Vulnerable populations

INTRODUCTION: Fever and cough in under-five children are common and predominately self-limiting illnesses. Inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics in sub-Saharan Africa is a significant public health concern. However, prescription sources and use among children with fever or cough have not been explored. Therefore, we explored the factors associated with the use of antibiotics obtained from prescription and non-prescription sources for children with illnesses associated with fever and cough...

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition in children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) is a significant global public health issue. Nutritional assessment combined with management or advice are essential to produce optimal outcomes. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to assess nutritional status and the sociodemographic profile of children with neurodevelopmental disorders in Bangladesh. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from December to April 2020 among the population of children with NDDs who presented to the pediatric department of the TMSS Medical College and Rafatullah Community Hospital in Bogura during this period...

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS: The potential role of anesthesia as an independent risk factor for childhood bipolar disorder (BD) remains unclear. To address this, we conducted a population-based cohort study employing propensity score matching to compare BD incidence between pediatric patients undergoing surgery with and without general anesthesia. STUDY DESIGN: Our study included patients aged 0-3 years who received at least 1 episode of general anesthesia and were hospitalized for over 1 day in Taiwan between January 2004 and December 2014...

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is one of the most impactful diseases experienced in the past century. While the official national health emergency concluded in May of 2023, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to mutate. As the summer of 2023, all countries were experiencing a new surge of cases from the EG.5 Omicron variant. Additionally, a new genetically distinct Omicron descendant BA2.86 had been detected in multiple countries including the United States. This article seeks to offer lessons learned from the pandemic, summarize best evidence for current management of patients with COVID-19, and give insights into future directions with this disease...

OBJECTIVE: Despite the widespread reduction in COVID-19-related morbidity and mortality attributed to vaccination in the general population, vaccine efficacy in solid organ transplant recipients (SOTR) remains under-characterized. This study aimed to investigate clinically relevant outcomes on double and triple-vaccinated versus unvaccinated SOTR with COVID-19. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: A retrospective propensity score-matched cohort study was performed utilizing data from the US Collaborative Network Database within TriNetX (n = 117,905,631)...

INTRODUCTION: The Therapeutic Community Model narrows the gap in substance use disorder's network of assistance in Brazil by offering residential treatment to socially vulnerable populations. Due to a historical lack of evidence-based approaches, the government has established treatment guidelines and has been trying to implement training and monitoring methods. METHOD: This study analysed real-world data from the monitoring system implemented in the largest network of institutions receiving public funds in the State of Sao Paulo...

BACKGROUND: The technological applications of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) have been steadily increasing since the 1950s exposing large proportions of the population. The World Health Organization (WHO) is assessing the potential health effects of exposure to RF-EMF. OBJECTIVES: To systematically assess the effects of exposure to RF-EMF on self-reported non-specific symptoms in human subjects and to assess the accuracy of perceptions of presence or absence of RF-EMF exposure...

BACKGROUND: A better understanding of SARS-CoV-2 infection risk among Hispanic and Latino populations and in low-resource settings in the United States is needed to inform control efforts and strategies to improve health equity. Puerto Rico has a high poverty rate and other population characteristics associated with increased vulnerability to COVID-19, and there are limited data to date to determine community incidence. OBJECTIVE: This study describes the protocol and baseline seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in a prospective community-based cohort study (COPA COVID-19 [COCOVID] study) to investigate SARS-CoV-2 infection incidence and morbidity in Ponce, Puerto Rico...

Background: Cannabis use is increasing among middle-aged and older US adults, populations that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of cannabis. Risks for adverse effects differ by cannabis use patterns, which have become increasingly heterogeneous. Nevertheless, little is known about age differences in such patterns. Objective: To investigate age differences in cannabis use patterns, comparing younger (age 18-49), middle-aged (age 50-64), and older adults (age ≥65). Methods: A total of 4,151 US adults with past 7-day cannabis consumption completed an online survey (35...

Several epidemiological studies have provided evidence that long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (pm2.5) increases mortality rate. Furthermore, some population characteristics (e.g., age, race, and socioeconomic status) might play a crucial role in understanding vulnerability to air pollution. To inform policy, it is necessary to identify groups of the population that are more or less vulnerable to air pollution. In causal inference literature, the group average treatment effect (GATE) is a distinctive facet of the conditional average treatment effect...

The article presents review of empirical social medical and sociological studies of mental health of Russians in "post-pandemic" (2022 - first half of 2023). The purpose of the study is to generalize results of corresponding studies. The review covers the articles in national scientific journals indexed in the RSCI, the results of monitoring surveys carried out by both all-Russian research organizations handling analysis of public opinion and by Federal research and educational organizations. The criteria of selection of studies included the study field stage was implemented in January 2022 - June 2023; sociological survey technique was applied; the study object was whole population of the Russian Federation or its subject or a separate social group...

Personality research is of relevance because it provides insights into the psychological strengths and vulnerabilities of a person. Korsakoff's syndrome (KS) is a severe neuropsychiatric disorder following acute thiamine deficiency, usually as a consequence of alcohol-use disorders. Research on personality traits of KS patients is currently limited. The aim of the current exploratory study was therefore to examine the personality traits and problems of KS patients. We assessed self-reported and informant-reported personality traits and problems in institutionalized KS patients ( n  = 30)...

OBJECTIVES: Universal opt-out antenatal screening for Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is not currently recommened and it is recommended that maternity services offer risk-based testing. We aimed to investigate antenatal HCV testing and adherence to testing guidance. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was circulated to maternity service providers between November-December 2020 which included testing policy, training for healthcare staff, and management of women found to be HCV positive...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The development of new antiaging medicines is of great interest to the current elderly and aging population. Aging of the hematopoietic system is attributed to the aging of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), and epigenetic alterations are the key effectors driving HSC aging. Understanding the epigenetics of HSC aging holds promise of providing new insights for combating HSC aging and age-related hematological malignancies. RECENT FINDINGS: Aging is characterized by the progressive loss of physiological integrity, leading to impaired function and increased vulnerability to death...

BACKGROUND: There is a need to develop and coordinate dementia care plans that use assistive technology for vulnerable groups such as immigrant populations. However, immigrant populations are seldom included in various stages of the development and implementation of assistive technology, which does not optimize technology acceptance. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to gain an in-depth understanding of the acceptance of a digital personal assistant, called Anne4Care, by older adult immigrants living with dementia in their own homes...

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic prompted the rapid development of vaccines to combat the virus. Several COVID-19 vaccines have proven effective in preventing infection, hospitalization, and death. Vaccination has been especially recommended for vulnerable populations, such as individuals with psychiatric illnesses who face increased risks due to comorbidities and socioeconomic factors. This rapid review identifies and analyzes the effects of COVID-19 vaccines among individuals taking clozapine...

BACKGROUND: The implementation of preventive therapies among patients with stroke remains inadequately explored, especially when compared with patients with myocardial infarction (MI), despite sharing similar vascular risk profiles. We tested the hypothesis that participants with a history of stroke have a worse cardiovascular prevention profile in comparison to participants with MI. METHODS AND RESULTS: In cross-sectional analyses within the UK Biobank and All of Us Research Program, involving 14 760 (9193 strokes, 5567 MIs) and 7315 (2948 strokes, 4367 MIs) participants, respectively, we evaluated cardiovascular prevention profiles assessing low-density lipoprotein (<100 mg/dL), blood pressure (systolic, <140 mm Hg; and diastolic, <90 mm Hg), statin and antiplatelet use, and a cardiovascular prevention score that required meeting at least 3 of these criteria...

Diabetes mellitus type 1 (T1D) and type 2 (T2D) develop due to dysfunction of the Langerhans islet β-cells in the pancreas, and this dysfunction is mediated by oxidative, endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and mitochondrial stresses. Although the two types of diabetes are significantly different, β-cell failure and death play a key role in the pathogenesis of both diseases, resulting in hyperglycemia due to a reduced ability to produce insulin. In T1D, β-cell apoptosis is the main event leading to hyperglycemia, while in T2D, insulin resistance results in an inability to meet insulin requirements...

BACKGROUND: The number of octogenarians referred to percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) is rising steadily. The prevalence and prognostic impact of complex PCI (CPCI) in this vulnerable population has not been fully evaluated. METHODS: Patients ≥80 years old who underwent PCI between 2012 and 2019 at Mount Sinai Hospital were included. Patients were categorized based on PCI complexity, defined as the presence of at least one of the following criteria: use of atherectomy, total stent length ≥60 mm, ≥3 stents implanted, bifurcation treated with at least 2 stents, PCI involving ≥3 vessels, ≥3 lesions, left main, saphenous vein graft or chronic total occlusion...

INTRODUCTION: Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 3.8.2 entails financial protection against catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) by reducing out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) on healthcare. India is characterized by one of the highest OOPE on healthcare, in conjunction with the pervasive socio-economic disparities entrenched in the population. As a corollary, India has embarked on the trajectory of ensuring financial risk protection, particularly for the poor, with the launch of various flagship initiatives...