stools of children with diarrhoea was likely to increase among mothers who are working (AOR: 1.19; 95% CI: 1.09-1.30), those with partners with primary level of education (AOR: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.06-1.31), Muslims (AOR: 1.69; 95% CI: 1.49-1.91) and widowed/divorced (AOR: 8.94, 95% CI: 3.55-22.53). Again, mothers in the richer (AOR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.08-1.39) wealth index had increased odds of disposing of stools hygienically compared to those in the poorest wealth index. Women who were 20 years and above, to who belonged to Traditional Religions (AOR: 0.57; 95% CI: 0.43-0.74), and those with unimproved sources of water (AOR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.82-0.98) and toilet facilities (AOR: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.58-0.69) were less likely to dispose of child's diarrhoea stool hygienically than their counterparts. The study reveals that the unhygienic disposal of the stool of children with diarrhoea is prevalent in SSA and requires a concerted effort to curb it. Sanitation practices such as educating mothers about hygienic disposal of children's stool and improving water and sanitation facilities are crucial in lowering the high prevalence of unhygienic disposal of the diarrhoeic stool of children. Additional country-level research is needed to assess children's defecation behaviours and the disposal of diarrhoeic stools using different methodologies.