The prevalence and moderating factors of sleep disturbances in people living with HIV: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the prevalence of self-reported sleep disturbances in people living with HIV considering the effects of age, depression, anxiety, CD4 cell counts, time since HIV diagnosis, study region, and the instruments used to measure sleep disturbances. We searched PubMed, PsycINFO, and EMBASE to include eligible articles. In this meta-analysis of 43 studies, the pooled prevalence of self-reported sleep disturbances was 52.29% (95% confidence interval 47.69-56.87). The subgroup analyses revealed that variations in the sleep measurements and study region significantly contributed to the observed heterogeneity. In the meta-regression analyses, higher proportions of participants with depression or anxiety and longer times since HIV diagnosis were significantly associated with a higher prevalence of self-reported sleep disturbances after adjusting for mean age. Our findings emphasise the substantial burden of sleep disturbances in people living with HIV and identified comorbid depression and anxiety and the time since HIV diagnosis as significant moderators. These results underscore the importance of considering these factors when designing tailored screening programmes for high-risk patients and implementing early interventions to prevent and mitigate sleep disturbances in people living with HIV.

Sex differences of the association between handgrip strength and health-related quality of life among patients with cancer.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between handgrip strength (HGS) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), demonstrating HGS as an effective indicator for evaluating HRQoL of patients with cancer. Analyzing 1657 Korean adult cancer patients (644 males, 1013 females) aged ≥ 20 years from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2014-2019), HGS was standardized based on body mass index and categorized by sex. HRQoL was assessed using the Euro Quality of Life-5-Dimension 3-Level version (EQ-5D-3L) Index. Lower relative HGS was associated with decreased HRQoL in female patients, while no significant association was found in male patients. The lowest quartile of relative HGS exhibited a 2.5-fold decrease in HRQoL compared to the highest quartile (OR 2.50, 95% CI 1.59-3.95, p < 0.001). Both male and female patients with cancer were affected by age, subjective health perception, and stress recognition regarding HRQoL. This study suggests that HGS may be associated with the HRQoL of female patients with cancer, emphasizing that the HGS measurement can be effectively utilized as a pivotal tool for evaluating HRQoL in female patients with cancer.

Association between drinking behaviors, sleep duration, and depressive symptoms.

Excessive alcohol consumption has been consistently linked to depression. This study, utilizing nationwide samples from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (n = 21,440) examined the association between drinking behaviors and depressive symptoms while also exploring the influence of sleep duration on this relationship. Demographic, socioeconomic, and health-related factors were included as covariates in the multivariable logistic regression analysis to assess their relationships with depressive symptoms. Based on their sleep duration, the participants were divided into subgroups to explore how sleep duration affects the relationship between drinking behaviors and depressive symptoms. Moderate alcohol consumption (1-4 times a month) was associated with reduced likelihood of experiencing depressive symptoms in women (p = 0.024), with a similar trend observed among men (p = 0.001). Men who started consuming alcohol before the age of 19 had a higher likelihood of experiencing depressive symptoms (p = 0.048). Only women who consumed more alcohol per occasion (≥ 7 drinks) had higher odds of depressive symptoms (p = 0.001). This study revealed complex factors that influence depressive symptoms, including alcohol consumption and sleep duration. This highlights the importance of tailored interventions based on sleep duration and sociodemographic characteristics for preventing and treating depression.

Physical activity and prevention of mental health complications: An umbrella review.

The potential of physical activity in preventing mental health issues has garnered interest among health professionals. We conducted a systematic umbrella review of evidence supporting the relationship between physical activity and the prevention of mental health complications. Our findings revealed a significant association between higher physical activity levels and reduced risk of depression (OR = 0.77, 95% CI 0.72 - 0.82). This association was consistent across various age groups, sex, and geographical regions. Interestingly, low and moderate-intensity physical activity showed the most significant protective effects against depression (low-intensity: OR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.75-0.56; moderate-intensity: OR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.72-0.87). Our analysis also showed significant associations between higher physical activity levels and prevention of anxiety disorders (OR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.61-0.82). However, the evidence regarding the association between physical activity and psychosis/schizophrenia risk was less clear. These findings underscore the physical activity's potential as a preventative measure against mental health complications, highlighting the importance of promoting physical activity in mental health interventions.

Clinical practice guidelines for cervical cancer: the Korean Society of Gynecologic Oncology guidelines.

This fifth revised version of the Korean Society of Gynecologic Oncology practice guidelines for the management of cervical cancer incorporates recent research findings and changes in treatment strategies based on version 4.0 released in 2020. Each key question was developed by focusing on recent notable insights and crucial contemporary issues in the field of cervical cancer. These questions were evaluated for their significance and impact on the current treatment and were finalized through voting by the development committee. The selected key questions were as follows: the efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors as first- or second-line treatment for recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer; the oncologic safety of minimally invasive radical hysterectomy in early stage cervical cancer; the efficacy and safety of adjuvant systemic treatment after concurrent chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced cervical cancer; and the oncologic safety of sentinel lymph node mapping compared to pelvic lymph node dissection. The recommendations, directions, and strengths of this guideline were based on systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and were finally confirmed through public hearings and external reviews. In this study, we describe the revised practice guidelines for the management of cervical cancer.

Incidence, prevalence, and global burden of ADHD from 1990 to 2019 across 204 countries: data, with critical re-analysis, from the Global Burden of Disease study.

Data on incidence, prevalence and burden of ADHD are crucial for clinicians, patients, and stakeholders. We present the incidence, prevalence, and burden of ADHD globally and across countries from 1990 to 2019 from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study. We also: (1) calculated the ADHD prevalence based on data actually collected as opposed to the prevalence estimated by the GBD with data imputation for countries without prevalence data; (2) discussed the GBD estimated ADHD burden in the light of recent meta-analytic evidence on ADHD-related mortality. In 2019, GBD estimated global age-standardized incidence and prevalence of ADHD across the lifespan at 0.061% (95%UI = 0.040-0.087) and 1.13% (95%UI = 0.831-1.494), respectively. ADHD accounted for 0.8% of the global mental disorder DALYs, with mortality set at zero by the GBD. From 1990 to 2019 there was a decrease of -8.75% in the global age-standardized prevalence and of -4.77% in the global age-standardized incidence. The largest increase in incidence, prevalence, and burden from 1990 to 2019 was observed in the USA; the largest decrease occurred in Finland. Incidence, prevalence, and DALYs remained approximately 2.5 times higher in males than females from 1990 to 2019. Incidence peaked at age 5-9 years, and prevalence and DALYs at age 10-14 years. Our re-analysis of data prior to 2013 showed a prevalence in children/adolescents two-fold higher (5.41%, 95% CI: 4.67-6.15%) compared to the corresponding GBD estimated prevalence (2.68%, 1.83-3.72%), with no significant differences between low- and middle- and high-income countries. We also found meta-analytic evidence of significantly increased ADHD-related mortality due to unnatural causes. While it provides the most detailed evidence on temporal trends, as well as on geographic and sex variations in incidence, prevalence, and burden of ADHD, the GBD may have underestimated the ADHD prevalence and burden. Given the influence of the GBD on research and policies, methodological issues should be addressed in its future editions.

The distribution of registered occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and podiatrists in Australia.

BACKGROUND: In Australia, the distribution of occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and podiatrists density (per 10,000 population) by measure of location/rurality, usual resident population, and area-level socioeconomic status has not been described. OBJECTIVE: To describe the national as well as states-and territories-wide distribution of registered allied health workforce-occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and podiatrists-by measures of rurality and area-level socioeconomic position in Australia. METHODS: A linked data study that brings together (1) the location of health practitioners' principal place of practice from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, (2) a measure of location/rurality-Modified Monash Model (MMM), and (3) an area-level measure of socioeconomic status-Index of Relative Socio-Economic Advantage and Disadvantage (IRSAD). The provider-to-population ratio (i.e., density) of three Australia's allied health workforce (occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and podiatrists) was calculated according to the MMM classifications (i.e., Modified Monash 1-7) and IRSAD quintiles at state and national level. RESULTS: Nationwide, the density of occupational therapists and physiotherapists was highest in metropolitan areas (Modified Monash 1) and decreased with the increasing levels of the MMM categories. The national density of podiatrists was highest in Modified Monash 3 areas. The density of occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and podiatrists was highest in areas with IRSAD quintile 5 (i.e., the highest socioeconomic position) and decreased with the declining levels of the IRSAD quintiles nationwide. Moreover, there were notable disparities in the density of occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and podiatrists across each state and territory in Australia when stratified by the MMM classifications and IRSAD quintiles. CONCLUSIONS: There was uneven distribution of registered occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and podiatrists when stratified by measures of location/rurality and area-level socioeconomic status across Australian jurisdictions. The density of these three groups of allied health workforce tended to be more concentrated in metropolitan and most advantaged areas while remote and most disadvantaged areas exhibited less allied health workforce distribution across each state and territory.

Association of maternal mental health and drinking/smoking with adolescents' mental health based on the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Introduction: Depression is one of the major concerns in adolescence, with a global prevalence of approximately 5%. Diverse environmental factors can affect the development of depression depending on the individual developmental stage. Methods: Using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), we aimed to investigate the association between socioeconomic factors and mental health in a population of non-clinically ill adolescents in Korea totaling 6,261 adolescents aged 12-18 years. Results: Drinking, smoking, stress, depressed mood, suicidal ideation in adolescents, and stress, depressed mood, and suicidal ideation in mothers were identified as factors associated with adolescent depression. In addition to depressed mood and suicidal ideation, the higher perception of stress in mothers was related to higher stress perception, depressed mood, and suicidal ideation in adolescents. The association of adolescents' mental health with fathers' mental health was weaker than that with mothers' mental health. Additionally, increased smoking and drinking were commonly reported in adolescents with higher stress perception, depressed mood, and suicidal ideation. Discussion: We conclude that close monitoring of mental health is required for adolescents with drinking and smoking habits and mothers with mental health problems.

Depressive symptoms in younger adults before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A nationally representative cross-sectional data analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Several studies have reported an increased prevalence of depressive symptoms during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, the prevalence of significant depressive symptoms and its associated factors in younger adults remain uncertain. We aimed to investigate this association during the COVID-19 pandemic and make a comparison with the pre-pandemic period. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from the 2018 and 2020 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys were analyzed, and 3281 respondents aged 19-40 years were included. We defined a Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score ≥ 10 as significant depressive symptoms and the categories of depressive symptoms were also classified as none, mild, moderate, and severe. RESULTS: The prevalence of significant depressive symptoms was higher in the pandemic group (7.4% vs. 4.7%). Furthermore, the prevalence in the pandemic group was higher for all degrees: mild, moderate, and severe depressive symptoms. A multivariable logistic regression indicated that significant depressive symptoms during the pandemic was significantly associated with female sex, low educational attainment, unemployment, chronic medical disease, and being overweight. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest an increase in depressive symptoms in younger adults during the pandemic. It is necessary to develop policies to provide younger adults with resources to cope with depressive symptoms related to COVID-19 and potential global outbreak of infectious disease.

Changes in the mean incidence and variance of orthopedic diseases before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Korea: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the amount of moderate- to high-intensity physical activity significantly decreased. Therefore, the epidemiology of musculoskeletal diseases could possibly have changed. We assessed changes in the incidence of and variance in non-traumatic orthopedic diseases before and after the COVID-19 pandemic in Korea. METHODS: This study included data from the Korea National Health Insurance Service, which covers the entire Korean population (approximately 50 million), from January 2018 to June 2021. Using International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes, 12 common orthopedic diseases were evaluated, including cervical disc disorders, lumbar disc disorders, forward head posture, myofascial pain syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, frozen shoulder, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, hip fracture, distal radius fracture, and spine fracture diseases. "Pre-COVID-19" was the period until February 2020, and "COVID-19 pandemic period" was the period starting March 2020. Differences in the mean incidence and variance of diseases before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were compared. RESULTS: In most cases, the incidence of orthopedic diseases decreased at the beginning of the pandemic and then increased thereafter. Among the 12 diseases, the incidence of three diseases showed a statistically significant change. The incidence of myofascial pain syndrome (P < 0.001) was lower during the COVID-19 pandemic than during the pre-COVID-19 period. The incidences of frozen shoulder (P < 0.001) and gout (P = 0.043) were higher during the COVID-19 pandemic than during the pre-COVID-19 period. However, no statistical difference in disease variations was observed between the two periods. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of orthopedic diseases varied during the COVID-19 pandemic among the Korean population. Although the incidence of myofascial pain syndrome was lower, that of frozen shoulder and gout was higher during the COVID-19 pandemic than during the pre-COVID-19 period. No disease variations during the COVID-19 pandemic were found.

Association between uric acid and depressive symptoms in older adults: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

BACKGROUND: Uric acid is known for its antioxidant capacity; however, whether uric acid is independently associated with depression in the older population remains controversial. The current study aimed to investigate the association between uric acid and depressive symptoms in older adults according to sex, using a large national sample population. METHODS: Data from the 2016, 2018, and 2020 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys were analyzed, and 5609 participants older than 60 years were included in this study. We defined a Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score ≥5 as indicating the presence of depressive symptoms. RESULTS: The prevalence of depressive symptoms was higher in women with lower uric acid levels than in those with higher uric acid levels. In women, the lower levels of uric acid were significantly associated with depressive symptoms in the multivariable logistic regression analysis (odds ratio, 1.36; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-1.68; p = 0.005). However, no significant association between uric acid levels and depressive symptoms was observed in men. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest that uric acid is associated with depressive symptoms in older women, but not in men. Relatively lower serum uric acid levels in women compared to men and sex differences in oxidative stress may explain the significant association of uric acid levels and depressive symptoms in older women. Further research is needed on sex differences in the relationship between serum uric acid levels and depressive symptoms.

Height and subjective body image are associated with suicide ideation among Korean adolescents.

Introduction: Suicide is the leading cause of death among Korean adolescents. Suicide has been found to be associated with body mass index (BMI), height, and subjective body image among adults, but investigations of these associations among adolescents are limited. Thus, we aimed to examine to what extent suicide ideation is associated with height, BMI, and subjective body image among Korean adolescents. Methods: This study examined the data of 6,261 adolescents, selected from a nationally representative survey. The participants were divided into subgroups by sex, suicide ideation, and subjective body image. Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association of suicide ideation with height, BMI, and subjective body image. Results: The proportion of perceived obesity was high in the total sample; the height Z-score was lower for the group with suicide ideation than the group without suicide ideation; the height Z-scores were also lower for female participants with suicide ideation than those female participants without suicide ideation. The proportions of depressed mood, suicide ideation, and suicide attempts were higher among the total sample and female participants with perceived obesity than among those with a normal body image. On logistic regression, perceived obesity was positively associated with suicide ideation even after adjusting for age, height Z-score, weight Z-score, and depressed mood, whereas height Z-score was negatively associated with suicide ideation. These relationships were more prominent among female participants than among male participants. Conclusion: Low height and perceived obesity, not real obesity, are associated with suicide ideation among Korean adolescents. These findings indicate that the need for an integrated approach to growth, body image, and suicide in adolescents is warranted.

Elevated risk of cervical cancer in elderly women with incident ulcerative colitis in South Korea.

The association between ulcerative colitis (UC) and uterine cervical cancer is still unclear. To investigate cervical cancer risk in South Korean women with UC, we analyzed the Korean National Health Insurance claims data. UC was defined using both ICD-10 codes and UC-specific prescriptions. We analyzed incident cases of UC diagnosed between 2006 and 2015. Age-matched women without UC (control group) were randomly selected from the general population (1:3 ratio). Hazard ratios were calculated using multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression, and the event was defined as occurrence of cervical cancer. A total of 12,632 women with UC and 36,797 women without UC were enrolled. The incidence of cervical cancer was 38.8 per 100,000 women per year in UC patients and 25.7 per 100,000 women per year in controls, respectively. The adjusted HR for cervical cancer was 1.56 (95% CI 0.97-2.50) in the UC group with reference to the control group. When stratified by age, the adjusted HR for cervical cancer was 3.65 (95% CI 1.54-8.66) in elderly UC patients (≥ 60 years) compared to elderly control group (≥ 60 years). Within UC patients, increased age (≥ 40 years) and low socioeconomic status were associated with an increased risk of cervical cancer. The incidence of cervical cancer was found to be higher among elderly patients (≥ 60 years) with newly diagnosed UC in South Korea, compared to age-matched controls. Therefore, regular cervical cancer screening is recommended for elderly patients who have recently been diagnosed with UC.

Evaluating the Modified Patient Health Questionnaire-2 and Insomnia Severity Index-2 for Daily Digital Screening of Depression and Insomnia: Validation Study.

BACKGROUND: The Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) and Insomnia Severity Index-2 (ISI-2) are screening assessments that reflect the past 2-week experience of depression and insomnia, respectively. Retrospective assessment has been associated with reduced accuracy owing to recall bias. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to increase the reliability of responses by validating the use of the PHQ-2 and ISI-2 for daily screening. METHODS: A total of 167 outpatients from the psychiatric department at the Yongin Severance Hospital participated in this study, of which 63 (37.7%) were male and 104 (62.3%) were female with a mean age of 35.1 (SD 12.1) years. Participants used a mobile app ("Mental Protector") for 4 weeks and rated their depressive and insomnia symptoms daily on the modified PHQ-2 and ISI-2 scales. The validation assessments were conducted in 2 blocks, each with a fortnight response from the participants. The modified version of the PHQ-2 was evaluated against the conventional scales of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the Korean version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-Revised. RESULTS: According to the sensitivity and specificity analyses, an average score of 3.29 on the modified PHQ-2 was considered valid for screening for depressive symptoms. Similarly, the ISI-2 was evaluated against the conventional scale, Insomnia Severity Index, and a mean score of 3.50 was determined to be a valid threshold for insomnia symptoms when rated daily. CONCLUSIONS: This study is one of the first to propose a daily digital screening measure for depression and insomnia delivered through a mobile app. The modified PHQ-2 and ISI-2 were strong candidates for daily screening of depression and insomnia, respectively.

Age and Sex Differences in the Association between Serum Vitamin E Levels and Depressive Symptoms: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Studies have reported inconsistent results regarding the relationship between serum vitamin E levels and depressive symptoms. Furthermore, the potential modulating role of age and sex has been underexplored. We conduct an age- and sex-stratified investigation of the association between serological vitamin E status and depressive symptoms in a large nationwide sample. Data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed (n = 4448). The participants were stratified into four groups according to age (<65 vs. ≥65 years) and sex. Each group was divided into tertiles of vitamin E/total lipid ratio, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scores were compared among the tertiles via multivariable linear regression analyses. The relationship between dietary supplement use and the proportions of tertiles was assessed in each group. With the middle tertile as the reference group, the low tertile of vitamin E/total lipid ratio was associated with increased PHQ-9 scores in younger females and older males after adjusting for all covariates, while the high tertile showed no significant associations with PHQ-9 scores in any group. The low tertile was associated with increased adjusted mean PHQ-9 scores by 0.53 and 1.02 compared to the middle tertile in younger females and older males, respectively. Dietary supplement use was related to higher vitamin E/total lipid ratio in all four groups. In conclusion, younger females and older males with a low vitamin E status showed worse depressive symptoms. These individuals may benefit from dietary interventions to prevent depressive symptoms.

Differences in arousal and valence on the Korean phoneme of artificial voice between Korean and Chinese women.

BACKGROUND: Although active research is in progress in the fields of psychology and linguistics on the emotional characteristics of the symbol and meaning of sound itself, since the systematic emotional model is not applied, each researcher uses a subjective concept and acts as an obstacle to the expansion of research. There is a limitation in that it cannot be confirmed whether the sound symbol has universality regardless of cultural differences between different languages. METHODS: In this study, the difference between the arousal and valence of emotions felt toward Hangul phonemes was explored according to consonant and vowel through comparison between Korean and Chinese women. 38 Korean women and 32 Chinese women were recruited, and an online experiment was conducted in which arousal and valence were reported for 42 Hangeul phoneme sound stimuli. RESULTS: As a result of comparing the arousal and valence of each group, Koreans showed significantly higher arousal scores than Chinese, and these results showed different differences according to consonant and vowel. In valence, there was a difference between nationalities only according to consonant indicating that Koreans showed lower positivity toward aspirated sounds than Chinese. Through these results, it was confirmed that the emotional meaning of the sound symbol between different languages is different, which can be affected by consonant and vowels. CONCLUSION: This study identified differences in emotional perception between cultures by using two dimensions of emotions, arousal, and valence, which are systematized for sound symbols, and suggests implications for the relationship between sound symbol and emotions and cultural differences in the future.

Digital cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia on depression and anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Despite research into the development of digital cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (dCBT-I), research into the outcomes of dCBT-I on insomnia and the associated clinical conditions of depression and anxiety have been limited. The PubMed, PsycINFO (Ovid), Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on adult patients with insomnia also having reported measures of depressive or anxiety symptoms. In total, 2504 articles were identified after duplicate removal, and 22 RCTs were included in the final meta-analysis. At the post-treatment assessment, the dCBT-I group had a small to moderate effect in alleviating depressive (standardized mean difference (SMD) = -0.42; 95% CI: -0.56, -0.28; p < 0.001; k = 21) and anxiety symptoms (SMD = -0.29; 95% CI: -0.40, -0.19; p < 0.001; k = 18), but had a large effect on sleep outcome measures (SMD = -0.76; 95% CI: -0.95, -0.57; p < 0.001; k = 22). When considering treatment adherence, the treatment effects of those in the high adherent groups identified a more robust outcome, showing greater effect sizes than those in the low adherent groups for depression, anxiety, and sleep outcomes. Furthermore, additional subgroup analysis on studies that have used the fully automated dCBT-I treatment without the support of human therapists reported significant treatment effects for depression, anxiety, and sleep outcomes. The results demonstrated that digital intervention for insomnia yielded significant effects on alleviating depressive and anxiety symptoms as well as insomnia symptoms. Specifically, the study demonstrated significant effects on the above symptoms when considering treatment adherence and implementing fully automated dCBT-I.

Do undertaking rural placements and place of origin inform where allied health graduates work in South Australia?

OBJECTIVE: To examine the principal place of practice after graduation of students who participated in the Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training (RHMT) program and allied health students' place of origin. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: Graduates who completed their degree in podiatry, occupational therapy and physiotherapy in 2019. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Principal place of practice at first and third years after graduation. RESULTS: In 2020, 40 allied health professionals (AHPs) who graduated from the University of South Australia in 2019 were practising in rural areas but only 26 of them remained in the rural practice in 2022. The retention rate for rural practice was 65% within 2 years. However, in 2022, 25 allied health professionals left their metropolitan employment location and transitioned to rural practice. Of the 25 allied health graduates who joined the rural practice in 2022, most of them (80%, 20/25) had either rural exposure through the RMHT program or were from rural origin. CONCLUSIONS: Rural exposure via the RHMT program and allied health students' rural place of origin have an important role for rural principal place of practice at first and third years after graduation.

Impact of data extraction errors in meta-analyses on the association between depression and peripheral inflammatory biomarkers: an umbrella review.

BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence suggests that alterations in inflammatory biomarkers are important in depression. However, previous meta-analyses disagree on these associations, and errors in data extraction may account for these discrepancies. METHODS: PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library were searched from database inception to 14 January 2020. Meta-analyses of observational studies examining the association between depression and levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin 1-ß (IL-1ß), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were eligible. Errors were classified as follows: incorrect sample sizes, incorrectly used standard deviation, incorrect participant inclusion, calculation error, or analysis with insufficient data. We determined their impact on the results after correction thereof. RESULTS: Errors were noted in 14 of the 15 meta-analyses included. Across 521 primary studies, 118 (22.6%) showed the following errors: incorrect sample sizes (20 studies, 16.9%), incorrect use of standard deviation (35 studies, 29.7%), incorrect participant inclusion (7 studies, 5.9%), calculation errors (33 studies, 28.0%), and analysis with insufficient data (23 studies, 19.5%). After correcting these errors, 11 (29.7%) out of 37 pooled effect sizes changed by a magnitude of more than 0.1, ranging from 0.11 to 1.15. The updated meta-analyses showed that elevated levels of TNF- α, IL-6, CRP, but not IL-1ß, are associated with depression. CONCLUSIONS: These findings show that data extraction errors in meta-analyses can impact findings. Efforts to reduce such errors are important in studies of the association between depression and peripheral inflammatory biomarkers, for which high heterogeneity and conflicting results have been continuously reported.