Social Status Research Articles

A family moss craze: learning, reading and skill development in a botanical and domestic network in early nineteenth-century England and Wales.

Between 1814 and 1826 four members of the family of Jane Talbot and her cousin William Henry Fox Talbot had an active and varied interest in the study of mosses, which included the collecting, drawing and naming of specimens. This article explores the textures of their developing practice of learning natural history, and considers their activities within the framework of the circulation of knowledge, their reading and skill development, and the networks that supported them. Their social status and connections provided access to the expertise of numerous British botanists, including Lewis Weston Dillwyn, William Jackson Hooker, and James Dalton, placing the family as a locus of knowledge (re)production and transmission. This work illustrates the pedagogical practices of an elite group as they engaged with botany in a domestic setting, and makes suggestions as to their motivations and stimulations, as well as the conditions that maintained or diminished their interest. At a time when mosses were little-studied even by professed botanists, it demonstrates how a family group including many young women filled their leisure pursuits with these small plants, and reveals how an extended family with no previous expertise in formal botany could be actors in early nineteenth-century knowledge exchange.

Abstract 3618: Biosocial determinants of health disparities among racial/ethnic minorities with chronic liver disease and liver cancer

Abstract Background: Metabolic disorders and chronic liver disease (CLD) play crucial roles in the development and progression of liver cancer (LC) like hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Previous studies suggest that the ethnic minority population increasingly suffers from CLD and LC. Thus, the impact of biosocial factors contributing to CLD and LC among minority populations requires further investigation. Using the All of Us database, this study aimed to understand the biosocial factors contributing to CLD and LC among racial subgroups. Methods: Using All of Us Researcher Workbench, we analyzed in a cohort of 33767 CLD [non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), alcoholic liver disease (ALD), and Hepatitis B and C] patients among different ethnic groups. We investigated the impact of various social determinants of health (SDOH) factors and genetic variations in key liver disease genes (PNPLA3, TM6SF2, MBOAT7, GCKR, and HSD17B13). Additionally, we explored metabolic pathways contributing to LC progression were analyzed using MACdb, GENT2, and TCGA databases and publicly available RNASeq data. Results: Several confounding factors associated with CLD in Hispanic (HA) and African American (AA) populations compared to the non-Hispanic White (NHW) populations were identified in this study. HA and AA CLD patients suffer more from high socioeconomic status (SES) barriers. While genetic variations in the aforementioned genes were associated with CLD risk, their impact varied across ethnic groups. Metabolomic data of urinary metabolites from LC patients and healthy volunteers suggest hypoxanthine is upregulated in LC patients. TCGA analysis of hypoxanthine-related genes in the LC tumors confirmed that xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH), which converts hypoxanthine to uric acid, is down-regulated in the tumors of Asian patients. Survival analysis confirmed poor overall survival among the Asian and AA LC patients with lower XDH expression in their tumors. Conclusions: Our study highlights the complex interplay of social, genetic, and metabolic factors in CLD and LC disparities. Further research is needed in a larger cohort to eliminate the root causes of these SES and cancer signaling disparities to obtain a more equitable survival outcome from CLD and LC in minority populations. Citation Format: Tagari Samanta, Jun Hyoung Park, Panagiotis Katsonis, Benny Abraham Kaipparettu. Biosocial determinants of health disparities among racial/ethnic minorities with chronic liver disease and liver cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_1):Abstract nr 3618.

Abstract 1502: Hypoxia-driven genomic instability and EcDNA formation in lung cancer: insights from TRACERx

Abstract Tumors exhibit dynamic oxygen gradients, leading to hypoxia, which is linked to poor prognosis and genomic instability. The molecular features of hypoxia and their role in lung cancer outcomes remain unclear. Hypoxia has been linked to the forma on of fragile sites, resulting in chromosomal instability. Recent research has highlighted the generation of extrachromosomal DNA (EcDNA) because breaks. Genes amplified as EcDNA exist acentric circular structures capable driving rapid and significant genomic copy number amplifications. Inherent instability oncogene amplification on EcDNA provides tumor cells with a selective advantage adapting to changing environments. Thus, hypothesize that formation hypoxic tumors provide survivein unfavorable conditions like hypoxia contributes their poor prognosis. This study aims investigate impact disease outcomes formation. Furthermore, can act pressure, we examined its effects mutational burden, positive selection mutations, mutational signatures associated with hypoxia lung TRACERx cohort. TRACERx is multicenter prospective study collects samples from various regions of primary for high-depth next-generation sequencing. Analyzed bulk RNA sequencing data establish levels examine and EcDNA detection. Our preliminary findings reveal variability within between primary tumors, indicating inter- intratumoral hypoxia heterogeneity. High status correlates poorer overall disease-free survival in LUAD, but not LUSC. Additionally, presence significantly associated necrosis. Hypoxia increased circulating tumor (ctDNA) shedding (p < 0.05) and elevated whole-genome index (wgii) scores. High-hypoxia exhibit alterations, tumor suppressor b2m, increased expression immunosuppressive chemokines (cxcl8, ccl8, cxcl10). Furthermore, extrachromosomal was detected both LUAD average" hypoxia scores were -0.006 EcDNA-positive compared -0.248 EcDNA-negative samples, highlighting prevalence tumors. In conclusion, shows existence heterogeneity of hypoxia within cohort association clinical outcomes. We highlight link hypoxia, detection, the increased expression contributing a tumor microenvironment. Citation Format: Natasha Sharma, Chris Bailey, Corentin Richard, Jeanette Kittle, Charles Swanton, Mariam Jamal-Hanjani, Nnennaya Kanu. Hypoxia-driven genomic instability and EcDNA formation in lung cancer: insights from TRACERx [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_1):Abstract nr 1502.

SOCIAL EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN THROUGH DAIRY FARMING: A STUDY

This study explores the social empowerment of women through dairy farming, focusing on the issues and challenges they face. Dairy farming has emerged as a significant avenue for social development in rural areas, offering women opportunities to enhance their knowledge and improve their livelihoods. This research aims to analyse the multifaceted impacts of dairy farming on women’s social status, including children’s education aspects, marriages aspects, financial aspects, respect and treated. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, incorporating both quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews with women involved in dairy farming across various regions. Key findings reveal that while dairy farming provides substantial social benefits and empowerment opportunities, women encounter several barriers such as limited access to resources, inadequate training, and socio-cultural constraints.

Longitudinal Changes in Peritoneal Transport and Their Impact on Dialysis Outcomes: A Machine Learning Approach integrating Clinical and Biomarker Data.

Longitudinal changes in peritoneal transport patterns and the predictive role of dialysate biomarkers remain poorly understood. This study assessed the impact of peritoneal equilibration test (PET) trajectory changes on clinical outcomes, explored biomarker contributions, and developed a machine learning-based model to predict peritoneal transport transitions. This prospective study enrolled peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients aged ≥ 18 years from 2016 to 2017, with follow-up until 2020. Patients with missing PET data or acute illness within two months of PET were excluded. Based on longitudinal PET changes, patients were classified into four trajectory groups: Persistent High (HH), High to Low (HL), Low to High (LH), and Persistent Low (LL). Clinical outcomes included technique failure and mortality. Dialysate biomarkers were quantified using ELISA and standardized by appearance rates (AR). A Support Vector Machine (SVM) model was developed to predict PET trajectory changes using clinical and biomarker data. Model performance was assessed using accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, and area under the curve (AUC). Among 132 eligible patients, cumulative risk analysis identified the HH group as having the highest risk of adverse outcomes, followed by LH, LL, and HL groups (p = 0.009). Based on prognostic trends, HH and LH were reclassified as the Future High (FH) group, while HL and LL were grouped as the Future Low (FL) group. The FH group had a significantly higher risk of adverse outcomes than the FL group (HR: 7.87, 95% CI: 1.81-34.10, p = 0.005). Matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP2) AR and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) AR differed significantly across PET trajectory groups (p < 0.001 for both), with the HH group exhibiting the highest biomarker levels (MMP2 AR: 195.0 ng/min, IQR: 145.2-230.0; PAI-1 AR: 2.63 ng/min, IQR: 1.29-4.51). The SVM model integrating clinical and biomarker data outperformed models using clinical data alone, achieving a higher AUC (0.87 vs. 0.71). Risk visualization curves identified males with elevated biomarkers as particularly vulnerable to transitioning to high transporter status. Sustained or transitioning to a high transporter status significantly increases the risk of adverse outcomes in PD patients. Higher MMP2 AR and PAI-1 AR levels are associated with an increased risk of adverse PET trajectory changes, enhancing risk stratification. Integrating biomarker-based predictive models with clinical data improves prognostic accuracy, supporting early intervention strategies for high risk patients.

Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) and its related factors among the Azar cohort population

IntroductionRecurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is one of the most prevalent oral inflammatory ulcerative lesions, characterized by painful ulcers that develop on non-keratinized oral mucosa, significantly affecting the quality of life. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of RAS and its associated risk factors within the Azar cohort population.MethodsThis cross-sectional study utilized data from the Azar cohort, which has been ongoing since 2014 in Shabestar City, East Azarbaijan, Iran, involving 15,006 adults aged 35 to 70 years. To assess the prevalence of RAS, participants were provided with a description of these lesions and asked whether they had ever experienced RAS in the oral cavity. Data collection was based on self-reports and examinations conducted by the physicians involved in the Azar cohort. Participants with RAS were classified into the RAS group, while the remaining participants were categorized into the non-RAS group. We assessed the association between RAS and various factors using binary logistic regression.ResultsIn the study population, there were 3,503 individuals in the RAS group and 11,503 individuals in the non-RAS group. The prevalence of RAS in the Azar cohort was 23.34%. Individuals over 50 years of age (p < 0.001), those with a poor (p < 0.001) or very poor (p = 0.02) socio-economic status, a low educational level (p = 0.01), smokers (p < 0.001) and individuals with a history of smoking who have since quit (p = 0.01) were significantly less affected by RAS. Conversely, individuals with genital aphthous lesions (p < 0.001), depression (p < 0.001), rheumatoid disease (p = 0.01), and food allergies (p < 0.001) were significantly more affected by RAS.ConclusionsFactors such as being under 50 years of age, possessing a high socioeconomic status, having a higher level of education, experiencing genital aphthous disease, suffering from depression, having rheumatoid disease, and having food allergies may be associated with a higher prevalence of RAS.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices on urinary schistosomiasis among schoolchildren in Ethiopia: cross-sectional study

BackgroundUrinary schistosomiasis is a disease caused by Schistosoma haematobium and is one of the public health problems in Ethiopia. When developing specific schistosomiasis control intervention program, the existing knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAPs) must be taken into account. This study aimed to assess the KAPs of primary schoolchildren towards urinary schistosomiasis in Ethiopia.MethodsA total of 1171 study participants aged 5 to 15 years were selected randomly.ResultsOf the 1171 interviewed schoolchildren, 654, or 55.8%, said they had heard of urinary schistosomiasis. Using river or dam water for household consumption had association with urinary schistosomiasis infection history (P = 0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that males had higher risk of getting urinary schistosomiasis infection compared to females (OR = 3.01, P < 0.001). Children in low socio-economic status had higher risk of having urinary schistosomiasis compared to high socio-economic status (OR = 2.81, P < 0.001). Compared to urban dweller, children in rural area had higher risk of having urinary schistosomiasis (OR = 4.34, P < 0.001). Respondents who used river water (OR = 2.48, P = 0.005) and lake or dam water (OR = 3.33, P = < 0.001) were at higher risk of urinary schistosomiasis infection. Furthermore, respondents swimming or playing in river water had higher risk of urinary schistosomiasis infection history (OR = 1.62, P = 0.005).ConclusionsThere was knowledge gap in schoolchildren about urinary schistosomiasis causes, transmission, symptoms and prevention. Therefore, appropriate health education and behavioral change intervention is needed to create better knowledge and practices in children to prevent and control urinary schistosomiasis. Health organizations and policy makers should contribute to improve knowledge at the school as well as community level.

Social and environmental predictors of gut microbiome age in wild baboons.

Mammalian gut microbiomes are highly dynamic communities that shape and are shaped by host aging, including age-related changes to host immunity, metabolism, and behavior. As such, gut microbial composition may provide valuable information on host biological age. Here, we test this idea by creating a microbiome-based age predictor using 13,563 gut microbial profiles from 479 wild baboons collected over 14 years. The resulting 'microbiome clock' predicts host chronological age. Deviations from the clock's predictions are linked to some demographic and socio-environmental factors that predict baboon health and survival: animals who appear old-for-age tend to be male, sampled in the dry season (for females), and have high social status (both sexes). However, an individual's 'microbiome age' does not predict the attainment of developmental milestones or lifespan. Hence, in our host population, gut microbiome age largely reflects current, as opposed to past, social and environmental conditions, and does not predict the pace of host development or host mortality risk. We add to a growing understanding of how age is reflected in different host phenotypes and what forces modify biological age in primates.

Are food taxes for healthy eating acceptable? A survey of public attitudes in the UK

IntroductionAppropriately designed food taxes can improve diet quality and health. Fiscal levers are used in several countries to combat the rise in obesity and diet-related diseases. This study aims to...

Social and environmental predictors of gut microbiome age in wild baboons

Mammalian gut microbiomes are highly dynamic communities that shape and are shaped by host aging, including age-related changes to host immunity, metabolism, and behavior. As such, gut microbial composition may provide valuable information on host biological age. Here, we test this idea by creating a microbiome-based age predictor using 13,563 gut microbial profiles from 479 wild baboons collected over 14 years. The resulting ‘microbiome clock’ predicts host chronological age. Deviations from the clock’s predictions are linked to some demographic and socio-environmental factors that predict baboon health and survival: animals who appear old-for-age tend to be male, sampled in the dry season (for females), and have high social status (both sexes). However, an individual’s ‘microbiome age’ does not predict the attainment of developmental milestones or lifespan. Hence, in our host population, gut microbiome age largely reflects current, as opposed to past, social and environmental conditions, and does not predict the pace of host development or host mortality risk. We add to a growing understanding of how age is reflected in different host phenotypes and what forces modify biological age in primates.

The changes, formation and public policy measures of mental health in Chinese youth

Confidence is an important indicator of individuals’ mental health. Taking confidence as an indicator, this paper uses CGSS2010-2021 data to analyze the latest situation, changing trend and formation mechanism of mental health in Chinese youth. The results show that firstly, Chinese young people have strong confidence in their future development in the new era, and their status expectations lean toward the upper and middle classes are dominant. Secondly, under the background of continuous economic growth and continuous improvement of objective status, youth confidence in development has not been significantly improved, but slightly decreased, resulting in a “paradox of confidence in development.” Thirdly, the composition effect (the changes in formation mechanism of status expectations) caused the above paradox. The positive influence of objective social status significantly reduced, and the positive influence of income gap disappears or turns negative. Youth confidence in development no longer depends on “who I am,” but more on the “macro environment.” Such changes offset the gains brought by economic growth and objective status improvement, leading to a fall rather than a rise in youth confidence in development.

A two-country study of bloggers’ social relational benefits and socialization motivation: an online influencer perspective

PurposeThis study aims to understand the non-commercial motivations of online influencers in a cross-country context, and identify individual differences, such as blogging activity levels, which moderate these motivations.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from two countries: the US and Chile. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used for analysis.FindingsResults indicated that bloggers’ social relational benefits (BSRB) predicted their socialization motivation (SM), conformity motivation (CM), and relational investments (RI) for both US and Chilean bloggers, but not for US bloggers’ relational investments (BRI).Research limitations/implicationsBased on the U&amp;G theory, our findings show that both hedonic and functional motivations drive online influencers. Specifically, the need to socialize and conform to norms is the key pathway through which social relational benefits (SRB) influence bloggers’ willingness to invest in relationships. Social capital theory further supports that such investments occur when SRB are expected. These findings have important implications for marketers, who can tailor strategies to engage bloggers with varying SRB by promoting their social status and reputation. However, limitations include gender imbalance in the US (male-biased) and Chile (female-biased) samples, and potential bias from self-reported data.Practical implicationsThese findings have important implications for marketers, who can tailor strategies to engage bloggers with varying SRB by promoting their social status and reputation. However, limitations include gender imbalance in the US (male-biased) and Chile (female-biased) samples, and potential bias from self-reported data.Originality/valueAs online influencers become more crucial in a firm’s marketing efforts, understanding their non-commercial motivations rather than just focusing solely on commercial ones should be of interest in the effort to improve the firm’s recruitment strategies. Our two-country study offers insights into bloggers’ non-commercial motivations, which can strengthen firms’ marketing strategy.

Self-Transcendence and Its Discontents: Criticisms and Defences of the Zhuangzi in Wei-Jin Thought and Their Modern Significance

Although the Zhuangzi is mentioned in late Warring States and Han Dynasty texts, it was in the post-Han Wei-Jin period that it first exerted a significant influence on intellectual life, becoming a central target for both praise and criticism, much of which focused on its transcendent attitude toward Confucian social values and secular interests. This paper examines these discussions, focusing on criticisms from the pragmatically minded realist Confucian literati of the period, who largely regarded the text as detaching and distracting scholars from the pressing needs of the state and responses from the more sympathetic and idealist “Neo-Daoist” figures of the Dark Learning (xuanxue) movement. For the latter, the spiritual self-transcendence that could be found in the Zhuangzi text was not only a source of personal satisfaction and joy but also served an important function in Confucian ethics, leading readers to transcend narrow obsession with individual self-interest, political power and social status. While these debates express the state of Chinese society after the collapse of the Han Dynasty, they have also been seen as reflecting wider issues that have become prominent in modern Western philosophical and religious thought, notably the concept of nihilism, an association that is here critically assessed in detail.

African Problem - African Solution: An Examination of the Application of the Ubuntu Conflict Resolution Systems to Prevailing Conflicts in Africa: A Case Study of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Namibia's Tension

The conflict within the Democratic Republic of Congo is demonstrably violent and primarily localized in the eastern region, formerly known as Zaire. In contrast, Namibia experiences tension between native and non-native African populations arising from inequitable land accumulation by the minority white-German population, which holds the potential for violent escalation. The protracted conflict in the eastern region of the Congo, which resulted in the deaths of millions of Africans and the loss of billions in property, along with the societal tension in Namibia, both trace their origins unequivocally to the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885. To mitigate the violent and deadly conflict in Congo and the potential for violent escalation in Namibia’s tension, we propose the establishment of a centuries-old framework designed to provide permanent peace resolutions, given that these conflicts are occurring on African soil, in a broader context, we see it as an African problem thus requires primarily African solution – The Ubuntu system on conflict resolution – While the United Nations peace system has been employed to resolve numerous global conflicts, including those within the Congo, its efficacy in the Congolese context has been demonstrably ineffective. Thus, we argue that ‘Ubuntu,’ an African system of conflict resolution, has the potential to resolve both direct violence and structural violence that creates tensions not just in the case study countries but in the whole of Africa and beyond, as the system has no specific tribal or religious affiliation, it is just a human-centric philosophy that sees all humans as equals irrespective of races or social status. Lastly, this paper adopts a qualitative research design to explore the application of the Ubuntu conflict resolution system in addressing conflict.

A STUDY OF MICROFINANCE AND ITS ROLE TOWARDS WOMEN EMPOWERMENT WITH REFERENCE TO MADHYA PRADESH

This study explores the role of microfinance in promoting women empowerment with specific reference to Madhya Pradesh. Using both primary and secondary data, the research analyzes the impact of microfinance on various empowerment dimensions such as economic independence, social status, decision-making, and mobility. Statistical analysis reveals significant positive effects of microfinance on economic and social empowerment, as well as on women's mobility. However, the impact on decision-making power was found to be statistically insignificant. The findings suggest that while microfinance is a powerful tool for empowering women, supportive social and educational interventions are also necessary for holistic development.

Framingham Risk Score Prediction at 12Months in the STANDFIRM Randomized Control Trial.

The STANDFIRM (Shared Team Approach Between Nurses and Doctors for Improved Risk Factor Management; ANZCTR registration ACTRN12608000166370) trial was designed to test the effectiveness of chronic disease care management for modifying the Framingham risk score (FRS) among patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack. The primary outcome of change in FRS was not met. We determine baseline characteristics that predict reduction in FRS at 12 months and whether future FRS is predetermined at baseline. We used machine learning regression methods to evaluate 35 variables encompassing demographics, risk factors, psychological, social and education status, and laboratory tests. We determine the optimal machine learning and associated tuning parameters from the following: random forest, extreme gradient boosting, category boosting, support vector regression, multilayer perceptron neural network, and K-nearest neighbor. Training (n=404) and test (n=103) data were evenly matched for age, sex, baseline, and 12-month FRS. The optimal model for predicting FRS at 12 months was category boosting (R2=0.712; root mean square error, 7.32). The 5 variables with highest Shapley values for category boosting were baseline FRS (Shapley additive explanation [SHAP], 8.42 of total of 12.12), age (SHAP, 1.58), systolic blood pressure (SHAP, 0.23), male sex (SHAP, 1.05), and London Handicap (SHAP, 0.18). Machine learning methods were poor at determining change in FRS at 12 months (R2<0.22). Our findings suggest that change in FRS as an end point in secondary stroke trials may have limited value as it is largely determined at baseline. In this cohort, category boosting was the optimal method to predict future FRS but not change in FRS.

The influence of childhood socioeconomic status on indulgent consumption

IntroductionConsumers routinely confront goal conflicts, navigating the tension between persevering in goal pursuit and succumbing to the temptation of indulgent purchases. While prior literatures have endeavored to explore diverse factors influencing indulgent consumption, they have largely overlooked the longitudinal lens of consumer development to uncover deeper, underlying causes. Childhood socioeconomic background has been established as a critical factor influencing various behaviors both in early life and adulthood. This study aims to explore the impact of childhood socioeconomic status on indulgent consumption in adulthood, and to examine the mediating role of pleasure pursuit in this relationship, as well as the moderating effect of individuals' sense of worthiness.MethodsAcross four behavioral experiments, spanning three domains of indulgence-related decisions and relying on different methods of childhood socioeconomic status measurement, this study sheds light on how consumers of different childhood socioeconomic status to choose when facing a conflict decision (self-control vs. indulgence). A total of 627 participants from China (66.19% female, Mage = 30.46) were recruited through the Credamo platform for this study, and SPSS analytical software was utilized to conduct comprehensive analyses on the relevant data, encompassing primary effect analysis, mediation analysis, and moderated mediation analysis.ResultsThe study corroborates that individuals with high childhood socioeconomic status are more likely to choose indulgence compared to those with low childhood socioeconomic status (β = 0.24, p &amp;lt; 0.05). This effect is found to be independent of people's current level of socioeconomic status (p &amp;gt; 0.05), which is mediated by differences in pleasure pursuit [β = 0.1026, 95% CI= (0.0312, 0.1688)]. In other words, individuals who grew up wealthy are generally more likely to pursue pleasure (novel experiences and potential rewards) from decision-making, thus increasing their choice of indulgences. Furthermore, the strength of this effect is moderated by individuals' sense of worthiness (β = 0.15, p &amp;lt; 0.05). Lastly, sense of control has been disqualified as a plausible psychological mechanism underlying this phenomenon [95% CI= (−0.035, 0.021)].DiscussionThis study demonstrates that childhood socioeconomic status has a significant positive impact on indulgent consumption in adulthood. The underlying psychological mechanisms and boundary conditions of this influence were also examined. The findings offer a novel theoretical perspective on the antecedents of indulgent consumption and provide valuable insights for businesses in developing targeted marketing strategies and enhancing consumer wellbeing.

Domestic injuries among children: knowledge, attitudes, and practices of first aid among mothers in Arar, Saudi Arabia

IntroductionHome injuries are a major cause of mortality and disability in children worldwide. Home accidents strain the healthcare system and can hurt family income and children's quality of life. To save lives and avoid sequelae, parents and carers should be competent in giving emergency management to children engaged in house accidents.ObjectivesThis study aims to determine the pattern of home injuries affecting children (0–5 years old) in Arar City, to assess Saudi mothers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding first aid measures to be taken for injured children, and to identify some of the factors associated with mothers' level of KAP.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted on Saudi mothers with under-five children in Arar, Saudi Arabia. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on recruited mothers’ sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards home injuries and first aid measures.ResultsOut of the total 348 respondents, 24.7% demonstrated a high level of knowledge about domestic injuries, while 38.8% had a moderate level of awareness, and 36.5% had a low level of knowledge on the subject. Knowledge was associated with mother’s age, educational level, employment, being married, high economic status and fewer number of children (P < 0.05). Regarding the attitude score, 28.5% demonstrated a good attitude towards domestic injuries, while 31.0% exhibited a fair attitude, and 40.5% had a poor attitude. However, the practice score revealed that most participants fall into the categories of good practice (37.1%) and Fair practice (30.2%).ConclusionThe findings revealed varying levels of knowledge, attitudes, and practices among the respondents, with a significant portion demonstrating gaps in understanding and implementation of first aid measures. Factors such as age, marital status, type of residence, and family household income were found to be associated with levels of knowledge about first aid.

Social norms and barriers hindering the elimination of child, early, and forced marriage in Mozambique, Uganda, and Ethiopia and policy responses: a qualitative study

Introduction: Child, early and forced marriage (CEFM) remains a problem in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to investigate contextual social norms on CEFM and explore barriers to implementation of policies designed to address these norms in Mozambique, Uganda, and Ethiopia. Methods: Qualitative data was collected from a total of 90 respondents. Forty-two (n=42) interviews were conducted with adolescents, parents, traditional leaders, government officials and civil society organizations. Four (n=4) focus group discussions (FGDs) were held with parents, adolescents, community members and community leaders, comprising a total of 48 participants. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: The main social norms which contributed to CEFM in the three countries included the high social value attached to the motherhood status; the commodification of marriage; marriage as a rite of passage into adulthood, social construction of sexuality and the collective moral judgment about responsible parenthood. The norms were sustained by allowing those who abide by them to accumulate social and economic benefits such as stronger social ties within the community and improved social status. Although several policies and laws have been enacted to address these social norms, their impact has been limited. The main policy implementation barriers were the inadequate consideration of social norms that promote CEFM within the policy and legal framework, limited collaboration among key stakeholders, lack of comprehensive monitoring processes, and difficulties among community members to understand the policies due to low literacy levels and poor policy monitoring. Conclusion: Enhancing the policy response to social norms that perpetuate CEFM will require strengthening collaboration between non-governmental organizations, government departments and community leaders in implementation and monitoring of the policies.

Back to the Future: Endophenotypes of Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy.

Prodromal Phase of Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy: A Register-Based Case Control Study. Gesche J, Rubboli G, Beier CP. Neurology 2024;103(8):e209921 Background and objectives: Idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) is associated with distinct behavioral traits, symptoms of frontal lobe dysfunction, and psychiatric comorbidity. Whether psychiatric symptoms are part of the IGE endophenotype or secondary to the burden of chronic disease is unknown. In this study, we aimed at describing the sequence of appearance of psychiatric and epilepsy symptoms in patients with IGE. Methods: Inclusion criteria for this cohort study were diagnosis of IGE with age at diagnosis at 10–25 years. We created 2 mutually exclusive cohorts, 1 based on ICD-10 codes in Danish registers with a first IGE diagnosis from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2018, and a second patient cohort treated at Odense University Hospital and the Danish Epilepsy Centre in the same period. Each case was matched with 10 age-matched, sex-matched, and geography-matched normal population controls from the Danish registers. We compared social status, health care utilization, and psychiatric diagnoses between the groups in the 5 years preceding epilepsy diagnosis, at diagnosis, and at the end of the study period using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test and confirmatory logistic regression models. Results: We identified 1009 patients for the register-based cohort (55.1% female; mean age at diagnosis [SD]: 15.9 [±3.8] years) and 402 patients for the hospital-based cohort (56.2% female; mean age at diagnosis [SD]: 18.3 [±7.4] years) and matched them to 10,090 and 4020 controls, respectively. IGE cohorts and controls did not differ at birth. In the 5 years before their IGE diagnosis, register patients had an increasing number of contacts with hospitals (mean visits [SD]: cases: 8.3 [±5.6], controls: 6.6 [±4.5]) and their general practitioners (mean visits [SD]: cases: 48.7 [±26.3], controls: 45.3 [±24.5]) and received more prescriptions for psychiatric medications (prescriptions: cases: 4.2%, controls: 2.5%, p = 0.003) compared with controls. Patients had a higher rate of psychiatric comorbidity (comorbidity: cases: 26.5%, controls: 17.8%, p &lt; 0.0001) at the end of the study than controls. Data were similar in the hospital-based cohort. Discussion: Our data suggest a prodromal phase of IGE detectable approximately 5 years before the first seizure characterized by increased health care utilization and greater use of prescription medicine for psychiatric symptoms.