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BACKGROUND: Evidence supports the effectiveness of serious games in health education, but little is known about their effects on the psychosocial well-being of children in the general population. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the potential of a mobile game-based safety education program in improving children's safety and psychosocial outcomes. METHODS: Safe City is a mobile roleplaying game specifically designed to educate children in Hong Kong about safety. This randomized controlled trial included 340 children in grades 4 through 6. Intervention arm participants (n=170) were instructed to play the Safe City mobile game for 4 weeks, whereas control arm participants (n=170) received a safety booklet. All participants completed a survey on safety knowledge and behaviors and psychosocial problems at baseline (T1), 1 month postintervention (T2), and 3 months postintervention (T3). Cumulative game scores and mini-game performance were analyzed as a proxy for the extent of exposure to the game. Outcome data were analyzed using 2-sample 2-tailed t tests to compare mean change from T1 to T2 and to T3 for intervention versus control arm participants. The association of game use with outcome changes postintervention was analyzed using generalized additive models. RESULTS: No significant differences were found in mean changes between the intervention and control arms. However, use analyses showed that higher game scores were associated with improvements in safe behavior (P=.03) and internalizing problems (P=.01) at T3. Matching and Spot the Danger mini-game performance significantly predicted improvements in safety knowledge at T2 and T3. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of use has shown that playing the Safe City mobile game can result in significant improvements in safety knowledge and reductions in unsafe behavior and internalizing problems. These findings provide evidence for the positive impact of serious games on psychological and social well-being, highlighting the potential of technology-driven interventions to assist children in learning about safety and preventing injuries. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.org NCT04096196; https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT04096196. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR2-10.2196/17756.
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Aplicativos Móveis , Jogos de Vídeo , Criança , Humanos , Educação em Saúde , Hong Kong , ConhecimentoRESUMO
Limited research has been conducted to examine the factors during early childhood that may contribute to conduct problems in later stages of life. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between family and school environments during early childhood and conduct problems in adolescence. In Wave 1 (W1), the study recruited 502 participants, aged 5-6 years, from Hong Kong local kindergartens, with 51.4% boys. One of their parents provided information about family socioeconomic status (SES), parent-child recreational activities, and child screen time, whereas the class teacher rated their school readiness using the Chinese version of the Early Development Instrument. Data on the number of special facilities were obtained from the kindergartens. In Wave 2 (W2), the same parents of 395 participants were asked about their involvement in their children's education. Finally, in Wave 3 (W3), the parents of 206 participants completed the Conduct Problem scale of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire to evaluate the level of conduct problems in the participants. The results of the path analysis revealed that higher W1 family SES was associated with fewer W3 conduct problems through an increase in W1 and W2 parental involvement in children's learning and play activities. Findings have implications for understanding the impact of early-life family and school environments on adolescent conduct problems. Early childhood interventions that promote family resources and positive parent-child interactions have the potential to reduce adolescent conduct problems.
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BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is having a profound impact on the health and development of children worldwide. There is limited evidence on the impact of COVID-19 and its related school closures and disease-containment measures on the psychosocial wellbeing of children; little research has been done on the characteristics of vulnerable groups and factors that promote resilience. METHODS: We conducted a large-scale cross-sectional population study of Hong Kong families with children aged 2-12 years. Parents completed an online survey on family demographics, child psychosocial wellbeing, functioning and lifestyle habits, parent-child interactions, and parental stress during school closures due to COVID-19. We used simple and multiple linear regression analyses to explore factors associated with child psychosocial problems and parental stress during the pandemic. RESULTS: The study included 29,202 individual families; of which 12,163 had children aged 2-5 years and 17,029 had children aged 6-12 years. The risk of child psychosocial problems was higher in children with special educational needs, and/or acute or chronic disease, mothers with mental illness, single-parent families, and low-income families. Delayed bedtime and/or inadequate sleep or exercise duration, extended use of electronic devices were associated with significantly higher parental stress and more psychosocial problems among pre-schoolers. CONCLUSIONS: This study identifies vulnerable groups of children and highlights the importance of strengthening family coherence, adequate sleep and exercise, and responsible use of electronic devices in promoting psychosocial wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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COVID-19 , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Estudos Transversais , Humanos , Pandemias , Pais , SARS-CoV-2RESUMO
A growing body of research suggests an association between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and allergic disorders, but little work has been done to explore the role of external factors such as parental smoking at home in the development of comorbid ADHD and allergic disorders. This study aimed to examine the association between allergic diseases and ADHD adjusted for exposure to parental smoking at home in early adolescents. We recruited 250 male (41.7%) and 350 female (58.3%) adolescents (mean [SD] age, 13.29 [0.52] years) via chain-referral sampling. Their ADHD symptoms were assessed by the parent proxy-report version of the Chinese Strengths and Weaknesses of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity-symptoms and Normal-behaviours (SWAN) rating scale. Data on the participants' history of clinician-diagnosed allergic diseases, family socio-demographics, and parental smoking habit were collected using a parent-completed questionnaire. Regression analyses were performed to examine the associations of interest. The levels of ADHD symptoms were comparable between allergic and non-allergic participants after controlling for child and family demographics and parental smoking at home. Notably, the risk of probable ADHD was particularly high in participants with food allergies (odd ratio = 4.51, p = 0.011) but not in those with allergic rhinitis after adjusting for parental smoking at home. Our findings suggest that second-hand smoke exposure at home is a potential risk factor underlying the link between ADHD and allergic diseases. Current management guidelines should emphasize the importance of early identification and cessation of tobacco smoke exposure for prevention of comorbidity of ADHD and allergic disorders. Clinical Trial Registration (if any): NA.
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During the COVID-19 lockdown, with social distancing measures in place and a decrease in social activities, emotional states are more likely to be transferred between family members via increased interactions and communication. However, longitudinal evidence, particularly for early adolescents, is lacking. This study investigated family pre-pandemic influences on parental stress and adolescent psychosocial wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected from 233 adolescents and their parents before and during the initial phase of the pandemic. Parents reported their own stress level and perception of adolescent adjustment problems, whereas adolescents reported their own psychological distress level. In addition, adolescents also reported their satisfaction with family life in the pre-pandemic survey. Cross-lagged path models indicated reciprocal associations between parental stress and perception of adolescent adjustment problems. Compared to adolescents low in pre-pandemic family life satisfaction, those adolescents with higher levels of family life satisfaction before the pandemic reported lower levels of anxiety and stress only when parental stress showed no increase during the pandemic. Findings provide support for the mutual influences between parental stress and perceived adolescent adjustment problems during the pandemic. Special attention should be paid to those adolescents who undergo significant family life changes during the pandemic.
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BACKGROUND: Existing studies on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) mainly covered single growth stages of childhood or adolescence and did not report on the trends in the relationships of HRQoL with sleep duration, physical activity, and screen time. This study aimed to establish the population norm of HRQoL in children and adolescents aged 6-17 years and examine the associations of screen time, sleep duration, and physical activity with HRQoL in this population. METHODS: We conducted a large-scale cross-sectional population-based survey study of Hong Kong children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years. A representative sample of students were interviewed to assess their HRQoL using PedsQL and EQ-5D-Y-5L. Multivariable homoscedastic Tobit regression with linear form or restricted cubic spline of predictors was used to analyze the associations between screen time, sleep duration, and HRQoL. Multiple imputation by chained equations was performed to deal with missing data. RESULTS: A total of 7555 respondents (mean age 11.5, SD 3.2; 55.1% female) were sampled. Their EQ VAS scores, PedsQL physical summary scores, and psychosocial summary scores were positively correlated with sleep duration and moderate/vigorous activity but was negatively correlated with screen time. CONCLUSIONS: Children and adolescents who had longer exposure to screen, shorter sleep duration, and lower physical activity levels appeared to have poorer HRQoL as assessed by PedsQL and EQ-5D-Y-5L. Advice and guidance on screen time allocation for children and adolescents should be provided at the levels of school, community, and family.
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Exercício Físico , Qualidade de Vida/psicologia , Tempo de Tela , Sono , Estudantes/psicologia , Adolescente , Criança , Estudos Transversais , Feminino , Hong Kong , Humanos , Masculino , Análise de Regressão , Estudantes/estatística & dados numéricosRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: To describe the mortality patterns, comorbidities, and attendance at accident and emergency departments among children with Down syndrome in Hong Kong. STUDY DESIGN: This is a population-based, retrospective cohort study of live births of children with Down syndrome delivered between 1995 and 2014, as identified from territory-wide hospitalization data in Hong Kong. The Kaplan-Meier product limit method was adopted to estimate the survival probabilities of children with Down syndrome by selected demographic and clinical characteristics. Cox regression analyses were conducted to examine associations of comorbidities and accident and emergency department accident and emergency departments attendances with mortality patterns. RESULTS: There were 1010 live births of children with Down syndrome in Hong Kong within the study period and the average rate of live births with Down syndrome was 8.0 per 10â000 live births (95% CI, 6.8-9.30). The rate of live births with Down syndrome over the past 2 decades decreased from 11.8 per 10â000 live births in 1995 to 3.4 per 10â000 in 2014. Eighty-three patients with Down syndrome died during this period. The overall 6-month and 1- and 5-year survival probabilities were 95.8%, 94.4%, and 92.6%, respectively. There was a significant decrease in mortality rates over the study period, particularly among those born between 2000-2004 and 2005-2009 compared with those born between 1995 and 1999 (P < .05). Patients with Down syndrome without congenital cardiovascular anomalies and without low birth weight had lower mortality rates than those with these diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: Over the past 2 decades, the early life mortality of children with Down syndrome in Hong Kong has improved significantly along with a reduction in Down syndrome live births.
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Síndrome de Down/epidemiologia , Síndrome de Down/mortalidade , Pré-Escolar , Síndrome de Down/complicações , Serviço Hospitalar de Emergência , Feminino , Cardiopatias Congênitas/complicações , Cardiopatias Congênitas/epidemiologia , Hong Kong/epidemiologia , Humanos , Lactente , Recém-Nascido de Baixo Peso , Recém-Nascido , Estimativa de Kaplan-Meier , Masculino , Probabilidade , Modelos de Riscos Proporcionais , Estudos RetrospectivosRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To disentangle the pathways of parent technology use, parent-child interactions, child screen time, and child psychosocial difficulties among disadvantaged families in Hong Kong. STUDY DESIGN: Parents of 1254 3-year-old children from the KeySteps@JC project reported on the number of hours their children used electronic devices every day and evaluated their children's psychosocial behaviors using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. These parents also reported on their own digital device usage patterns and the frequency of parent-child interactions and provided sociodemographic data. Structural models were tested with parent technology use (independent variable), parent technological distractions and parent-child interactions and child screen time (mediators), child psychosocial problems (dependent variable), and children's age and sex and family socioeconomic status index (confounding variables). RESULTS: Parent distraction with technology during parent-child interactions completely mediated the overall association between parent problematic digital technology use and child screen use duration. Parent problematic digital technology use was positively and directly associated with child psychosocial difficulties. In addition, it was indirectly related to child psychosocial difficulties through technological distractions and reductions in parent-child interactions and increased media use by children. CONCLUSION: Higher parent digital technology usage was associated with reduced parent-child interactions and increased child screen time and psychosocial difficulties in disadvantaged families. These results suggest that limiting parents' use of electronic devices in front of their young children could be beneficial for childhood psychosocial development.
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Tecnologia Digital , Relações Pais-Filho , Pais/psicologia , Tempo de Tela , Comportamento Social , Populações Vulneráveis/psicologia , Adulto , Comportamento Infantil , Pré-Escolar , Feminino , Hong Kong , Humanos , Masculino , Fatores Socioeconômicos , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: To compare the clinical and laboratory features of severe acute respiratory syndrome 2003 (SARS) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in 2 Chinese pediatric cohorts, given that the causative pathogens and are biologically similar. STUDY DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional study reviewing pediatric patients with SARS (n = 43) and COVID-19 (n = 244) who were admitted to the Princess Margaret Hospital in Hong Kong and Wuhan Children's Hospital in Wuhan, respectively. Demographics, hospital length of stay, and clinical and laboratory features were compared. RESULTS: Overall, 97.7% of patients with SARS and 85.2% of patients with COVID-19 had epidemiologic associations with known cases. Significantly more patients with SARS developed fever, chills, myalgia, malaise, coryza, sore throat, sputum production, nausea, headache, and dizziness than patients with COVID-19. No patients with SARS were asymptomatic at the time of admission, whereas 29.1% and 20.9% of patients with COVID-19 were asymptomatic on admission and throughout their hospital stay, respectively. More patients with SARS required oxygen supplementation than patients with COVID-19 (18.6 vs 4.7%; P = .004). Only 1.6% of patients with COVID-19 and 2.3% of patients with SARS required mechanical ventilation. Leukopenia (37.2% vs 18.6%; P = .008), lymphopenia (95.4% vs 32.6%; P < .01), and thrombocytopenia (41.9% vs 3.8%; P < .001) were significantly more common in patients with SARS than in patients with COVID-19. The duration between positive and negative nasopharyngeal aspirate and the length in hospital stay were similar in patients with COVID-19, regardless of whether they were asymptomatic or symptomatic, suggesting a similar duration of viral shedding. CONCLUSIONS: Children with COVID-19 were less symptomatic and had more favorable hematologic findings than children with SARS.
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Infecções por Coronavirus/epidemiologia , Pneumonia Viral/epidemiologia , Síndrome Respiratória Aguda Grave/epidemiologia , Adolescente , Infecções Assintomáticas , Betacoronavirus , COVID-19 , Criança , Pré-Escolar , China/epidemiologia , Infecções por Coronavirus/diagnóstico , Estudos Transversais , Feminino , Hong Kong , Hospitalização , Humanos , Lactente , Tempo de Internação , Masculino , Pandemias , Pneumonia Viral/diagnóstico , Estudos Retrospectivos , Coronavírus Relacionado à Síndrome Respiratória Aguda Grave , SARS-CoV-2 , Síndrome Respiratória Aguda Grave/diagnósticoRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Research has documented the associations of child maltreatment with a range of physical health problems, but little is known about the physical growth patterns of children who experience maltreatment in early childhood. This study aimed to examine the association between various discipline approaches and physical growth in preschool-aged children. METHODS: In the first year of preschool, parents of 661 Chinese preschool-aged children completed a questionnaire with items pertaining to the frequency of using physical maltreatment, psychological aggression, neglect, and nonviolent discipline toward the child. Children's weight and height were assessed annually using direct assessment in the first and two subsequent years. Longitudinal analyses were performed using multiple regression models. RESULTS: More frequent neglect and psychological aggression during the first year of preschool were associated with a higher likelihood of a decreased BMI z score in subsequent years. Conversely, increased experience of physical maltreatment in the first year was associated with an increased likelihood of having overweight or obesity in the third year. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that early maltreatment experience can impact physical growth. This highlights the importance of preventing abusive parenting and encouraging healthy habits in young children who have experienced maltreatment to decrease their future risk for weight problems.
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Maus-Tratos Infantis , Criança , Humanos , Pré-Escolar , Maus-Tratos Infantis/prevenção & controle , Maus-Tratos Infantis/psicologia , Relações Familiares , Agressão , Obesidade , PaisRESUMO
Obesity has become a global health concern in recent decades. Utilizing biomarkers presents a promising approach to comprehensively monitor the progress of obesity and its associated health conditions. This review aims to synthesize the available evidence on the correlation between cfDNA level and obesity and to provide insights into the applicability of using cfDNA level as a tool for monitoring progression of obesity. Searches were performed in PubMed and Embase on April 1, 2022. Data and other relevant information were extracted and compiled into a structured table for further analysis. Among 1170 articles screened, 11 articles were included in this review and assessed qualitatively. The results demonstrated that existing evidence mainly focused on three populations, including healthy individuals, cancer patients and pregnant women. Majority of the studies on healthy individuals identified a significant association between cfDNA level and body weight status but not among cancer patients. Varying results were observed among pregnant women at different gestational trimesters. Our review summarized some preliminary evidence on the association between cfDNA level and obesity. More cohort studies in larger scale with comprehensive assessment have to be conducted to examine the applicability of cfDNA as a biomarker for severity and disease progression of obesity.
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Biomarcadores , Ácidos Nucleicos Livres , Obesidade , Humanos , Obesidade/sangue , Ácidos Nucleicos Livres/sangue , Biomarcadores/sangue , Feminino , GravidezRESUMO
Hypovitaminosis D during infancy is associated with the development of chronic diseases and poor health later in life. While the effect of environmental factors on vitamin D concentration has been extensively explored, this study aimed to explore the effect of genetic factors on vitamin D concentration among Chinese infants. We conducted a multi-centre cross-sectional study in Hong Kong from July 2019 to May 2021. A candidate genetic approach was adopted to study four selected genetic variants of the vitamin D-binding protein (DBP) and vitamin D receptor (VDR) (rs4588, rs7041, rs2282679 and rs2228570) to examine their associations with measured serum 25(OH)D concentration. A total of 378 Chinese infants aged 2-12 months were recruited in this study. Peripheral blood samples were collected from the infants to measure serum 25(OH)D concentration and extract DNA. Results showed that rs7041T and rs2282679C were significantly associated with lower serum 25(OH)D concentration. Further analysis of the DBP variants revealed that the GC1F allele was significantly associated with lower 25(OH)D concentration and identified as the risk DBP isoform in infants. While our results revealed that there is no direct association between VDR-FokI genotype and serum 25(OH)D concentration, a VDR-FokI genotype-specific pattern was observed in the association between DBP isoforms and serum 25(OH)D concentration. Specifically, significant associations were observed in the DBP genotypes GC1F/F, GC1F/2 and GC1S/2 among VDR-FokI TT/TC carriers, but not in VDR-FokI CC carriers. Our findings lay down the basis for the potential of genetic screening to identify high risk of hypovitaminosis D in Chinese infants.
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Raquitismo , Deficiência de Vitamina D , Humanos , Receptores de Calcitriol/genética , Estudos Transversais , Proteína de Ligação a Vitamina D/genética , Polimorfismo de Nucleotídeo Único/genética , Vitamina D , Genótipo , Deficiência de Vitamina D/genética , China/epidemiologiaRESUMO
This study aimed to establish sex- and age-specific reference values for motor performance (MP) in Hong Kong preschoolers aged 3-5 years old and examine the relationship between MP and BMI status. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 5579 preschoolers in Hong Kong. Three MP tests were administered, and height and weight information were collected. GAMLSS was used to compute the normative values of the motor tests. Boys outperformed girls in activities requiring muscle strength and power, while girls outperformed boys in activities requiring balance and coordination. The MP scores increased with age for both overarm beanbag throw and standing long jump for both sexes, while the one-leg balance scores showed larger differences between P50 and P95 in older preschoolers. Children with excessive weight performed worse in standing long jump and one-leg balance compared to their healthy weight peers. This study provides valuable information on the MP of preschoolers in Hong Kong, including sex- and age-specific reference values and the association between BMI status and MP scores. These findings can serve as a reference for future studies and clinical practice and highlight the importance of promoting motor skill development in preschoolers, particularly those who are overweight or obese.
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Obesidade , Sobrepeso , Masculino , Criança , Feminino , Humanos , Idoso , Pré-Escolar , Hong Kong , Índice de Massa Corporal , Estudos TransversaisRESUMO
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Pregnant women are vulnerable to mental health problems. Increasing evidence shows that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) intake during pregnancy is beneficial to maternal perinatal mental health. A systematic review is needed to examine the associations reported in recent studies. The objective of this review was to provide an updated review on the association of antenatal n-3 PUFA intake via different sources (seafood, fish, overall diet, and supplementation) with perinatal mental health problems including depression, anxiety, and psychological distress. RECENT FINDINGS: Searches were performed in Web of Science, Embase, PubMed, and APA PsycInfo databases on 21 June 2021. A total of 2133 records were screened. Data including the name of the first author, publication year, study design, sample characteristics, dietary assessment time and tools, mental health outcome measures, and other relevant information were extracted. In total, 13 articles were included in this review and assessed qualitatively. The results demonstrated that dietary intake of n-3 PUFA during pregnancy was associated with perinatal mental health, but the effect of n-3 PUFA supplementation was influenced by pre-existing medical conditions, socio-demographic characteristics, and dietary and lifestyle patterns during pregnancy. Our review found that sources of n-3 PUFA may have differential effects on woman's mental health during and after pregnancy. Further research using large-size cohort or well-controlled trial protocol is needed to determine the effect of n-3 PUFA supplementation during pregnancy on perinatal mental health.
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Ácidos Graxos Ômega-3 , Saúde Mental , Animais , Gravidez , Feminino , Humanos , Dieta , FamíliaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Sex differences in the pathogenesis of hypertension exist. While gut microbiota (GM) has been associated with hypertension, it is unclear whether there are sex-linked differences in the association between GM and hypertension. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate the sex differences in associations between GM characterized by shotgun sequencing, GM-derived short-chain fatty acids, and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure in 241 Hong Kong Chinese (113 men and 128 women; mean age, 54±6 years). RESULTS: The hypertensive group was associated with GM alterations; however, significant differences in ß-diversity and GM composition in hypertensive versus normotensive groups were only observed in women and not in men under various statistical models adjusting for the following covariates: age, sex, body mass index, sodium intake estimated by spot urine analysis, blood glucose, triglycerides, low- and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, smoking, menopause, and fatty liver status. Specifically, Ruminococcus gnavus, Clostridium bolteae, and Bacteroides ovatus were significantly more abundant in the hypertensive women, whereas Dorea formicigenerans was more abundant in the normotensive women. No bacterial species were found to be significantly associated with hypertension in men. Furthermore, total plasma short-chain fatty acids and propionic acid were independent predictors of systolic and diastolic blood pressure in women but not men. CONCLUSIONS: GM dysregulation was strongly associated with 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure in women but not men, which may be mediated through propionic acid. Our work suggests that sex differences may be an important consideration while assessing the role of GM in the development and treatment of hypertension.
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Microbioma Gastrointestinal , Hipertensão , Humanos , Masculino , Feminino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Monitorização Ambulatorial da Pressão Arterial , Propionatos , Caracteres Sexuais , Estudos Transversais , Hipertensão/diagnóstico , Hipertensão/epidemiologia , Pressão Sanguínea/fisiologia , Hipertensão EssencialRESUMO
Vitamin D is essential for human health. However, it is not clear if vitamin D supplementation is necessary for all pregnant women. This study examines the relative importance of dietary patterns and vitamin D supplementation frequency in determining serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and ferritin concentrations among pregnant women in Hong Kong, China. A total of 572 healthy women were recruited from antenatal clinics at 25-35 weeks pregnant. Participants completed an electronic version of the food frequency questionnaire and a web questionnaire on supplement use. Their blood samples were tested for serum 25(OH)D and ferritin. The associations of dietary patterns and vitamin D supplementation frequency with serum 25(OH)D and ferritin concentrations were analyzed using moderated hierarchical regression. Two dietary patterns were identified. The adequate dietary intake was characterized by the high probability of meeting recommended daily food group servings, whereas the inadequate dietary intake was characterized by inadequate consumption of vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, and eggs, or alternatives. The association between adequate dietary intake and serum ferritin concentrations was independent of vitamin D supplementation frequency (ß = 0.05, p = 0.035), but dietary patterns interacted with vitamin D supplementation frequency to determine serum 25(OH)D concentrations (ß = -13.22, p = 0.014). The current study presents evidence on the relative importance of dietary patterns and vitamin D supplementation in maintaining sufficient vitamin D and iron in pregnancy. Antenatal nutrition counselling services should be provided to pregnant women who show signs of inadequate dietary intake.
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Deficiência de Vitamina D , Suplementos Nutricionais , Ingestão de Alimentos , Feminino , Ferritinas , Humanos , Gravidez , Vitamina D , VitaminasRESUMO
Background: Antimicrobial resistance is an increasingly important issue in public health as antibiotics are overused. Resistance to antimicrobial agents can pose significant challenges to infection treatment. Objectives: To evaluate risk factors associated with carriage of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria in children in the Asia-Pacific region to consolidate evidence for future implementation of antibiotic prescribing practice. Methods: Three electronic databases-PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library-were searched. Observational studies that investigated the risk factors for carriage of MRSA, penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae, ESBL-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae among the paediatric population in community settings in the Asia-Pacific region were considered eligible. Summary statistics from the identified studies were pooled using meta-analyses. Results: From the 4145 search results, 25 papers were included in this review. Sixteen papers were included in the meta-analysis based on reported risk factors. Young age of 2-6â months compared with children aged 7-60â months (OR 2.74, 95% CI: 1.75-4.29), antibiotic use within the past 3â months (OR 2.65, 95% CI: 1.70-4.12), daycare attendance (OR 1.49, 95% CI: 1.17-1.91) and hospital admission within the past 3â months (OR 3.43, 95% CI: 2.13-5.51) were found to be significant risk factors for AMR bacterial carriage, whilst breastfeeding (OR 0.69, 95% CI: 0.60-0.81) and concurrent colonization of S. pneumoniae (OR 0.59, 95% CI: 0.38-0.91) are protective factors. Conclusions: The findings support that there are a number of significant risk factors associated with carriage of AMR bacteria in the Asia-Pacific paediatric population. To combat antimicrobial resistance in the future, these risk factors should be considered, and measures taken to mitigate associated carriage.
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CONTEXT: Effect size estimates for the association between vitamin D concentrations in maternal blood during pregnancy and in cord blood vary widely across studies, but no meta-analysis has been conducted to ascertain this association. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this systematic review was to estimate the pooled effect size for the association between circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) concentrations, a marker of vitamin D status, in maternal blood during pregnancy and in cord blood. DATA SOURCES: The PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases were searched from their inception to February 2021. DATA EXTRACTION: Following the application of prespecified inclusion and exclusion criteria, 94 articles were eligible for full-text review, which was conducted by 2 authors independently. A third author was consulted when necessary and consensus reached. In total, 26 articles, which comprised 30 studies and 6212 mother-infant dyads, were included. Methodological quality was assessed using a modified version of the Joanna Briggs Institute's Critical Appraisal Checklist for Studies Reporting Prevalence Data. Correlation coefficient (r) values for the association between maternal serum 25(OH)D concentrations during pregnancy and in cord blood were extracted. DATA ANALYSIS: The r values were pooled using random-effects meta-analyses. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses were performed to investigate sources of heterogeneity. The pooled r for all studies was 0.72 (95%CI, 0.64-0.79), indicating high heterogeneity (I2â =â 95%, Pâ <â 0.01). After influential and outlier studies were removed, the pooled r for 9 studies was 0.70 (95%CI, 0.66-0.74), which resulted in a substantial reduction in heterogeneity (I2â =â 41%, P=0.10). CONCLUSION: The findings support a positive and large correlation between maternal vitamin D concentrations during pregnancy and vitamin D concentrations in cord blood. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO registration number CRD42021273348.
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Deficiência de Vitamina D , Gravidez , Feminino , Humanos , Deficiência de Vitamina D/epidemiologia , Sangue Fetal , Suplementos Nutricionais , Vitamina D , VitaminasRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Injury is an increasingly pressing global health issue. An effective surveillance system is required to monitor the trends and burden of injuries. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify a set of valid and context-specific injury indicators to facilitate the establishment of an injury surveillance program in Hong Kong. METHODS: This development of indicators adopted a multiphased modified Delphi research design. A literature search was conducted on academic databases using injury-related search terms in various combinations. A list of potential indicators was sent to a panel of experts from various backgrounds to rate the validity and context-specificity of these indicators. Local hospital data on the selected core indicators were used to examine their applicability in the context of Hong Kong. RESULTS: We reviewed 142 articles and identified 55 indicators, which were classified into 4 domains. On the basis of the ratings by the expert panel, 13 indicators were selected as core indicators because of their good validity and high relevance to the local context. Among these indicators, 10 were from the construct of health care service use, and 3 were from the construct of postdischarge outcomes. Regression analyses of local hospitalization data showed that the Hong Kong Safe Community certification status had no association with 5 core indicators (admission to intensive care unit, mortality rate, length of intensive care unit stay, need for a rehabilitation facility, and long-term behavioral and emotional outcomes), negative associations with 4 core indicators (operative intervention, infection rate, length of hospitalization, and disability-adjusted life years), and positive associations with the remaining 4 core indicators (attendance to accident and emergency department, discharge rate, suicide rate, and hospitalization rate after attending the accident and emergency department). These results confirmed the validity of the selected core indicators for the quantification of injury burden and evaluation of injury-related services, although some indicators may better measure the consequences of severe injuries. CONCLUSIONS: This study developed a set of injury outcome indicators that would be useful for monitoring injury trends and burdens in Hong Kong.
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Assistência ao Convalescente , Alta do Paciente , Hong Kong/epidemiologia , Hospitalização , Humanos , Vigilância da PopulaçãoRESUMO
Rising income inequality is strongly linked to health disparities, particularly in regions where uneven distribution of wealth and income has long been a concern. Despite emerging evidence of COVID-19-related health inequalities for adults, limited evidence is available for children and their parents. This study aimed to explore subtypes of families of preschoolers living in the disadvantaged neighborhoods of Hong Kong based on patterns of family hardship and to compare their patterns of parenting behavior, lifestyle practices, and wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected from 1338 preschoolers and their parents during March to June 2020. Latent class analysis was performed based on 11 socioeconomic and disease indicators. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to examine associations between identified classes and variables of interest during the COVID-19 pandemic. Four classes of family hardship were identified. Class 1 (45.7%) had the lowest disease and financial burden. Class 2 (14.0%) had the highest financial burden. Class 3 (5.9%) had the highest disease burden. Class 4 (34.5%) had low family income but did not receive government welfare assistance. Class 1 (low hardship) had lower risks of child maltreatment and adjustment problems than Class 2 (poverty) and Class 3 (poor health). However, children in Class 1 (low hardship) had higher odds of suffering psychological aggression and poorer physical wellbeing than those in Class 4 (low income), even after adjusting for child age and gender. The findings emphasize the need to adopt flexible intervention strategies in the time of large disease outbreak to address diverse problems and concerns among socially disadvantaged families.