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Asthma is the most common chronic disease in children globally. The Global Asthma Network (GAN) Phase I study aimed to determine if the worldwide burden of asthma symptoms is changing. This updated cross-sectional study used the same methods as the International study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) Phase III. Asthma symptoms were assessed from centres that completed GAN Phase I and ISAAC Phase I (1993–95), ISAAC Phase III (2001–03), or both. We included individuals from two age groups (children aged 6–7 years and adolescents aged 13–14 years) who self-completed written questionnaires at school. We estimated the 10-year rate of change in prevalence of current wheeze, severe asthma symptoms, ever having asthma, exercise wheeze, and night cough (defined by core questions in the questionnaire) for each centre, and we estimated trends across world regions and income levels using mixed-effects linear regression models with region and country income level as confounders. Overall, 119 795 participants from 27 centres in 14 countries were included: 74 361 adolescents (response rate 90%) and 45 434 children (response rate 79%). About one in ten individuals of both age groups had wheeze in the preceding year, of whom almost half had severe symptoms. Most centres showed a change in prevalence of 2 SE or more between ISAAC Phase III to GAN Phase I. Over the 27-year period (1993–2020), adolescents showed a significant decrease in percentage point prevalence per decade in severe asthma symptoms (–0·37, 95% CI –0·69 to –0·04) and an increase in ever having asthma (1·25, 0·67 to 1·83) and night cough (4·25, 3·06 to 5·44), which was also found in children (3·21, 1·80 to 4·62). The prevalence of current wheeze decreased in low-income countries (–1·37, –2·47 to –0·27], in children and –1·67, –2·70 to –0·64, in adolescents) and increased in lower-middle-income countries (1·99, 0·33 to 3·66, in children and 1·69, 0·13 to 3·25, in adolescents), but it was stable in upper-middle-income and high-income countries. Trends in prevalence and severity of asthma symptoms over the past three decades varied by age group, country income, region, and centre. The high worldwide burden of severe asthma symptoms would be mitigated by enabling access to effective therapies for asthma. International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Boehringer Ingelheim New Zealand, AstraZeneca Educational Grant, National Institute for Health Research, UK Medical Research Council, European Research Council, and Instituto de Salud Carlos III.

Background Globally, a surge in electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use has been observed in recent years, with youth being the most susceptible group. Given their recent emergence, studies assessing the health consequences of using e-cigarettes and exposure to their secondhand aerosols (SHA) are limited. Hence, this study sought to assess associations between e-cigarette use and household exposure to SHA from e-cigarettes with asthma symptoms among adolescents. Methods A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted by enrolling high school students (n = 1565; aged 16–19 years) in Kuwait. Participants self-completed a questionnaire on tobacco products use (e-cigarettes and cigarettes) and asthma symptoms. Current e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking were defined as any use in the past 30 days. Household exposure to SHA from e-cigarettes in the past 7 days was reported as none (0 days), infrequent (1–2 days), and frequent (≥ 3 days). Asthma symptoms included current (past 12 months) wheeze, current asthma (history of clinical diagnosis and current wheeze and/or medication use), and current symptoms of uncontrolled asthma (≥ 4 attacks of wheeze, ≥ 1 night per week sleep disturbance from wheeze, and/or wheeze affecting speech). Associations were assessed using Poisson regression with robust variance estimation, and adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated. Results Among the analytical study sample (n = 1345), current e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking was reported by 369 (27.4%) and 358 (26.6%) participants, respectively. Compared to never e-cigarette users and never cigarette smokers, current e-cigarette users with no history of cigarette smoking had increased prevalence of current wheeze (aPR = 1.54, 95% CI 1.01–2.45) and current asthma (aPR = 1.85, 95% CI 1.03–3.41). Moreover, the frequency of exposure to household SHA from e-cigarettes was associated with asthma symptoms. For example, compared to those with no exposure to household SHA, frequent exposure to household SHA was associated with current wheeze (aPR = 1.30, 95% CI 1.04–1.59), current asthma (aPR = 1.56, 95% CI 1.13–2.16), and current uncontrolled asthma symptoms (aPR = 1.88, 95% CI 1.35–2.62). Conclusions E-cigarette use and their household SHA exposure were independently associated with asthma symptoms among adolescents. Hence, such observations indicate that e-cigarette use and passive exposure to their aerosols negatively impact respiratory health among adolescents.

Between May 6, 2022, and Jan 16, 2023, 3555 mpox cases were reported in England, predominantly in gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. Initially, the UK Health Security agency administered questionnaires to laboratory-detected cases via telephone calls. From June, 2022, cases were requested by text or email to complete the questionnaire online, with optional anonymous completion. To inform future approaches, we assess whether anonymity improved disclosure of sensitive information. In this observational study we analysed questionnaire data completed by people with a laboratory-detected case of mpox. We included questionnaires that were completed from May 25, 2022, to Jan 16, 2023, and restricted them to anonymous or identifiable self-completed responses. Questionnaires with forename, surname, and birth date, or an ID emailed to participants, which therefore could link to laboratory data, were considered identifiable. Questionnaires without any personal identifiable information were considered anonymous. We compared the responses to seven sensitive risk factor or exposure questions using Pearson's χ2. All 3555 people diagnosed with mpox infection in England were invited to complete the questionnaire through either phone call or web link.We obtained 1075 (30%) completed questionnaires, with a response rate decreasing from 45% in May to 20% in July 2022. We included 531 self-completed questionnaires in this analysis, of which 259 (49%) were anonymous and 272 (51%) were identifiable. The median age of participants was 39 years, with 514 (97%) men, 12 (2%) women, and five (1%) other. The largest ethnic groups were white (79%; n=422) and mixed or multiple ethnic groups (9%; n=47). Results of all seven questions were similar: 98% (n=254/259) of anonymous and 97% (n=265/272) of identifiable cases answered all seven questions, 49% (n=127) and 54% (n=147) reported a sexually transmitted infection diagnosis in the past 12 months (p=0·2), 24% (n=63) and 27% (n=73) reported ten or more sexual partners in the past 3 months (p=0·8), and 15% (n=38) and 18% (n=50) reported knowing another person with mpox infection (p=0·5), respectively. Transitioning to self-completed questionnaires resulted in reduced uptake, although optional anonymity possibly prevented a steeper drop. Anonymity did not appear to affect reporting of sensitive information, specifically of sexual behaviours or history associated with mpox risk, which reinforces results of previous literature. Our interpretation is limited, however, by relatively low questionnaire uptake, and by only analysing reported rather than true risk. The decision to implement anonymous questionnaires should therefore weigh the potential benefits of increased uptake against the disadvantage of restricted data linkage. None.

Background: The adverse events reported from the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines have varied from very mild, such as pain near the vaccination site, to more severe, with occasional anaphylaxis. Details of age-specific gender differences for the adverse effects are not well documented. Methods: Age and gender disaggregated data on reports of adverse events following two or three doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine were obtained from four cross-sectional studies. The first was from reports submitted to the Israel Ministry of Health national adverse events database (for ages 16 and above). The second was from a national cross-sectional survey based on an internet panel (for ages 30 and above), and the third and fourth were from cross-sectional surveys among employees of a large company (for ages 20–65) using links to a self-completed questionnaire. Results: In all studies, the risks of adverse events were higher following the second dose and consistently higher in females at all ages. The increased risk among females at all ages included local events such as pain at the injection site, systemic events such as fever, and sensory events such as paresthesia in the hands and face. For the combined adverse reactions, for the panel survey the female-to-male risk ratios (RRs) were 1.89 for the first vaccine dose and 1.82 for the second dose. In the cross-sectional workplace studies, the female-to-male RRs for the first, second and third doses exceeded 3.0 for adverse events, such as shivering, muscle pain, fatigue and headaches. Conclusions: The consistent excess in adverse events among females for the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine indicates the need to assess and report vaccine adverse events by gender. Gender differences in adverse events should be taken into account when determining dosing schedules.

This study aimed to identify the association of recommended dairy intake with several dietary habits, obesity, physical fitness (PF), physical activity (PA), screen time and sleep. Population data were derived from a health survey on a representative sample of 177 091 children aged 8–17 years. Dairy intake and dietary habits were evaluated using questionnaires (KIDMED index). Participants were characterised as ‘dairy products consumers’ based on whether they met current recommendations for milk or dairy consumption (e.g. if they consumed two yogurts and/or 40 g cheese and a cup of milk daily). Participants who did not consume the above-mentioned quantities were characterised as ‘non-consumers.’ Anthropometric and PF data were obtained by trained investigators. PA status, screen time and sleeping habits were assessed through self-completed questionnaires. Boys and girls consuming recommended dairy products were 25 % (95 % CI: 0·71, 0·79) and 43 % (95 % CI: 0·51, 0·64) less likely to have low performances in cardiorespiratory fitness tests, Participants from both sexes classified as dairy products consumers had lower odds of central obesity by 10 % (95 % CI: 0·86, 0·95), as compared with non-consumers. Moreover, recommended dairy products consumers had lower odds for insufficient sleep by 8 % (95 % CI: 0·89, 0·96) in boys and 14 % (95 % CI: 0·83–0·90) in girls, for inadequate PA levels by 15 % (95 % CI: 0·77, 0·93) in boys and 16 % (95 % CI: 0·76, 0·90) in girls and for increased screen time by 11 % (95 % CI: 0·83, 0·95) in boys and 9 % (95 % CI: 0·85, 0·97) in girls than no-consumers. In conclusion, recommended dairy intake is associated with less obesity, better PF and a healthier lifestyle profile.

Backround The study was planned to evaluate the safety attitudes of mothers with children aged 0–6 years towards home accidents and their self-efficacy in first aid. Method In this cross-sectional study, 438 mothers aged 18 years and older participated. Self-completed questionnaires, sociodemographic and home accident history questions, the Scale for Identifying Maternal Safety Precautions for Home Accidents in Children 0–6 Years of Age, and the First Aid Self-Efficacy in Home Accidents Scale were employed as data collection tools. Results The study revealed that 35.2% of mothers with children aged 0–6 years reported experiencing at least one home accident. Among the reported incidents, it was found that 41.6% were attributed to falls, while 25.3% were related to burns, making them the most prevalent types of accidents. The mean attitude score of the women towards home accidents was 64.34 ± 15.03, and the mean total score of first aid knowledge was 27.14 ± 8.78. In our study, logistic regression analysis revealed that parents' employment status, having more than one child in the household, low-income level, and history of home accidents in the household increased the risk of experiencing home accidents for children. Conclusion It was determined that mothers' safety precautions and first aid practices were inadequate. Education, employment status, and income level were found to affect safety and first-aid attitudes towards home accidents. When our results are evaluated, it is recommended to organize training for mothers about home accidents, safety precautions, and first aid practices.

Cancer awareness campaigns aim to increase awareness of the potential seriousness of signs and symptoms of cancer, and encourage their timely presentation to healthcare services. Enhanced understanding of the prevalence of symptoms possibly indicative of cancer in different population subgroups, and associated general practitioner (GP) help-seeking behaviour, will help to target cancer awareness campaigns more effectively. To determine: i) the prevalence of 21 symptoms possibly indicative of breast, colorectal, lung or upper gastrointestinal cancer in the United Kingdom (UK), including six 'red flag' symptoms; ii) whether the prevalence varies among population subgroups; iii) the proportion of symptoms self-reported as presented to GPs; iv) whether GP help-seeking behaviour varies within population subgroups. Self-completed questionnaire about experience of, and response to, 25 symptoms (including 21 possibly indicative of the four cancers of interest) in the previous month and year; sent to 50,000 adults aged 50 years or more and registered with 21 general practices in Staffordshire, England or across Scotland. Completed questionnaires were received from 16,778 respondents (corrected response rate 34.2%). Almost half (45.8%) of respondents had experienced at least one symptom possibly indicative of cancer in the last month, and 58.5% in the last year. The prevalence of individual symptoms varied widely (e.g. in the last year between near zero% (vomiting up blood) and 15.0% (tired all the time). Red flag symptoms were uncommon. Female gender, inability to work because of illness, smoking, a history of a specified medical diagnosis, low social support and lower household income were consistently associated with experiencing at least one symptom possibly indicative of cancer in both the last month and year. The proportion of people who had contacted their GP about a symptom experienced in the last month varied between 8.1% (persistent cough) and 39.9% (unexplained weight loss); in the last year between 32.8% (hoarseness) and 85.4% (lump in breast). Nearly half of respondents experiencing at least one red flag symptom in the last year did not contact their GP about it. Females, those aged 80+ years, those unable to work because of illness, ex-smokers and those previously diagnosed with a specified condition were more likely to report a symptom possibly indicative of cancer to their GP; and those on high household income less likely. Symptoms possibly indicative of cancer are common among adults aged 50+ years in the UK, although they are not evenly distributed. Help-seeking responses to different symptoms also vary. Our results suggest important opportunities to provide more nuanced messaging and targeting of symptom-based cancer awareness campaigns.

Optimal nutrition is essential for preterm infants as they face many barriers to achieving exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) and successfully introducing complementary foods (CF)(1). There is limited evidence of early feeding practices of preterm infants in Aotearoa, New Zealand (NZ). We aimed to investigate the facilitators and barriers to EBF and CF introduction in preterm infants in NZ. A nationwide self-completed electronic questionnaire was disseminated via social media to mothers of preterm infants. The survey collected quantitative data on hospital feeding practices, breastfeeding rates, timing of CF introduction, and fussy eating behaviours. Relationships between feeding practices and maternal and infant characteristics, such as ethnicity and level of prematurity, were explored using the Chi-Square statistical test in SPSS. Qualitative information regarding mothers’ experiences with breastfeeding, CF introduction, type of education and support received about the nutrition of preterm infants were collected for thematic analysis using Nvivo. The survey started in April and will close on 20th August 2023. Here we present preliminary findings of a subset of responses collected to date, and full results will be available for the conference. Up to 1st August 2023, 201 mothers had completed the survey. Most mothers self-identified as of New Zealand European (58%) and Māori (13%) background. Most infants (39%) were older than 12 months of chronological age (CA) and born moderate or late preterm (32+0 – 36+6 weeks’ gestation, 70%). Almost 50% of mothers required in-hospital supplementation of mothers’ milk (infant formula, 28% and donor breastmilk, 20%), and 44% of mothers were EBF at the time of hospital discharge. EBF for 5-6 months of CA was reported by 21% of mothers, and 46% provided any breastmilk for more than 6 months of CA. Among mothers who had introduced CF (n = 138), 74% reported introducing CF between 5-8 months of CA, and the infant’s first foods were primarily vegetables (65%) and fruits (60%). Fussy eating behaviour was reported by 47%, and food fussiness was significantly associated with a decreased frequency of vegetable (p<0.001) and fruit (p = 0.004) consumption. Challenges with breastfeeding included the infant’s feeding difficulties, low milk supply, maternal stressors, lack of support and education from health professionals. Challenges to CF introduction included fussiness and maternal fears such as choking and lack of confidence. Support from lactation consultants and previous experience with introducing CF were the most common enablers for breastfeeding and timely CF introduction, respectively. Our findings provide the first insight into the early feeding practices of preterm infants in Aotearoa, New Zealand. This information will support strategies to improve the nutritional management of preterm infants by increasing awareness of common challenges mothers face to achieve the recommended breastfeeding guidelines and CF practices in this vulnerable population.

Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) have a higher risk of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and related diseases and would benefit from preventive measures such as HPV vaccination. We assessed the association between HPV vaccination and anal HPV infection in HIV-negative gbMSM and gbMSM living with HIV from the Lubricant Investigation in Men to Inhibit Transmission of HPV Infection study. Participants attended 7 visits over 12 months where they provided a nurse-collected anal sample and self-completed a questionnaire on risk factors and HPV vaccination. Samples were tested for HPV using polymerase chain reaction assays. We assessed the association with HPV vaccination and anal HPV prevalence and incidence using logistic and Cox regression, respectively. Analyses at the individual- (unit of analysis = participant) and HPV-level (unit of analysis = HPV type) considered vaccine-targeted types (any of HPVs 6/11/16/18) as the outcome. To assess construct validity, we repeated analyses considering incidence of non-vaccine-targeted (within- and cross-species) HPV types at the HPV-level. Estimates were adjusted for a propensity score to predict cumulative HPV positivity based on selected study and participant characteristics. Of 258 enrolled participants (18.2–71.7 years; 69 being HIV-positive), 23.3 % were vaccinated at baseline. At the individual-level, there was no association between vaccination and HPVs 6/11/16/18 prevalence (n = 250, aOR = 1.12, 95 % CI = 0.56–2.22) or incidence (n = 152, aHR = 0.34, 95 % CI = 2.19 × 10−18-1.38). At the HPV-level, while there was no association with HPVs 6/11/16/18 prevalence (n = 1000, aOR = 0.99, 95 % CI = 0.57–1.71), vaccination was associated with a reduction in HPVs 6/11/16/18 incidence (n = 754, aHR = 0.22, 95 % CI = 6.01 × 10−18-0.79). Vaccination was not associated with incidence of within-species (n = 2299, aHR = 0.76, CI = 0.42–1.24) or cross-species (n = 3774, aHR = 1.28, CI = 0.89–1.85) HPV types. Results were similar by HIV status. Our findings support that HPV vaccination protects against incident anal infection of vaccine-targeted HPV types, thus, gbMSM should be encouraged to get vaccinated against HPV.

Background In China, as the “gatekeepers”of rural residents’ health, the primary-level village doctors, play a very crucial role in ensuring and serving the health level of rural residents. However, the burnout of village doctors is gravely threatening the stability of rural primary medical system step by step. This study systematically evaluated the effects of personality, work engagement and alexithymia on burnout of village doctors, and further measured and assessed the mediating effect of alexithymia and work engagement in the association between personality and burnout. Methods The subjects were 2684 village doctors in Jining, Shandong Province, China, from May to June 2019. Sociodemographic characteristics, alexithymia, personality, work engagement and job burnout were quantitated by self-completed questionnaire and measured by Likert 5–7 scale. One-way ANOVA, Person correlation analysis, and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) were used for statistical analysis and mediating effect evaluation. Results 2693 questionnaires were collected in total, of which 2684 were valid, with an effective rate of 96.2%. 65.2% of village doctors were diagnosed with burnout, and 54.3% showed moderate to severe emotional exhaustion, 61.6% showed moderate to severe low sense of personal achievement, and 33.9% showed moderate to severe depersonalization burnout. Personality had a direct positive effect on work engagement (β = 0.50, p  < 0.001), a direct negative effect on alexithymia (β = − 0.52, p  < 0.001) and burnout (β = − 0.50, p < 0.001) respectively. Work engagement had a direct negative effect on burnout (β = − 0.10, p < 0.001), while alexithymia had a direct positive effect on burnout (β = 0.16, p < 0.001). In the path between personality and burnout, both work engagement 95%CI:(− 0.17)–(− 0.08), and alexithymia 95%CI:(− 0.36)–(− 0.09), have significant mediating effects. These results strongly confirm that personality, alexithymia, and work engagement are early and powerful predicators of burnout. Conclusion According to the results, medical administrators should pay attention to the personality characteristics of village doctors in vocational training, practice selection and job assignment, encourage village doctors to reflect on their own personality actively, and to reduce job burnout by obtaining necessary social support, constructing reasonable achievable career expectations, improving time management ability, and participating in psychological counselling programs.