Yoxas/statistical_literacy huggingface dataset:
The advancements of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies have enabled the implementation of smart and wearable sensors, which can be employed to provide older adults with affordable and accessible continuous biophysiological status monitoring. The quality of such monitoring data, however, is unsatisfactory due to excessive noise induced by various disturbances, such as motion artifacts. Existing methods take advantage of summary statistics, such as mean or median values, for denoising, without taking into account the biophysiological patterns embedded in data. In this research, a functional data analysis modeling method was proposed to enhance the data quality by learning individual subjects' diurnal heart rate (HR) patterns from historical data, which were further improved by fusing newly collected data. This proposed data-fusion approach was developed based on a Bayesian inference framework. Its effectiveness was demonstrated in an HR analysis from a prospective study involving older adults residing in assisted living or home settings. The results indicate that it is imperative to conduct personalized healthcare by estimating individualized HR patterns. Furthermore, the proposed calibration method provides a more accurate (smaller mean errors) and more precise (smaller error standard deviations) HR estimation than raw HR and conventional methods, such as the mean.
The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has emerged as a promising solution to enhance healthcare efficiency and improve patient outcomes. The objective of this study is to analyse the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of healthcare professionals in Pakistan about AI in healthcare. We conducted a cross-sectional study using a questionnaire distributed via Google Forms. This was distributed to healthcare professionals (e.g., doctors, nurses, medical students, and allied healthcare workers) working or studying in Pakistan. Consent was taken from all participants before initiating the questionnaire. The questions were related to participant demographics, basic understanding of AI, AI in education and practice, AI applications in healthcare systems, AI's impact on healthcare professions and the socio-ethical consequences of the use of AI. We analyzed the data using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) statistical software, version 26.0. Overall, 616 individuals responded to the survey while n = 610 (99.0%) of respondents consented to participate. The mean age of participants was 32.2 ± 12.5 years. Most of the participants (78.7%, n = 480) had never received any formal sessions or training in AI during their studies/employment. A majority of participants, 70.3% (n = 429), believed that AI would raise more ethical challenges in healthcare. In all, 66.4% (n = 405) of participants believed that AI should be taught at the undergraduate level. The survey suggests that there is insufficient training about AI in healthcare in Pakistan despite the interest of many in this area. Future work in developing a tailored curriculum regarding AI in healthcare will help bridge the gap between the interest in use of AI and training.
The advent of comprehensive synaptic wiring diagrams of large neural circuits has created the field of connectomics and given rise to a number of open research questions. One such question is whether it is possible to reconstruct the information stored in a recurrent network of neurons, given its synaptic connectivity matrix. Here, we address this question by determining when solving such an inference problem is theoretically possible in specific attractor network models and by providing a practical algorithm to do so. The algorithm builds on ideas from statistical physics to perform approximate Bayesian inference and is amenable to exact analysis. We study its performance on three different models, compare the algorithm to standard algorithms such as PCA, and explore the limitations of reconstructing stored patterns from synaptic connectivity.
The advent of digital health technologies has transformed the landscape of health care, influencing the dynamics of the physician-patient relationship. Although these technologies offer potential benefits, they also introduce challenges and complexities that require ethical consideration. This scoping review aims to investigate the effects of digital health technologies, such as digital messaging, telemedicine, and electronic health records, on the physician-patient relationship. To understand the complex consequences of these tools within health care, it contrasts the findings of studies that use various theoretical frameworks and concepts with studies grounded in relational ethics. Using the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines, we conducted a scoping review. Data were retrieved through keyword searches on MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, IEEE Xplore, and Cochrane. We screened 427 original peer-reviewed research papers published in English-language journals between 2010 and 2021. A total of 73 papers were assessed for eligibility, and 10 of these were included in the review. The data were summarized through a narrative synthesis of the findings. Digital health technologies enhance communication, improve health care delivery efficiency, and empower patients, leading to shifts in power dynamics in the physician-patient relationship. They also potentially reinforce inequities in health care access due to variations in technology literacy among patients and lead to decreases in patient satisfaction due to the impersonal nature of digital interactions. Studies applying a relational ethics framework have revealed the nuanced impacts of digital health technologies on the physician-patient relationship, highlighting shifts toward more collaborative and reciprocal care. These studies have also explored transitions from traditional hierarchical relationships to mutual engagement, capturing the complexities of power dynamics and vulnerabilities. Other theoretical frameworks, such as patient-centered care, and concepts, such as patient empowerment, were also valuable for understanding these interactions in the context of digital health. The shift from hierarchical to collaborative models in the physician-patient relationship not only underscores the empowering potential of digital tools but also presents new challenges and reinforces existing ones. Along with applications for various theoretical frameworks and concepts, this review highlights the unique comprehensiveness of a relational ethics perspective, which could provide a more nuanced understanding of trust, empathy, and power dynamics in the context of digital health. The adoption of relational ethics in empirical research may offer richer insights into the real-life complexities of the physician-patient relationship, as mediated by digital technologies.
The advent of e-health has an impact on many areas of health care practice, including TPE. The impact of the introduction of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in health care, such as serious games, remains largely unexplored in the field of e-TPE. To ask patients and health care professionals about the use of a serious game, in order to clarify the impact of these technologies on health care practices and on the relationship between caregiver and patient, as well as their advantages and limitations. A qualitative study based on the grounded theory approach, using semi-structured interviews with six health care professionals and six patients using the DRAGO© serious game, a smartphone application designed to improve compliance with allergy treatment. A lexicometric analysis was carried out, with classification by theme and sub-theme, followed by a statistical breakdown of verbatims according to whether they expressed a favorable or unfavorable opinion. 64% of professionals surveyed are in favor of digital innovations in health care, and 67% of patients. Health care professionals have reservations about their patients’ eligibility for these new technologies. In both categories, the ethical issues surrounding the emergence of e-health are positively echoed, with 69% of health care professionals and up to 83% of patients in favor. Both categories are more reserved about the impact of ICTs on the health care relationship. Health care professionals and patients alike consider the presence of ICTs in TPE to be “acceptable,” although they remain vigilant about the impact they can have on the health care relationship. These developments imply a necessary change in the practices of health care professionals, leading them to think about and encourage the emergence of the profile of tomorrow’s e-caregiver working with e-patients.
The advent of the internet has changed the landscape of available nutrition information. However, little is known about people's information-seeking behavior toward healthy eating and its potential consequences. We aimed to examine the prevalence and correlates of nutrition information seeking from various web-based and offline media sources. This cross-sectional study included 5998 Japanese adults aged 20 to 79 years participating in a web-based questionnaire survey (February and March 2023). The dependent variable was the regular use of web-based and offline media as a reliable source of nutrition information. The main independent variables included health literacy, food literacy, and diet quality, which were assessed using validated tools, as well as sociodemographic factors (sex, age, education level, and nutrition- and health-related occupations). The top source of nutrition information was television (1973/5998, 32.89%), followed by web searches (1333/5998, 22.22%), websites of government and medical manufacturers (997/5998, 16.62%), newspapers (901/5998, 15.02%), books and magazines (697/5998, 11.62%), and video sites (eg, YouTube; 634/5998, 10.57%). Multivariable logistic regression showed that higher health literacy was associated with higher odds of using all the individual sources examined; odds ratios (ORs) for 1-point score increase ranged from 1.27 (95% CI 1.09-1.49) to 1.81 (95% CI 1.57-2.09). By contrast, food literacy was inversely associated with the use of television (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.55-0.77), whereas it was positively associated with the use of websites of government and medical manufacturers (OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.62-2.44), books and magazines (OR 2.09, 95% CI 1.64-2.66), and video sites (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.19-1.96). Furthermore, diet quality was positively associated with the use of newspapers (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01-1.03) and books and magazines (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.02-1.04). Being female was associated with using television and books and magazines, whereas being male was associated with using websites of government and medical manufacturers, newspapers, and video sites. Age was positively associated with using newspapers and inversely associated with using websites of government and medical manufacturers and video sites. People with higher education were more likely to refer to websites of government and medical manufacturers and newspapers but less likely to use television and video sites. Dietitians were more likely to use websites of government and medical manufacturers and books and magazines than the general public but less likely to use television and video sites. We identified various web-based and offline media sources regularly used by Japanese adults when seeking nutrition information, and their correlates varied widely. A lack of positive associations between the use of the top 2 major sources (television and web searches) and food literacy or diet quality is highlighted. These findings provide useful insights into the potential for developing and disseminating evidence-based health promotion materials.
The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) cohort of the Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health (MLSFH-ACE) is a study of adolescents surveyed during 2017-2021. It provides an important opportunity to examine the longitudinal impact of ACEs on health and development across the early life course. The MLSFH-ACE cohort provides rich data on adolescents, their children and adult caregivers in a low-income, high-HIV-prevalence context in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The MLSFH-ACE cohort is a population-based study of adolescents living in three districts in rural Malawi. Wave 1 enrolment took place in 2017-2018 and included 2061 adolescents aged 10-16 years and 1438 caregivers. Wave 2 took place in 2021 and included data on 1878 adolescents and 208 offspring. Survey instruments captured ACEs during childhood and adolescence, HIV-related behavioural risk, mental and physical health, cognitive development and education, intimate partner violence (IPV), marriage and aspirations, early transitions to adulthood and protective factors. Biological indicators included HIV, herpes simplex virus and anthropometric measurements. Key findings include a high prevalence of ACEs among adolescents in Malawi, a low incidence of HIV and positive associations between ACE scores and composite HIV risk scores. There were also strong associations between ACEs and both IPV victimisation and perpetration. MLSFH-ACE data will be publicly released and will provide a wealth of information on ACEs and adolescent outcomes in low-income, HIV-endemic SSA contexts. Future expansions of the cohort are planned to capture data during early adulthood.
The age-specific distribution of SARS-CoV-2 cases in schools is not well described. Reported statistics reflect the intensity of community transmission while being shaped by biases from age-dependent testing regimes, as well as effective age-specific interventions. A case surveillance system was introduced within the Flemish school and health-prevention network during the 2020-2021 school year. We present epidemiological data of in-school reported cases in pre-, primary and secondary schools identified by the case surveillance system, in conjunction with test data and community cases from October 2020 to June 2021. We describe the development of the surveillance system and provide the number of reported cases and standardized rates per grade over time. We calculated absolute and relative differences in case incidence according to school grade (primary: grades 1-6, and secondary: grades 7-12) using grades 7-8 as a comparator, relating them to non-pharmaceutical infection prevention interventions. Cumulative population incidences (IP) stratified by age, province and socioeconomic status (SES) of the school population are presented with their 95% confidence intervals (CI). A total of 59,996 COVID-19 cases were reported in the school surveillance system, with the highest population adjusted IP in grade 11-12 of 7.39% (95%CI 7.24-7.53) and ranging from 2.23% to 6.25% from pre-school through grade 10. Age-specific reductions in mask introduction and in-person teaching were temporally associated with decreased case incidence, while lower pupil SES was associated with an increase in cumulative cases (excess 2,739/100,000 pupils compared to highest SES tertile). Community testing volumes varied more for children compared to adults, with overall higher child test-positivity. Holidays influence capturing of cases by the system, however efficiency increased to above 75% after further automation and integration in existing structures. We demonstrate that effective integration of case surveillance within an electronic school health system is feasible, provides valuable data regarding the evolution of an epidemic among schoolchildren, and is an integral component of public health surveillance and pandemic preparedness. The relationship towards community transmission needs careful evaluation because of age-different testing regimens. In the Flemish region, case incidence within schools exhibited an age gradient that was mitigated through grade-specific interventions, though differences by SES remain.
The age-standardized application rate for medical rehabilitation services of the German Pension Insurance Association has been declining since 2009. Two of the most frequent reasons for applying for rehabilitation services represent musculoskeletal disorders and mental disorders. The aim of this analysis was to identify factors influencing the utilization of rehabilitation services in the federal states of Berlin and Brandenburg. The explorative time series analysis is based on a research dataset of the German Pension Insurance Federation. Insured persons of the German Pension Insurance Federation from the federal states of Berlin and Brandenburg with a diagnosis of musculoskeletal disorders or mental disorders were included. Descriptive differences in targeted and prognostic parameters were calculated using chi-square and t-test statistics. Predictive parameters for the utilization of medical rehabilitation services were calculated using binary, logistic regression analyses. A total of 11,257 insured cases were examined. For the population of insured persons from Berlin, the use of medical rehabilitation services showed significant prognostic variables for gender, age at retirement, marital status, level of education, occupational requirement level, total accumulated earning points, gross pension level, status of a temporary pension, health insurance status, and diagnosis group. For Brandenburg, significant prognostic variables were found for age at retirement, marital status, nationality, education level, occupational requirement level, total accumulated earning points, status of a temporary pension, occupational sector, and diagnosis group. In Berlin and Brandenburg mental disorders and sociodemographic parameters are associated with an increased probability of not claiming medical rehabilitation services before the onset of reduced earning capacity. It remains to be investigated which mechanisms cause people with mental disorders to make no use of medical rehabilitation services. Future analyses should examine isolated interaction mechanisms for the utilization of medical rehabilitation services, especially in the case of existing F-diagnoses. In addition, explanations for different influencing variables between states remain to be explored.
The ageing of the population has become an escalating problem in China, which has led to an increasing demand for healthcare throughout society. The care services of elderly institutions, as a more mature way of aging, can alleviate various social problems brought about by ageing to a certain extent. The aim of this paper is to explore the degree of acceptance of institutional care by rural elderly people in Shandong Province and the factors that influence whether rural elderly people accept institutional care services. Based on the theory of planned behavior, an analytical framework was constructed for the willingness of rural elderly people to receive nursing services from elderly care institutions. Using survey data from 192 rural elderly people in Shandong Province, descriptive statistics, binary logistic regression, and horizontal comparative analysis methods were used to analyze the willingness of rural elderly people to provide for the elderly and its influencing factors. Only 17.71% of respondents expressed willingness to receive services from elderly care institutions. Among them, education level, trust in elderly care institutions, and support from adult children have a significant positive impact on whether rural elderly people receive nursing services from elderly care institutions; The number of children, the level of understanding of elderly care institutions, neighbors' choices of elderly care methods, and their ability to contribute to the family have a significant negative impact on whether rural elderly people receive nursing services from elderly care institutions. There are significant differences in the willingness and influencing factors of rural elderly people to provide for the elderly among different regions. The non-acceptance of institutional care by rural older people is a general phenomenon rather than a sample characteristic, thus justifying the supplementary status of institutional care services. The pension intention of the rural elderly in Shandong Province is obviously affected by personal will factors, and the influencing factors are various. The traditional concept of old-age care in Shandong province has a strong path-dependent effect on the choice of the rural elderly. There is heterogeneity in the willingness and influencing factors of the rural elderly in different regions and countries. Based on this, this paper puts forward the following suggestions: strengthen the spiritual and cultural construction of residents; The government should pay attention to the correct guidance of public opinion; And increase pension subsidies. It is hoped that reduce the burden of national elderly care through these suggestions.
The aging of the population is becoming an increasingly severe issue. How can we develop caring services for the elderly and promote healthy aging? Investigating care preferences is an essential step in addressing this issue. A self-designed questionnaire was employed to collect data online. The impact of personal circumstances on care preferences was ascertained using the chi-squared test and multivariate logistic regression. An optimal parameters-based geographical detector was introduced to examine the influence of spatially heterogeneous regional factors on care preferences. The online survey produced 1178 valid questionnaires. Home-based elderly care was the preference of 91.9% of respondents, followed by community-based care and medical-nursing care; institutional care was the least preferred alternative. Age, education, living style, and health states of the elderly significantly influenced the preferred care option. When compared to home-based elderly care, older respondents (odds ratio [OR] = 3.776) preferred institutional care, highly educated respondents preferred community-based care (higher education: OR = 5.206; secondary education: OR = 3.049) and medical-nursing care (higher education: OR = 4.484); the elderly living alone (OR = 0.101) excluded institutional care, and the elderly living with their children excluded non-family care method of institutional care (OR = 0.031) and medical-nursing care (OR = 0.391). Regional medical resources and old-age security significantly affect the preferences of the elderly (q-statistic [q] > 0.5); local economic development significantly affects community-based care (q > 0.6); the availability of financial subsidies significantly affects home-based care and medical-nursing care (q > 0.9); and the availability of institutional resources significantly affects the preference for institutional care (q > 0.8). We found that it is necessary to improve the level of medical care given by non-family members and care facilities, vigorously develop new methods of elderly care, promote humanistic care in non-family care settings, and increase available regional medical resources, financial subsidies, and social security. This study integrates economic and social perspectives to examine and analyze retirement willingness, thereby broadening the scope of social surveys and research methodologies, and offering valuable insights with potential directive implications.
The aim is to investigate the association between sociodemographic characteristics and the interactive health literacy and the time to treatment of social anxiety disorder. An online survey of N = 311 patients was carried out (response rate 54.1 %). Descriptive statistical analysis and a logistic regression analysis were carried out. The respondents are on average 46 years old (20-81), 59 % are women. Older age (OR 2,579), not living in partnership (OR 1,963), fear of personal contact (OR 5,716) and low (OR 3,585) or moderate (OR 3,144) interactive health literacy were significantly associated with the time to treatment. The data suggest that social inequalities exist regarding the use of psychotherapeutic or pharmacological interventions in people with social anxiety disorder.