Stakeholder Perspectives on Barriers and Facilitators on the Implementation of the 1000 Days Plus Nutrition Policy Activities in Ghana.

Optimizing nutrition in the preconception and 1000 days periods have long-term benefits such as higher economic productivity, reduced risk of related non-communicable diseases and increased health and well-being. Despite Ghana's recent progress in reducing malnutrition, the situation is far from optimal. This qualitative study analyzed the maternal and child health nutrition policy framework in Ghana to identify the current barriers and facilitators to the implementation of nutrition policies and programs relating to the first 1000 days plus. Data analyzed included in-depth interviews and focus group discussions conducted in Ghana between March and April 2019. Participants were composed of experts from government agencies, civil society organizations, community-based organizations and international partners at national and subnational levels. Seven critical areas were identified: planning policy implementation, resources, leadership and stakeholders' engagement, implementation guidance and ongoing communication, organizational culture, accountability and governance and coverage. The study showed that, to eradicate malnutrition in Ghana, priorities of individual stakeholders have to be merged and aligned into a single 1000 days plus nutrition policy framework. Furthermore, this study may support stakeholders in implementing successfully the 1000 days plus nutrition policy activities in Ghana.

Multimorbidity and the Transition Out of Full-Time Paid Employment: A Longitudinal Analysis of the Health and Retirement Study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to examine whether older workers aged 50-64 years with multimorbidity are at increased risk to transition from full-time paid employment to part-time employment, partial retirement, unemployment, disability, economic inactivity, full retirement or die than workers without a chronic health condition and workers with one chronic health condition, and whether socioeconomic position (SEP) modifies these transitions. METHOD: Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (1992-2014; n = 10,719), sub-distribution hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated with a time-varying Fine and Gray competing-risks survival regression model to examine exit from full-time paid employment. We investigated the modifying effect of SEP by examining its interaction with multimorbidity. RESULTS: Workers with multimorbidity had a higher risk of transitioning to partial retirement (1.45; 1.22, 1.72), disability (1.84; 1.21, 2.78) and full retirement (1.63; 1.47, 1.81), and they had a higher mortality risk (2.58; 1.71, 3.88) than workers without chronic disorders. Compared to workers with one chronic health condition, workers with multimorbidity had an increased risk for partial (1.19; 1.02, 1.40) and full retirement (1.29; 1.17, 1.42), and mortality (1.49; 1.09, 2.04). Only SEP measured as educational level modified the relationship between multimorbidity and mortality. DISCUSSION: Workers with multimorbidity seem more prone to leave full-time paid employment than workers without or with one a chronic health condition. Personalized work accommodations may be necessary to help workers with multimorbidity prolong their working life.

Head-to-head comparison of three stool calprotectin tests for home use.

OBJECTIVE: Treatment decisions in inflammatory bowel diseases are increasingly based on longitudinal tracking of calprotectin results. Many hospital laboratories measure calprotectin levels in sent-in stool samples with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Several manufacturers introduced a lateral flow-based test with software application that turns a smartphone camera into a reader for quantitative measurements. We compared three home tests (IBDoc, QuantonCal and CalproSmart) and companion ELISA tests (fCAL, IDK-Calprotectin and Calprotectin-ALP) to see if measurement pairs agreed sufficiently. DESIGN: A method comparison study was conducted with stool samples from patients with active or quiescent inflammatory bowel disease. Medical students without any specific laboratory training carried out the home tests with two iOS (iPhone 6 and 7) and two Android devices (Samsung Galaxy S6 and Motorola Moto G5 Plus). Two experienced laboratory technicians measured the calprotectin concentration with the ELISA method. Primary outcome was test agreement (defined as percentage of paired measurements within predefined limits of difference). Secondary outcome included reading error rate (RER) per smartphone type. RESULTS: We performed 1440 smartphone readings and 120 ELISA tests. In the low calprotectin range (≤500 µg/g) IBDoc, QuantOnCal and CalproSmart showed 87%, 82% and 76% agreement with their companion ELISAs. In the high range (>500 µg/g) the agreement was 37%, 19% and 37%, respectively. CalproSmart and QuantOnCal had significantly higher RERs than IBDoc (respectively 5.8% and 4.8%, versus 1.9%). Forty-three percent of reading errors was on the Motorola device, in particular with the QuantOnCal application. CONCLUSIONS: All three calprotectin home tests and companion ELISAs agreed sufficiently when concentrations are ≤500 µg/g. To minimize wrongful interpretation of calprotectin changes over time it is essential to always use the home test and companion ELISA of one and the same manufacturer. Manufacturers should explicitly evaluate and report the suitability of commonly used smartphones for quantitative calprotectin readings.