Burden of infectious disease studies in Europe and the United Kingdom: a review of methodological design choices.

This systematic literature review aimed to provide an overview of the characteristics and methods used in studies applying the disability-adjusted life years (DALY) concept for infectious diseases within European Union (EU)/European Economic Area (EEA)/European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries and the United Kingdom. Electronic databases and grey literature were searched for articles reporting the assessment of DALY and its components. We considered studies in which researchers performed DALY calculations using primary epidemiological data input sources. We screened 3053 studies of which 2948 were excluded and 105 studies met our inclusion criteria. Of these studies, 22 were multi-country and 83 were single-country studies, of which 46 were from the Netherlands. Food- and water-borne diseases were the most frequently studied infectious diseases. Between 2015 and 2022, the number of burden of infectious disease studies was 1.6 times higher compared to that published between 2000 and 2014. Almost all studies (97%) estimated DALYs based on the incidence- and pathogen-based approach and without social weighting functions; however, there was less methodological consensus with regards to the disability weights and life tables that were applied. The number of burden of infectious disease studies undertaken across Europe has increased over time. Development and use of guidelines will promote performing burden of infectious disease studies and facilitate comparability of the results.

Differences in the risk of premature cancer mortality between natives and immigrants in Spain.

BACKGROUND: The healthy immigrant paradox has found wide support in the literature. To evaluate this hypothesis that immigrants have better health outcomes than the native population, this study aimed to compare the premature cancer mortality between the native and immigrant populations in Spain. METHODS: We obtained the 2012-15 cause-specific mortality estimates from administrative records and participant characteristics data from the 2011 Spanish census. Using Cox proportional hazards regression models, we calculated the risks of mortality of the native and immigrant populations, and the latter populations' risk based on their regions of origin, and determined the effects of covariates of interest on the calculated risk. RESULTS: Our results show that the risk of premature cancer mortality is lower among immigrants than among natives, and this gap is higher among men than among women. There is a lower mortality rate among Latin American immigrants (Latino men are 81% less likely to die prematurely from cancer than native-born men, and Latino women are 54% less). Moreover, despite social class disparities, immigrants' advantage in cancer mortality remained constant and decreased with increasing length of residence in the host country. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided novel evidence on the 'healthy immigrant paradox', associated with the fact that migrants are favorably selected at origin, cultural patterns of the societies of origin and, in the case of men, there is some convergence or an 'unhealthy' integration that explains the fact that this advantage over natives is lost with more years of residence in Spain.

Methodological considerations in injury burden of disease studies across Europe: a systematic literature review.

BACKGROUND: Calculating the disease burden due to injury is complex, as it requires many methodological choices. Until now, an overview of the methodological design choices that have been made in burden of disease (BoD) studies in injury populations is not available. The aim of this systematic literature review was to identify existing injury BoD studies undertaken across Europe and to comprehensively review the methodological design choices and assumption parameters that have been made to calculate years of life lost (YLL) and years lived with disability (YLD) in these studies. METHODS: We searched EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane Central, Google Scholar, and Web of Science, and the grey literature supplemented by handsearching, for BoD studies. We included injury BoD studies that quantified the BoD expressed in YLL, YLD, and disability-adjusted life years (DALY) in countries within the European Region between early-1990 and mid-2021. RESULTS: We retrieved 2,914 results of which 48 performed an injury-specific BoD assessment. Single-country independent and Global Burden of Disease (GBD)-linked injury BoD studies were performed in 11 European countries. Approximately 79% of injury BoD studies reported the BoD by external cause-of-injury. Most independent studies used the incidence-based approach to calculate YLDs. About half of the injury disease burden studies applied disability weights (DWs) developed by the GBD study. Almost all independent injury studies have determined YLL using national life tables. CONCLUSIONS: Considerable methodological variation across independent injury BoD assessments was observed; differences were mainly apparent in the design choices and assumption parameters towards injury YLD calculations, implementation of DWs, and the choice of life table for YLL calculations. Development and use of guidelines for performing and reporting of injury BoD studies is crucial to enhance transparency and comparability of injury BoD estimates across Europe and beyond.

Reward sensitivity and hazardous alcohol consumption in women: The parallel mediation effect of self-control and impulsivity traits.

Introduction: Little research has been carried out on the associations between several individual factors and hazardous alcohol use in women. The aim of this study was first, to study the relationship between reward sensitivity (RS) and alcohol use in both women with and without hazardous drinking separately. Second, to explore the potential mediating roles of the impulsivity and self-control traits in this relationship. Method: The study was analytical and cross-sectional and included 645 female participants (mean age = 19.14; standard deviation (SD)=1.60). All women were divided into two groups (286, 44.3%, with hazardous drinking, HDW; and 359, 55.7%, with light drinking, LDW). Correlation analyses were carried out to explore the associations between the variables, and parallel mediation analyses were performed to investigate the potential mediating roles of impulsivity and self-control in the RS-alcohol use associations in each group separately. Results: A significant association was observed between RS and alcohol use in HDW, contrary to that observed in their counterparts. In addition, both higher impulsivity and less self-control mediated the association between RS and alcohol use only in HDW. Conclusions: Impulsivity and self-control differently affect alcohol use under the condition of high reward sensitivity, only in HDW, suggesting alterations of the dual top-down and bottom-up mechanisms and a possible imbalance between the competing reflexive and impulsive brain systems. More research is needed regarding the individual factors that affect women's drinking to develop sensitive measures for the assessment of alcohol use and more efficient interventions for women.

Rounding as an indicator of bias in reported body weight in health surveys.

Due to the higher costs and selection bias of directly measuring weight, the majority of body weight data are based on survey responses. However, these statements are subject to systematic biases of social desirability; therefore, it is important to evaluate the magnitude of bias through indirect indicators such as rounding of weights. Data from seven rounds of the Spanish National Health Survey from 1995 to 2017 were included in the study, with 113,284 subjects. A general rounding index of weights terminating in 0 and 5, and a partial rounding index that estimated the bias direction, were used to estimate the bias distribution in the self-reporting of body weight. All body weights were systematically rounded, although more strongly in the lower weights and even more so in the higher weights. Lower weights were rounded up, and the higher weights rounded down. Regarding gender, men had higher rounding indices than women. The subjects generally reported a weight closer to the socially desirable weight. Rounding allows estimating the historical evolution of this bias in health and nutrition surveys, having more accurate information by population segments and designing public policies against obesity aimed at the more affected social segments.

Long-term outcomes of distal locking in extracapsular fractures treated with trochanteric Gamma3 nails.

BACKGROUND: Few publications have assessed long-term results of distal locking of short endomedullary nails for extracapsular hip fracture. Virtually all of them focus on immediate differences. Criteria for the use of static or dynamic locking are unclear in most nailing systems, and use is advised in unstable fracture patterns or with risk of bell-clapper effect, but often influenced by the "orthopaedic school". MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a historical cohort study on patients diagnosed and operated in 2014 and followed up until endpoint, considered as consolidation or major complication, plus evaluation of overall long-term survival. They were categorised as static distal locking (ST) or dynamic distal locking (DN). Both are comparable, except for all stable pre-operative classifications, Fracture Mobility Score (FMS) at discharge, and immediate post-operative loading, all of which were in favour of DN. RESULTS: Consolidation took place in > 95% of patients, with a non-statistically significant delay trend in ST. Less than 6% in both ST and DN had major complications, with no differences. Most cases suffered early cut-out. Significant fracture collapse was the most frequent minor complication. There were more statistically significant minor and total complications in ST. Infection, without differences, can precede cut-out. Lateral thigh pain was similar and could be related to back-out. In DN, 21.1% of cases were truly dynamised. We did not find differences in mobility or in long-term survival. CONCLUSIONS: Any type of distal locking seems to be safe for consolidation, despite a slightly longer consolidation time in static locking. Early cut-out was the main complication, while others were very infrequent, which is an advantage over helical blade devices. There was a higher rate of minor and overall mechanical complications in ST, but infection and lateral thigh pain were similar. Most non-traumatic mechanical complications occurred around 5-6 weeks. About one in five of the DN truly dynamised, with all cases occurring before 8 weeks. Mobility until endpoint and overall long-term survival were not influenced by the locking mode used. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic study, level 2b.

[Contributions of change in mortality by HIV/AIDS to Spanish life expectancy]. / Contribuciones del cambio en mortalidad por sida a la esperanza de vida en España.

OBJECTIVE: To measure the effect of the change in mortality by AIDS in life expectancy at birth of Spanish population in 1985-2017. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed 56 863 deaths by AIDS. We calculated age-standardized death rates, and we applied Poisson regression and decomposition of life expectancies. RESULTS: From 1985 to 1995, mortality by AIDS contributed to reduce life expectancy at birth of 0.64 years for men, and 0.17 for women; in 1996-2017, increase it by 0.60 years, men, and 0.17, women. CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy in 1996 and prevention were decisive to reduce mortality by AIDS and to become chronic the epidemic.

OBJETIVO: Medir el efecto del cambio en mortalidad por sida en la esperanza de vida de la población española en 1985-2017. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se analizaron 56 863 defunciones por sida. Se calcularon tasas estandarizadas de mortalidad y se aplicó regresión de Poisson y descomposición de esperanzas de vida. RESULTADOS: En 1985-1995, la mortalidad por sida contribuyó a disminuir la esperanza de vida 0.64 años en hombres y 0.17 en mujeres. En 1996-2017, la hizo crecer 0.60 en hombres y 0.17 en mujeres. CONCLUSIONES: La introducción en 1996 de los tratamientos antirretrovirales de gran actividad y la prevención fueron decisivas para disminuir la mortalidad por sida y cronificar la epidemia.

[The changing sex differences in life expectancy in Spain (1980-2012): decomposition by age and cause]. / Cambios en las diferencias por sexo en la esperanza de vida en España (1980-2012): descomposición por edad y causa.

OBJECTIVE: To calculate and analyse the contributions of changes in mortality by age groups and selected causes of death to sex differences in life expectancy at birth in Spain from 1980 to 2012. METHODS: Cross-sectional study with three time points (1980, 1995, and 2012). We used data from Human Cause-of-Death Database and Human Mortality Database. We use a decomposition method of the differences in life expectancy and gender differences in life expectancy from changes in mortality by 5-year age groups and causes of death between women and men. RESULTS: From 1980 to 1995, the lower mortality of women from 25 years old, and the differences in mortality by HIV/AIDS, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases contributed to the gap increase. From 1995 to 2012, greatest improvement in mortality of males under 74 years of age, and in improving male mortality from HIV/AIDS, acute myocardial infarction and traffic accidents contributed to the narrowing. CONCLUSIONS: The difference in life expectancy at birth between men and women has decreased since 1995 due to a greater improvement in mortality from causes of death associated with risky behaviours and habits of the working age male population.

Contribuciones del cambio en mortalidad por sida a la esperanza de vida en España / Contributions of change in mortality by HIV/AIDS to Spanish life expectancy

Resumen: Objetivo: Medir el efecto del cambio en mortalidad por sida en la esperanza de vida de la población española en 1985-2017. Material y métodos: Se analizaron 56 863 defunciones por sida. Se calcularon tasas estandarizadas de mortalidad y se aplicó regresión de Poisson y descomposición de esperanzas de vida. Resultados: En 1985-1995, la mortalidad por sida contribuyó a disminuir la esperanza de vida 0.64 años en hombres y 0.17 en mujeres. En 1996-2017, la hizo crecer 0.60 en hombres y 0.17 en mujeres. Conclusión: La introducción en 1996 de los tratamientos antirretrovirales de gran actividad y la prevención fueron decisivas para disminuir la mortalidad por sida y cronificar la epidemia.

Abstract: Objective: To measure the effect of the change in mortality by AIDS in life expectancy at birth of Spanish population in 1985-2017. Materials and methods: We analyzed 56 863 deaths by AIDS. We calculated age-standardized death rates, and we applied Poisson regression and decomposition of life expectancies. Results: From 1985 to 1995, mortality by AIDS contributed to reduce life expectancy at birth of 0.64 years for men, and 0.17 for women; in 1996-2017, increase it by 0.60 years, men, and 0.17, women. Conclusion: The introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy in 1996 and prevention were decisive to reduce mortality by AIDS and to become chronic the epidemic.

Using a serious game to complement CPR instruction in a nurse faculty.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a first aid key survival technique used to stimulate breathing and keep blood flowing to the heart. Its effective administration can significantly increase the chances of survival for victims of cardiac arrest. LISSA is a serious game designed to complement CPR teaching and also to refresh CPR skills in an enjoyable way. The game presents an emergency situation in a 3D virtual environment and the player has to save the victim applying the CPR actions. In this paper, we describe LISSA and its evaluation in a population composed of 109 nursing undergraduate students enrolled in the Nursing degree of our university. To evaluate LISSA we performed a randomized controlled trial that compares the classical teaching methodology, composed of self-directed learning for theory plus laboratory sessions with a mannequin for practice, with the one that uses LISSA after self-directed learning for theory and before laboratory sessions with a mannequin. From our evaluation we observed that students using LISSA (Group 2 and 3) gave significantly better learning acquisition scores than those following traditional classes (Group 1). To evaluate the differences between students of these groups we performed a paired samples t-test between Group 1 and 2 (µ1=35, 67, µ2=47, 50 and p<0.05) and between students of Group 1 and 3 (µ1=35, 67, µ3=50, 58 and p<0.05). From these tests we observed that there are significant differences in both cases. We also evaluated student performance of main steps of CPR protocol. Students that use LISSA performed better than the ones that did not use it.