Risultati per: GPG: Versione 5.7.5 (Novembre 2021)

Objectives
To assess the awareness and predictors of seeing/hearing a drug alert in British Columbia (BC) and subsequent drug use behaviour after seeing/hearing an alert.

Methods
This study analysed the 2021 BC harm reduction client survey (HRCS)—a cross-sectional self-reported survey administered at harm reduction sites throughout the province and completed by participants using the services.

Results
In total, n=537 respondents participated and n=482 (89.8%) responded to the question asking if they saw/heard a drug alert. Of those, n=300 (62.2%) stated that they saw/heard a drug alert and almost half reported hearing from a friend or peer network; the majority (67.4%) reported altering their drug use behaviour to be safer after seeing/hearing a drug alert. The proportion of individuals who saw/heard a drug alert increased with each ascending age category. Among health authorities, there were significant differences in the odds of seeing/hearing an alert. In the past 6 months, the odds of participants who attended harm reduction sites a few times per month seeing/hearing an alert were 2.73 (95% CI: 1.17 to 6.52) times the odds of those who did not. Those who attended more frequently were less likely to report seeing/hearing a drug alert. The odds of those who witnessed an opioid-related overdose in the past 6 months seeing/hearing an alert were 1.96 (95% CI: 0.86 to 4.50) times the odds of those who had not.

Conclusion
We found that drug alerts were mostly disseminated through communication with friends or peers and that most participants altered their drug use behaviour after seeing/hearing a drug alert. Therefore, drug alerts can play a role in reducing harms from substance use and more work is needed to reach diverse populations, such as younger people, those in differing geographical locations, and those who attend harm reduction sites more frequently.

Circulation, Ahead of Print. The evolution of dietary guidelines from isolated nutrients to broader dietary pattern recommendations results from growing knowledge of the synergy between nutrients and their food sources as they influence health. Macronutrient and micronutrient needs can be met by consuming various dietary patterns, but guidance is often required to facilitate population-wide adherence to wise food choices to achieve a healthy dietary pattern. This is particularly true in this era with the proliferation of nutrition misinformation and misplaced emphasis. In 2021, the American Heart Association issued a scientific statement outlining key principles of a heart-healthy dietary pattern that could be operationalized in various ways. The objective of this scientific statement is to assess alignment of commonly practiced US dietary patterns with the recently published American Heart Association criteria, to determine clinical and cultural factors that affect long-term adherence, and to propose approaches for adoption of healthy dietary patterns. This scientific statement is intended to serve as a tool for clinicians and consumers to evaluate whether these popular dietary pattern(s) promote cardiometabolic health and suggests factors to consider when adopting any pattern to improve alignment with the 2021 American Heart Association Dietary Guidance. Numerous patterns strongly aligned with 2021 American Heart Association Dietary Guidance (ie, Mediterranean, DASH [Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension], pescetarian, vegetarian) can be adapted to reflect personal and cultural preferences and budgetary constraints. Thus, optimal cardiovascular health would be best supported by developing a food environment that supports adherence to these patterns wherever food is prepared or consumed.

Objectives
To compare success of applicants to specialty training posts in the UK by gender, ethnicity and disability status.

Design
Cross-sectional observational study.

Setting
National Health Service, UK.

Participants
All specialty training post applications to Health Education England, UK, during the 2021–2022 recruitment cycle.

Intervention
Nil.

Primary and secondary outcome measures
Comparison of success at application to specialty training posts by gender, ethnicity, country of qualification (UK vs non-UK) and disability. The influence of ethnicity on success was investigated using a logistic regression model, where country of qualification was included as a covariate.

Results
12 419/37 971 (32.7%) of applicants to specialty training posts were successful, representing 58 specialties. The difference in percentage of successful females (6480/17 523, 37.0%) and males (5625/19 340, 29.1%) was 7.9% (95% CI 6.93% to 8.86%), in favour of females. Segregation of applications to specialties by gender was observed; surgical specialties had the highest proportion of male applicants, while obstetrics and gynaecology had the highest proportion of female applicants. The proportion of successful recruits to specialties largely reflected the number of applications. 11/15 minority ethnic groups (excluding ‘not stated’) had significantly lower adjusted ORs for success compared with white-British applicants. ‘Mixed white and black African’ (OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.61, p≤0.001) were the least successful minority group in our study, while non-UK graduates had an adjusted ORs for success of 0.43 (95% CI 0.41 to 0.46, p≤0.001) compared with UK graduates. The difference in percentage of success by disabled applicants (179/464, 38.6%) and non-disabled applicants (11 940/36 418, 32.8%) was 5.79% (95% CI 1.23% to 10.4%), in favour of disabled applicants. No disabled applicants were accepted to 21/58 (36.2%) of specialties.

Conclusions
Despite greater success by female applicants overall, there is an attraction issue to specialties by gender. Further, most ethnic minority groups are less successful at application when compared with white-British applicants. This requires continuous monitoring and evaluation of the reasons behind observed differences.

Trial Registration
Not applicable.

This study examines what study authors consider to be appropriate cost-effectiveness analysis thresholds as reflected in the referenced thresholds in their published cost-effectiveness analyses.

I dati sono stati diffusi oggi da ACI su base Istat

Objective
This study assesses educational inequalities in measured as well as self-reported high blood pressure (BP) and high blood glucose (BG) in the southern Indian state of Kerala, which is known to have high chronic disease morbidity.

Design
The present findings are drawn from a large-scale, nationally representative cross-sectional study.

Settings and participants
India’s Demographic and Health Survey (conducted in 2019–2021) had data on 36 526 individuals aged 15 years and above in the state of Kerala, India.

Primary and secondary outcomes measures
Measured high BP and BG; self-reported high BP and BG; as well as self-reported BP and BG testing. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis, along with multivariate statistics, were used. Educational inequalities were assessed through absolute and relative complex measures of inequality, namely the Slope Index of Inequality (SII) and Relative Concentration Index (RCI), respectively, with 95% CIs.

Results
The largest margin of inequality in Kerala, between the least and the most educated groups, was observed for measured high BP (57.7% and 17.6%). Measured high BP (SII –45.4% (95% CI –47.3% to –43.4%); RCI –26.6% (95% CI –27.9% to –25.3%)), self-reported high BP (SII –34.5% (95% CI –36.3% to –32.7%); RCI –19.0% (95% CI –20.1% to –17.9%)). High BG levels were concentrated among those with lower educational attainment (SII –26.6% (95% CI –28.6% to –24.7%); RCI –15.7% (95% CI –16.9% to –14.5%)), represented by negative SII and RCI values.

Conclusions
The study findings suggest that research and programme efforts need to be redoubled to determine what is driving greater vulnerability to non-communicable diseases among population with lower educational attainment on the one hand and the possible role that improving education access can be on health outcomes, on the other hand. Further research should explore relevant intersections with low education.

I dati del 2021 relativi alle strutture sanitarie pubbliche e private accreditate, all’attività di ricovero e cura, alla rete del Servizio Sanitario Nazionale; un focus sull’impatto della pandemia Covid-19

24ma giornata mondiale,74 mln vite salvate da 2000 ma più sforzi

24ma giornata mondiale,74 mln vite salvate da 2000 ma più sforzi

Annals of Internal Medicine, Ahead of Print.

Objective
Examine changes in SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity before and during the national vaccination campaign in the Czech Republic.

Design
Prospective national population-based cohort study.

Setting
Masaryk University, RECETOX, Brno.

Participants
22 130 persons provided blood samples at two time points approximately 5–7 months apart, between October 2020 and March 2021 (phase I, before vaccination), and between April and September 2021 (during vaccination campaign).

Outcome measures
Antigen-specific humoral immune response was analysed by detection of IgG antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein by commercial chemiluminescent immunoassays. Participants completed a questionnaire that included personal information, anthropometric data, self-reported results of previous RT-PCR tests (if performed), history of symptoms compatible with COVID-19 and records of COVID-19 vaccination. Seroprevalence was compared between calendar periods, previous RT-PCR results, vaccination and other individual characteristics.

Results
Before vaccination (phase I), seroprevalence increased from 15% in October 2020 to 56% in March 2021. By the end of phase II, in September 2021, prevalence increased to 91%; the highest seroprevalence was seen among vaccinated persons with and without previous SARS-CoV-2 infection (99.7% and 97.2%, respectively), while the lowest seroprevalence was found among unvaccinated persons with no signs of disease (26%). Vaccination rates were lower in persons who were seropositive in phase I but increased with age and body mass index. Only 9% of unvaccinated subjects who were seropositive in phase I became seronegative by phase II.

Conclusions
The rapid increase in seropositivity during the second wave of the COVID-19 epidemic (covered by phase I of this study) was followed by a similarly steep rise in seroprevalence during the national vaccination campaign, reaching seropositivity rates of over 97% among vaccinated persons.

Objectives
Our study described how the WHO intra-action review (IAR) methodology was operationalised and customised in three Western Balkan countries and territories and the Republic of Moldova and analysed the common key findings to inform analyses of the lessons learnt from the pandemic response.

Design
We extracted data from the respective IAR reports and performed a qualitative thematic content analysis to identify common (between countries and territories) and cross-cutting (across the response pillars) themes on best practices, challenges and priority actions. The analysis involved three stages, namely: extraction of data, initial identification of emerging themes and review and definition of the themes.

Setting
IARs were conducted in the Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, Kosovo and the Republic of North Macedonia between December 2020 and November 2021. The IARs were conducted at different time points relative to the respective pandemic trajectories (14-day incidence rate ranging from 23 to 495per 100000).

Results
Case management was reviewed in all the IARs, while the infection prevention and control, surveillance and country-level coordination pillars were reviewed in three countries. The thematic content analysis identified four common and cross-cutting best practices, seven challenges and six priority recommendations. Recommendations included investing in sustainable human resources and technical capacities developed during the pandemic, providing continuous capacity-building and training (with regular simulation exercises), updating legislation, improving communication between healthcare providers at all levels of healthcare and enhancing digitalisation of health information systems.

Conclusions
The IARs provided an opportunity for continuous collective reflection and learning with multisectoral engagement. They also offered an opportunity to review public health emergency preparedness and response functions in general, thereby contributing to generic health systems strengthening and resilience beyond COVID-19. However, success in strengthening the response and preparedness requires leadership and resource allocation, prioritisation and commitment by the countries and territories themselves.

I risultati 2022 ne fanno il 17/o player nella graduatoria europea di settore

This cross-sectional study calculates years of life lost to drug overdose in non-Hispanic Black female individuals and describes the changes in years of life lost that have occurred during the current overdose crisis.

This cross-sectional study assesses Medicaid spending associated with citrate-free vs original adalimumab.

To the Editor We write to explain an analytical error in our Research Letter titled “Trends in Obesity Prevalence Among Adults Aged 18 Through 25 Years, 1976-2018,” published in the November 23/30, 2021, issue of JAMA. This study looked at trends in body mass index (BMI) among young adults aged 18 to 25 years using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.