Prevalence and factors associated with thyroid autoimmunity among children newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from Kuwait.

AIMS: This study reports the prevalence and characteristics related to the development of thyroid autoimmunity among children newly diagnosed with type I diabetes (T1D) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a prospective observational study of all children under age 14 years newly diagnosed with T1D in Kuwait. We define the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic from the official declaration of the first identified positive COVID-19 case on 24 February 2020 until 31 December 2022. For comparison, we use the time period directly before the COVID-19 pandemic, 1 January 2017 to 23 February 2020. RESULTS: One thousand twenty-four (1024) children newly diagnosed with T1D in Kuwait during the study period were included. Among newly diagnosed children, 20.3% tested positive for thyroid antibodies during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared with 14.5% during the pre-pandemic period (p = 0.015). Children with positive COVID-19 status were more likely to present with thyroid antibodies (p = 0.035). After adjusting for other characteristics, patients diagnosed with T1D during the COVID-19 pandemic had double the odds of testing positive for thyroid antibodies (Adjusted odds ratio = 2.173, 95%CI: 1.108, 4.261, p = 0.024). CONCLUSIONS: Incident cases of T1D during the COVID-19 pandemic may be different in aetiology or contextual factors leading to a higher risk of thyroid autoimmunity. Longitudinal studies are needed to understand the role of COVID-19 in the onset and progression of T1D and on thyroid autoimmunity and disease.

Evaluating the Correlation of Death Anxiety With Spirituality, Religious Attitude, and Resilience in Patients With Cardiovascular Diseases.

This study aimed to determine the correlation between spirituality, religious attitude, and resilience with death anxiety in cardiovascular patients in Sanandaj, Iran. This study was conducted on 414 cardiovascular patients, who were selected by convenience sampling method. Demographic information forms, Spiritual Well Being Scale, Golriz and Burhani's Religious Attitude, Connor-Davidson Resilience Questionnaire, and Templer's Death Anxiety Scale were used to collect data. Results indicated that compared to urban areas, living in rural areas significantly increased the average score of death anxiety by 0.55 points (p = 0.026). Additionally, a one-unit increase in religious attitude and resilience significantly reduced the mean score of death anxiety by 0.05 (p = 0.003) and 0.13 (p <0.001) on average, respectively. Spearman rank correlation indicated that religious attitudes and resilience were inversely and significantly correlated with death anxiety. Therefore, providing counseling sessions with psychologists and clergy seems necessary for a favorable change in the state of death anxiety in these patients.

Prevalence and factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among the general population in Asadabad, Iran: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Vaccination can be an essential protective measure against Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) if well received by the public. Various factors affect the acceptance or refusal of vaccines. Several waves of COVID-19 caused much death in Iran. This study aimed to evaluate the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine in the general population of Asadabad in 2021. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 650 people from the general population of Asadabad with a mean age of 34.6 (SD = 15.1) years were selected and included. In addition to socio-economic and demographic data, data were collected using the COVID-19 fear scale. Univariate and multiple logistic regression models were used to investigate the relationship between the tendency to get the COVID-19 vaccine (the dependent variable) and other variables. RESULTS: About 42.3% of participants were reluctant to receive the available COVID-19 vaccines. After adjusting for several covariates, there was a significant relationship between willingness to get vaccinated and family history of COVID-19 infection (AOR = 1.86, 95% CI 1.06-3.27, p = 0.032), trust in healthcare workers (AOR = 2.07, 95% CI 1.13-3.79, p = 0.019), trust in existing vaccines (AOR = 3.94, 95% CI 2.15-7.23, p < 0.001), encouraging family members to get vaccinated (AOR = 7.6, 95% CI 4.12-14.01, p < 0.0001). Also, people infected with COVID-19 are less likely to accept vaccination (AOR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.33-0.93, p = 0.025). Also, a unit increase in the score of fear of getting the COVID-19 virus increased the odds of getting the COVID-19 vaccine by 6% (AOR = 1.06, 95% CI 1.02-1.10, p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: The culture and context of different societies can affect the acceptance or refusal of the COVID-19 vaccine. Based on these characteristics and providing extensive education to the people, the health authorities in each community should build trust and better communicate all health information to clear any fear and remove all obstacles to increase willingness to get COVID-19 vaccination.