The relationship between health literacy and health-related quality of life in Chinese older adults: a cross-sectional study.

Background: This study aimed to examine the relationship between health literacy and health-related quality of life in older adults. Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was used. We used a self-administered questionnaire to assess sociodemographic factors of older adults, the Chinese Citizen Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQC) and the 36-item Chinese version of the Short Form 36 (SF-36) to measure health literacy and quality of life, respectively, among older adults. Between September 2011 and June 2012, information was collected from 1,396 older adults in 44 nursing homes in four cities through face-to-face interviews. Results: The mean health literacy level of older adults in nursing homes was relatively low (71.74 ± 28.35). Health-related quality of life scores were moderate (104.77 ± 16.92). There were statistically significant differences in the effects of health literacy, education level, former occupation (professional), marital status (widowed) and race on health-related quality of life. Conclusion: Improving health literacy is considered an important intervention to promote health-related quality of life in older adults in nursing homes.

Vector transmission of parsley yellow leaf curl virus by the leafhopper Austroagallia sinuata.

Parsley yellow leaf curl virus (PYLCV) is a new member of the family Geminiviridae that has not yet been assigned to an established genus due to limited information about its biological properties. In this study, the ability of Austroagallia leafhoppers, which are commonly found on vegetable farms in Kerman province (Iran), to transmit this virus was studied. After a two-day acquisition access period, Austroagallia sp. successfully transmitted the virus from PYLCV-infected parsley to healthy seedlings. On the basis of male genitalia morphology, the species of leafhopper was identified as A. sinuata. This is the first report of a transmission of plant virus by a member of the genus Austroagallia.

Impact of climate-induced floods and typhoons on geriatric disabling health among older Chinese and Filipinos: a cross-country systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Apart from both China and the Philippines continuing to be exposed to and affected by different climate-induced hazards, in particular floods and typhoons, they are also reported to be witnessing rapid ageing populations of 60 years and older. As such, this systematic review synthesized the existing evidence about the impacts aggravated by floods and typhoons on the geriatric disabling health of older Chinese and Filipinos, respectively. METHODS: Four (4) electronic databases were systematically searched to identify eligible studies published between 2000 and early 2023. This process had to confirm the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines (PRISMA), as well as the standard protocol registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023420549). RESULTS: Out of 317 and 216 initial records retrieved for China and the Philippines, respectively, 27 (China) and 25 (Philippines) studies were eligible for final review. The disabling conditions they reported to affect the health of older adults were grouped into 4 categories: cognitive and intellectual, physical, chronic and terminal illnesses, and mental and psychological, with the latter identified as the most prevalent condition to affect older Chinese and Filipinos. On a sub-category level, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was the most common condition reported in 27 flood-related studies in China, while injuries and wounds prevailed in the Philippines, according to 25 typhoon-related studies. CONCLUSION: The increasing occurrence of extreme climate hazards, especially floods and typhoons in China and the Philippines, respectively, impacted the health of their older adults with various disabling effects or conditions. Therefore, this calls for appropriate geriatric-informed interventions in the context of climate change and rapidly ageing settings beyond China and the Philippines to others that are also prone to floods and typhoons.

Health status based on EQ-5D-5L for the cancer patient population in Malaysia.

The EQ-5D is a common generic tool used in clinical trials and economic evaluations to evaluate the health-related quality of life as a proxy of health outcomes. To date, studies using EQ-5D-5L to evaluate the health status of cancer patients remain scarce in Malaysia. In this study, EQ-5D-5L dimensions, EQ-5D-5L index, and EQ-VAS scores were applied to assess the health status of Malaysian cancer patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted March-December 2022 to collect data relevant to the EQ-5D-5L valuation of health status via the Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) platform. Respondents rated their health states using EQ-5D-5L and EQ-VAS. Among the 235 respondents, the mean EQ-5D-5L index and EQ-VAS score were 0.76 (SD 0.223) and 81.06 (SD 16.36). Most of the patients reported some problems in the pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression dimensions. The level of education, stage of cancer, and comorbidity were significantly associated with better health status on EQ-5D-5L (p < 0.05) but only the stage of cancer was significantly associated with EQ-VAS scores. This study highlighted the disparities in self-reported health status across patients of different sociodemographic and medical profiles with EQ-5D-5L valuation. Thus, future research should use EQ-5D norm scores as a benchmark of comparison among cancer patients.

Patterns of Health-related Quality of Life in Men Who Inject Drugs: A Survey in Southeast Iran.

OBJECTIVES: Understanding patterns of quality of life in people who inject drugs (PWID) can help healthcare providers plan and manage their health problems in a more focused manner. Therefore, the current study aimed to identify patterns of health-related quality of life in PWID in southeast Iran. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in southeast Iran on men who had injected drugs at least once during the last year. We used convenience sampling in 2 drop-in centers and venue-based sampling at 85 venues. Demographic characteristics, high-risk behaviors, and health-related quality of life were evaluated using the 5-level EQ-5D version (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire. Latent profile analysis was used to identify patterns of quality of life. RESULTS: This study enrolled 398 PWID, who had a mean age of 34.1±11.4 years. About 47.9% reported a prison history in the last 10 years, 59.2% had injected drugs in the last month, and 31.6% had a history of sharing syringes. About 46.3% reported having 2 or more sexual partners in the last 6 months, and 14.7% had a history of sex with men. Out of the 5 EQ-5D-5L profiles, the fifth profile had the most people (36.6%). Most variations in quality of life were related to pain and discomfort. CONCLUSIONS: We showed that the pain and discomfort dimension of EQ-5D-5L had more variation in PWID. This finding will be useful for allocating appropriate interventions and resources to promote health-related quality of life in this population.

Physical therapy interventions for people experiencing homelessness to improve pain and self-perceived health status.

BACKGROUND: Homeless shelters have emerged as components of the social services network, playing an important role in providing health care to the homeless population. The aim of this study was to evaluate an individualized physical therapy intervention for people experiencing homelessness and to determine the relationship between self-perceived variables. METHODS: Pre and post study, setting at the "Santa y Real Hermandad de Nuestra Señora del Refugio y Piedad" homeless shelter in Zaragoza, Spain. Participants were people experiencing homelessness with musculoskeletal disorders who attended a physical therapy service at shelter facilities. A physical therapy program was implemented including health education, exercise and manual therapy, electrotherapy, thermotherapy and bandaging. Demographic variables (age and gender), nationality, employment situation, educational level, pain location, number of painful areas, feeling of loneliness (3-Item Loneliness Scale; values from 3 to 9), pain intensity (Numerical Pain Rating Scale [NPRS]; from 0 to 10) and self-perceived health (Clinical Global Impression [CGI]; from 1 to 7). RESULTS: Sixty-four homeless people (age of 46.4 ± 10.9 years) participated in the study. Musculoskeletal pain was reported by 98.4% of subjects, with moderate pain intensities (6.1), and 48.4% presenting with pain at multiple sites. Perceptions of loneliness were low (3.7 ± 2.5) and self-perceived health status was moderately ill (3.5 ± 1.7). Positive significant correlations were identified between pain intensity and self-perceived health. The average number of sessions was 1.5 (± 0.8), with manual therapy (35.6%) followed by health education (23.5%) being the most frequently used techniques. Both pain and self-perceived health improved after treatment, even following a brief intervention. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the potentially negative impact of untreated pain on the self-perceived health of homeless individuals with musculoskeletal disorders that should be targeted for consideration. The findings suggest that a paradigm shift in pain management, including a physical therapy service in shelters, is needed to address the rehabilitation demands of these individuals in a real-life context. This study was approved by the Aragon Ethics Committee (PI19/438) and performed according to the Transparent Reporting of Evaluations with Nonrandomized Designs (TREND) statement.

Variation in Health Status With Invasive vs Conservative Management of Chronic Coronary Disease.

BACKGROUND: The ISCHEMIA trial found that patients with chronic coronary disease randomized to invasive strategy had better health status than those randomized to conservative strategy. It is unclear how best to translate these population-level results to individual patients. OBJECTIVES: The authors sought to identify patient characteristics associated with health status from invasive and conservative strategies, and develop a prediction algorithm for shared decision-making. METHODS: One-year disease-specific health status was assessed in ISCHEMIA with the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) Summary Score (SAQ SS) and Angina Frequency, Physical Limitations (PL), and Quality of Life (QL) domains (range 0-100, higher = less angina/better health status). RESULTS: Among 4,617 patients from 320 sites in 37 countries, mean SAQ SS was 74.1 ± 18.9 at baseline and 85.7 ± 15.6 at 1 year. Lower baseline SAQ SS and younger age were associated with better 1-year health status with invasive strategy (P interaction = 0.009 and P interaction = 0.004, respectively). For the individual domains, there were significant treatment interactions for baseline SAQ score (Angina Frequency, PL), age (PL, QL), anterior ischemia (PL), and number of baseline antianginal medications (QL), with more benefit of invasive in patients with worse baseline health status, younger age, anterior ischemia, and on more antianginal medications. Parsimonious prediction models were developed for 1-year SAQ domains with invasive or conservative strategies to support shared decision-making. CONCLUSIONS: In the management of chronic coronary disease, individual patient characteristics are associated with 1-year health status, with younger age and poorer angina-related health status showing greater benefit from invasive management. This prediction algorithm can support the translation of the ISCHEMIA trial results to individual patients. (International Study of Comparative Health Effectiveness With Medical and Invasive Approaches [ISCHEMIA]; NCT01471522).

[Healthy and harmonic childhood - foundation of the «Health of healthy¼ concept]. / Zdorovoe i garmonichnoe detstvo ­ fundament kontseptsii «Zdorov'e zdorovykh¼.

Within the framework of the «Health of Healthy¼ concept (A.N. Razumov) a medical, psychological and pedagogical «Sonatal-pedagogy¼ system (M.L. Lazarev) aimed at harmonizing the mental and physical development of children from the prenatal age has been developed In Russia. The system has been tested since 1983 on population of more than 70 thous. children. The results showed its high effectiveness and safety (in relation to pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, somatic health, psychomotor development and children's abilities). Scaling of the Sonatal-pedagogy, in particular the system of prenatal education, will contribute to the sanitation of the Russian gene pool, demography improvement and formation of responsible parenthood.

The validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the quality of recovery-15 (QoR-15) questionnaire.

Quality of recovery (QoR) is a significant component of peri-operative health status and is influenced by patients' characteristics and surgical and anesthetic methods. The QoR-15 scale is a patient-reported outcome questionnaire that measures postoperative QoR. The validity of the QoR-15 scale has been proven in many languages. In this study, we aimed to translate the QoR-15 questionnaire into Turkish and evaluate its validity in the Turkish population. After being translated into Turkish, the questionnaire was administered to 190 patients who underwent obstetric, gynecological, orthopedic, or thoracic surgery under general or regional anesthesia. The Turkish version of QoR-15 (QoR-15T) was administered 2 times: before surgery and 24 hour after surgery. The feasibility, reliability, validity and responsiveness of the QoR-15T were evaluated. Because 13 patients were discharged within 24 hour postoperatively, the study was completed with 177 patients. The recruitment and completion rates of questionnaire were 95% and 93.1% respectively. The completing time of the questionnaire was 2.5 minutes preoperatively and 3.5 minutes postoperatively. The scale yielded a Cronbach α value of 0.75, a Cohen effect size of 1.42, and a standardized response mean of 1.39. There was a significant positive correlation (95% confidence interval; R = 0.68, P < .001) between QoR-15T and visual analog scale postoperatively. The correlation of the items with the total QoR-15T score ranged from 0.19 to 0.60. The total scores of preoperative and postoperative QoR-15T were mean: 130.67, standard deviation: 15.78 and mean: 108.23, standard deviation: 13.06, respectively, with a significant difference between them (P < .01). The QoR-15T is feasible, reliable, valid, and responsive among patients undergoing surgery under general and regional anesthesia.

Assessment of the general health status of children in Turkey: A community-based cross-sectional study.

AIM: This study aims to assess the general health status and factors affecting the general health status in the 0-14 age group in Turkey. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted using the Turkish Statistical Institute Turkey Health Survey 2022 micro data set. RESULTS: This study included 7019 participants. Household heads described the general health status of 91.3% of children and the dental and gum status of 82.4% of children as very good or good, and 9.2% of children had any chronic disease. Although the median breastfeeding duration was 15 months, there is statistical significant association between sex and general health status (p = 0.014) and sex and duration of breastfeeding (p = 0.006). A statistical difference was found between duration of breastfeeding and general health status (p = 0.009) and dental and gum status (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: In 2022, the majority of children in Turkey had very good or good general health and dental and gum status. More than a third of children were breastfed for less than 12 months. Considering the possibility of neglecting oral and dental health problems, it is recommended to prioritize oral and dental health literacy trainings and to continue breastfeeding promotion programmes.

Relationship between health literacy and health-related quality of life in Korean adults with chronic diseases.

Inadequate health literacy is a risk factor for poor health outcomes and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). So far, the impact of health literacy on HRQoL has been examined for only a few chronic conditions. In this contribution, the relationship between health literacy and HRQoL in Korean adults with chronic conditions is examined using data of the cross-sectional Korea Health Panel Survey from 2021. Health literacy was measured with the 16-item European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q16) and HRQoL with the European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D). Multiple linear regression model was run for the EQ-5D index as the dependent variable. Multiple logistic regression models were implemented for responses to the individual EQ-5D items. 30.8%, 24.6%, and 44.6% of participants had inadequate, marginal, and adequate levels of health literacy, respectively. The EQ-5D index increases with marginal (B = 0.018, p<0.001) and adequate literacy (B = 0.017, p<0.001) compared to inadequate literacy. People with adequate or marginal literacy were more likely to report no problem with mobility (odds ration [OR] = 1.5; p<0.001), self-care (OR = 1.6; p<0.05), and usual activities (OR = 1.6 for adequate; OR = 1.4 for marginal; p<0.01) than those with inadequate literacy. Adequate health literacy was associated with an increased likelihood of having no problem with anxiety and depression (OR = 1.4; p<0.05). In conclusion, inadequate health literacy is prevalent among Korean adults with chronic diseases. Adequate health literacy is associated with better HRQoL and a protective factor for four dimensions of EQ-5D (mobility, self-care, usual activities, and anxiety/depression).

Evaluation of the demographic characteristics and general health status of earthquake survivors affected by the 2023 Kahramanmaras earthquake; a section from Gaziantep Nurdagi district.

BACKGROUND: An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 occurred in Pazarcik District of Turkey at 04.17 on February 6, 2023 and another earthquake of 7.6 occurred at 13.24 on the same day. This is the second largest earthquake to have occurred in Turkey. The aim of this study is to investigate the earthquake-related level of knowledge, attitudes and behaviours, general health and psychological status of survivors who were affected by the 2023 Kahramanmaras Earthquake and who were living in Nurdagi District of Gaziantep after the earthquake. METHODS: Data of 2317 individuals older than 18 years of age who were living in earthquake neighbourhoods, tents and containers in Nurdagi District of Gaziantep were examined. Variables were evaluated to find out the demographic characteristics and general health status of earthquake victims. General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was used to find out psychological states of earthquake victims. RESULTS: The rate of injuries was 14.2% and leg and foot injuries were the most common with 44.2%. The relationship between injury status; and age, marital status, and being trapped under debris was revealed (p < 0.05). Mean GHQ-12 score of the survivors was 3.81 ± 2.81 and 51.9% experienced psychological distress. In the evaluation with logistic regression, it was found that female gender, being injured in the earthquake, loss of first degree and second degree relatives (with a higher rate in loss of first degree relative), having a severely damaged -to be demolished house and having a completely destroyed house were correlated with higher level of psychological distress (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: General characteristics, injury prevalence and affecting factors of earthquake survivors were evaluated in the present study. Psychological distress was found in victims. For this reason, providing protective and assistive services to fight the destructive effects of earthquake is vital. Accordingly, increasing the awareness of people residing in earthquake zones regarding earthquakes is exceptionally important.

Effects of high-intensity interval training on depressive and anxiety symptoms in healthy individuals: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Although evidence regarding the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on mental health has increased in recent years, there is still no consensus regarding the effects of HIIT on the symptoms of depression and anxiety in a healthy population. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to investigate the effects of HIIT on depressive and/or anxiety symptoms in healthy individuals. The following four databases were searched: PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and PsycINFO. Only randomized clinical trials (RCTs) were included. We performed a random-effects meta-analysis based on standardized mean difference (SMD). The risk of bias was assessed using the RoB 2.0 tool, and the certainty of the evidence was evaluated based on recommendations GRADE. Eight RCTs evaluating 471 participants (81% female) were considered eligible for inclusion. The results of the meta-analysis showed that HIIT-based interventions had no significant effect on reducing anxiety (SMD = -0.17; 95% CI: -0.53, 0.19; p = 0.27) and depressive symptoms (SMD = -0.38; 95% CI: -1.06, 0.30; p = 0.17) compared with the passive control group. In conclusion, HIIT does not improve symptoms of depression and anxiety in healthy individuals. This finding is based on evidence of very low certainty. Therefore, the evidence is still not consistent enough to support HIIT as a viable strategy to reduce both outcomes because of the limited number of included studies and the overall quality of evidence.

Analysis of health risk factors for older adults living alone in China and establishment and evaluation of a nomogram prediction model.

Objective: To understand the health status of older adults living alone in China and analyze the influencing factors, so as to provide reference for improving the health status of older adults living alone. Methods: Based on CGSS data from China General Social Survey (2017), the influencing factors of health status of older adults living alone were analyzed by unconditional Logistic regression, and the R software was used to develop a nomogram for predicting the risk of self-assessed unhealthy adverse outcomes. Results: Gender, annual income, mandarin listening level and participation in medical insurance were the influencing factors of self-rated health of older adults living alone. Age and annual income are the influencing factors of physiological health. Annual income and Internet use were influential factors for mental health. C-Statistic of nomogram prediction model was 0.645. The calibration curve showed that goodness of fit test (χ2 = 58.09, p < 0.001), and the overall prediction ability of the model was good. Conclusion: The health status of older adults living alone in the home-based older adults care is worrying, and it is affected by various factors. We should pay more attention to older adults living alone, improve the ability of listening and distinguishing mandarin and the use of health information platforms for older adults living alone, and further implement medical insurance policies and health services. Announcing the solution to promote healthy home-based care for older adults living alone.

Quantifying the Relationship Between Unilateral Induced Metamorphopsia and Stereopsis Impairment.

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between unilateral metamorphopsia, characterized by visual distortions in one eye, and impaired stereopsis. Methods: Utilizing both near and distance measurements through advanced testing systems, including 4K smartphones and an active shutter three-dimensional system, we simulated varying degrees of unilateral metamorphopsia in 30 healthy young adults aged between 21 and 29 years. Two types of contour-based stereotest symbols, lines and squares, were developed. Distortions were classified into six distinct patterns, each further divided into eight grades of severity. Participants were tasked with identifying visual targets, and their stereothresholds were determined under different conditions of induced distortion. Stereopsis was measured within a range of 2.9 to 1.0 log arcsec, at 0.2 log arcsec intervals. Stereopsis changes under different distortion scenarios were analyzed using the generalized estimating equations, with a sequential Bonferroni adjustment applied for pairwise comparisons. Results: A direct and quantifiable correlation was observed between the severity of metamorphopsia and reductions in stereopsis. As the degree of visual distortion increased, notably in both frequency and amplitude, there was a corresponding decline in stereopsis. This relationship held true in both near and distance measurements of stereopsis. Statistical analyses further reinforced these findings, highlighting a significant detrimental effect of distortion components on stereoacuity. Conclusions: The findings highlight the clinical significance of understanding the interplay between unilateral metamorphopsia and stereopsis. Early interventions in conditions leading to metamorphopsia might be critical to maintaining optimal stereopsis.

The effect of family health on suboptimal health status: The parallel mediation role of sleep quality and health behaviour.

Background: The prevalence of suboptimal health status has been increasing worldwide, posing a significant challenge to public health. Meanwhile, family health has been recognised as an important factor influencing individual health outcomes. However, the mechanisms through which family health affects suboptimal health status remain unclear. We aimed to investigate the parallel mediation role of sleep quality and health behaviour in the relationship between family health and suboptimal health status. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey with a sample of adults >18 years old from four provinces in China. The survey questionnaires queried their demographic characteristics, family health, suboptimal health status, sleep quality, and health behaviour. We assessed family health by the Family Health Scale-Short Form and suboptimal health status using the Suboptimal Health Status Questionnaire. We employed structural equation modelling to analyse the data and test the proposed mediation model. Results: we collected 4918 valid questionnaires. The mean age of the participants was 30.1 years (standard deviation = 12.5). The correlation analysis demonstrated a significant negative association between family health and suboptimal health status (r = -0.44; P < 0.001). The results of the parallel mediation analysis showed that family health had a significant indirect effect on suboptimal health status through both sleep quality (ß = -0.350; P < 0.001) and health behaviour (ß = -0.137; P < 0.001). The total indirect effect of family health on suboptimal health status through both sleep quality and health behaviour was also significant (ß = -0.569, P < 0.001). Conclusions: This study highlights the significance of family health as a predictor of suboptimal health status and suggests that sleep quality and health behaviour are parallel mediators in this relationship. By understanding the role of family health, sleep quality, and health behaviour, interventions can be targeted to improve overall health outcomes.

Untreated Opioid Use Disorder and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Syringe Service Program Clients.

This cross-sectional study explores health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and the challenges to physical, emotional, and social functioning among individuals with opioid use disorder.

MAM-E: Mammographic Synthetic Image Generation with Diffusion Models.

Generative models are used as an alternative data augmentation technique to alleviate the data scarcity problem faced in the medical imaging field. Diffusion models have gathered special attention due to their innovative generation approach, the high quality of the generated images, and their relatively less complex training process compared with Generative Adversarial Networks. Still, the implementation of such models in the medical domain remains at an early stage. In this work, we propose exploring the use of diffusion models for the generation of high-quality, full-field digital mammograms using state-of-the-art conditional diffusion pipelines. Additionally, we propose using stable diffusion models for the inpainting of synthetic mass-like lesions on healthy mammograms. We introduce MAM-E, a pipeline of generative models for high-quality mammography synthesis controlled by a text prompt and capable of generating synthetic mass-like lesions on specific regions of the breast. Finally, we provide quantitative and qualitative assessment of the generated images and easy-to-use graphical user interfaces for mammography synthesis.