Negative Binomial Regression Analysis Research Articles

Effect of COVID-19 containment measures on access to snakebite care in India.

The extensive spread of COVID-19 meant action to address the pandemic took precedence over routine service delivery, thus impacting access to care for many health conditions, including the effects of snakebite. We prospectively collected facility-level data from several health facilities in India, including number of snakebite admissions and snakebite envenoming admissions on modality of transport to reach the health facility. To analyse the effect of a health facility being in cluster-containment zone, we used negative binomial regression analysis. Our findings suggest that that health facilities located within a COVID containment zone saw a significant decrease in total snakebite admissions (incidence rate ratio 0.64 (0.43-0.94), standard error 0.13, p≤0.02)) and envenoming snakebite admissions (incidence rate ratio 0.43 (0.23-0.81), standard error 0.14, p≤0.01) compared to when health facilities were not within a COVID containment zone. There was no statistically significant difference in non-envenoming admissions and modalities of transport used to reach health facilities. This article provides the first quantitative estimate of the impact of COVID-19 containment measures on access to snakebite care. More research is needed to understand how containment measures altered care-seeking pathways and the nature of snake-human-environment conflict. Primary healthcare systems need to be safeguarded for snakebite care to mitigate effects of cluster-containment measures.

Characterization of Ankle Injuries and Associated Risk Factors in the National Basketball Association: Minutes Per Game and Usage Rate Associated With Time Loss.

Ankle injuries are more common in the National Basketball Association (NBA) compared with other professional sports. The purpose of this study was to report the incidence and associated risk factors of ankle injuries in NBA athletes. It was hypothesized that factors associated with an increased physiologic burden, such as minutes per game (MPG), usage rate, and associated lower extremity injury, would be associated with increased ankle injury risk and time loss. Descriptive epidemiology study. Ankle injury data from the 2015-2016 through 2020-2021 NBA seasons were evaluated. The truncated 2019-2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic was omitted. The primary outcome was the incidence of ankle injuries, reported per 1000 game-exposures (GEs). Secondary analysis was performed to identify risk factors for ankle injuries through bivariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression of player demographic characteristics, performance statistics, injury characteristics, and previous lower extremity injuries. Factors influencing the time loss after injury were assessed via a negative binomial regression analysis. A total of 554 ankle injuries (4.06 injuries per 1000 GEs) were sustained by NBA players over 5 NBA seasons, with sprain/strain the most common injury type (3.71 injuries per 1000 GEs). The majority of ankle injury events (55%) resulted in 2 to 10 game absences. The likelihood of sustaining an ankle injury was significantly associated with a greater number of games played (P = .029) and previous injury to the hip, hamstring, or quadriceps (P = .004). Increased length of absence due to ankle injury was associated with greater height (P = .019), MPG (P < .001), usage rate (P = .025), points per game (P = .011), and a prior history of foot (P = .003), ankle (P < .001), and knee injuries (P < .001). The incidence of ankle injuries was 4.06 per 1000 GEs in professional basketball players. Games played and prior history of hip, hamstring, or quadriceps injuries were found to be risk factors for ankle injuries. Factors associated with physiologic burden such as MPG and usage rate were associated with an increased time loss after injury.

Personal Continuity and Appropriate Prescribing in Primary Care.

Personal continuity between patient and physician is a core value of primary care. Although previous studies suggest that personal continuity is associated with fewer potentially inappropriate prescriptions, evidence on continuity and prescribing in primary care is scarce. We aimed to determine the association between personal continuity and potentially inappropriate prescriptions, which encompasses potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) and potential prescribing omissions (PPOs), by family physicians among older patients. We conducted an observational cohort study using routine care data from patients enlisted in 48 Dutch family practices from 2013 to 2018. All 25,854 patients aged 65 years and older having at least 5 contacts with their practice in 6 years were included. We calculated personal continuity using 3 established measures: the usual provider of care measure, the Bice-Boxerman Index, and the Herfindahl Index. We used the Screening Tool of Older Person's Prescriptions (STOPP) and the Screening Tool to Alert doctors to Right Treatment (START) specific to the Netherlands version 2 criteria to calculate the prevalence of potentially inappropriate prescriptions. To assess associations, we conducted multilevel negative binomial regression analyses, with and without adjustment for number of chronic conditions, age, and sex. The patients' mean (SD) values for the usual provider of care measure, the Bice-Boxerman Continuity of Care Index, and the Herfindahl Index were 0.70 (0.19), 0.55 (0.24), and 0.59 (0.22), respectively. In our population, 72.2% and 74.3% of patients had at least 1 PIM and PPO, respectively; 30.9% and 34.2% had at least 3 PIMs and PPOs, respectively. All 3 measures of personal continuity were positively and significantly associated with fewer potentially inappropriate prescriptions. A higher level of personal continuity is associated with more appropriate prescribing. Increasing personal continuity may improve the quality of prescriptions and reduce harmful consequences.

Prenatal exposures to isoflavones and neurobehavioral development in children at 2 and 4 years of age: A birth cohort study

Isoflavones (ISOs) are plant-derived estrogen-like compounds, which were already proved with cognition benefits on elderly people. However, studies assessing the associations between prenatal ISOs exposure and children’s neurodevelopment are scarce. This study aimed to examine the associations between maternal urinary ISOs concentrations, including genistein (GEN), daidzein (DAD), glycitein (GLY), and metabolite equol (EQU), and children’s neurodevelopment, based on a Chinese cohort study. Participants in this study were pregnant women recruited at 12–16 weeks of gestation, and they provided a single spot urine sample for the ISOs assay. Neurodevelopment was measured using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) at 2 and 4 years of age. Negative binomial regression analysis and Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) were performed to examine the associations between maternal urinary ISOs concentrations and CBCL scores. Associations were observed between moderate levels of prenatal ISOs exposure and decreased risks of childhood neurobehavioral problems, while the highest level of prenatal ISOs exposure was associated with increased risks of neurobehavioral problems among children. The neuroprotective effects were consistently between moderate DAD exposure and specific neurobehavioral problems, across different ages and sexes. For example, compared with the lowest exposure level, the third quartile group was associated with less Anxious/Depressed problems in boys at 2 years of age (RR=0.72 (95%CI: 0.52, 0.99)), girls at 2 years of age (RR=0.70 (95%CI: 0.46, 1.06)), boys at 4 years of age (RR=0.73 (95%CI: 0.55, 0.96)), and girls at 4 years of age (RR=0.95 (95%CI: 0.68, 1.31)).

The impact of aggregate positive lifestyle behaviors on low back pain resilience and care seeking

BACKGROUND CONTEXTLow back pain (LBP) is a global issue, and the high associated costs are mainly attributed to a small proportion of people with LBP who seek care. Importantly, the impact of aggregate positive lifestyle behaviors on LBP resilience and care seeking is not known. PURPOSEThis study aimed to evaluate the relationship between positive lifestyle behaviors and LBP resilience. STUDY DESIGNThis study was a prospective longitudinal cohort study. PATIENT SAMPLEData was collected as part of the AUstralian Twin BACK Study (AUTBACK). Participants who reported a lifetime previous history of LBP at baseline were included in this analysis (n = 340). OUTCOME MEASURESThe outcomes of interest were the number of weeks without activity limiting LBP and total number of days of healthcare usage, health practitioner care, self-management care, and medication intake. METHODSA lifestyle behavior score was built using variables of body mass index (BMI), physical activity, smoking status, and sleep quality. Negative binomial regression analyses were used to assess the relationship between the positive lifestyle behavior score and the count outcomes of number of weeks without activity limiting LBP and number of days participants used care. RESULTSAfter adjusting for covariates, no association was found between participants’ positive lifestyle behavior score and their number of weeks without activity limiting LBP (IRR: 1.02, 95% CI 1.00–1.05). There was a statistically significant relationship between higher positive lifestyle behavior scores and fewer number of days of participants’ total healthcare usage (IRR:0.69, 95% CI 0.56–0.84), healthcare practitioner visits (IRR:0.62, 95% CI 0.45–0.84), use of self-management strategies (IRR:0.74, 95% CI 0.60–0.91), and use of pain medication (IRR:0.55, 95% CI 0.44–0.68). CONCLUSIONPeople who adopt optimal lifestyle behaviors, such as engaging in adequate physical activity, achieving optimal quality sleep, maintaining an ideal BMI, and not smoking, may not experience less time suffering from activity limiting LBP, but are less likely to use healthcare and pain medication for their LBP.

Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and associated risk factors in canadian university students

BackgroundMusculoskeletal disorders (MSKDs) present a significant burden to health care systems worldwide. Evidence suggests that university students may have unique risk factors for developing MSKDs; however, research on the corresponding prevalence and risk factors of MSKDs in Canadian students is limited.MethodsUsing a multi-year cross-sectional survey, we aimed to understand the prevalence and risk factors of MSKDs in students at McMaster University. A survey on the prevalence of MSKD as well as potential risk factors was conducted online in the years 2018–2022. Our outcomes were the prevalence of MSKDs over the last 7 days and the last 12 months, as well as presence of lower body, upper body, and spine MSKDs. We investigated risk factors using negative binomial regression analysis, including a sex-stratified analysis.ResultsThere were a total of 289 respondents in 2018 with a decrease in the number of participants in the subsequent years (n2019 = 173, n2020 = 131, n2021 = 76). Participants reported a median of 2–3 pain sites in the last year and 1–2 pain sites in the last week in all four years. The most prevalent sources of self-reported pain were the lower back and neck. Depending on the year and outcome studied, 59–67% of participants reported neck/lower back pain in the last year, and 43–49% reported it in the last week. Although risk factors were different depending on the year and sex, overall, poorer mental health, being in health care studies, regular sports participation (males only), older age, and less hours of sleep were significantly associated with higher prevalence of MSKDs.ConclusionsThis study identified that MSKDs are a prevalent source of pain in university students. While some risk factors, such as mental health, are known to play a role in developing MSKDs, sports activity and academic pressure are risk factors that are unique to students. Our study also suggests that there may be differences in risk factors between sexes.

Differential associations of mask mandates on COVID-19 infection and mortality by community social vulnerability

The COVID-19 pandemic in the United States has disproportionately impacted communities deemed vulnerable to disease outbreaks. Our objectives were to test (1) whether infection and mortality decreased in counties in the most vulnerable (highest) tercile of the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), and (2) whether disparities between terciles of SVI were reduced, as the length of mask mandates increased. Using the New York Times COVID-19 and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention SVI and mask mandate datasets, we conducted negative binomial regression analyses of county-level COVID-19 cases and deaths from 1/2020-11/2021 on interactions of SVI and mask mandate durations. Mask mandates were associated with decreases in mid-SVI cases (IRR: 0.79) and deaths (IRR: 0.90) and high-SVI cases (IRR: 0.89) and deaths (IRR: 0.88). Mandates were associated with the mitigation of infection disparities (Change in IRR: 0.92) and mortality disparities (Change in IRR: 0.85) between low and mid-SVI counties and mortality disparities between low and high-SVI counties (Change in IRR: 0.84). Mask mandates were associated with reductions in COVID-19 infection and mortality and mitigation of disparities for mid and high-vulnerability communities. Ongoing COVID-19 response efforts may benefit from longer-standing infection control policies, particularly in the most vulnerable communities.

Trends and symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection: a longitudinal study on an Alpine population representative sample

ObjectivesThe continuous monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 infection waves and the emergence of novel pathogens pose a challenge for effective public health surveillance strategies based on diagnostics. Longitudinal population representative studies on...

Separate and joint associations of chronic pain, multisite pain and mental health with sickness absence among younger employees: a register based longitudinal study

BackgroundPain conditions and poorer mental health are associated with work disability. However, few studies have examined the association of concurrent pain and poorer mental health with sickness absence among younger employees. We examined separate and joint associations of chronic pain, multisite pain, and mental health with total and long-term all-cause sickness absence days among younger Finnish municipal employees.MethodsThe Young Helsinki Health-study data were collected in 2017 from 19–39-year-old employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland. Chronic (≥ 3 months) and multisite (≥ 2 body sites) pain and mental health (RAND-36 emotional wellbeing subscale dichotomized by median score) were self-reported (n = 3911). Chronic pain, multisite pain and mental health were analyzed separately and combined. Register data on total (≥ 1 workdays) and long-term (≥ 11 workdays) sickness absence days during the following year were obtained. Negative binomial regression analyses were performed with sociodemographic, socioeconomic, and health-related factors as confounders. Gender interaction and synergistic indices were examined.ResultsChronic multisite pain was associated with long-term sickness absence days (rate ratio [RR] 2.51, 95% CI 1.17–5.42). Chronic pain (RR 5.04, 95% CI 2.14–11.87) and multisite pain (RR 4.88, 95% CI 2.30–10.33) were associated with long-term sickness absence days among employees with poorer mental health. There was a synergistic interaction between gender and multisite pain for total sickness absence days (synergy index 1.80, 95% CI 1.27–2.54), with stronger associations among women.ConclusionsChronic and multisite pain are associated with long-term sickness absence among younger employees, particularly among women and employees with concurrent poorer mental health. Consideration of this knowledge at workplaces and in healthcare could help to identify and support employees at increased risk of later sickness absence.

The Interaction of Shame and Urgency in Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Suicide Attempts

Urgency, the trait-like tendency to respond to heightened emotion states with rash action, has been associated with both non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicide attempts (Lynam et al., 2011). Limited research has sought to identify specific emotions that may trigger NSSI or suicide attempts for those with high urgency. We examined shame as a candidate emotion. We hypothesized that greater shame-proneness, in combination with greater urgency, would explain unique variance in NSSI and suicide attempt history in two community samples (Ns = 192 and 225). Logistic and negative binomial regression analyses examined the effects of shame, urgency, and their interaction on the presence (vs. absence) and frequency of NSSI and suicide attempts. The proposed interaction of shame and urgency was related to greater risk and frequency of NSSI and suicide attempts when examining simple slopes, across the six models tested, particularly when urgency was high. Further research should examine shame as a trigger for self-harm in the context of heightened urgency using time series designs.

The Effect of Daytime Surgical Hospitalists on Reducing Night Shift Physicians' Workload.

The shortage of doctors at night makes it difficult to execute complex tasks and deliver accurate decisions. Therefore, reducing the night shift physician's workload is essential for patient safety. This study aimed to observe the effect of daytime surgical hospitalists on the reduction in night shift physicians' workload by analyzing the volume of electronic orders generated at night for postoperative patients. A total of 9328 hospitalized patients who underwent colorectal or gastrointestinal surgery for more than 120 minutes were reviewed retrospectively. This study reviewed the nighttime volume difference of electronic orders between patients cared for by a daytime surgical hospitalist and patients cared for by a resident. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the risk factors of nighttime orders during hospitalization (dichotomous end point). Negative binomial regression analysis was also performed to analyze the volume of electronic orders as countable data, and the incident rate ratio was estimated (count end point). The risk of the occurrence of nighttime electronic order for patients treated by a surgical hospitalist was lower than that of patients cared for by a resident (adjusted odds ratio, 0.616; 95% confidence interval, 0.558-0.682; P < 0.001). In the negative binomial regression analysis, the total volume of electronic orders at night was lower in patients cared for by a surgical hospitalist than in patients cared for by a resident (adjusted incident rate ratio, 0.653; 95% confidence interval, 0.623-0.685; P < 0.001). The introduction of daytime surgical hospitalists is associated with the lower workload of night shift physicians.

What is next? The effect of reverse logistics adoption on digitalization and inter-organizational collaboration

PurposeThis study aims to examine and understand the impact of reverse logistics adoption on firms' digitalization and collaboration activities. Specifically, leveraging the knowledge-based view, this study examines how adopting sustainable logistic practices (reverse logistics) prepares firms to embrace digitalization and encourages them to collaborate with other organizations.Design/methodology/approachThe study used longitudinal survey data from two waves (2017 and 2019) from the Mannheim Centre for European Economic Research. The authors used the negative binomial regression analyses to test the impact of reverse logistics adoption on the digitalization and inter-organizational collaboration dependent count variables.FindingsThe study's findings highlight the usefulness of reverse logistics in enabling digitalization and inter-organizational collaboration. The results show that the firms investing in sustainable supply chains will be better positioned to nurture digitalization and inter-organizational collaboration.Practical implicationsFor resource-bound managers, this study provides an important insight into prioritizing activities by highlighting how reverse logistics can facilitate digitalization and collaboration. The study demonstrates that the knowledge generated by reverse logistics adoption can be an essential pillar and enabler toward achieving firms' digitalization and collaboration goals.Originality/valueThe study is among the first to examine the effect of reverse logistics adoption on firm activities that are not strictly associated with the circular economy (digitalization and collaboration). Utilizing the knowledge-based view, this study reports on the additional benefits of reverse logistics implementation previously not discussed in the literature.

Total Hip Arthroplasty in Chile Is Characterized By Low Utilization Rates and Disparity in Access

Background: Disparity in access to total hip arthroplasty (THA) is an internationally recognized phenomenon influenced by social and geographical factors. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) employs the utilization rates of THA to evaluate and compare healthcare utilization by its 37 country members, including Chile. Purpose: We sought to describe THA utilization rates in the elderly Chilean population and to compare it with data from other OECD countries. In addition, we sought to identify whether sociodemographic variables influence access to THA in Chile. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of THA cases performed in Chile between 2016 and 2018 in patients aged 65 years and older in a large database regulated by the Ministry of Health; 8970 patients were included. Mean utilization rates (MURs) of THA within Chile’s 346 administrative-territorial divisions (called communes) were calculated. We analyzed associations between the communal MUR and poverty, rurality, insurance type, and geographical health administration dependency. Results: The national MUR of THA in the elderly population in Chile was 144/100,000 for the period studied. The median communal MUR was 107 (interquartile range [IQR]: 66–153). A lower MUR of THA was observed in communes with higher poverty levels, higher rurality, and a lower rates of private insurance. After negative binomial regression analysis, only rurality rate and geographical healthcare service dependency were associated with MUR. Conclusions: This retrospective database study suggests that the utilization of THA in Chile is unequal and well below the average of other OECD countries. Higher rates of rurality and administrative healthcare dependence (a geographical/administrative factor) were associated with disparities in access to THA within Chile.

What Drives the News Coverage of US Social Movements?

Abstract What drives the news coverage of social movements in the professional news media? We address this question by elaborating an institutional mediation model arguing that the news values, routines, and characteristics of the news media induce them to pay attention to movements depending on their characteristics and the political contexts in which they engage. The news-making characteristics of movements include their disruptive capacities and organizational strength, and the political contexts include a partisan regime in power, benefitting from national policies, and congressional investigations. To appraise these arguments, we analyze approximately 1 million news articles mentioning 29 social movements over the twentieth century, published in four national newspapers. We use negative binomial regression analyses and separate time-series analyses of the labor movement to assess the model’s robustness across different movements, time periods, and news sources. In each analysis, the results support the hypotheses based on the institutional mediation model. More generally, we argue that the influence of social movements on institutions depends on the structure and operating procedures of those institutions. This insight has implications for future studies of the influence of movements on major social institutions.

Effect of knowledge network embedding on exploitative and exploratory innovation: evidence from Chinese advanced manufacturing firms

ABSTRACT This study constructs firm knowledge networks using patent data of advanced Chinese manufacturing firms. It applies panel stochastic negative binomial regression analysis to explore the mechanism of the effect of knowledge network (KN) embedding on exploitative innovation (EI) and exploratory innovation (EY) in advanced manufacturing firms. The results indicate, relationship embedding (RE) has a clear inverted U-shaped relationship with EI and EY, while structure embedding (SE) has a significant positive impact on EI and an inverted U-shaped effect on EY. An increase in knowledge diversity (KD) flattens the inverted U-shaped relationship between RE and EY. Conversely, weakening the positive impact of SE on EI. Knowledge integration capacity (KIC) mediates the relationship between KN embedding (RE and SE), EI, and EY.

Policy &amp; Change: An Analysis of Veteran Perpetrated Mass Shootings &amp; Social Work's Call to Action

Public mass shootings are relatively rare occurrences in the United States. As such, focusing on individual-level factors to develop a prevention framework is ill-advised. However, starting with veterans, as an overrepresented group of offenders, may be an important step to determining and developing policies that work to prevent mass shootings. The Veteran’s Administration (VA) is the largest employer of social workers in the United States and employs more than 15,000 master’s level social work professionals. Policy and training changes made to the VA system have the potential to begin reducing incidents of public mass shootings. The purpose of this study was to determine whether veteran-status or the phenomenon of leakage influences the number of casualties in public mass shootings. Further, a renewed call-to-action is issued for social workers engaged with veterans, military personnel, and their families. A negative binomial regression analysis was utilized to examine 168 public mass shootings events in the United States from 1966 until 2019. While veteran status was not associated with increased casualty this does not underscore the importance of policy changes that limit access to firearms for high-risk people. Further, because leakage was statistically significant in explaining casualty rates in mass shootings additional training related to duty to warn may be necessary for social workers engaged in therapeutic relationships with veterans, military personnel, and their families. The results of the negative binomial regression offer insights into what effective policy interventions may look like to reduce mass shootings.

Serious Mortgage Arrears among Immigrant Descendant and Native Participants in a Low-Income Public Starter Mortgage Program: Evidence from Norway

Although low-income homeownership programs serving vulnerable families at the lower end of the income distribution have been the focus of housing policy in many countries over the past 50 years, little is known about the post-origination experiences of immigrant families participating in these programs. Notably absent from the extant literature are studies examining the sustainability of homeownership among immigrant homebuyers and their susceptibility to falling behind on payments and experiencing mortgage defaults, evictions, or short sales. Utilizing data from 8263 families participating in Norway’s Starter Mortgage Program (Startlån) during the first three calendar years after mortgage origination, we examine the extent to which serious mortgage arrears varies by immigrant background. Two primary questions shape our research: (1) What is the incidence of serious mortgage arrears among Western, Eastern European, and non-Western immigrant homeowners relative to ethnic Norwegians participating in a public low-income homeownership program? and (2) What pre- and post-origination characteristics of applicants and households, mortgage terms at the time of origination, and experiences of household financial vulnerability or economic shocks predict heterogeneity in serious mortgage arrears by immigrant backgrounds? We found that 6.1% of ethnic Norwegian, 6.2% of Western, 4.9% of non-Western, and 3.2% of Eastern European immigrant homeowners participating in the Starter Mortgage Program were in serious mortgage arrears at least once during the first three calendar years after mortgage origination. Results from our negative binomial regression analyses suggest that program participants who were sole owners, with larger families, and higher debt were more likely to experience serious mortgage arrears; these effects were accentuated for ethnic Norwegians. Additionally, mortgage terms at the time of origination produced differential effects by immigrant background. Compared to Western and Eastern European immigrant homeowners, ethnic Norwegians were more likely to have experienced serious mortgage arrears if they purchased a single-family home, had larger LTV and DTI ratios, or if the Startlån share of their mortgages was higher. Non-Western immigrant mortgagors were more likely to make late mortgage payments if they had larger LTV ratios, interest-only mortgage servicing, or if they were more reliant on Startlån funds to finance their mortgages; however, this risk was reduced if they had fixed-rate mortgages. Financial vulnerability in terms of higher debt or fewer assets also increased the risk of serious mortgage arrears for ethnic Norwegians and non-Western immigrant homeowners, while increases in real wealth reduced that risk for all immigrant mortgagor groups.

Predictive ability of a self-rated fall risk assessment tool in community-dwelling older women

BackgroundFalls are a substantial health problem among older adults. An accessible and reliable tool for assessing individual fall risk is needed.AimsThe predictive ability of a one-page self-rated fall risk assessment form (KaatumisSeula® [KS]) was evaluated among older women in its current form.MethodsA subsample (n = 384) of community-living older women (aged 72–84 years) participating in the Kuopio Fall Prevention Study (KFPS) completed the KS form. Participants’ falls were prospectively registered for 12 months with SMS messages. Their group status and form-based fall risk category were compared to the verified fall events during the KFPS intervention. Negative binomial regression and multinomial regression analyses were used. Physical performance measurements (single leg stance, leg extension strength and grip strength) were used as covariates.ResultsDuring the follow-up, 43.8% of women fell at least once. Among the fallers, 76.8% had at least one self-determined injurious fall, and 26.2% had falls requiring medical attention. According to KS, 7.6% of the women had low fall risk, 75.0% moderate, 15.4% substantial, and only 2.1% high fall risk. Women in the “moderate fall risk” group had 1.47-fold (95% CI 0.74–2.91; nonsignificant), in “substantial fall risk” 4.00-fold (1.93–8.3; p < 0.001) and in “high fall risk” 3.00-fold (0.97–9.22; nonsignificant) higher risk of falls compared to the “low fall risk” group. Performance in physical tests did not account for future falls.ConclusionsThe KS form proved to be a feasible tool for self-administered fall risk assessment with moderate predictive ability.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02665169, date of first registration 27/01/2016.

Mortality in residential care facilities for people with disability: a descriptive cross-sectional analysis of statutory notifications in Ireland

ObjectivesTo determine incidence of death in residential care facilities for people with disability in Ireland, primary cause of death, associations of facility characteristics and deaths, and to compare characteristics of...

Neighborhood Socioeconomic Characteristics Associated with the COVID-19 Incidence in Elementary School Children: An Ecological Study in Osaka City, Japan.

We aimed to determine whether neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics are associated with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) incidence in elementary school children and, if so, the associated characteristics. We obtained data on the number of infected children from 282 public elementary schools and the socioeconomic characteristics of each school district in Osaka City, Japan. We examined associations between these variables through negative binomial regression analyses. The proportion of employment in the wholesale and retail trade industry and the college graduation rate were significantly positively and negatively associated, respectively, with the total number of COVID-19-infected children. It was discovered that percentages of employment in the accommodation and food service industries in Wave 2, wholesale and retail trade industries after Wave 3, and healthcare and social assistance industries in Wave 5 were significantly positively associated with the number of infected children; likewise, the college graduation rate in Wave 5 was significantly negatively associated with the number of infected children. Our findings provide insight into the relevant and important areas of focus for public health policymakers and practitioners to ensure reduced disparities in COVID-19 infection rates.