Sociocultural Risk Factors Research Articles

Loneliness in sport: A systematic mixed studies review

ABSTRACT Loneliness is an established risk factor for mental and physical health problems. Individuals involved in sport face many unique stressors, some of which could exacerbate the risk of loneliness. To bring clarity to published evidence in this area, inform future research, and develop applied recommendations to prevent and reduce loneliness in the sport community, we sought to systematically review, synthesise, and appraise research on loneliness in sport. Following electronic database and manual searches to identify literature on loneliness in the sport community up to August 2024, we included and thematically synthesised data from 194 studies (N = 88,516). Social loneliness was the most common conceptualisation of loneliness within the literature. We identified socio-cultural, institutional, interpersonal, and intrapersonal risk factors associated with loneliness. There was less evidence for protective factors, but the available evidence was categorised into interpersonal and intrapersonal factors. Finally, there was substantial evidence concerning adverse consequences associated with loneliness in sport, including: impaired mental health and well-being; adverse social outcomes; negative cognitive, affective, and motivational outcomes; and maladaptive behavioural outcomes. Overall, this review advances knowledge by synthesising, for the first time, evidence on loneliness in sport and offers theoretical, methodological, and practical contributions that extend understanding of loneliness.

Socio-cultural and Environmental Risk Factors for Leprosy in Jaffna District, Sri Lanka

This study was conducted to determine the socio-cultural and environmental risk factors of leprosy in Jaffna. A case-control study was conducted in dermatology clinic, teaching hospital, Jaffna from July 2015 to July 2016. All 97 cases and 291 controls by systematic sampling were recruited using interviewer-administered questionnaire.The mean age of cases was 41 (SD=21) and control was 48 (SD=20). Of 97 cases, 54.6 %( n=53) males; 99 %( n=96) Tamils; 79.4 %( n=77) Hindus; 60 %( n=59) above secondary education. Of 291 controls, 42.3 %( n=123) were males; 99.3 %( n=289) Tamils; 85.6 % (n=249) Hindus; 78.4 % ( n=225) above secondary education.Socio demographic factors (12 variables), house and environmental factors (11 variables), and behavioral factors (18 variables) were included in bivariate analysis and many were found to be significantly (p<0.05) associated with leprosy. Marital status, displacement, monthly income, presence of BCG scar, firewood as cooking fuel, and hunting reptiles were not found to be associated with leprosy. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed significant association between leprosy and - crowded household [OR4.5, (1.5-13.6)], non-availability of drinking water within 30 minutes walking [OR15.1, (2.3-98.3)], environment with shrub [OR2.9, (1.4-6.1)], exposure to shrub [OR2.7, (1.2-5.9)], exposure to leprosy patient [OR10.6, (4.1-27.5)], exposure to fishing [OR4.5, (1.5- 13.6)], visits to leprosy affected area [OR10.8, (4.7-24.5)] and unavailability of safe water source [OR3.3, (1.2- 9.1)]. In addition to the well-known risk factors environment-related risk factors, especially exposure to jungle/shrubs could play a role in the transmission of leprosy.

Identifying suicidal risk factors in the French Overseas Territories with multimethod psychological autopsy (AUTOPSOM): a mixed-methods study protocol

IntroductionUnderstanding suicide in more isolated territories is a challenge because of the entanglement of cultural identity with historical, geographical and sociocultural specificities. This knowledge is a necessary precondition for the...

Physical Pain Among Urban Native American Emerging Adults: Sociocultural Risk and Protective Factors.

American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) people have high rates of physical pain. Pain is understudied in urban-dwelling, AI/AN emerging adults, a group with unique sociocultural risk and protective factors. We explore associations between socioeconomic disadvantage, additional sociocultural factors, and pain among urban AI/AN emerging adults. AI/AN participants aged 18-25 years ( N = 417) were recruited via social media. Regression models tested associations between socioeconomic disadvantage (income and ability to afford health care) and pain as well as additional sociocultural factors (discrimination, historical loss, cultural pride and belonging, visiting tribal lands) and pain. Multigroup regression models tested whether associations between sociocultural factors and pain differed between participants who were socioeconomically disadvantaged and those who were less disadvantaged. In the full sample, lower income ( b = 1.00-1.48, p < .05), inability to afford health care ( b = 1.00, p = .011), discrimination ( b = 0.12, p = .001), and historical loss ( b = 0.24, p = .006) were positively associated with pain, whereas visiting tribal lands was negatively associated with pain ( b = -0.86 to -0.42, p < .05). In the multigroup model, visiting tribal lands 31+ days was negatively associated with pain only among the less socioeconomically disadvantaged group ( b = -1.48, p < .001). Socioeconomic disadvantage may, in part, drive pain disparities among AI/AN emerging adults and act as a barrier to benefitting from visiting tribal lands. Results support a biopsychosocial approach to targeting pain in this population, including addressing socioeconomic challenges and developing culturally informed, strengths-based interventions.

Sociocultural Antecedents and Mechanisms of COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake among Mexican-Origin Youth

Mexican-origin youth, as a large and growing population among U.S. youth, have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Understanding what, when, and how sociocultural factors may influence their COVID-19 vaccine uptake could inform current and future pandemic-response interventions promoting vaccination behaviors among Mexican-origin youth. The current study takes a developmental approach to reveal the long-term and short-term sociocultural antecedents of 198 Mexican-origin adolescents’ COVID-19 vaccination uptake behaviors and explores the underlying mechanism of these associations based on the Knowledge-Attitude-Behavior model. The current study adopted Wave 1 (2012–2015) and Wave 4 (2021–2022) self-reported data from a larger study. Analyses were conducted to examine four mediation models for four sociocultural antecedents—daily discrimination, ethnic discrimination, foreigner stress, and family economic stress—separately. Consistent indirect effects of higher levels of concurrent sociocultural risk factors on a lower probability of COVID-19 vaccine uptake were observed to occur through less knowledge about the COVID-19 vaccines and less positive attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccines at Wave 4. Significant direct effects, but in opposite directions, were found for the associations between Wave 1 ethnic discrimination/Wave 4 daily discrimination and the probability of COVID-19 vaccine uptake. The findings highlight the importance of considering prior and concurrent sociocultural antecedents and the Knowledge-Attitude-Behavior pathway leading to COVID-19 vaccination uptake among Mexican-origin youth and suggest that the impact of discrimination on COVID-19 vaccination uptake may depend on the type (e.g., daily or ethnic) and the context (e.g., during the COVID-19 pandemic or not) of discrimination experienced.

The relationships between fear of missing out and psychological and sociocultural factors in Latinx emerging adult college students.

The proliferation of social media has resulted in negative consequences such as fear of missing out (FoMO), the anxious feelings one has when others are having rewarding experiences. Few studies have assessed FoMO in Latinx emerging adult college students, none utilizing the socioecological framework. This study assessed the relationships between FoMO and psychological and sociocultural risk and protective factors. Latinx college students (n = 452; Mage = 19.97 years, SD = 1.89; 77.2% female) completed an online survey assessing demographics, FoMO, social media addiction, depression, anxiety, stress, Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, familism, and acculturation. Two multiple linear regressions assessed the associations between FoMO and psychological and sociocultural factors. Both regressions were statistically significant. First, FoMO was positively associated with social media addiction, depression, and Machiavellianism. Second, FoMO was positively associated with familial honor and negatively associated with familial interconnectedness and ethnic social relations. Associations between FoMO and psychological factors are consistent with past literature, yet they highlight the need for prospective studies to assess temporality. The fact that FoMO was related uniquely to familistic attitudes suggests the importance of family in FoMO perceptions and the need to assess these associations in a more nuanced manner. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Tuberculosis in Sudan: systematic review and meta analysis

Every year, 10 million people fall ill with tuberculosis (TB). Despite being a preventable and curable disease, 1.5 million people die from TB each year -making it the world’s top infectious disease. TB is the leading cause of death of people with HIV and also a major contributor to antimicrobial resistance. Its presumed that TB was the cause of 1% of the total deaths among inpatients in Sudan in 2017. The current study is aimed to provide pooled prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis among Sudanese as well as to determine any socio-cultural risk factors associated. A systematic review of the literature was conducted and regulated in accordance with the PRISMA Statement. After abstract and full text screening only twenty-six articles met our inclusion criteria and passed the quality assessment procedure. Pulmonary tuberculosis prevalence was assessed in sixteen included studies among participants from Khartoum, Gezira, Kassala, Blue Nile, River Nile, White Nile, Gadarif, Red sea, North Kordofan, Northern State, Sennar and West Darfur States, representing a total sample size of 11,253 participants of suspected individuals such as febrile outpatients, TB patients’ contacts and other groups such as HIV/AIDS patients, hemodialysis patients, School adolescents as well as pregnant women. The pooled prevalence was 30.72% [CI: 30.64, 30.81]. Moreover, Khartoum State recorded the highest pooled prevalence as 41.86% [CI: 14.69, 69.02] based on a total sample size of 2,737 participants. Furthermore, male gender and rural residence were found to be significantly associated with TB infection. Further research with larger sample sizes targeting prevalence and risk factors of TB among Sudanese population is needed to be conducted.

Towards a dynamic, comprehensive conceptualization of dyslexia

Here we build from the central strength of the existing definition of dyslexia—its emphasis on neurobiological origins—and proffer a set of seven core principles for a new, more comprehensive conceptualization of dyslexia. These principles derive from two major research directions: (1) the still evolving history of attempts to explain dyslexia, including in varied writing systems; and (2) the study of the reading brain circuit, its development, and its genetic and environmental influences. What emerges from connecting these two directions is a dynamic conceptualization of dyslexia that incorporates the extensive research on the heterogeneity of dyslexia and the interdependent contributions of multiple biological and socio-cultural risk and preventive factors. A new definition of dyslexia, therefore, needs to transcend both past unitary characterizations and past assumptions based largely on the English orthography. Such a conceptualization references the ways that different languages interact with the reading brain circuit to produce different sources of reading failure. Similarly, the characteristics and consequences of dyslexia that have been considered as secondary sequela (e.g., reduced reading comprehension, social-emotional issues) should be part of a more comprehensive narrative. Of critical importance, any definition of dyslexia should clarify persisting misconceptions that associate dyslexia with a lack of intelligence, potential to learn, or talents. Thus, the overall purpose of such a definition should serve as an instrument of knowledge and an enduring reason for pursuing growth in reading for the individual, the educator, and the public.

Diarrheal diseases prevalence among children of Sudan and socio cultural risks related; systematic review and meta analysis.

It is estimated that more than 4% of the causes of inpatient deaths in 2017 were due to diarrheal diseases. The current study is aimed to provide pooled prevalence of microorganisms causing diarrhea among Sudanese as well as determine any socio-cultural risk factors associated. A systematic review of the literature was conducted and regulated in accordance to PRISMA. After abstract and full text screening Twenty-one research articles were recruited to the study. Among witch eighteen research articles determined prevalence of causative microorganisms of Diarrhea; eight research articles determining prevalence of causative microorganisms of Diarrhea were conducted in Khartoum State, five in Gezira State, two in White Nile State, one in Kordofan State while two studies were conducted in several States. Moreover, majority of studies were concerned of prevalence among children while two studies were toward general population as well as mothers of children. The pooled prevalence of viral diarrhea in less than five years old children was 22.90% [15.37, 30.43] among more than 14 thousands' participants, the pooled prevalence of parasitic diarrhea was 31.40% [19.53, 43.27] among participants from different age groups while the pooled prevalence of bacterial diarrhea was 36.20% [14.00, 58.40]. No associated risk factors were able to be synthesized from included studies.

Gender Matters: A Critical Piece in Mental Health.

Gender is a socially constructed concept influenced by social practices, norms, and expectations. The impact of gender differences on mental health has been long recognized, with consequences such as over-diagnosis and pathologization or under-diagnosis of some disorders depending on gender. This also has implications for the treatments that each gender receives. In this narrative review, we will analyze (a) the gender differences in the prevalence of mental disorders, (b) the explanations for gender differences in mental health, including biological, social constructionist, and sociocultural risk factors, and (c) the gender differences in the treatment of mental disorders, including differences in health-seeking behavior and treatment outcomes. Overall, there is a consistent pattern of differences in prevalence, with women more likely to have internalizing disorders (e.g., anxiety or depression) and men more likely to have externalizing disorders (e.g., antisocial personality or substance use). The explanations aimed at disentangling the reasons for these gender differences are complex, and several approaches should be considered to achieve a comprehensive explanation. In addition to biological factors (e.g., hormonal changes), social constructionist factors (e.g., biased diagnostic criteria and clinicians' gender bias) and sociocultural factors (e.g., feminization of poverty, gender discrimination, violence against women, and prescriptive beauty standards) should be considered. Future studies in the field of mental health should consider gender differences and explore the bio-psycho-socio-cultural factors that may underlie these differences.

Distribution of Vitamin D Status in a Group from Syrian Society

Objective: The aim of this work is to study the serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 in a sample of healthy Syrians in the city of Homs. Method: A cross-sectional study, including 690 ostensibly healthy participants, was conducted at the National Hospital of Homs. Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 were measured using chemiluminescent immunoassay. Results: The overall prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy (insufficiency, deficiency, and severe deficiency) in the study samples was 76.5%. Additionally, 49% of the samples had vitamin D deficiency, with 18.5% suffering from severe deficiency. Furthermore, levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 in females were lower than in males (11.3±2.3 ng/ml versus 39.6±11.28 ng/ml, respectively, p &lt; 0.0001). Veiled women had serum levels of vitamin D lower than non-veiled women, 11.3±2.5 ng/ml versus 25.5±3.2 ng/ml, respectively, p &lt; 0.0001. Female gender and clothing style were identified as independent risk factors for vitamin D deficiency. Conclusion: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was very common in the study population, despite the sunny weather in Homs city most of the year. Further studies with larger groups, including other Syrian governorates, are needed to elucidate lifestyle and sociocultural behavior risk factors for vitamin D deficiency.

Clinical Manifestations.

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and dementia inequities highlight the need to eliminate barriers and promote motivators for study engagement of underrepresented populations (URPs; e.g., non-Latinx Black, Latinx, sexual/gender minoritized populations). Lower educational attainment and URP status are associated with lower research engagement rates. This study examined whether engagement in this community-engaged research (CER) study of middle/older-age adults differs according to ethnoracial identity, gender identity, income, age, education, acculturation, sexual orientation, cardiovascular risk, healthcare access, ethnic discrimination, stress, and loneliness. SALUD is an ongoing, longitudinal study in NYC whose aim is to examine genetic, cerebrovascular, sociocultural risk and resilience factors for dementia. CER strategies (i.e., sustained participation in community events/organizations, Community Science Partnership Board) were employed. The Perceived Stress Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale, Perceived Ethnic Discrimination Questionnaire, Abbreviated Multidimensional Acculturation Scale, Healthcare Task Difficulty Questionnaire, and Northern Manhattan Study Neuromedical Evaluation were administered. Participants' progress was coded as retained or dropped out of the study (DOS) for each visit in the study. Cross-sectional analyses (t-tests, chi-square and Mann-Whitney U-tests) compared demographic, health, and psychosocial variables between those who completed the in-person neuropsychological visit (i.e., ∼5 hour comprehensive neuropsychological battery, blood draw, saliva sample, neuromedical interview and questionnaires in a hospital; INP-V) and MRI visit (i.e., ∼1 hour closed MRI scan; MRI-V) with those who DOS. The sample (N = 145) was 53.8% female, older, and well-educated (M age = 65.25, SDage= 6.55, Meducation = 13.59, SDeducation= 3.23). URP study engagement was high: 31.7% non-Latinx Black, 34.5% Latinx, and 33.8% non-Latinx White. There were no significant differences in independent variables (e.g., ethnoracial, gender, discrimination) between the INP-V and DOS groups (all p's>.09). However, analyses revealed that the MRI-V group (M = 13.42, SD = 3.07) had significantly fewer years of education than the DOS group (M = 14.15, SD = 3.71) (t(143) = 2.69, p<.01, 95%CI [0.39, 2.58]) other differences were observed (ps>.05). This study's CER-based approach yielded a high level of URP study engagement. Contrary to previous findings, people with less education were more likely to complete the MRI visit suggesting a willingness to undergo more invasive procedures after establishing trust. CER-based AD studies may help URP participants overcome participation barriers through collaboration with the community.

Children's ethnic-racial identity and mothers' cultural socialization as protective in relations between sociocultural risk factors and children's internalizing behaviors.

The present study examined whether sociocultural risk factors (i.e., mothers' risky behaviors, mothers' and grandmothers' ethnic discrimination, and family economic hardship) predicted children's internalizing behaviors. We also tested whether sociocultural protective factors, including children's positive ethnic-racial identity (ERI) attitudes and mothers' cultural socialization, moderated relations. Participants were 182 5-year-old Mexican-origin children, their mothers, and grandmothers. Findings indicated that children's positive ERI attitudes were protective, such that grandmothers' discrimination predicted children's greater internalizing at low levels of children's positive ERI attitudes, but this relation was not significant at high levels of children's positive ERI attitudes. Mothers' cultural socialization was also protective, such that mothers' risky behaviors predicted children's greater internalizing at low levels of mothers' cultural socialization, but this relation was not significant at high levels of mothers' cultural socialization. Economic hardship predicted children's greater internalizing and no variables moderated this relation. Findings highlight that mothers' engagement in risky behaviors, grandmothers' ethnic discrimination experiences, and family economic hardship contribute to children's greater internalizing behaviors. However, in some of these relations, children's positive ERI attitudes and mothers' cultural socialization are protective. In future research and programming, a consideration of the role of individual, family, and cultural factors will be important for addressing and reducing children's internalizing behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Fostering resilience and countering stigma: A qualitative exploration of risk and protective factors for negative psychological consequences among alcohol-involved sexual assault survivors.

This qualitative study explored AISA survivors' lived experiences regarding AISA stigma, self-blame, self-compassion, and FOSC as interrelated risk and protective factors in fostering or impeding resilience. Eight participants (M = 25.8 years old) who survived AISA completed individual qualitative interviews that were later coded using thematic analysis. Analyses produced three interrelated main themes, where AISA survivors described experiencing: (a) various NPO corresponding to PTSD, anxiety, and depression symptoms; (b) risk factors that undermined resilience, including internalized self-blame secondary to sociocultural AISA stigma, low self-compassion, FOSC, and preexisting maladaptive tendencies; and (c) protective factors contributing to resilience, including resisting self-blame and facilitating self-compassion by living according to one's values and challenging FOSC. Consistent with the social-ecological framework, AISA survivors' resilience toward NPO was undermined by the interrelated constructs of AISA stigma, internalized self-blame, and low self-compassion. In contrast, survivors' values, including being empathic and committed to feminism, fueled motivation to resist victim-blaming stigma and internalized self-blame and to practice self-compassion, ultimately countering the negative psychological effects of AISA. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Sexual Health and Drug Use Prevention for Black Girls (The Dreamer Girls Project): Protocol for an Intervention Development.

Substance use among adolescent girls is associated with numerous risk characteristics, including engaging in sexual risk behaviors, which can lead to HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) diagnoses. This is an important phenomenon to target as there is a significant race-gendered paradox that occurs when Black girls use and misuse drugs. When misuse occurs among this group, they are more likely to face harsher consequences and worse health outcomes than boys and other ethnic-minority girls. Therefore, there is a need to understand the risk and protective factors of drug use and sexual risk behaviors among Black girls and develop a robust intervention that can cater for this group. We propose the development of a strengths-based prevention education intervention for Black girls between the ages of 13 and 18 years to promote protective factors. A sequential, mixed methods study will be conducted, and we will use the first 3 steps of the ADAPT-ITT (assessment, decision, adaptation, production, topical experts, integration, training, testing) framework to begin the development of the intervention. Three aims will be described in this protocol. First, aim 1 is to explore sociocultural risk and protective factors among Black girls between the ages 13 and 18 years in drug use and HIV/STI prevention using focus group methodology and surveys. We will conduct at least 10 focus groups to include up to 75 Black girls or until we reach saturation. Our target sample size for the quantitative portion of the study will be 200 participants. Aim 2 will focus on deciding upon an intervention based on findings from aim 1 and forming a youth advisory board to guide intervention development. Aim 3 will be to conduct a pretest of the intervention with the youth advisory board to determine if the intervention is feasible and will be accepted by Black girls. The study is part of a 2-year research pilot study award from the National Institutes of Mental Health. Data collection for this study began in October 2021. For aim 1, data collection is 95% complete. We expect to complete all data collection for aim 1 on or before May 30, 2023. Study activities for aim 2 are occurring simultaneously as data are being collected and analyzed and will be completed in the summer of 2023. Study activities for aim 3 will begin in the fall of 2023. This study will be one of the few interventions that address both sexual health and drug use together and cater to Black girls. We anticipate that the intervention will be beneficial for Black girls across the nation to work on building culturally appropriate prevention education and building peer social supports, resulting in reduction or delayed substance use and improved sexual health. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05014074; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05014074. DERR1-10.2196/45007.

Changes in mental health symptoms and sociocultural factors across the COVID-19 pandemic in mothers of Mexican descent.

Latinos have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the US. Little is known about the lasting effects on mental health, particularly among mothers of young children, who historically report high levels of depression and anxiety. We examined if anxiety and depression symptoms worsened for mothers of Mexican descent across the pandemic and identified the role of sociocultural risk and protective factors on these changes. Mothers of Mexican descent (n = 141) with young children (ages 0-7) were administered surveys on mental health symptoms (anxiety and depression), stress-related sociocultural factors (perceived discrimination) before (pre-pandemic), within 3 months (early pandemic), and 18 months after the COVID-19 stay-at-home order (late pandemic). Another sociocultural factor, acculturative stress, was only measured pre-pandemic while during the later phase of the pandemic mothers reported their levels of loneliness, optimism, and coping styles. Repeated measures (RM) ANOVA demonstrated that depressive and anxiety symptoms as well as perceived discrimination increased from pre to early months of the COVID-19 pandemic and slightly lowered in late-COVID but did not return to pre-COVID levels. Two-way RM ANOVA showed that acculturative stress and perceived discrimination predicted worse mental health trajectories across the pandemic while moderations revealed that optimism buffered against, and avoidant coping increased the adverse effects of sociocultural factors on mental health. The effects of the COVID pandemic on mental health are lingering in mothers of young children; however, optimism may be a protective factor. The results also highlight the damaging effects of external factors, such as discrimination, on maternal mental health during times of crisis.

Predictors of Mortality in Acute Bacterial Meningitis in Outborn Neonates with Late Onset Sepsis

ABSTRACT Introduction: Neonatal bacterial meningitis (NBM) is the most devastating complication of late-onset sepsis with incidence ranging from 12.5% to 61.11% with a mortality rate of 16-45.5% and disability rate of 25-50%. Objectives: To estimate the clinical and laboratory predictors of mortality in outborn neonates with NBM. Methods: A prospective observational study was carried out on 150 outborn neonates with late-onset sepsis and with clinically diagnosed meningitis; and CSF biochemical abnormalities with or without CSF culture positivity at a tertiary care teaching hospital in central India over a period of 2 years. Data on demographic, maternal, neonatal, and socio-cultural factors were recorded and analyzed using a univariate and multiple regression model. Results: Distance travelled more than 150 km (OR 1.01, CI 1.0-1.02, P = 0.04), transport duration &gt;3 hrs (OR 4.58, CI 2.07-10.11, P &lt; 0.0001), premature rupture of membrane &gt;24 hours (OR 9.68, CI 2.14-43.70, P &lt; 0.0001), transaminitis (SGPT &gt;40IU/L) (OR 0.93, CI 0.88-0.97, P &lt; 0.003), CSF turbidity (OR 16.70, CI 4.45-62.70, P &lt; 0.0001), raised CSF protein (OR 8.81, CI 1.45-53.34, P = 0.018), and low CSF sugar (OR 20.48, CI 4.18-100.26, P &lt; 0.0001) were independent predictors of mortality in neonatal meningitis on multivariate analysis. Conclusion: Anticipation, early recognition, and prompt treatment of maternal, neonatal, socio-cultural, and laboratory risk factors are important to reduce the mortality of devastating complication of late-onset sepsis.

Factores de riesgo y protección del consumo de drogas ilícitas en adolescentes latinoamericanos

Introduction: illicit drug use is a public health problem associated with high rates of school, work, and social disability. The population with the highest rate of increase in illicit drug use are adolescents, due to their age and biological immaturity. Studies in Latin America mainly identify personal, biological, psychological, and sociocultural risk factors for illicit drug use. Objective: to analyze the scientific evidence on the risk and protective factors of illicit drug use in adolescents in Latin America. Method: the literature search was carried out in: Web of Science, CINAHL, PubMed, MEDLINE, LILACS, SCIELO. Results: in the initial search, a total of 1181 reports were obtained. For the full text evaluation, 147 potentially relevant articles were retrieved, selecting a total of 17 publications that met the inclusion criteria. The findings were grouped into two thematic categories: 1) Risk factors: biological, family, individual, socio-environmental, psychological, and socio-educational; 2) Protection factors: family, religious, psychological and socio-environmental. Discussion and conclusions: the findings of the scope review reveal that there are numerous investigations on the various risk and protective factors of illicit drug use in school adolescents. In addition, it was confirmed that united families and religiosity are protective factors for illicit drug use.

Novel Metabolic Subtypes in Pregnant Women and Risk of Early Childhood Obesity in Offspring

The in utero metabolic milieu is associated with offspring adiposity. Standard definitions of maternal obesity (according to prepregnancy body mass index [BMI]) and gestational diabetes (GDM) may not be adequate to capture subtle yet important differences in the intrauterine environment that could be involved in programming. To identify maternal metabolic subgroups during pregnancy and to examine associations of subgroup classification with adiposity traits in their children. This cohort study included mother-offspring pairs in the Healthy Start prebirth cohort (enrollment: 2010-2014) recruited from University of Colorado Hospital obstetrics clinics in Aurora, Colorado. Follow-up of women and children is ongoing. Data were analyzed from March to December 2022. Metabolic subtypes of pregnant women ascertained by applying k-means clustering on 7 biomarkers and 2 biomarker indices measured at approximately 17 gestational weeks: glucose, insulin, Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides, free fatty acids (FFA), HDL-C:triglycerides ratio, and tumor necrosis factor α. Offspring birthweight z score and neonatal fat mass percentage (FM%). In childhood at approximately 5 years of age, offspring BMI percentile, FM%, BMI in the 95th percentile or higher, and FM% in the 95th percentile or higher. A total of 1325 pregnant women (mean [SD] age, 27.8 [6.2 years]; 322 [24.3%] Hispanic, 207 non-Hispanic Black [15.6%], and 713 [53.8%] non-Hispanic White), and 727 offspring with anthropometric data measured in childhood (mean [SD] age 4.81 [0.72] years, 48% female) were included. We identified the following 5 maternal metabolic subgroups: reference (438 participants), high HDL-C (355 participants), dyslipidemic-high triglycerides (182 participants), dyslipidemic-high FFA (234 participants), and insulin resistant (IR)-hyperglycemic (116 participants). Compared with the reference subgroup, women in the IR-hyperglycemic and dyslipidemic-high FFA subgroups had offspring with 4.27% (95% CI, 1.94-6.59) and 1.96% (95% CI, 0.45-3.47) greater FM% during childhood, respectively. There was a higher risk of high FM% among offspring of the IR-hyperglycemic (relative risk, 8.7; 95% CI, 2.7-27.8) and dyslipidemic-high FFA (relative risk, 3.4; 95% CI, 1.0-11.3) subgroups; this risk was of greater magnitude compared with prepregnancy obesity alone, GDM alone, or both conditions. In this cohort study, an unsupervised clustering approach revealed distinct metabolic subgroups of pregnant women. These subgroups exhibited differences in risk of offspring adiposity in early childhood. Such approaches have the potential to refine understanding of the in utero metabolic milieu, with utility for capturing variation in sociocultural, anthropometric, and biochemical risk factors for offspring adiposity.

Internalization of the Western Standard of Beauty and Body Satisfaction: Evaluation Utilizing COPS and SATAQ-3 Questionnaires among Girls with Scoliosis.

Background and Objectives: Patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) more frequently present significant back-related body image disturbances compared with healthy controls. The study aimed to adapt two screening questionnaires: Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire (SATAQ-3) and Cosmetic Procedure Screening Questionnaire (COPS), that could identify AIS patients, especially those threatened with body image disorders and might predict dissatisfaction with a desired-by-patients cosmetic result of treatment. Materials and Methods: In total, 34 AIS patients who undergo Cheneau brace treatment were asked to complete SATAQ-3 and COPS. Results: AIS patients presented a high level of internalization. Clinical and radiological factors that play a crucial role in the evaluation and decision process during brace treatment were not significantly associated with COPS and SATAQ-3 total scores. The SATAQ-3 total score and COPS results were also not related to sociodemographic parameters of the analyzed group. Conclusions: The presented study confirms the usefulness of the questionnaires, which aimed to isolate sociocultural risk factors of body image disorders in scoliosis patients as predictors of treatment dissatisfaction and worse compliance.