Sociodemographic Categories Research Articles

Knowledge, attitude and perception towards COVID-19 among representative educated sub-Saharan Africans: A cross-sectional study during the exponential phase of the pandemic.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the Severe Acute Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a global health threat with extensive misinformation and conspiracy theories. Therefore, this study investigated the knowledge, attitude and perception of sub-Saharan Africans (SSA) on COVID-19 during the exponential phase of the pandemic. In this cross-sectional survey, self-administered web-based questionnaires were distributed through several online platforms. A total of 1046 respondents from 35 SSA countries completed the survey. The median age was 33 years (18-76 years) and about half (50.5%) of them were males. More than 40% across all socio-demographic categories except the Central African region (21.2%), vocational/secondary education (28.6%), student/unemployed (35.5%), had high COVID-19 knowledge score. Socio-demographic factors and access to information were associated with COVID-19 knowledge. Bivariate analysis revealed that independent variables, including the region of origin, age, gender, education and occupation, were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with COVID-19 knowledge. Multivariate analysis showed that residing in East (odds ratio [OR]: 7.9, 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.7-14, p<0.001), Southern (OR: 3.7, 95% CI: 2.1-6.5, p<0.001) and West (OR: 3.9, 95% CI: 2.9-5.2, p<0.001) Africa was associated with high COVID-19 knowledge level. Apart from East Africa (54.7%), willingness for vaccine acceptance across the other SSA regions was <40%. About 52%, across all socio-demographic categories, were undecided. Knowledge level, region of origin, age, gender, marital status and religion were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. About 67.4% were worried about contracting SARS-CoV-2, while 65.9% indicated they would consult a health professional if exposed. More than one-third of the respondents reported that their governments had taken prompt measures to tackle the pandemic. Despite high COVID-19 knowledge in our study population, most participants were still undecided regarding vaccination, which is critical in eliminating the pandemic. Therefore, extensive, accurate, dynamic and timely education in this aspect is of ultimate priority.

A unified approach to demographic data collection for research with young children across diverse cultures.

Culture is a key determinant of children's development both in its own right and as a measure of generalizability of developmental phenomena. Studying the role of culture in development requires information about participants' demographic backgrounds. However, both reporting and treatment of demographic data are limited and inconsistent in child development research. A barrier to reporting demographic data in a consistent fashion is that no standardized tool currently exists to collect these data. Variation in cultural expectations, family structures, and life circumstances across communities make the creation of a unifying instrument challenging. Here, we present a framework to standardize demographic reporting for early child development (birth to 3 years of age), focusing on six core sociodemographic construct categories: biological information, gestational status, health status, community of descent, caregiving environment, and socioeconomic status. For each category, we discuss potential constructs and measurement items and provide guidance for their use and adaptation to diverse contexts. These items are stored in an open repository of context-adapted questionnaires that provide a consistent approach to obtaining and reporting demographic information so that these data can be archived and shared in a more standardized format. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The Main Aims and Social Status of Rural Women (On the Example of Regions of Uzbekistan)

Based on data from the study “Life goals and value orientations of rural women”, the article analyzes the sociocultural attitudes of women that determine their social well-being and mood. Against the background of consideration of social values, an analysis of the well-being of women is carried out from the point of view of their socio-demographic characteristics. The study was carried out by researchers of the Family and Women Research Institute with the support of the Women’s Committee of Uzbekistan. The main methods for collecting empirical information were interviews among respondents — women in rural areas aged from 18 to 60 years and older, expert surveys (in-depth interviewing) among specialists, as well as secondary sociological analysis of relevant data from the Mahalla and Family Research Institute and other research on the topic being studied. The sociological survey covered a total of 819 respondents. Social surveys of the main contingent of women were conducted in remote villages of the Republic of Karakalpakstan (86), Kashkadarya (148), Bukhara (88), Fergana (171), Samarkand (177) and Tashkent (130) regions. Duration of the sociological survey and analysis of the collected empirical data: from January to April 2023. The study revealed that women in rural areas are characterized by optimism, regardless of their living conditions and nominal parameters. The analyzed data made it possible to consider women in rural areas of Uzbekistan as a special socio-demographic category.

Managing the unknown or the art of preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection in workplaces in a context of evolving science, precarious employment, and communication barriers. A qualitative situational analysis in Quebec and Ontario.

The issue of communications in the public space, and in particular, in the workplace, became critical in the early stages of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and was exacerbated by the stress of the drastic transformation of the organization of work, the speed with which new information was being made available, and the constant fear of being infected or developing a more severe or even fatal form of the disease. Although effective communication is the key to fighting a pandemic, some business sectors were more vulnerable and affected than others, and the individuals in particular socio-demographic and economic categories were proportionately more affected by the number of infections and hospitalizations, and by the number of deaths. Therefore, the aim of this article is to present data related to issues faced by essential workers interacting with the public and their employers to mitigate the contagion of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) at work. Following the constructivist paradigm, an interpretative qualitative design was used to conduct one-on-one interviews with precarious/low-wage, public-contact workers (N = 40), managers (N = 16), and key informants (N = 16) on topics related to their work environments in the context of COVID-19 prevention. This article has highlighted some aspects of communication in the workplace essential to preventing COVID-19 outbreaks (e.g., access to information in a context of fast-changing instructions, language proficiency, transparency and confidentiality in the workplace, access to clear guidelines). The impact of poor pre-pandemic working relations on crisis management in the workplace also emerged. This study reminds us of the need to develop targeted, tailored messages that, while not providing all the answers, maintain dialog and transparency in workplaces.

Variations in COPD Health Care Access and Outcomes: A Rapid Review.

Health inequities among individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are often associated with differential access to health care and health outcomes. A greater understanding of the literature concerning such variation is necessary to determine where gaps or inequities exist along the continuum of COPD care. A rapid review of the published and grey literature reporting variations in health care access and/or health outcomes for individuals with COPD was completed. Variation was defined as differential patterns in access indicators or outcome measures within sociodemographic categories, including age, ethnicity, geography, race, sex, and socioeconomic status. Emergent themes were identified from the included literature and synthesized narratively. Thirty-five articles were included for final review; the majority were retrospective cohort studies. Twenty-five studies assessed variation in access to health care. Key indicators included: access to spirometry testing, medication adherence, participation in pulmonary rehabilitation, and contact with general practitioners and/or respiratory specialists. Twenty-one studies assessed variation in health outcomes in COPD and key metrics included: hospital-based resource utilization (length of stay and admissions/readmissions), COPD exacerbations, and mortality. Patients who live in rural environments and those of lower socioeconomic status had both poorer access to care and outcomes at the system and patient level. Other sociodemographic variables, including ethnicity, race, age, and sex were associated with variation in health care access and outcomes, although these findings were less consistent. The results of this rapid review suggest that substantial variation in access and outcomes exists for individuals with COPD, highlighting opportunities for targeted interventions and policies.

Reliability of Self-Reported Road Crash and Violation Data of Professional Drivers: The Case of Qatar

Having accurate road traffic crashes (RTCs) and violations data is essential for establishing more realistic crash and casualty reduction programs. Although crash data commonly suffer from issues of accuracy and comprehensiveness, these factors are often disregarded in crash analyses. This research aims to evaluate the trustworthiness of self-reported RTCs and violations data in relation to actual record data among professional taxi and bus drivers in the state of Qatar. The analysis will account for divergences across socio-demographic features and driver types. A statistical analysis i.e. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used on the collected data (one year self-reported and two years actual data) of 566 participants, comprising 361 taxi drivers and 206 bus drivers who were employed by Karwa driving school. The results revealed significant differences between self-reported RTCs and traffic violation data and actual records. The accuracy of self-reporting also varies depending on the type of driver and across various socio-demographic categories. The variations observed in the data have significant inferences for the overall reliability of the data and their influence on crash analysis.

Prevalence of smoking and its changes over time in Russia: data from the ESSE-RF study

Aim. To analyze the prevalence of smoking according to the Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Diseases and their Risk Factors in Regions of Russian Federation-3 (ESSE-RF3) study, and compare these data with the previous two stages.Material and methods. Data from following three cross sections of the ESSE-RF study were used: 2013-2014, 2017, 2020-2022. At the first stage, the prevalence and probability of smoking was assessed according to ESSE-RF3 data in 2020-2022 (n=28628, 35-74 years). At the second stage, an analysis was carried out over time using data from all three ESSE-RF sections (n=43804, 35-64 years).Results. In the overall ESSE-RF3 sample, the prevalence of smoking was 17,0% (men — 27,7%, women — 7,6%). Smoking probability varies significantly by sex, age, education level and income. Over time, the standardized prevalence of smoking increases from 25,0% in 20132014 to 26,2% in 2017, and then decreases to 21,5% in 2020-2022. Women are characterized by the same direction of trends, while men had consistent decrease in prevalence from 41,3 to 37,0 and 34,3%, respectively. The probability of smoking in 2017, relative to 20132014, decreases only in some socio-demographic categories of the population. In 2020-2022, a decrease in the probability of smoking is typical for both the general sample and all subgroups of the population.Conclusion. The results obtained characterize the current situation and time trends of the last decade and contain important information on smoking epidemiology in Russia.

Gender differential in the pattern and severity of perceived symptoms among diabetes patients in India.

To analyze the pattern of diabetes symptoms and to estimate the association between diabetes symptom severity (level of discomfort perceived by a patient due to diabetes symptoms) among different socio-demographic variables for both women and men. Primary cross-sectional data of 583 diagnosed patients (51.3% and 48.7%, women and men, respectively) were collected from Punjab, India. Frequency percentage distribution and negative binomial regressions (NBR) were used for analysis. More men were asymptomatic compared to women. Both genders perceived increased hunger, thirst, and frequent urination in their early stages of diabetes. More women than men have experienced hormonal change as their first symptom with a higher severity level. NBR analyzed the association between discomfort perceived by both genders due to symptoms among different socio-demographic categories. Urban patients (incidence rate ratio-IRR: 0.90) were significantly (p = 0.056) less likely to perceive discomfort than their rural counterparts, whereas men (IRR: 0.93) reported more significant discomfort than women (IRR: 0.88) in the urban area. Literate patients [Up to class 10 (IRR: 0.87), (p = 0.013) and 11-above (IRR: 0.85), (p = 0.022) categories] were significantly less likely to perceive discomfort. In all education categories, women professed more significant discomfort than men. Given the differences in symptoms between the two genders, this paper will help comprehend the disease development process and limit the possibilities of misdiagnosis. This study will assist in identifying the order of the symptoms among both genders.

Plant diversity and ethnobotanical importance of home gardens in Ghana’s middle belt: a cross-sectional survey of the Sunyani municipality

BackgroundHome gardens are a species-rich socioecological system with a diverse range of cultivated and naturally occurring plants with the potential to make contributions to address sustainable food, biodiversity and climate crisis. However, there is a dearth of information on the socio-demographic profile of home gardeners and the importance of home gardens to ethnobotany, food security and biodiversity. Therefore, the study aimed to assess the socio-demographic profile of home gardeners in the Sunyani municipality as a case in point for the middle belt of Ghana and to evaluate the diversity of plants in home gardens and their ethnobotanical importance.MethodsA total of 12 suburbs were selected from three subzones in the Sunyani municipality. In each suburb, 25% of households were randomly selected and if they had a home garden, one adult in the house was interviewed. A list of all plants in the home garden and their uses was obtained from respondents. A Chi-square test was used to assess the distribution of home gardeners among various socio-demographic categories, and binomial logistic regression was employed to determine links between socio-demography and home garden attributes. The ethnobotany R package was used to evaluate the ethnobotanical importance of plants in home gardens.ResultsA total of 186 respondents were recruited for this study, 79 being females and 107 males. A total of 79 plant species were also identified belonging to 70 genera and 40 families. Trees were the most common plant life form in home gardens, followed by shrubs, herbs, vines, grasses and lianas. Ethnobotanical indices revealed the most important plants in home gardens to be staples, food supplements and medicinal plants. These were Musa paradisiaca, Caripa pabaya, Xanthosoma sagittifolium, Manihot utilisima and Mangifera indica, Moringa oleifera, Citrus sinensis, Capsicum frutescens, Taraxacum officinale, Solanum aethiopicum, Cocos nucifera, Solanum torvum, Persea americana, Dioscorea alata and Elaeis guineensis.ConclusionPlants used as staples, food supplements and medicinal purposes emerged as the most culturally relevant scoring high on all ethnobotanical indices. Home gardens present an opportunity to address food security and nutrition needs of households and communities.

Social inequalities in the risk of giving birth to a small for gestational age child in Sweden 2010-16: a cross-sectional study adopting an intersectional approach.

Well-established associations exist between the risk of small for gestational age (SGA) and unidimensional sociodemographic factors. We investigated social inequalities in SGA risk and adopted an intersectional approach that simultaneously considers different social categories. By doing so, we could assess heterogeneities in SGA risk within unidimensional sociodemographic categories. We included all live 679694 singleton births in Sweden between 2010 and 2016. The outcome was SGA, and the exposures were age, maternal educational level, dichotomous migration status and civil status. Thirty-six possible combinations of these factors constituted the exposure in an intersectional model. We present odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC)-a measurement of discriminatory accuracy (i.e. the ability to discriminate the babies born SGA from those who are not). Women with low education and women born outside Sweden had ORs of 1.46 (95% CI 1.38-1.54) and 1.50 (95% CI 1.43-1.56) in unidimensional analyses, respectively. Among women aged under 25 with low education who were born outside Sweden and unmarried, the highest OR was 3.06 (2.59-3.63). The discriminatory accuracy was low for both the unidimensional model that included all sociodemographic factors (AUC 0. 563) and the intersectional model (AUC 0.571). The intersectional approach revealed a complex sociodemographic pattern of SGA risk. Sociodemographic factors have a low accuracy in identifying SGA at the individual level, even when quantifying their multi-dimensional intersections. This cautions against interventions targeted to individuals belonging to socially defined groups to reduce social inequalities in SGA risk.

Exploring consumer perceptions and familiarity on apple production and processing under different conditions: conventional, organic, home-made, artisanal and industrial

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to better understand consumer's familiarity with fruit processing as well as how fruit production conditions (organic and conventional farming), processing conditions (homemade, artisanal and industrial) and the type of processing (e.g. applesauce, apple cider and apple sorbet) influence consumer perceptions of processed fruits.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey questionnaire was applied to 1,000 people living in France. The people represented different genders, ages (18–60+) and sociodemographic categories. Participants were categorized based on their produce purchasing habits (conventional, local, organic, local-organic). The questionnaire contained multiple choice and five point Likert scale questions. Data were analyzed using non-parametric tests.FindingsThe authors found that participants saw year-round availability, fruit preservation and food waste reduction as processing advantages. Locally sourced products were preferred to organic products. The perceived disadvantages to processing were additive usage, nutrient loss and packaging. For consumers, these disadvantages drove highly differentiated perceptions of industrial versus artisanal/homemade apple products. Processing conditions appeared to matter far more than production conditions (organic vs. conventional). In general, consumers weren't familiar with processing operations, awareness was greater for consumers of local and/or organic produce than conventional consumers.Social implicationsThere must be a societal transition toward healthier diets, and food technologies. Informed consumers, might be better equipped to make healthy, informed choices if the consumers are given quality information about food production and processing at different levels.Originality/valueResearch has shown that consumers view fresh organic fruit positively, but only few studies have looked at perceptions of processed fruit products and their familiarity with processing operations. Results of this study demonstrate that consumers could make better choices if the consumers are given quality information about fruit production and processing.

Post-Diversity, Precarious Work for All: Unmaking borders to govern labour in the Amazon warehouse

This paper investigates the (un)making of borders as a form of labour governmentality in one of Amazon’s warehouses in Poland. Guided by a critical theory of borders as a form of labour governmentality under global capitalism, we identify organizational practices through which socio-demographic categories traditionally deployed as principles of organizing work (e.g., gender, age, ability) are unmade: the management of deskilled labour through an algorithmic system, the non-selective hiring of workers, the enforcement of social norms of interpersonal respect and a universal system of casualized employment. Together, these practices constitute workers as undifferentiated, interchangeable and equal labour, let them compete with each other under harshly exploitative conditions, and continuously dispose of the least productive among them, keeping all in structural uncertainty. The study contributes to the critical diversity literature by showing a ‘post-diversity’ governmentality that rests on equality, competition and precarization of labour as a whole, rather than segregation and marginalization through an ‘ideal worker’ norm. This labour governmentality operates by eliciting consent from historically subordinated workers and eliminating the advantage of historically relatively privileged ones. Unmaking borders within labour inside the organization, this governmentality at the same time crucially rests on borders outside it.

Sociodemographic Determinants and Types of Employment in Tanzania: Evidence from Integrated Labour Force Survey Data

This study scrutinises the link between sociodemographic factors and types of employment in Tanzania, leveraging data from the 2020-2021 Integrated Labour Force Survey collected by the Tanzania National Bureau of Statistics. Age, gender, education, and geographical area (rural or urban) are analysed for their influence on employment outcomes. The Integrated Labour Force Survey dataset, offering a national representative sample, forms the foundation for this research, facilitating a comprehensive investigation of employment types and sociodemographic characteristics. Two analytical techniques are employed – cross-tabulation analysis and the Chi-Square test of independence – allowing for exploring employment distribution across sociodemographic categories and the significance of the observed relationships. A key finding is the predominance of self-employment across all education levels, ages, gender and regions, with a subtle rise in wage employment correlating with higher education. Rural areas predominantly rely on self-employment, indicating their economic reliance on agriculture and small businesses. Urban areas show increased wage employment, indicating a wider array of job opportunities. Gender disparities are evident, with self-employment slightly more common among men while women engage more in unpaid work, reflecting traditional gender roles. Age-related analysis reveals a tendency for self-employment to increase, suggesting older individuals shift towards entrepreneurship, while unpaid work is more common among the younger population. Although the study design identifies associations, not causality, it offers more profound insights into the intricate relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and employment types in the Tanzanian context. This research enriches our understanding of Tanzania’s employment landscape, underlining the importance of sociodemographic determinants in shaping types of employment in the population.

What Do United States Adolescents Eat? Food Group Consumption Patterns and Dietary Diversity from a Decade of Nationally Representative Data

BackgroundAlthough the importance of adolescent nutrition has gained attention in the global nutrition community, there is a gap in research focused on adolescent dietary diversity and food group consumption. ObjectivesThis study aimed to characterize population-level food group consumption patterns and quantify the extent of dietary diversity among United States adolescents using a large nationally representative sample of adolescents aged 10–19 y. MethodsWe used 24-h dietary recall data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2007 to 2018 to construct the 10 food groups comprising the minimum dietary diversity for women (MDD-W) indicator and estimated the prevalence of intake of each food group. A composite metric adolescent dietary diversity score (ADDS) was derived for each adolescent where 1 point was awarded per food group. Both population scores and the distribution of individual scores were estimated. Differences in proportions of food groups consumed across sociodemographic categories were tested using the Rao–Scott χ2 test, and pairwise comparisons were expressed as population prevalence differences and prevalence ratios. ResultsFood group consumption patterns were very similar across 2 d of dietary recall but varied significantly by sex, race/ethnicity, and income status. The food groups with the highest prevalence of consumption were grains, white roots, and tubers (∼99%), milk products (∼92%), and meat, poultry, and fish (∼85%), whereas <15% of adolescents consumed key micronutrient-dense foods, such as vitamin A–rich fruits and vegetables and dark green vegetables. The mean ADDS was 4.69, with modest variation across strata. ConclusionsOn average, United States youth consumed fewer than 5 food groups on a given day. The lack of dietary variety and relatively low prevalence of consumption of several micronutrient-rich plant-based foods could pose a risk for adolescents’ ability to achieve micronutrient adequacy in the United States.

Parental sociodemographics of medically assisted reproduction births in the United States: a dyadic population-level study

To study how men's and couples' sociodemographic characteristics predict the probability of having a birth conceived using medically assisted reproduction (MAR) in the United States. Population-based study. Not applicable. Men and women in the National Vital Statistics Birth certificate data from 2009 to 2019. None. Proportion of MAR births out of total births by parental sociodemographic categories and probability of having a MAR birth. Between 2009 and 2019, the overall prevalence of MAR births among men was 1.81%. Fathers of children conceived using MAR tended to be older, higher educated, and white compared with fathers of naturally conceived children. During the period of 2009-2019, these sociodemographic profiles remained largely unchanged. Controlling for maternal age and birth order only partially reduced disparities by education and race. In 2019, highly educated fathers were 2.04 percentage points (95% confidence interval, 1.97-2.12) more likely to have a MAR-conceived birth than fathers with a low educational level, and black fathers were associated with a reduction in the probability of having an MAR-conceived child by - 1.07 percentage points (95% confidence interval, -1.11 to -1.04) compared with white fathers. The dyadic analysis using parents' education and race interactions revealed that partnering with someone of a higher educational level increases the likelihood of having a MAR birth, beyond what would be observed by considering only individual-level characteristics. To comprehend the environment in which MAR-conceived children are born and raised, performing dyadic analyses that examine the characteristics of both partners is essential. The findings underscore the enduring presence of substantial social disparities in MAR use in the United States, with MAR-conceived children raised in environments of relative advantage, which may impact their future health and development.

Information Exposure Effect of Athletic Performance, Idolizing and Sportsmanship on Sports Fan Students

Background. Teenagers who are into sports seek information about their sport, including information about their idol athletes. Idol athletes use social media platforms to distribute information to build their brand image among their fans. One of the social media platforms currently widely used by teenagers as well as by athletes to establish the athletes’ brand is Instagram. One type of information about athletes spread on Instagram includes aspects of athletic performance. Referring to the athlete brand image model, they reveal that athletic performance contains elements of sportsmanship. Sportsmanship is a material embedded in sports education as well as an attitude that each adolescent should develop. Study purpose. The purpose of this study was to elicit an overview of the effect of exposure to information about athletic performance on social media as well as its relationship with idolizing and the formation of sportsmanship values within themselves, both expressed directly and through online media. Materials and methods. The respondents of this study were 580 adolescents who actively took part in sports activity units at their respective schools and universities. This study applied means to compare followed by simple regression analysis. Results. The results show that adolescents prefer information that contains elements of sportsmanship, and rivalry. Exposure to information related to athletic performance disseminated by athletes through social media affects adolescents’ idolizing attitudes. Idolizing attitude also affects adolescents’ sportsmanship shown directly, however, it does not significantly affect sportsmanship being expressed through social media. Conclusions. Adolescents in different sociodemographic categories have different preferences in selecting information related to athletic performance from their idolized athletes on social media. The formation of sportsmanship in adolescents can be supported by their exposure to information that is related to athletic performance.

Predictors of Lassa fever diagnosis in suspected cases reporting to health facilities in Nigeria

Lassa fever (LF) remains endemic in Nigeria with the country reporting the highest incidence and mortality globally. Recent national data suggests increasing incidence and expanding geographic spread. Predictors of LF case positivity in Nigeria have been sparsely studied. We thus sought to determine the sociodemographic and clinical determinants of LF positivity amongst suspected cases presenting to health facilities from 2018 to 2021. A secondary analysis of the national LF surveillance data between January 2018 and December 2021. Socio-demographic and clinical data of 20,027 suspected LF cases were analysed using frequencies and Chi-square statistics with significant p-value set at p < 0.05. The outcome variable was LF case status (positive or negative). Predictors of LF case positivity were assessed using multiple logistic regression models with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Case positivity rate (CPR) for the four years was 15.8% with higher odds of positivity among age group 40–49 years (aOR = 1.40; 95% CI 1.21–1.62), males (aOR = 1.11; 95% CI 1.03–1.20), those with formal education (aOR = 1.33; 95% CI 1.13–1.56), artisans (aOR = 1.70; 95% CI 1.28–2.27), religious leaders (aOR = 1.62; 95% CI 1.04–2.52), farmers (aOR = 1.48; 95% CI 1.21–1.81), and symptomatic individuals (aOR = 2.36; 95% CI 2.09–2.68). Being a health worker (aOR = 0.69; 95% CI 0.53–0.91), a teacher (aOR = 0.69; 95% CI 0.53–0.89) and cases reporting in the 3rd quarter (aOR = 0.79; 95% CI 0.69–0.92) had lower odds. In a sex-disaggregated analysis, female farmers had higher odds of positivity (aOR = 2.43; 95% CI 1.76–3.38; p < 0.001) than male farmers (aOR = 1.52; 95% CI 1.19–1.96; p < 0.01). Fever (aOR = 2.39; 95% CI 2.00–2.84) and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms (aOR = 2.15; 95% CI 1.94–2.37) had the highest odds among symptoms. Combination of fever and GI symptoms (aOR = 2.15; 95% CI 1.50–3.10), fever and neurological symptoms (aOR = 6.37; 95% CI 1.49–27.16), fever and musculo-skeletal symptoms (aOR = 2.95; 95% CI 1.37–6.33), fever and cardiopulmonary symptoms (aOR = 1.81; 95% CI 1.24–2.64), and cardiopulmonary and general symptoms (aOR = 1.50; 95% CI 1.19–1.89) were also predictive. Cumulative LF CPR appears high with clearly identified predictors. Targeted interventions with heightened index of suspicion for sociodemographic categories predictive of LF in suspected cases are recommended. Ethnographic and further epidemiological studies could aid better understanding of these associations.

COVID-19 Vaccine Refusal and Delay among Adults in Italy: Evidence from the OBVIOUS Project, a National Survey in Italy.

Vaccine hesitancy was defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2019 as a major threat to global health. In Italy, reluctance to receive vaccines is a widespread phenomenon that was amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic by fear and mistrust in government. This study aims to depict different profiles and characteristics of people reluctant to vaccinate, focusing on the drivers of those who are in favor of and those who are opposed to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. A sample of 10,000 Italian residents was collected. A survey on COVID-19 vaccination behavior and possible determinants of vaccine uptake, delay, and refusal was administered to participants through a computer-assisted web interviewing method. In our sample, 83.2% stated that they were vaccinated as soon as possible ("vaccinators"), 8.0% delayed vaccination ("delayers"), and 6.7% refused to be vaccinated ("no-vaccinators"). In general, the results show that being female, aged between 25 and 64, with an education level less than a high school diploma or above a master's degree, and coming from a rural area were characteristics significantly associated with delaying or refusing COVID-19 vaccination. In addition, it was found that having minimal trust in science and/or government (i.e., 1 or 2 points on a scale from 1 to 10), using alternative medicine as the main source of treatment, and intention to vote for certain parties were characteristics associated with profiles of "delayers" or "no-vaccinators". Finally, the main reported motivation for delaying or not accepting vaccination was fear of vaccine side effects (55.0% among delayers, 55.6% among no-vaccinators). In this study, three main profiles of those who chose to be vaccinated are described. Since those who are in favor of vaccines and those who are not usually cluster in similar sociodemographic categories, we argue that findings from this study might be useful to policy makers when shaping vaccine strategies and choosing policy instruments.

Artificial Intelligence-enabled Decision Support in Surgery: State-of-the-art and Future Directions.

To summarize state-of-the-art artificial intelligence-enabled decision support in surgery and to quantify deficiencies in scientific rigor and reporting. To positively affect surgical care, decision-support models must exceed current reporting guideline requirements by performing external and real-time validation, enrolling adequate sample sizes, reporting model precision, assessing performance across vulnerable populations, and achieving clinical implementation; the degree to which published models meet these criteria is unknown. Embase, PubMed, and MEDLINE databases were searched from their inception to September 21, 2022 for articles describing artificial intelligence-enabled decision support in surgery that uses preoperative or intraoperative data elements to predict complications within 90 days of surgery. Scientific rigor and reporting criteria were assessed and reported according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. Sample size ranged from 163-2,882,526, with 8/36 articles (22.2%) featuring sample sizes of less than 2000; 7 of these 8 articles (87.5%) had below-average (<0.83) area under the receiver operating characteristic or accuracy. Overall, 29 articles (80.6%) performed internal validation only, 5 (13.8%) performed external validation, and 2 (5.6%) performed real-time validation. Twenty-three articles (63.9%) reported precision. No articles reported performance across sociodemographic categories. Thirteen articles (36.1%) presented a framework that could be used for clinical implementation; none assessed clinical implementation efficacy. Artificial intelligence-enabled decision support in surgery is limited by reliance on internal validation, small sample sizes that risk overfitting and sacrifice predictive performance, and failure to report confidence intervals, precision, equity analyses, and clinical implementation. Researchers should strive to improve scientific quality.

Effects of Physical Activity on Body Mass Index among Medical Students from East Coast Peninsular Malaysian Public University

Background: A wide-ranging scrutiny and impost of the precincts and variability of the physical activities on body mass index (BMI) relationship are crucial whether we are to comprehend how to best exploit and explore sports programming and participation for improved health. Aim: We are aiming to observe and understand the medical students’ BMI by doing physical activities. Besides, we will identify the obstacles and challenges faced by the students to balance their time after physical activities. Methods: Accordingly, screened the socio-demographic status; assessed involvement of medical students in physical activities; determined BMI among medical students and finally, correlated the physical activities with BMI. The study design used for this research is a cross-sectional study. Results: Results obtained include socio-demographic characteristics, sports participation and BMI category among medical students with physical activities. Conclusion: In general, our research revealed that only 35% of the MBBS students from UniSZA are doing physical activities. Students who are overweight and obese does not involve in any kind of physical activity but students who are having normal BMI involve themselves actively in physical activities. It shows that there is a relationship between physical activities and BMI.