Disability

BACKGROUND: Disability is associated with alcohol misuse and drug overdose death, however, its association with alcohol-induced death remains understudied. OBJECTIVE: To quantify the risk of alcohol-induced death among adults with different types of disabilities in a nationally representative longitudinal sample of US adults. METHODS: Persons with disabilities were identified among participants ages 18 or older in the Mortality Disparities in American Communities (MDAC) study ( n  = 3,324,000)...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Thalamic atrophy can be used as a proxy for neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis (MS). Some data point toward thalamic nuclei that could be affected more than others. However, the dynamic of their changes during MS evolution and the mechanisms driving their differential alterations are still uncertain. METHODS: We paired a large cohort of 1,123 patients with MS with the same number of healthy controls, all scanned with conventional 3D-T1 MRI...

BACKGROUND: Previous studies on the effect of global warming on the global burden of disease have mainly focussed on the impact of high temperatures, thereby providing limited evidence of the effect of lower temperatures. METHODS: We adopted a three-stage analysis approach using data from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study. First, we explored the global burden of disease attributable to low temperatures, examining variations by gender, age, cause, region, and country...

Gait speed is an essential predictor of functional and cognitive decline in older adults. The study aimed to investigate the gait speed of older adults in Ghana and South Africa and to determine its associated factors, as the Sub-Saharan representatives in the World Health Organization's Study on Global AGEing in Older Adults (SAGE). A secondary analysis of data from the SAGE study which consists of nationally representative data involving participants aged ≥50+ years with smaller samples of younger adults aged 18-49 years in Ghana and South Africa was conducted...

INTRODUCTION: Ethiopia is experiencing high prevalence of occupational morbidity and disability. One of the main contributing reasons is a low utilization of personal protective equipment (PPE). Previous studies on PPE utilization and association with educational status among industry workers were largely inconsistent. Therefore, this meta-analysis is aimed to pool the magnitude of PPE utilization and its association with educational status among industry workers in Ethiopia. METHOD: A compressive search of international databases and libraries including Scopus, PubMed, MedNar, Embase, MEDLINE, the web of science, Google Scholar, the JBI Library, African Journals Online, and Science direct will be carried out to locate published reports...

Exercise is a first-line treatment for chronic low back pain (CLBP), reducing pain and disability in the short term. However, exercise benefits decrease over time, with a lack of long-term exercise adherence a potential reason for this. This study aimed to synthesize the perceptions and beliefs of individuals with CLBP and identify their barriers and enablers to exercise adherence. We searched CENTRAL, Embase, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus databases from inception to February 28, 2023, for qualitative studies that explored the factors influencing exercise adherence for people with CLBP...

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We explored how menarcheal experiences and attitudes toward menstruation of Mexican adolescents have changed in the last 20 years. Two questionnaires were applied to female adolescent students, and the results were compared with those obtained in 2002-3 when adolescents of the same ages were surveyed using the same questionnaires. Although some aspects of menstrual education have not changed, the secrecy surrounding menstruation has diminished. In contrast, the belief that menstruation is disabling and keeps women from their normal activities has increased...

Purpose: Older adults may abandon or discontinue the use of assistive products due to low levels of satisfaction. Only few studies have examined need and satisfaction related to the use of assistive products for this group in China. As such, research is needed to improve satisfaction with assistive products and related services. Method: This study used technology acceptance theory to examine the self-reported need for, and ownership of, assistive products among older adults in China, as well as to examine the association between services and satisfaction with assistive products; the underlying mechanism of this association was also assessed...

BACKGROUND: Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) occurs at young ages, with the highest incidence between 20 and 40 years. While cure rates have improved to 80%-90% over the past decades, survivors of HL are at substantial risk of late treatment-related complications, such as cardiovascular diseases, breast cancer, severe infections, and hypothyroidism. To reduce morbidity and mortality from late treatment effects, the Dutch Better care after lymphoma, Evaluation of long-term Treatment Effects and screening Recommendations (BETER) consortium developed a survivorship care program for 5-year survivors of HL that includes risk-based screening for and treatment of (risk factors for) late adverse events...

PURPOSE: To explore whether psychological factors are associated with ability to meet recommended physical activity thresholds after hip fracture. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional observational study of 216 community-dwelling adults aged ≥65 years after hip fracture (mean age 79 SD 7 years, 70% female). Multiple ordinal regression analysis determined factors associated with meeting physical activity thresholds related to positive health outcomes: 4,400 and 7,100 daily steps...

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to explore the prevalence and determinants of common mental health disorders (CMHDs, posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], depression, and anxiety) in Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Specifically, we examined how the associations between cultural adversities (discrimination, unemployment, and separation from family) and CMHDs are modified by levels of religiosity and sex. METHOD: Between March and June 2017, a cross-sectional study was conducted targeting adult Arab Syrian refugees residing in Beirut and Southern Lebanon...

INTRODUCTION: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) significantly contributes to severe disability and mortality among the elderly. This study aims to explore the association between longitudinal fluid balance (FB) trajectories and clinical outcomes in elderly patients with AIS. Our hypothesis posits the existence of multiple latent trajectories of FB in patients with AIS during the initial 7 days following ICU admission. METHODS: Patients (age ≥ 65 years) with AIS and continuous FB records were identified from two large databases...

This study applied the functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to investigate frontal activity in autism when performing verbal fluency test and emotion recall task. We recruited 32 autistic adults without intellectual disability and 30 typically-developing controls (TDC). Prefrontal hemodynamic changes were evaluated by fNIRS when the participants performed the verbal fluency test and emotion recall task. fNIRS signals in the prefrontal cortex were compared between autism and TDC. Compared to TDC, autistic adults showed comparable performance on the verbal fluency test but exhibited lower frontal activity on the vegetable category...

The post-secondary transition for autistic youth is a complex process, with hopes and expectations serving as malleable mediators often overlooked in research and practice. Career awareness, exploration, and counseling services play a critical role in facilitating vocational transition, but the vocational hopes and expectations of autistic youth and their parents are often disregarded. This study aims to explore these aspirations and their impact on the vocational transition process, seeking to harmonize elements to better align with the needs of autistic youth and their families...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a degenerative joint disease which can result in chronic pain and disability. The current interventions available for KOA often fail to provide long-lasting effects, highlighting the need for new treatment options that can offer durable benefits. Previous studies have suggested the efficacy of acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis (KOA) with its durability remaining uncertain. In this review, we aimed to investigate the durability of the efficacy after completion of treatment...

Parkinson's disease (PD) is defined by progressive worsening of gait, posture, and balance, as well as disability in daily life activities, and improvement in chronic musculoskeletal pain, particularly neck pain associated with worsening of balance. The study's goal is to look into the relationship between scoliosis, balance, and cervical pain in Parkinson's disease patients. Cross-sectional, pilot study. The study included 16 Parkinson's patients. Neck cervical pain was measured using the pain visual analogue scale and the short form McGill pain questionnaire, while dynamic balance was assessed using static balance, Tinetti, Berg Balance, and the Short Physical Performance Battery scales (SPPB)...

Neuronal death resulting from ischemic stroke is the primary cause of adult mortality and disability, and effective neuroprotective agents for poststroke intervention are still lacking. Remote ischemic postconditioning (RIPostC) has demonstrated significant protective effects against ischemia in various organs; however, the specific mechanisms are not fully understood. This study investigated the potential neuroprotective mechanisms of RIPostC in the context of ischemic stroke. Using a rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion, we found that RIPostC mitigated neurological damage, improved movement in the open-field test, and protected against neuronal apoptosis...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is necessary to minimize the risk of periprocedural thromboembolic complications associated with aneurysm embolization using pipeline embolization device (PED). We aimed to assess the impact of platelet function testing (PFT) on reducing periprocedural thromboembolic complications associated with PED flow diversion in patients receiving aspirin and clopidogrel. METHODS: Patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms requiring PED flow diversion were identified from 13 centers for retrospective evaluation...

IMPORTANCE: Current interventions are limited in improving use of the more-affected upper limb in real-world daily occupations and functional independence poststroke. A comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing real-world upper limb use is required to develop interventions to improve functional independence poststroke. OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the factors that influence real-world use of the more-affected upper limb poststroke. DATA SOURCES: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and the Physiotherapy Evidence Database for English-language articles from 2012 to 2023...