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Tahoun MM, Sahak MN, Habibi M, Ahadi MJ, Rasoly B, Shivji S, Aboushady AT, Nabeth P, Sadek M, Abouzeid A. Strengthening event-based surveillance (EBS): a case study from Afghanistan. Confl Health 2024; 18:39. [PMID: 38689351 PMCID: PMC11059675 DOI: 10.1186/s13031-024-00598-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The sustained instability in Afghanistan, along with ongoing disease outbreaks and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, has significantly affected the country.During the COVID-19 pandemic, the country's detection and response capacities faced challenges. Case identification was done in all health facilities from primary to tertiary levels but neglected cases at the community level, resulting in undetected and uncontrolled transmission from communities. This emphasizes a missed opportunity for early detection that Event-Based Surveillance (EBS) could have facilitated.Therefore, Afghanistan planned to strengthen the EBS component of the national public health surveillance system to enhance the capacity for the rapid detection and response to infectious disease outbreaks, including COVID-19 and other emerging diseases. This effort was undertaken to promptly mitigate the impact of such outbreaks.We conducted a landscape assessment of Afghanistan's public health surveillance system to identify the best way to enhance EBS, and then we crafted an implementation work plan. The work plan included the following steps: establishing an EBS multisectoral coordination and working group, identifying EBS information sources, prioritizing public health events of importance, defining signals, establishing reporting mechanisms, and developing standard operating procedures and training guides.EBS is currently being piloted in seven provinces in Afghanistan. The lessons learned from the pilot phase will support its overall expansion throughout the country.
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Grants
- GH0002225 WHO, the United States CDC Global Health Security Agenda, and COVID-19 support
- GH0002225 WHO, the United States CDC Global Health Security Agenda, and COVID-19 support
- GH0002225 WHO, the United States CDC Global Health Security Agenda, and COVID-19 support
- GH0002225 WHO, the United States CDC Global Health Security Agenda, and COVID-19 support
- GH0002225 WHO, the United States CDC Global Health Security Agenda, and COVID-19 support
- GH0002225 WHO, the United States CDC Global Health Security Agenda, and COVID-19 support
- GH0002225 WHO, the United States CDC Global Health Security Agenda, and COVID-19 support
- GH0002225 WHO, the United States CDC Global Health Security Agenda, and COVID-19 support
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Mostafa Tahoun
- World Health Organization Country Office, Kabul, Afghanistan
- High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | | | | | | | | | - Sabrina Shivji
- United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA
| | - Ahmed Taha Aboushady
- Eastern Mediterranean Region WHO Office, Cairo, Egypt
- Division of infectious diseases, Brigham and women's hospital, Harvard medical school, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Pierre Nabeth
- Eastern Mediterranean Region WHO Office, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mahmoud Sadek
- Eastern Mediterranean Region WHO Office, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Alaa Abouzeid
- World Health Organization Country Office, Kabul, Afghanistan
- Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
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Sasie SD, Ayano G, Mamo F, Azage M, Spigt M. Assessing the performance of the integrated disease surveillance and response systems: a systematic review of global evidence. Public Health 2024; 231:71-79. [PMID: 38636279 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2024.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Public health surveillance systems are critical for detecting and responding to health threats. This review aims to analyze international literature on the performance of these systems in terms of core, support, and attributes of surveillance system. STUDY DESIGN Systematic review. METHODS Following the preregistered protocol (PROSPERO: CRD42022366051), a systematic search was conducted on PubMed/MEDLINE, CINHAL, CABI, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for articles evaluating Public Health Surveillance System performance from inception to July 21, 2023. Various study designs were included, and quality assessment was performed. Thematic analysis categorized findings into key surveillance system functions. RESULTS Nine studies from different countries assessed core and supportive functions, as well as surveillance attributes. Performance varied among countries, with some excelling overall and others showing poor performance in specific areas. Many countries' surveillance systems had inadequate performance in key measures in terms of the core and supportive functions, as well as the attributes of the surveillance system. CONCLUSION This review shows significant variations in the performance of public health surveillance systems across countries. Further research is needed to understand underperformance reasons and inform global policymaking for strengthening surveillance systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- S D Sasie
- Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Department of Family Medicine, CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
| | - G Ayano
- School of Population Health, Curtin University, Australia.
| | - F Mamo
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
| | - M Azage
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
| | - M Spigt
- Department of Family Medicine, CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; General Practice Research Unit, Department of Community Medicine, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
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Williams RC, Farkas K, Garcia-Delgado A, Adwan L, Kevill JL, Cross G, Weightman AJ, Jones DL. Simultaneous detection and characterization of common respiratory pathogens in wastewater through genomic sequencing. Water Res 2024; 256:121612. [PMID: 38642537 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 has given insight into the evolution and epidemiology of the virus and its variant lineages during the COVID-19 pandemic. Expanding this approach to include a range of respiratory pathogens can better inform public health preparedness for potential outbreaks and epidemics. Here, we simultaneously sequenced 38 pathogens including influenza viruses, coronaviruses and bocaviruses, to examine the abundance and seasonality of respiratory pathogens in urban wastewater. We deployed a targeted bait capture method and short-read sequencing (Illumina Respiratory Virus Oligos Panel; RVOP) on composite wastewater samples from 8 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and one associated hospital site. By combining seasonal sampling with whole genome sequencing, we were able to concurrently detect and characterise a range of common respiratory pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2, adenovirus and parainfluenza virus. We demonstrated that 38 respiratory pathogens can be detected at low abundances year-round, that hospital pathogen diversity is higher in winter vs. summer sampling events, and that significantly more viruses are detected in raw influent compared to treated effluent samples. Finally, we compared detection sensitivity of RT-qPCR vs. next generation sequencing for SARS-CoV-2, enteroviruses, influenza A/B, and respiratory syncytial viruses. We conclude that both should be used in combination; RT-qPCR allowed accurate quantification, whilst genomic sequencing detected pathogens at lower abundance. We demonstrate the valuable role of wastewater genomic surveillance and its contribution to the field of wastewater-based epidemiology, gaining rapid understanding of the seasonal presence and persistence for common respiratory pathogens. By simultaneously monitoring seasonal trends and early warning signs of many viruses circulating in communities, public health agencies can implement targeted prevention and rapid response plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel C Williams
- School of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK.
| | - Kata Farkas
- School of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Alvaro Garcia-Delgado
- School of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Latifah Adwan
- School of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Jessica L Kevill
- School of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Gareth Cross
- Science Evidence Advice Division, Health and Social Services Group, Welsh Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NQ, UK
| | - Andrew J Weightman
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Davey L Jones
- School of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK; Food Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch WA 6150, Australia
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Alahmari AA, Almuzaini Y, Alamri F, Alenzi R, Khan AA. Strengthening global health security through health early warning systems: A literature review and case study. J Infect Public Health 2024; 17 Suppl 1:85-95. [PMID: 38368245 DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2024.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Disease transmission is dependent on a variety of factors, including the characteristics of an event, such as crowding and shared accommodations, the potential of participants having prolonged exposure and close contact with infectious individuals, the type of activities, and the characteristics of the participants, such as their age and immunity to infectious agents [1-3]. Effective control of outbreaks of infectious diseases requires rapid diagnosis and intervention in high-risk settings. As a result, syndromic and event-based surveillance may be used to enhance the responsiveness of the surveillance system [1]. In public health, surveillance is collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data across time to inform decision-making and aid policy implementation [1]. In this review article we aimed to provide an overview of the principles, types, uses, advantages, and limitations of surveillance systems and to highlight the importance of early warning systems in response to the information received by disease surveillance. The study conducted a comprehensive literature search using several databases, selecting, and reviewing 78 articles that covered different types of surveillance systems, their applications, and their impact on controlling infectious diseases. The article also presents a case study from the Hajj gathering, which highlighted the development, evaluation, and impact of early warning systems on response to the information received by disease surveillance. The study concludes that ongoing disease surveillance should be accompanied by well-designed early warning and response systems, and continuous efforts should be invested in evaluating and validating these systems to minimize the risk of reporting delays and reducing the risk of outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed A Alahmari
- Global Center of Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Yasir Almuzaini
- Global Center of Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fahad Alamri
- Global Center of Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Anas A Khan
- Global Center of Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Department of Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Lawless JW, Diel DG, Wagner B, Cummings KJ, Meredith GR, Parrilla L, Plocharczyk EF, Lawlis R, Hillson S, Dalziel BD, Bethel JW, Lubchenco J, McLaughlin KR, Haggerty R, Higley KA, Nieto FJ, Radniecki TS, Kelly C, Sanders JL, Cazer CL. Representative Public Health Surveys Pose Several Challenges: Lessons Learned Across 9 Communities During the COVID-19 Pandemic. AJPM Focus 2024; 3:100198. [PMID: 38379957 PMCID: PMC10877119 DOI: 10.1016/j.focus.2024.100198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Community surveillance surveys offer an opportunity to obtain important and timely public health information that may help local municipalities guide their response to public health threats. The objective of this paper is to present approaches, challenges, and solutions from SARS-CoV-2 surveillance surveys conducted in different settings by 2 research teams. For rapid assessment of a representative sample, a 2-stage cluster sampling design was developed by an interdisciplinary team of researchers at Oregon State University between April 2020 and June 2021 across 6 Oregon communities. In 2022, these methods were adapted for New York communities by a team of veterinary, medical, and public health practitioners. Partnerships were established with local medical facilities, health departments, COVID-19 testing sites, and health and public safety staff. Field staff were trained using online modules, field manuals describing survey methods and safety protocols, and in-person meetings with hands-on practice. Private and secure data integration systems and public awareness campaigns were implemented. Pilot surveys and field previews revealed challenges in survey processes that could be addressed before surveys proceeded. Strong leadership, robust trainings, and university-community partnerships proved critical to successful outcomes. Cultivating mutual trust and cooperation among stakeholders is essential to prepare for the next pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanne W. Lawless
- Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Diego G. Diel
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Bettina Wagner
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Kevin J. Cummings
- Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Genevive R. Meredith
- Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Lara Parrilla
- Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | | | | | | | - Benjamin D. Dalziel
- Department of Integrative Biology, College of Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
- Department of Mathematics, College of Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
| | - Jeffrey W. Bethel
- College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
| | - Jane Lubchenco
- Department of Integrative Biology, College of Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
| | | | - Roy Haggerty
- College of Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
| | - Kathryn A. Higley
- Center for Quantitative Life Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
| | - F. Javier Nieto
- College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
| | | | - Christine Kelly
- College of Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
| | - Justin L. Sanders
- Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
| | - Casey L. Cazer
- Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
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Llorente-Nieto P, González-Alcaide G, Ramos-Rincón JM. Mass gathering in Qatar 2022 World Cup. What should be especially monitored? J Infect Public Health 2024; 17 Suppl 1:11-15. [PMID: 37012099 DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2023.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES At the end of 2022, the football world championship will be held in Qatar. These types of meetings require a risk analysis. It proposes an approach to determine which health risks should be prioritized. METHOD We use a mixed methodology (Hierarchical Process Analysis, World Health Organization STAR and European Commission INFORM) to determine the risk level of a total of 12 health entities. RESULTS Our analysis identifies 6 health entities with a moderate risk. There are 4 whose valuation is as low risk and 2 as very low. CONCLUSIONS In our work we focus the analysis from a point of view of the route of transmission or presentation of health events, which facilitates a visualization of the preventive measures to be implemented, both organizationally and individually by the attendees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Llorente-Nieto
- Centro de Salud Pública de Denia, Conselleria de Sanitat i Salut Publica, Alicante, Spain; Department of History of Science, Universitat d'Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
| | | | - José-Manuel Ramos-Rincón
- Internal Medicine Service - General University Hospital of Alicante, Instituto de Sanitario de Investigación Biomédica (ISABIAL), Alicante, Spain; Department of Clinical Medicine, Miguel Hernández University of Elche, Alicante, Spain.
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7
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Choi BC, Barengo NC, Diaz PA. Public health surveillance and the data, information, knowledge, intelligence and wisdom paradigm. Rev Panam Salud Publica 2024; 48:e9. [PMID: 38464871 PMCID: PMC10921903 DOI: 10.26633/rpsp.2024.9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
This article points out deficiencies in present-day definitions of public health surveillance, which include data collection, analysis, interpretation and dissemination, but not public health action. Controlling a public health problem of concern requires a public health response that goes beyond information dissemination. It is undesirable to have public health divided into data generation processes (public health surveillance) and data use processes (public health response), managed by two separate groups (surveillance experts and policy-makers). It is time to rethink the need to modernize the definition of public health surveillance, inspired by the authors' enhanced Data, Information, Knowledge, Intelligence and Wisdom model. Our recommendations include expanding the scope of public health surveillance beyond information dissemination to comprise actionable knowledge (intelligence); mandating surveillance experts to assist policy-makers in making evidence-informed decisions; encouraging surveillance experts to become policy-makers; and incorporating public health literacy training - from data to knowledge to wisdom - into the curricula for all public health professionals. Work on modernizing the scope and definition of public health surveillance will be a good starting point.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard C.K. Choi
- Division of Clinical Public HealthDalla Lana School of Public HealthUniversity of TorontoTorontoCanadaDivision of Clinical Public Health, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Noël C. Barengo
- Department of Medical EducationHerbert Wertheim College of MedicineFlorida International UniversityMiamiUnited States of AmericaDepartment of Medical Education, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, United States of America
| | - Paula A. Diaz
- Epidemiology GroupNational School of Public HealthUniversity of AntioquiaMedellínColombiaEpidemiology Group, National School of Public Health, University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
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Martínez-Barciela Y, Polina González A, Pereira Martínez JM, Cobo Gradín F, Garrido González J, Abalo Costa X, Pousa Ortega Á, Íñiguez Pichel E, Álvarez Cortiñas M, Eritja R. [First record of Aedes albopictus in Galicia, obtained by citizen science through Mosquito Alert]. Gac Sanit 2024:S0213-9111(24)00021-9. [PMID: 38519323 DOI: 10.1016/j.gaceta.2024.102374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
The first detection of the tiger mosquito, Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (Skuse, 1894), in the autonomous community of Galicia (Spain) is reported. The finding has been possible thanks to the collaboration between citizens, the citizen science application Mosquito Alert and the Rede Galega de Vixilancia de Vectores (ReGaViVec). At the beginning of August 2023, a same person submitted through the app several reports consistent with the tiger mosquito in the municipality of Moaña, in Pontevedra. The ReGaViVec entomological team confirmed the species and conducted vector surveillance in the area by placing traps (11 ovitraps and 3 BG-Sentinel 2 with BG-Lure attractant) with a weekly collection frequency. This finding represents the most northwestern detection of the tiger mosquito in the Iberian Peninsula and shows the crucial role of citizen science in vector surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - José Manuel Pereira Martínez
- Departamento de Zooloxía, Xenética e Antropoloxía Física, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela (A Coruña), España
| | - Fernando Cobo Gradín
- Departamento de Zooloxía, Xenética e Antropoloxía Física, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela (A Coruña), España
| | | | | | | | - Elvira Íñiguez Pichel
- Consellería de Sanidade, Xunta de Galicia, Santiago de Compostela (A Coruña), España
| | | | - Roger Eritja
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Blanes (Girona), España
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Mattson AJ, Yu J, Miller EM, Schueller M, Pentella M, Dai SY. Human biomonitoring without in-person interaction: public health engagements during the COVID-19 pandemic and future implications. BMC Med Res Methodol 2024; 24:53. [PMID: 38418949 PMCID: PMC10900566 DOI: 10.1186/s12874-024-02165-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Public health initiatives, including human biomonitoring, have been impacted by unique challenges since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, compounding a decades-long trend of declining public participation. To combat low public participation rates, public health professionals often employ extensive engagement approaches including in-person interactions related to enrollment and sampling, success of which is an essential component of a statistically defensible study. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic challenged public health programs to diversify engagement and sampling approaches, limiting direct interactions for the health and safety of the population. This study explores biomonitoring recruitment strategies through non-contact mechanisms and evaluate the application feasibility for population-based studies. METHODS The Iowa Biomonitoring Program at the State Hygienic Laboratory developed a human biomonitoring study that utilized a multifaceted, distance-based approach. Traditional techniques, such as mailed recruitment invitations and phone-based discussions, were coupled with internet-based surveys and self-collected, shipped urine and water samples. Participation rates were evaluated by employing different mailing methods, and the demographics of enrolled participants were examined. RESULTS This non-human contact approach achieved a nearly 14% participation rate among a rural population, well above our target rates. Our improved mailing strategy for targeting initially unresponsive participants yielded a significantly increase in the participation rates. The respondents were predominantly individuals with educational attainment of at least high school level. Among all the eligible participants, 83% submitted self-collected samples, a rate comparable to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey which involved in-person interviews. CONCLUSIONS The practice of engaging a rural population during the COVID-19 pandemic by transitioning from face-to-face interactions to a combination of mailing and internet-based approaches resulted in higher-than-expected participant recruitment and sample collection rates. Given the declining trend in the response rates for population-based survey studies, our results suggest conducting human biomonitoring without direct human interaction is feasible, which provides further opportunity to improve response rates and the relevance and reach of public health initiatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa J Mattson
- State Hygienic Laboratory, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Jiali Yu
- Systems and Synthetic Biology Innovation Hub, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | | | | | - Michael Pentella
- State Hygienic Laboratory, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Susie Y Dai
- State Hygienic Laboratory, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
- Systems and Synthetic Biology Innovation Hub, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
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10
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Lima Figueiredo ER, do Socorro Carvalho Miranda C, Viana Campos AC, de Campos Gomes F, Câmara Rodrigues CN, de Melo-Neto JS. Influence of sociodemographic and obstetric factors on maternal mortality in Brazil from 2011 to 2021. BMC Womens Health 2024; 24:84. [PMID: 38302949 PMCID: PMC10835861 DOI: 10.1186/s12905-024-02925-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Obstetric causes are classified as direct (complications of pregnancy, childbirth or the puerperium) or indirect (caused by pregnancy but not directly caused by it). This study aimed to analyze maternal mortality from obstetric causes in Brazil from 2011 to 2021. METHODS This was an ecological study on mortality and live births. The outcomes were the specific risk of mortality from direct and indirect cause adjustment and death during pregnancy and the puerperium. Binary and multiple linear logistic regressions were used to assess the influence of sociodemographic factors and maternal and child health indicators on maternal mortality and time of death (pregnancy and puerperium). RESULTS Regarding mortality during pregnancy and during the puerperium, increased (p = 0.003) and decreased (p = 0.004) mortality over the years, respectively; residing in the northern region was associated with lower (p < 0.05) and greater (p = 0.035) odds; and the Maternal Mortality Committee was the primary and least active source of investigation, respectively (p < 0.0001). The number of deaths from indirect causes increased with age (p < 0.001) and in the northern region (p = 0.011) and decreased in the white (< 0.05) and stable union (0.002) regions. Specifically, for mortality risk, the age group [women aged 15-19 years presented an increase in cesarean section (p < 0.001) was greater than that of women who had < 4 antenatal visits (p < 0.001)], education [women who completed high school (8 to 11 years) was greater when they had < 4 prenatal visits (p = 0.018)], and marital status [unmarried women had more than 4 antenatal visits (p < 0.001); cesarean birth (p = 0.010) and < 4 antenatal visits (p = 0.009) were predictors of marriage; and women in a stable union who had < 4 prenatal visits and live births to teenage mothers (p < 0.001) were predictors]. Women who had no education (p = 0.003), were divorced (p = 0.036), had cesarean deliveries (p < 0.012), or lived in the north or northeast (p < 0.008) had higher indirect specific mortality risk. CONCLUSIONS Sociodemographic factors and maternal and child health indicators were related to different patterns of obstetric mortality. Obstetric mortality varied by region, marital status, race, delivery, prenatal care, and cause of death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Renato Lima Figueiredo
- Urogenital System Clinical and Experimental Research Unit, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Pará (UFPA), Belém, PA, 66075-110, Brazil
| | | | - Ana Cristina Viana Campos
- Laboratory and Observatory in Surveillance and Social Epidemiology, Federal University of the South and Southeast of Pará (Unifesspa), Marabá, PA, 68500-000, Brazil
| | | | - Cibele Nazaré Câmara Rodrigues
- Urogenital System Clinical and Experimental Research Unit, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Pará (UFPA), Belém, PA, 66075-110, Brazil
| | - João Simão de Melo-Neto
- Urogenital System Clinical and Experimental Research Unit, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Pará (UFPA), Belém, PA, 66075-110, Brazil.
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Jones-Jack N, El Kalach R, Yassanye D, Link-Gelles R, Olorukooba A, deMartino AK, Elam M, Romerhausen D, Vazquez M, Duggar C, Kim C, Patel A, Guo A, Gharpure R, Tippins A, Moore L. Advancing public health informatics during the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons learned from a public-private partnership with pharmacies. Vaccine 2024:S0264-410X(24)00116-6. [PMID: 38302337 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.01.092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
To support efforts to vaccinate millions of Americans across the United States (US) against COVID-19, the US federal government (USG) launched the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program (PPP) in December 2020 and the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program (FRPP) in February 2021. These programs consisted of a collaborative partnership with the USG and 21 pharmacy organizations, including large retail chains, coordinating pharmacy services administrative organizations (PSAOs) representing independent retail and long-term care pharmacies, and pharmacy network administrators. These pharmacy organizations represented over 46,000 providers and created a robust channel for far-reaching COVID-19 vaccination across 56 state and local jurisdictions. PPP reported more than 8 million COVID-19 doses administered to residents and staff in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) as of June 2021. In addition, FRPP was responsible for administering more than 304 million doses, accounting for approximately 49% of all COVID-19 doses administered as of June 2023. This unprecedented public-private partnership allowed USG to rapidly adapt, expand, and aim to provide equitable access to vaccines for adults and eligible-aged children during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the largest federal COVID-19 vaccination program, the FRPP exemplifies how public-private partnerships can expand access to immunizations during a public health emergency. End-to-end informatics support helped pharmacies meet critical national public health goals and served as convenient access points for sustained health services. This manuscript describes lessons learned regarding informatics coordination with participating pharmacy partners to support the rapid and safe administration of COVID-19 vaccines across the US. The processes of onboarding to CDC's complex data network, establishing connections to state and local immunization information systems (IIS), and monitoring the quality of data pharmacy partners submitted to the CDC Data Clearinghouse (DCH) in alignment with the COVID-19 Vaccine Reporting Specifications (CVRS) are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nkenge Jones-Jack
- COVID-19 Response Team, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States.
| | - Roua El Kalach
- COVID-19 Response Team, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Diana Yassanye
- COVID-19 Response Team, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Ruth Link-Gelles
- COVID-19 Response Team, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Abdulhakeem Olorukooba
- COVID-19 Response Team, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Amee Khamar deMartino
- COVID-19 Response Team, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States; Chickasaw Health Consulting, LLC, Norman, OK, United States
| | - Mattie Elam
- COVID-19 Response Team, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States; Goldbelt Professional Services, LLC, Chesapeake, VA, United States
| | - Doug Romerhausen
- COVID-19 Response Team, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States; Goldbelt Professional Services, LLC, Chesapeake, VA, United States
| | - Marley Vazquez
- COVID-19 Response Team, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Chris Duggar
- COVID-19 Response Team, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Christine Kim
- COVID-19 Response Team, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States; Epidemic Intelligence Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Anita Patel
- COVID-19 Response Team, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Angela Guo
- COVID-19 Response Team, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Radhika Gharpure
- COVID-19 Response Team, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Ashley Tippins
- COVID-19 Response Team, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Lori Moore
- COVID-19 Response Team, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
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12
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Watson E, Rajkhowa A, Dunt D, Bull A, Worth LJ, Bennett N. Evaluation of an Infection surveillance program in residential aged care facilities in Victoria, Australia. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:254. [PMID: 38254078 PMCID: PMC10801934 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-17482-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infection surveillance is a key element of infection prevention and control activities in the aged care sector. In 2017, a standardised infection surveillance program was established for public residential aged care services in Victoria, Australia. This program will soon be expanded to a national level for all Australian residential aged care facilities. It has not been evaluated since its inception. METHODS The current study aimed to evaluate the Victorian Healthcare Associated Infection Surveillance System (VICNISS) Coordinating Centre Aged Care Infection Indicator Program (ACIIP), to understand its performance and functionality. A mixed methods evaluation was performed using the Updated Guidelines for Evaluating Public Health Surveillance Systems developed by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a framework. VICNISS staff who coordinate and manage the ACIIP were invited to participate in interviews. Residential aged care staff who use the program were invited to participate in a survey. Document analysis was also performed. RESULTS Four VICNISS staff participated in the interviews and 38 aged care staff participated in the survey. The ACIIP is stable and able to be adapted quickly to changing definitions for infections. Users found the system relatively easy to use but have difficulties after the long intervals between data entry year on year. VICNISS staff provide expert guidance which benefits users. Users appreciated the benefit of participating and many use the data for improving local practice. CONCLUSIONS The ACIIP is a usessful state-wide infection surveillance program for aged care. Further development of data validation, IT system capacity and models for education and user support will be required to support future scalability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliza Watson
- Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Victorian Healthcare Associated Infection Surveillance System (VICNISS) Coordinating Centre, 792 Elizabeth St, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
| | - Arjun Rajkhowa
- Department of Infectious Diseases, National Centre for Antimicrobial Stewardship, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
| | - David Dunt
- The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
| | - Ann Bull
- Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Victorian Healthcare Associated Infection Surveillance System (VICNISS) Coordinating Centre, 792 Elizabeth St, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
| | - Leon J Worth
- Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Victorian Healthcare Associated Infection Surveillance System (VICNISS) Coordinating Centre, 792 Elizabeth St, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
- Department of Oncology, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Melbourne Cancer, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
- Department of Nursing, Melbourne School of Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3065, Australia
| | - Noleen Bennett
- Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Victorian Healthcare Associated Infection Surveillance System (VICNISS) Coordinating Centre, 792 Elizabeth St, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia.
- Department of Infectious Diseases, National Centre for Antimicrobial Stewardship, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia.
- Department of Nursing, Melbourne School of Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3065, Australia.
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Meijerink H, Shelil M, Jani-Bølstad J, Dvergsdal ET, Madslien EH, Wilberg M, Gundersen RB, Sæbø JI, Thorseng AA, Iversen BG. Does integration with national registers improve the data completeness of local COVID-19 contact tracing tools? A register-based study in Norway, May 2020 - September 2021. BMC Health Serv Res 2024; 24:96. [PMID: 38233812 PMCID: PMC10795336 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-10540-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND During the COVID-19 response in Norway, many municipalities used the Fiks contact tracing tool (FiksCT) to register positive individuals and follow-up contacts. This tool is based on DHIS2, an open source, web-based platform. In this study we examined if data completeness in FiksCT improved after integration with national registers between May 2020 and September 2021. METHODS Data from municipalities using FiksCT was extracted from the Norwegian Emergency Preparedness Register for COVID-19 (Beredt C19). We linked FiksCT data to the Norwegian Surveillance System for Communicable Diseases (MSIS), the National Population Register (FREG), and the Norwegian Vaccine Registry (SYSVAK) using unique identification numbers (ID). Completeness for each variable linked with a national register was calculated before and after integration with these registers. RESULTS Of the 125 municipalities using FiksCT, 87 (69.6%) agreed to share and upload their data to Beredt C19. Data completeness for positive individuals improved after integration with national registers. After integration with FREG, the proportion of missing values decreased from 12.5 to 1.6% for ID, from 4.5 to 0.9% for sex, and from 1.2 to 0.4% for date of birth. Missing values for vaccine type decreased from 63.0 to 15.2% and 39.3-36.7% for first and second dose, respectively. In addition, direct reporting from FiksCT to MSIS increased the proportion of complete records in MSIS (on the selected variables) from 68.6% before to 77.0% after integration. CONCLUSION The completeness of local contact tracing data can be improved by enabling integration with established national registers. In addition, providing the option to submit local data to the national registers could ease workload and reduce the need to collect duplicate data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hinta Meijerink
- Department of Infection Control and Vaccines, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Mohamed Shelil
- Department of Infection Control and Preparedness, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Evy Therese Dvergsdal
- Department of Infectious Disease Registries, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Elisabeth Henie Madslien
- Department of Infection Control and Preparedness, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Madeleine Wilberg
- Department of Infection Control and Preparedness, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | | | | | | | - Bjørn Gunnar Iversen
- Department of Infection Control and Preparedness, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
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14
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Adams AM, Arrazola J, Daly ER, Tompkins M. Threat Agnostic Epidemiology and Surveillance in US Public Health Agencies: Future Potential and Needs. Health Secur 2024; 22:25-30. [PMID: 38079238 DOI: 10.1089/hs.2023.0071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Adams
- Andrew M. Adams, MPH, is a Senior Program Analyst, Preparedness and Response; the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, Atlanta, GA
| | - Jessica Arrazola
- Jessica Arrazola, DrPH, MPH, MCHES, is Director of Educational Strategy; the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, Atlanta, GA
| | - Elizabeth R Daly
- Elizabeth R. Daly, DrPH, MPH, is Director of Infectious Disease Programs; the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, Atlanta, GA
| | - Megan Tompkins
- Megan Tompkins, MPH, is Data Modernization Implementation Lead; the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, Atlanta, GA
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15
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Vermeiren E, van Loenhout JAF, Nasiadka L, Stouten V, Billuart M, Van Evercooren I, Catteau L, Hubin P. Factors underlying COVID-19 booster vaccine uptake among adults in Belgium. BMC Res Notes 2023; 16:328. [PMID: 37951923 PMCID: PMC10640742 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-023-06608-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate factors influencing the uptake of first and second COVID-19 booster vaccines among adults in Belgium, particularly age, sex, region of residence and laboratory confirmed COVID-19 infection history. RESULTS A binomial regression model was used with having received the first or second booster as outcome and age, sex, region of residence and infection history as fixed variables. Among adults, there was generally a higher uptake to receive the first booster among older age groups compared to younger ones. Females, individuals residing in Flanders and those with no previous COVID-19 infection were more likely to receive the first booster. For the second booster, the same age trend was seen as for the first booster. Males, individuals residing in Flanders and those who tested positive for COVID-19 once after first booster were more likely to receive the second booster. Individuals with multiple positive COVID-19 tests before and after primary course or first booster were less likely to receive the subsequent booster dose compared to COVID-naïve individuals. This information could be used to guide future vaccination campaigns during a pandemic and can provide valuable insights into booster uptake patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias Vermeiren
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Sciensano, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.
| | | | - Léonore Nasiadka
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Sciensano, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Veerle Stouten
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Sciensano, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Matthieu Billuart
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Sciensano, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Izaak Van Evercooren
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Sciensano, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Lucy Catteau
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Sciensano, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Pierre Hubin
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Sciensano, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
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Mendoza ID, Banda JA, Giano Z, Hubach RD. Association between adverse childhood experiences and fruit and vegetable intake among a national sample of U.S. adults. Prev Med Rep 2023; 35:102339. [PMID: 37576841 PMCID: PMC10413147 DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2023.102339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Few studies have examined the role adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have on specific diet patterns. This study assessed the association between ACEs and daily fruit and vegetable intake (FVI). Data were derived from the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) which surveys 50 states and three U.S. territories. Participants who completed the ACEs module were included in the analyses (N = 106,967). Total ACEs included the summed responses from the domains of abuse, household challenges, and neglect. FVI was reported by number of times consumed per day. The two fruit items included fruit (fresh, frozen, and canned) and fruit juice. The four vegetable items included leafy greens, fried potatoes, non-fried potatoes, and other vegetables. All fruit and vegetable items were analyzed separately to see which specific items drove the relationship between total ACEs and total FVI, equaling a total of 8 regression models. Every model controlled for poor mental health days, sex, age, ethnicity, income, body mass index, and physical activity. Total ACEs were positively associated with daily intake of fried potatoes (β = 0.008, p =.025), other potatoes (β = 0.008, p =.049), and other vegetables (β = 0.024, p <.001). Total ACEs were negatively associated with daily intake of fruit (β = -0.016, p <.001). ACEs had non-significant relationships with leafy greens and fruit juice. Findings suggests that those with increased ACEs scores report increased consumption of fried potatoes, non-fried potatoes, and other vegetables, and less of fruit. Findings highlight the need for understanding food context and preparation when analyzing the relationship between ACEs and diet intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan D. Mendoza
- Department of Public Health, Purdue University, 812 W State St., West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Jorge A. Banda
- Department of Public Health, Purdue University, 812 W State St., West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Zachary Giano
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 13001 East 17th Place, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Randolph D. Hubach
- Department of Public Health, Purdue University, 812 W State St., West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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17
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Naderi M, Khoshdel AR, Sharififar S, Moghaddam AD, Zareiyan A. Components of Health Surveillance System in Natural Disasters that Affect Military Health Services: A Systematic Review. Iran J Public Health 2023; 52:1788-1802. [PMID: 38033837 PMCID: PMC10682594 DOI: 10.18502/ijph.v52i9.13562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Background Military health surveillance system, as the first responder in natural disasters, plays an important role in public health. This study aimed to identify those components of the health surveillance system, which influence military health services in natural disasters. Methods Five databases of Medline, SCOPUS, Web of Science, ProQuest, Cochrane Library, and search engines of Scholar Google, scienceopen.com, openGery.eu, and WHO.int were reviewed from Jan 1990 to Jan 2022. Due to the heterogeneity of the included studies, various JBI quality assessment tools were applied and the extracted data were analyzed by meta-synthesis method. Results Out of 6538 retrieved studies, after the duplicates and irrelevant studies identified in screening stage were removed, 174 studies extracted from the electronic search of databases and 16 studies retrieved from the manual search of other sources were reviewed based on the study inclusion criteria. Finally, 24 studies with inclusion criteria were selected for data extraction. Ten criteria of monitoring, detecting, data collection and reporting, tracking, type of surveillance system, operational readiness, coordination and interaction, feasibility, flexibility, and acceptability were identified as effective components in the surveillance system of military health services. The identified components were classified into two main categories of structural and operational components. Conclusion The structural components of the military health surveillance system describe the important infrastructural features of the health surveillance system to preparing for natural disasters; and the operational components explains the effective functional features of military health surveillance system in response of natural disasters. The results of this study help policymakers in military health services implement a more effective health surveillance system in natural disasters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Naderi
- Department of Health in Disasters and Emergencies, Faculty of Nursing, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Reza Khoshdel
- Department of Epidemiology, Islamic Azad University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Simintaj Sharififar
- Department of Health in Disasters and Emergencies, Faculty of Nursing, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Arasb Dabbagh Moghaddam
- Department of Health in Disasters and Emergencies, Faculty of Nursing, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Armin Zareiyan
- Department of Health in Disasters and Emergencies, Faculty of Nursing, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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18
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Koziatek CA, Bohart I, Caldwell R, Swartz J, Rosen P, Desai S, Krol K, Neill DB, Lee DC. Neighborhood-Level Risk Factors for Severe Hyperglycemia among Emergency Department Patients without a Prior Diabetes Diagnosis. J Urban Health 2023; 100:802-810. [PMID: 37580543 PMCID: PMC10447789 DOI: 10.1007/s11524-023-00771-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
A person's place of residence is a strong risk factor for important diagnosed chronic diseases such as diabetes. It is unclear whether neighborhood-level risk factors also predict the probability of undiagnosed disease. The objective of this study was to identify neighborhood-level variables associated with severe hyperglycemia among emergency department (ED) patients without a history of diabetes. We analyzed patients without previously diagnosed diabetes for whom a random serum glucose value was obtained in the ED. We defined random glucose values ≥ 200 mg/dL as severe hyperglycemia, indicating probable undiagnosed diabetes. Patient addresses were geocoded and matched with neighborhood-level socioeconomic measures from the American Community Survey and claims-based surveillance estimates of diabetes prevalence. Neighborhood-level exposure variables were standardized based on z-scores, and a series of logistic regression models were used to assess the association of selected exposures and hyperglycemia adjusting for biological and social individual-level risk factors for diabetes. Of 77,882 ED patients without a history of diabetes presenting in 2021, 1,715 (2.2%) had severe hyperglycemia. Many geospatial exposures were associated with uncontrolled hyperglycemia, even after controlling for individual-level risk factors. The most strongly associated neighborhood-level variables included lower markers of educational attainment, higher percentage of households where limited English is spoken, lower rates of white-collar employment, and higher rates of Medicaid insurance. Including these geospatial factors in risk assessment models may help identify important subgroups of patients with undiagnosed disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian A Koziatek
- Ronald O. Perelman Department of Emergency Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, 462 First Avenue, Room A345, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Isaac Bohart
- Ronald O. Perelman Department of Emergency Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, 462 First Avenue, Room A345, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Reed Caldwell
- Ronald O. Perelman Department of Emergency Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, 462 First Avenue, Room A345, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Jordan Swartz
- Ronald O. Perelman Department of Emergency Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, 462 First Avenue, Room A345, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Perry Rosen
- Ronald O. Perelman Department of Emergency Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, 462 First Avenue, Room A345, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Sagar Desai
- Ronald O. Perelman Department of Emergency Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, 462 First Avenue, Room A345, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Katarzyna Krol
- Ronald O. Perelman Department of Emergency Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, 462 First Avenue, Room A345, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Daniel B Neill
- Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Department of Computer Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Urban Science and Progress, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - David C Lee
- Ronald O. Perelman Department of Emergency Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, 462 First Avenue, Room A345, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
- Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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Hughes MM, Shaw KA, Patrick ME, DiRienzo M, Bakian AV, Bilder DA, Durkin MS, Hudson A, Spivey MH, DaWalt LS, Salinas A, Schwenk YD, Lopez M, Baroud TM, Maenner MJ. Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Diagnostic Patterns, Co-occurring Conditions, and Transition Planning. J Adolesc Health 2023; 73:271-278. [PMID: 36849336 PMCID: PMC10450089 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2022.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2022] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The objectives of this study were to describe child characteristics associated with later autism spectrum disorder (ASD) identification and the health status and educational transition plans of adolescents with ASD. METHODS Longitudinal population-based surveillance cohort from the Autism Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network during 2002-2018 in five catchment areas in the United States. Participants included 3,148 children born in 2002 whose records were first reviewed for ASD surveillance in 2010. RESULTS Of the 1,846 children identified in the community as an ASD case, 11.6% were first identified after age 8 years. Children who were more likely to have ASD identified at older ages were Hispanic; were born with low birth weight; were verbal; had high intelligence quotient or adaptive scores; or had certain co-occurring neuropsychological conditions by age 8 years. By age 16 years, neuropsychological conditions were common with more than half of the adolescents with ASD having a diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or anxiety. Intellectual disability (ID) status was unchanged for the majority (>80%) of children from ages 8-16 years. A transition plan was completed for over 94% of adolescents, but disparities were observed in planning by ID status. DISCUSSION A high percentage of adolescents with ASD have co-occurring neuropsychological conditions, markedly higher than at age 8. While most adolescents had transition planning, this occurred less often for those with ID. Ensuring access to services for all people with ASD during adolescence and transition to adulthood may help to promote overall health and quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle M Hughes
- National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
| | - Kelly A Shaw
- National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Mary E Patrick
- National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Monica DiRienzo
- National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | | | | | - Maureen S Durkin
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Allison Hudson
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas
| | | | - Leann S DaWalt
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Angelica Salinas
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Yvette D Schwenk
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas
| | - Maya Lopez
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas
| | - Thaer M Baroud
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas
| | - Matthew J Maenner
- National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
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Jeong H, Hyun J, Lee YK. Epidemiological characteristics of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae outbreaks in the Republic of Korea between 2017 and 2022. Osong Public Health Res Perspect 2023; 14:312-320. [PMID: 37652686 PMCID: PMC10493699 DOI: 10.24171/j.phrp.2023.0069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We aimed to describe the epidemiological characteristics of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) outbreaks in healthcare settings in the Republic of Korea between 2017 and 2022. METHODS Under the national notifiable disease surveillance system, we obtained annual descriptive statistics regarding the isolated species, carbapenemase genotype, healthcare facility type, outbreak location and duration, and number of patients affected and recommended interventions. We used epidemiological investigation reports on CPE outbreaks reported to Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency from June 2017 to September 2022. RESULTS Among the 168 reports analyzed, Klebsiella pneumoniae (85.1%) was the most frequently reported species, while K. pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC, 82.7%) was the most common carbapenemase genotype. Both categories increased from 2017 to 2022 (p<0.01). General hospitals had the highest proportion (54.8%), while tertiary general hospitals demonstrated a decreasing trend (p<0.01). The largest proportion of outbreaks occurred exclusively in intensive care units (ICUs, 44.0%), and the frequency of concurrent outbreaks in ICUs and general wards increased over time (p<0.01). The median outbreak duration rose from 43.5 days before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic (2017-2019) to 79.5 days during the pandemic (2020-2022) (p=0.01), and the median number of patients associated with each outbreak increased from 5.0 to 6.0 (p=0.03). Frequently recommended interventions included employee education (38.1%), and 3 or more measures were proposed for 45.2% of outbreaks. CONCLUSION In the Republic of Korea, CPE outbreaks have been consistently dominated by K. pneumoniae and KPC. The size of these outbreaks increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings highlight the need for continuing efforts to control CPE outbreaks using a multimodal approach, while considering their epidemiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyoseon Jeong
- Division of Healthcare Associated Infection Control, Bureau of Healthcare Safety and Immunization, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Junghee Hyun
- Division of Healthcare Associated Infection Control, Bureau of Healthcare Safety and Immunization, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeon-Kyeng Lee
- Division of Healthcare Associated Infection Control, Bureau of Healthcare Safety and Immunization, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
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Kim J, Lawson AB, Neelon B, Korte JE, Eberth JM, Chowell G. Evaluation of Bayesian spatiotemporal infectious disease models for prospective surveillance analysis. BMC Med Res Methodol 2023; 23:171. [PMID: 37481553 PMCID: PMC10363300 DOI: 10.1186/s12874-023-01987-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND COVID-19 brought enormous challenges to public health surveillance and underscored the importance of developing and maintaining robust systems for accurate surveillance. As public health data collection efforts expand, there is a critical need for infectious disease modeling researchers to continue to develop prospective surveillance metrics and statistical models to accommodate the modeling of large disease counts and variability. This paper evaluated different likelihoods for the disease count model and various spatiotemporal mean models for prospective surveillance. METHODS We evaluated Bayesian spatiotemporal models, which are the foundation for model-based infectious disease surveillance metrics. Bayesian spatiotemporal mean models based on the Poisson and the negative binomial likelihoods were evaluated with the different lengths of past data usage. We compared their goodness of fit and short-term prediction performance with both simulated epidemic data and real data from the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS The simulation results show that the negative binomial likelihood-based models show better goodness of fit results than Poisson likelihood-based models as deemed by smaller deviance information criteria (DIC) values. However, Poisson models yield smaller mean square error (MSE) and mean absolute one-step prediction error (MAOSPE) results when we use a shorter length of the past data such as 7 and 3 time periods. Real COVID-19 data analysis of New Jersey and South Carolina shows similar results for the goodness of fit and short-term prediction results. Negative binomial-based mean models showed better performance when we used the past data of 52 time periods. Poisson-based mean models showed comparable goodness of fit performance and smaller MSE and MAOSPE results when we used the past data of 7 and 3 time periods. CONCLUSION We evaluate these models and provide future infectious disease outbreak modeling guidelines for Bayesian spatiotemporal analysis. Our choice of the likelihood and spatiotemporal mean models was influenced by both historical data length and variability. With a longer length of past data usage and more over-dispersed data, the negative binomial likelihood shows a better model fit than the Poisson likelihood. However, as we use a shorter length of the past data for our surveillance analysis, the difference between the Poisson and the negative binomial models becomes smaller. In this case, the Poisson likelihood shows robust posterior mean estimate and short-term prediction results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne Kim
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - Andrew B Lawson
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
- Usher Institute, Centre for Population Health Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Brian Neelon
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Jeffrey E Korte
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Jan M Eberth
- Department of Health Management and Policy, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Gerardo Chowell
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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22
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Teles AJ, Bohm BC, Silva SCM, Bruhn FRP. Socio-geographical factors and vulnerability to leptospirosis in South Brazil. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1311. [PMID: 37420253 PMCID: PMC10329394 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16094-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leptospirosis, caused by the Leptospira bacteria, is an acute infectious disease that is mainly transmitted by exposure to contaminated soil or water, thereby presenting a wide range of subsequent clinical conditions. This study aimed to assess the distribution of cases and deaths from leptospirosis and its association with social vulnerability in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, between 2010 and 2019. METHODS The lethality rates and incidence of leptospirosis and their association with gender, age, education, and skin color were analyzed using chi-square tests. The spatial relationship between the environmental determinants, social vulnerability, and the incidence rate of leptospirosis in the different municipalities of Rio Grande do Sul was analyzed through spatial regression analysis. RESULTS During the study period, a total of 4,760 cases of leptospirosis, along with 238 deaths, were confirmed. The mean incidence rate was 4.06 cases/100,000 inhabitants, while the mean fatality rate was 5%. Although the entire population was susceptible, white-colored individuals, males, people of the working-age group, along with less-educated individuals, were more affected by the disease. Lethality was higher in people with dark skin, and the prime risk factor associated with death was the direct contact of the patients with rodents, sewage, and garbage. The social vulnerability was positively associated with the incidence of leptospirosis in the Rio Grande do Sul, especially in municipalities located in the center of the state. CONCLUSIONS It is evident that the incidence of the disease is significantly related to the vulnerability of the population. The use of the health vulnerability index showed great relevance in the evaluation of leptospirosis cases and can be used further as a tool to help municipalities identify disease-prone areas for intervention and resource allocation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bianca Conrad Bohm
- Postgraduate Program in Veterinary, Federal University of Pelotas, Capão Do Leão, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil
| | - Suellen Caroline M Silva
- Postgraduate Program in Veterinary, Federal University of Pelotas, Capão Do Leão, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil.
| | - Fábio Raphael P Bruhn
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Pelotas, Capão Do Leão, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil
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Rogés J, González-Casals H, Bosque-Prous M, Folch C, Colom J, Casabona J, Drou-Roget G, Teixidó-Compañó E, Fernández E, Vives-Cases C, Espelt A. Monitoring health and health behaviors among adolescents in Central Catalonia: DESKcohort protocol. Gac Sanit 2023; 37:102316. [PMID: 37413897 DOI: 10.1016/j.gaceta.2023.102316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
The objective of the prospective cohort study (the DESKcohort project) is to describe and monitor health, health behaviors, and their related factors among 12 and 19-year-old adolescents schooled at centers of Compulsory Secondary Education or post-compulsory secondary education in Central Catalonia, considering social determinants of health. The DESKcohort survey is administered biannually between the months of October and June, and the project has been running for three years. We have interviewed 7319 and 9265 adolescents in the academic years 2019/20 and 2021/22, respectively. They responded a questionnaire created by a committee of experts, that included the following variables: sociodemographic factors, physical and mental health, food, physical activity, leisure and mobility, substance use, interpersonal relationships, sexuality, screen use and digital entertainment, and gambling. The results are presented to educational centers, county councils, municipalities, and health and third sector entities to plan, implement, and evaluate prevention and health promotion actions that address the identified needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judit Rogés
- Research Group in Epidemiology and Public Health in the Digital Health context (epi4Health), Departament d'Epidemiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències Socials i de la Salut, Facultat de Ciències de la Salut de Manresa, Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVic-UCC), Manresa, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Helena González-Casals
- Research Group in Epidemiology and Public Health in the Digital Health context (epi4Health), Departament d'Epidemiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències Socials i de la Salut, Facultat de Ciències de la Salut de Manresa, Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVic-UCC), Manresa, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marina Bosque-Prous
- Research Group in Epidemiology and Public Health in the Digital Health context (epi4Health), Facultat de Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), Barcelona, Spain; Research Group in Epidemiology and Public Health in the Digital Health context (epi4Health), Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia en Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Cinta Folch
- Centre d'Estudis Epidemiològics sobre les Infeccions de Transmissió Sexual i Sida de Catalunya, Agència de Salut Pública de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Joan Colom
- Subdirecció General d'Addiccions, VIH, Infeccions de Transmissió Sexual i Hepatitis Víriques, Agència de Salut Pública de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Casabona
- Centre d'Estudis Epidemiològics sobre les Infeccions de Transmissió Sexual i Sida de Catalunya, Agència de Salut Pública de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Gemma Drou-Roget
- Research Group in Epidemiology and Public Health in the Digital Health context (epi4Health), Departament d'Epidemiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències Socials i de la Salut, Facultat de Ciències de la Salut de Manresa, Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVic-UCC), Manresa, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Community Nursing, Preventive Medicine and Public Health and History of Science, Universitat d'Alacant, San Vicente del Raspeig (Alacant), Spain
| | - Ester Teixidó-Compañó
- Research Group in Epidemiology and Public Health in the Digital Health context (epi4Health), Departament d'Epidemiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències Socials i de la Salut, Facultat de Ciències de la Salut de Manresa, Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVic-UCC), Manresa, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Esteve Fernández
- Tobacco Control Unit, WHO Collaborating Center for Tobacco Control, Institut Català d'Oncologia, Barcelona, Spain; Tobacco Control Research Group, Epidemiology and Public Health Programme (EPIBELL), Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge-IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Campus of Bellvitge, Universitat de Barcelona, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Spain
| | - Carmen Vives-Cases
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain; Department of Community Nursing, Preventive Medicine and Public Health and History of Science, Universitat d'Alacant, San Vicente del Raspeig (Alacant), Spain
| | - Albert Espelt
- Research Group in Epidemiology and Public Health in the Digital Health context (epi4Health), Departament d'Epidemiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències Socials i de la Salut, Facultat de Ciències de la Salut de Manresa, Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVic-UCC), Manresa, Barcelona, Spain; Research Group in Epidemiology and Public Health in the Digital Health context (epi4Health), Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia en Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
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Hutchinson D, Kunasekaran M, Quigley A, Moa A, MacIntyre CR. Could it be monkeypox? Use of an AI-based epidemic early warning system to monitor rash and fever illness. Public Health 2023; 220:142-147. [PMID: 37327561 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2023.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The EPIWATCH artificial intelligence (AI) system scans open-source data using automated technology and can be used to detect early warnings of infectious disease outbreaks. In May 2022, a multicountry outbreak of Mpox in non-endemic countries was confirmed by the World Health Organization. This study aimed to identify signals of fever and rash-like illness using EPIWATCH and, if detected, determine if they represented potential Mpox outbreaks. STUDY DESIGN The EPIWATCH AI system was used to detect global signals for syndromes of rash and fever that may have represented a missed diagnosis of Mpox from 1 month prior to the initial case confirmation in the United Kingdom (7 May 2022) to 2 months following. METHODS Articles were extracted from EPIWATCH and underwent review. A descriptive epidemiologic analysis was conducted to identify reports pertaining to each rash-like illness, locations of each outbreak and report publication dates for the entries from 2022, with 2021 as a control surveillance period. RESULTS Reports of rash-like illnesses in 2022 between 1 April and 11 July (n = 656 reports) were higher than in the same period in 2021 (n = 75 reports). The data showed an increase in reports from July 2021 to July 2022, and the Mann-Kendall trend test showed a significant upward trend (P = 0.015). The most frequently reported illness was hand-foot-and-mouth disease, and the country with the most reports was India. CONCLUSIONS Vast open-source data can be parsed using AI in systems such as EPIWATCH to assist in the early detection of disease outbreaks and monitor global trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Hutchinson
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - M Kunasekaran
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia
| | - A Quigley
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia
| | - A Moa
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia
| | - C R MacIntyre
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia
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de Almeida Soares D, Arcêncio RA, Fronteira I. Inequities between migrants and non-migrants with TB: Surveillance evidence from the Brazilian border State of Roraima. One Health 2023; 16:100473. [PMID: 36578656 PMCID: PMC9791919 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2022.100473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Until 2014, there was already a significant burden of TB in Roraima, with this State being among the most affected ones in Brazil. Since 2015, though, there has been a progressive increase in cases of TB in the state of Roraima, with a notorious concentration of cases in Venezuelan migrants. Active international migration in border territories should be seen as a warning signal about the need to strengthen health surveillance and One Health actions that encompass all components involved in the risk of active transmission of diseases as tuberculosis in these scenarios. Objective This study aims to analyze and compare migrants and non-migrants notified with TB in the State of Roraima in Brazil and identify inequities in terms of diagnosis, access to treatment and outcome of the disease. Study design Quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive study of all confirmed cases of TB notified in the Information System for Notifiable Diseases (SINAN) between 2009 and 2019. Methods Data were described through counts, frequencies, prevalence ratios and 95% confidence interval. We used Poisson regression with robust variance to adjust for confounders. Results 2111 cases of TB were reported in Roraima between 2009 and 2019 and in this study (mean age 38.2 ± 18.5 years). Cases were more frequently males, brownish race, indigenous people, with high school level education. 10.9% (n = 181) of TB cases were migrants, mainly from Venezuela (72.9%). Migrants with TB were more prone to be homeless (PR = 3.7). A higher number of cases of readmission after treatment dropout (3.3%) and AIDS diseases (11.2%) was observed among migrants compared to non-migrants. The proportion of DR-TB was higher among migrants. The percent of cure of TB was lower among migrants and the prevalence of abandonment of treatment, transfers and deaths by other causes was higher compared to non-migrants. Conclusions The results of the study have shown considerable differences in the epidemiological profile of TB between migrants and non-migrants living in the State of Roraima, with a tendency for poorer outcomes in the first ones as well as more concentration of vulnerabilities. These results stress out existing inequities between migrants and non-migrants with TB disease and raise questions on the health care network capacity to address these.
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Affiliation(s)
- Débora de Almeida Soares
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical da Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Rua da Junqueira, 100, 1349-008 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ricardo A. Arcêncio
- Ribeirão Preto School of Nursing, Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto, Rua Prof. Hélio Lourenço, 3900 - Vila Monte Alegre, 14040-902 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Inês Fronteira
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical da Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Rua da Junqueira, 100, 1349-008 Lisbon, Portugal
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Salem N, Huang G, Squires SG, Salvadori MI, Li YA. Epidemiology of tetanus in Canada, 1995-2019. Can J Public Health 2023; 114:432-440. [PMID: 36648748 PMCID: PMC10156883 DOI: 10.17269/s41997-022-00732-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This report aims to use tetanus hospitalization data to describe the epidemiology in Canada from 1995 to 2019 and to assess progress on national reduction targets, including validating that Canada has eliminated maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT). METHODS Tetanus hospitalizations and fatalities occurring between 1995 and 2019 were retrieved from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) and Statistics Canada. Cases coded with ICD-10 codes A33, A34, or A35 as the primary diagnosis (or ICD-9 equivalents) were included. The Canadian national case definition was used for generic tetanus and definitions from the World Health Organization were referenced for MNT. R version 4.0.2 was used for analyses. RESULTS From 1995 to 2019, 155 non-MNT, 6 neonatal, and 0 maternal tetanus cases were retrieved from CIHI. However, all 6 neonatal cases were excluded after validating with provincial/territorial public health officials. In the same time period, there were 91 national notifications of tetanus. Cases were distributed relatively equally across the country, with the exception of the territories, where zero cases were reported. Adults 75 and over had significantly higher incidence rates compared to younger age groups (p<0.001). Ten deaths were reported during the timeframe. CONCLUSION Tetanus incidence remains low and hospitalization data reveal that Canada has met its reduction target of maintaining 5 cases or fewer annually in recent years. For MNT, Canada has successfully met the elimination target of zero cases. Continued vaccination efforts must be practiced for all age groups, including those aged 75 years and older, to sustain targets moving forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Salem
- Infectious Diseases Programs Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
| | - Grace Huang
- Infectious Diseases Programs Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Susan G Squires
- Infectious Diseases Programs Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Marina I Salvadori
- Infectious Diseases Programs Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Y Anita Li
- Infectious Diseases Programs Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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Geller AI, Shehab N, Lovegrove MC, Weidle NJ, Budnitz DS. Bleeding related to oral anticoagulants: Trends in US emergency department visits, 2016-2020. Thromb Res 2023; 225:110-115. [PMID: 37062120 PMCID: PMC10870325 DOI: 10.1016/j.thromres.2023.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clinical trials suggest lower rates of major bleeding with direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) than with warfarin, but anticoagulant-related bleeding remains one of the most common outpatient adverse drug events. METHODS We estimated the number of emergency department (ED) visits and subsequent hospitalizations for oral anticoagulant-related bleeding in 2016-2020 based on active surveillance in a nationally representative, size-stratified probability sample of 60 U.S. hospitals. We estimated rates of ED visits using a nationally-projected retail prescription dispensing database. RESULTS Based on 19,557 cases, oral anticoagulant-related bleeding resulted in an estimated 1,270,259 (95 % Confidence Interval [CI], 644,686-1,895,832) ED visits for the five years 2016-2020, of which 47.8 % (95 % CI, 40.6 %-55.0 %) resulted in hospitalization. Oral anticoagulant-related bleeding resulted in an estimated 230,163 (95% CI, 109,598-350,728) ED visits in 2016 and 301,433 (95% CI, 138,363-464,503) in 2020. During 2016-2020, ED visits for DOAC-related bleeding increased by an average of 27.9 % (95 % CI, 24.0 %-32.0 %; p < .001) per year, while ED visits for warfarin-related bleeding decreased by an average of 8.8 % (95 % CI, -10.7 % to -7.0 %; p = .001) per year. The estimated rate of bleeding visits per 100 patients dispensed oral anticoagulants at least once in 2016-2020 was highest for patients aged ≥ 80 years (13.1; 95 % CI, 6.2-20.0) and lowest for those aged <45 years (4.0; 95 % CI, 2.6-5.5); it was 5.9 visits per 100 patients dispensed DOACs [95 % CI, 2.5-9.2] and 13.0 visits per 100 patients dispensed warfarin [95 % CI, 7.4-18.7]. CONCLUSIONS Although the rates of ED visits for anticoagulant-related bleeding may be lower for DOACs than for warfarin, persistently large numbers of patients requiring ED visits for anticoagulant-related bleeding despite increased use of DOACs and declining use of warfarin suggest that efforts to improve appropriate prescribing and monitoring of anticoagulants remain important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew I Geller
- Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Nadine Shehab
- Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA, USA; Lantana Consulting Group, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Maribeth C Lovegrove
- Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Nina J Weidle
- Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA, USA; Eagle Global Scientific, LLC, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Daniel S Budnitz
- Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA, USA
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Whitehead N, Erickson SW, Cai B, McDermott S, Peay H, Howard JF, Ouyang L. Sources of variation in estimates of Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy prevalence in the United States. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2023; 18:65. [PMID: 36949506 PMCID: PMC10031951 DOI: 10.1186/s13023-023-02662-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Direct estimates of rare disease prevalence from public health surveillance may only be available in a few catchment areas. Understanding variation among observed prevalence can inform estimates of prevalence in other locations. The Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance, Tracking, and Research Network (MD STARnet) conducts population-based surveillance of major muscular dystrophies in selected areas of the United States. We identified sources of variation in prevalence estimates of Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy (DBMD) within MD STARnet from published literature and a survey of MD STARnet investigators, then developed a logic model of the relationships between the sources of variation and estimated prevalence. RESULTS The 17 identified sources of variability fell into four categories: (1) inherent in surveillance systems, (2) particular to rare diseases, (3) particular to medical-records-based surveillance, and (4) resulting from extrapolation. For the sources of uncertainty measured by MD STARnet, we estimated each source's contribution to the total variance in DBMD prevalence. Based on the logic model we fit a multivariable Poisson regression model to 96 age-site-race/ethnicity strata. Age accounted for 74% of the variation between strata, surveillance site for 6%, race/ethnicity for 3%, and 17% remained unexplained. CONCLUSION Variation in estimates derived from a non-random sample of states or counties may not be explained by demographic differences alone. Applying these estimates to other populations requires caution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nedra Whitehead
- Social, Statistical, and Environmental Sciences, RTI International, 2987 Clairmont Road NE, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Stephen W Erickson
- Social, Statistical, and Environmental Sciences, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Bo Cai
- Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Suzanne McDermott
- Department of Environmental, Occupational, and Geospatial Health Sciences, City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, New York, NY, USA
| | - Holly Peay
- Social, Statistical, and Environmental Sciences, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - James F Howard
- Department of Neurology, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Lijing Ouyang
- National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Schmit CD, Willis B, McCall H, Altabbaa A, Washburn D. Views on increased federal access to state and local National Syndromic Surveillance Program data: a nominal group technique study with state and local epidemiologists. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:431. [PMID: 36879220 PMCID: PMC9987142 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15161-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND US public health authorities use syndromic surveillance to monitor and detect public health threats, conditions, and trends in near real-time. Nearly all US jurisdictions that conduct syndromic surveillance send their data to the National Syndromic Surveillance Program (NSSP), operated by the US. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, current data sharing agreements limit federal access to state and local NSSP data to only multi-state regional aggregations. This limitation was a significant challenge for the national response to COVID-19. This study seeks to understand state and local epidemiologists' views on increased federal access to state NSSP data and identify policy opportunities for public health data modernization. METHODS In September 2021, we used a virtual, modified nominal group technique with twenty regionally diverse epidemiologists in leadership positions and three individuals representing national public health organizations. Participants individually generated ideas on benefits, concerns, and policy opportunities relating to increased federal access to state and local NSSP data. In small groups, participants clarified and grouped the ideas into broader themes with the assistance of the research team. An web-based survey was used to evaluate and rank the themes using five-point Likert importance questions, top-3 ranking questions, and open-ended response questions. RESULTS Participants identified five benefit themes for increased federal access to jurisdictional NSSP data, with the most important being improved cross-jurisdiction collaboration (mean Likert = 4.53) and surveillance practice (4.07). Participants identified nine concern themes, with the most important concerns being federal actors using jurisdictional data without notice (4.60) and misinterpretation of data (4.53). Participants identified eleven policy opportunities, with the most important being involving state and local partners in analysis (4.93) and developing communication protocols (4.53). CONCLUSION These findings identify barriers and opportunities to federal-state-local collaboration critical to current data modernization efforts. Syndromic surveillance considerations warrant data-sharing caution. However, identified policy opportunities share congruence with existing legal agreements, suggesting that syndromic partners are closer to agreement than they might realize. Moreover, several policy opportunities (i.e., including state and local partners in data analysis and developing communication protocols) received consensus support and provide a promising path forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cason D Schmit
- Program in Health Law and Policy, Texas A&M University School of Public Health, 212 Adriance Lab Rd, TX, 77843, College Station, USA.
| | - Brooke Willis
- Program in Health Law and Policy, Texas A&M University School of Public Health, 212 Adriance Lab Rd, TX, 77843, College Station, USA.,Texas A&M University School of Law, 1515 Commerce St, 76102, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Hayleigh McCall
- Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, 2635 Century Parkway NE, Suite 700, Atlanta, GA, 30345, USA.,Public Health Informatics Institute, 325 Swanton Way, Atlanta, GA, 30030, USA
| | - Alyaa Altabbaa
- Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, 2635 Century Parkway NE, Suite 700, Atlanta, GA, 30345, USA.,InductiveHealth Informatics LLC, 3107 Clairmont Road N NE, Suite C, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - David Washburn
- Program in Health Law and Policy, Texas A&M University School of Public Health, 212 Adriance Lab Rd, TX, 77843, College Station, USA
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Mwenda V, Yellman MA, Oyugi E, Mwachaka P, Gathecha G, Gura Z. Piloting a hospital-based road traffic injury surveillance system in Nairobi County, Kenya, 2018-2019. Injury 2023; 54:S0020-1383(23)00182-1. [PMID: 36925372 PMCID: PMC10599333 DOI: 10.1016/j.injury.2023.02.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Kenya's estimated road traffic injury (RTI) death rate is 27.8/100,000 population, which is 1.5 times the global rate. Some RTI data are collected in Kenya; however, a systematic and integrated surveillance system does not exist. Therefore, we adopted and modified the World Health Organization's injury surveillance guidelines to pilot a hospital-based RTI surveillance system in Nairobi County, Kenya. METHODS We prospectively documented all RTI cases presenting at two public trauma hospitals in Nairobi County from October 2018-April 2019. RTI cases were defined as injuries involving ≥1 moving vehicles on public roads. Demographics, injury circumstances, and outcome information were collected using standardized case report forms. The Kampala Trauma Score (KTS) was used to assess injury severity. RTI cases were characterized with descriptive statistics. RESULTS Of the 1,840 RTI cases reported during the seven-month period, 73.2% were male. The median age was 29.8 years (range 1-89 years). Forty percent (n = 740) were taken to the hospital by bystanders. Median time for hospital arrival was 77 min. Pedestrians constituted 54.1% (n = 995) of cases. Of 400 motorcyclists, 48.0% lacked helmets. Similarly, 65.7% of bicyclists (23/35) lacked helmets. Among 386 motor vehicle occupants, 59.6% were not using seat belts (19.9% unknown). Seven percent of cases (n = 129) reported alcohol use (49.0% unknown), and 8.8% (n = 161) reported mobile phone use (59.7% unknown). Eleven percent of cases (n = 199) were severely injured (KTS <11), and 220 died. CONCLUSION We demonstrated feasibility of a hospital-based RTI surveillance system in Nairobi County. Integrating information from crash scenes and hospitals can guide prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerian Mwenda
- Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program, Ministry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya; Division of Non-communicable Diseases, Ministry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya.
| | - Merissa A Yellman
- Division of Injury Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Elvis Oyugi
- Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program, Ministry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Gladwell Gathecha
- Division of Non-communicable Diseases, Ministry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Zeinab Gura
- Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program, Ministry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya
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Lee HE, Kim YG, Jeong JY, Kim DH. Data resource profile: the Korean Community Health Status Indicators (K-CHSI) database. Epidemiol Health 2023; 45:e2023016. [PMID: 36758962 PMCID: PMC10581888 DOI: 10.4178/epih.e2023016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Korean Community Health Status Indicators (K-CHSI) is a model-based database containing annual data on health outcomes and determinants at the municipal level (si/gun/gu-level regions, including mid-sized cities, counties, and districts). K-CHSI's health outcomes include overall mortality, disease incidence, prevalence rates, and self-reported health. Health determinants were measured in 5 domains: socio-demographic factors, health behaviors, social environment, physical environment, and the healthcare system. The data sources are 71 public databases, including Causes of Death Statistics, Cancer Registration Statistics, Community Health Survey, Population Census, and Census on Establishments and Statistics of Urban Plans. This dataset covers Korea's 17 metropolitan cities and provinces, with data from approximately 250 municipal regions (si/gun/gu). The current version of the database (DB version 1.3) was built using 12 years of data from 2008 to 2019. All data included in K-CHSI may be downloaded via the Korea Community Health Survey site, with no login requirement (https://chs.kdca.go.kr/chs/recsRoom/dataBaseMain.do). K-CHSI covers extensive health outcomes and health determinants at the municipal level over a period of more than 10 years, which enables ecological and time-series analyses of the relationships among various health outcomes and related factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye-Eun Lee
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea
- Institute of Social Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea
| | - Yeon-gyeong Kim
- Institute of Social Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea
- Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jin-Young Jeong
- Hallym Research Institute of Clinical Epidemiology, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea
| | - Dong-Hyun Kim
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea
- Institute of Social Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea
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Loftus MJ, Everts RJ, Cheng AC, Eti P, Fakasiieiki T, Isaia L, Isopo E, Jenney AW, Lameko V, Leaupepe H, Leavai F, Lee SJ, Moungaevalu M, Stewardson AJ, Tekoaua R, Tou D, Wuatai G, Peleg AY. Antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial isolates from clinical specimens in four Pacific Island countries, 2017-2021. Lancet Reg Health West Pac 2023; 32:100677. [PMID: 36798514 PMCID: PMC9926303 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2022.100677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Background There are limited antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance data from low- and middle-income countries, especially from the Pacific Islands region. AMR surveillance data is essential to inform strategies for AMR pathogen control. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of antimicrobial susceptibility results from the national microbiology laboratories of four Pacific Island countries - the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Samoa and Tonga - between 2017 and 2021. We focused on four bacteria that have been identified as 'Priority Pathogens' by the World Health Organization: Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Findings Following deduplication, a total of 20,902 bacterial isolates was included in the analysis. The most common organism was E. coli (n = 8455) followed by S. aureus (n = 7830), K. pneumoniae (n = 2689) and P. aeruginosa (n = 1928). The prevalence of methicillin resistance among S. aureus isolates varied between countries, ranging from 8% to 26% in the Cook Islands and Kiribati, to 43% in both Samoa and Tonga. Ceftriaxone susceptibility remained high to moderate among E. coli (87%-94%) and K. pneumoniae (72%-90%), whereas amoxicillin + clavulanate susceptibility was low against these two organisms (50%-54% and 43%-61%, respectively). High susceptibility was observed for all anti-pseudomonal agents (83%-99%). Interpretation Despite challenges, these Pacific Island laboratories were able to conduct AMR surveillance. These data provide valuable contemporary estimates of AMR prevalence, which will inform local antibiotic formularies, treatment guidelines, and national priorities for AMR policy. Funding Supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Loftus
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred Hospital and Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Richard J. Everts
- Nelson Bays Primary Health, Nelson, New Zealand,Corresponding author. Nelson Bays Primary Health, PO Box 1776, Nelson 7040, New Zealand.
| | - Allen C. Cheng
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred Hospital and Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia,School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | - Adam W.J. Jenney
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred Hospital and Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia,College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Fiji National University, Suva, Fiji
| | | | | | | | - Sue J. Lee
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred Hospital and Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | - Andrew J. Stewardson
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred Hospital and Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Anton Y. Peleg
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred Hospital and Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia,Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia,Corresponding author. Department of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred Hospital and Monash University, Level 2, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, 3004, Australia.
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Jones DL, Rhymes JM, Wade MJ, Kevill JL, Malham SK, Grimsley JMS, Rimmer C, Weightman AJ, Farkas K. Suitability of aircraft wastewater for pathogen detection and public health surveillance. Sci Total Environ 2023; 856:159162. [PMID: 36202356 PMCID: PMC9528016 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Revised: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
International air travel is now widely recognised as one of the primary mechanisms responsible for the transnational movement and global spread of SARS-CoV-2. Monitoring the viral load and novel lineages within human-derived wastewater collected from aircraft and at air transport hubs has been proposed as an effective way to monitor the importation frequency of viral pathogens. The success of this approach, however, is highly dependent on the bathroom and defecation habits of air passengers during their journey. In this study of UK adults (n = 2103), we quantified the likelihood of defecation prior to departure, on the aircraft and upon arrival on both short- and long-haul flights. The results were then used to assess the likelihood of capturing the signal from infected individuals at UK travel hubs. To obtain a representative cross-section of the population, the survey was stratified by geographical region, gender, age, parenting status, and social class. We found that an individual's likelihood to defecate on short-haul flights (< 6 h in duration) was low (< 13 % of the total), but was higher on long-haul flights (< 36 %; > 6 h in duration). This behaviour pattern was higher among males and younger age groups. The maximum likelihood of defecation was prior to departure (< 39 %). Based on known SARS-CoV-2 faecal shedding rates (30-60 %) and an equal probability of infected individuals being on short- (71 % of inbound flights) and long-haul flights (29 %), we estimate that aircraft wastewater is likely to capture ca. 8-14 % of SARS-CoV-2 cases entering the UK. Monte Carlo simulations predicted that SARS-CoV-2 would be present in wastewater on 14 % of short-haul flights and 62 % of long-haul flights under current pandemic conditions. We conclude that aircraft wastewater alone is insufficient to effectively monitor all the transboundary entries of faecal-borne pathogens but can form part of a wider strategy for public heath surveillance at national borders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davey L Jones
- Centre for Environmental Biotechnology, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK; Food Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6105, Australia.
| | - Jennifer M Rhymes
- Centre for Environmental Biotechnology, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK; UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Matthew J Wade
- Newcastle University, School of Engineering, Cassie Building, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 7RU, UK; UK Health Security Agency, Environmental Monitoring for Health Protection, Windsor House, London SW1H 0TL, UK
| | - Jessica L Kevill
- Centre for Environmental Biotechnology, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Shelagh K Malham
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, Anglesey LL59 5AB, UK
| | - Jasmine M S Grimsley
- UK Health Security Agency, Environmental Monitoring for Health Protection, Windsor House, London SW1H 0TL, UK; The London Data Company, London EC2N 2AT, UK
| | - Charlotte Rimmer
- Centre for Environmental Biotechnology, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Andrew J Weightman
- Microbiomes, Microbes and Informatics Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Kata Farkas
- Centre for Environmental Biotechnology, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK; The London Data Company, London EC2N 2AT, UK
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Figueiredo Filho D, Silva L, Medeiros H. "Won't get fooled again": statistical fault detection in COVID-19 Latin American data. Global Health 2022; 18:105. [PMID: 36527071 PMCID: PMC9756688 DOI: 10.1186/s12992-022-00899-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Claims of inconsistency in epidemiological data have emerged for both developed and developing countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS In this paper, we apply first-digit Newcomb-Benford Law (NBL) and Kullback-Leibler Divergence (KLD) to evaluate COVID-19 records reliability in all 20 Latin American countries. We replicate country-level aggregate information from Our World in Data. RESULTS We find that official reports do not follow NBL's theoretical expectations (n = 978; chi-square = 78.95; KS = 4.33, MD = 2.18; mantissa = .54; MAD = .02; DF = 12.75). KLD estimates indicate high divergence among countries, including some outliers. CONCLUSIONS This paper provides evidence that recorded COVID-19 cases in Latin America do not conform overall to NBL, which is a useful tool for detecting data manipulation. Our study suggests that further investigations should be made into surveillance systems that exhibit higher deviation from the theoretical distribution and divergence from other similar countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dalson Figueiredo Filho
- grid.411227.30000 0001 0670 7996Department of Political Science, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco Brazil
| | - Lucas Silva
- Department of Medicine, Universidade Estadual de Ciências da Saúde do Estado de Alagoas, Rua Dr. Jorge de Lima, 113 - Trapiche da Barra, Maceió, Alagoas 57010-300 Brazil
| | - Hugo Medeiros
- grid.411227.30000 0001 0670 7996Department of Political Science, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco Brazil
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Donnici C, Ilincic N, Cao C, Zhang C, Deveaux G, Clifton D, Buckeridge D, Bobrovitz N, Arora RK. Timeliness of reporting of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence results and their utility for infectious disease surveillance. Epidemics 2022; 41:100645. [PMID: 36308993 PMCID: PMC9583624 DOI: 10.1016/j.epidem.2022.100645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Seroprevalence studies have been used throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to monitor infection and immunity. These studies are often reported in peer-reviewed journals, but the academic writing and publishing process can delay reporting and thereby public health action. Seroprevalence estimates have been reported faster in preprints and media, but with concerns about data quality. We aimed to (i) describe the timeliness of SARS-CoV-2 serosurveillance reporting by publication venue and study characteristics and (ii) identify relationships between timeliness, data validity, and representativeness to guide recommendations for serosurveillance efforts. We included seroprevalence studies published between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021 from the ongoing SeroTracker living systematic review. For each study, we calculated timeliness as the time elapsed between the end of sampling and the first public report. We evaluated data validity based on serological test performance and correction for sampling error, and representativeness based on the use of a representative sample frame and adequate sample coverage. We examined how timeliness varied with study characteristics, representativeness, and data validity using univariate and multivariate Cox regression. We analyzed 1844 studies. Median time to publication was 154 days (IQR 64-255), varying by publication venue (journal articles: 212 days, preprints: 101 days, institutional reports: 18 days, and media: 12 days). Multivariate analysis confirmed the relationship between timeliness and publication venue and showed that general population studies were published faster than special population or health care worker studies; there was no relationship between timeliness and study geographic scope, geographic region, representativeness, or serological test performance. Seroprevalence studies in peer-reviewed articles and preprints are published slowly, highlighting the limitations of using the academic literature to report seroprevalence during a health crisis. More timely reporting of seroprevalence estimates can improve their usefulness for surveillance, enabling more effective responses during health emergencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Donnici
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, 3330 Hospital Dr, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
| | - Natasha Ilincic
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 27 King's College Cir, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A1, Canada
| | - Christian Cao
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, 3330 Hospital Dr, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Caseng Zhang
- Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Gabriel Deveaux
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, 3330 Hospital Dr, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - David Clifton
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - David Buckeridge
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, 3605 Rue de la Montagne, Montreal, QC H3G 2M1, Canada
| | - Niklas Bobrovitz
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, 3330 Hospital Dr, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada; Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 27 King's College Cir, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A1, Canada
| | - Rahul K Arora
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, 3330 Hospital Dr, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada; Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
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Leal YA, Torres J, Gamboa R, Mantilla-Morales A, Piña-Sanchez P, Arrieta O, Bonifaz L, Meneses A, Duque C, Piñeros M. Cancer Incidence in Merida, Mexico 2015-2018: First Report from the Population-based Cancer Registry. Arch Med Res 2022; 53:859-866. [PMID: 36462950 DOI: 10.1016/j.arcmed.2022.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer registries are essential for monitoring cancer burden and patterns, and document changes in time for cancer control. Hereby, we present the first results of four years of the Merida population-based cancer registry in Mexico. METHODS The registry collects data on all new cancers diagnosed since 2015 using both active and passive methods including a total of 104 information sources. Definitions and coding follow international standards. Using CanReg5 software, age-standardized incidence rates (ASR/100,000 person years) were computed by direct method using the world standard population. RESULTS A total of 5684 new cancer cases were registered during 2015-2018, 2321 in males and 3363 in females corresponding to age-adjusted incidence rates (ASR per 100,000) of 128.5, and 153.1, respectively. Most frequent cancers among males were prostate cancer (ASR 29.8), lymphomas (ASR 10.9) and colorectal cancer (ASR 9.7) while among females it was breast cancer (ASR 49.3), cervical cancer (ASR 17.5) and corpus uteri (ASR 11.5). Childhood cancers (0-14 year) represented 2.9% of all cancers, with leukemias accounting for 52% of the new cases. Overall, 87.6% of new cases were microscopically verified. CONCLUSIONS The data reported provide information on the cancer profile in Merida. Prostate and breast cancer are the main incident cancers. Cervical cancers present high rates among women, while lymphomas and liver cancer data merit further exploration. Efforts to support the Merida cancer registry as well as other registries in Mexico need to be pursued in order to have locally recorded data to support cancer control measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yelda A Leal
- Centro Institucional de Capacitación y Registro de Cáncer, Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad, Centro Médico Nacional, Ignacio García Téllez, Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social, Mérida, Yucatán, México.
| | - Javier Torres
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Enfermedades Infecciosas y Parasitarias, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Ricardo Gamboa
- Departamento de Oncología, Unidad de Investigación Médica en Enfermedades Oncológicas, Centro Médico Nacional, Ignacio García Téllez, Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social, Mérida, Yucatán, México
| | - Alejandra Mantilla-Morales
- Laboratorio de Patología de la Unidad de Investigación Médica en Enfermedades Oncológicas, Oncología Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Patricia Piña-Sanchez
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Enfermedades Oncológicas, Hospital de Oncología, Centro Medico Nacional Siglo XXI, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Oscar Arrieta
- Coordinación del Registro Nacional de Cáncer del Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Ciudad de México
| | - Laura Bonifaz
- Coordinación de Investigación en Salud, Centro Medico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Abelardo Meneses
- Dirección General del Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Celida Duque
- Dirección de Prestaciones Médicas, Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Marion Piñeros
- Cancer Surveillance Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, Francia
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Sohn W, Kang D, Kang M, Guallar E, Cho J, Paik YH. Impact of nationwide hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance on the prognosis in patients with chronic liver disease. Clin Mol Hepatol 2022; 28:851-863. [PMID: 36263667 PMCID: PMC9597220 DOI: 10.3350/cmh.2022.0037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS This study aimed to investigate the effect of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance using the Korea National Liver Cancer Screening Program on the receipt of curative treatment for HCC and mortality in patients with chronic liver disease. METHODS This population-based cohort study from the Korean National Health Insurance Service included 2003 to 2015 claims data collected from 1,209,825 patients aged ≥40 years with chronic hepatitis B, chronic hepatitis C, and liver cirrhosis. Patients were divided according to HCC surveillance using ultrasonography and serum alpha-fetoprotein every 6-12 months. The study outcomes were the receipt of curative treatment (surgical resection, radiofrequency ablation, or liver transplantation) and all-cause mortality. RESULTS The study population consisted of 1,209,825 patients with chronic hepatitis B, chronic hepatitis C, and liver cirrhosis (median age, 52.0 years; interquartile range, 46-55 years; 683,902 men [56.5%]). The proportion of participants who underwent HCC surveillance was 52.7% (n=657,889). During 10,522,940 person-years of follow-up, 74,433 HCC cases developed, including 36,006 patients who underwent curative treatment. The surveillance group had a significantly higher proportion of curative treatment for HCC than the non-surveillance group after adjusting for confounding factors (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 5.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 5.48-5.81). The surveillance group had a significantly lower mortality rate than the non-surveillance group (adjusted HR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.55-0.56). CONCLUSION HCC surveillance using the national screening program in patients with chronic viral hepatitis or liver cirrhosis provides better opportunity for curative treatment for HCC and improves overall survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Won Sohn
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Danbee Kang
- Department of Clinical Research Design and Evaluation, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Science and Technology, Sunkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea,Center for Clinical Epidemiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sunkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Minwoong Kang
- Center for Clinical Epidemiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sunkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea,Department of Digital Healthcare, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Science and Technology, Sunkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea,Division of Population Health Research, Department of Precision Medicine, Korea National Institute of Health, Cheongju, Korea
| | - Eliseo Guallar
- Department of Clinical Research Design and Evaluation, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Science and Technology, Sunkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea,Center for Clinical Epidemiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sunkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea,Department of Epidemiology and Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Juhee Cho
- Department of Clinical Research Design and Evaluation, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Science and Technology, Sunkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea,Center for Clinical Epidemiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sunkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea,Department of Digital Healthcare, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Science and Technology, Sunkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea,Juhee Cho Department of Clinical Research Design and Evaluation, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Science and Technology, Sungkyunkwan University, 81 Irwon-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 06351, Korea Tel: +82-2-3410-1448, Fax: +82-2-3410-6639, E-mail:
| | - Yong-Han Paik
- Department of Clinical Research Design and Evaluation, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Science and Technology, Sunkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea,Department of Digital Healthcare, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Science and Technology, Sunkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea,Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea,Department of Health Science and Technology, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Science and Technology, Sunkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea,Corresponding author : Yong-Han Paik Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine and Department of Health Science and Technology, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Science and Technology, Sunkyunkwan University, 81 Irwon-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 06351, Korea Tel: +82-2-3410-3878, Fax: +82-2-3410-6983, E-mail:
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Turki H, Jemielniak D, Hadj Taieb MA, Labra Gayo JE, Ben Aouicha M, Banat M, Shafee T, Prud’hommeaux E, Lubiana T, Das D, Mietchen D. Using logical constraints to validate statistical information about disease outbreaks in collaborative knowledge graphs: the case of COVID-19 epidemiology in Wikidata. PeerJ Comput Sci 2022; 8:e1085. [PMID: 36262159 PMCID: PMC9575845 DOI: 10.7717/peerj-cs.1085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Urgent global research demands real-time dissemination of precise data. Wikidata, a collaborative and openly licensed knowledge graph available in RDF format, provides an ideal forum for exchanging structured data that can be verified and consolidated using validation schemas and bot edits. In this research article, we catalog an automatable task set necessary to assess and validate the portion of Wikidata relating to the COVID-19 epidemiology. These tasks assess statistical data and are implemented in SPARQL, a query language for semantic databases. We demonstrate the efficiency of our methods for evaluating structured non-relational information on COVID-19 in Wikidata, and its applicability in collaborative ontologies and knowledge graphs more broadly. We show the advantages and limitations of our proposed approach by comparing it to the features of other methods for the validation of linked web data as revealed by previous research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Houcemeddine Turki
- Data Engineering and Semantics Research Unit, Faculty of Sciences of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - Dariusz Jemielniak
- Department of Management in Networked and Digital Societies, Kozminski University, Warsaw, Masovia, Poland
| | - Mohamed A. Hadj Taieb
- Data Engineering and Semantics Research Unit, Faculty of Sciences of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - Jose E. Labra Gayo
- Web Semantics Oviedo (WESO) Research Group, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
| | - Mohamed Ben Aouicha
- Data Engineering and Semantics Research Unit, Faculty of Sciences of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - Mus’ab Banat
- Faculty of Medicine, Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan
| | - Thomas Shafee
- La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Eric Prud’hommeaux
- World Wide Web Consortium, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Tiago Lubiana
- Computational Systems Biology Laboratory, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Diptanshu Das
- Institute of Child Health (ICH), Kolkata, West Bengal, India
- Medica Superspecialty Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Daniel Mietchen
- Ronin Institute, Montclair, New Jersey, United States of America
- Department of Evolutionary and Integrative Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
- School of Data Science, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States
- Institute for Globally Distributed Open Research and Education (IGDORE), Jena, Germany
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Hill DT, Cousins H, Dandaraw B, Faruolo C, Godinez A, Run S, Smith S, Willkens M, Zirath S, Larsen DA. Wastewater treatment plant operators report high capacity to support wastewater surveillance for COVID-19 across New York State, USA. Sci Total Environ 2022; 837:155664. [PMID: 35526635 PMCID: PMC9072752 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater surveillance for infectious disease expanded greatly during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a collaboration between sanitation engineers and scientists, the most cost-effective deployment of wastewater surveillance routinely tests wastewater samples from wastewater treatment plants. To evaluate the capacity of treatment plants of different sizes and characteristics to participate in surveillance efforts, we developed and distributed a survey to New York State municipal treatment plant supervisors in the summer and fall of 2021. The goal of the survey was to assess the knowledge, capacity, and attitudes toward wastewater surveillance as a public health tool. Our objectives were to: (1) determine what treatment plant operators know about wastewater surveillance for public health; (2) assess how plant operators feel about the affordability and benefits of wastewater surveillance; and (3) determine how frequently plant personnel can take and ship samples using existing resources. Results show that 62% of respondents report capacity to take grab samples twice weekly. Knowledge about wastewater surveillance was mixed with most supervisors knowing that COVID-19 can be tracked via wastewater but having less knowledge about surveillance for other public health issues such as opioids. We found that attitudes toward wastewater testing for public health were directly associated with differences in self-reported capacity of the plant to take samples. Further, findings suggest a diverse capacity for sampling across sewer systems with larger treatment plants reporting greater capacity for more frequent sampling. Findings provide guidance for outreach activities as well as important insight into treatment plant sampling capacity as it is connected to internal factors such as size and resource availability. These may help public health departments understand the limitations and ability of wastewater surveillance for public health benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin T Hill
- Department of Public Health, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, United States of America.
| | - Hannah Cousins
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, United States of America
| | - Bryan Dandaraw
- Department of Environmental Science, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY 13210, United States of America
| | - Catherine Faruolo
- Department of Public Health, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, United States of America
| | - Alex Godinez
- Department of Public Health, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, United States of America
| | - Sythong Run
- Department of Public Health, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, United States of America
| | - Simon Smith
- Department of Public Health, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, United States of America
| | - Megan Willkens
- Department of Public Health, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, United States of America
| | - Shruti Zirath
- Department of Environmental Science, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY 13210, United States of America
| | - David A Larsen
- Department of Public Health, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, United States of America
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Piñeros M, Laversanne M, Barrios E, Cancela MDC, de Vries E, Pardo C, Bray F. An updated profile of the cancer burden, patterns and trends in Latin America and the Caribbean. Lancet Reg Health Am 2022; 13:None. [PMID: 36189115 PMCID: PMC9483035 DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2022.100294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Background Cancer is a leading cause of disease and death in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Contemporary data on the cancer burden aims to inform effective cancer policies; this article provides an update and benchmarking of national cancer incidence and mortality estimates for the year 2020, alongside recent mortality trends in the region. Methods The number of new cancer cases and deaths were extracted from the GLOBOCAN 2020 database developed by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and mortality data over time from IARC's cancer mortality database, New cancer cases, deaths and corresponding age-standardized rates per 100,000 person-years are presented. Random fluctuations in mortality trends by country, sex and cancer site were smoothed using LOWESS regression. Findings An estimated total of 1.5 million new cancer cases and 700,000 deaths occur annually in LAC, with corresponding incidence and mortality rates of 186.5 and 86.6 per 100,000. The most common cancers in 2020 were prostate (15%), breast (14%), colorectal (9%), lung (7%) and stomach (5%). Lung cancer remained the leading cause of cancer death (12%), though rates varied substantially between countries. The mortality trends of infectious-related cancers tended to decline in most countries, while rates of cancer types linked to westernization were mainly increasing. Assuming rates remain unchanged, the cancer burden in LAC will increase by 67% reaching 2.4 million new cases annually by 2040. Interpretation The cancer patterns reflect important underlying sociodemographic changes occurring over the last decades. With an increasing burden anticipated over the next decades in this region, there is a need to plan oncological service provision accordingly. Funding No external funds received.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Piñeros
- Cancer Surveillance Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France
| | - Mathieu Laversanne
- Cancer Surveillance Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France
| | - Enrique Barrios
- National Cancer Registry, Honorary Commission for the Fight against Cancer, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | | | - Esther de Vries
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Constanza Pardo
- Cancer Surveillance Group, National Cancer Institute, INC Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Freddie Bray
- Cancer Surveillance Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France
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Ferreira NN, Garibaldi PMM, Moraes GR, Moura JC, Klein TM, Machado LE, Scofoni LFB, Haddad SK, Calado RT, Covas DT, Fonseca BAL, Palacios R, Conde MTRP, Borges MC. The impact of an enhanced health surveillance system for COVID-19 management in Serrana, Brazil. Public Health Pract (Oxf) 2022; 4:100301. [PMID: 35946045 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhip.2022.100301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective To describe the successful implementation of an enhanced public health surveillance system based on early detection, tracing contacts, and patient follow-up and support. Study design A prospective observational cohort study conducted in Serrana, São Paulo State, Brazil. Methods The implementation was based on four axes: increasing the access to SARS-CoV-2 testing; correct swab collection; testing patients with mild symptoms; and patient follow-up. Positivity rate, patient demographic and clinical characteristics, dynamics of disease severity, SARS-CoV-2 genome evolution, and the impact on COVID-19 research were assessed from August 23, 2020 to February 6, 2021 (between epidemiological week 35/2020 and 5/2021, a total of 24 weeks). Results The number of sites collecting rt-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 was increased from one to seven points and staff was trained in the correct use of personal protective equipment and in the swab collection technique. During the study period, 6728 samples were collected from 6155 participants vs. 2770 collections in a similar period before. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in 1758 (26.1%) swabs vs. 1117 (36.7%) before the implementation of the surveillance system (p < 0.001). Positivity rates varied widely between epidemiological weeks 35/2020 and 5/2021 (IQR, 12.8%-31.3%). Out of COVID-19 patients, 91.1% were adults at a median age of 35 years (IQR, 25-50 years), 42.6% were men and 57.4% were women, with a SARS-CoV-2 positivity rate of 28.6% and 24.4% (p < 0.001), respectively. The most common symptoms were headache (72.6%), myalgia (65.0%), and cough (61.7%). Comorbidities were found in 20.8% of patients, the most common being hypertension and diabetes. According to the World Health Organization clinical progression scale, 93.5% of patients had mild disease, 1.6% were hospitalized with moderate disease, 3.2% were hospitalized with severe disease, and 1.4% died. The enhanced surveillance system led to the development of COVID-19 related research. Conclusions The enhanced surveillance system in Serrana improved COVID-19 understanding and management. By integrating community and academic institutions, it was possible to monitor SARS-CoV-2 positive cases and variants, follow the epidemic trend, guide patients, and develop relevant research projects.
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Alguacil Ojeda J. [Biomedical research and innovation and COVID-19 syndemic. SESPAS Report 2022]. Gac Sanit 2022; 36 Suppl 1:S87-S92. [PMID: 35781155 PMCID: PMC9244786 DOI: 10.1016/j.gaceta.2022.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Objetivo Describir críticamente la respuesta en investigación e innovación (I + I) contra la sindemia por COVID-19 en el ámbito nacional, contextualizada internacionalmente. Método Revisión narrativa dirigida. Resultados En la sindemia por COVID-19 se ha pasado la presión a la comunidad científica en general, e innovadora biomédica en particular, para aportar soluciones sobre todo de productos biotecnológicos. La mayoría de las recomendaciones de paneles expertos no van orientadas a una respuesta biotecnológica (que también debe existir), sino de gobernanza, organizativa, socioeconómica y de apoyo a las infraestructuras de salud pública. Existe un déficit importante en la inclusión de la perspectiva de género en la I + I por COVID-19. La sindemia ha ofrecido una oportunidad (desaprovechada) para potenciar la I + I desde la perspectiva epidemiológica contra brotes infecciosos con potencial de provocar crisis en salud pública reivindicando el liderazgo desde la epidemiología. Hace falta evaluar si la gran inversión en I + I biomédica orientada a la medicina personalizada puede integrarse eficientemente en los proveedores públicos de salud ante crisis sanitarias. Conclusiones Es urgente diseñar una estrategia de I + I en España en línea con los fondos disponibles internacionalmente y que se beneficie de ellos, pero que provea al país del máximo de independencia de cara a afrontar situaciones críticas para la salud pública.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Alguacil Ojeda
- Centro de Investigación en Recursos Naturales, Medio Ambiente y Salud (RENSMA), Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad de Huelva, Huelva, España; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), España.
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Sierra Moros MJ, Martínez Sánchez EV, Monge Corella S, García San Miguel L, Suárez Rodríguez B, Simón Soria F. [Lessons learnt from COVID-19 surveillance. Urgent need for a new public health surveillance. SESPAS Report 2022]. Gac Sanit 2022; 36 Suppl 1:S68-S75. [PMID: 35781152 PMCID: PMC9244842 DOI: 10.1016/j.gaceta.2022.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Este artículo recoge los aspectos epidemiológicos más destacados en las primeras fases de la pandemia y unas primeras reflexiones desde una unidad, el Centro de Coordinación de Alertas y Emergencias Sanitarias, que ha coordinado la vigilancia en el ámbito nacional. La COVID-19 ha puesto de manifiesto las carencias de la vigilancia y la dificultad para gestionar una crisis sanitaria sin un modelo robusto de salud pública. El compromiso de los profesionales durante la epidemia ha suplido en muchas ocasiones la falta de recursos y se ha evidenciado la necesidad de incorporar nuevas profesiones a los equipos de vigilancia. Es urgente contar con herramientas para automatizar los procesos y realizar una recogida oportuna de información. Para ello, la salud pública y la vigilancia deben participar en el proceso de desarrollo digital del Sistema Nacional de Salud. Es importante también reforzar la capacidad de análisis promoviendo alianzas y acciones conjuntas. La necesidad de adaptación rápida ha supuesto una mejora en los sistemas existentes y el desarrollo de nuevas herramientas, que deben convertirse en cambios estructurales que mejoren la calidad de la vigilancia, disminuyendo brechas territoriales y asegurando una respuesta coordinada ante futuras crisis. Son necesarios cambios profundos en la vigilancia en salud pública, que debe estar integrada en todos los niveles asistenciales. Se ha visto también durante esta alerta la importancia de la coordinación en materia de salud pública en un Estado descentralizado, en especial cuando nos enfrentamos a situaciones de crisis. En el contexto internacional es preciso revisar las herramientas para compartir datos desde etapas tempranas en una alerta.
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Affiliation(s)
- María José Sierra Moros
- Centro de Coordinación de Alertas y Emergencias Sanitarias, Dirección General de Salud Pública, Ministerio de Sanidad, Madrid, España; CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), España.
| | - Elena Vanessa Martínez Sánchez
- Centro de Coordinación de Alertas y Emergencias Sanitarias, Dirección General de Salud Pública, Ministerio de Sanidad, Madrid, España; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), España
| | - Susana Monge Corella
- Centro de Coordinación de Alertas y Emergencias Sanitarias, Dirección General de Salud Pública, Ministerio de Sanidad, Madrid, España; CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), España
| | - Lucía García San Miguel
- Centro de Coordinación de Alertas y Emergencias Sanitarias, Dirección General de Salud Pública, Ministerio de Sanidad, Madrid, España
| | - Berta Suárez Rodríguez
- Centro de Coordinación de Alertas y Emergencias Sanitarias, Dirección General de Salud Pública, Ministerio de Sanidad, Madrid, España
| | - Fernando Simón Soria
- Centro de Coordinación de Alertas y Emergencias Sanitarias, Dirección General de Salud Pública, Ministerio de Sanidad, Madrid, España; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), España
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Bioethical debates about privacy, big data, and public health surveillance have not sufficiently engaged the perspectives of those being surveilled. The data justice framework suggests that big data applications have the potential to create disproportionate harm for socially marginalized groups. Using examples from our research on HIV surveillance for individuals incarcerated in jails, we analyze ethical issues in deploying big data in public health surveillance. METHODS We conducted qualitative, semi-structured interviews with 24 people living with HIV who had been previously incarcerated in county jails about their perspectives on and experiences with HIV surveillance, as part of a larger study to characterize ethical considerations in leveraging big data techniques to enhance continuity of care for incarcerated people living with HIV. RESULTS Most participants expressed support for the state health department tracking HIV testing results and viral load data. Several viewed HIV surveillance as a violation of privacy, and several had actively avoided contact from state public health outreach workers. Participants were most likely to express reservations about surveillance when they viewed the state's motives as self-interested. Perspectives highlight the mistrust that structurally vulnerable people may have in the state's capacity to act as an agent of welfare. Findings suggest that adopting a nuanced, context-sensitive view on surveillance is essential. CONCLUSIONS Establishing trustworthiness through interpersonal interactions with public health personnel is important to reversing historical legacies of harm to racial minorities and structurally vulnerable groups. Empowering stakeholders to participate in the design and implementation of data infrastructure and governance is critical for advancing a data justice agenda, and can offset privacy concerns. The next steps in advancing the data justice framework in public health surveillance will be to innovate ways to represent the voices of structurally vulnerable groups in the design and governance of big data initiatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara Buchbinder
- Department of Social Medicine, Center for Bioethics, UNC—Chapel Hill
| | - Eric Juengst
- Department of Social Medicine, Center for Bioethics, UNC—Chapel Hill
| | - Stuart Rennie
- Department of Social Medicine, Center for Bioethics, UNC—Chapel Hill
| | - Colleen Blue
- Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, UNC—Chapel Hill
| | - David L. Rosen
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, UNC—Chapel Hill
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Abstract
People living with HIV (PLWH) are at greater risk for severe COVID-19 and are a priority population for COVID-19 vaccination. As of June 15, 2021, 61.6% of PLWH in Oregon received ≥ 1 COVID-19 vaccine dose. Younger PLWH, Hispanic/Latinx PLWH and PLWH who inject drugs or reside in rural and frontier areas had low vaccine uptake while PLWH who were engaged in care, enrolled in the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, and vaccinated against influenza had high vaccine uptake. Greater advocacy, education, and care navigation are required to increase COVID-19 vaccine access and uptake among PLWH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim W Menza
- Public Health Division, Oregon Health Authority, 800 NE Oregon Street, Portland, OR, 97232, USA.
- Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
| | - Jeff Capizzi
- Public Health Division, Oregon Health Authority, 800 NE Oregon Street, Portland, OR, 97232, USA
| | - Amy I Zlot
- Public Health Division, Oregon Health Authority, 800 NE Oregon Street, Portland, OR, 97232, USA
| | - Michelle Barber
- Public Health Division, Oregon Health Authority, 800 NE Oregon Street, Portland, OR, 97232, USA
| | - Lea Bush
- Public Health Division, Oregon Health Authority, 800 NE Oregon Street, Portland, OR, 97232, USA
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Kumerow MT, Rodriguez JL, Dai S, Kolor K, Rotunno M, Peipins LA. Prevalence of Americans reporting a family history of cancer indicative of increased cancer risk: Estimates from the 2015 National Health Interview Survey. Prev Med 2022; 159:107062. [PMID: 35460723 PMCID: PMC9162122 DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The collection and evaluation of family health history in a clinical setting presents an opportunity to discuss cancer risk, tailor cancer screening recommendations, and identify people with an increased risk of carrying a pathogenic variant who may benefit from referral to genetic counseling and testing. National recommendations for breast and colorectal cancer screening indicate that men and women who have a first-degree relative affected with these types of cancers may benefit from talking to a healthcare provider about starting screening at an earlier age and other options for cancer prevention. The prevalence of reporting a first-degree relative who had cancer was assessed among adult respondents of the 2015 National Health Interview Survey who had never had cancer themselves (n = 27,999). We found 35.6% of adults reported having at least one first-degree relative with cancer at any site. Significant differences in reporting a family history of cancer were observed by sex, age, race/ethnicity, educational attainment, and census region. Nearly 5% of women under age 50 and 2.5% of adults under age 50 had at least one first-degree relative with breast cancer or colorectal cancer, respectively. We estimated that 5.8% of women had a family history of breast or ovarian cancer that may indicate increased genetic risk. A third of U.S. adults who have never had cancer report a family history of cancer in a first-degree relative. This finding underscores the importance of using family history to inform discussions about cancer risk and screening options between healthcare providers and their patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie T Kumerow
- Tanaq Support Services, LLC, 3201 C St Site 602, Anchorage, AK 99503, USA.
| | - Juan L Rodriguez
- Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway NE, MS S107-4, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA.
| | - Shifan Dai
- Cyberdata Technologies, Inc., 455 Springpark Pl # 300, Herndon, VA 20701, USA.
| | - Katherine Kolor
- Office of Genomics and Precision Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2500 Century Parkway NE, MS V25-5, Atlanta, GA 30345, USA.
| | - Melissa Rotunno
- Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, 9609 Medical Center Dr RM 4E548, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Lucy A Peipins
- Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway NE, MS S107-4, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA.
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Lewin A, De Serres G, Grégoire Y, Perreault J, Drouin M, Fournier MJ, Tremblay T, Beaudoin J, Boivin A, Goyette G, Finzi A, Bazin R, Germain M, Delage G, Renaud C. Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among blood donors in Québec: an update from a serial cross-sectional study. Can J Public Health 2022; 113:385-393. [PMID: 35380364 PMCID: PMC8982303 DOI: 10.17269/s41997-022-00622-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Objectives We previously estimated the seroprevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies following the first pandemic wave at 2.23% in Québec, Canada. Following the much bigger second wave in fall 2020 and early 2021, we estimated the seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 in Québec during the first months of 2021. Methods Blood samples from regular, asymptomatic (for ≥ 14 days) donors were collected between January 25, 2021 and March 11, 2021. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity was assessed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay that captures antibodies directed against the receptor binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike (and hence cannot discriminate between infection- and vaccine-induced seropositivity). Seroprevalence estimates were adjusted for regional distribution, age, and sex. Results Samples from 7924 eligible donors were analyzed, including 620 (7.8%) vaccinated donors and 7046 (88.9%) unvaccinated donors (vaccination status unknown for 258 (3.3%) donors). Overall, median age was 51 years; 46.4% of donors were female. The adjusted seroprevalence was 10.5% (95% CI = 9.7–11.3) in the unvaccinated population and 14.7% (95% CI = 13.8–15.6) in the overall population. Seroprevalence gradually decreased with age and was higher among donors who self-identified as having a racial/ethnic background other than white, both in the overall and in the unvaccinated populations. Conclusion The seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies significantly increased in Québec since spring 2020, with younger persons and ethnic minorities being disproportionately affected. When compared with the cumulative incidence rate reported by public health authorities (i.e., 3.3% as of March 11, 2021), these results suggest that a substantial proportion of infections remain undetected despite improvements in access to COVID-19 testing. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.17269/s41997-022-00622-y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Lewin
- Affaires Médicales et Innovation, Héma-Québec, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Faculté de médecine et des sciences de la santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Gaston De Serres
- Institut National de Santé Publique du Québec, Québec, QC, Canada.,Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Yves Grégoire
- Affaires Médicales et Innovation, Héma-Québec, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Josée Perreault
- Affaires Médicales et Innovation, Héma-Québec, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Mathieu Drouin
- Affaires Médicales et Innovation, Héma-Québec, Québec, QC, Canada
| | | | - Tony Tremblay
- Affaires Médicales et Innovation, Héma-Québec, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Julie Beaudoin
- Qualité et développement, Héma-Québec, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Amélie Boivin
- Affaires Médicales et Innovation, Héma-Québec, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Guillaume Goyette
- Centre de Recherche du CHUM, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Andrés Finzi
- Centre de Recherche du CHUM, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Renée Bazin
- Affaires Médicales et Innovation, Héma-Québec, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Marc Germain
- Affaires Médicales et Innovation, Héma-Québec, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Gilles Delage
- Affaires Médicales et Innovation, Héma-Québec, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Christian Renaud
- Affaires Médicales et Innovation, Héma-Québec, Montréal, QC, Canada.
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Poremski D, Mok YM, Lam GFK, Dev R, Chua HC, Fung DSS. Upper Respiratory Tract Infection Trends in a Psychiatric Institute in Singapore. East Asian Arch Psychiatry 2022; 32:34-38. [PMID: 35732478 DOI: 10.12809/eaap2128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To compare the incidence of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) between inpatients at the Institute of Mental Health in Singapore and the general population over 8 years to determine the effectiveness of our infection control strategies. METHODS Data for cases of influenza and URTI at our institute between January 2012 and December 2019 were collected. National data were derived from weekly infectious disease bulletins that report daily averages of people attending polyclinics/surgeries with influenza and URTI. Interrupted time series analyses were used to determine the impact of infection prevention and control strategies on incidence. RESULTS Over the 8 years, there were 1607 cases of URTI involving 182 clusters, equal to 3.16 cases per 10 000 patient-bed-days. 965 (60%) cases and 95 (52%) clusters occurred in long-stay wards, whereas 642 (40%) cases and 87 (48%) clusters occurred in acute wards. The median cluster size was 12 in the long-stay wards and 7 in the acute wards (p < 0.0001). The spikes in cases in June and December may be attributed to the increased staff and visitor mobility during school vacations in June and December. Strategies implemented during the study period did not significantly reduce the incidence of URTI. Previous strategies implemented in 2005 to meet accreditation standards are more likely to be contributors. CONCLUSION Infection control strategies of our institute appear to be effective, because the incidence of URTI was lower in our institute than in the community. The similar incidence of URTI in acute and long-stay wards indicates that service-user turnover is not a contributor. Rather, staff and visitors are more likely to be the vector. The larger clusters in long-stay wards indicates a greater risk of transmission in such settings. Increased activity in our institute during school vacations may be associated with an increase in cases in June and December. It is difficult to determine if strategies implemented during the study period successfully reduce the incidence of URTI.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Y M Mok
- Institute of Mental Health, Singapore
| | - G F K Lam
- Institute of Mental Health, Singapore
| | - R Dev
- Institute of Mental Health, Singapore
| | - H C Chua
- Institute of Mental Health, Singapore
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Zhao Y, He X, Feng Z, Bost S, Prosperi M, Wu Y, Guo Y, Bian J. Biases in using social media data for public health surveillance: A scoping review. Int J Med Inform 2022; 164:104804. [PMID: 35644051 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2022.104804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES A landscape scan of the methods that are used to either assess or mitigate biases when using social media data for public health surveillance, through a scoping review. MATERIALS AND METHODS Following best practices, we searched two literature databases (i.e., PubMed and Web of Science) and covered literature published up to July 2021. Through two rounds of screening (i.e., title/abstract screening, and then full-text screening), we extracted study objectives, analysis methods, and the methods used to assess or address the different biases from the eligible articles. RESULTS We identified a total of 2,856 articles from the two databases. After the screening processes, we extracted and synthesized 20 studies that either assessed or mitigated biases when leveraging social media data for public health surveillance. Researchers have tried to assess or address several different types of biases such as demographic bias, keyword bias, and platform bias. In particular, we found 11 studies that tried to measure the reliability of the research findings from social media data by comparing them with other data sources. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION We synthesized the types of biases and the methods used to assess or address the biases in studies that use social media data for public health surveillance. We found very few studies, despite the large number of publications using social media data, considered the various bias issues that are present from data collection to analysis methods. Overlooking bias can distort the study results and lead to unintended consequences, especially in the field of public health surveillance. These research gaps warrant further investigations more systematically. Strategies from other fields for addressing biases can be introduced for future public health surveillance systems that use social media data.
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Campeau A, Champagne AS, McFaull SR. Sentinel surveillance of substance-related self-harm in Canadian emergency departments, 2011 - 19. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:974. [PMID: 35568831 PMCID: PMC9107222 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13287-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Self-harm is a public health concern that can result in serious injury or death. This study provides an overview of emergency department (ED) visits for patients presenting with substance-related self-harm. Methods Cases of self-harm in the electronic Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (eCHIRPP) database were extracted (April 2011 to September 2019; N = 15,682), using various search strategies to identify substance-related self-harm cases for patients 10 years and older. Cases involving alcohol, cannabis, illicit drugs, or medications (or any combinations of these) were included. Additional variables, including age and sex, location and the severity of injury (hospital admission) were examined. Proportionate injury ratios (PIR) were used to compare emergency department outcomes of self-harm and unintentional injuries involving substance use. Time trends were quantified using Joinpoint regression. For cases requiring hospital admission, text fields were analyzed for contextual factors. Results A total of 9470 substance-related self-harm cases were reported (28.1% of all intentional injury cases), representing 820.0 records per 100,000 eCHIRPP records. While age patterns for both sexes were similar, the number of cases for females was significantly higher among 15-19 year olds. Over half (55%) of cases that identified substance type involved medications, followed by multi-type substance use (19.8%). In the ED, there were proportionally more treatments, observations, and admissions presenting with substance-related self-harm compared to substance-related unintentional injury cases. Among those aged 20+ years, a statistically significant increasing trend of 15.9% per year was observed, while among those aged 10-19 years a significant annual percent change of 16.9% was noted (2011 to 2019). Text field analysis demonstrated suicide attempt or ideation was a reoccurring theme among all age groups. Poor mental health status or conflict with family or an intimate partner were reported stressors, depending on age group. Additional self-harming injuries, such as cutting, were reported among all age groups. Conclusion Our study found that hospital admission for substance-related self-harm was highest for patients aged 15-19 years, especially females, and that they were more likely to use medications. The statistically significant increasing trend of cases found between 2011 and 2019 is notable. Patients showed multiple types of adversities, demonstrating the complexity of this issue.
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