Recent uci_pph_eb_oapdeposits items

Nighttime lights as a proxy for conflict intensity and infrastructure recovery in Yemen and Ukraine

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Introduction: Quantifying the impacts of armed conflict on civilians and infrastructure remains a major challenge, particularly where reporting is limited. Most conflict measurement tools require affected populations to report events and are limited by short time series, under-reporting, and varying methods. These tools do not capture infrastructural rebuilding, which has important health implications. Given this, we demonstrate the utility of nighttime lights (NTL) as a complementary tool for measuring conflict dynamics and infrastructure recovery with an epidemiological application. Methods: We used monthly NASA Black Marble data to analyze NTL patterns in Yemen (2012–2022) and Ukraine (2019–2024) before and after the onset of large-scale military operations. We calculated month-specific NTL ratios relative to pre-event baselines and assessed the alignment of structural breakpoints, identified using BFAST methods, with aerial attack onset. Generalized additive models were used...

The Associations of Social Engagement with Cognitive and Physical Health in American Indian and Alaska Native Adults

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

AbstractBackground

Research on social engagement, community connectedness, and health outcomes in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) adults is limited. This study examined associations of social engagement and community overlap with cognitive function, distress, and mental and physical health in middle‐aged and older AI/AN adults.

Method

Data were collected from a cross‐sectional survey conducted from 2019‐2023 among urban and rural AI/AN volunteers aged 45+ years residing in the Rocky Mountain area. Social engagement was measured using a five‐item social frequency instrument, and community overlap was assessed using the Inclusion of Community in Self scale. Health outcomes included the number of “Yes” responses to culturally tailored Ascertain Dementia 8‐item Questionnaire (i.e., AD8 scores), distress measured by the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6), and self‐reported mental and physical health. Mental and physical health assessments were based on a four‐point...

Changes in Type 2 Diabetes Medications Among Primary Care Patients After California's 2022 Medicaid Expansion.

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

OBJECTIVE: In May 2022, California expanded full-scope Medicaid (Medi-Cal) to low-income undocumented immigrants aged 50 years or older, which provided access to newer type 2 diabetes (T2D) medications. This study examined whether the expansion led to more prescriptions of newer therapies like glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors among older undocumented immigrants. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We used patient records between January 2019 to June 2023 from two Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in Los Angeles County. We compared prescriptions among 1) older undocumented immigrants newly eligible for Medi-Cal, 2) younger undocumented immigrants not eligible for Medi-Cal, and 3) documented patients (n = 20,420 encounters and 4,601 patients). We used generalized linear mixed models with patient-level random intercepts to examine whether the patient groups differed in their likelihood of being prescribed newer medications...

Young‐Onset Dementia in Medicare Beneficiaries: Prevalence and Comorbidities by Race and Ethnicity

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

AbstractBackground

Young‐onset dementia (YOD), which develops before age 65, can bring additional challenges to patients and their caregivers. The prevalence of YOD and its associated comorbidities across U.S. racial/ethnic populations remain unclear. Thus, this study aimed to estimate the prevalence of YOD and examine associations between past and current comorbidities (called comorbidities hereafter) and YOD among Medicare beneficiaries in various racial/ethnic groups.

Method

This cross‐sectional study included Medicare beneficiaries aged 45‐64 years with almost‐continuous fee‐for‐service coverage in 2022. Data were extracted from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services 2022 Medicare Beneficiary Summary File (MBSF). MBSF race/ethnicity data were used to identify non‐Hispanic White (White), non‐Hispanic Black (Black), Hispanic, non‐Hispanic Asian (Asian), and non‐Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations. Comorbidities examined include diabetes,...

Cognitive Impairment and Its Associated Comorbidities in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

AbstractBackground

Relationships between comorbidities and cognitive impairment among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) adults remain unclear. This study explored the proportion of cognitive impairment and its association with various comorbidities in AI/AN communities across different age groups.

Method

In 2019, a cross‐sectional survey was conducted among AI/AN volunteers aged 45+ residing in urban and rural areas across the Pacific Northwest, Rocky Mountains, and Northern Plains. Data on demographics, responses to culturally tailored Ascertain Dementia 8‐item Questionnaire (AD8), and self‐reported medical history of comorbidities were collected. Comorbidities included distress, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, head injury, alcohol use disorder, and obesity. Cognitive impairment was defined as answering “Yes” to 2 or more AD8 questions, with the total number of “Yes” responses counted as the AD8 score. Higher AD8 scores indicate poorer cognitive...

Limbic‐predominant age‐related TDP‐43 encephalopathy, but Not Alzheimer's Disease, neuropathological changes are associated with Physical Performance Decline in the Oldest Old: Insights from The 90+ Study

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

AbstractBackground

To examine physical performance longitudinal trajectories in relation to Alzheimer's Disease Neuropathological Changes (ADNC) and Limbic‐predominant age‐related TDP‐43 encephalopathy neuropathological changes (LATE‐NC) at autopsy. ADNC and LATE‐NC have similar cognitive presentations, but it is unclear whether physical presentation is similar as well.

Method

Participants were from The 90+ Study, a longitudinal study of aging among individuals 90 years and older with evaluations every 6 months. We used 4 physical performance measures including gait speed, the Five Times Sit to Stand test (5XSST), grip strength, balance, and a composite summing the 4 measures. Each measure was scored from 0 (unable to perform) to 4 (best performance), the composite from 0 to 16. Neuropathological changes from brain autopsies were dichotomized: ADNC as intermediate/high versus none/low and LATE‐NC as present versus absent. To examine the longitudinal association of ADNC...

Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia and Related Health Conditions Among American Indian and Alaska Native Medicare Beneficiaries

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

AbstractBackground

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) peoples face a rising burden of Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD). The 2024 Lancet Commission identified modifiable risk factors for dementia for the general population; however, a comprehensive understanding of risk factors associated with ADRD among AI/AN peoples is missing. This study utilizes a national database to estimate the prevalence of health conditions associated with ADRD and examine disparities between older AI/AN and White populations.

Method

We analyzed 2019 Medicare Master Beneficiary Summary File data for Medicare beneficiaries aged 68 and older, including all AI/AN beneficiaries and a 5% random sample of White beneficiaries. Two types of health conditions were examined: Lancet risk factors available in the Medicare data and other conditions that have been associated with ADRD (Table 1). Prevalence of ADRD and each condition was reported. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions...

We Need Granular Sharing of De-Identified Data—But Will Patients Engage? Investigating Health System Leaders' and Patients' Perspectives on A Patient-Controlled Data-Sharing Platform

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Patient-controlled data-sharing systems are increasingly promoted as a way to empower patients with greater autonomy over their health data. Yet it remains unclear how different stakeholders, especially patients and health system leaders, perceive the benefits and challenges of enabling granular control over the sharing of de-identified medical data for research. To address this gap, we developed a high-fidelity prototype of a patient-controlled, web-based consent platform and conducted a two-phase mixed-methods study: semi-structured interviews with 16 health system leaders and a survey with 523 patient participants. While both groups appreciated the potential of such a platform to enhance transparency and autonomy, their views diverged in meaningful ways. Leaders viewed transparency and granular control through the lens of informed consent and institutional ethics, whereas patients interpreted these factors as safeguards against potential risks and uncertainties. Our findings...

Addition of pulsed electric field ablation to SBRT for lung tumors: effect on health-related quality of life

Wed, 3 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

INTRODUCTION: Treatment indications for oligometastatic/oligoprogressive lung tumors are growing. Safety and lack of detrimental effect on patients' quality of life are critical for novel local therapies. METHODS: We tested that the additive effect of pulsed electric field (PEF) ablation with lower-dose stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) as a secondary endpoint in a prospective clinical trial. FACT-Lung Cancer Subscale (FACT-LCS) and FACT-General domain surveys were collected at screening, 3 months, and 12 months. Functional clinical data included forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO). RESULTS: Six patients with eight tumors were enrolled. Baseline well-being domain scores were: Physical 25.9 (Std Dev 2.3), Social 21.0 (Std Dev 6.9), Emotional 17.3 (Std Dev 4.7), Functional 21.2 (Std Dev 5.8), and LCS 19.4 (Std Dev 5.3). There were...

Alzheimers disease and related dementias and related health conditions among American Indian and Alaska Native Medicare beneficiaries.

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Introduction

Alzheimers disease and related dementias (ADRD) and its associated factors are not well understood in the American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) population.

Methods

We analyzed Medicare 2019 data for 112,280 AI/AN and 1,010,862 White beneficiaries aged 68+, examining the prevalence of ADRD-related health conditions and their associations with ADRD through logistic regressions.

Results

AI/AN beneficiaries had higher age-adjusted ADRD prevalence (15.6% vs. 13.3%), and a higher prevalence of 5 of 9 Lancet risk factors: diabetes, alcohol use disorder (AUD), tobacco use disorder, visual and hearing impairments. Traumatic brain injury (TBI), AUD, and visual and hearing impairments had stronger associations with ADRD among AI/AN beneficiaries, while depression, diabetes, and hypertension had stronger associations among White beneficiaries.

Discussion

Our findings highlight disparities in ADRD and related health conditions between AI/AN...

Abstract 5031: Integrating real-world wearable data into breast cancer risk assessment: Evidence from the All of Us Research Program

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract Lifestyle and genetic factors are known contributors to breast cancer risk, yet their integration with clinical data into breast cancer risk assessment remains limited. Traditional, self-reported lifestyle measures are subject to recall bias, whereas wearable devices provide objective, continuous measurements of physical activity and sleep behaviors. Using data from the National Institutes of Health All of Us Research Program (n=633,540 participants), we conducted a retrospective matched case-control study to evaluate the association between objectively captured wearable data and breast cancer risk, and to establish a scalable analytical framework for causal and machine learning modeling. Females diagnosed with breast cancer at age ≥50 years with at least five valid weeks of Fitbit data (two or more days per week) within the five years preceding diagnosis (n=154) were each matched to up to 20 cancer-free controls by date of birth (±1 year) and availability of wearable...

Circulating Asprosin Concentrations and Body Weight Changes in Postmenopausal Women: Findings from the Women’s Health Initiative

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

BACKGROUND: Weight changes after menopause contribute to cardiometabolic risk, yet hormonal determinants of long-term weight trajectories remain incompletely understood. Asprosin, a fasting-induced adipokine involved in hepatic gluconeogenesis and appetite regulation, has been associated with metabolic disease, although its prospective role in affecting weight change remains unknown. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine whether plasma asprosin concentrations are directly and prospectively associated with changes in body weight and body composition among postmenopausal women. METHODS: In a case-control study of 4020 postmenopausal women (1987 newly developed/incident diabetes cases and 2033 matched controls) nested within the Women's Health Initiative, we prospectively evaluated participants' baseline plasma concentrations of asprosin in relation to 3-y changes in weight, measures of central obesity, and the risk of major weight gain or loss (≥7% of baseline weight). Associations...

Challenges and responses of malaria elimination in a high-endemic area along the Thai-Myanmar border: A health systems perspective.

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Despite Thailands progress under the 1-3-7 malaria elimination framework, border districts such as Tha Song Yang in Tak Province continue to experience persistent transmission due to high population mobility, geographic constraints, and health system challenges. Understanding how local health systems respond to these pressures is critical for sustaining malaria elimination in complex border settings. This mixed-methods study applied the World Health Organizations Six Building Blocks framework to examine challenges and responses in malaria elimination in Tha Song Yang District. Qualitative data were collected through in-depth interviews with 24 key informants from district health offices, vector-borne disease units, malaria posts and clinics, hospitals, and local authorities. Quantitative data included household surveys assessing malaria-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices (n = 388), and secondary surveillance data on adherence to the 1-3-7 strategy from 2018 to 2022. Adherence...

Epidemiology of Aspergillosis Diagnoses in US Adults Using a National EHR Database, 2013–2023

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Background: Aspergillosis is a fungal infection associated with rising hospitalizations and substantial morbidity and mortality. In the United States, data remain fragmented due to the absence of centralized surveillance. This study aimed to evaluate demographic, geographic, and temporal trends in aspergillosis diagnoses across the United States and evaluate changes in those patterns following the emergence of COVID-19. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using electronic health record data from 142 US healthcare systems (Oracle Health), including adults aged ≥18 years who received care between 2013 and 2023. The cohort included over 76 million patients and 127 million person-years. Aspergillosis prevalence was calculated using post-stratification weights. Adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) were estimated via quasi-Poisson and Bayesian spatiotemporal regression. COVID-19-related shifts were evaluated using estimated marginal means. Results: From 2013 to 2023, aspergillosis...

When AI Writes Back: Ethical Considerations by Physicians on AI-Drafted Patient Message Replies.

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The increasing burden of responding to large volumes of patient messages has become a key factor contributing to physician burnout. Generative AI (GenAI) shows great promise to alleviate this burden by automatically drafting patient message replies. The ethical implications of this use have however not been fully explored. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a qualitative interview study with 21 physicians who participated in a GenAI pilot program. We found that notable ethical considerations expressed by the physician participants included oversight as ethical safeguard, transparency and patient consent of AI use, patient misunderstanding of AI's role, and patient privacy and data security as prerequisites. Additionally, our findings suggest that the physicians believe the ethical responsibility of using GenAI in this context primarily lies with users, not with the technology. These findings may provide useful insights into guiding the future implementation of GenAI in...

Prediction Interval Transfer Learning for Linear Regression Using an Empirical Bayes Approach

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

ABSTRACT Current literature on transfer learning has been focused on improving the predictive performance corresponding to a small dataset by transferring information to it from a larger but possibly biassed dataset. However, the transfer learning methods currently available do not allow the computation of prediction intervals, and hence, one has to rely on using either the small dataset alone or combining it with the possibly biassed dataset to obtain prediction intervals using traditional linear regression methods. In this article, we propose an E mpirical B ayes approach for P rediction I nterval T ransfer L earning (EB‐PITL), to compute prediction intervals for transfer learning in linear regression tasks. We have proved that the Gibbs sampler associated with EB‐PITL is geometrically ergodic, so EB‐PITL can also quantify the Monte Carlo uncertainty associated with its predicted value. The efficiency of EB‐PITL against currently available methods is demonstrated using simulation...

Coefficients of Determination for Mixed-Effects Models

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The coefficient of determination is well defined for linear models and its extension is long wanted for mixed-effects models in agricultural, biological, and ecological research. We revisit its extension to define measures for proportions of variation explained by the whole model, fixed effects only, and random effects only. We propose to calculate unexplained variations conditional on individual random and/or fixed effects so as to keep individual heterogeneity brought by available predictors. While these measures were naturally defined for linear mixed models, they can be defined for a generalized linear mixed model using a distance measured along its variance function, accounting for its heteroscedasticity. We demonstrate the promising performance and utility of our proposed methods via simulation studies as well as applications to real data sets in agricultural and ecological studies.

SIGNET: Transcriptome-wide Causal Inference for Gene Regulatory Networks

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Gene regulation plays an important role in understanding the mechanisms of human biology and diseases. However, inferring causal relationships between all genes is challenging due to the large number of genes in the transcriptome. Here, we present SIGNET (Statistical Inference on Gene Regulatory Networks), a flexible software package that reveals networks of causal regulation between genes built upon large-scale transcriptomic and genotypic data at the population level. Like Mendelian randomization, SIGNET uses genotypic variants as natural instrumental variables to establish such causal relationships but constructs a transcriptome-wide gene regulatory network with high confidence. SIGNET makes such a computationally heavy task feasible by deploying a well-designed statistical algorithm over a parallel computing environment. It also provides a user-friendly interface allowing for parameter tuning, efficient parallel computing scheduling, interactive network visualization, and...

From Correlation to Causation: Cell-Type-Specific Gene Regulatory Networks in Alzheimer’s Disease

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

INTRODUCTION: Alzheimer's disease (AD) involves complex regulatory disruptions across multiple brain cell types, yet a comprehensive understanding of the intracellular causal mechanisms remains unclear. METHODS: We presented an integrative analysis framework using single-nucleus transcriptomic with matched subject-level genotype data from 272 human AD in the Religious Orders Study and the Rush Memory and Aging Project (ROSMAP) study, and constructed causality-based, cell-type-specific gene regulatory networks (GRNs). RESULTS: Our method identifies regulatory genes from both transcription factors (TFs) and non-TFs, thereby capturing a complete and accurate causal regulatory map across different brain cell types. This work revealed both established and novel regulations, pathways, and cell-type-unique hub genes in AD. Beyond constructing transcriptome-wide GRNs, we quantitatively assessed hub genes and distinguished those with regulatory or responsive roles. DISCUSSION: Our study...

Fast Calculation of Feature Contributions in Boosting Trees

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Fast Calculation of Feature Contributions in Boosting Trees

Protein arginine methyltransferase 5 functions as an epigenetic activator of the androgen receptor to promote prostate cancer cell growth

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) is an emerging epigenetic enzyme that mainly represses transcription of target genes via symmetric dimethylation of arginine residues on histones H4R3, H3R8 and H2AR3. Accumulating evidence suggests that PRMT5 may function as an oncogene to drive cancer cell growth by epigenetic inactivation of several tumor suppressors. Here, we provide evidence that PRMT5 promotes prostate cancer cell growth by epigenetically activating transcription of the androgen receptor (AR) in prostate cancer cells. Knockdown of PRMT5 or inhibition of PRMT5 by a specific inhibitor reduces the expression of AR and suppresses the growth of multiple AR-positive, but not AR-negative, prostate cancer cells. Significantly, knockdown of PRMT5 in AR-positive LNCaP cells completely suppresses the growth of xenograft tumors in mice. Molecular analysis reveals that PRMT5 binds to the proximal promoter region of the AR gene and contributes mainly to the enriched symmetric...

A Coefficient of Determination for Generalized Linear Models

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The coefficient of determination, a.k.a. R2, is well-defined in linear regression models, and measures the proportion of variation in the dependent variable explained by the predictors included in the model. To extend it for generalized linear models, we use the variance function to define the total variation of the dependent variable, as well as the remaining variation of the dependent variable after modeling the predictive effects of the independent variables. Unlike other definitions that demand complete specification of the likelihood function, our definition of R2 only needs to know the mean and variance functions, so applicable to more general quasi-models. It is consistent with the classical measure of uncertainty using variance, and reduces to the classical definition of the coefficient of determination when linear regression models are considered.

Generalized orthogonal components regression for high dimensional generalized linear models

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The algorithm, generalized orthogonal components regression (GOCRE), is proposed to explore the relationship between a categorical outcome and a set of massive variables. A set of orthogonal components are sequentially constructed to account for the variation of the categorical outcome, and together build up a generalized linear model (GLM). This algorithm can be considered as an extension of the partial least squares (PLS) for GLMs, but overcomes several issues of existing extensions based on iteratively reweighted least squares (IRLS). First, existing extensions construct a different set of components at each iteration and thus cannot provide a convergent set of components. Second, existing extensions are computationally intensive because of repetitively constructing a full set of components. Third, although they pursue the convergence of regression coefficients, the resultant regression coefficients may still diverge especially when building logistic regression models. GOCRE...

From correlation to causation: cell‐type‐specific gene regulatory networks in Alzheimer's disease

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

INTRODUCTION: Alzheimer's disease (AD) involves complex regulatory disruptions across multiple brain cell types, yet the comprehensive intracellular causal mechanisms remain poorly understood. METHODS: We present an integrative analysis framework using single-nucleus transcriptomics with matched subject-level genotype data from 272 AD patients in the Religious Orders Study and Rush Memory and Aging Project (ROSMAP) and construct causality-based, cell-type-specific gene regulatory networks (GRNs). RESULTS: Our method identifies regulatory genes among transcription factors (TFs) and non-TFs, generating a complete and accurate causal regulatory map across brain cell types. Our analyses reveal both established and novel regulations, pathways, and cell-type-specific hub genes in AD. Beyond constructing transcriptome-wide GRNs, we quantitatively evaluate hub genes and distinguish those with regulatory versus responsive roles. DISCUSSION: Our study provides a comprehensive map of...

A systematic review investigating policy design and implementation of US state and local policy to restrict the sale of flavored tobacco products

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

INTRODUCTION: State and local jurisdictions in the United States (U.S.) are increasingly adopting flavored tobacco sales restrictions (FTSRs) to mitigate tobacco initiation and use. Policy implementation is highly understudied yet can impact policy effectiveness. This review examines existing literature on state and local FTSR policy design and implementation in the U.S. METHODS: We systematically searched for PubMed articles published by 12/31/2024 which were: original research articles in English focused on a U.S. state or local FTSR that reported at least one policy implementation outcome measure. We excluded articles that were systematic reviews or reported on federal or non-FTSR policy. Guided by policy and implementation science frameworks, we developed a data extraction template to report: policy design elements, study characteristics, and implementation measures (i.e., inputs, activities, outcomes). RESULTS: Of 1,595 articles identified, 30 were retained for review. Most...

Genetic variation in olfactory pathways associated with host-seeking behavior in natural populations of Anopheles minimus, a primary malaria vector in western Thailand

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

BackgroundMalaria transmission hinges on infected Anopheles mosquitoes biting humans, with carbon dioxide (CO2), host odor, and body heat acting as key attractants. Along the Thai–Myanmar border, Anopheles minimus (the Funestus Group), a primary malaria vector, exhibits a stronger preference for human hosts than species of the Maculatus Group. Elucidating the genetic basis of this feeding behavior is essential for improving malaria control strategies.MethodsWild Anopheles mosquitoes were collected in Tha Song Yang district, Tak province, Thailand, from July 2019 to November 2020, using cow-baited traps, human landing catches, and Center for Disease Control (CDC) light traps. Specimens were identified morphologically and confirmed by Sanger sequencing of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene. We then performed whole-genome sequencing on An. minimus females categorized by host-seeking behavior: cow-baited collection (COW), human landing indoor (HLI), and human landing outdoor...

VANTAGE: van-based real-time HIV sequencing for transmission mapping and drug resistance profiling in war-affected Ukraine

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

We deployed the VANTAGE (VAN for Transmissible Agent Genomic Epidemiology) mobile system in Lviv, Ukraine, demonstrating end-to-end sequencing of dried blood spot samples within a clinic van usually serving de-occupied and frontline regions. HIV-1 pol sequences were obtained from 50% of samples, all subtype A6. Median time to 100× coverage was 38 min. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a local transmission cluster including a displaced person and the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) resistance mutation E138A, supporting real-time HIV genomic surveillance in humanitarian crises.

Patterns of Change in Parental Health Literacy in Relation to Children's Oral Health

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

BACKGROUND: Although health literacy (HL) skills may change over time, most research treats HL as a constant, using baseline HL to predict other health-related constructs. Few studies have explored change in HL over time. OBJECTIVE: We examined person-level differences in HL trajectories. We identified subgroups (latent classes) based on longitudinal assessments of HL and examined the association of class membership with demographic and oral health variables. METHODS: We used four measurement waves of parental HL data, reflecting the risk of limited HL, collected as part of an intervention to reduce dental decay in American Indian children (N = 579 parent-child dyads at baseline). Repeated measures latent class analysis (RMLCA) models were estimated to identify subgroups of HL trajectories over time. We examined class membership in association with baseline demographics and with 36-month assessments of parental oral health knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors as well as pediatric...

Impact of social determinants of health on obesity among American Indian and Alaska Native young adults

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

We examined the prevalence of obesity among American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) young adults and to investigate the association between key social determinants of health (SDOH) and higher body mass index (BMI). We used the Indian Health Service Improving Delivery Data Project from fiscal year 2013. It includes data for 20,698 AIAN young adults aged 18-24 years. We added county-level measures of SDOH from the USDA Food Environment Atlas and the Census as contextual variables. We conducted stratified logistic regressions to understand the relationship between these SDOH indicators and odds of obesity. Thirty-seven percent of our sample was identified as obese (i.e., BMI ≥30). Individuals who lived in counties with lower levels of educational attainment and higher levels of poverty had higher odds of obesity than those who lived in counties with higher education and lower poverty (p < 0.0001). Counties with higher poverty rates had less access to social and environmental...

Subjective memory complaints at age 90 + in relation to cognition and risk of incident dementia: The 90 + Study

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Associations of Subjective Memory Complaints (SMC) with cognition and future dementia are poorly understood in the oldest old (age 90 +), who have high incidence and prevalence of cognitive impairment. This study aims to (1) report SMC frequency, (2) assess cross-sectional associations between SMC and cognitive test scores, and (3) compare the abilities of SMC, Mini-mental state examination (MMSE), and cognitive diagnosis to predict dementia in the oldest old. METHOD: The 90 + Study participants without baseline dementia and with baseline SMC, MMSE, at least one other cognitive test, and cognitive diagnosis were included in cross-sectional analysis. A subset of this group with follow-up cognitive diagnosis was included in longitudinal analysis. Cross-sectional association between SMC and cognitive test scores was explored using linear regression. Risk of incident dementia in relation to baseline SMC, MMSE, and cognitive diagnosis was explored...

Falls in the Oldest Old: Role of Gender, Living Situation, and Assistive Devices

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

INTRODUCTION: Falls can have serious health consequences, especially in the oldest old (individuals 90+ years), for whom falls often result in injury or even death. Few studies have examined falls in the oldest old. We aim to assess fall prevalence, fall rate, and rate change over time according to gender, living situation, and assistive device use. METHODS: Participants are from the 90+ Study, a longitudinal study of individuals 90 years and older with evaluations every 6 months. Participants, or their informants, were asked how many times they have fallen in the past year (first visit) or since their last visit (follow-up visits). We calculated unadjusted baseline fall prevalence. Using generalized linear mixed regression models, we estimated adjusted baseline fall rate and adjusted change in rate over time by gender, living situation, and assistive device. RESULTS: In 1,672 participants (mean age 93 years, range 90-110 years), unadjusted baseline prevalence of 1+ falls was...

Depressive disorders, bad mental health days, and diabetes management behaviors among non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native adults: Findings from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the association between diagnosis of depressive disorder, the number of bad mental health days per month, and diabetes management behaviors among American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) adults with diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Data were drawn from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (2018-2021), including 2,272 self-identified non-Hispanic AI/AN adults diagnosed with non-gestational diabetes. Key variables included a self-reported prior diagnosis of depressive disorder and the number of bad mental health days in the past month. Outcome variables were seven diabetes management behaviors, such as taking a diabetes management class and performing daily foot checks. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, chi-squared tests, ANOVA, and logistic regression models. RESULTS: Among the participants, 24.8% were diagnosed with depressive disorder, and 19.5% reported at least 14 bad mental health days in the past month. Logistic...

Corporate Strategies to Market PAX Vaporizers for Cannabis Use Under Federal Restrictions in the United States

Mon, 1 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

OBJECTIVE: Legal restrictions have limited the overt marketing of cannabis and associated paraphernalia in the United States. This study assessed how one company, PAX Labs, marketed its devices for vaporizing cannabis while abiding by U.S. federal law on drug paraphernalia. METHODS: Internal documents from PAX Labs, dated January 2014 through December 2018, were accessed via the JUUL Labs Collection at University of California, San Francisco. An initial Boolean query of the collection followed by snowball sampling yielded 421 informative documents for a content analysis. Two additional sources, archived PAX webpages and political/lobbying expenditure reports, were analyzed to triangulate findings on messaging and legislative support, respectively. RESULTS: The company first marketed PAX devices for vaporizing tobacco, transitioned to marketing use for an unnamed plant material, and then promoted cannabis vaporization as U.S. state cannabis laws became more liberalized....

0161 The Association Between Racism and Insomnia Among Asian Americans

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract Introduction Studies have found that experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination may adversely affect sleep outcomes. However, no studies have examined the association between anti-Asian racism stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on insomnia among Asian Americans. Methods The cross-sectional study consisted of 256 Chinese-, 256 Korean- and 267 Vietnamese Americans ages 30 years or older residing in Southern California. Anti-Asian racism was assessed by using a 6-item scale that included the following questions. How often have you: (i) witnessed someone blaming Asian people for the Coronavirus pandemic?; (ii) been treated differently or mistreated because someone suspected you of having Coronavirus?; (iii) avoided wearing a mask because you are worried about experiencing anti-Asian racism?; (iv) avoided going out in public because you are afraid of someone committing a crime against you because you are Asian?; (v) been subjected to racial slurs or jokes...

Autoimmune antibodies and systemic inflammatory markers are prevalent and associated with cognition in individuals aged 90+

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

BackgroundWhile recent studies have found associations between markers of autoimmunity/inflammation and cognitive performance in individuals aged 60-90, these findings remain unexplored in individuals aged 90 and above.ObjectiveTo examine the prevalence of autoimmune antibodies and raised inflammatory markers and their associations with cognition in participants aged 90 + .MethodsWe included participants with serological testing from The 90+ Study, a community-based longitudinal study in southern California. For measures of autoimmunity, we evaluated antinuclear, antineutrophil cytoplasmic (ANCA), rheumatoid factor, double stranded DNA, antithyroglobulin, and thyroid peroxidase antibodies. For inflammatory markers, we examined interleukin-6 (IL-6) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). To examine the relationship between autoimmune antibodies and inflammatory markers with cognitive performance, we ran linear mixed effects models.ResultsAmong 201 participants (mean age 94.8...

Bionomics of Anopheles stephensi across the urban–rural landscapes of Eastern Ethiopia

Wed, 5 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

BackgroundInvasion and spread of Anopheles stephensi in sub-Saharan Africa poses a threat to malaria control and elimination efforts in the continent. This study aimed to determine the distribution and bionomics of An. stephensi across the urban–rural landscapes of eastern Ethiopia.MethodsEntomological surveillance was conducted in urban, peri-urban and rural settings of Dire Dawa and Awash Sebat Kilo from June to November 2022. Anopheles immature stages were collected using standard dippers. Adult mosquitoes were collected using CDC light traps, Prokopack aspirator and BG-pro traps. Mosquitoes were identified to species using morphological identification keys and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine mosquito blood meal sources and Plasmodium sporozoite infection. The WHO tube bioassays were used to assess susceptibility of An. stephensi to pyrethroids, carbamates and organophosphates. Knockdown resistance (kdr) and acetyl cholinesterase...

Reflecting on the Backstage and Frontstage of Community-Based Participatory Research: Ethics and Collaboration in the CATALYST Study

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is critical for promoting health equity through the incorporation of equitable decision-making and participatory processes into health equity research. Yet, research processes often fail to align with community realities. Drawing on Goffman’s frontstage–backstage framework, this paper examines how a community–academic partnership navigated and negotiated processes to support ethical inclusion of community researchers and participants in a CBPR qualitative study conducted in Orange County, California, focused on the roles of Community Health Workers (CHWs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. We share how backstage processes of trust-building and negotiation directly informed frontstage strategies to strengthen ethical research practices with community participants. We explore considerations for key components of qualitative research processes that have consequences for participatory research approaches: (a) partnership formation (b) inclusive...

Regional variation in sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine resistance genotypes and haplotypes of Plasmodium falciparum dihydrofolate reductase and dihydropteroate synthase genes in Western Kenya

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

BackgroundSurveillance of molecular markers associated with antimalarial resistance in Plasmodium falciparum is critical for tracking the emergence, evolution, and spread of resistant malaria parasites in the population for timely and effective interventions. As shifting use of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) in Kenya constitutes a differential selection pressure, this study compared resistance genotypes and haplotypes in P. falciparum isolates from endemic and epidemic regions of western Kenya.MethodsA cross-sectional design was employed to collect blood samples from febrile patients residing in Ahero in Kisumu County, an endemic region, and Marani in Kisii County, an epidemic region. Molecular markers for antifolate resistance, dihydrofolate reductase (Pfdhfr) and dihydrofolate synthetase (Pfdhps), were genotyped for selected samples (N = 112) from Kisumu (n = 60) and Kisii (n = 52). Subsequent analysis was conducted for sequence polymorphisms, mutation frequency and haplotype...

The effect of single low-dose primaquine treatment for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria on hemoglobin levels in Ethiopia: a longitudinal cohort study

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Background: To interrupt residual malaria transmission and achieve successful elimination of P. falciparum in low-transmission settings, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the administration of a single dose of 0.25 mg/kg (or 15 mg/kg for adults) primaquine (PQ) combined with artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) without glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) testing. However, due to the risk of hemolysis in patients with G6PD deficiency (G6PDd), PQ use is not as common. Thus, this study aimed to assess the safety of a single low dose of PQ administered to patients with G6PD deficiency. Methods: An observational cohort study was conducted with patients treated for uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria with either single-dose PQ (0.25 mg/kg) (SLD PQ) + ACT or ACT alone. Microscopy-confirmed uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria patients visiting public health facilities in Arjo Didessa, Southwest Ethiopia, were enrolled in the study from September...

First report of Anopheles stephensi in Southern Ethiopia

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Background: Anopheles stephensi is an emerging exotic invasive urban vector of malaria in East Africa. The World Health Organization recently announced an initiative to take concerted actions to limit this vector's expansion by strengthening surveillance and control in invaded and potentially receptive territories in Africa. This study sought to determine the geographic distribution of An. stephensi in southern Ethiopia. Methods: A targeted entomological survey, both larvae and adult, was conducted in Hawassa city, Southern Ethiopia between November 2022 and February 2023. Anopheles Larvae were reared to adults for species identification. CDC light traps and BG Pro traps were used overnight both indoor and outdoor at selected houses to collect adult mosquitoes in the study area. Prokopack Aspirator was employed to sample indoor resting mosquitoes in the morning. Adults of An. stephensi was identified using morphological keys, and then confirmed by PCR. Results:...

Updating the Epidemiology of Blastomycosis and Histoplasmosis in the United States, Using National Electronic Health Record Data, 2013–2023

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

BACKGROUND: Where surveillance data are limited, nationally representative electronic health records allow for geographic, temporal, and demographic characterization of the fungal diseases blastomycosis and histoplasmosis. METHODS: We identified incident blastomycosis and histoplasmosis cases from 2013 to 2023 within Oracle EHR Real-World Data, which comprises 1.6 billion healthcare encounters nationally. To characterize spatiotemporal incidence trends, we used generalized estimating equations weighted for nonrepresentativeness of electronic health record-reporting facilities. We computed standardized incidence rate ratios (sIRRs), which relay relative differences in standardized incidence rates between regions, race/ethnicity, gender, and age subgroups and the national population. RESULTS: National incidence rates in 2023 were 2.4 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.6-3.5) and 1.9 times (95% CI: 1.6-2.2) rates in 2013, for blastomycosis and histoplasmosis, respectively. Blastomycosis...

Breast cancer screening needs assessment in 19 Northern California counties: geography, poverty, and racial/ethnic identity composition

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

PurposeTo describe the area-level rate of breast cancers, the percentage of early-stage diagnoses (stage I-IIa), and associations between area-level measures of poverty, racial/ethnic composition, primary care shortage, and urban/rural/frontier status for the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center (UCDCCC) catchment area.MethodsUsing data from the SEER Cancer Registry of Greater California (2014–2018) and the California Department of Health Care Access and Information Medical Service Study Area, we conducted an ecological study in the UCDCCC catchment area to identify geographies that need screening interventions and their demographic characteristics.ResultsThe higher the percentage of the population identifying as Hispanic/Latino/Latinx, and the higher the percentage of the population below the 100% poverty level, the lower the odds of being diagnosed at an early-stage (OR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.96–0.99 and OR = 0.96, 95% CI 0.93–0.99, respectively). The association with poverty level...

Practical Qualitative Data Analysis for Public Health Research: A Guide to a Team-Based Approach With Flexible Coding

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Qualitative research is important to advance health equity as it offers nuanced insights into structural determinants of health inequities, amplifies the voices of communities directly affected by health inequities, and informs community-based interventions. The scale and frequency of public health crises have accelerated in recent years (e.g., pandemic, environmental disasters, climate change). The field of public health research and practice would benefit from timely and time-sensitive qualitative inquiries for which a practical approach to qualitative data analysis (QDA) is needed. One useful QDA approach stemming from sociology is flexible coding. We discuss our practical experience with a team-based approach using flexible coding for qualitative data analysis in public health, illustrating how this process can be applied to multiple research questions simultaneously or asynchronously. We share lessons from this case study, while acknowledging that flexible coding has broader...

Community Activation to TrAnsform Local sYSTems (CATALYST): A Qualitative Study Protocol

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Community Health Workers, promotores, and navigators (henceforth, CHWs) emerged as critical members of the public health workforce addressing social, economic, and health inequities worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. While there is increasing appreciation for and utilization of CHW models, and recognition of the importance of tailoring and innovating these models during the pandemic, few studies have examined the processes of change by which CHW models operated during the COVID-19 pandemic, and factors that facilitated or constrained CHW health equity efforts. This protocol paper describes and reflects on the research methodology used in our qualitative study focused on CHWs. The CATALYST study aims to examine the roles that CHWs served during the COVID-19 pandemic and facilitators and barriers related to CHW health equity strategies. This qualitative study incorporates the lived experiences of CHWs, low-income communities of color whom CHWs engaged, and institutional representatives...

Structural supports and challenges for community health worker models: Lessons from the COVID-19 response in Orange County, California

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Public health relied on community health workers (CHWs) during the COVID-19 pandemic to connect with the most vulnerable communities, which saved lives and addressed inequities. Understanding the structural factors that supported and hindered the success of CHWs is essential for building a stronger public health infrastructure in the future. We analyzed semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 15 institutional representatives and policymakers who engaged in COVID-19 response involving CHWs in Orange County, California. Findings indicated that while participants realized during the COVID-19 pandemic how essential CHWs were in addressing health and social inequities, CHWs were often undervalued by systems that were not established to support them. Participants highlighted needs for government and healthcare systems to equally partner with CHWs, reimburse CHWs for their work, decrease administrative barriers, and fund CHW-hiring organizations sustainably. We discuss recommendations...

A conceptual framework for understanding extractive settlements and disease: demography, environment, and epidemiology

Sat, 19 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Health services are normally focused on communities that already exist. Communities that fall outside of this situation (short-term migrant communities, refugee camps, new settlements) often fall outside of the normal healthcare system. Here we describe a framework for conceptualising and understanding the environmental, demographic, and epidemiologic dynamics of settlements based on extractive endeavours. We argue that this type of settlement is sufficiently common that it warrants attention, and that a planetary health perspective is optimal for addressing the needs of such settlement communities. We then provide a case study from a gold mining settlement in a malarious region of Western Ethiopia. We close with some suggestions for provision of health services for such settlements. Namely, any aggregation of humans should have access to basic healthcare services; special consideration should be made to ensure that health services are steadily available to the community; employing...

Effectiveness, Safety, and Acceptability of Primaquine Mass Drug Administration in Low-Endemicity Areas in Southern Thailand: Proof-of-Concept Study

Sat, 19 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

BACKGROUND: A challenge in achieving the malaria-elimination target in the Greater Mekong Subregion, including Thailand, is the predominance of Plasmodium vivax malaria, which has shown extreme resilience to control measures. OBJECTIVE: This proof-of-concept study aimed to provide evidence for implementing primaquine mass drug administration (pMDA) as a strategy for P. vivax elimination in low-endemicity settings. METHODS: The study employed a mixed-methods trial to thoroughly evaluate the effectiveness, safety, acceptability, and community engagement of pMDA. The quantitative part was designed as a 2-period cluster-crossover randomized controlled trial. The intervention was pMDA augmented to the national prevention and control standards with directly observed treatment (DOT) by village health volunteers. The qualitative part employed in-depth interviews and brainstorming discussions. The study involved 7 clusters in 2 districts of 2 southern provinces in Thailand with persistently...

Reimagining Refugee Camps: Toward Ethical, Sustainable and Integrated Health Systems

Sat, 19 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The existing model for health provision in refugee camps is not fit for purpose, especially for protracted displacement. As individuals are increasingly displaced beyond the temporary period for which camps are designed, it is critical that we reimagine care provision in such settings and give increased attention to individuals' dynamic and complex needs throughout their displacement. This Commentary reflects ongoing discussions from an interdisciplinary group that began at a 2024 workshop in Cairo, Egypt. As numerous challenges, including defunding and division between refugee and host communities, continue to worsen in the current political climate, it is imperative that we critically examine how our current systems for health provision in displacement settings can be made more ethical, sustainable and integrated.

Refugee Health Inclusion: Legal, Geopolitical, and Economic Barriers

Wed, 2 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This commentary examines how structural constraints shape health access in refugee camps. It stems from a recent workshop on refugee health and reflects an interdisciplinary, policy-focused dialogue. We argue that humanitarian aid alone is insufficient. Instead, long-term, rights-based approaches are needed. Donor dependency, legal exclusion and geopolitical dynamics undermine access to care. These challenges create artificial divides between camp and non-camp settings. Our analysis complements a companion piece on health system design (see Tarnas et al. this issue). Together, the two pieces call for ethical, inclusive models that recognise refugee health as a global responsibility not a temporary emergency.

The impact of mass screening and treatment interventions on malaria incidence and prevalence: a retrospective analysis of a malaria elimination programme in eastern Myanmar, and systematic review and meta-analysis

Wed, 2 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

BackgroundTargeted interventions are often needed to accelerate malaria elimination efforts. Mass screening and treatment (MSAT) involves testing all eligible and consenting individuals in an area for malaria and treating all positive individuals simultaneously. However, there are concerns regarding the impact of MSAT. This study evaluates the impact of MSAT on malaria incidence in Karen State, Myanmar, using routine surveillance data, and investigates the impact of MSAT in other settings through a systematic review and meta-analysis. MethodsTo investigate the impact of MSAT in Karen State, we retrospectively analysed routine malaria surveillance data collected in 10 villages where MSAT was done in 2018. Pre- and post-MSAT malaria incidences were compared, and a negative binomial mixed-effects model was used to estimate the relative change in monthly incidence for each additional year since MSAT.To investigate the impact of MSAT in other settings, we searched Scopus, Ovid MEDLINE,...

Investigating the effects of housing instability on depression, anxiety, and mental health treatment in childhood and adolescence.

Fri, 6 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Housing instability is a widespread phenomenon in the United States. In combination with other social determinants of health, housing instability affects children's overall health and development. Drawing on data from the 2022 National Survey of Children's Health, we employed multiple logistic regression models to understand how sociodemographic factors, especially housing instability, affect mental health outcomes and treatment access for youth aged 6-17 years. Our results show that youth facing housing instability have a higher likelihood of experiencing anxiety (OR: 1.42, p<0.001) and depression (OR: 1.57, p<0.001). Furthermore, youth experiencing both mental health conditions and housing instability are significantly less likely to receive mental health services in the past year, indicating the substantial barriers they face in accessing mental health care. Based on our findings, we highlight opportunities for digital mental health interventions to provide children experiencing...

Using Large Language Models for sentiment analysis of health-related social media data: empirical evaluation and practical tips.

Fri, 6 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Health-related social media data generated by patients and the public provide valuable insights into patient experiences and opinions toward health issues such as vaccination and medical treatments. Using Natural Language Processing (NLP) methods to analyze such data, however, often requires high-quality annotations that are difficult to obtain. The recent emergence of Large Language Models (LLMs) such as the Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPTs) has shown promising performance on a variety of NLP tasks in the health domain with little to no annotated data. However, their potential in analyzing health-related social media data remains underexplored. In this paper, we report empirical evaluations of LLMs (GPT-3.5-Turbo, FLAN-T5, and BERT-based models) on a common NLP task of health-related social media data: sentiment analysis for identifying opinions toward health issues. We explored how different prompting and fine-tuning strategies affect the performance of LLMs on social...

Malaria control among Myanmar migrants in Thailand: a qualitative study of healthcare providers

Wed, 4 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

BackgroundThailand has experienced a recent surge in malaria cases, particularly along the Thailand-Myanmar border, likely driven by the importation of infections by Myanmar migrants. Implementing malaria control measures, especially surveillance among these high-risk populations, presents significant challenges. This study aimed to identify key obstacles and propose targeted solutions for enhancing malaria control among Myanmar migrants in border areas of Thailand.MethodsA cross-sectional qualitative study was conducted in early 2024. Semi-structured interviews were held with 20 government healthcare providers and village health volunteers involved in malaria control across three districts in western Thailand with the highest malaria caseloads. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsRespondents consistently linked the rise in malaria cases to increased cross-border migration from Myanmar following recent political unrest. Key challenges included difficulty locating...

“Each one of us did the best we could for the community, while also supporting each other”: community residents’ perspectives on community health worker (CHW) response during the COVID-19 pandemic - a community science worker-led qualitative study

Wed, 4 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted the health and social wellbeing of the United States population, disproportionately affecting low-income, immigrant communities of color. In Orange County, California, community health workers (CHWs) were essential to addressing multilevel community needs among impacted communities. However, little is known about how communities and CHWs responded to meet their needs amid pressing challenges.MethodsCHWs completed a popular education qualitative methods program under a Community Science Worker (CSW) model to design and facilitate four semi-structured focus groups and three interviews with 32 residents in Orange County, California, to understand their pandemic experiences and interactions with CHWs. Sessions were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using an adapted flexible coding approach to derive data-driven themes.ResultsResidents described how they supported one another, advocated for their communities, and fostered livelihood...

Predicting moderate drinking behaviors in National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey participants using biochemical and demographical factors with machine learning

Mon, 2 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Recent studies revealed that any amount of alcohol consumption is an overall health detriment to multiple populations, contrary to popular beliefs. In addition, very few alcohol use studies utilized machine learning methods to compare the biological health of moderate drinkers compared to those that abstain from alcohol consumption, opting instead to focus on binge drinking and heavy drinking. Using participant data of multiple factor types from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we created prediction models with stacked ensembles and gradient boosting models. Machine learning models were used to identify which factors most enabled the prediction of moderate drinking behaviors. Our combined factor runs produced a cross-validation area under the curve (AUC) of 0.929 and a validation area under the curve of 0.806. Runs that only included biochemical or demographical factors received cross-validation AUC values of 0.825 and 0.925, and validation AUC values of 0.757...

Phylogeographic and genetic network assessment of COVID-19 mitigation protocols on SARS-CoV-2 transmission in university campus residences

Thu, 22 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

BACKGROUND: Congregate living provides an ideal setting for SARS-CoV-2 transmission in which many outbreaks and superspreading events occurred. To avoid large outbreaks, universities turned to remote operations during the initial COVID-19 pandemic waves in 2020 and 2021. In late-2021, the University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) facilitated the return of students to campus with comprehensive testing, vaccination, masking, wastewater surveillance, and isolation policies. METHODS: We performed molecular epidemiological and phylogeographic analysis of 4418 SARS-CoV-2 genomes sampled from UC San Diego students during the Omicron waves between December 2021 and September 2022, representing 58% of students with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. We overlaid these analyses across on-campus residential information to assess the spread and persistence of SARS-CoV-2 within university residences. FINDINGS: Within campus residences, SARS-CoV-2 transmission was frequent among students...

Glucose-lowering drug use, glycemic outcomes, and severe hypoglycemia: 18-Year trends in 0·9 million adults with Diabetes in Hong Kong (2002–2019)

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Background: Improvements in glycemic outcomes have stalled since 2010 in several international surveys. We previously reported improvements in glycemic control in 2007-2014 in Hong Kong coinciding with primary care reforms, use of dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 inhibitors (DPP-4is) and metformin. The aim of this study was to estimate more recent trends in drug use and glycemic outcomes following introduction of newer classes of glucose-lowering drugs (GLDs). Methods: Using population-based data from the Hong Kong Diabetes Surveillance Database, we explored age-specific trends in proportion of patients reaching glycemic targets and incidence rates of severe hypoglycemia (SH) in 963,612 adults with diabetes in 2002-2019. We further assessed patterns of GLDs utilisation by presence of atherosclerotic-cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), heart failure, and estimated-glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Findings: Following rapid decline in HbA1c from 7·7% to 7·2% in 2005-2014 (annual percentage change...

Midday Nap Duration and Hypertension among Middle-Aged and Older Chinese Adults: A Nationwide Retrospective Cohort Study

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The goal of this study was to investigate the associations of midday nap duration and change in midday nap duration with hypertension in a retrospective cohort using a nationwide representative sample of middle-aged and older Chinese adults. Data were obtained from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) database during 2011-2015. Information on midday nap duration was collected via a self-reported questionnaire and blood pressure was objectively measured. Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression models to quantify the associations. A sample of 5729 Chinese adults (≥45 years old) were included in the longitudinal analysis. Relative to non-nappers, participants who napping for ≥90 min/day was associated with significantly larger HR for hypertension at four-year follow-up (HR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.01-1.40, p = 0.048). Compared with people who napped ≥90 min/day both at baseline (2011) and...

The Effect of Vitamin A on Fracture Risk: A Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This meta-analysis evaluated the influence of dietary intake and blood level of vitamin A (total vitamin A, retinol or β-carotene) on total and hip fracture risk. Cohort studies published before July 2017 were selected through English-language literature searches in several databases. Relative risk (RR) with corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to evaluate the risk. Heterogeneity was checked by Chi-square and I² test. Sensitivity analysis and publication bias were also performed. For the association between retinol intake and total fracture risk, we performed subgroup analysis by sex, region, case ascertainment, education level, age at menopause and vitamin D intake. R software was used to complete all statistical analyses. A total of 319,077 participants over the age of 20 years were included. Higher dietary intake of retinol and total vitamin A may slightly decrease total fracture risk (RR with 95% CI: 0.95 (0.91, 1.00) and 0.94 (0.88, 0.99), respectively), and...

Associations between Psychosocial Variables, Availability of Physical Activity Resources in Neighborhood Environment, and Out-of-School Physical Activity among Chinese Adolescents

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between psychosocial variables (peer support, parental support, autonomous motivation, and controlled motivation), availability of physical activity resources in a neighborhood environment, and out-of-school moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among Chinese adolescents. The questionnaire of Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating (FLASHE) Study was used to collect information on demographics, socioeconomic status, psychosocial variables, available physical activity resources in the neighborhood environment, and minutes of out-of-school MVPA. ANOVA analysis and multiple regression analysis were performed. The mean age of the 3833 adolescents included in our analysis was 14.7 years old (SD = 1.7). Peer support (b = 9.35, 95% CI: 7.55-11.15), autonomous motivation (b = 6.46, 95% CI: 4.09-8.82), parental support (b = 3.90, 95% CI: 1.75-6.07), and availability of physical activity resources in neighborhood environment (b...

Body Weight Misperception and Its Association with Unhealthy Eating Behaviors among Adolescents in China

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study aims to examine associations between body weight misperception and eating behaviors among Chinese adolescents. Students (N = 2641) from a middle school and a high school in Wuhan, China participated in a cross-sectional study in May 2016. A questionnaire based on the World Health Organization’s Global School-Based Student Health Survey was employed to assess responses. Self-reported data, including weight, height, body weight perception, and eating habits, were collected. Body Mass Index (BMI) for age z-score was calculated from self-reported height and weight using WHO AnthroPlus. We used descriptive, logistic regression analysis and a Kappa test to analyze the data using SPSS. Overall, 56.6% of participants did not correctly categorize their weight status; these were much more likely to be girls. Compared with the correctly-perceived group, those who underestimated their weight tended to report eating late at night, having dinners with family, and checking...

ALDH2 deficiency and alcohol intake in the U.S.: Opportunity for precision cancer prevention

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

BACKGROUND: Alcoholic beverages and the main metabolite of alcohol, acetaldehyde, are known carcinogens. A genetic variant in aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2, G>A, rs671) leads to decreased efficiency in metabolizing acetaldehyde and is associated with an increased cancer risk. As alcohol consumption is a modifiable risk factor for various cancers, the identification of ALDH2 deficiency presents an opportunity for precision cancer prevention. METHODS: Our primary objectives were to examine the prevalence of ALDH2 deficiency and alcohol consumption behavior among affected individuals within a large, diverse US national cohort. The prevalence of ALDH2 deficiency was determined by examining the rs671 genotype among 311,290 participants within the All of Us Research Program. Relationships among self-reported alcohol consumption, sociodemographic factors, and the rs671 genotype were analyzed. RESULTS: ALDH2 deficiency was most prevalent among individuals who identified as Asian,...

Associations of Exposure to Air Pollution with Insulin Resistance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In this article, we review the available evidence and explore the association between air pollution and insulin resistance (IR) using meta-analytic techniques. Cohort studies published before January 2018 were selected through English-language literature searches in nine databases. Six cohort studies were included in our sample, which assessed air pollutants including PM_2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to 2.5 μm), NO₂(nitrogen dioxide), and PM₁₀ (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 10 μm). Percentage change in insulin or insulin resistance associated with air pollutants with corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to evaluate the risk. A pooled effect (percentage change) was observed, with a 1 μg/m³ increase in NO₂ associated with a significant 1.25% change (95% CI: 0.67, 1.84; I² = 0.00%, p = 0.07) in the Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) and a 0.60%...

Clinical outcomes following discontinuation of renin-angiotensin-system inhibitors in patients with type 2 diabetes and advanced chronic kidney disease: A prospective cohort study

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Background: Renin-angiotensin-system inhibitors (RASi), that include angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEis) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) reduce proteinuria, delay chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression, protect against cardiovascular events and heart failure hospitalizations. We examined the associations of discontinuation of ACEi/ARBs with risk of clinical outcomes in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and advanced-CKD (estimated-glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] <30 ml/min/1.73 m²). Methods: We conducted a prospective, population-based cohort study including 10,400 patients with T2D in Hong Kong stratified by continuation of ACEi/ARBs within 6 months after reaching eGFR <30 ml/min/1.73 m² from January 01, 2002 to December 31, 2018 and observed until December 31, 2019. The primary outcomes were death, major-adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), heart failure, end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), and...

Glucose-lowering drugs and outcome from COVID-19 among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a population-wide analysis in Hong Kong

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between baseline use of glucose-lowering drugs and serious clinical outcome among patients with type 2 diabetes. DESIGN: Territory-wide retrospective cohort of confirmed cases of COVID-19 between January 2020 and February 2021. SETTING: All public health facilities in Hong Kong. PARTICIPANTS: 1220 patients with diabetes who were admitted for confirmed COVID-19. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Composite clinical endpoint of intensive care unit admission, requirement of invasive mechanical ventilation and/or in-hospital death. RESULTS: In this cohort (median age 65.3 years, 54.3% men), 737 (60.4%) patients were treated with metformin, 385 (31.6%) with sulphonylureas, 199 (16.3%) with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors and 273 (22.4%) with insulin prior to admission. In multivariate Cox regression, use of metformin and DPP-4 inhibitors was associated with reduced incidence of the composite endpoint relative to non-use, with...

The role of age on the risk relationship between prediabetes and major morbidities and mortality: Analysis of the Hong Kong diabetes surveillance database of 2 million Chinese adults

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Background: Intensive lifestyle modification showed variable success in the prevention of major clinical events and mortality among people with prediabetes. We propose that age may partly explain the heterogeneity and that health hazards related to prediabetes are age-specific. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of a territory-wide diabetes surveillance dataset from the Hong Kong Hospital Authority between 2000 and 2019. Prediabetes was defined according to the American Diabetes Association criteria. Proportional Cox regression was performed, stratified by baseline age categories (20-39, 40-59, 60-79 and ≥80 years). Findings: 1,630,942 individuals were included in the analysis. Compared with normoglycaemia, prediabetes was associated with greater hazards for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality in most age groups but the effect size attenuated with ascending age (p value for trend <0·05). In the youngest and in the oldest age categories, the...

Age- and sex-specific hospital bed-day rates in people with and without type 2 diabetes: A territory-wide population-based cohort study of 1.5 million people in Hong Kong

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes affects multiple systems. We aimed to compare age- and sex-specific rates of all-cause and cause-specific hospital bed-days between people with and without type 2 diabetes. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Data were provided by the Hong Kong Hospital Authority. We included 1,516,508 one-to-one matched people with incident type 2 diabetes (n = 758,254) and those without diabetes during the entire follow-up period (n = 758,254) between 2002 and 2018, followed until 2019. People with type 2 diabetes and controls were matched for age at index date (±2 years), sex, and index year (±2 years). We defined hospital bed-day rate as total inpatient bed-days divided by follow-up time. We constructed negative binominal regression models to estimate hospital bed-day rate ratios (RRs) by age at diabetes diagnosis and sex. All RRs were stratified by sex and adjusted for age and index year. During a median of 7.8 years of follow-up, 60.5% (n = 459,440) of people with type 2 diabetes...

Body Mass Index, Waist Circumference, and Cognitive Decline Among Chinese Older Adults: A Nationwide Retrospective Cohort Study

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Background: The reported associations between body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and cognitive decline are not consistent, especially in older adults. Objective: This study aims to investigate the longitudinal associations of BMI, WC, and their change values with cognitive decline among Chinese adults aged 60 years and older and to examine the potential moderating effect of sex on these relationships. Methods: The participants in this study were from waves one to four (2011-2018) of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Cognition function, BMI, and WC were measured at four examinations over 7 years. The interview-based cognitive assessments of memory, orientation and attention, and visuospatial ability were recorded. Standardized global cognitive scores were generated. BMI and WC were objectively measured. Mixed-effects models were performed to evaluate the associations. Results: A final sample of 3,035 Chinese older adults [mean (SD) age,...

The Incidence of Adult-Onset Type 1 Diabetes: A Systematic Review From 32 Countries and Regions

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

BACKGROUND: The epidemiology of adult-onset type 1 diabetes (T1D) incidence is not well-characterized due to the historic focus on T1D as a childhood-onset disease. PURPOSE: We assess the incidence of adult-onset (≥20 years) T1D, by country, from available data. DATA SOURCES: A systematic review of MEDLINE, Embase, and the gray literature, through 11 May 2021, was undertaken. STUDY SELECTION: We included all population-based studies reporting on adult-onset T1D incidence and published from 1990 onward in English. DATA EXTRACTION: With the search we identified 1,374 references of which 46 were included for data extraction. Estimates of annual T1D incidence were allocated into broad age categories (20-39, 40-59, ≥60, or ≥20 years) as appropriate. DATA SYNTHESIS: Overall, we observed the following patterns: 1) there is a paucity of data, particularly in low- and middle-income countries; 2) the incidence of adult-onset T1D is lowest in Asian and highest in Nordic countries; 3) adult-onset...

Eating Frequency Is Not Associated with Obesity in Chinese Adults

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The prevalence of overweight and obesity has been increasing globally. Recent studies suggest that eating frequency (EF) might be a factor influencing the development of overweight and obesity. This study aims to explore the association between eating frequency and obesity in Chinese adults. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Wuhan, China, from March to June 2016. A self-administered questionnaire and 24-h dietary recall were used to collect data on sociodemographic variables, lifestyle factors, nutrition knowledge, and eating frequency. Participants were divided into four groups according to eating frequency and meal timing: traditional time pattern (TTP), traditional time plus late snack pattern (TTLSP), irregular time pattern (ITP), and all-day pattern (ADP). We performed the chi-squared test and multiple logistic regression to assess associations among variables using JMP statistical software version 14.0.0 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA). Respondents were Chinese...

Association between Sleep Timing and Weight Status among 14- to 19-Year-Old Adolescents in Wuhan, China

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study examined the cross-sectional and longitudinal association of sleep timing with weight status in 14- to 19-year-old adolescents in Wuhan, China. A prospective school-based study was conducted in Wuhan, China between 28 May and 29 September 2019. Data on sociodemographic information, academic performance, diet, mental health status, physical activity, sleep characteristics, body weight, and height were collected. A linear regression model and binary logistic regression model were performed. A total of 1194 adolescents were included in the analysis. Adolescents who woke up before 05:45 had higher body mass index (BMI) Z-score (odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.28 (1.05, 1.57), p = 0.02) and higher odds of overweight/obesity (odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.74 (1.10, 2.76), p = 0.02) at baseline after fully adjustment for covariates, compared with those who woke up after 05:45. Longitudinal data showed a nonsignificant...

Lifetime risk of developing diabetes in Chinese people with normoglycemia or prediabetes: A modeling study

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the lifetime risk of progression to diabetes in the Asian population. We determined remaining lifetime risk of diabetes and life years spent with diabetes in Chinese people with normoglycemia and prediabetes. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Using territory-wide diabetes surveillance data curated from electronic medical records of Hong Kong Hospital Authority (HA), we conducted a population-based cohort study in 2,608,973 individuals followed from 2001 to 2019. Prediabetes and diabetes were identified based on laboratory measurements, diagnostic codes, and medication records. Remaining lifetime risk and life years spent with diabetes were estimated using Monte Carlo simulations with state transition probabilities based on a Markov chain model. Validations were performed using several sensitivity analyses and modified survival analysis. External replication was performed using the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS) cohort (2010 to 2015)....

Associations among Screen Time and Unhealthy Behaviors, Academic Performance, and Well-Being in Chinese Adolescents

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Screen time is negatively associated with markers of health in western youth, but very little is known about these relationships in Chinese youth. Middle-school and high-school students (n = 2625) in Wuhan, China, completed questionnaires assessing demographics, health behaviors, and self-perceptions in spring/summer 2016. Linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine whether, after adjustment for covariates, screen time was associated with body mass index (BMI), eating behaviors, average nightly hours of sleep, physical activity (PA), academic performance, and psychological states. Watching television on school days was negatively associated with academic performance, PA, anxiety, and life satisfaction. Television viewing on non-school days was positively associated with sleep duration. Playing electronic games was positively associated with snacking at night and less frequently eating breakfast, and negatively associated with sleep duration and self-esteem....

The association between allergic rhinitis and sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This systematic review and meta-analysis examines the associations of allergic rhinitis with sleep duration and sleep impairment. Observational studies published before August 2019 were obtained through English language literature searches in the PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL databases. Mean differences and odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were extracted and used for meta-analysis. Heterogeneity was confirmed by the I2-heterogeneity test. Subgroup analysis was conducted to evaluate the influence of study design. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach was used to determine the level of evidence. In total, 2544 records were identified through database searches; 914 duplicate records were excluded, 1452 records were removed after screening of titles and abstracts, 151 records were excluded after full-text screening, and 27 articles were included in the final meta-analyses. A total of 240,706,026 patients (19,444,043 with allergic rhinitis)...

1-year weight change after diabetes diagnosis and long-term incidence and sustainability of remission of type 2 diabetes in real-world settings in Hong Kong: An observational cohort study

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

BACKGROUND: Clinical trials have demonstrated that remission of type 2 diabetes can be achieved following sustained weight loss. However, the feasibility of achieving diabetes remission through weight management in real-world settings remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to examine the association of weight change at 1 year after diabetes diagnosis with long-term incidence and sustainability of type 2 diabetes remission in real-world settings in Hong Kong. METHODS AND FINDINGS: This was a population-based observational cohort study. The territory-wide Risk Assessment and Management Programme for Diabetes Mellitus (RAMP-DM) provides regular comprehensive assessments of metabolic control and complication screening for people with diabetes in Hong Kong. We included 37,326 people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes who were enrolled in the RAMP-DM between 2000 and 2017, followed until 2019. Diabetes remission was defined as 2 consecutive HbA1c <6.5% measurements at least 6...

Age-specific population attributable risk factors for all-cause and cause-specific mortality in type 2 diabetes: An analysis of a 6-year prospective cohort study of over 360,000 people in Hong Kong

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of type 2 diabetes has increased in both young and old people. We examined age-specific associations and population attributable fractions (PAFs) of risk factors for all-cause and cause-specific mortality in people with type 2 diabetes. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We analysed data from 360,202 Chinese with type 2 diabetes who participated in a territory-wide diabetes complication screening programme in Hong Kong between January 2000 and December 2019. We compared the hazard ratios and PAFs of eight risk factors, including three major comorbidities (cardiovascular disease [CVD], chronic kidney disease [CKD], all-site cancer) and five modifiable risk factors (suboptimal HbA1c, suboptimal blood pressure, suboptimal low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, smoking, and suboptimal weight), for mortality across four age groups (18 to 54, 55 to 64, 65 to 74, and ≥75 years). During a median 6.0 years of follow-up, 44,396 people died, with cancer, CVD, and pneumonia being...

Young adult retail purchases of cannabis, product category preferences and sales trends in California 2018–21: Differences compared with older adults

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

AIMS: The aim of this study is to identify cannabis products according to their appeal among young adults and measure product sales trends. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: This was a retrospective comparative study using point-of-sale data from licensed recreational cannabis retailers that include buyer age with birth year entered by retailers, set in California, USA. Cannabis purchases by young adults (aged 21-24, GenZ) were compared with older adults (age 25+) over 4 years (2018-21). MEASUREMENTS: Sales for six cannabis product categories were analyzed using a commercial data set with imputations and a raw data set. Age-appeal metrics were dollar and unit sales to young adults, and dollar and unit share ratios (young adults/older adults), where a share ratio of 100 denotes age-appeal comparability. A product category was considered more young-adult appealing than others if its mean on a metric was at least one standard deviation above the grand mean across all product...

Sleep Patterns, Symptoms, and Mortality in Hemodialysis: A Prospective Cohort Study

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Rationale & Objective: While sleep disorders are common in patients treated with hemodialysis, the impact of sleep patterns on survival is not well defined. We thus examined the association of specific sleep patterns with mortality in this population. Study Design: An observational cohort study. Setting & Population: In-center hemodialysis patients from the multicenter prospective NIH Malnutrition, Diet, and Racial Disparities in Chronic Kidney Disease (MADRAD) cohort. Exposure: Sleep patterns ascertained using protocolized sleep surveys from March 2014 to June 2019. Outcomes: Mortality. Analytical Approach: Cox proportional hazards models. Results: Among 452 participants, the mean age was 55±14 years, among whom 46% were women and the median follow-up was 3.5 years. In expanded case-mix models, shorter sleep duration (≤ median of observed values) was associated with higher mortality on dialysis and nondialysis days (ref: > median): HRs (95% CIs) 1.59 (1.09-2.31)...

Driving research on successful aging and neuroprotection in Latin America: Insights from the inaugural symposium on brain resilience and healthy longevity

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

INTRODUCTION: Global life expectancy has steadily increased in recent decades, resulting in a significant rise in the number of individuals aged 80 years and older. This trend is also evident in Latin America, where life expectancy is improving, though at varying rates across countries and regions. METHODS: Partnering with the Neurosciences Group of Antioquia (GNA), we launched a Colombian study on resilience in families with autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease and the oldest-old population. Over the past 2 years, the project has expanded to include participants from Peru, Chile, and Costa Rica. RESULTS: This research led to the first symposium on Brain Resilience and Healthy Longevity, held in Medellín, Colombia, in August 2024. DISCUSSION: The article summarizes key discussions from the symposium, highlighting the most promising opportunities for brain resilience and prevention research in the region and offering recommendations for future research to promote healthy aging...

Sleep Characteristics are Associated with Risk of Treated Diabetes Among Postmenopausal Women