Tobacco use and employment status: A cross-sectional analysis of the CONSTANCES cohort / Liens entre le statut tabagique et la situation vis-à-vis de l'emploi : analyse transversale de la cohorte CONSTANCES

This study aims to estimate the prevalence of tobacco use in 2017 and 2019 in the French population covered by the Régime Général d'Assurance Maladie according to employment status. From the French national CONSTANCES cohort, 18,008 randomly recruited volunteers aged between 18 and 69 years, affiliated to the Régime Général d'Assurance Maladie and enrolled in 2017, were included in the analysis. The prevalence of tobacco use according to employment status was estimated. Estimates of these prevalence data were calculated in 2017 and 2019 after correction for selection bias at inclusion and non-response at follow-up. In 2019, smoking prevalence was higher among unemployed people (29.2% among men and 20.7% among women) than among employed people (16.5% among men and 13.8% among women). Smoking prevalence was highest among those not in work for health reasons (38.5% among men and 35.8% among women). Smokers were more likely to be unemployed than non-smokers (OR 2.63 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.79; 3.85] in men and OR 1.55 [95% CI: 1.08; 2.22] in women). Among men, the prevalence of employed people among light smokers (<10 cigarettes/day) significantly decreased between 2017 (87.1%) and 2019 (74.8%). These results underline the importance of reinforcing smoking prevention campaigns among the unemployed, particularly for health reasons.

Estimer les prévalences d'usage de tabac en 2017 et en 2019 en population française couverte par le Régime Général d'Assurance Maladie en fonction du statut vis-à-vis de l'emploi. À partir d'un échantillon de 18 008 volontaires inclus en 2017 dans CONSTANCES, une cohorte nationale en population générale française ayant recruté de manière aléatoire des volontaires de 18-69 ans affiliés au Régime Général d'Assurance Maladie, les prévalences d'usage du tabac en fonction de du statut vis-à-vis de l'emploi ont été estimées en 2017 et en 2019 après correction pour les biais de sélection à l'inclusion et de non-réponse au suivi. En 2019, la prévalence du tabagisme était plus élevée chez les actifs inoccupés (29,2 % chez les hommes et 20,7 % chez les femmes) par rapport aux actifs occupés (16,5 % chez les hommes et 13,8 % chez les femmes). La prévalence du tabagisme la plus élevée concernait les personnes sans activité professionnelle pour raisons de santé (38,5 % chez les hommes et 35,8 % chez les femmes). Les fumeurs étaient plus à risque d'être actifs inoccupés comparativement aux non-fumeurs (OR 2,63 [95 % Intervalle de confiance [IC] : 1,79 ; 3,85] chez les hommes et OR 1,55 [95 % IC : 1,08 ; 2,22] chez les femmes). Chez les hommes, la prévalence d'actifs occupés parmi les petits fumeurs (<10 cigarettes/jour) a baissé entre 2017 (87,1 %) et 2019 (74,8 %). Ces analyses soulignent l'importance d'intensifier les campagnes de prévention sur le tabagisme parmi les actifs inoccupés et les inactifs, en particulier pour raisons de santé.

The association between substance use and subsequent employment among students: prospective findings from the CONSTANCES cohort.

PURPOSE: To examine prospectively associations between substance use and subsequent employment among young students. METHODS: From the French population-based CONSTANCES cohort, 1427 students who never worked were included between 2012 and 2018 and followed up for 2.1 years on average. Generalized estimating equations computed the odds of being unemployed versus employed according to substance use at baseline controlling for sociodemographic factors and depressive state. Tobacco use (smoking status and number of cigarettes), cannabis use frequency, and at-risk alcohol use according to the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (total score > 7) were introduced separately in the models. RESULTS: Tobacco use was not significantly associated with employment. Cannabis use at least weekly was associated with increased odds of being unemployed OR 1.73 (1.16-2.57). At-risk alcohol use was no longer significantly associated with employment after adjustment for depressive state, while analyses on sub-scores of alcohol use suggested that alcohol dependence was associated with increased odds of being unemployed OR 1.65 (1.16-2.34). CONCLUSION: Public health campaigns targeting youth should include lower chances of getting employed among the detrimental roles of regular cannabis use and at-risk alcohol use.

Liens entre le statut tabagique et la situation vis-à-vis de l'emploi : analyse transversale de la cohorte CONSTANCES.

This study aims to estimate the prevalence of tobacco use in 2017 and 2019 in the French population covered by the Régime Général d'Assurance Maladie according to employment status. From the French national CONSTANCES cohort, 18,008 randomly recruited volunteers aged between 18 and 69 years, affiliated to the Régime Général d'Assurance Maladie and enrolled in 2017, were included in the analysis. The prevalence of tobacco use according to employment status was estimated. Estimates of these prevalence data were calculated in 2017 and 2019 after correction for selection bias at inclusion and non-response at follow-up. In 2019, smoking prevalence was higher among unemployed people (29.2% among men and 20.7% among women) than among employed people (16.5% among men and 13.8% among women). Smoking prevalence was highest among those not in work for health reasons (38.5% among men and 35.8% among women). Smokers were more likely to be unemployed than non-smokers (OR 2.63 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.79; 3.85] in men and OR 1.55 [95% CI: 1.08; 2.22] in women). Among men, the prevalence of employed people among light smokers (<10 cigarettes/day) significantly decreased between 2017 (87.1%) and 2019 (74.8%). These results underline the importance of reinforcing smoking prevention campaigns among the unemployed, particularly for health reasons.

The association of substance use with attaining employment among unemployed job seeking adults: Prospective findings from the French CONSTANCES cohort.

This study aimed to examine the prospective association between tobacco, alcohol and cannabis use with attaining employment among unemployed job seekers. Data from the French population-based CONSTANCES cohort on 5114 unemployed job seeking adults enrolled from 2012 to 2018 were analyzed. Binary logistic regressions were computed. Odds ratio (OR) and 95%CI of remaining unemployed at one-year of follow-up (versus attaining employment) according to substance use at baseline were obtained. The following independent variables were introduced into separate models: tobacco use (non-smoker, former smoker, light (<10cig/day), moderate (10-19cig/day) and heavy smoker (>19cig/day)), alcohol use according to the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (non-users (0), low (<7), moderate (7-15) and high or very high-risk (>15)) and cannabis use (never used, no use in the previous 12 months, less than once a month, at least once a month but less than once per week, once per week or more). Analyses were adjusted for age, gender and education. At follow-up, 2490 participants (49.7%) were still unemployed. Compared to non-smokers, moderate and heavy smokers were more likely to remain unemployed, with ORs (95%CI) of 1.33 (1.08-1.64) and 1.42 (1.04-1.93), respectively. Compared to low-risk alcohol users, no alcohol users and high or very high-risk alcohol users were more likely to remain unemployed, with ORs (95% CI) of 1.40 (1.03-1.83) and 2.10 (1.53-2.87), respectively. Compared to participants who never used cannabis, participants who use cannabis once a week or more were more likely to remain unemployed, OR (95%CI) of 1.63 (1.33-2.01). Substance use may play an important role in difficulty attaining employment.

Precision clinical trials: a framework for getting to precision medicine for neurobehavioural disorders.

The goal of precision medicine (individually tailored treatments) is not being achieved for neurobehavioural conditions such as psychiatric disorders. Traditional randomized clinical trial methods are insufficient for advancing precision medicine because of the dynamic complexity of these conditions. We present a pragmatic solution: the precision clinical trial framework, encompassing methods for individually tailored treatments. This framework includes the following: (1) treatment-targeted enrichment, which involves measuring patients' response after a brief bout of an intervention, and then randomizing patients to a full course of treatment, using the acute response to predict long-term outcomes; (2) adaptive treatments, which involve adjusting treatment parameters during the trial to individually optimize the treatment; and (3) precise measurement, which involves measuring predictor and outcome variables with high accuracy and reliability using techniques such as ecological momentary assessment. This review summarizes precision clinical trials and provides a research agenda, including new biomarkers such as precision neuroimaging, transcranial magnetic stimulation-electroencephalogram digital phenotyping and advances in statistical and machine-learning models. Validation of these approaches - and then widespread incorporation of the precision clinical trial framework - could help achieve the vision of precision medicine for neurobehavioural conditions.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children associated with novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: Presentations to a pediatric emergency department in Michigan.

The SARS-CoV-2 is a respiratory virus of the coronavirus family responsible for a global pandemic since December 2019. More than 35 million people have been affected with the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), with more than one million deaths worldwide. Michigan was one of the top three states in the United States that was severely affected by the SAR-CoV-2 pandemic with more than 7000 deaths in adults and greater than 145,000 confirmed infections. However, compared to adults, the majority of children until recently were either asymptomatic or had a mild illness with SARS-CoV-2. Recently, a rare but potentially serious presentation associated with SARS-CoV-2 called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) has been recently reported and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released a case definition for the same. We report the clinical and laboratory presentations and outcomes of 34 children with MIS-C who were evaluated within a 12 week period at a pediatric emergency department (PED) of single institution in Michigan. These cases presented approximately three weeks after the peak of adult SAR-CoV-2 related deaths occurred in the state. While many children presented with clinical characteristics similar to incomplete Kawasaki disease (KD), they also exhibited certain unique features which differentiated MIS-C from KD. The information presented below will aid clinicians with early recognition, evaluation and management of MIS-C in the emergency department.

Does patient expectancy account for the cognitive and clinical benefits of mindfulness training in older adults?

OBJECTIVES: Patient expectations of treatment effects could influence neuropsychological and clinical outcomes in clinical trials of behavioral and lifestyle interventions, which could potentially confound the interpretation of findings. Our aim was to examine whether patient expectancy mediated effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) for improving cognitive function and clinical outcome. METHODS: The present study uses data from a single-blind, multi-site, randomized controlled trial comparing MBSR to a health education attention control in older adults with anxiety and/or depressive disorders and subjective cognitive concerns. Using the Credibility and Expectations Questionnaire, we measured expectancy and perceived credibility of the interventions assigned to patients. Using mediational analysis, we examined the influence of expectancy and credibility on two key outcomes: memory performance and clinical global improvement. RESULTS: Neither expectancy nor perceived credibility of intervention accounted significantly for MBSR's effectiveness for memory test performance or clinical global improvement. CONCLUSION: In this clinical trial, expectancy for improvement did not account for the effectiveness of MBSR on memory performance or clinical outcomes in depressed and anxious older adults. We advise that clinical trials of behavioral and lifestyle interventions for brain health in older adults should measure and test the role of expectancy.

Comorbidity of Migraine, Major Depressive Disorder, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Adolescents and Young Adults.

PURPOSE: Depression and anxiety are highly comorbid psychiatric conditions and both are common in adult patients with migraine. This study aims to examine the unique associations between major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in a well-characterized group of older adolescents and college-age individuals with migraine. METHOD: Participants (N =  227), between 15 and 20 years old, who were unmedicated or within 1 month of beginning antidepressant treatment underwent a comprehensive psychiatric assessment to establish the presence of MDD and GAD, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fourth Edition, Text Revision, and to rate their symptom severity using the Longitudinal Interval Follow-up Evaluation for Adolescents (A-LIFE). They then completed the ID-Migraine. The Student's t test and chi-square test were used to compare continuous and categorical variables, respectively, across participants with vs. without migraine. Logistic regression analysis examined the association between the presence of migraine and psychopathology. RESULTS: A diagnosis of MDD was associated with significantly increased risk of having migraine. Moreover, more severe and persistent ratings of depression were associated with an even higher likelihood of having migraine. A diagnosis of GAD was also significantly associated with the presence of migraine. The prevalence of comorbid MDD and GAD was significantly higher in participants with migraine than those without migraine (55 vs. 22%, p < 0.0001). When examined concurrently, GAD remained significantly associated with migraine, with a statistical trend for MDD to be associated with it. CONCLUSION: The comorbidity of migraine, MDD, and GAD has important clinical and research implications. Patients who suffer from any of these problems should be screened for all three in order to receive comprehensive care. Shared psychological and biological vulnerabilities may be involved in the three conditions. Greater understanding of the shared vulnerabilities can lead to unified treatments.

Burnout Mediates the Association Between Workaholism and Substance Use: Findings from a French National Company.

To examine the mediation effect of burnout on the association between workaholism and tobacco and alcohol use. A total of 2199 workers from the French national electricity company fulfilled an online questionnaire. Smoking status, alcohol use disorder based on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption and workaholism based on the Work Addiction Risk Test were used as binary variables. Burnout was assessed as a continuous variable with the Copenhagen Burn-Out Inventory. Mediation analyses tested the direct effect of the associations between workaholism and each substance use, as well as the indirect effect passing through burnout, while adjusting for sociodemographic factors (gender, age, occupational grade and marital life), work stress using the effort-reward imbalance and overcommitment. When testing the mediation effect of burnout on the relation between workaholism and smoking, there was a significant direct effect of workaholism on smoking (Estimated effect of 0.27 [95% CI 0.01; 0.54]) and a significant indirect effect passing through burnout (Estimated effect of 0.09 [95% CI 0.02; 0.15]). When testing the mediation effect of burnout on the relation between workaholism and alcohol use, the direct effect of workaholism on alcohol use was not significant (Estimated effect of 0.21 [95% CI - 0.01; 0.44]) while the indirect effect passing through burnout was significant (Estimated effect of 0.10 [95% CI 0.04; 0.17]). Information and prevention regarding substance use should be reinforced among workers exposed to workaholism, especially if their workaholism led to a high level of burnout. Preventing the emergence of burnout among workaholics might have some benefits on their tobacco and alcohol use.

Proportion of At-Risk Alcohol Consumers According to the New French Guidelines: Cross-Sectional Weighted Analyses From the CONSTANCES Cohort.

Objective: To estimate the proportion of the participants of the French national population-based CONSTANCES cohort exceeding the new low-risk drinking guidelines according to sociodemographic and clinical factors. Methods: From 34,470 participants with follow-up data in 2019, among volunteers aged 18-69 years and invited to enroll in the CONSTANCES cohort in 2016 and 2017, weighted prevalence and odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CI) exceeding the guidelines using logistic regressions were presented stratified for age, gender, education, occupational grade, employment, income, marital status, pregnancy, work stress, depression, alcohol dependence, binge drinking, cannabis use, smoking status, e-cigarette use, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. Results: The guidelines were exceeded more by men at 60.2% (95%CI: 59.3%-61.0%) than by women at 36.6% (95%CI: 35.9%-37.4%). Exceeding the guidelines increased with age, socioeconomic status, smoking, vaping, using cannabis, binge drinking, and alcohol dependence. Being depressed was associated with exceeding the guidelines in women. Even though pregnant women were less likely to exceed the guidelines, 7.6% (95%CI: 5.4%-10.6%) were at-risk drinkers. Conclusion: These findings highlight the need to implement effective prevention measures for at-risk alcohol use among the French population.

Psychological well-being in Europe after the outbreak of war in Ukraine.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, has had devastating effects on the Ukrainian population and the global economy, environment, and political order. However, little is known about the psychological states surrounding the outbreak of war, particularly the mental well-being of individuals outside Ukraine. Here, we present a longitudinal experience-sampling study of a convenience sample from 17 European countries (total participants = 1,341, total assessments = 44,894, countries with >100 participants = 5) that allows us to track well-being levels across countries during the weeks surrounding the outbreak of war. Our data show a significant decline in well-being on the day of the Russian invasion. Recovery over the following weeks was associated with an individual's personality but was not statistically significantly associated with their age, gender, subjective social status, and political orientation. In general, well-being was lower on days when the war was more salient on social media. Our results demonstrate the need to consider the psychological implications of the Russo-Ukrainian war next to its humanitarian, economic, and ecological consequences.

Changes in alcohol consumption according to the duration of unemployment: prospective findings from the French CONSTANCES cohort.

OBJECTIVES: To prospectively examine the association between the duration of unemployment among job seekers and changes in alcohol use in a year. DESIGN: A prospective study. SETTING: French population-based CONSTANCES cohort. PARTICIPANTS: We selected 84 943 participants from the CONSTANCES cohort included between 2012 and 2019 who, at baseline and 1-year follow-up, were either employed or job-seeking. OUTCOME MEASURES: Multinomial logistic regression models computed the odds of reporting continuous no alcohol use, at-risk alcohol use, increased or decreased alcohol use compared with being continuously at low risk and according to employment status. The duration of unemployment was self-reported at baseline; thus, the employment status at 1-year follow-up was categorised as follows: (1) employed, (2) return to employment since less than a year, (3) unemployed for less than 1 year, (4) unemployed for 1 to 3 years and (5) unemployed for 3 years or more. Analyses were adjusted for age, gender, education, household monthly income, marital status, self-rated health, smoking status and depressive state. RESULTS: Compared with being continuously at low risk (ie, ≤10 drinks per week), the unemployment categories were associated in a dose-dependent manner with an increased likelihood of reporting continuous no alcohol use (OR: 1.74-2.50), being continuously at-risk (OR: 1.21-1.83), experiencing an increase in alcohol use (OR: 1.21-1.51) and a decrease in alcohol use (OR: 1.17-1.84). CONCLUSION: Although our results suggested an association between the duration of unemployment and a decrease in alcohol use, they also revealed associations between at-risk and increased alcohol use. Thus, screening for alcohol use among unemployed job seekers must be reinforced, especially among those with long-term unemployment.

Well-being in chronic pediatric inflammatory rheumatic diseases: the experience of a French healthcare network.

OBJECTIVE: Current management of patients with pediatric rheumatic diseases (PRD) should aim at achieving the best possible well-being. To identify sociodemographic/clinical characteristics, needed paramedical services and school accommodations associated with well-being in patients at inclusion in a French health network Réseau pour les Rhumatismes Inflammatoires Pédiatriques (RESRIP) that supports coordination of the patient's health pathway. To evaluate the evolution of well-being over time in this patients benefiting from such support. METHODS: Patients > 3 years old enrolled in RESRIP (2013-2020) were included. At enrollment, data were collected on sociodemographic/clinical characteristics, ongoing medications, and paramedical and educational actions to be implemented by RESRIP. Well-being during the last 6 months was reported with a standardized questionnaire at enrollment and every 6 months. A well-being score was calculated with scores ranging from 0 to 18, 18 corresponding to absolute well-being. Patients were followed up from inclusion until June 2020. RESULTS: In total, 406 patients were included and followed up for 36 months on average: 205 juvenile idiopathic arthritis, 68 connective tissue diseases, 81 auto-inflammatory diseases and 52 other diseases. The well-being score did not differ between the groups and improved significantly, by 0.04 score units, every 6 months (95% confidence interval [0.03; 0.06]). At inclusion, use of homeopathy, need for implementation of hypnosis or psychological support, occupational therapy or for adjustment of school tests were associated with worse well-being score. CONCLUSION: Well-being seems associated more with the impact of chronic illness than the type of PRD underlining the importance of a comprehensive patient care.

Use of an Interactive Obesity Treatment Approach in Individuals With Severe Mental Illness: Feasibility, Acceptability, and Proposed Engagement Criteria.

BACKGROUND: Digital and mobile health interventions are increasingly being used to support healthy lifestyle change, including in certain high-risk populations such as those with severe mental illnesses (SMIs). Life expectancy in this population lags 15 years behind counterparts in the general population, primarily due to obesity-related health conditions. OBJECTIVE: We tested the feasibility and usability of a 12-week interactive obesity treatment approach (iOTA) to adults with chronic SMIs (depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia spectrum disorder) receiving treatment in community settings. The iOTA incorporates short message service (SMS) text messages to supplement monthly in-person health coaching. METHODS: Factors hypothesized to be associated with weight change were illness severity and treatment engagement. Severe psychiatric symptoms were defined as baseline Clinical Global Impression severity score of >5. Criterion engagement was defined as a text messaging response rate >80% during the first 4 weeks of treatment. Disordered eating, assessed with the Loss of Control Over Eating Scores, was also evaluated. Participants provided qualitative data, further informing assessment of intervention feasibility, usability, and acceptability. RESULTS: A total of 26 participants were enrolled. The mean age was 48.5 (SD 15.67) years; 40% (10/26) were Black and 60% (15/26) female. Participants with lower symptom severity and adequate engagement demonstrated significantly decreased weight (F1,16=22.54, P<.001). Conversely, high symptom severity and lower text message response rates were associated with trend-level increases in weight (F1,7=4.33, P=.08). Loss-of-control eating was not observed to impact treatment outcome. Participants voiced preference for combination of live health coaching and text messaging, expressing desire for personalized message content. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate the feasibility of delivering an adapted iOTA to SMI patients receiving care in community settings and suggest testable criteria for defining sufficient treatment engagement and psychiatric symptom severity, two factors known to impact weight loss outcomes. These important findings suggest specific adaptations may be needed for optimal treatment outcomes in individuals with SMI.

Using Innovation-Corps (I-Corps™) Methods to Adapt a Mobile Health (mHealth) Obesity Treatment for Community Mental Health Settings.

Background: We employed Innovation Corps (I-Corps™) methods to adaptation of a mobile health (mHealth) short-message-system (SMS) -based interactive obesity treatment approach (iOTA) for adults with severe mentall illness receiving care in community settings. Methods: We hypothesized "jobs to be done" in three broad stakeholder groups: "decision makers" (DM = state and community clinic administrators), "clinician consumers" (CC = case managers, peer supports, nurses, prescribers) and "service consumers" (SC = patients, peers and family members). Semistructured interviews (N = 29) were recorded and transcribed ver batim and coded based on pragmatic-variant grounded theory methods. Results: Four themes emerged across groups: education, inertia, resources and ownership. Sub-themes in education and ownership differed between DM and CC groups on implementation ownership, intersecting with professional development, suggesting the importance of training and supervision in scalability. Sub-themes in resources and intertia differed between CC and SC groups, suggesting illness severity and access to healthy food as major barriers to engagement, whereas the SC group identified the need for enhanced emotional support, in addition to pragmatic skills like menu planning and cooking, to promote health behavior change. Although SMS was percieved as a viable education and support tool, CC and DM groups had limited familiarity with use in clinical care delivery. Conclusions: Based on customer discovery, the characteristics of a minimum viable iOTA for implementation, scalability and sustainability include population- and context-specific adaptations to treatment content, interventionist training and delivery mechanism. Successful implementation of an SMS-based intervention will likely require micro-adaptations to fit specific clinical settings.

Pediatrician Perspectives on Brief Resolved Unexplained Events.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The objective with this study was to describe pediatric emergency department (ED) physicians' perspective on the evaluation and management of brief resolved unexplained events (BRUEs) to help support the development of quality improvement interventions for this population. METHODS: We conducted qualitative semistructured interviews with pediatric ED providers who practice in a single state. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed and demographic information was also obtained. The 6-phase approach to reflexive thematic analysis was used to conduct the qualitative analysis. RESULTS: Nineteen pediatric ED physicians practicing in 4 institutions across our state participated in the study. The majority of participants (95%) practice in a university-affiliated setting. The primary themes related to providing care for patients with a BRUE identified in our analysis were (1) reassurance, (2) caregiver or provider concern, and (3) clinical practice guideline availability and interpretation. Closely intertwined underlying topics informing BRUE patient management were also noted: (1) ambiguity in the BRUE diagnosis and its management; (2) a need for shared decision-making between the caregiver and the provider; and (3) concern over the increased time spent with caregivers during an ED visit for a diagnosis of BRUE. These complex relationships were found to influence patient evaluation and disposition. CONCLUSION: Multifaceted quality improvement interventions should address caregiver and provider concerns regarding the diagnosis of BRUE while providing decision aids to support shared decision-making with caregivers.

Diagnostic Evaluation Low Yield for Patients with a Lower-Risk Brief Resolved Unexplained Event.

In contrast to patients with an apparent life-threatening event (ALTE), the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends very limited evaluation for patients categorized as lower-risk brief resolved unexplained event (BRUE). This retrospective review aims to explore potential missed diagnostic opportunities for patients with a lower-risk BRUE (n = 10) through comparison with a subset of patients with ALTE (n = 72). None of the patients with a lower-risk BRUE had laboratory, imaging or ancillary studies that were diagnostic. Among patients with ALTE, 5 had laboratory and 3 had imaging studies that were diagnostic. None of the patients with a lower-risk BRUE had recurrent events during hospitalization or a serious underlying diagnosis identified within the 90 day follow-up period. As recommended by the AAP, patients with a lower-risk BRUE do not need diagnostic evaluation and can be discharged home with outpatient follow-up.

Food shopping and food hygiene related knowledge and practices during the COVID-19 pandemic: The case of a developing country.

The aim of this study was to assess the level of food hygiene and food shopping knowledge and practices among residents of Lebanon during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to identify their socio-demographic determinants. A cross-sectional study was conducted through an online questionnaire composed of 13 questions about demographics, and 25 questions related to knowledge and practices in terms of hand maintenance, mask placing, and food shopping. A total of 1337 participants filled the survey. On average, participants scored 73±15 and 67±17% on food hygiene and knowledge and practices, respectively. In terms of best practices by section, they scored 77±22, 51±42, and 65±23% on hand maintenance, mask placing and shopping, respectively. Hand maintenance best practices score was significantly (p<0.05) affected by gender; mask placing best practices score was significantly affected by age and major of study; shopping best practices score was significantly affected by gender; overall best practices score was significantly affected by gender and major of study; food hygiene knowledge score was significantly affected by gender, age, marital status, educational level, and major of study. Food hygiene practices and knowledge scores were significantly (p<0.001) related with a weak correlation coefficient (R=0.114). No study has determined the food hygiene and shopping knowledge and practices during the COVID-19 pandemic in a developing country before.

Investigation of the effects of some processing conditions on the fate of oxytetracycline and tylosin antibiotics in the making of commonly consumed cheeses from the East Mediterranean.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Transfer of antibiotics from raw milk to derived products is directly related to the processes involved in the manufacturing of dairy products, including East Mediterranean cheeses, since these have particular flow diagrams of production. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of skimming, pasteurization, curding, pressing, salting, cheese boiling, and whey acidification/heating on two widely used antibiotics in Lebanon, oxytetracycline (OTC) and tylosin (TYL), in the manufacture of commonly consumed cheeses in the East Mediterranean. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four hundred and fifty kilograms of full-fat bovine milk were spiked with OTC and TYL, then skimmed and pasteurized using holder and high-temperature short-time (HTST) methods. Milk was then processed to make cheeses (23 kg Baladi, 20 kg Akkawi, 20 kg Halloum, and 18 kg Double Cream). Liquid chromatography-mass-spectrometry was used to measure antibiotics. Analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences v25. RESULTS: Skimming significantly (p=0.015) decreased TYL concentration by 68.6%. OTC degradation during holder (41-54%) proved to be significant (p=0.015). HTST had a significant (p=0.012) effect on TYL with 32% degradation. Curding step in making Baladi had a significant (p=0.028) effect on OTC only with the concentration increasing by 1.5-fold. Acidification and heating of whey to produce Double Cream decreased significantly (p=0.037) OTC concentration (14.7-46.3%), while TYL concentration increased significantly (p=0.000) by 300%. Pressing and salting in making Akkawi did not have any significant effect, while cheese boiling in making Halloum significantly decreased both antibiotics. CONCLUSION: OTC is transferred to Baladi and Akkawi (curd based) mainly, while double cream (whey based) has a high level of TYL transfer. Hence, people who consume these cheeses excessively could be exposed to high amounts of both antibiotics and thus be prone to their detrimental effect on health.