Major Depressive Syndrome (MDS) and its Association with Time of Residence among Spanish Speaking Au-Pairs Living in Germany.

The number of au-pairs in Germany is on the rise. In 2017, about 13,500 au-pairs were living in German families, almost half of them originating from non-European Union (EU) countries and many of them from Spanish speaking countries. Knowledge about mental health among au-pairs in Germany is limited. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of Major Depressive Syndrome (MDS) and its potential association with time of residence among Spanish speaking au-pairs living in Germany via an exploratory analysis. This study included a sample of 409 Spanish speaking au-pairs living in Germany. We classified the au-pairs into those who lived less than three weeks in Germany (newcomer au-pairs) and those who lived more than three weeks (experienced au-pairs). The participants were recruited by an online survey (Facebook and Instagram) from August 2018 to June 2019. Socio-demographic characteristics, time of residence in Germany and the level of education were assessed. MDS was assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire depression module (PHQ-9). Poisson regression models were calculated to evaluate the association between time of residence in Germany and prevalence of MDS. Most of the participants were female (91%). Almost half of them came from Colombia (48%) and were in the age range between 22-24 years (40%). Prevalence of MDS was 8% among newcomers and 19% among experienced au-pairs (p = 0.002). Differences remained statistically significant after adjustment for potential confounders (age, level of education and time of residence in Germany) (prevalence ratio 2.25; 95% confidence interval: 1.22-4.14). In conclusion, au-pairs may develop mental symptoms during their time abroad. Future prospective studies should aim at identifying potential risk factors and preventive measures.

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

An emerging body of evidence has implicated plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) in the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D), though findings have not always been consistent. We systematically reviewed epidemiological studies examining the association of PAI-1 with T2D. EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched to identify studies for inclusion. Fifty-two studies (44 cross-sectional with 47 unique analytical comparisons and 8 prospective) were included. In pooled random-effects analyses of prospective studies, a comparison of the top third vs. bottom third of baseline PAI-1 values generated a RR of T2D of 1.67 (95% CI 1.28-2.18) with moderate heterogeneity (I(2) = 38%). Additionally, of 47 cross-sectional comparisons, 34(72%) reported significantly elevated PAI-1 among diabetes cases versus controls, 2(4%) reported significantly elevated PAI-1 among controls, and 11(24%) reported null effects. Results from pooled analyses of prospective studies did not differ substantially by study design, length of follow-up, adjustment for various putative confounding factors, or study quality, and were robust to sensitivity analyses. Findings from this systematic review of the available epidemiological literature support a link between PAI-1 and T2D, independent of established diabetes risk factors. Given the moderate size of the association and heterogeneity across studies, future prospective studies are warranted.