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1.
BMC Med Res Methodol ; 23(1): 138, 2023 06 13.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37312061

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is an annual survey designed to identify trends in the public's health. In its 2019 field survey, the U.S. state of GA tested a new 3 - item module to measure the numbers of bereaved, resident adults aged 18 years and older. Participants were eligible if they answered 'Yes' to the item 'Have you experienced the death of a family member or close friend in the years 2018 or 2019?'. This analysis explores two research questions. Can estimates for bereavement prevalence be derived without large sampling errors, low precision, and small subsamples? Can multiple imputation techniques be applied to overcome non-response and missing data to support multivariate modeling? METHODS: BRFSS is a non-institutionalized sample of adults aged 18 years and older living in the U.S. state of Georgia. Analyses in this study were conducted under two scenarios. Scenario 1 applies the complex sample weights created by the Centers for Disease Control and imputes values for missing responses. Scenario 2 treats the data as a panel - no weighting combined with removal of persons with missing data. Scenario 1 reflects the use of BRFSS data for public health and policy, while Scenario 2 reflects data as it is commonly used in social science research studies. RESULTS: The bereavement screening item has a response rate (RR) of 69.1% (5206 of 7534 persons). Demographic subgroups and categories of health have RR of 55% or more. Under Scenario 1, the estimated prevalence of bereavement is 45.38%, meaning that 3,739,120 adults reported bereaved in 2018 or 2019. The estimated prevalence is 46.02% with Scenario 2 which removes persons with any missing data (4,289 persons). Scenario 2 overestimates the bereavement prevalence by 1.39%. An illustrative logistic model is presented to show the performance of exposure to bereavement under the two data scenarios. CONCLUSIONS: Recent bereavement can be ascertained in a surveillance survey accounting for biases in response. Estimating bereavement prevalence is needed for measuring population health. This survey is limited to one US state in a single year and excludes persons aged 17 years and younger.


Subject(s)
Bereavement , Adult , Humans , Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System , Georgia/epidemiology , Prevalence , Family
2.
BMC Cancer ; 21(1): 1034, 2021 Sep 16.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34530751

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Despite research efforts, the causative factors that contribute to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in high-risk areas have not yet been understood. In this study, we, therefore, aimed to describe the risk factors associated with ESCC and its precursor lesions. METHODS: We performed an endoscopic examination of 44,857 individuals aged 40-69 years from five high incidence regions of China in 2017-2018. Participants were classified as 4 groups of normal control, esophagitis, low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (LGIN) and high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia/esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (HGIN/ESCC) using an unconditional logistic regression determine risk factors. RESULTS: We identified 4890 esophagitis, 1874 LGIN and 437 HGIN/ESCC cases. Crude odds ratios (ORs) and adjusted odds ratios were calculated using unconditional logistic regression. Drinking well and surface water, salty diet, and positive family history of cancer were the common risk factors for esophagitis, LGIN and HGIN/ESCC. History of chronic hepatitis/cirrhosis was the greatest risk factor of esophagitis (adjusted OR 2.96, 95%CI 2.52-3.47) and HGIN/ESCC (adjusted OR 1.91, 95%CI 1.03-3.22). Pesticide exposure (adjusted OR 1.20, 95%CI 1.05-1.37) was essential risk factor of LGIN. CONCLUSIONS: Among individuals aged 40-69 years in high incidence regions of upper gastrointestinal cancer, the results provided important epidemiological evidence for the prevention of different precancerous lesions of ESCC.


Subject(s)
Carcinoma in Situ/etiology , Esophageal Neoplasms/etiology , Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma/etiology , Precancerous Conditions/etiology , Adult , Aged , Alcohol Drinking/adverse effects , Carcinoma in Situ/epidemiology , Carcinoma in Situ/pathology , China/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Diet/adverse effects , Drinking Water/adverse effects , Esophageal Neoplasms/pathology , Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma/pathology , Esophagitis/diagnosis , Esophagitis/epidemiology , Esophagoscopy/statistics & numerical data , Family , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Odds Ratio , Pesticides/toxicity , Precancerous Conditions/pathology , Regression Analysis , Risk Factors , Sodium Chloride, Dietary/adverse effects , Water Supply
3.
Br J Psychiatry ; 213(4): 579-586, 2018 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30160644

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The Chinese Great Famine caused widespread starvation in 1959-1961. Its long-term association with depressive symptoms has not been studied.AimsTo estimate the burden of depressive symptoms and the association of famine exposure with depressive symptoms. METHOD: The China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study is a nationwide representative survey of 17 708 Chinese adults aged ≥45. Propensity score matching and modified Poisson regression were used to evaluate the association between self-reported famine exposure in early life and depressive symptoms among the overall participants. Such associations were also assessed by developmental stage using modified Poisson regression and logistic regression. RESULTS: The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 26.2% (95% CI 25.1-27.3%) in 2011. As defined by loss of family members because of starvation, 11.6% (95% CI 10.1-13.1%) of this population experienced severe famine. When compared with participants who did not experience starvation, those who had experienced severe famine during fetal, mid-childhood, young-teenage and early-adulthood stages had 1.87 (95% CI 1.36-2.55), 1.54 (95% CI 1.23-1.94), 1.47 (95% CI 1.09-2.00) and 1.77 (95% CI 1.42-2.21) times higher odds of having depressive symptoms in late adulthood, respectively. The first two trimesters of pregnancy were a critical time window during the fetal stage when severe famine had a stronger association with depressive symptoms. Famine during infant, toddler, preschool or teenage stages was not associated with depressive symptoms. Overall, famine contributed to 13.6% of the depressive symptom burden in this population. CONCLUSIONS: The Chinese Great Famine contributed substantially to the burden of depressive symptoms in China.Declaration of interestNone.


Subject(s)
Depression/epidemiology , Starvation/epidemiology , Starvation/psychology , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Child , Child, Preschool , China/epidemiology , Depression/etiology , Female , Health Surveys , Humans , Logistic Models , Longitudinal Studies , Male , Middle Aged , Pregnancy , Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects/epidemiology , Prevalence , Propensity Score , Retirement , Young Adult
5.
Qual Life Res ; 25(4): 1007-15, 2016 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26475139

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that higher levels of resilience indicators are associated with lower overall healthcare utilization (HCU) as well as improvements in self-rated health (SRH), we analyzed a representative sample of 4562 adults 50-70 years old enrolled in the US 2010 health and retirement survey. METHODS: Multivariable logistic regression models estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) for high versus low resilience in relation to HCU and SRH improvements over 2 years. Resilience indicators included: cumulative lifetime adversity, social support, global mastery and domain-specific mastery. Cumulative lifetime adversity was defined as 0, 1-2, 3-4 or 5+ events. HCU included hospitalization (any vs. none) and physician visits (< 20 vs. ≥ 20) over 2 years. FINDINGS: Hospitalization odds declined by 25 % (OR 0.75, 95 %CI 0.64-0.86), odds of ≥ 20 physician visits declined by 47 % (OR 0.53, 95 % CI 0.45-0.63) and the odds of SRH improvement increased by 49 % (OR 1.49, 95 % CI 1.17-1.88) for respondents with high versus low health mastery. Cumulative lifetime adversity manifested a dose-dependent positive relationship with HCU. Specifically, hospitalization odds was, respectively, 25, 80 and 142 % elevated for participants that reported 1-2, 3-4 and 5+ versus 0 lifetime adversities. High versus low global, financial and health mastery, respectively, predicted improved SRH, lower physician's visits and hospitalizations. CONCLUSION: In this sample of adults near or in retirement, resilience predicted lower HCU and improved SRH. Resilience is a dynamic state that can be enhanced in adults with positive impacts on subjective well-being and HCU.


Subject(s)
Delivery of Health Care/statistics & numerical data , Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data , Patient Acceptance of Health Care/statistics & numerical data , Quality of Life/psychology , Resilience, Psychological , Retirement/psychology , Aged , Female , Health Services/economics , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Social Support , Surveys and Questionnaires , Treatment Outcome
6.
Qual Life Res ; 24(12): 2959-61, 2015 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26081295

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The loss of a loved one adversely affects the bereaved. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using data from the 2010 and 2012 waves of Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we estimate the risk for death in a 2-year span after the loss of a parent, spouse, or child for adults aged 50 to 70 years. CONCLUSION: A respondent with a loss was twice as likely to die when compared similarly aged persons with no loss (OR 2.32; 95 % CI 1.14, 5.30). Loss of either a parent (OR 1.93; 95 % CI 1.01, 4.07), or a child (OR 1.77; 95 % CI 1.08, 2.96) also increased respondent mortality. This elevated risk persists after adjustment for gender and other high-risk health conditions. Any physical activity reduces survivor death rates during this critical period by more than 85 %.


Subject(s)
Bereavement , Quality of Life/psychology , Survivors/psychology , Female , Humans , Longevity , Male , Risk
7.
Fam Community Health ; 37(4): 317-26, 2014.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25167072

ABSTRACT

Bereavement and insomnia are both well-documented risk factors for illness. We use cohort data to estimate risk of insomnia after death of a family member among adults aged 50 to 70 years. Each day, 6700 persons die in the United States. During the next 20 years, this number will increase. In this cohort, any loss increases the likelihood of insomnia. The highest rates of insomnia occur among women aged 50 to 59 years; men aged 65 to 70 years, and persons reporting death of a spouse/partner or child. Physical activity reduces this risk by one-third. Bereavement is a public health issue requiring a targeted response.


Subject(s)
Bereavement , Depression/diagnosis , Family , Motor Activity/physiology , Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders , Age Distribution , Aged , Body Mass Index , Depression/epidemiology , Depression/etiology , Female , Health Surveys , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Prevalence , Sex Distribution , Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/epidemiology , Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/etiology , Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/prevention & control , Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/psychology , United States
8.
J Gerontol Nurs ; 39(12): 16-21, 2013 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24219075

ABSTRACT

Attention to ethical issues is a routine part of medical research. In this article, we propose that health policy development, like research, include a formal review of these issues. Ethical knowledge is a critical component of epistemology and inherent in development of laws and principles of justice. However, we cannot assume that new policies are subject to a formal ethics review. The Belmont Report of 1978 provides a platform for this process. Prior to the Belmont Report, there was no foundation defining this process in medical research. Based on this history, we propose that health care payment policy development include a formal assessment of risks and benefits using an approach that is familiar to all researchers.


Subject(s)
Ethics , Health Policy , Human Rights , Humans , Quality of Health Care
9.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37239563

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Binge drinking is a pattern of alcohol abuse. Its prevalence and associated risk factors are not well documented. Heavy drinking, on the other hand, has a well-documented association with bereavement. This report uses a cross-sectional, population-based survey to estimate prevalence of bingeing and its association with new bereavement. Bingeing is defined as 4 or more drinks (women) or 5 or more drinks (men) in a 2-4-h setting. For the first time in 2019, the Georgia Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) included a bereavement item: 'Have you experienced the death of a family member or close friend in the years 2018 or 2019?' METHODS: Georgia BRFSS is a complex sampling survey administered annually. It is designed to represent the 8.1 million people aged 18 years and older in the U.S. state of Georgia. Alcohol consumption patterns are routinely measured in the common core. In 2019, the state added a new item probing for bereavement in the prior 24 months predating the COVID-19 pandemic. Imputation and weighting techniques were applied to yield the population prevalence rates of new bereavement, bingeing, and their co-occurrence with other high-risk health behaviors and outcomes. Multivariate models, adjusted for age, gender, and race, were used to estimate the risk for other unhealthy behaviors posed by the co-occurrence of bereavement and bingeing. RESULTS: In Georgia, bereavement (45.8%), and alcohol consumption (48.8%) are common. Bereavement and alcohol use co-occurred among 1,796,817 people (45% of all drinkers) with a subset of 608,282 persons reporting bereavement combined with bingeing. The most common types of bereavement were death of a friend/neighbor (30.7%) or three plus deaths (31.8%). CONCLUSIONS: While bingeing is a known risk to public health, its co-occurrence with recent bereavement is a new observation. Public health surveillance systems need to monitor this co-occurrence to protect both individual and societal health. In a time of global bereavement, documenting its influence on binge drinking can support the work towards Sustainable Development Goal #3-Good health and Well-Being.


Subject(s)
Bereavement , Binge Drinking , COVID-19 , Male , Humans , Female , United States , Georgia/epidemiology , Prevalence , Cross-Sectional Studies , Binge Drinking/epidemiology , Pandemics , COVID-19/epidemiology , Ethanol , Alcohol Drinking/epidemiology , Risk Factors , Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
10.
Front Psychol ; 14: 1268480, 2023.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38022931

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Understanding the factors that affected academic performance of students during the COVID-19 pandemic will help design effective interventions for improving students' academic performance during emergency situations as well as during regular academic environment. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify the factors that explain academic performance of students in China during the pandemic. Methods: Data on college students from the 2020 China Family Panel Studies were used, and the final sample consisted of 728 students. Ordered probit regression models were estimated to explain students' relative performance in the semester when the in-person classes were suspended by using various student and household-related variables and characteristics. To compute missing values in selected variables, a multiple imputation technique was applied. Results: The odds of poor academic performance declined with higher Internet use for academic purposes, but Internet use for entertainment increased the probability of being in the poor academic performance. College students who spent more time studying on college work were less likely to have poor academic performance. Discussion: This study identified the factors (Internet use and study time) associated with academic performance among Chinese college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. These results can be used to design policies to improve educational outcomes and to address educational inequalities.

11.
Am J Public Health ; 102(12): 2330-5, 2012 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23078483

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the relationship between the number of times a woman has been pregnant and walking difficulty in later life. METHODS: With data from the Hispanic Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly, a representative population-based cohort of Mexican Americans aged 65 years and older residing in 5 Southwestern states, we measured walking difficulty using 2 items from the performance-oriented mobility assessments: the timed walk and seated chair rise. RESULTS: We observed significantly higher rates of ambulatory limitation among women with 6 or more pregnancies than among women with 4 or fewer pregnancies: 44.9% and 27.0%, respectively, were unable to perform or performed poorly in the seated chair rise and timed walk. Ordinal logistic regression models show that gravidity predicts level of performance in both mobility tasks and that higher gravidity is associated with worse performance, even after adjustment for both age and chronic disease. CONCLUSIONS: Gravidity is a risk factor for ambulatory limitation in old age. A life course approach to reproduction in public health research and practice is warranted.


Subject(s)
Mobility Limitation , Pregnancy/statistics & numerical data , Aged , Female , Humans , Logistic Models , Mexican Americans/statistics & numerical data , Parity , Risk Factors , Southwestern United States/epidemiology
12.
J Clin Epidemiol ; 149: 12-22, 2022 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35537604

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Nutritional screening tools should be sensitive, simple, and easy to use. Differing opinions among clinicians concern the simplicity of the three tools-the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria, Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS-2002), and Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA). For each tool, we estimated prediction of overall survival (OS) in tumor staging, sensitivity, and specificity. The NRS-2002 is favored by clinicians because it is simple to use. We compared its sensitivity and specificity with the GLIM and PG-SGA. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: This is an analysis of data from 1,358 adult colorectal cancer patients recruited in a multicenter from July 2013 to July 2018. RESULTS: In Kaplan-Meier models, each tool was found to be significantly predictive of OS: NRS-2002 (1.28), GLIM (1.49), and PG-SGA (1.42). Use of any tool improved prediction of survival at tumor staging. NRS-2002 has superior specificity (0.90) to diagnose patients without nutritional deficits (GLIM = 0.62 and PG-SGA = 0.82). CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence for the superiority of NRS-2002 to accurately identify colorectal cancer patients without nutritional limitations. Compared with the complexity of the other tools, NRS-2002 is the simplest tool to use in routine nutritional screening in busy clinical practice.


Subject(s)
Colorectal Neoplasms , Malnutrition , Adult , Humans , Nutrition Assessment , Nutritional Status , Retrospective Studies , Malnutrition/diagnosis , Colorectal Neoplasms/diagnosis
13.
Clin Nutr ; 40(4): 1733-1743, 2021 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33041089

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Cancer treatment requires attentiveness to its broader effect on the body. Cancer's effect on appetite, strength, and body composition is contained in the summary term malnutrition. The tools used to detect malnutrition are a critical part of effective cancer care. In clinical care, selection of any specific tool is random. The relative validity of these tools have not been systematically compared. Using hierarchical Bayesian latent-class meta-analysis methods, this report compares three tools used for adult cancer patients - the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), the Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS-2002) and the Patient Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA). METHOD: Drawing from English and Chinese language databases, a broad pool of eligible studies were identified for further selection and assessment. Using the hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) model, pooled sensitivity, specificity, and other measurements the accuracy of the three tools were compared. RESULT: A total of 37 eligible studies involving the MNA, NRS-2002 and PG-SGA were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity was 0.910 (95% CI: 0.763 to 0.970) for MNA, 0.747 (95% CI: 0.680 to 0.804) for NRS-2002, and 0.964 (95% CI: 0.913 to 0.986) for PG-SGA. The pooled specificity was 0.720 (95% CI: 0.623 to 0.800) for MNA, 0.854 (95% CI: 0.808 to 0.891) for NRS-2002, 0.905 (95% CI: 0.807 to 0.956) for PG-SGA, respectively. The back-calculated likelihood ratio (LR) showed that MNA had a low negative likelihood ratio (LR-), NRS-2002 corresponded to a high positive likelihood ratio (LR+) and PG-SGA represented the best LR+ and LR-. CONCLUSIONS: While there is no standard approach to assessment of malnutrition, the PG-SGA has the best diagnostic performance with cancer patients. Further work is needed to refine the utility of these tools in larger clinical samples.


Subject(s)
Malnutrition/complications , Malnutrition/diagnosis , Neoplasms/complications , Nutrition Assessment , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Bayes Theorem , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Nutritional Status , Young Adult
14.
J Women Aging ; 22(2): 83-93, 2010.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-20408030

ABSTRACT

This study examined risk factors associated with self-reported health (SRH) in a genetically informative sample of older African American female twins. An interview was conducted with a national sample of 180 African American female twin pairs. Questions included: SRH, demographics, health behaviors, chronic diseases, and functional status. SRH was dichotomized into negative (fair/poor) and positive (good/very good/excellent). Logistic regression for clustered data was used to estimate the odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. In multivariable analyses, IADL limitations (OR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.7-2.0) and a chronic disease index (OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.4-2.5) were associated with negative SRH. In multivariate within-twin pair analysis, controlling for genetics/shared familial environment, IADLs (OR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.1-2.7), and increasing numbers of chronic diseases (OR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.3-3.2) remained significantly associated with negative SRH.


Subject(s)
Black or African American/statistics & numerical data , Health Status , Self Concept , Severity of Illness Index , Twins , Women's Health , Aged , Attitude to Health , Chronic Disease/epidemiology , Confidence Intervals , Female , Humans , Odds Ratio , Surveys and Questionnaires
15.
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci ; 75(3): 640-649, 2020 02 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29635530

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the association between cumulative stressful life events (SLE) and type of stress (lifetime vs recent) and incident diabetes (Type 2 diabetes mellitus [T2DM]) in middle-aged U.S. adults. METHODS: Data from the 2006-2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) were analyzed (n = 7,956). Stress-related differences in age at T2DM diagnosis were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: The adjusted risk of T2DM significantly increased by 6% per unit increase in cumulative SLE (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.03, 1.11), by 5% per unit increase in lifetime stress (95% CI = 1.00, 1.09), and by 23% per unit increase in recent stress (95% CI = 1.12, 1.36). Each level of cumulative SLE (1, 2, 3, and ≥4 events) and recent stress (1 and ≥2 events) compared to no stress was significantly associated with an increased risk of T2DM. Each level of lifetime stress compared to no stress was significantly associated with an elevated risk of T2DM except for 3 events. DISCUSSION: Cumulative SLE and type of stress were associated with incident T2DM in middle-aged adults. Reducing the direct effect of stress with management interventions may reduce the indirect effect of developing T2DM and warrants further investigation.


Subject(s)
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/epidemiology , Stress, Psychological/epidemiology , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Health Surveys , Humans , Incidence , Longitudinal Studies , Male , Middle Aged , Proportional Hazards Models , United States/epidemiology
16.
JAMA Netw Open ; 3(6): e207922, 2020 06 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32597992

ABSTRACT

Importance: Studies examining the association of low to moderate drinking with various cognitive functions have yielded mixed findings. Objective: To investigate whether associations exist between low to moderate alcohol drinking and cognitive function trajectories or rates of change in cognitive function from middle age to older age among US adults. Design, Setting, and Participants: A prospective cohort study of participants drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative sample of US adults, with mean (SD) follow-up of 9.1 (3.1) years. In total, 19 887 participants who had their cognitive functions measured in the HRS starting in 1996 through 2008 and who had participated in at least 3 biennial surveys were included. The data analysis was conducted from June to November 2019. Exposures: Alcohol consumption and aging. Main Outcomes and Measures: Trajectories and annual rates of change for the cognitive domains of mental status, word recall, and vocabulary and for the total cognitive score, which was the sum of the mental status and word recall scores. Participants were clustered into 2 cognitive function trajectories for each cognition measure assessed based on their scores at baseline and through at least 3 biennial surveys: a consistently low trajectory (representing low cognitive scores throughout the study period) and a consistently high trajectory (representing high cognitive scores throughout the study period). Results: The mean (SD) age of 19 887 participants was 61.8 (10.2) years, and the majority of the HRS participants were women (11 943 [60.1%]) and of white race/ethnicity (16 950 [85.2%]). Low to moderate drinking (<8 drinks per week for women and <15 drinks per week for men) was significantly associated with a consistently high cognitive function trajectory and a lower rate of cognitive decline. Compared with never drinkers, low to moderate drinkers were less likely to have a consistently low trajectory for total cognitive function (odds ratio [OR], 0.66; 95% CI, 0.59-0.74), mental status (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.63-0.81), word recall (OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.69-0.80), and vocabulary (OR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.56-0.74) (all P < .001). In addition, low to moderate drinking was associated with decreased annual rates of total cognitive function decline (ß coefficient, 0.04; 95% CI, 0.02-0.07; P = .002), mental status (ß coefficient, 0.02; 95% CI, 0.01-0.03; P = .002), word recall (ß coefficient, 0.02; 95% CI, 0.01-0.04; P = .01), and vocabulary (ß coefficient, 0.01; 95% CI, 0.00-0.03; P = .08). A significant racial/ethnic difference was observed for trajectories of mental status (P = .02 for interaction), in which low to moderate drinking was associated with lower odds of having a consistently low trajectory for white participants (OR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.56-0.75) but not for black participants (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.74-1.39). Finally, the dosage of alcohol consumed had a U-shaped association with all cognitive function domains for all participants, with an optimal dose of 10 to 14 drinks per week. Conclusions and relevance: These findings suggested that low to moderate alcohol drinking was associated with better global cognition scores, and these associations appeared stronger for white participants than for black participants. Studies examining the mechanisms underlying the association between alcohol drinking and cognition in middle-aged or older adults are needed.


Subject(s)
Alcohol Drinking/epidemiology , Cognitive Dysfunction/complications , Cognitive Dysfunction/epidemiology , Aged , Cognition/physiology , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Prospective Studies , United States
17.
J Am Geriatr Soc ; 68(3): 625-629, 2020 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31967320

ABSTRACT

The US Department of Health and Human Services and the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, through private sector support, sponsored the National Research Summit on Dementia Care: Building Evidence for Services and Supports (Summit) in 2017. Various workgroups were asked to address topics of interest in dementia care and develop recommendations addressing the goals of the Summit. Workforce education and training was identified to be a key issue. As a result, a Workforce Development Workgroup (the Workgroup) was created and addressed two of the Summit's goals. The first goal is to improve the quality of care and support provided to persons living with dementia and those who care for them. The second goal is to accelerate the development, evaluation, translation, implementation, and scaling-up of evidence-based and evidence-informed services for persons living with dementia, their families, and caregivers. In this article, the Workgroup identified gaps in educating and training a dementia-capable workforce. The Workgroup consisted of an interprofessional team with expertise in dementia workforce development from academia, professional organizations, and the federal government. Four recommendations are presented concerning research topics that will advance the education and training of a dementia-capable workforce, which includes health professions students, faculty, practitioners, direct care workers, persons living with dementia, and those who care for them. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:625-629, 2020.


Subject(s)
Dementia , Staff Development , Teaching/education , Workforce/standards , Caregivers , Humans
18.
Contraception ; 101(6): 405-411, 2020 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32194040

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this analysis were to 1) estimate prevalence of contraceptive use among women at risk for unintended pregnancy and 2) identify correlates of contraceptive use among women with ongoing or potential need for contraceptive services in Puerto Rico during the 2016 Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a cell-phone survey July-November, 2016. Women aged 18-49 years living in Puerto Rico were eligible. We completed 3059 interviews; the overall response rate was 69.2%. After weighting, the data provide population-based estimates. For this analysis, we included women at risk for unintended pregnancy, and assessed ongoing or potential need for contraceptive services in this group, excluding women using permanent contraceptive methods. RESULTS: Most women reported using contraception (82.8%), and use increased with age. Female sterilization and male condoms were most frequently reported (40.8% and 17.1%, respectively). Among women with ongoing or potential need for contraceptive services, 24.7% talked to a healthcare provider about ZIKV, and 31.2% reported a change in childbearing intentions due to ZIKV. Most women were at least a little worried about getting infected with ZIKV (74.3%) or having a baby with a birth defect (80.9%). Being very worried about getting infected with ZIKV and already having Zika were significantly associated with use of any contraception (adjusted prevalence ratio: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.03-1.38 and 1.32, 95% CI: 1.01-1.72, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the need for regular contraceptive prevalence studies to inform programs about contraceptive needs, especially during public health emergencies. IMPLICATIONS: When the 2016 Zika virus outbreak began in Puerto Rico there were no recent population-based data available on contraceptive prevalence. To fill this information gap, we conducted a population-based survey. Our findings provided baseline contraceptive prevalence estimates to support response planning and allocation of health resources.


Subject(s)
Congenital Abnormalities/epidemiology , Contraception/statistics & numerical data , Disease Outbreaks , Health Services Accessibility/organization & administration , Zika Virus Infection/epidemiology , Adolescent , Adult , Contraception/methods , Family Planning Services/organization & administration , Female , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Male , Middle Aged , Pregnancy , Pregnancy, Unplanned , Puerto Rico/epidemiology , Young Adult
19.
Int J Geriatr Psychiatry ; 24(4): 409-16, 2009 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-18821725

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Although vascular depression has received considerable research attention, relatively little research in this area has focused on minority samples. This study investigated the association between baseline vascular risk factors (VRFs) and risk for elevated depressive symptoms at 2-year follow-up in a sample of 964 individuals without significant depressive symptomotology (CES-D < 12) or cognitive impairment (MMSE>or= 24) at baseline from the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly. METHODS: We examined the associations between self-reported baseline vascular risk factors (chest pain, heart attack, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, and smoking) and a composite of these risk factors with elevated depressive symptoms (CES-D >or= 16) at 2-year follow-up. RESULTS: Seventy-four (7.7%) of the 964 participants without evidence of depression at baseline demonstrated elevated depressive symptoms (CESD >or= 16) 2 years later. There was an overall pattern of higher rates of elevated depressive symptoms at 2-year follow-up with increasing number of vascular risk factors (0 VRFs = 6.4%, 1 VRF = 5.5%, 2 VRFs = 7.7%, and 3 or more VRFs = 14.7%). After controlling for demographic variables, physical functioning, and other medical conditions, the cumulative vascular risk index was significantly associated with elevated depressive symptoms at 2-year follow-up (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest vascular conditions may contribute to risk for depression over time among Mexican American elders, and this is relatively independent of other medical conditions. These findings suggest that depression is an additional long-term complication of these common cardiovascular disorders.


Subject(s)
Activities of Daily Living/psychology , Aging/psychology , Depressive Disorder/psychology , Mexican Americans/psychology , Vascular Diseases/psychology , Aged , Depressive Disorder/diagnosis , Depressive Disorder/epidemiology , Female , Geriatric Assessment , Humans , Male , Odds Ratio , Risk Factors , Vascular Diseases/complications , Vascular Diseases/epidemiology
20.
Clin Epigenetics ; 11(1): 88, 2019 06 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31182144

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association of early-life exposure to the Chinese Great Famine (1959-1961) with DNA methylation in IGF2 and its subsequent influence on blood lipid levels in late adulthood among participants of the Genomic Research of the Chinese Famine (GRECF) study. METHODS: The GRECF study recruited 790 participants born between 1956 and 1964 from 2 neighbor provinces, Anhui and Jiangxi, in China through a multistage, clustered, random sampling. The current study included a random sample of 188 GRECF participants. IGF2 differential methylation region (DMR) is an intragenic DMR located upstream of the imprinted promoters of IGF2 exon 3. DNA methylation were quantified at 8 cytosine-phosphate-guanine dinucleotides (CpG) sites at the IGF2 DMR (chr11p15.5) using the Sequenom EpiTYPER method and the MassARRAY system. Multivariate linear regressions were used to evaluate pairwise associations among famine severity, DNA methylation in the IGF2 gene, and lipid levels. We controlled for age and sex in the base model and additionally controlled for education, smoking, and drinking status in the fully adjusted model. Mediation analysis was applied to assess the mediation effect of DNA methylation at the IGF2 gene on the association between early-life exposure to severe famine and adult lipid levels. RESULTS: Exposure to severe famine was associated with elevated methylation at CpG1 (chr11: 2126041, build 36) of the IGF2 DMR (ß = 0.07; P = 0.0008) and total cholesterol (ß = 0.72; P = 1.09 × 10-7). After adjustment for age and sex, each unit increase in methylation of the CpG1 site was associated with 1.09-unit increase in total cholesterol (P = 0.03). After further adjustment for all covariates, these associations were still significant (Pfamine-CpG1 = 0.002, Pfamine-total cholesterol = 1.28 × 10-6, and PCpG1-total cholesterol = 0.05). CONCLUSION: Increased methylation level in the IGF2 gene was associated with early-life exposure to severe famine, and this change was also positively associated with total cholesterol in late adulthood.


Subject(s)
Cholesterol/blood , DNA Methylation , Insulin-Like Growth Factor II/genetics , Malnutrition/genetics , China , Exons , Famine , Female , Genetic Association Studies , Genomic Imprinting , Humans , Linear Models , Male , Malnutrition/blood , Middle Aged , Promoter Regions, Genetic
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