Cross-sectional study of the rates of military sexual trauma (MST) and associations with adverse mental health outcomes among UK female ex-service personnel: a study protocol

Introduction
This study investigates the rates of military sexual trauma (MST) and its associations with adverse mental health among a sample of UK female ex-service personnel who served during the Iraq/Afghanistan eras.

Methods and analysis
Female ex-service personnel, who participated in the fourth phase (Phase 4) of the King’s Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR) Health and Well-being Cohort Study (2022–2023) and consented to be recontacted for follow-up studies (n=295), are being invited to participate in an online questionnaire between July 2024 and February 2025. The questionnaire contains surveys and questions related to experiences of sexual harassment and sexual assault during and outside of military service, disordered eating and broader female health issues. While the questionnaire relates to several female health topics, this study focuses on the surveys related to experiences of sexual trauma and eating disorders. Sociodemographic variables and some health variables, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex PTSD, common mental disorders, alcohol misuse, physical somatisation and social support, will be extracted from participants’ pre-existing data collected in Phase 4 of the KCMHR Cohort Study. Analyses will assess rates of MST, and hierarchical multiple logistic regressions will investigate associated health impacts. Rates and ORs, employing 95% CIs, will be reported.

Ethics and dissemination
This study has been granted full ethical approval by the King’s College London Research Ethics Committee (Ref: HR/DP-23/24–39040). Participants provide informed consent before participating and have access to a signposting booklet containing contact details for a range of support services. A risk protocol is in place, which outlines the procedure to be undertaken if a participant contacts the research team in distress. Findings will form part of a PhD thesis and will be further disseminated through peer-reviewed publication and dissemination with veteran mental health services and charities, and relevant government departments.

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What drives clinic follow-up after traumatic spinal injury? An observational cohort study from Tanzania

Objectives
To evaluate factors associated with clinic follow-up after traumatic spinal injury (TSI) in Tanzania, focusing on demographic, injury-related and hospital variables. We hypothesised that socioeconomic and injury-specific factors would predict follow-up adherence.

Design
Retrospective observational cohort study.

Setting
Tertiary government referral centre for neurosurgery and orthopaedics in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Participants
443 adults with TSI admitted between September 2016 and October 2021. Inclusion criteria included survival to discharge and availability of the discharge date. Patients with missing data were excluded.

Primary and secondary outcome measures
Primary outcomes were any clinic follow-up and 1-year follow-up post-discharge. Secondary outcome was time to loss of follow-up. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with follow-up, and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis assessed follow-up duration.

Results
Of 443 patients (85.8% male, median age 34 years), 52.4% returned for follow-up. Independent factors associated with return included private insurance (adjusted OR (aOR) 2.69, 95% CI 1.38 to 5.45, p=0.005), involvement in a road traffic accident (aOR 2.15, 95% CI 1.22 to 3.83, p=0.009), lumbar injuries (aOR 2.26, 95% CI 1.30 to 4.00, p=0.004), neurological improvement at discharge (aOR 3.52, 95% CI 1.72 to 7.64, p=0.001) and hospital stays shorter than 24 days (aOR 1.63, 95% CI 1.07 to 2.47, p=0.022). Among those who returned, only 25.4% completed 1 year of follow-up. Predictors of 1-year follow-up included being female (aOR 4.87, 95% CI 2.31 to 10.56, p

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Acceptability and implementation of a comprehensive digital diabetes self-management platform (MyWay Diabetes): a qualitative protocol

Introduction
Diabetes is one of the most common long-term health conditions worldwide, placing a huge economic burden on health services. Diabetes self-management education and support programmes can support people with diabetes to manage their condition; however, uptake of face-to-face services remains low. Digital self-management tools are becoming increasingly available. MyWay Diabetes is a digital platform that offers a comprehensive self-management and education programme accessible through a mobile app and website and allows patients to access their personal healthcare records. Following successful implementation in Scotland, MyWay Diabetes is now being rolled out in three geographical areas in England. We plan to undertake three qualitative studies, as part of a larger mixed-methods research programme, to assess whether MyWay Diabetes is acceptable across diverse patient groups and healthcare professionals and gather views of patients who do not currently use the digital service.

Methods and analysis
We will conduct three online focus group studies. (1) One focus group with healthcare professionals (n=6–10) to understand their perceptions of implementing MyWay Diabetes in their local regions. (2) Up to four focus groups with existing users of MyWay Diabetes (n=24–40) across the three geographical areas in England to explore their acceptability of the platform. (3) Up to three focus groups with people living with diabetes who do not currently use MyWay Diabetes (n=18–30). Data will be collected using online videoconferencing and analysed thematically using template analysis.

Ethics and dissemination
Ethical approval was granted by South Central – Berkshire Research Ethics Committee (ref: 25/SC/0125) and The University of Manchester Proportionate Research Ethics Committee (ref: 2025-23064-42006). Study results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals, conference presentations, MyWay Digital Health platforms and national bodies. The evidence from this broader mixed-methods evaluation will inform decisions for platform improvement and regional and national commissioning across the National Health Service in England.

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Thrombectomy Versus Medical Management for Pediatric Arterial Ischemic Stroke With Large Baseline Infarct

Stroke, Ahead of Print. BACKGROUND:Multiple recent randomized trials have demonstrated the benefit of thrombectomy over medical management alone in adult patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke and large infarct on baseline imaging. Cohort studies have also identified improved functional outcomes in pediatric patients who received thrombectomy. However, the role of thrombectomy in pediatric stroke with large baseline infarct remains uncertain.METHODS:A case-control study was undertaken using pooled data from 3 cohort studies of pediatric stroke (Save ChildS, Save ChildS Pro, Pediatric LVO Stroke Study). Pediatric patients of age 1 to 18 years with acute anterior circulation LVO stroke presenting within 24 hours since last seen well with an Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography (CT) Score of 0 to 5 on CT or magnetic resonance imaging were included. Isolated M2 occlusion or focal cerebral arteriopathy–inflammatory subtype cases were excluded. Thrombectomy-treated patients were compared with patients who received medical management alone. The primary clinical outcome was the pediatric modified Rankin Scale score at 90 days, compared between groups using ordinal logistic regression.RESULTS:Of 56 pediatric patients with anterior circulation LVO and low Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score presenting between January 1, 2000 and August 31, 2023 from 45 centers across Europe, North America, and Australia, 40 patients were eligible for inclusion (female: n=14, 35.0%; mean age, 9.1 years; range, 1.5–17; SD, 5.27). Thrombectomy-treated patients (n=24) had significantly better pediatric modified Rankin Scale scores at 90 days than medical management alone patients (n=16; odds ratio, 3.68 [95% CI, 1.11–12.21];P=0.034). There was no significant difference between groups in the rate of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (P=0.806).CONCLUSIONS:In this multicentre case-control study, pediatric patients (age, 1–18 years) with anterior circulation LVO stroke and low Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score who received thrombectomy had significantly better functional outcomes than those treated with medical management alone. Exclusion of pediatric patients from thrombectomy based on low Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score alone may not be appropriate.

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