Association of perceived mental health with mortality, and analysis of potential pathways in Italian men and women: Prospective results from the Moli-sani Study cohort

BACKGROUND

Perceived mental health (PMH) was reportedly associated with mortality in general populations worldwide. However, little is known about sex differences and pathways potentially linking PMH to mortality. We explored the relationship between PMH and mortality in Italian men and women, and analysed potential explanatory factors.

METHODS

We performed longitudinal analyses on 9045 men and 9467 women (population mean age 53.8 ± 11.2 years) from the Moli-sani Study. Baseline PMH was assessed through a self-administered Short Form 36-item questionnaire. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (95%CI) of death across sex-specific quartiles of PMH, controlling for age, chronic health conditions, and perceived physical health. Socioeconomic, behavioural, and physiological factors were examined as potential explanatory factors of the association between PMH and mortality.

RESULTS

In women, HRs for the highest (Q4) vs. bottom quartile (Q1) of PMH were 0.75 (95%CI 0.60-0.96) for all-cause mortality and 0.59 (0.40-0.88) for cardiovascular mortality. Part of these associations (25.8 % and 15.7 %, for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, respectively) was explained by physiological factors. In men, higher PMH was associated with higher survival (HR = 0.82; 0.69-0.98, for Q4 vs. Q1) and reduced hazard of other cause mortality (HR = 0.67; 0.48-0.95). More than half of the association with all-cause mortality was explained by physiological factors.

LIMITATIONS

PMH was measured at baseline only.

CONCLUSIONS

PMH was independently associated with mortality in men and women. Public health policies aimed at reducing the burden of chronic diseases should prioritize perceived mental health assessment along with other interventions.

The need for longitudinal data on the value of fertility treatment for infertile patients' quality of life: A review and pilot study

Infertility threatens the life goal of parenthood and, hence, quality of life (QoL) of (wo)men, but the fertility clinic trajectory might be burdensome. This review of longitudinal studies and pilot longitudinal study examines the impact of the pre-in vitro fertilization (IVF) fertility clinic trajectory on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for emotional well-being, including QoL. A publication found that the diagnostic workup decreases men's infertility-specific distress while publications disagree whether it decreases (wo)men's anxious and depressive reactions. Intrauterine insemination (IUI) was found to increase (wo)men's depressive reactions. Publications on infertility-specific, health-related, and overall QoL were missing. The pilot indicated that (wo)men's overall QoL is not affected by the diagnostic workup but is decreased by the time of the third IUI. Longitudinal studies on the impact of starting the fertility clinic trajectory on PROMs are needed as they are essential for patient-centered clinical decision-making and patient-centered policy-level decision-making.

Influence of ozonized water on pain, oedema, and trismus during impacted third molar surgery: a randomized, triple blind clinical trial

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of ozonized water on pain, oedema and trismus after impacted third molar mandibular surgeries when compared to double distilled water. A randomized triple blind trial was conducted.

METHODS

Patients with third molars class II-B of Pell-Gregory were included, and surgical extraction was performed. Irrigation was done with ozonized (group 1) or double distilled water (group 2). The type of irrigation and the side to be operated were randomized. Neither the patients nor the operator or evaluator were aware of the irrigation solution. Pain, oedema and trismus were evaluated at baseline, 24-h, 48-h, 72-h and 7-days after treatment. The data were evaluated by Friedman, Wilcoxon, Mann-Whitney tests, and size effect.

RESULTS

It was included 8 men and 12 women, with a mean age of 20.9y.o. The initial pain mean was 7.94 (±12.81) (group 1) and 5.50 (±9.12) (group 2) (p > 0,05). There was a statistically significant reduction of pain, oedema and trismus in intragroup analysis (p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) when comparing the oedema and trismus between groups. The size effect ranged from small (0.23) to large (1.29).

CONCLUSIONS

It was concluded that ozonized water was compatible as irrigation method, not inferior to double distilled water, and had satisfactory effects on management of pain, oedema and trismus after surgical removal of the third molar.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This clinical trial was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03501225 on April 18, 2018.

Quality-of-life research in adult patients with congenital heart disease: current status and the way forward

Over the past four decades, the number of papers on quality of life (QoL) in congenital heart disease (CHD) has grown exponentially. However, firm conclusions have been hard to draw, because conceptual issues occurred and methodological differences prevented direct comparisons of studies. In general, QoL in CHD patients is good and it can be even better than in healthy peers when measured as life satisfaction. When QoL is measured as physical functioning, patients with complex CHD do worse than patients with moderate or mild defects or healthy individuals. APPROACH-IS was a large-scale international project that confirmed international variations in QoL, with Australian patients reporting the best QoL. Poor QoL was predicted by older age, being a job seeker, unemployed or disabled, never having married and those with worse functional status. Perceived illness and religion and spirituality were also significant predictors for QoL. On the other hand, country-specific characteristics and healthcare system factors did not play a significant role in explaining variances in QoL of patients with CHD around the globe. Future studies should rely on a sound conceptual basis, use longitudinal research designs, be conducted in international, multi-centre settings and evaluate interventions that promote patients' QoL.

Cross-cultural adaptation of the Brazilian version of the Dentine Hypersensitivity Experience Questionnaire (DHEQ-15)

The dentine hypersensitivity (DH) is able to impair the oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL). However, there isn't any specific validated questionnaire to be used in Brazil. The objective was to adapt and to validate the English version of the Dentine Hypersensitivity Experience Questionnaire (DHEQ-15) for use in Brazil. DHEQ-15 was cross-culturally adapted into the Brazilian-Portuguese language and then validated in a cross-sectional study with 100 participants recruited at a University clinic. Study sample comprised 2 groups: 100 individuals with DH, and 100 individuals without. The instrument was self-administered twice 7 to 10 days apart. The participants answered a global rating of oral health. The psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of DHEQ-15 were verified through internal consistency (Cronbach's α) and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient - ICC), convergent (Spearman correlation) and discriminant (Mann-Whitney test) validity. The significance threshold was set at p<0.05. Sample comprised 69 men and 131 women, of mean age 30.4y. The Brazilian DHEQ-15 demonstrated very good internal consistency (α = 0.945). Test-retest reliability revealed excellent reproducibility (ICC = 0.959, p < 0.001). There was statistically significant correlation between the scores obtained on all DHEQ-15 domains and the global rating of oral health (p<0.001). Participants with DH scored significantly higher than those without DH (p<0.001). This study provides evidence supporting the cross-cultural validity of the Brazilian version of DHEQ-15 for use in Brazil.

Determinants of quality of life in children and adolescents with CHD: a systematic review

PURPOSE

This review aims to outline a systematic approach for the assessment of quality of life in children and adolescents with CHD and to cite its main determinants.

METHODS

A systematic critical literature search in PubMed, Scopus, and Cinahl databases resulted in 954 papers published after 2000. After the quality assessment, 32 original articles met the inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

Methodological quality of the included studies varied greatly, showing a moderate quality. Impaired quality of life was associated with more severe cardiac lesions. Children with CHD, after cardiac surgery, reported diminished quality of life concerning physical, psycho-social, emotional, and school functioning. The majority of clinical studies showed significant differences among children and their parents' responses regarding their quality of life, with a tendency of children to report greater quality of life scores than their parents. According to our analysis, concerning children with CHD, the most cited determinants of their quality of life were as follows: (a) parental support; (b) lower socio-economic status; (c) limitations due to physical impairment; (d) sense of coherence; as well as (e) the level of child's everyday anxiety and depression. These findings suggest that differences in quality of life issues may exist across lesion severities.

CONCLUSION

Quality of life in children with CHD should be assessed according to age; severity; therapeutic approach; acceptance of the disease; and personality features. Effective management and early recognition of significant impairments in quality of life could impact clinical outcomes in children with CHD.