scholarly journals HIV Exposure through Heterosexual Contacts: Analysis of Demographic, Behavioral and Structural Risk Factors among Black Men in Ottawa and Windsor, Ontario

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-179
Author(s):  
Francisca I. Omorodion ◽  
Egbe B. Etowa ◽  
Jelani Ker ◽  
Bishwajit Ghose ◽  
Josephine Etowa

We determined the association of demographic, behavioral, and structural factors with risk of HIV exposure through heterosexual contact among Black men in Ottawa (n=210) and Windsor (n=156), Ontario. We applied hierarchical linear regression model in the analysis. Mean HIV exposure risk scores were Windsor (12.08±8.42) and Ottawa (17.16±11.80) in Ottawa (Scale = 48). Age, marriage, employment, masculinity, and condom attitudes were statistically significant (p <0.05). Age groups (15-29 years and 40-49 years), traditional masculine ideology, and negative condom attitudes associated with increased risk of HIV exposure by heterosexual contact. Marriage and full-time employment associated with reduced risk of exposure the ACB heterosexual men.

Author(s):  
Heather Kirkwood

The difference between the income received by employed women and men in New Zealand is widely recognised. Often referred to as the "gender wage gap"1 , this income differential has prevailed despite significant improvements in the past 50 years including changes in society's attitudes towards women in employment and increasing numbers of women in paid work. What then can this difference be attributed to? Is it structural factors such as age and occupation, or are there other un-measurable factors at work? Confining itself to the wages and salaries of women and men in full-time employment, this paper presents some of the results of recent analysis conducted by Statistics New Zealand's Analytical Support Division. Using data from the 1997 New Zealand Income Survey and several different multivariate techniques, this analysis attempts to explore some of the factors behind this "earnings gap". Originally conducted for an upcoming Statistics New Zealand analytical publication, this research first explores the factors responsible for prescribing the level of earnings for all people then applies these results in a process of standardisation. The results leave much scope for both discussion and a continuation of analysis.


Hypertension ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 62 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nestor H Garcia ◽  
Hernan A Perez ◽  
J. David Spence ◽  
Luis J Armando

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death among women. Currently, global risk assessment derived by a Framingham risk equation is used to identify women at increased risk, but still we do not detect them early enough to decrease the rate of cardiovascular events. Perhaps we overestimate their protection during the premenopausal and early postmenopausal years, and overestimate the sensitivity of risk scores. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study in primary prevention in 1256 women (age 19-84) from Argentina. FRS with body mass index (FRSbmi) and PTP-TPA were used for the evaluation. TPA by ultrasound was determined as previously described by Spence et al (Stroke 2002;33;2916-2922). Patients were divided into DMII (n=293) and control groups (n=963) and then each group was divided according to age, <40, 40-50, 50-60 and older than 60. Results: No difference was observed between the incidence of smoking, Hypertension or presence of early family cardiovascular event in DM II and control group. DM II patients had higher TPA vs. control group at all ages. FRSbmi was higher in the DM II group at all age groups. PTP-TPA score for DM II <40, 40-50, 50-60, >60 groups were 10±3, 27±4, 48±3, 73±1 respectively while in control group were 3±1, 9±1, 23±1, and 50±1 respectively. These data indicate that DM II women in premenopausal or first years of menopausal age (40-50 years) are at intermediate or high risk to develop a cardiovascular event while non-diabetic women reach this PTP-TPA risk after age 50. CONCLUSION: In our population, diabetic women after age 40 should be considered at possibly high risk of cardiovascular events compared with a non-diabetic group. Direct assessment of atherosclerotic burden, such as TPA, should be used early in this population, even in the presence of menstrual cycles, instead of relying on traditional risk scores.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr. Animesh Ray ◽  
Dr. Komal Singh ◽  
Souvick Chattopadhyay ◽  
Farha Mehdi ◽  
Dr. Gaurav Batra ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Seroprevalence of IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 is an important tool to estimate the true extent of infection in a population. However, seroprevalence studies have been scarce in South East Asia including India, which, as of now, carries the third largest burden of confirmed cases in the world. The present study aimed to estimate the seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody among hospitalized patients at one of the largest government hospital in India OBJECTIVE The primary objective of this study is to estimate the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibody among patients admitted to the Medicine ward and ICU METHODS This cross-sectional study, conducted at a tertiary care hospital in North India, recruited consecutive patients who were negative for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR or CB-NAAT. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody levels targeting recombinant spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) protein of SARS CoV-2 were estimated in serum sample by the ELISA method RESULTS A total of 212 hospitalized patients were recruited in the study with mean age (±SD) of 41.2 (±15.4) years and 55% male population. Positive serology against SARS CoV-2 was detected in 19.8%patients(95% CI 14.7-25.8). Residency in Delhi conferred a higher frequency of seropositivity 26.5% (95% CI 19.3-34.7) as compared to that of other states 8% (95% CI 3.0-16.4) with p-value 0.001. No particular age groups or socio-economic strata showed a higher proportion of seropositivity CONCLUSIONS Around, one-fifth of hospitalized patients, who were not diagnosed with COVID-19 before, demonstrated seropositivity against SARS-CoV-2. While there was no significant difference in the different age groups and socio-economic classes; residence in Delhi was associated with increased risk (relative risk of 3.62, 95% CI 1.59-8.21)


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hossein Estiri ◽  
Zachary H. Strasser ◽  
Jeffy G. Klann ◽  
Pourandokht Naseri ◽  
Kavishwar B. Wagholikar ◽  
...  

AbstractThis study aims to predict death after COVID-19 using only the past medical information routinely collected in electronic health records (EHRs) and to understand the differences in risk factors across age groups. Combining computational methods and clinical expertise, we curated clusters that represent 46 clinical conditions as potential risk factors for death after a COVID-19 infection. We trained age-stratified generalized linear models (GLMs) with component-wise gradient boosting to predict the probability of death based on what we know from the patients before they contracted the virus. Despite only relying on previously documented demographics and comorbidities, our models demonstrated similar performance to other prognostic models that require an assortment of symptoms, laboratory values, and images at the time of diagnosis or during the course of the illness. In general, we found age as the most important predictor of mortality in COVID-19 patients. A history of pneumonia, which is rarely asked in typical epidemiology studies, was one of the most important risk factors for predicting COVID-19 mortality. A history of diabetes with complications and cancer (breast and prostate) were notable risk factors for patients between the ages of 45 and 65 years. In patients aged 65–85 years, diseases that affect the pulmonary system, including interstitial lung disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and a smoking history, were important for predicting mortality. The ability to compute precise individual-level risk scores exclusively based on the EHR is crucial for effectively allocating and distributing resources, such as prioritizing vaccination among the general population.


2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 605-618
Author(s):  
Samuel Amponsah ◽  
Alex Kumi-Yeboah ◽  
Stephen O. Adjapong ◽  
Chris Olusola Omorogie

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 18
Author(s):  
Lise Boey ◽  
Eline Bosmans ◽  
Liane Braz Ferreira ◽  
Nathalie Heyvaert ◽  
Melissa Nelen ◽  
...  

Patients with chronic diseases are at increased risk of complications following infection. It remains, however, unknown to what extend they are protected against vaccine-preventable diseases. We assessed seroprevalence of antibodies against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis to evaluate whether current vaccination programs in Belgium are adequate. Antibody titers were assessed with a bead-based multiplex assay in serum of 1052 adults with chronic diseases. We included patients with diabetes mellitus type 1 (DM1) (n = 172), DM2 (n = 77), chronic kidney disease (n = 130), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (n = 170), heart failure (n = 77), HIV (n = 196) and solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients (n = 230). Factors associated with seroprevalence were analysed with multiple logistic regression. We found seroprotective titers in 29% for diphtheria (≥0.1 IU/mL), in 83% for tetanus (≥0.1 IU/mL) and 22% had antibodies against pertussis (≥5 IU/mL). Seroprotection rates were higher (p < 0.001) when vaccinated within the last ten years. Furthermore, diphtheria seroprotection decreased with age (p < 0.001). Tetanus seroprotection was less reached in women (p < 0.001) and older age groups (p < 0.001). For pertussis, women had more often a titer suggestive of a recent infection or vaccination (≥100 IU/mL, p < 0.01). We conclude that except for tetanus, the vast majority of at-risk patients remains susceptible to vaccine-preventable diseases such as diphtheria and pertussis.


Author(s):  
Andrea A. Joyce ◽  
Grace M. Styklunas ◽  
Nancy A. Rigotti ◽  
Jordan M. Neil ◽  
Elyse R. Park ◽  
...  

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on US adults’ smoking and quitting behaviors is unclear. We explored the impact of COVID-19 on smoking behaviors, risk perceptions, and reactions to text messages during a statewide stay-at-home advisory among primary care patients who were trying to quit. From May–June 2020, we interviewed smokers enrolled in a 12-week, pilot cessation trial providing text messaging and mailed nicotine replacement medication (NCT04020718). Twenty-two individuals (82% white, mean age 55 years), representing 88% of trial participants during the stay-at-home advisory, completed exit interviews; four (18%) of them reported abstinence. Interviews were thematically analyzed by two coders. COVID-19-induced environmental changes had mixed effects, facilitating quitting for some and impeding quitting for others. While stress increased for many, those who quit found ways to cope with stress. Generally, participants felt at risk for COVID-19 complications but not at increased risk of becoming infected. Reactions to COVID-19 and quitting behaviors differed across age groups, older participants reported difficulties coping with isolation (e.g., feeling disappointed when a text message came from the study and not a live person). Findings suggest that cessation interventions addressing stress and boredom are needed during COVID-19, while smokers experiencing isolation may benefit from live-person supports.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
L Ostergaard ◽  
M.H Smerup ◽  
K Iversen ◽  
A.D Jensen ◽  
A Dahl ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Infective endocarditis (IE) is associated with high mortality. Surgery may improve survival, but the intercept between benefit and harm is hard to balance and may be closely related to age. Purpose To examine the in-hospital and 90-day mortality in patients undergoing surgery for IE and to identify differences between age groups and type of valvular intervention. Methods By crosslinking nationwide Danish registries we identified patients with first-time IE undergoing surgical treatment in the period from 2000 to 2017. The study population was grouped in patients &lt;60 years, 60–75 years, and ≥75 years of age. High-risk subgroups by age and surgical valve intervention (mitral vs aortic vs mitral+aortic) during IE admission were examined. Kaplan Meier estimates was used to identify 90-day mortality by age groups and multivariable adjusted Cox proportional hazard analysis was used to examine factors associated with 90-day mortality. Results We included 1,767 patients with IE undergoing surgery, 735 patients &lt;60 years (24.1% female), 766 patients 60–75 years (25.8% female), and 266 patients &gt;75 years (36.1% female). The proportion of patients with IE undergoing surgery was 35.3%, 26.9%, and 9.1% for patients &lt;60 years, 60–75 years, and &gt;75 years, respectively. For patients with IE undergoing surgery, the in-hospital mortality was 6.4%, 13.6%, and 20.3% for patients &lt;60 years, 60–75 years, and ≥75 years of age, respectively and mortality at 90 days were 7.5%, 13.9%, and 22.3%, respectively. Factors associated with an increased risk 90-day mortality were: mitral valve surgery and a combination of mitral and aortic valve surgery as compared with isolated aortic valve surgery, patients 60–75 years and &gt;75 years as compared with patients aged &lt;60 years, prosthetic heart valve prior to IE admission, and diabetes, Figure. Patients &gt;75 years undergoing a combination of mitral and aortic valve surgery had an in-hospital mortality of 36.3%. Conclusion In patients undergoing surgery for IE, a stepwise increase in 90-day mortality was seen for age groups, highest among patients &gt;75 years with a 90-day mortality of more than 20%. Patients undergoing mitral and combined mitral and aortic valve surgery as compared to isolated aortic valve surgery were associated with a higher mortality. These findings may be of importance for the management strategy of patients with IE. Mortality risk Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document