Association Between Exposure to Outdoor Artificial Light at Night and Sleep Disorders Among Children in China.

Importance: Healthy sleep has an important role in the physical and mental health of children. However, few studies have investigated the association between outdoor artificial light at night (ALAN) and sleep disorders in children. Objective: To explore the associations between outdoor ALAN exposure and sleep disorders in children. Design, Setting, and Participants: This population-based cross-sectional study, part of the National Chinese Children Health Study, was conducted from April 1, 2012, to June 30, 2013, in the first stage and from May 1, 2016, to May 31, 2018, in the second stage in 55 districts of 14 cities in China. This analysis included 201 994 children and adolescents aged 2 to 18 years. Data were analyzed from February 20 to March 21, 2022. Exposures: Outdoor ALAN exposure (in nanowatts per centimeters squared per steradian) within 500 m of each participant's residential address obtained from the satellite imagery data, with a resolution of approximately 500 m. Main Outcomes and Measures: Sleep disorders were measured by the Chinese version of the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children. Generalized linear mixed models were used to estimate the associations of outdoor ALAN with sleep scores and sleep disorders. Results: The study included 201 994 children and adolescents (mean [SD] age, 11.3 [3.2] years; 106 378 boys [52.7%]), 7166 (3.5%) of whom had sleep disorder symptoms. Outdoor ALAN exposure of study participants ranged from 0.02 to 113.48 nW/cm2/sr. Compared with the lowest quintile (Q1) of outdoor ALAN exposure, higher quintiles of exposure (Q2-Q5) were associated with an increase in total sleep scores of 0.81 (95% CI, 0.66-0.96) in Q2, 0.83 (95% CI, 0.68-0.97) in Q3, 0.62 (95% CI, 0.46-0.77) in Q4, and 0.53 (95% CI, 0.36-0.70) in Q5. Higher quintiles of exposure were also associated with odds ratios for sleep disorder of 1.34 (95% CI, 1.23-1.45) in Q2, 1.43 (95% CI, 1.32-1.55) in Q3, 1.31 (95% CI, 1.21-1.43) in Q4, and 1.25 (95% CI, 1.14-1.38) in Q5. Similar associations were observed for sleep disorder subtypes. In addition, greater effect estimates were found among children younger than 12 years. Conclusions and Relevance: The findings of this cross-sectional study suggest that sleep disorders are more prevalent among children residing in areas with high levels of outdoor ALAN and the associations are generally stronger in children younger than 12 years. These findings further suggest that effective control of outdoor ALAN may be an important measure for improving the quality of children's sleep.

"You Can't Work with My People If You Don't Know How to": Enhancing Transfer of Care from Hospital to Primary Care for Aboriginal Australians with Chronic Disease.

Indigenous Australians experience significantly poorer health compared to other Australians, with chronic disease contributing to two-thirds of the health gap. We report on an evaluation of an innovative model that leverages mainstream and Aboriginal health resources to enable safe, supported transfer of care for Aboriginal adults with chronic conditions leaving hospital. The multisite evaluation was Aboriginal-led and underpinned by the principles of self-determination and equity and Indigenous research protocols. The qualitative study documented processes and captured service user and provider experiences. We found benefits for patients and their families, the hospital and the health system. The new model enhanced the patient journey and trust in the health service and was a source of staff satisfaction. Challenges included staff availability, patient identification and complexity and the broader issue of cultural safety. Critical success factors included strong governance with joint cultural and clinical leadership and enduring relationships and partnerships at the service delivery, organisation and system levels. A holistic model of care, bringing together cultural and clinical expertise and partnering with Indigenous community organisations, can enhance care coordination and safety across the hospital-community interface. It is important to consider context as well as specific program elements in design, implementation and evaluation.

Ambient air pollution exposure and gestational diabetes mellitus in Guangzhou, China: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Evidence concerning the effect of ambient air pollution exposure on gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is limited. No published studies have examined maternal weekly air pollution exposure and GDM, and the possible effect modification by folic acid supplementation has not been assessed. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the association between air pollution exposure and GDM at trimester and weekly levels, and to explore the potential effect modification by folic acid supplementation. METHODS: A total of 5421 pregnant women were recruited during 2011-2014 in Guangzhou, China. Daily PM2.5, PM10, SO2 and NO2 levels were collected from 10 monitoring stations. Individual's exposure during pregnancy was estimated using inverse-distance weighting approach. Binary logistic regression was used to examine the trimester-specific association between air pollution exposure and GDM. Distributed lag models (DLMs) were applied to estimate maternal weekly air pollution exposure and GDM. Stratified analyses by folic acid supplementation and interaction test were performed. RESULTS: The GDM incidence was 11.69%. An interquartile range (IQR) increase in first trimester SO2 was associated with increased GDM risk in the single pollutant model, the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) was 1.22 (1.02-1.47). In DLMs, an IQR increase in SO2 during 4th to 10th gestational weeks was associated with increased GDM risk, with the strongest effect in the 7th gestational week. When stratified by maternal folic acid supplementation, first trimester exposure to SO2 was associated with increased GDM risk among women taking folic acid supplements (aOR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.03-1.53) and P value for interaction was 0.13. No significant effects were observed for PM2.5, PM10 and NO2. CONCLUSION: First trimester exposure to SO2 was associated with increased GDM risk, especially during the 4th to 10th gestational weeks. The effect might be stronger among women taking folic acid supplements.

Initial group dietary education compared to individual education in gestational diabetes mellitus management: Do outcomes differ?

AIMS: To assess the effectiveness of Initial Group versus Initial Individual GDM dietary education in terms of insulin requirements and pregnancy outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective audit of clinical data was conducted where English speaking women who received initial education in a group setting (01-2-2012 to 01-2-2014) (Group), were compared to women who received initial individual education with a dietitian (1-2-2010 to 31-1-2012) (Individual), all followed by one individual dietitian appointment. The same dietary information was provided in both settings. Data collected included: attendance rates, insulin requirements, maternal weight gain, and rates of adverse birth outcomes. Data were compared by t-test or Chi-squared test. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine independent predictors of insulin therapy. RESULTS: Of 743 women; (362 Group and 381 Individual), Group women had a lower HbA1c at GDM diagnosis 5.3 ±â€¯0.6% versus 5.5 ±â€¯0.5% (34 ±â€¯6.6 mmol/mol versus 37 ±â€¯5.5 mmol/mol p < 0.0001). There were no other differences in baseline characteristics. More Group women required insulin (42.0% versus 34.6%, p = 0.048). Group education was found to be an independent predictor of insulin therapy (OR = 1.9 [1.29, 2.75] p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Despite adjusting for all known potential confounders, unlike Individual education, Group education remained a significant predictor of insulin therapy (but resulted in similar therapeutic and pregnancy outcomes to Individual education).

Acute effects of urban ambient air pollution on respiratory symptoms, asthma medication use, and doctor visits for asthma in a cohort of Australian children.

We enrolled a cohort of primary school children with a history of wheeze (n=148) in an 11-month longitudinal study to examine the relationship between ambient air pollution and respiratory morbidity. We obtained daily air pollution (ozone, particulate matter less than 10 microm, and nitrogen dioxide), meteorological, and pollen data. One hundred twenty-five children remained in the final analysis. We used logistic regression models to determine associations between air pollution and respiratory symptoms, asthma medication use, and doctor visits for asthma. There were no associations between ambient ozone concentrations and respiratory symptoms, asthma medication use, and doctor visits for asthma. There was, however, an association between PM(10) concentrations and doctor visits for asthma (RR=1.11, 95% CI=1.04-1.19) and between NO(2) concentration and wet cough (RR=1.05, 95% CI=1.003-1.10) in single-pollutant models. The associations remained significant in multipollutant models. There was no consistent evidence that children with wheeze, positive histamine challenge, and doctor diagnosis of asthma reacted differently to air pollution from children with wheeze and doctor diagnosis of asthma and children with wheeze only. There were significant associations between PM(10) levels and doctor visits for asthma and an association between NO(2) levels and the prevalence of wet cough. We were, however, unable to demonstrate that current levels of ambient air pollution in western Sydney have a coherent range of adverse health effects on children with a history of wheezing.