Total Number Of People Research Articles

An investigation into the association between diet and dementia risk

AbstractBackgroundThe number of people living with dementia is rising. It is estimated that by 2030, the total number of people with dementia would reach 82 million. By 2050, the number would increase to 152 million. Modifiable risk factors are gaining increasing attention as means of prevention or delaying of the disease. A number of those factors relate to diet, however specific patient guidance has not been established due to inconsistent evidence, heterogeneity of samples, small effect and sample sizes.We aimed to use a large sample with long follow up times to clarify links between dietary factors and dementia. We use data from the UK Biobank cohort [enrolment from years 2006‐ 2010] on dietary patterns and registered dementia cases to establish an association between diet and dementia risk.We investigate the association between adherence to the Mediterranean diet, as well as specific aspects such as vegetarianism and high versus low fat which could have an impact on dementia risk.This will help in establishing specific guidance for reduction in dementia risk.MethodWe will combine variables to form quantiles of low, medium and high adherence to the Mediterranean diet. We will also classify people into those adhering to a vegetarian/non‐vegetarian diet and those eating a low versus high fat diet. We will summarise characteristics of the sample and compare those developing and not developing dementia. Dementia diagnosis will be determined from self‐report and recorded diagnoses in electronic health records. We will conduct a Cox regression to investigate the effect of dietary factors on dementia risk, adjusting forage, sex, education, physical activity and cardiovascular risk factors.ResultResults will be presented in the form of summary tables as well as results of Cox regression models. We will examine which dietary factors have the biggest impact on dementia risk and, if supported by the evidence, we will provide suggestions as to how to reduce dementia risk through dietary adjustments.ConclusionThis project examines association between diet and dementia risk.

Active diagnostics of dementia in the inland region of Portugal

AbstractBackgroundAccording to Alzheimer Europe (2019), it is estimated that in 2018, there were 8,885,101 people with dementia in Europe (EU‐28), with a prevalence of 1.73%. In Portugal, it is estimated that this figure is 193,516, with a prevalence of 1.88%, surpassing the European trend, since it is expected to almost double the number of cases in 2050 (346,905), reflecting the significant increase of people over 70 years and, specifically over 85. The OECD's “Health at a Glance 2020” report indicates that Alzheimer's and other dementia accounted for 5% of all deaths in 2017.Thus, it becomes relevant to study the magnitude of this problem also at the local level.This study aims to identify and characterize people with dementia in a region of the inland region of Portugal. It is assumed as the first stage of a more comprehensive study on the quality of life of the person with dementia and his/her family, within the framework of the NEUROQUALYFAM Project (0541_NEURO_QUALYFAM_6_E).MethodThis is a cross‐sectional descriptive epidemiological study of people with dementia. The data, provided by health services, refer to the active diagnoses of the disease, according to the International Classification of Primary Health Care ‐ ICPC‐2 (P70 ‐ Dementia) and do not allow to trace any of the individuals.ResultThe total number of people with active diagnosis of Dementia (P70) was in 2019, around 1603 cases, with an increase of 363 cases between 2014 and 2019. The proportion of active diagnoses in the resident population was 1.13%, with higher values in women (0.80% versus 0.33% in men). Most active diagnoses (95.51%) are from people aged 65 years or older, also reflecting the results a higher proportion in the higher age groups, namely 25.02% in the 80–84‐year‐old group and 43.54% in the 85‐year‐old group.ConclusionThe identification and characterization of people with dementia, in the geographic area under study, will now allow the development of the study of the quality of life of these people and their families so that it is possible to implement more specific and targeted strategies for this target population.

Simulation of the impact of people mobility, vaccination rate, and virus variants on the evolution of Covid-19 outbreak in Italy

We have further extended our compartmental model describing the spread of the infection in Italy. As in our previous work, the model assumes that the time evolution of the observable quantities (number of people still positive to the infection, hospitalized and fatalities cases, healed people, and total number of people that has contracted the infection) depends on average parameters, namely people diffusion coefficient, infection cross-section, and population density. The model provides information on the tight relationship between the variation of the reported infection cases and a well-defined observable physical quantity: the average number of people that lie within the daily displacement area of any single person. With respect to our previous paper, we have extended the analyses to several regions in Italy, characterized by different levels of restrictions and we have correlated them to the diffusion coefficient. Furthermore, the model now includes self-consistent evaluation of the reproduction index, effect of immunization due to vaccination, and potential impact of virus variants on the dynamical evolution of the outbreak. The model fits the epidemic data in Italy, and allows us to strictly relate the time evolution of the number of hospitalized cases and fatalities to the change of people mobility, vaccination rate, and appearance of an initial concentration of people positives for new variants of the virus.

Social Network-Based Digital Stroke Prevention: Opportunities, Results and Prospects

Aim. To study the possibilities and limitations of the social network as a digital medical tool, which is aimed at improving programs for primary and secondary stroke prevention in young people.Material and methods. The study was carried out in the format of online training for volunteers. At the first stage of the work, the online school “Stroke in Young People” was announced in 8 medical blogs. As part of the school, a special account was created for readers (n=1354). At the second stage, 49 respondents (4% of men, whose average age was 24.4±5.2 years) were selected from 1354 listeners, who were surveyed on “Awareness of risk factors and stroke symptoms among users of social networks” before and after the online school.Results. The online school audience is predominantly female (91%), and 43% of readers were in the 25-34 age group. The total number of people who listened to and read the online school material is 8712 people. 17% worked in the healthcare system, and 22% of respondents had a history of stroke. 38 (78%) people of the 2nd stage among the respondents independently searched for information about stroke earlier, and 30 (61%) received this information passively from medical workers in 2020. Before the online school start, the majority of respondents (over 60%) were aware of 2 out of 7 stroke risk factors (dyslipidemia and arterial hypertension) and 3 out of 6 stroke signs (drooping of the face half, weakness in the limbs and difficulty speaking). Less than 40% of the participants considered the stroke risk factors for diabetes mellitus, other cardiovascular diseases (CVD), obesity, and alcohol use; less than 20% were aware of stroke symptoms such as impaired vision and coordination and very severe headache. After completing online learning, the greatest increase in knowledge was found among the following risk factors – smoking and other CVDs (p<0.05); stroke symptoms - headache and drooping of the face half (p<0.05).Conclusion. The online school aroused interest among healthcare workers and people without medical education, including those with stroke. Most of the respondents believed that they knew how to prevent a stroke (over 80%) and would be able to provide first aid to a person with a stroke (over 90%). At the same time, the awareness of risk factors and stroke symptoms was low prior to the start of learning, even though the study included healthcare workers and stroke survivors. Online learning has led to increased awareness of some risk factors and stroke symptoms. Social media can be one of the tools for medical prevention of stroke in young people, but program planning should take into account the way the material is presented and its readability.

Prevalence and correlates of disability in Latin America and the Caribbean: Evidence from 8 national censuses.

We estimate disability prevalence rates and gaps in social conditions in eight Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries and project current and future disability prevalence rates in the region. Using data from representative samples of the population in eight countries, we find that reported disability prevalence varies widely across countries, ranging between 4.5 percent in Trinidad and Tobago (2011) to 24.9 percent in Brazil (2010). Differences in surveying approaches and demographic structures likely explain a part of this variation. We find marked sociodemographic gradients for disability. We also report significant disability gaps: people living with disabilities have lower educational attendance and completion rates and lower employment rates. We use age and sex-specific disability rates from our sample of countries and information on the current and future demographic structures in LAC countries to project disability prevalence for the whole region. We project that the total number of people with disabilities in this region will increase by approximately 60 million between 2020 and 2050. Our projections suggest that countries need to systematically plan and implement inclusion policies to adequately address the growing population of people with disabilities in the years to come.

Corpus Callosum Atrophy in Detection of Mild and Moderate Alzheimer's Disease Using Brain Magnetic Resonance Image Processing and Machine Learning Techniques.

Background:The total number of people with dementia is projected to reach 82 million in 2030 and 152 in 2050. Early and accurate identification of the underlying causes of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is of utmost importance. A large body of research has shown that imaging techniques are most promising technologies to improve subclinical and early diagnosis of dementia. Morphological changes, especially atrophy in various structures like cingulate gyri, caudate nucleus, hippocampus, frontotemporal lobe, etc., have been established as markers for AD. Being the largest white matter structure with a high demand of blood supply from several main arterial systems, anatomical alterations of the corpus callosum (CC) may serve as potential indication neurodegenerative disease.Objective:To detect mild and moderate AD using brain magnetic resonance image (MRI) processing and machine learning techniques.Methods:We have performed automatic detection and segmentation of the CC and calculated its morphological features to feed into a multivariate pattern analysis using support vector machine (SVM) learning techniques.Results:Our results using large patients’ cohort show CC atrophy-based features are capable of distinguishing healthy and mild/moderate AD patients. Our classifiers obtain more than 90%sensitivity and specificity in differentiating demented patients from healthy cohorts and importantly, achieved more than 90%sensitivity and > 80%specificity in detecting mild AD patients.Conclusion:Results from this analysis are encouraging and advocate development of an image analysis software package to detect dementia from brain MRI using morphological alterations of the CC.

Hepatitis С in Russia and the Northwest federal region of Russia: results of the first stage the global programme of infection elimination

The objective. To assess the dynamics of the epidemic process of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in Russia and the Northwest Federal Region for the period 2015–2020. Materials and methods. The article analyzes the data from the state statistical reporting of infectious diseases in the Russian Federation (RF), from the reference-center for the monitoring of viral hepatitis, from statistical tables compiled at Methodological and Research Center for Epidemiological Surveillance of Viral Hepatitis under Pasteur Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology. The data from the Federal register of patients with viral hepatitis were used.Results. The epidemiological indicators for 2020 should be interpreted taking into account the implementation of anti-epidemic measures for COVID-19 in the context of a pandemic. In 2015–2019, CHC incidence in the RF decreased by 18% (from 38o⁄oooo to 30,9o⁄oooo). For 2020 — by 46% (up to 16,7o⁄oooo). The total number of people with CHC is increasing (in 2015 — 562 622 people, in 2019 — 635 372). There is no clear downward trend in the dynamics of changes in the mortality rate from causes associated with HCV in the RF and the Northwestern Federal Region. The impact of the pandemic on mortality in HCV infection remains to be assessed. In 2019 in Russia, only 8,6% of patients on the register are covered by treatment. In 2020, according to preliminary data, treatment coverage was less than 1% of the estimated number of people with HCV infection (3 million). СHC incidence in the Northwest Federal Region decreased by less than 15% (48o⁄oooo — in 2019, 56,2o⁄oooo — in 2015), for 2020 — by 41% (up to 28,2o⁄oooo). Incidence is 1,5 times higher than in the RF on average. The total number of people with СHC is increasing (in 2015 — 92 780, in 2020 — 106 052). Few people with viral hepatitis know about their diagnosis (35% HCV-infected persons). Government funding for treatment has increased, but only 3% is covered by therapy. In the Northwestern Federal Region, as in the RF, the WHO strategy targets have not been achieved by 2020. The sharp decline in basic epidemiological indicators for 2020 is most likely due to a decrease in the number of patients seeking outpatient care and screening during the implementation of anti-epidemic measures for COVID-19.

Improving primary prevention of hypertension using a social networking site

Abstract Purpose To determine the most effective methods of informing people about the primary prevention of hypertension using a social networking site. Materials and methods It was a randomized, prospective, two-stage study conducted on a social networking site (i.e., the Instagram platform). At Stage 1 online school was announced, and 945 applicants were registered for the training. The online training programme had the following modes: risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, diet, cholesterol, physical activity, obesity, smoking, hypertension and myocardial infarction. At Stage 2 a total of 125 participants were randomly selected and assigned into one of the four training groups where medical training materials were represented by texts of up to 4,000 characters (n=31), short video clips of up to 5 minutes (n=31), by text publications followed by video clips (n=33) and by video clips followed by text publications (n=30) in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th accounts, respectively. Before and after training participants in all the four groups completed the Heart Disease Knowledge Questionnaire (HDKQ). The study was approved by the Ethics Committee. Results The total number of people who listened to and read the materials of the online school was 2,108 people; the overall engagement was 1,598 people. The average percentage viewed was 22%. The online school audience was mostly female (84%), with a mean age of 45.9±12.3 years.The mean duration of hypertension was 6.1±7.6 years. Before training the number of correct responses for 29 HDKQ statements was 18.4±5.1 (CI, 17.5; 19.4), with no significant differences between the groups. After training the number of correct responses increased to 21.9±3.9 (CI, 21; 22.7) (P(ANOVA) <0.0001).The post-hoc analysis showed that after training the respondents from Group 3 gave the lowest number of correct responses compared to Groups 1 and 2, i.e. Δ=4.9 (CI, −7.8; 2.0) and Δ=3.7 (CI, −6.5; −0.8), respectively. Participants from Group 4 had more correct responses than the respondents in Group 3, i.e. Δ=5.2 (CI, 2.2; 8.1). The regression analysis showed that the post-training number of correct responses in Group 4 increased on average by 3.9 compared to Group 3 (β=3.94, P=0.04 (CI, 0.21; 7.66). In the study there was a significant association between the duration of hypertension and the number of correct responses both before and after training (β=0.20, P=0.007 (CI, 0.06; 0.34) and β=0.16, P=0.005 (CI, 0.05; 0.27), respectively). Conclusions In all the 4 groups there was a tendency to increase in the number of correct responses after training, but among the training modes the most effective method of informing people about the primary prevention of hypertension using a social networking site corresponded to the following sequence: a video clip of up to 5 minutes followed by a text publication of up to 4,000 characters. The results of this study can be used in planning online training programmes for the primary prevention of hypertension. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Epidemic dynamics in inhomogeneous populations and the role of superspreaders

A variant of the susceptible-infected-recovered model for an inhomogeneous population is introduced to account for the effect of variability in susceptibility and infectiousness across a population. An initial formulation of this dynamics leads to infinitely many differential equations. Our model, however, can be reduced to a single first-order one-dimensional differential equation. Using this approach, we provide quantitative solutions for different distributions. In particular, we use GPS data from $\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{7}$ cell phones to determine an empirical distribution of the number of individual contacts and use this to infer a possible distribution of susceptibility and infectivity. We quantify the effect of superspreaders on the early growth rate ${\mathcal{R}}_{0}$ of the infection and on the final epidemic size, the total number of people who are ever infected. We discuss the features of the distribution that contribute most to the dynamics of the infection.

Analysis of The Implementation of ISPO Certification on Smallholder Oil Palm Plantation in Beringin Jaya Cooperation Koto Ringin Village Mempura Sub-District Siak District

ISPO certification for oil palm smallholders is based on four principles: plantation legality, smallholder organization and management, environmental management, and a commitment to continuous improvement. The goal of this study is to examine how ISPO standards are used in oil palm smallholder cooperatives and to develop an ISPO application strategy for relevant stakeholders. The research was carried out at the Beringin Jaya Cooperative in the Siak District. A survey method was used to collect primary data from direct interviews with planters and secondary data from government agencies. The total number of people who took part in this study was 66, and the respondents were chosen at random sampling. This study employs descriptive qualitative analysis as well as strategic SWOT matrices for strategic analysis. According to the findings, the cooperative follows 54.17 percents of ISPO standards or 26 out of 48 indicators. This research suggests some development strategies to meet ISPO standards, such as providing assistance and direction to smallholders through government agencies to avoid negative consequences during the certification process, technical assistance, agricultural counseling and training, government and financial institution funding, and the use of cooperatives, farmer groups, and mills to disseminate ISPO standards to farmers.

VITAMIN VALUE OF THE GERODIETETIC PRODUCT FOR ENTERAL NUTRITION

Background. The analysis of the current demographic structure of the world and Ukrainian population gives reasons to state a rather significant increase in the number of older age groups representatives. At the beginning of 2021, the total number of people over 60 in Ukraine is more than 10 million and is 24.44 %. According to the rate of population aging and the general dynamics of this indicator, Ukraine ranks 10-th in world rankings In order to create appropriate conditions to meet the nutritional needs, especially of elder aging groups representatives, including with increased physical and emotional loads, during periods of diseases and injuries treatment, primarily somatic, and reha­bilitation after them, a Ukrainian gerodietetic dry powdery product for enteral nutrition has been developed The aim of the work is to research the vitamin value of gerodietetic dry soluble product for enteral nutrition and to analyze the average satisfaction level of the recom­mended daily requirement for the elderly persons in presented vitamins after product’s consumption in a ready liquid form. Materials and methods. The research’s object was the developed gerodietetic dry soluble product for enteral nutrition. Dry soluble product for enteral nutrition Peptamen, produced by the Nestle company (Switzerland), was selected as a control sample. The following methods were used to research the vitamin value: high-performance liquid chromatography using the liquid chromatograph "Lumachrom" with a chromatographic column and a pre-column, filled with an inverted-phase sorbent "Kromasil C18", and spectrophotometric, using a spectrophotometer "Specord 210". While holding the research five-fold replicate experiments and three-fold analyzes were used. Mathematical and statistical processing of the results was performed using a computer in MS Excel. The determined reliability of the deviation of the obtained results does not exceed 0.03. Results. The obtained experimental results allow to state that the addition of whey protein concentrate into the developed gerodietetic powdery product for enteral nutrition contributed to the provision of high biological value, in particular to increase the content of niacin, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, retinol, thiamine, pyridoxine, ascorbic acid. Additional enrichment of the product by the β-carotene (taking into account its corresponding retinol equivalence), thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine and calciferol allowed to increase the vitamin value of the product significantly. It was established, that consumption (usage) of the developed gerodietetic product for hereditary purposes significantly contributes to the intake of retinol (including β-carotene) – the daily requirement is achieved by almost 83.45 %, thiamine – by 66.53 %, riboflavin – by 2.94 %, pyridoxine – by 80.84 %, ascorbic acid – by 25.09%, less for niacin – by 5.89 %, pantothenic acid – by 19.16 %, folic acid – by 10.67 % and almost does not meet the needs of cyanocobalamin – only 0.06 %, calciferol – by 0.04 %, other vitamins. Conclusion.The developed gerodietetic dry soluble product for enteral nutrition is characterized by increased vitamin value and rather high level of ensuring the gene­ralized daily needs of persons belonging to the older age category in vitamins, in par­ticular with increased physical and emotional loads, diseases and injuries, including somatic, due to the consumption of 100 g of dry soluble product in liquid prepared form. The prospect of further research is the clinical analysis of vitamins, that are presented in the developed product, metabolic absorption level and a more detailed study of product’s consumer properties.

Phacoemulsification: Awareness among Postoperative Cataract Patients in South East Nigeria

Objective: To determine the awareness of phacoemulsification among post operative cataract patients.
 Methods: This was a prospective descriptive cross-sectional study to assess the knowledge of phacoemulsification among postoperative cataract patients that presented in community eye care outreaches in 3 local government areas of Anambra State Nigeria between June 21st 2021 to June 25th 2021.
 Results: The total number of people that attended the outreaches during the study period were 975. Out of these, 167 participants had cataract surgery but only 155 (n=155/167) consented to the study, giving a response rate of 92.8%. The mean age was 67±13 years with an age range of 18 to 93 years. The male: female ratio was 1: 1.2. There were more females (n=84/155, 54.2%) than males (n=71/155, 45.8%).Majority obtained only primary education (n=74/155, 47.7%), while 20.6% (n=32/155) obtained secondary education, 14.2% (n=22/155) obtained tertiary education while 17.4% (n=27/155) had no formal education
 Conclusion: Most cataract blind people in Nigeria are not aware of phacoemulsification cataract surgery and therefore may limit options for modern treatment of cataract blindness, even though this modern method of cataract treatment has been in place for decades in other countries.

A STUDY ON ANTHROPOMETRY, RANGE OF MOTION, AND MUSCLE STRENGTH MEASUREMENTS OF KOREANS WITH PARAPLEGIA

The purpose of the study was to measure anthropometry, range of motion, and muscle strength of Koreans with paraplegia, using wheelchairs. The total number of people with disabilities in Korea was 2,618,918, of which 1,223,135 (46.7%) people were with physical disabilities in 2019. For the research, people with paraplegia living in Chungcheongnam-do, Korea were recommended through the disability-related organizations. Totally 77 Koreans with paraplegia participated, out of which 57 participants were men and 20 participants were women in the age group of 30–69 years. There were 82 measurement items categorized into 39 static measurement items, 31 range of motion items, and 12 muscle strength of hand/finger items. The results were presented and analyzed with values in the 5, 25, 50, 75, and 95 percentiles by each item and gender. In the category of basic anthropometric measurements, the horizontal size items of the participants with paraplegia were reported to be larger than those of people without disabilities due to the development of the upper body resulting from wheelchair propulsion movements with some exceptions related to their overall body physiques. In sitting posture, there would be various factors affecting the anterior and lateral maximum/minimum reach measurements such as differences in neurological symptoms according to the spinal cord injury level and daily movement level. The data showed a meaningful difference between men and women in height and flexibility in sitting posture. An independent sample [Formula: see text]-test was also performed between male and female groups. There were differences in the anthropometric values, range of motion, pinch force, and grip force between men and women with paraplegia. The measurement results of anthropometry of hand/foot and muscle strength of hands and fingers of Koreans with paraplegia would be used for designing products for their hands and feet such as hair dryers and tumblers. The results of range of motion measurements would be used as important data for the design and development of wheelchairs for people with spinal cord injury. The measurement results of Koreans with paraplegia would be used as basic data for designing and developing assistive technology and universal products for wheelchair users who work and perform daily activities. The anthropometric measurements of individuals with other subclassifications of disabilities will be necessary in the future study for more detailed implication and application in this field.

Effectiveness of the mental health education courses for freshmen in Jiangsu colleges

Objective To understand the overall mental health status of freshmen in colleges and universities in Jiangsu Province, to investigate the effectiveness of mental health courses in improving the mental health of freshmen, so as to provide a reference for improving the mental health of freshmen. Methods A total of 3 358 freshmen from a university in Jiangsu were selected from March to April 2019, mental health courses were held once (2 class hours each time) a week for 8 consecutive weeks, 16 class hours in total (8 class hours of classroom teaching, and 8 class hours of experiential teaching). All the participants were used the Chinese College Students Mental Health Scale to conduct a questionnaire survey followed up before, during and after the implementation of mental health courses. Results A total of 186 students with serious psychological problems were screened before the course, accounting for 5.54% of the total number, 310 students with general psychological problems, accounting for 9.23% of the total number, and 579 students with potential psychological distress, accounting for the total number 17.23% of the total number of people, 2 283 students without psychological distress, accounting for 67.99% of the total number. In the early, middle and late periods of the course, psychological problems showed a downward trend, and the main effect of time was significant (all P<0.01). After the implementation of the mental health course, the detection rate of serious psychological problems (3.84%, 129/3 358) was significantly lower than before the course (5.54%, 186/3 358) (χ 2 = 10.82, P<0.01). In the early, middle and late periods of the course, the development trajectory of freshmen’s psychological problems was divided into two types, namely “first ascending and then descending” (26%) and “slowly descending” (74%). Conclusion The mental health curriculum shows a positive effect on improving the mental health of freshmen. Colleges and universities should pay attention to the construction of mental health curriculum to fully guarantee the quality of the curriculum. 【摘要】 目的 了解江苏省高校新生心理健康状况, 考察心理健康课程对提升大一新生心理健康水平的效果, 为提高大 一新生心理健康水平提供参考。 方法 2019 年 3—4 月选取江苏某高校 3 358 名大一新生开展心理健康课程, 每周 1 次 (每次 2 个学时), 连续 8 周, 共 16 个学时 (8 个学时课堂讲授, 8 个学时体验式教学)。采用中国大学生心理健康筛査量 表, 在心理健康课程的前、中、后 3 个时间段进行 3 次问卷调査。 结果 课程前, 共筛査出严重心理问题者 186 人, 占总人 数的 5.54%; —般心理问题 310 人, 占总人数的 9.23%; 潜在心理困扰 579 人, 占总人数的 17.23%; 无心理困扰 2 283 人, 占 总人数的 67.99%。在课程的前、中、后 3 个时间段, 心理问题呈现下降趋势, 时间主效应有统计学意义 ( P 值均<0.01)。实 施心理健康课程后, 严重心理问题的检出率 (3.84%, 129/3 358) 低于课程前 (5.54%, 186/3 358) (χ 2 = 10.82, P<0.01)。3 个 时间段, 新生心理问题的发展轨迹分为 2 个类型, 分别是“先升后降型” (26 %)和“缓慢下降型” (74 %)。 结论 心理健康 课程对提高大一新生心理健康水平有积极作用, 高校应重视心理健康课程建设, 全面保障课程质量。

PERAN DINAS SOSIAL KOTA SEMARANG DALAM MENINGKATKAN KESEJAHTERAAN DISABILITAS

People with disabilities who are included in the DTKS (Integrated Data on Social Welfare) of Semarang City in 2020 are 3,243 people while the total number of people with disabilities in Semarang City is 5,800 people. This problem certainly requires the role of the Semarang City Social Service to improve the welfare of the disabled community. The purpose of this study is to describe and analyze the role of the Semarang City Social Service in improving the welfare of people with disabilities and their driving and inhibiting factors. This research method is descriptive qualitative. The data collection techniques of this research are observation, interview, documentation and literature study. Determination of the subject in this study was done by purposive sampling method. The theory used is the role theory according to Jam Ife and Frank Tesoriero covering facilitative, educational, representative and technical roles. The results of the research conducted are that the role of the Semarang City Social Service in improving the welfare of the disabled community is quite good. The role that is not well implemented is the four role indicators, namely the facilitative role. The driving factors for the role of the Semarang City Social Service in improving the welfare of the disabled community consist of competence, socialization and role behavior while the inhibiting factors are role transition and role distance.

Suicides during the COVID-19 pandemic: comparing frequencies in three population groups, 9.2 million people overall

There are observations that right after total quarantine measures were introduced, there was no growth in number of suicides, but a situation remains unclear when it comes down to new waves in the pandemic development. Our research goal was to estimate risks of suicide in heterogeneous population groups in 2020, that is, from the pandemic start and up to the second wave rise. We analyzed data on completed suicides in Saint Petersburg, Udmurtia Republic (Russia), and Odessa region (Ukraine), 6,375 cases overall among population groups with total number of people being equal to 9,216 thousand starting from January 01, 2016 to December 31, 2020. Confidence intervals for frequencies as per months (per 100,000 people) in 2020 were calculated as per Wilson and compared with average ones calculated for 2016–2019. There was a decrease in frequency of completed suicides in all three population groups during a period when the strictest quarantine measures were valid; by the mid-summer the trend normalized or there was even a slight increase. When the second pandemic wave came, changes were multidirectional; in particular, in Saint Petersburg there was another decrease by the end of the year, the most apparent and statistically significant among men whereas there were short-term rises in Udmurtia and Odessa. Our comparison performed for population groups with initially different levels of suicides confirms that right after a crisis starts, suicidal behavior becomes less frequent among people; however, as a response to the second pandemic wave, we can expect both falls and rises in number of suicides and it requires more intense preventive activities.

Самоубийства во время пандемии – сравнение частот среди трех групп населения общей численностью 9,2 млн человек

There are observations that right after total quarantine measures were introduced, there was no growth in number of suicides, but a situation remains unclear when it comes down to new waves in the pandemic development. Our research goal was to estimate risks of suicide in heterogeneous population groups in 2020, that is, from the pandemic start and up to the second wave rise. We analyzed data on completed suicides in Saint Petersburg, Udmurtia Republic (Russia), and Odessa region (Ukraine), 6,375 cases overall among population groups with total number of people being equal to 9,216 thousand starting from January 01, 2016 to December 31, 2020. Confidence intervals for frequencies as per months (per 100,000 people) in 2020 were calculated as per Wilson and compared with average ones calculated for 2016–2019. There was a decrease in frequency of completed suicides in all three population groups during a period when the strictest quarantine measures were valid; by the mid-summer the trend normalized or there was even a slight increase. When the second pandemic wave came, changes were multidirectional; in particular, in Saint Petersburg there was another decrease by the end of the year, the most apparent and statistically significant among men whereas there were short-term rises in Udmurtia and Odessa. Our comparison performed for population groups with initially different levels of suicides confirms that right after a crisis starts, suicidal behavior becomes less frequent among people; however, as a response to the second pandemic wave, we can expect both falls and rises in number of suicides and it requires more intense preventive activities.

Stroke in the Young - online medical school held on the Instagram social network: results and prospects

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Purpose. To study the potential of Instagram as a hosting platform for an online school in order to improve the programmes of primary prevention of stroke in young people. Material and methods. At the first stage of the study, October 2020, the ‘Stroke in the Young’ online school was announced on 8 medical blogs. For the online school a special account was created under insult.u.molodjh (1,354 followers). As part of the online school are 8 posts and 6 open online lectures. At the second stage, to study the effectiveness of the online school, 50 respondents (4% male, mean age 24.4 ± 5.2 years) were selected from 1,354 students by an electronic random number generator and asked to fill in the questionnaire on ‘Awareness of Risk Factors (RF) and Symptoms of Stroke Among Social Network Users’ before and after the school completion. Results. The total number of people who listened to and read the material of the online school is 8,712 people; the overall engagement is 470 people. 48% of the respondents of the 2nd stage were 18 to 44 years old; 76% of the respondents had post-secondary education. Of the respondents, 16% were employed in the healthcare system and 22% had a history of stroke, 76% had independently searched for information on stroke earlier and 60% received this information passively from healthcare professionals in 2020. The most significant parameters affecting awareness of stroke RF were employment in the healthcare system (alcohol consumption, OR 0.186, CI 0.043–0.804, p = 0.02; high blood pressure (BP), OR 14.945, CI 0.959–233.012, p = 0.05); getting informed about stroke in 2020 (cardiovascular diseases (CVD), OR 3.561, CI 1.093–11.605, p = 0.03; obesity, OR 3.044, CI 1.011–9.163, p = 0.04) and post-secondary education (high BP, OR 6.001, CI 0.920–39.136, p = 0.06; CVD, OR 0.268, CI 1.093–11.605, p = 0.03). Factors that affected the awareness of individual stroke symptoms were getting informed about stroke in 2020 (p = 0.02), education (p = 0.005), history of strokes (p = 0.01) and employment in the healthcare system (p = 0.05). When the questionnaire was completed again after training, it was shown that the online training leads to better chances of improving health literacy with respect to a number of RF (cholesterol awareness (OR 4.6, CI 1.1–18.7), smoking as a risk factor for stroke (OR 3.3, CI 1.3–8.1)) and stroke symptoms (face drooping, OR 5.1, CI 1.0–27.4; very severe headache, OR 3.1, CI 1.0–9.4). Conclusions. Instagram can be used to host online schools in order to improve programmes for primary prevention of stroke in young people. The online school has aroused interest among both healthcare professionals and people without medical education, including those with a history of stroke. Online training led to better chances of improving health literacy with respect to a number of RF, such as awareness of high cholesterol and smoking, and contributed to improving health literacy for such stroke symptoms as face drooping and very severe headache.

Dynamic modelling to identify mitigation strategies for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Relevant pandemic-spread scenario simulations can provide guiding principles for containment and mitigation policies. We devised a compartmental model to predict the effectiveness of different mitigation strategies with a main focus on mass testing. The model consists of a set of simple differential equations considering the population size, reported and unreported infections, reported and unreported recoveries, and the number of COVID-19-inflicted deaths. We assumed that COVID-19 survivors are immune (e.g., mutations are not considered) and that the virus is primarily passed on by asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic individuals. Moreover, the current version of the model does not account for age-dependent differences in the death rates, but considers higher mortality rates due to temporary shortage of intensive care units. The model parameters have been chosen in a plausible range based on information found in the literature, but it is easily adaptable, i.e., these values can be replaced by updated information any time. We compared infection rates, the total number of people getting infected and the number of deaths in different scenarios. Social distancing or mass testing can contain or drastically reduce the infections and the predicted number of deaths when compared with a situation without mitigation. We found that mass testing alone and subsequent isolation of detected cases can be an effective mitigation strategy, alone and in combination with social distancing. It is of high practical relevance that a relationship between testing frequency and the effective reproduction number of the virus can be provided. However, unless one assumes that the virus can be globally defeated by reducing the number of infected persons to zero, testing must be upheld, albeit at reduced intensity, to prevent subsequent waves of infection. The model suggests that testing strategies can be equally effective as social distancing, though at much lower economic costs. We discuss how our mathematical model may help to devise an optimal mix of mitigation strategies against the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, we quantify the theoretical limit of contact tracing and by how much the effect of testing is enhanced, if applied to sub-populations with increased exposure risk or prevalence.

The worldwide prevalence of anxiety in acquired immune deficiency syndrome patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Anxiety affects social, economic, and physical aspects of daily life in patients with AIDS. Therefore, it is necessary to take preventive measures and design plans to maintain their general health. The present study was the first comprehensive systematic literature review research that examined the worldwide prevalence rate of anxiety in patients with AIDS. Methods: We searched for papers published in the English language in the major databases including Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane, and Google Scholar from 2000 to October 2018. There were 40 studies which found to be eligible. These studies were independently evaluated and the collected data were entered in a data extraction form, which was then analyzed by two authors and a third author if necessary. Der Simonian-Laird model was used to estimate the prevalence rate on a Forest plot at the interval confidence of 95%. Results: The total sample size was 24111, and the total number of people with anxiety was 5546. The results based on the random-effects model showed that the rate of anxiety prevalence in the patients was 25% (CI: 95%, 21% -30%) with heterogeneity of 97.9% and a significance level of p<0.001. The South America continent with a prevalence of 38% (95% CI, 34%-42%) had the highest anxiety prevalence rates and Africa with 19% (95% CI, 12% -29%) had the lowest anxiety prevalence rates. Conclusion: Based on findings, the prevalence of anxiety in developed countries was partially higher than in underdeveloped countries and the obtained mean in the present study. It can be a significant point for policymakers. Therefore, WHO and the world community should have special plans for these countries.