Excess mortality associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in Latvia: a population-level analysis of all-cause and noncommunicable disease deaths in 2020.

BACKGROUND: Age-standardised noncommunicable disease (NCD) mortality and the proportion of the elderly population in Latvia are high, while public health and health care systems are underresourced. The emerging COVID-19 pandemic raised concerns about its detrimental impact on all-cause and noncommunicable disease mortality in Latvia. We estimated the timing and number of excess all-cause and cause-specific deaths in 2020 in Latvia due to COVID-19 and selected noncommunicable diseases. METHODS: A time series analysis of all-cause and cause-specific weekly mortality from COVID-19, circulatory diseases, malignant neoplasms, diabetes mellitus, and chronic lower respiratory diseases from the National Causes of Death Database from 2015 to 2020 was used by applying generalised additive modelling (GAM) and joinpoint regression analysis. RESULTS: Between weeks 14 and 52 (from 1 April to 29 December) of 2020, a total of 3111 excess deaths (95% PI 1339 - 4832) were estimated in Latvia, resulting in 163.77 excess deaths per 100 000. Since September 30, with the outbreak of the second COVID-19 wave, 55% of all excess deaths have occurred. Altogether, COVID-19-related deaths accounted for only 28% of the estimated all-cause excess deaths. A significant increase in excess mortality was estimated for circulatory diseases (68.91 excess deaths per 100 000). Ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease were listed as the underlying cause in almost 60% of COVID-19-contributing deaths. CONCLUSIONS: All-cause mortality and mortality from circulatory diseases significantly increased in Latvia during the first pandemic year. All-cause excess mortality substantially exceeded reported COVID-19-related deaths, implying COVID-19-related mortality during was significantly underestimated. Increasing mortality from circulatory diseases suggests a negative cumulative effect of COVID-19 exposure and reduced access to healthcare services for NCD patients.

Mental Health and Associated Demographic and Occupational Factors among Health Care Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Latvia.

Background and Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the health care system. Front-line health care workers (HCWs) are at a higher risk of mental health adverse outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of the symptoms of depression and anxiety and associated demographic and occupational factors among front-line HCWs in Latvia. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative study was performed in a population of HCWs during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Latvia. The participants were interviewed between 28 April 2020 and 2 June 2020. Answers from 864 HCWs were obtained. The participants reported their demographics, work-related information, contacts with COVID-19-positive patients and completed two standardised questionnaires that assessed the symptoms of anxiety (GAD-7) and depression (PHQ-9). The gathered data were analysed by a chi-squared test and binary logistic regression. The data analysis was performed using SPSS v25. Results: A total of 209 (24.8%) participants had depression symptoms and 145 (17.2%) had anxiety symptoms. Health care workers older than 50 had a lower risk of both depression (OR 0.422 (95% CI, 0.262-0.680)) and anxiety (OR 0.468 (95% CI, 0.270-0.813)). General practitioners had more frequent symptoms of depression and anxiety than participants who worked at hospitals (32.8% (n = 63) versus 19.4% (n = 73) and 27.1% (n = 52) versus 10.3% (n = 39), respectively (p = 0.037; p < 0.000)). Working more than 48 h during the week was associated with a higher risk of depression (OR 2.222 (95% CI, 1.315-3.753)) and anxiety (OR 2.416 (95% CI, 1.272-4.586)). Conclusions: The vulnerability of the health care system before the COVID-19 pandemic led to significant mental health adverse outcomes of HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic in Latvia. A further cohort study is needed to evaluate the dynamics of mental health and other predisposing factors of HCWs.

Glutathione Reductase Is Associated with the Clinical Outcome of Septic Shock in the Patients Treated Using Continuous Veno-Venous Haemofiltration.

Background and objectives: At present, there is insufficient evidence to support the use of continuous veno-venous haemofiltration (CVVH) in the early treatment of septic shock. This study focuses on the association between survival and different parameters of oxidative stress (RedOx). Thereby, we evaluated whether RedOx markers are associated with the outcome of septic shock in patients under early-initiated CVVH treatment. Materials and Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study of 65 patients with septic shock who started CVVH within 12 h after hospital admission. Blood samples were taken from each patient prior to the start of CVVH. The following RedOx markers were measured: glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase (GR), total antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase, nitric oxide, malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxynonenal. The odds ratio (OR) was calculated using binary logistic regression and stepwise multivariable regression. Results: The 65 patients had a median age of 66 years and 39 were male. Based on the outcome, the patients were divided into two groups-non-survivors (n = 29) and survivors (n = 36)-and the levels of RedOx markers were compared between them. Of all the markers, only higher GR activity was found to be significantly associated with the fatal outcome; 100.3 U/L versus 60.5 U/L, OR = 1.027 (95% CI, 1.010-1.044). Following adjustment for the sequential organ failure assessment score and other parameters, GR activity still presented a significant association with the fatal outcome, OR = 1.020 (95% CI, 1.002-1.038). Conclusions: GR activity is associated with in-hospital fatal outcomes among septic shock patients under early-initiated CVVH treatment. Septic shock patients who have a lower GR activity at hospital admission may have a favourable outcome of the early initiation of CVVH.

Pre-existing diabetes mellitus and all-cause mortality in cancer patients: a register-based study in Latvia.

BACKGROUND: Most studies from high income countries consistently report that preexisting diabetes reduces overall survival of cancer patients. We examined this association in a retrospective cohort study using two nation-wide population-based data sets in Latvia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The Cancer Register, linked with the Diabetes Register and Causes of Death Database, was the first data source used to select 22,936 men and 25,338 women with cancer diagnosed from 2009 to 2013. The follow-up period ended on 28 February 2015. The National Health Service data served as a second data source, which was used to select 10,130 men and 13,236 women with cancer as the main diagnosis, who were discharged from oncology hospitals from 2009 to 2012. Prescriptions of reimbursed antidiabetic medications indicated prior diabetes status. The follow-up period started at the date of discharge and ended on 31 December 2013. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess association between preexisting diabetes and all-cause mortality, adjusted for age. RESULTS: Men with preexisting diabetes had better overall short-term survival: the age-adjusted hazard ratios (95% CI) were 0.86 (0.79-0.93) for the first year and 0.89 (0.80-0.98) for the first two years after cancer diagnosis according to the disease register and health service data, respectively. After three full follow-up years, their relative mortality increased, with an age-adjusted hazard ratio of 1.60 (1.28-1.99). Among women, preexisting diabetes was associated with slightly higher all-cause mortality during the entire follow-up period, with age-adjusted hazard ratios of 1.17 (1.10-1.24) for the disease register data and 1.11 (1.02-1.21) for the health service data. CONCLUSION: Interestingly, we found better overall survival of diabetic men during the first years after cancer diagnosis. We hypothesize that access to health services may be advantageous to diabetic patients who are in close contact with the healthcare system.

Factors related to poor asthma control in Latvian asthma patients between 2013 and 2015.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether beliefs about asthma medication, cognitive and emotional factors are related to poor asthma control in a sample of Latvian asthma patients in 2015. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, self-administered survey. SUBJECTS: Three hundred and fifty two asthma patients (mean age 57.5 years) attending outpatient pulmonologist consultations in Riga, Latvia during September 2013 to December 2015. The sample size was calculated to detect a prevalence of poor asthma control of 50% with a margin of error of 5% and a power of 95%. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The validated Beliefs about Medication Questionnaire (BMQ) and the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (brief IPQ) were used. Good asthma control was assessed using the asthma control test (ACT), a validated five-item scale that reliably assesses asthma control over a recall period of four weeks. Logistic regression models were used to predict poor asthma control. RESULTS: Patients who had a good control of asthma medication (OR 0.70; 95% CI 0.61-0.79) or were confident that their asthma medication improves illness (OR 0.84; 95% CI 0.74-0.95) had a reduced risk of poor asthma control. The more symptoms (OR 1.63; 95% CI 1.44-1.84) the asthma patients perceived or the more their illness affects their life, the higher the probability of poor asthma control (OR 1.47; 95% CI 1.31-1.65). Some beliefs of necessity and concerns of asthma medication were also statistically significantly related to poor asthma control. CONCLUSIONS: Beliefs of necessity of asthma medication, cognitive and emotional illness perception factors correlate well with poor asthma control in Latvian patients.

The mortality of patients with diabetes mellitus in Latvia 2000-2012.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: In Latvia, like in other European countries, the incidence of diabetes mellitus is increasing and so it is important to find out what the trends in the mortality of diabetes mellitus in Latvia are. The aim of this study was to calculate the mortality indicators of diabetes patients in Latvia from 2000 to 2012 and compare mortality among diabetes mellitus patients with mortality among the population of Latvia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was carried out with a quantitative statistical analysis approach. In the study, all the registered patients with diabetes mellitus from 2000 to 2012 were included. RESULTS: Mortality in a population with diabetes decreased statistically significantly from 57.76 per 1000py in 2000 to 45.33 per 1000py in 2012. In the general population of Latvia, there were no statistically significant changes; the mortality in 2000 was 13.56 per 1000py, in 2012 - 14.24 per 1000py. The age-standardised mortality ratio of the population with diabetes and the population of Latvia decreased from 1.71 (95% CI=1.62-1.81) in 2000 to 1.23 (95% CI=1.19-1.27) in 2012. CONCLUSIONS: In Latvia the mortality of patients with diabetes exceeds mortality in the general population. Mortality rates are higher for men and older patients, however, compared to mortality in the general population, diabetes increases the risk of death; especially for women and for younger patients. There is a tendency that the mortality indicators of patients with diabetes and mortality indicators in the general population are becoming closer.

Self-Esteem and Occupational Factors as Predictors of the Incidence of Anxiety and Depression among Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Latvia.

The prevalence of depression and anxiety among healthcare workers (HCWs) during the COVID-19 pandemic is high. The aim of the study is to identify the importance of self-esteem and occupational factors in association with the incidence of depression and anxiety among HCWs through a longitudinal cohort study during the COVID-19 pandemic in Latvia. Participants received seven questionnaires during the COVID-19 pandemic on demographic parameters, work-related information, and contact with COVID-19 patients, and three standardized questionnaires that evaluated symptoms of anxiety (GAD-7), depression (PHQ-9), and self-esteem (Rosenberg's self-esteem scale). The Generalized Linear Mixed Model (GLMM) was used to identify factors associated with the incidence of depression and anxiety among HCWs. A total of 322 participants were included in the data analysis for depression and 352 for anxiety. HCWs with low self-esteem were 83% more likely to experience depression and 76% more likely to experience anxiety. Working at a general practitioner practice is associated with twice the risk of developing depression and anxiety. A 31% increase in the odds of depression is observed among HCWs with direct contact with COVID-19 patients. The organizational and government levels must look for opportunities to facilitate the mental health of HCWs to ensure better-quality healthcare.

Years of potential life lost due to HIV infection and associated factors based on national HIV surveillance data in Latvia, 1991-2010.

BACKGROUND: Latvia is still experiencing one of the highest human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) mortality rates in the European Union, and HIV is the 6(th) leading cause of death among young adults (15-39 y) in the country. The aim of the study was to determine the years of potential life lost (YPLL) as an indicator of premature mortality and the associated factors among people living with HIV (PLH) in Latvia. METHODS: Data from the National Registry of HIV/AIDS Cases was used for the time period 1991-2010. Data on 738 deaths were analysed. The cut-off age for YPLL calculations was 65 y. Univariable analysis was done using Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests. A linear regression model was constructed for determining the independent effects of the particular factors on the number of YPLL. RESULTS: The total number of YPLL due to HIV in Latvia was 21,097 (50.4/100,000 general population; 511.1/1000 PLH). Each PLH who died had lost 28.8 YPLL on average. The numbers of YPLL reflect the population groups most affected by the HIV epidemic (young men, non-ethnic Latvians, living in the capital city, and being infected via drug injection). Our regression model indicated that among deceased PLH, non-Latvian ethnicity and injecting drug use as the mode of HIV transmission were associated with an additional 2.4 (p = 0.003) and 5.7 (p < 0.001) average YPLL, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A considerable number of years of potential life have been lost in Latvia due to HIV. YPLL is significantly associated with ethnicity and mode of HIV transmission.

Excess Cardiovascular Mortality in Latvia: A Novel Approach Based on Patient-Level Data to Estimate the Separate Contributions of Primary Prevention, Accessibility and Quality of Hospital Care.

BACKGROUND: Because quantifying the relative contributions of prevention and medical care to the decline in cardiovascular mortality is controversial, at present mortality indicators use a fifty-fifty allocation to fraction avoidable cardiovascular deaths as being partly preventable and partly amenable. The aim of this study was to develop a dynamic approach to estimate the contributions of preventable versus amenable mortality, and to estimate the proportion of amenable mortality due to non-utilisation of care versus suboptimal quality of care. METHODS: We calculated the contribution of primary prevention, healthcare utilisation and healthcare quality in Latvia by using Emilia-Romagna (ER) (Italy) as the best performer reference standard. In particular, we considered preventable mortality as the number of cardiovascular deaths that could be avoided if Latvia had the same incidence as ER, and then apportioned non-preventable mortality into the two components of non-utilisation versus suboptimal quality of hospital care based on the presence of hospital admissions in the days before death. This calculation was possible thanks to the availability of the unique patient identifier in the administrative databases of Latvia and ER. RESULTS: 41.5 people per 100 000 population died in Latvia in 2016 from cardiovascular causes amenable to healthcare; about half of these (21.4 per 100 000) had had no contact with acute care settings, while the other half (20.1 per 100 000) had accessed the hospital but received suboptimal-quality healthcare. Another estimated 26.8 deaths per 100 000 population were due to lack of primary prevention. Deaths attributable to suboptimal quality or non-utilisation of hospital care constituted 60.7% of all avoidable cardiovascular mortality. CONCLUSION: If research is undertaken to understand the reasons for differences between territories and their possible relevance to lower performing countries, the dynamic assessment of country-specific contributions to avoidable mortality has considerable potential to stimulate cross-national learning and continuous improvement in population health outcomes.

The prevalence of viral hepatitis C in Latvia: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Chronic viral hepatitis C (VHC) is one of the most discussed infectious diseases worldwide. The number of infected persons worldwide is approximately 170 million, and in Europe, it exceeds 9 million. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV prevalence) and prevalence of HCV viremia (HCV-RNA prevalence) in Latvia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A multistage randomized selection was used. A total of 42 primary care physicians (PCPs) were randomly selected from the register of PCPs from different regions of Latvia. From each PCP register, 60 subjects were selected (1651 individuals in total) and invited for the anti-HCV test with a screening method (ELISA). In case of positive results, antibodies were confirmed by the Western blot test, and all these subjects were tested for HCV-RNA by polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Of the 1459 subjects tested, 57 were positive for anti-HCV (3.9%; 95% CI 3% to 5%); 35 of them were positive for anti-HCV with a confirmatory test (2.4%; 95% CI, 1.7% to 3.3%): 19 men and 16 women (3.8% and 1.7%, respectively; P=0.011). The results of HCV RNA test were positive in 25 subjects (1.7%; 95% CI, 1.2% to 2.5%): 15 men and 10 women (3% and 1% respectively, P=0.019). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of anti-HCV and HCV-RNA in Latvia was found to be 2.4% and 1.7%, respectively. The prevalence of anti-HCV and HCV-RNA was higher in men than women.

Factors related to poor adherence in Latvian asthma patients.

BACKGROUND: The problem of nonadherence to therapy is a key reason of insufficient asthma control. Evaluating the beliefs about asthma medication, cognitive and emotional perceptions may help to identify patients with poor adherence to treatment in clinical practice which need additional attention in order to increase the likelihood of them taking their asthma medication according to the prescribed treatment protocol. The purpose of this study is to assess whether beliefs about asthma medication, cognitive and emotional factors are related to poor treatment adherence of asthma medication in a sample of asthma patients in Latvia. METHODS: Study subjects were asthma patients attending outpatient pulmonologist consultations in Latvia during September 2013 to December 2015. Beliefs about asthma medicine, cognitive and emotional factors related to asthma were determined in a cross-sectional, self-administered survey. The validated Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ) and the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (brief IPQ) were used. Treatment adherence was assessed using 5-item version of the Medication Adherence Reporting Scale (MARS). The total sample size was 352 patients. Logistic regression models were used to predict poor adherence to asthma treatment. The validity of each logistic regression model was assessed by the Hosmer/Lemeshow test. The main outcome measure was self-reported adherence to treatment. RESULTS: The more the patients agreed with the statement "My future health depends on my asthma medication" the lower the possibility of poor adherence to asthma treatment (OR 0.42; 95% CI 0.24-0.74). The more concerned the patients were in regard to long-term effects of their medication (OR 2; 95% CI 1.22-3.27), the higher the probability of poor treatment adherence. CONCLUSIONS: Screening asthma patients using the BMQ may help to identify those to benefit from interventions targeting their concerns and medication beliefs in order to improve adherence to asthma medication.

Factors related to good asthma control using different medical adherence scales in Latvian asthma patients: an observational study.

One of the main challenges in asthma control is adherence to pharmaceutical treatment. The aim of this study was to test the association between adherence to asthma medication, control and medical beliefs, cognitive and emotional perceptions using three different validated questionnaires. Beliefs about asthma medicine, cognitive and emotional factors were determined in a cross-sectional survey of patients attending outpatient pulmonologist practices in Latvia (n = 352). The validated Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire and the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire were used. Adherence to asthma medication was assessed using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale and two different versions of the Medication Adherence Reporting Scale. Several questions about necessity or concerns related to pharmaceutical treatment were able to predict poor adherence according to the Morisky scale. If the patient felt that without the asthma medication his life would be impossible, his risk to have poor treatment adherence was 46% reduced (odds ratio 0.54; 95% confidence interval 0.33-0.89). Furthermore, asthma patients who were convinced that their health depends on the asthma treatment were less likely to have poor treatment adherence (odds ratio 0.56: 95% confidence interval 0.32-0.97). In case the patient was concerned by the need to constantly use asthma medication or sometimes concerned by long-term effects of asthma medication the odds of poor treatment adherence were 1.96 (95% confidence interval 1.19-3.24) and 2.43 (95% confidence interval 1.45-4.08), respectively. In conclusion, medication beliefs, particularly concerns and necessity of asthma treatment were associated with poor treatment adherence when assessed with the Morisky or 5-item Medication Adherence Reporting Scale. ASTHMA TREATMENT: INVESTIGATING POOR ADHERENCE IN THE LATVIAN POPULATION: Concerns about treatment necessity and uses of asthma medication are key factors influencing poor treatment adherence in Latvia. There are multiple psychological and behavioral reasons why patients do not adhere to asthma treatment courses, including social and religious beliefs, and perceptions of chronic illness. Patient questionnaires and 'adherence scales' can help predict whether patients are likely to follow advice, but their efficacy differs for individual nations. Dins Smits at Riga Stradins University, Latvia, and co-workers analyzed responses to three questionnaires completed by 352 asthma patients to assess treatment perceptions and the best questionnaire option for the Latvian population. Concerns about the use of asthma medication and beliefs about treatment necessity were key factors in poor adherence. These were picked up by the Morisky and MARS 5-item scales, which the authors recommend for future use.

Healthcare financing reform in Latvia: switching from social health insurance to NHS and back?

In the 1990s, Latvia aimed at introducing Social Health Insurance (SHI) but later changed to a National Health Service (NHS) type system. The NHS is financed from general taxation, provides coverage to the entire population, and pays for a basic service package purchased from independent public and private providers. In November 2013, the Cabinet of Ministers passed a draft Healthcare Financing Law, aiming at increasing public expenditures on health by introducing Compulsory Health Insurance (CHI) and linking entitlement to health services to the payment of income tax. Opponents of the reform argue that linking entitlement to health services to the payment of income tax does not have the potential to increase public expenditures on health but that it can contribute to compromising universal coverage and access to health services of certain population groups. In view of strong opposition, it is unlikely that the law will be adopted before parliamentary elections in October 2014. Nevertheless, the discussion around the law is interesting because of three main reasons: (1) it can illustrate why the concept of SHI remains attractive - not only for Latvia but also for other countries, (2) it shows that a change from NHS to SHI does not imply major institutional reforms, and (3) it demonstrates the potential problems of introducing SHI, i.e. of linking entitlement to health services to the payment of contributions.

Interbirth interval is associated with childhood type 1 diabetes risk.

Short interbirth interval has been associated with maternal complications and childhood autism and leukemia, possibly due to deficiencies in maternal micronutrients at conception or increased exposure to sibling infections. A possible association between interbirth interval and subsequent risk of childhood type 1 diabetes has not been investigated. A secondary analysis of 14 published observational studies of perinatal risk factors for type 1 diabetes was conducted. Risk estimates of diabetes by category of interbirth interval were calculated for each study. Random effects models were used to calculate pooled odds ratios (ORs) and investigate heterogeneity between studies. Overall, 2,787 children with type 1 diabetes were included. There was a reduction in the risk of childhood type 1 diabetes in children born to mothers after interbirth intervals <3 years compared with longer interbirth intervals (OR 0.82 [95% CI 0.72-0.93]). Adjustments for various potential confounders little altered this estimate. In conclusion, there was evidence of a 20% reduction in the risk of childhood diabetes in children born to mothers after interbirth intervals <3 years.

Breast-feeding and childhood-onset type 1 diabetes: a pooled analysis of individual participant data from 43 observational studies.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate if there is a reduced risk of type 1 diabetes in children breastfed or exclusively breastfed by performing a pooled analysis with adjustment for recognized confounders. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Relevant studies were identified from literature searches using MEDLINE, Web of Science, and EMBASE. Authors of relevant studies were asked to provide individual participant data or conduct prespecified analyses. Meta-analysis techniques were used to combine odds ratios (ORs) and investigate heterogeneity between studies. RESULTS: Data were available from 43 studies including 9,874 patients with type 1 diabetes. Overall, there was a reduction in the risk of diabetes after exclusive breast-feeding for >2 weeks (20 studies; OR = 0.75, 95% CI 0.64-0.88), the association after exclusive breast-feeding for >3 months was weaker (30 studies; OR = 0.87, 95% CI 0.75-1.00), and no association was observed after (nonexclusive) breast-feeding for >2 weeks (28 studies; OR = 0.93, 95% CI 0.81-1.07) or >3 months (29 studies; OR = 0.88, 95% CI 0.78-1.00). These associations were all subject to marked heterogeneity (I(2) = 58, 76, 54, and 68%, respectively). In studies with lower risk of bias, the reduced risk after exclusive breast-feeding for >2 weeks remained (12 studies; OR = 0.86, 95% CI 0.75-0.99), and heterogeneity was reduced (I(2) = 0%). Adjustments for potential confounders altered these estimates very little. CONCLUSIONS: The pooled analysis suggests weak protective associations between exclusive breast-feeding and type 1 diabetes risk. However, these findings are difficult to interpret because of the marked variation in effect and possible biases (particularly recall bias) inherent in the included studies.

Birth order and childhood type 1 diabetes risk: a pooled analysis of 31 observational studies.

BACKGROUND: The incidence rates of childhood onset type 1 diabetes are almost universally increasing across the globe but the aetiology of the disease remains largely unknown. We investigated whether birth order is associated with the risk of childhood diabetes by performing a pooled analysis of previous studies. METHODS: Relevant studies published before January 2010 were identified from MEDLINE, Web of Science and EMBASE. Authors of studies provided individual patient data or conducted pre-specified analyses. Meta-analysis techniques were used to derive combined odds ratios (ORs), before and after adjustment for confounders, and investigate heterogeneity. RESULTS: Data were available for 6 cohort and 25 case-control studies, including 11,955 cases of type 1 diabetes. Overall, there was no evidence of an association prior to adjustment for confounders. After adjustment for maternal age at birth and other confounders, a reduction in the risk of diabetes in second- or later born children became apparent [fully adjusted OR = 0.90 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.83-0.98; P = 0.02] but this association varied markedly between studies (I² = 67%). An a priori subgroup analysis showed that the association was stronger and more consistent in children < 5 years of age (n = 25 studies, maternal age adjusted OR = 0.84 95% CI 0.75, 0.93; I² = 23%). CONCLUSION: Although the association varied between studies, there was some evidence of a lower risk of childhood onset type 1 diabetes with increasing birth order, particularly in children aged < 5 years. This finding could reflect increased exposure to infections in early life in later born children.

Maternal age at birth and childhood type 1 diabetes: a pooled analysis of 30 observational studies.

OBJECTIVE: The aim if the study was to investigate whether children born to older mothers have an increased risk of type 1 diabetes by performing a pooled analysis of previous studies using individual patient data to adjust for recognized confounders. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Relevant studies published before June 2009 were identified from MEDLINE, Web of Science, and EMBASE. Authors of studies were contacted and asked to provide individual patient data or conduct prespecified analyses. Risk estimates of type 1 diabetes by maternal age were calculated for each study, before and after adjustment for potential confounders. Meta-analysis techniques were used to derive combined odds ratios and to investigate heterogeneity among studies. RESULTS: Data were available for 5 cohort and 25 case-control studies, including 14,724 cases of type 1 diabetes. Overall, there was, on average, a 5% (95% CI 2-9) increase in childhood type 1 diabetes odds per 5-year increase in maternal age (P = 0.006), but there was heterogeneity among studies (heterogeneity I(2) = 70%). In studies with a low risk of bias, there was a more marked increase in diabetes odds of 10% per 5-year increase in maternal age. Adjustments for potential confounders little altered these estimates. CONCLUSIONS: There was evidence of a weak but significant linear increase in the risk of childhood type 1 diabetes across the range of maternal ages, but the magnitude of association varied between studies. A very small percentage of the increase in the incidence of childhood type 1 diabetes in recent years could be explained by increases in maternal age.

Latvia: health system review

The Health Systems in Transition (HiT) profiles are country-based reports that provide a detailed description of a health system and of policyinitiatives in progress or under development. HiTs examine different approaches to the organization, financing and delivery of health services and therole of the main actors in health systems; describe the institutional framework, process, content and implementation of health and health care policies; and highlight challenges and areas that require more in-depth analysis. The life expectancy in Latvia has improved over the last two decades and was 71.1 years in 2005. This value is comparable to those in other eastern Europeanand former Soviet Union countries but is the lowest among the Baltic and Nordic countries. Health care services in Latvia are financed mainly by taxation through the state budget as well as by out-of-pocket (OOP) payments, voluntary healthinsurance (VHI) and other direct payments. Although entitlement to health care services is universal in Latvia, equity in access to services is compromised due to high levels of OOP payments by consumers. Health care services at the primary level are provided mainly by general practitioners (GP) who work independently and act as gatekeeper for specialized services. Latvia’s health care system has undergone major changes since the country achieved independence in 1991. Reform policy since then has included amongst others: adoption of a Public Health Strategy in 2001 (which aims at developingan integrated approach of prevention and treatment at all levels of the health care system), reform of health care financing (e.g. payment for hospital services, introduction of a primary health care payment system based on capitation and fund holding, pooling and channelling of almost all funds for health care through the centralized State Compulsory Health Insurance Agency (SCHIA)), regulations of the pricing system for pharmaceuticals and introduction of a centralized health management information system. However, patients and health care consumers are concerned with regard to quality of the health careservices, long waiting lists and access to specialized care.