Recruitment and Feasibility of Hair Cortisol Collection in a Sample of Ethnically and Sexually Diverse, Low-Income Adults: A Qualitative Community-Partnered Participatory Research Study.

The current study describes how a community-partnered participatory research (CPPR) model was used to enhance hair cortisol research engagement among low-income adults of diverse ethnicities and sexual and gender identities. Participants' reported motivations and concerns surrounding providing a hair sample are also described. Participants from a larger longitudinal study were invited to provide a hair sample and/or complete acceptability interviews. Results indicated that 71% of all persons (N=133) contacted participated in the current study, of whom 82% provided hair samples. Several themes emerged from the interviews indicating that participants were motivated to provide a hair sample due to internal and external factors; however, concerns about mistrust of research remained. Thus, collecting biospecimens in research with underserved groups requires careful consideration of benefits and risks to the individual and their communities. Our results provide guidelines for engaging low-income racially/ethnically and sexually diverse community members in biospecimen research to understand stress-health relationships.

What do health providers and patients tweet about schizophrenia?

AIM: Twitter is the most commonly used social media forum in public health and is considered the radio of the internet. Many health providers utilize this media to disseminate health information. Patient use of social media for mental health topics encourages providers to disseminate quality information and to develop virtual collaborative learning environments. This study explored trends in health information exchanged by patients, doctors and health organizations about schizophrenia through analyses of tweets posted using the #schizophrenia. METHODS: The likelihood that the information distributed by each user type was scholarly was assessed via qualitative and logistic regression analyses. Specifically, a sequential exploratory multimethod of data analysis guided this study with a sample of 981 tweets. RESULTS: Most tweets focused on the improvement of schizophrenia literacy (n = 366) followed by personal experiences/motivational stories (n = 207) and biological explanations of the disorder (n = 158). Logistic regression results indicated that compared to doctors, patients were less likely to tweet with a scholarly source (OR = 0.481, CI = 0.311, .744; P < .001). All users were less likely to include a scholarly source when tweeting about schizophrenia literacy, personal/motivational experiences, campaign/organizational events or illness management in comparison to those who tweeted about biological explanations of schizophrenia. CONCLUSION: Results suggest all users disseminated beneficial information that can increase public schizophrenia literacy and illness management, while connecting individuals to organizational events targeting this debilitating disorder. Health providers are encouraged to establish a presence on social media to share scholarly work with patients and promote prompt treatment for schizophrenia.

Family processes and duration of untreated psychosis among US Latinos.

AIM: Little is known about family processes and treatment seeking among Latinos with first-episode psychosis (FEP) living in the United States. This study examined family processes prior to treatment and their relation to duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) among Latinos with FEP and their family caregivers. METHODS: Thirty-three Latinos with FEP and their low-acculturated family caregivers (n = 33) participated in qualitative semi-structured interviews focused on treatment-seeking experience and family relationships. Transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis and themes were grouped based on short (n = 18) or long (n = 15) DUP. RESULTS: Findings revealed differences based on DUP length. Patients with short DUP had stronger family relationships characterized by open communication and disclosure of symptoms that facilitated awareness and direct action by family caregivers. However, patients with long DUP had more troubled family relationships that often challenged early treatment seeking. CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight the relevance of family context in the provision of early treatment for Latinos with FEP. Family-based services are needed that increase awareness of symptoms and provide families with support that can facilitate ongoing patient treatment during this critical period.

Biomarker feedback intervention for smoking cessation among Alaska Native pregnant women: Randomized pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: There is some evidence for biomarker feedback when combined with cessation counseling for reducing smoking in pregnancy. This randomized controlled pilot study evaluated feasibility and potential efficacy of a social-cognitive theory (SCT)-based biomarker feedback intervention among pregnant Alaska Native (AN) smokers. METHODS: Participants were randomly assigned to receive three study calls (10-20 min each): (1) biomarker feedback intervention (n = 30) including personalized cotinine results and feedback on their baby's likely exposure to carcinogen metabolite NNAL, or (2) contact control usual care condition based on the 5As (n = 30). Assessments were conducted at baseline, post-treatment, and delivery. RESULTS: High rates of treatment compliance, study retention, and treatment acceptability were observed in both groups. 7-day point prevalence smoking abstinence rates at delivery verified with urinary cotinine were the same in both study groups (20% intent-to-treat analysis, 26% per-protocol). SCT-based measures did not change differentially from baseline by study group. CONCLUSION: This trial supports the feasibility and acceptability of providing biomarker feedback within the clinical care delivery system, but the intervention did not promote increased smoking cessation during pregnancy compared to usual care. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Efforts are needed to promote the usual care and to develop alternative biomarker feedback messaging for pregnant AN women.

Psychosis Literacy Among Latinos With First-Episode Psychosis and Their Caregivers.

OBJECTIVE: The study examined psychosis literacy among Latinos with first-episode psychosis (FEP) and their caregivers. The authors tested a model that knowledge of psychosis and attribution of illness to psychosis predicted professional help seeking in a cross-sectional design. METHODS: The sample (N=148) consisted of 79 Latino consumers who met criteria for a clinical diagnosis of a psychotic disorder and 69 family caregivers. Participants watched a four-minute narrative about a woman with psychosis and were asked to identify the symptoms of serious mental illness (knowledge of psychosis), describe the character's problem and whether she had a serious mental illness (illness attribution), and offer suggestions about what the parents should do (help seeking). Responses to the open-ended questions were reliably coded by two trained raters. RESULTS: Consumers reported low psychosis literacy across all indices (e.g., only 8% included delusions in their knowledge of serious mental illness). Compared with consumers, caregivers reported significantly greater psychosis literacy across most indices, although relatively few reported knowledge of delusions (28%) and disorganized speech (36%). Logistic regression analyses found that caregivers were more than twice as likely as consumers to suggest that the parents seek professional help. Among both consumers and caregivers, greater knowledge of psychosis and attribution of symptoms to serious mental illness were associated with increased likelihood of recommending professional help seeking. CONCLUSIONS: Community campaigns and psychoeducation interventions within clinical settings are needed to improve psychosis literacy among Latinos with FEP. Increasing knowledge of psychosis and facilitating attributions of psychotic symptoms to serious mental illness have the potential to promote professional help seeking.

¿Existe sarcopenia en pacientes menores de 30 años por criterio de bioimpedanciometría? / Is there sarcopenia in patients under 30 years by bioelectrical impedance criteria?

La sarcopenia es una patología detectada principalmente en ancianos, se desconoce la prevalencia en personas jóvenes. Este estudio pretende determinar la prevalencia de sarcopenia en pacientes menores de 30 años mediante bioimpedanciometría y determinar sus factores asociados; en pacientes que acuden a consulta de endocrinología del Centro de Especialistas de Colsubsidio, Bogotá. Metodología: estudio de corte transversal. Se estableció la correlación entre músculo corporal total y otros parámetros antropométricos como peso, talla, grasa corporal total, grasa visceral, sexo y edad. Determinó los factores asociados a sarcopenia mediante análisis multivariado. Resultados: se incluyeron 501 pacientes, 315 mujeres (62.87%) y 186 hombres (37.13%) y se encontró una prevalencia de sarcopenia en pacientes menores de 30 años, clasificada como moderada 60.53% (n=46) y severa 22.37% (n=17) p<0.001; con 31.75% asociado a problemas de sobrepeso u obesidad p<0.001. Además una correlación inversa entre el porcentaje de músculo total y edad, peso, grasa corporal total y grasa visceral tanto para mujeres y hombres respectivamente p<0.01. Los factores independientes asociados a sarcopenia fue el sexo masculino OR = 1.09 x 10(16) (IC 95% 7.37 x 10(11) -1.62 x 10(20)) p<0.001; edad OR=1.15 (IC 95% 1.085-1.22) p<0.001 y grasa corporaltotal OR=1.9(IC 95% 1.59-2.26) p<0.001. Conclusión: la definición de sarcopenia se enfoca en pacientes ancianos y es interesante cómo se aprecia pérdida de la masa muscular desde edades tempranas, asociados a problemas de sobrepeso u obesidad que podría corresponder a "obesidad sarcopénica". Consideramos que se debe realizar una definición de sarcopenia donde se incluya pacientes jóvenes. (Acta Med Colomb 2015; 40: 132-137).

Sarcopenia is a disease detected mainly in the elderly, and its prevalence in young people is unknown. This study aims to determine the prevalence of sarcopenia in patients under 30 years by bioelectrical impedance and determine its associated factors in patients attending endocrinology consultation of Specialists Center Colsubsidio Bogota. Methodology: cross sectional study. The correlation between total body muscle and other anthropometric parameters such as weight, height, total body fat, visceral fat, sex and age was established. Factors associated with sarcopenia were determined by multivariate analysis. Results: 501 patients, 315 women (62.87%) and 186 men (37.13%). Prevalence of sarcopenia found in patients under 30 years was classified as moderate in 60.53% (n = 46) and severe 22.37% (n = 17) p <0.001; 31.75% was associated with overweight or obesity p <0.001. Besides, there was an inverse correlation between the percent of total muscle and age, weight, total body fat and visceral fat for both women and men respectively p <0.01. Independent factors associated with sarcopenia were male gender OR = 1.09x 10(16) (95% CI 7.37 x 10(11) -1,62 x 10(20)) p <0.001; age OR = 1.15 (95% CI 1,085-1.22) p <0.001 and total body fat OR = 1.9 (95% CI 1.59-2,26) p <0.001. Conclusion: the definition of sarcopenia focuses on elderly patients, and it is interesting how loss of muscle mass can be seen from an early age, associated with overweight or obesity that might correspond to "sarcopenic obesity." We believe that a definition of sarcopenia where young patients be included should be made. (Acta Med Colomb 2015; 40: 132-137).

E6 molecular variants of human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16: an updated and unified criterion for clustering and nomenclature.

Reports on taxonomic identification of E6/HPV 16 variants, don't have a worldwide, updated and unified criterion for clustering and nomenclature. Our aim was to update the existing criterion and propose a new one for clustering and nomenclature for E6/HPV 16 molecular variants based on the descriptive and comparative analyses of nucleotide sequences. A systematic search of the publications between 1991 and 2010 was carried out in PUBMED and manually. 240 E6/HPV 16 variants were identified. 157 were classified as European (E), 24 as Asian (As), 14 as Asian American (AA), 11 as North American 1 (NA 1), 19 as African 1 (Af 1) and 15 as African 2 (Af 2). Three classes were determined for the E, 3 each for the As, Af 2 and AA branches, 4 classes for the NA 1 and 6 for the Af 1 branch. This study reports our results and proposes an updated criterion for clustering and nomenclature that will be useful for E6 variant identification.