The mediating role of depressive symptoms among Turkish population related to gender and low back pain: evidence from a national health survey.

BACKGROUND: Low back pain (LBP), though non-life-threatening, burdens healthcare with treatment expenses and work hours lost. Globally, 70-84% experience it, with risk factors tied to societal structure, income, and living conditions, making it a leading cause of disability. METHODS: This study utilized data from the 2019 Türkiye Health Survey, which consisted of 17,084 individuals aged 15 and above. Our study focused on investigating the factors related to low back pain through a cross-sectional analysis. To analyze these factors, we employed binary multivariate logistic regression. Additionally, we conducted post-hoc analyses to assess the potential mediating effect of depressive symptoms on the relationship between low back pain and gender. RESULTS: We found that 31.9% of the population experienced low back pain, with women being 58% more likely [aOR = 1.58; 95% CI (1.45-1.73)] than men to report symptoms. Individuals aged 55 + years old had a 90% [aOR = 1.90; 95% CI (1.61-2.23)] chance of experiencing low back pain, indicating an age-related increase. In the general population, having depressive symptoms was 2.49 [95% CI (2.23-2.78)] times more likely associated with low back pain. Our mediation analysis showed that gender (i.e., women vs. men), indicated by direct effects with ß-estimates e = 0.78, predicted the likelihood of low back pain. Additionally, the relationship between gender and low back pain, mediated through a history of depressive symptoms, had a significant total indirect effect (i.e., ß-estimate given as e = 0.49). Specifically, a history of depressive symptoms accounted for 17.86% [95% CI (9.67-20.10)] of the association between women having a higher likelihood of low back pain compared to men. CONCLUSION: We observed that a higher likelihood of low back pain associated with gender and aging. Additionally, BMI served as a significant predictor, particularly in adults. Depression mediated the association between gender and low back pain. Acknowledging these associations may help identify and address contributing factors to LBP, potentially increasing awareness and alleviating the burden. Policymakers and healthcare professionals may consider these findings when developing prevention and treatment programs for low back pain.

Body mass index and cervical cancer screening among women aged 15-69 years in Eswatini: evidence from a population-based survey.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer stands as one of the most prevalent cancer types among women, despite its preventable nature through early screening and vaccination strategies. The link between being overweight or obese and various adverse health outcomes, including an elevated cancer risk, is well established. Within this study, our central objective was to explore the correlation between body mass index (BMI) and cervical cancer screening (CCS) rates. Moreover, we sought to investigate whether socioeconomic status potentially modulates this relationship. METHODS: Our analysis encompassed 1791 respondents who participated in the World Health Organization's STEPwise approach to noncommunicable disease risk factor surveillance carried out in Eswatini in 2014. We assessed the connection between BMI, along with other determinants, and CCS through both unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models. RESULTS: The uptake of CCS was 14.4% and the prevalence of overweight and obesity was estimated at 28.1 and 34.9% respectively. After accounting for other pertinent variables, the likelihood of obtaining CCS was amplified for individuals classified as obese (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.99, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.26-3.12) or overweight (aOR = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.05-3.74). Furthermore, factors such as being separated or divorced (aOR = 2.03, 95% CI = 1.11-3.72) and engaging in regular physical exercise (aOR = 3.02, 95% CI = 1.21-6.02) were associated with increased odds of undergoing CCS. CONCLUSIONS: This study underscores the noteworthy role played by both overweight and obesity, in conjunction with various socioeconomic factors, in shaping CCS patterns among the surveyed women. For Eswatini, targeted interventions aimed at enhancing CCS participation should take into account the multifaceted factors highlighted within this investigation.

Individual-level determinants of depressive symptoms and associated diseases history in Turkish persons aged 15 years and older: A population-based study.

Background: Depressive symptoms are associated with both long-lasting and short-term repetitive mood disorders and affect a person's ability to function and lead a rewarding life. In addition to predisposing genetic causes, other factors such as socioeconomic and demographic factors, and chronic diseases have also been reported to associate with depression. In this study, we analyzed the association between history of chronic diseases and presentation of depressive symptoms amongst Turkish individuals. Methods: We employed the 2019 Turkey health survey to analyze data of 11,993 individuals aged 15+ years. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the eight-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8) coded with a binary measure, a score of <10 as less depressed and >10 as moderate-severely depressed. A number of sociodemographic characteristics were adjusted for in the analyses. Logistic regression models were used to test the association between chronic diseases and depressive symptoms in the study sample. Results: Our analysis revealed that 6.24% of the 11,993 participants had reported an episode of depressive symptoms. The prevalence of depressive symptoms in men was 1.85% and in women, it was 2.34 times higher. Participants who had previously reported experiencing coronary heart diseases (AOR = 7.79, 95% CI [4.96-12.23]), urinary incontinences (AOR = 7.90, 95% CI [4.93-12.66]), and liver cirrhosis (AOR = 7.50, 95% CI [4.90-10.42]) were approximately eight times likely to have depressive symptoms. Similarly, participants with Alzheimer's disease (AOR = 6.83, 95% CI [5.11-8.42]), kidney problems (AOR = 6.63, 95% CI [4.05-10.85]), and history of allergies (AOR = 6.35, 95% CI [4.28-9.23]) had approximately seven-fold odds of reporting episodes of depressive symptoms. The odds of presenting with depressive symptoms amongst participants aged ≥ 50 were higher than in individuals aged ≤ 49 years. Conclusion: At individual level, gender and general health status were associated with increased odds of depression. Furthermore, a history of any of the chronic diseases, irrespective of age, was a positive predictor of depression in our study population. Our findings could help to serve as a reference for monitoring depression amongst individuals with chronic conditions, planning health resources and developing preventive and screening strategies targeting those exposed to predisposing factors.

Association between history of abortion and current use of contraceptives among Mongolian Women.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the factors associated with the adoption of contraceptive methods among women of childbearing age is imperative to improving maternal health outcomes. This study aimed at exploring the association between history of abortion and contraceptive use among Mongolian women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed cross-sectional data of 8373 women aged 15-49 years from the 2018 Mongolian Social Indicator Sample Survey (MSISS). Binary logistic regression models were used to assess the association between abortion history and current contraceptive use while accounting for both individual- and community- level factors. RESULTS: A total of 4347 (51.92%) and 2525 (30.16%) reported current use of various contraceptive methods and a history of abortion in their lifetime, respectively. Women with a history of abortion were less likely to report current use of contraceptives (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.72, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.58-0.89]). Specifically, women with a history of abortion were less likely to report use of IUD (AOR = 0.79, 95% CI [0.71-0.90)]) and injectables (AOR = 0.59, 95% CI [0.41-0.84]). History of abortion was associated with increased likelihood of using abstinence (OR = 1.82, 95% CI [1.31-2.53]) as a contraceptive method. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated a significant association between history of abortion and contraceptive use. Public health interventions aiming to improve maternal health outcomes through contraceptive use should target women with a history of abortion to improve their uptake.

Knowledge of diabetes among Gambian adults: evidence from a nation-wide survey.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes is increasingly becoming a public health problem in developing countries like The Gambia. Prevention of diabetes and appropriate management of the disease largely depends on correct knowledge of the risk factors and signs and symptoms of the condition. However, studies that have assessed knowledge of diabetes at population level are limited. We examined the knowledge of diabetes risk factors, and signs and symptoms among Gambian adults. METHODS: The 2019-2020 Gambia demographic and health survey data was used to analyze 4, 436 men and 6, 186 women. Knowledge of diabetes was assessed two-fold: (1) diabetes risk factors and (2) diabetes signs and symptoms. Several sociodemographic factors were considered for analysis. A generalized estimating equation model was fitted to test the association between the selected sociodemographic factors and diabetes knowledge. RESULTS: Among the men, 7.6% and 3.1% had knowledge about diabetes risk factors, and signs and symptoms, respectively. Approximately 3.1% and 1.2% of the women included in the analysis had knowledge of diabetes risk factors, and signs and symptoms, respectively. Men who were aged ≥ 35 years were more likely to have knowledge regarding diabetes risk factors (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.12-3.22), and signs and symptoms (AOR = 2.59, 95% CI = 1.08-6.17). Having access to media was associated with increased odds of having knowledge regarding diabetes risk factors (AOR = 1.61, 95% CI = 1.09-2.37) and signs and symptoms (AOR = 2.04, 95% CI = 1.07-3.88) among men. Among other factors, educational level was positively associated with having diabetes knowledge among both men and women. Heterogeneities regarding diabetes knowledge were observed among different regions and areas of residence. CONCLUSION: There is a need to improve awareness regarding diabetes in The Gambia as low knowledge has been observed. Programs aimed to improve diabetes knowledge should consider regional and area of residence variations in their designs. The use of mass media and strengthening the education sector in The Gambia may be of importance in raising diabetes knowledge among Gambian adults.