Prevalence and sociodemographic factors associated with depression among hospitalized patients with head and neck cancer-Results from a national study.

OBJECTIVE: Depression is a significant problem for patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). This study explored the prevalence of and sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with depression, among patients with HNC. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of 71 541 cases of HNC using a national dataset, the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, from 2008 to 2013. Weighted, multivariate logistic regression analysis estimated association between sociodemographic/clinical factors and tumor anatomical site with diagnosis of a major depressive disorder. RESULTS: Overall prevalence of major depressive disorder in HNC was 9.3%; highest prevalence was found in patients with laryngeal cancer (28.5%). Compared with laryngeal cancer, there were lower odds of depression among patients with oral cavity cancer (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.90; 95% CI, 0.84-0.97) and other anatomic sites (aOR = 0.87; 95% CI, 0.81-0.94), except oropharyngeal cancer (aOR = 1.00; 95% CI, 0.93-1.08). For every unit increase in comorbidities, odds of depression increased by 20% (aOR = 1.20; 95% CI, 1.19-1.23). Sociodemographic factors associated with increased odds of depression included being female (aOR = 1.77; 95% CI, 1.68-1.87), white (aOR = 1.75; 95% CI, 1.59-1.92), and having Medicaid (aOR = 1.09; 95% CI, 1.01-1.19) or Medicare insurance (aOR = 1.19; 95% CI, 1.10-1.27). CONCLUSIONS: Depression odds vary depending on HNC anatomic site, and one in four patients with laryngeal cancer may be depressed. Since depression is prevalent in this survivor cohort, it is important that psychosocial assessment and intervention are integrated into mainstream clinical care for patients with HNC.

Not just a woman's business! Understanding men and women's knowledge of HPV, the HPV vaccine, and HPV-associated cancers.

Few studies have included men when assessing differences in knowledge about HPV, and HPV-associated cancers. We examined gender differences in knowledge about HPV, HPV vaccine, and HPV-associated cancers. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to analyze data of 3,677 survey respondents aged 18 years and older from the 2014 Health Information National Trends Survey. Covariates included age, race/ethnicity, marital status, education, income level, regular provider, general health, internet use, and family structure aged 9 to 27 years. Analyses were conducted in 2015. Sixty-four percent of respondents had heard of HPV and the HPV vaccine. Seventy-eight percent of respondents knew HPV causes cervical cancer, but only 29% knew it causes penile cancer, 26% knew it causes anal cancer, and 30% knew it causes oral cancer. In multivariable analyses, males were less likely to have heard of HPV (aOR: 0.33; 95% CI: 0.25-0.45), and less likely to have heard of the HPV vaccine (aOR: 0.24; 95% CI: 0.18-0.32) compared to females. No differences existed between males and females regarding knowledge about HPV-associated cancers. In conclusion, knowledge of HPV, the vaccine, and HPV-associated cancers in both males and females in the United States remains very low, especially among men.

Disparities in human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine initiation and completion based on sexual orientation among women in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: We compared HPV vaccine initiation and completion of heterosexual with lesbian and bisexual (LB) women. METHODS: We aggregated National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from 2009 to 2016 for 3,017 women aged 18 to 34 y in the United States. HPV vaccine initiation was defined as reported receipt of ≥1 dose of the vaccine and completion as receipt of the three recommended doses. Weighted percentages and multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine differences in HPV vaccine initiation and completion between heterosexual and LB women. RESULTS: Approximately 12% of respondents self-identified as LB women. Overall, a higher percentage of respondents (26%) had initiated the HPV vaccine than completed the three vaccine doses (17%). In the bivariate analysis, LB women had higher initiation ([35% of LB women versus 25% heterosexual]; p = .0012) and completion rates ([24% of LB women versus 17% heterosexual]; p = .0052) than heterosexual women. After adjusting for covariates, compared to heterosexual women, LB women were 60% (aOR = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.16-2.19) more likely to initiate and 63% (aOR = 1.63, 95% CI: 1.12-2.37) more likely to complete the HPV vaccine. CONCLUSIONS: Although LB women had higher likelihood of HPV vaccine initiation and completion compared with heterosexual women, their HPV vaccine uptake was well below the Healthy People 2020 target (80%). Understanding differences in the drivers of vaccine uptake in the LB population may inform strategies that would further increase HPV vaccine uptake toward achieving the 80% completion target.

Multilevel Associations Between Patient- and Hospital-Level Factors and In-Hospital Mortality Among Hospitalized Patients With Head and Neck Cancer.

Importance: Risk factors for in-hospital mortality of patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) are multilevel. Studies have examined the effect of patient-level characteristics on in-hospital mortality; however, there is a paucity of data on multilevel correlates of in-hospital mortality. Objective: To examine the multilevel associations of patient- and hospital-level factors with in-hospital mortality and develop a nomogram to predict the risk of in-hospital mortality among patients diagnosed with HNC. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study used the 2008-2013 National Inpatient Sample database. Hospitalized patients 18 years and older diagnosed (both primary and secondary diagnosis) as having HNC using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes were included. Analysis began December 2018. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome of interest was in-hospital mortality. A weighted multivariable hierarchical logistic regression model estimated patient- and hospital-level factors associated with in-hospital mortality. Moreover, a multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to build an in-hospital mortality prediction model, presented as a nomogram. Results: A total of 85 440 patients (mean [SD] age, 62.2 [13.5] years; 61 281 men [71.1%]) were identified, and 4.2% (n = 3610) died in the hospital. Patient-level risk factors associated with higher odds of in-hospital mortality included age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.03 per 1-year increase; 95% CI, 1.02-1.03), male sex (aOR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.12-1.35), higher number of comorbidities (aOR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.11-1.17), having a metastatic cancer (aOR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.36- 1.64), having a nonelective admission (aOR, 3.26; 95% CI, 2.83-3.75), and being admitted to the hospital on a weekend (aOR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.16-1.45). Of the hospital-level factors, admission to a nonteaching hospital (aOR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.24-1.77) was associated with higher odds of in-hospital mortality. The nomogram showed fair in-hospital mortality discrimination (area under the curve of 72%). Conclusions and Relevance: This cross-sectional study found that both patient- and hospital-level factors were associated with in-hospital mortality, and the nomogram estimated with fair accuracy the probability of in-hospital death among patients with HNC. These multilevel factors are critical indicators of survivorship and should thus be considered when planning programs or interventions aimed to improve survival among this unique population.

Differences in human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake by nativity status among men aged 18-34 years.

Annually, about 16,500 HPV-associated cancers occur in the US among men. Data regarding HPV vaccine uptake among men based on nativity status (i.e., US-versus foreign-born) is limited, yet potentially important for informing interventions. We assessed differences in HPV vaccine uptake by nativity status among men aged 18-34 years in the US. The 2014-2017 National Health Interview Survey was examined for men, aged 18-34 years (n = 14,056). HPV vaccine initiation was defined as receipt of at least one dose of the vaccine and completion as receipt of three doses. Weighted, multivariable binary logistic regression models were used to assess the association between nativity status and HPV vaccine uptake, adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, and healthcare factors. Analyses were performed in July 2018. Overall, 17% of men self-identified as foreign-born, 9.9% of men had initiated the HPV vaccine, and 3.3% had completed the HPV vaccine. Among foreign-born men, Asians had the highest HPV vaccination rates whereas those from Indian subcontinental region had the lowest rates. After accounting for demographic, socioeconomic, and healthcare factors, compared to US-born men, foreign-born men were 46% (adjusted odds ratio = 0.54; 95% CI = 0.39-0.72) less likely to initiate the HPV vaccine but there was no difference between the two groups in terms of vaccine completion. We found that HPV vaccine uptake among men was very low overall, and foreign-born men had lower initiation compared to US-born men. Public health interventions which improve HPV vaccination need to be developed for all men, irrespective of nativity status.

Factors Associated With Head and Neck Cancer Hospitalization Cost and Length of Stay-A National Study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to estimate hospitalization cost, and factors associated with hospitalization costs and length of stay (LOS) of patients treated for head and neck cancer in the United States. METHODS: Data on 71,440 weighted hospital admissions from the 2014 National Inpatient Sample with a diagnosis of head and neck cancer were examined. Multivariable linear regression models estimated factors associated with hospitalization costs, and negative binomial regression models were used to identify factors associated with hospital LOS. Factor variables included characteristics of the patient, clinical, and hospital characteristics. RESULTS: The average hospitalization cost was US $18,371 and the average LOS was 6.6 days. LOS was significantly associated with admissions involving bacterial infection, major operating procedures, chemo procedure, and radiation procedure as well as admissions at medium or small bed size hospitals, and rural hospitals. Admissions among black patients, elective admissions, admissions involving bacterial infection, major operating procedures, chemo procedure, radiation procedure, and advance comorbidities were associated with increased hospitalization costs. In contrast, admissions at urban nonteaching or rural had increased hospitalization costs. CONCLUSIONS: Admissions that involve higher number of comorbidities, metastasis, bacterial infection, radiation, and chemo procedures had longer hospital stay and higher cost whereas admissions are rural hospitals had shorter hospital stay and lower cost. Understanding these factors associated with increased LOS and hospitalization cost will help efforts to decrease health care cost and improve quality of care.

Association Between Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Survival, Smoking at Diagnosis, and Marital Status.

IMPORTANCE: While the adverse association between smoking and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) survival has been well described, there are also inconclusive studies and those that report no significant changes in HNSCC survival and overall mortality due to smoking. There is also a lack of studies investigating the association of marital status on smoking status at diagnosis for patients with HNSCC. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between patient smoking status at HNSCC diagnosis and survival and the association between marital status and smoking in these patients. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted by querying the Saint Louis University Hospital Tumor Registry for adults with a diagnosis of HNSCC and treated at the university academic medical center between 1997 and 2012; 463 confirmed cases were analyzed. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to evaluate association of survival with smoking status at diagnosis and covariates. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to assess whether marital status was associated with smoking at diagnosis adjusting for covariates. RESULTS: Of the 463 total patients (338 men, 125 women), 92 (19.9%) were aged 18 to 49 years; 233 (50.3%) were aged 50 to 65 years; and 138 (29.8%) were older than 65 years. Overall, 56.2% of patients were smokers at diagnosis (n = 260); 49.6% were married (n = 228); and the mortality rate was 54.9% (254 died). A majority of patients were white (81.0%; n = 375). Smokers at diagnosis were more likely to be younger (ie, <65 years), unmarried, and to drink alcohol. We found a statistically significant difference in median survival time between smokers (89 months; 95% CI, 65-123 months) and nonsmokers at diagnosis (208 months; 95% CI, 129-235 months). In the adjusted Cox proportional hazards model, patients who were smokers at diagnosis were almost twice as likely to die during the study period as nonsmokers (hazard ratio, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.42-2.77). In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, unmarried patients were 76% more likely to use tobacco than married patients (adjusted odds ratio, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.08-2.84). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Smokers were almost twice as likely as nonsmokers to die during the study period. We also found that those who were married were less likely to be smokers at diagnosis. Our study suggests that individualized cancer care should incorporate social support and management of cancer risk behaviors.

Correlates of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination initiation and completion among 18-26 year olds in the United States.

PURPOSE: To examine correlates of HPV vaccination uptake in a nationally representative sample of 18-26-year-old adults. METHODS: Young adults aged 18-26 years were identified from the 2014 and 2015 National Health Interview Survey (n = 7588). Survey-weighted multivariable logistic regression models estimated sociodemographic factors associated with HPV vaccine initiation (≥1 dose) and completion (≥3 doses). RESULTS: Approximately 27% of study participants had initiated the HPV vaccine and 16% had completed the HPV vaccine. Participants were less likely to initiate the vaccine if they were men [(adjusted odds ratio) 0.19; (95% confidence interval) 0.16-0.23], had a high school diploma (0.40; 0.31-0.52) or less (0.46; 0.32-0.64) vs. college graduates, and were born outside the United States (0.52; 0.40-0.69). But, participants were more likely to initiate the HPV vaccine if they visited the doctor's office 1-5 times (2.09; 1.56-2.81), or ≥ 6 times (1.86; 1.48-2.34) within the last 12 months vs. no visits. Odds of completing HPV vaccine uptake followed the same pattern as initiation. And after stratifying the study population by gender and foreign-born status, these variables remained statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: In our nationally representative study, only one out of six 18-26 year olds completed the required vaccine doses. Men, individuals with high school or less education, and those born outside the United States were less likely to initiate and complete the HPV vaccination. Our findings suggest that it may be useful to develop targeted interventions to promote HPV vaccination among those in the catch-up age range.

Correlates of health information seeking between adults diagnosed with and without cancer.

PURPOSE: To examine predictors of information seeking behavior among individuals diagnosed with cancer versus those without. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from the Health Information National Trends Survey 4 Cycles 1-3 (October 2011 to November 2013) were analyzed for 10,774 survey respondents aged ≥18 years. Binary logistic regression was used to examine the effect of socio-demographic and behavioral factors on health information seeking. RESULTS: Cancer diagnosis did not predict health information seeking. However, respondents diagnosed with cancer were more likely to seek health information from a healthcare practitioner. Compared to males, females were more likely to seek health information irrespective of cancer diagnosis. Regardless of cancer diagnosis, those without a regular healthcare provider were less likely to seek health information. Likelihood of seeking health information declined across education strata, and significantly worsened among respondents without high school diplomas irrespective of cancer diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Respondents sought health information irrespective of cancer diagnosis. However, the source of health information sought differed by cancer diagnosis. Gender, education, and having a regular healthcare provider were predictors of health information seeking. Future health communication interventions targeting cancer patients and the general public should consider these findings for tailored interventions to achieve optimal results.

Foreign-born blacks no different from whites for odds of stroke.

BACKGROUND: Blacks have higher risk for stroke than whites. However, combining foreign-born and US-born blacks could mask important health differences. We examined the relationship between nativity and stroke risk in US adults. METHODS: Data were obtained from the National Health Interview Survey, 2006-2014. Study population (n=189, 409) included non-Hispanic whites and non-Hispanic blacks born in the Caribbean, and non-Hispanic blacks born in Africa. Logistic regression models were used to assess the association between stroke and race/nativity, adjusting for covariates such as insurance status, hypertension, age and duration of US residence. RESULTS: Foreign-born blacks had similar odds of stroke (95% CI 0.58 to 1.60 for non-Hispanic blacks from the Caribbean, and 95% CI 0.17 to 1.10 for blacks from Africa), while US-born blacks had increased odds of stroke (95% CI 1.22 to 1.46) compared with non-Hispanic whites. When compared with US-born blacks, both non-Hispanic blacks from the Caribbean and Africa showed reduced odds of stroke: 95% CI 0.50 to 0.94 and 95% CI 0.21 to 0.75, respectively. After adding a race/nativity × age interaction term to the model however, compared with non-Hispanic whites, blacks from Africa aged <65 years had lower odds of stroke (95% CI 0.13 to 0.72) while blacks from the Caribbean had similar odds of stroke at all ages. CONCLUSIONS: Homogenising 'Blacks' may mask important differences based on nativity. Public health prevention efforts should consider the heightened risk of stroke among younger US-born blacks and focus on primary prevention for immigrant blacks. Also, national surveys should incorporate more ethnicity-related variables.

Approaching a decade since HPV vaccine licensure: Racial and gender disparities in knowledge and awareness of HPV and HPV vaccine.

Purpose: Gaps remain in the public's knowledge of the human papillomavirus (HPV). We assessed racial/ethnic and gender disparities in knowledge and awareness of HPV and the HPV vaccine among US adults. METHODS: Data from the Health Information National Trends Survey 4 Cycle 3 (September - December 2013) and Cycle 4 (August - November 2014) were analyzed for 6,862 respondents aged 18 years and older. Weighted multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate racial/ethnic and gender disparities in HPV knowledge and HPV vaccination awareness. RESULTS: Sixty-six percent of respondents had heard of HPV and the HPV vaccine (57% of men vs. 75% of women). In multivariable analyses, compared with men, women were 225% (95% CI: 2.60 - 4.07) more likely to have heard of HPV, and 281% (95% CI: 3.06 - 4.74) more likely to have heard of the HPV vaccine. Non-Hispanic Blacks were 33% (95% CI: 0.47 - 0.96) and 44% (95% CI: 0.39 - 0.81) less likely than non-Hispanic Whites to have heard of HPV and the HPV vaccine, respectively. Hispanics were 27% (95% CI: 0.52 - 1.02) and 53% (95% CI: 0.34 - 0.64) less likely than non-Hispanic Whites to have heard of HPV and the HPV vaccine, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: There was evidence of disparities in HPV and HPV vaccine awareness among men compared with women and non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanics compared with non-Hispanic Whites. To foster improvements in HPV vaccine uptake and reduce disparities in HPV associated cancers, future interventions must target men and minority populations, for whom knowledge gaps exist.

A Comparison of Parent- and Provider-Reported Human Papillomavirus Vaccination of Adolescents.

INTRODUCTION: There is considerable effort at the state and national levels to monitor human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake and understand the factors that influence who gets vaccinated. Accurate measurement of vaccination coverage is critical for monitoring HPV vaccination. This study aimed to determine comparability between parent- and provider-reported HPV vaccination status for a sample of adolescents in the U.S. METHODS: Data from the 2014 National Immunization Survey-Teen were analyzed in 2016 for 20,827 adolescents. Information on HPV vaccine uptake (initiation [one or more dose] and completion [three or more doses]) was obtained using parental (recall) and provider reports (electronic medical records). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and κ-coefficient were computed to determine how comparable parental and provider (ref group) reports were for HPV vaccination. RESULTS: Prevalence of HPV vaccine initiation was comparable between parental and provider report (51.3% vs 50.0%) and for completion (30.7% vs 27.3%). Compared with provider report, parent-reported HPV vaccine initiation had high sensitivity (86.0%), specificity (87.4%), PPV (87.5%), NPV (85.9%), and acceptable κ-coefficient (0.73). Compared with provider report, parent-reported HPV vaccine completion had a sensitivity of 71.5%, specificity of 91.1%, PPV of 78.5%, NPV of 87.6%, and κ-coefficient of 0.64. Similar characteristics-adolescent age, sex, number of doctor visits, and region-were associated with HPV vaccine uptake using parental and provider reports. CONCLUSIONS: Parental recall is comparable to provider report in monitoring HPV vaccine uptake for adolescents, although parental recall is less comparable for HPV vaccine completion.

Pineal Gland Calcification in Kurdistan: A Cross-Sectional Study of 480 Roentgenograms.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to compare the incidence of Pineal Gland Calcification (PGC) by age group and gender among the populations living in the Kurdistan Region-Iraq. METHODS: This prospective study examined skull X-rays of 480 patients between the ages of 3 and 89 years who sought care at a large teaching public hospital in Duhok, Iraq from June 2014 to November 2014. Descriptive statistics and a binary logistic regression were used for analysis. RESULTS: The overall incidence rate of PGC among the study population was 26.9% with the 51-60 age group and males having the highest incidence. PGC incidence increased after the first decade and remained steady until the age of 60. Thereafter the incidence began to decrease. Logistic regression analysis revealed that both age and gender significantly affected the risk of PGC. After adjusting for age, males were 1.94 (95% CI, 1.26-2.99) times more likely to have PGC compared to females. In addition, a one year increase in age increases the odds of developing PGC by 1.02 (95% CI, 1.01-1.03) units after controlling for the effects of gender. CONCLUSION: Our analysis demonstrated a close relationship between PGC and age and gender, supporting a link between the development of PGC and these factors. This study provides a basis for future researchers to further investigate the nature and mechanisms underlying pineal gland calcification.

Disparities in Provider Recommendation of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination for U.S. Adolescents.

PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence of and examine factors associated with provider recommendation of human papillomavirus vaccination for U.S. adolescents. METHODS: Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed using data from the National Immunization Survey-Teen 2014 on 34,478 adolescents aged 13-17 years. RESULTS: Overall prevalence of vaccine recommendation was 72.6% for girls and 51.8% for boys. Lower rates were observed among girls aged 13 years, living below poverty line, adolescents of lesser educated mothers, and those residing in the South. Overall, girls had higher odds of vaccine recommendation (odds ratio [OR] = 2.57; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.35-2.82). Correlates of higher vaccine recommendation for girls were: older age-17 versus 13 (OR = 1.51; 95% CI = 1.20-1.89), living above versus below poverty line, and residing in Northeast (OR = 1.45; 95% CI = 1.21-1.73) and Midwest (OR = 1.29; 95% CI = 1.11-1.50) versus South. For boys, correlates of higher vaccine recommendation were: non-Hispanic black (OR = 1.30; 95% CI = 1.07-1.58) and Hispanic (OR = 1.24; 95% CI = 1.03-1.48) versus non-Hispanic white race and residing in Northeast (OR = 1.79; 95% CI = 1.54-2.08) and West (OR = 1.41; 95% CI = 1.17-1.70) versus South. Other factors associated with vaccine recommendation were having a college-educated mother and frequent doctor visits in the past 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights significant disparities in provider recommendation of human papillomavirus vaccination for U.S. adolescents. Findings suggest possible areas for tailored interventions to bridge the gap in vaccine recommendation and uptake in high-risk populations.