UNASSIGNED: Glaucoma encompasses a group of eye diseases that progressively damage the optic nerve, leading to vision loss and blindness. Understanding the incidence and demographic distribution is vital for public health planning and patient care.
UNASSIGNED: Previous small-scale studies in Colombia have reported the prevalence of glaucoma in individuals over 40 years between 1.1% and 5.29%. These data may not fully capture the true extent of the disease. Furthermore, with the ageing population, the incidence of glaucoma is likely to increase, highlighting the need for up-to-date incidence data to guide healthcare planning.
UNASSIGNED: Data were obtained from the Social Protection Information System, the primary health record repository of Colombia, using the International Classification of Disease 10 for glaucoma. Crude incidence rates were calculated and adjusted for sex, age, and gender. The 2020 incidence was compared with estimated rates from previous years to assess the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 lockdown. A standardised morbidity map was created to show regional variations.
UNASSIGNED: The average incidence of glaucoma in Colombia was 17.36 per 1,000 inhabitants, increasing from 12.29 in 2015 to 24.22 in 2019. Of the 212,700 reported cases, 60.75% were females. Primary open-angle glaucoma was the most prevalent type, with significant incidence in the elderly over 70 years of age, irrespective of sex. Bogotá, Antioquia, and Valle del Cauca had the highest numbers of new cases.
UNASSIGNED: The increasing incidence of glaucoma and its demographic and geographical variations necessitate the awareness of ophthalmologists and optometrists. This study emphasises the need for continuous monitoring, effective interventions, and developing healthcare strategies to address the escalating challenge of glaucoma in Colombia.

The 2018 Federal Menu Labeling regulations require restaurants and similar retail food establishments that are part of a chain with 20 or more locations to provide calorie and other nutrition information for standard menu items. In this study, we describe the sociodemographic correlates of prevalence of menu label use at Food-Away-From-Home (FAFH) establishments and estimate the association between menu label use and calorie intake. We use nationally representative data spanning the years 2007-2018 and multivariable logit regression and ordinary least squares regression models. For FAFH establishments, we find that female respondents have about 26% (95% CI = [1.14, 1.39]) higher odds of using menu labels. Respondents with high school degree have 51 percent higher odds (95% CI = [1.24, 1.85]), respondents with some college education have 107 percent higher odds (95% CI = [1.74, 2.47]) of seeing menu labels. Higher income is associated with 12% (95% CI = [1.08, 1.15]) greater odds of seeing menu labels. Hispanic respondents have 29% (95% CI = [0.62, 0.81]) lower odds of seeing and 79% (95% CI = [1.41, 2.29]) higher odds of using menu labels. Black respondents have 54% (95% CI = [1.35,1.75] higher odds of seeing menu labels at sit-down restaurants. Menu label users at fast-food restaurants reported consuming 202 kcal (95% CI = [-252,-153]) fewer total calories than nonusers and menu label users at sit-down restaurants reported using 181 kcal (95% CI = [-256,-106]) fewer total calories than nonusers. Our findings highlight the sociodemographic disparities in menu label use and provide baseline estimates for future studies evaluating the federal menu labeling regulation.

BACKGROUND: Predicting vaccination behaviors accurately could provide insights for health care professionals to develop targeted interventions.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to develop predictive models for influenza vaccination behavior among children in China.
METHODS: We obtained data from a prospective observational study in Wuxi, eastern China. The predicted outcome was individual-level vaccine uptake and covariates included sociodemographics of the child and parent, parental vaccine hesitancy, perceptions of convenience to the clinic, satisfaction with clinic services, and willingness to vaccinate. Bayesian networks, logistic regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, support vector machine (SVM), naive Bayes (NB), random forest (RF), and decision tree classifiers were used to construct prediction models. Various performance metrics, including area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), were used to evaluate the predictive performance of the different models. Receiver operating characteristic curves and calibration plots were used to assess model performance.
RESULTS: A total of 2383 participants were included in the study; 83.2% of these children (n=1982) were <5 years old and 6.6% (n=158) had previously received an influenza vaccine. More than half (1356/2383, 56.9%) the parents indicated a willingness to vaccinate their child against influenza. Among the 2383 children, 26.3% (n=627) received influenza vaccination during the 2020-2021 season. Within the training set, the RF model showed the best performance across all metrics. In the validation set, the logistic regression model and NB model had the highest AUC values; the SVM model had the highest precision; the NB model had the highest recall; and the logistic regression model had the highest accuracy, F1 score, and Cohen κ value. The LASSO and logistic regression models were well-calibrated.
CONCLUSIONS: The developed prediction model can be used to quantify the uptake of seasonal influenza vaccination for children in China. The stepwise logistic regression model may be better suited for prediction purposes.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the incidence, and sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with preterm birth and perinatal mortality in Nigeria.
METHODS: Secondary analysis of data collected through the Maternal Perinatal Database for Quality, Equity and Dignity (MPD-4-QED) Programme.
METHODS: Data from births in 54 referral-level hospitals across Nigeria between 1 September 2019 and 31 August 2020.
METHODS: A total of 69 698 births.
METHODS: Multilevel modelling was used to determine the factors associated with preterm birth and perinatal mortality.
METHODS: Preterm birth and preterm perinatal mortality.
RESULTS: Of 62 383 live births, 9547 were preterm (153 per 1000 live births). Maternal age (<20 years - adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.52, 95% CI 1.36-1.71; >35 years - aOR 1.23, 95% CI 1.16-1.30), no formal education (aOR 1.68, 95% CI 1.54-1.84), partner not gainfully employed (aOR 1.94, 95% CI 1.61-2.34) and no antenatal care (aOR 2.62, 95% CI 2.42-2.84) were associated with preterm births. Early neonatal mortality for preterm neonates was 47.2 per 1000 preterm live births (451/9547). Father\'s occupation (manual labour aOR 1.52, 95% CI 1.20-1.93), hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (aOR 1.37, 95% CI 1.02-1.83), no antenatal care (aOR 2.74, 95% CI 2.04-3.67), earlier gestation (28 to <32 weeks - aOR 2.94, 95% CI 2.15-4.10; 32 to <34 weeks - aOR 1.80, 95% CI 1.3-2.44) and birthweight <1000 g (aOR 21.35, 95% CI 12.54-36.33) were associated with preterm perinatal mortality.
CONCLUSIONS: Preterm birth and perinatal mortality in Nigeria are high. Efforts should be made to enhance access to quality health care during pregnancy, delivery and the neonatal period, and improve the parental socio-economic status.

UNASSIGNED: Obesity is a leading risk factor for both the incidence and progression of osteoarthritis (OA). Omic technologies, including transcriptomics and metabolomics are capable of identifying RNA and metabolite profiles in tissues and biofluids of OA patients. The objective of this review is to highlight studies using transcriptomics and metabolomics that contribute to our understanding of OA pathology in relation to obesity.
UNASSIGNED: We conducted a targeted search of PUBMED for articles, and GEO for datasets, published up to February 13, 2024, screening for those using high-throughput transcriptomic and metabolomic techniques to study human or pre-clinical animal model tissues or biofluids related to obesity-associated OA. We describe relevant studies and discuss challenges studying obesity as a disease-related factor in OA.
UNASSIGNED: Of the 107 publications identified by our search criteria, only 15 specifically used transcriptomics or metabolomics to study joint tissues or biofluids in obesity-related OA. Specific transcriptomic and metabolomic signatures associated with obesity-related OA have been defined in select local joint tissues, biofluids and other biological material. However, considerable challenges exist in understanding contributions of obesity-associated modifications of transcriptomes and metabolomes related to OA, including sociodemographic, anthropometric, dietary and molecular redundancy-related factors.
UNASSIGNED: A number of additional transcriptomic and metabolomic studies are needed to comprehensively understand how obesity affects OA incidence, progression and outcomes. Integration of transcriptome and metabolome signatures from multiple tissues and biofluids, using network-based approaches will likely help to better define putative therapeutic targets that could enable precision medicine approaches to obese OA patients.

Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) have interacted with humans during their common history. We used a contingent valuation method to assess the economic value of the management of this mesocarnivore\'s negative impacts. We carried out face-to-face interviews with 746 Greek residents, using a multiple-bounded discrete choice approach to estimate willingness to pay (WTP) for red fox management under three impact situations: attack domestic animals, reduce game, carry disease. About 51.9%, 33.0%, and 81.1% of the respondents stated a mean WTP of €34.1, €44.9, and €72.1 for each situation, respectively. The total annual amounts of €18.7 million, €15.7 million, and €61.7 million could be collected from the target population for red fox management when they attack domestic animals, reduce game, and carry disease, respectively. Attitudes and likeability toward foxes were negatively associated while knowledge about foxes and fear of them were positively associated with WTP. The younger, richer, less educated, rural, farmers, hunters, and pet owners were generally more willing to pay for red fox management across situations. Females were more willing to pay for managing predation on domestic animals, while males were more willing to pay for managing predation on game. Our findings showed that the Greek residents highly value the management of red foxes in all impact situations and would be valuable for further advising the management process.

Despite the high efficacy and safety demonstrated in clinical trials, COVID-19 booster vaccination rates in Malaysia remain below 50% among the general public. This study explores the factors influencing public acceptance of the COVID-19 booster vaccine among the Malaysian population. The questionnaire included variables on sociodemographics, knowledge, and the Health Belief Model (HBM) constructs. Based on the Chi-squared test of contingencies, a t-test and multivariate logistic regression analysis on 411 collected responses, the findings revealed that older participants, individuals of Chinese ethnicity, and those with higher education levels and incomes were more willing to accept booster vaccinations. The analysis further identified perceived susceptibility, perceived severity and perceived barriers as significant predictors influencing booster vaccination acceptance rates. Healthcare policymakers may consider targeting interventions to diminish the obstacles associated with booster vaccinations. These intervention strategies include implementing health intervention programmes, such as public health awareness initiatives, to raise awareness of the risks and severity of COVID-19, ultimately encouraging higher uptake of booster vaccines.

BACKGROUND: Targeted marketing of menthol cigarettes in the US influences disparities in the prevalence of menthol smoking. There has been no analysis of sub-national data documenting differences in use across demographic subgroups. This study estimated trends in the prevalence of menthol use among adults who smoke in the nine US census divisions by sex, age, and race/ethnicity from 2002 to 2020.
METHODS: Data from 12 waves of the US ITC Survey were used to estimate the prevalence of menthol cigarette use across census divisions and demographic subgroups using multilevel regression and post-stratification (n = 12,020). Multilevel logistic regression was used to predict the prevalence of menthol cigarette use in 72 cross-classified groups of adults who smoke defined by sex, age, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status; division-level effects were fit with a random intercept. Predicted prevalence was weighted by the total number of adults who smoke in each cross-classified group and aggregated to divisions within demographic subgroup. Estimates were validated against the Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey (TUS-CPS).
RESULTS: Overall modeled prevalence of menthol cigarette use was similar to TUS-CPS estimates. Prevalence among adults who smoke increased in each division from 2002 to 2020. By 2020, prevalence was highest in the Middle (46.3%) and South Atlantic (42.7%) and lowest in the Pacific (25.9%) and Mountain (24.2%) divisions. Prevalence was higher among adults aged 18-29 (vs. 50+) and females (vs. males). Prevalence among non-Hispanic Black people exceeded 80% in the Middle Atlantic, East North Central, West North Central, and South Atlantic in all years and varied most among Hispanic people in 2020 (Pacific: 26.5%, New England: 55.1%).
CONCLUSIONS: Significant geographic variation in the prevalence of menthol cigarette use among adults who smoke suggests the proposed US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) menthol cigarette ban will exert differential public health benefits and challenges across geographic and demographic subgroups.

UNASSIGNED: This study aimed to identify factors associated with delayed oral anticoagulant (OAC) treatment initiation among atrial fibrillation (AF) patients in United States (US) clinical practice.
UNASSIGNED: Medicare beneficiaries newly diagnosed with AF without moderate-to-severe mitral stenosis or a mechanical heart valve, were aged ≥65 years and prescribed OAC on or after 10/1/2015 through 2019 were included. Delayed and early OAC initiation were defined as >3 months and 0-3 months initiation from first AF diagnosis, respectively.
UNASSIGNED: Association between delayed OAC initiation and patient demographics, clinical and index OAC coverage and formulary characteristics was examined using multivariable logistic regression.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 446,441 patients met the inclusion criteria; 30.0 % (N = 131,969) were identified as delayed and 70.0 % (N = 314,472) as early OAC initiation. Median age for both cohorts was 78 years. In the early and delayed OAC cohorts, 47.1 % and 47.6 % were male and 88.8 % and 86.6 %, were White, respectively. Factors associated with delayed OAC initiation (odds ratio; 95 % confidence interval) included Black race (1.29; 1.25 to 1.33), west region (1.29; 1.26 to 1.32), comorbidities such as dementia (1.27; 1.23 to 1.30), recent bleeding hospitalization (1.22; 1.18 to 1.27), prior authorization (1.69; 1.66 to 1.71), tier 4 formulary for index OAC at AF diagnosis (1.26; 1.22 to 1.30).
UNASSIGNED: Our study revealed that nearly one-third of Medicare patients with AF experienced delayed OAC initiation. Key patient characteristics found to be associated with delayed OAC initiation included race and ethnicity, comorbidities, and formulary restrictions.

BACKGROUND: Children and youth experienced marked impacts on day-to-day life in the COVID-19 pandemic that were associated with poorer familial and friend relationships, and greater mental health challenges. Few studies provide self-report data on mental health symptoms from children and youth themselves. We sought to examine the associations between social factors and child and youth self-reported symptoms of worsened mood, anxiety, and irritability during the COVID-19 pandemic.
METHODS: A nationally representative cross-sectional survey was administered online to collect self-report data across 10 Canadian provinces among children (11-14 years) and youth (15-18 years), April-May 2022. Age-appropriate questions were based on The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health and the World Health Organization of the United Nations H6 + Technical Working Group on Adolescent Health and Well-Being consensus framework and the Coronavirus Health and Impact Survey. Associations between a priori defined social factors (e.g., relationship quality) and respondent self-reported mental health were evaluated using ordinal logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, and geographic location.
RESULTS: We analyzed data from 483 (51.7%) children (11-14 years; 227, 47.0% girls) and 450 (48.3%) youth (15-18 years; 204, 45.3% girls). The parents of most children and youth had resided in Canada for over 20 years (678, 72.7%). Over one-quarter of children and youth self-identified as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color (134, 27.7%; 134, 29.8%, respectively). Over one-third of children and youth self-reported symptoms of worsened mood (149, 30.9%; 125, 27.8%, respectively), anxiety (181, 37.5%; 167, 37.1%, respectively), or irritability (160, 33.1%; 160, 35.6%, respectively) during, compared to pre-pandemic. In descending order of odds ratios (OR), for children and youth, worsened familial relationships (during compared to pre-pandemic) was associated with the self-reported symptoms of worsened mood (child: OR 4.22, 95%CI 2.51-6.88; youth: OR 6.65 95%CI 3.98-11.23), anxiety (child: OR 4.24, 95%CI2.69-6.75; youth: OR 5.28, 95%CI 3.17-8.86), and irritability (child: OR 2.83, 95%CI 1.76-4.56; youth: OR 6.46, 95%CI 3.88-10.90).
CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported data from a nationally representative sample of children and youth suggest strong associations between social factors and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interventions targeting child and youth familial relationships may positively impact child and youth mental health.