bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Relation between mortality and physical activity levels or sedentary behavior: Proof cohort
Authors: Dupré C , Brégère M , Berger M , Pichot V , Celle S , Bongue B , Barthélémy J C , Roche F , Hupin D 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Although moderate-to-vigorous physical activity has been proven to be effective in preventing major chronic diseases, the most recent epidemiological studies now focus on low-intensity physical activity, due to the need to promote all activities. However, the evidence currently remains weak. The objective of the study is to clarify the effects of different levels of physical activity and sedentary behavior on mortality. The different levels of physical activity were assessed by a validated self-administered questionnaire (POPAQ) covering different types of physical activity in the previous 7 days. Medical history and examinations were taken during each clinical visit to determine clinical events. The relationships between the intensity of physical activity (light, moderate to vigorous) as well as periods of physical inactivity in relation to mortality or cardiovascular events were analyzed by splines and COX models. Of the 1011 65-year-old subjects initially included in 2001 (60% women), the last 18-year follow-up is now completed since 2019. A total of 197 deaths (19.2% including 77 cardiovascular deaths) and 195 cardiovascular events (19.3%) have been reported. The means (standard deviation) of moderate or intense activity, light or sedentary activity were respectively 1.2 h/d (0.3), 5.8 h/d (1.1) and 6.6 h/d (2.3). For all-cause deaths, as well as cardiovascular deaths, splines were significant for light (p = 0.04 and p = 0.01) and moderate to vigorous (p &lt; 0.001 and p &lt; 0.001) activities, but not for sedentary lifestyle (p = 0.24 and p = 0.90). However, there is a significant reduction in cardiovascular events when the sedentary time decreased from 10.9 to 3.3 h/d. The PROOF cohort study shows a clear dose-response relationship between the dose of light, moderate to vigorous and sedentary behavior with mortality and cardiovascular events. These results provide evidence to support the inclusion of light physical activity in future activity guidelines physical.

Key messages
• Relationship between the dose of light, moderate to vigorous and sedentary lifestyle with mortality and cardiovascular events.
• Importance of inclusion of light physical activity in future activity guidelines physical.
Nutrition and food supply after the Covid-19 pandemic: results from the Specchio cohort study
Authors: Baysson H , Pullen N , Lamour J , Zaballa M , Guessous I , Stringhini S 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Background
To contain the COVID-19 pandemic, countries put in place lockdown measures, causing disruption of daily life and changes in lifestyle. Our objective was to explore whether potential changes in diet quality and food supply persisted after the release of lockdown measures, and how these differed according to individual characteristics.

Methods
The analysis relies on the Geneva (Switzerland) population-based Specchio cohort. In March 2022, an online questionnaire was designed to characterize health behaviors. Nutrition-related changes were assessed through two questions “Today, compared to before the pandemic, would you say that the quality of your diet:
• Improved • Improved slightly • Did not change • Deteriorated slightly • Has deteriorated” and “Comparing the current period with that before the pandemic, have you significantly changed your habits regarding your food supply? •Yes •No.” Nutrition-related changes and their determinants were investigated using logistic regression.

Results
The analysis included 4065 participants (response rate 46%). Mean age was 54 years, 59% were women. 17% of participants reported that their diet had improved or slightly improved compared to before the pandemic. Our results showed a clear age gradient, with younger participants having higher odds of reporting an improved diet (aOR 0.98 (0.97-0.98) per year, p &lt; 0.001). Participants who reported not paying attention to their health did not report an improved diet (aOR 0.29 (0.16-0.49), p &lt; 0.001); those who reported significant changes in their food supply habits had greater odds of reporting they improved their diet (aOR 3.37 (2.76-4.11), p &lt; 0.001). The most popular changes were going more frequently to markets or to small shops. We found no significant differences by sex or by education.

Conclusions
As reported from other countries, our results showed improved diet quality compared to before the pandemic in certain population subgroups, mainly due to changes in local food supply.

Key messages
• Favorable changes in diet quality and food supply during the Covid-19 pandemic were observed in certain population subgroups.
• With health behavior changes due to pandemic, including nutrition, digital population-based cohorts such as Specchio become a rich resource to produce novel and timely evidence over time.
Putting blood donors at the heart infectious disease surveillance
Authors: Butler D , Waters A , Coyne D , Williams P , O'Flaherty N , Hervig T 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Issue
The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 brought with it an urgent need to generate accurate and real-time surveillance data. The Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS), along with many blood establishments worldwide undertook SARS-CoV-2 serosurveillance studies using residual blood donor serum. This response highlighted the role that blood donors can play in informing public health policy.

Description
In September 2020 the IBTS undertook a SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence study using blood donor specimens to track the ‘first-wave’ of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland. We utilised our operational capacity for sample collection and screening to quickly generate seroprevalence data. In 2021, the newly established National Serosurveillance Program (NSP) in Ireland invited the IBTS to collaborate on a SARS-CoV-2 serosurveillance study in blood donors which has continued into 2023.

Results
This response has led to an enhanced relationship between the IBTS and public health in Ireland and has highlighted a possible future role for the IBTS in providing ‘real-time’ seroprevalence data to policy-makers. This data can be used to inform decision-making in relation to infection prevention and control strategies including vaccination policy.

Lessons
This practice highlights the role that blood establishments can play in informing public health policy and indicates that this role could be expanded in the future in the cases of both emerging infections and vaccine preventable diseases. Blood donor studies offer a unique opportunity to screen healthy populations for the presence of antibodies to infections on a national level and with the opportunity for longitudinal sampling of returning donors.

Key messages
• The relationship between blood establishments and public health should be further explored in the future to support infectious disease surveillance programmes.
• Blood donor studies can provide vital baseline data of healthy populations.
Prevalence of overweight among Tunisian adolescents: Trend analysis 1996-2016
Authors: Zribi M , Zoghlami N , Elati J , Traissac P , Aounallah-Skhiri H 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Background
Overweight among adolescents is a growing public health concern worldwide, and Tunisia is no exception. However, prevalence trends of overweight among Tunisian adolescents have not been well documented. This study aimed to determine prevalence trends of overweight among adolescents in Tunisia between 1996 and 2016.

Methods
Data were collected from three national surveys conducted in Tunisia between 1996 and 2016. The first was conducted in 1996 (n = 729). The second was the Epidemiological Transition and Health Impact in North Africa Survey (TAHINA-2005, n = 1019), and the third was the Tunisia National Health Examination Survey (THES-2016, n = 482). All surveys used a similar methodology and included a representative sample of the Tunisian population. Overweight was defined as Body Mass Index≥ 85th percentile. STATA software was used for statistical analysis and chi-squared test for trend was performed.

Results
A total of 2230 participants was enrolled (sex ratio=0.99). The prevalence of overweight among adolescents increased from 10.8% (4.3% for boys and 17.7% for girls) in 1996 to 18.9% (17.2% for boys and 20.7% for girls) in 2005, then to 30.5% (22% for boys and 39.2% for girls) in 2016. Linear trend test concluded to significant increase in overweight prevalence estimated at 179.6% in two decades. The results showed a significant effect of time on overweight prevalence (p &lt; 10-3), as well as a significant effect of sex group (p &lt; 10-3). The model estimated that the prevalence of overweight increased by 1.29% per year from 1996 to 2016. The odds of overweight increased significantly over time, with an Odds Ratio (OR = 1.79, (95% CI: 1.39-2.30)) for TAHINA survey and (OR = 2.80 (95% CI: 2.21-3.55)) for THES survey.

Conclusions
Our study showed a significant increase in the prevalence of overweight among Tunisian adolescents over the past two decades. It is crucial to refine the analysis of associated risks to develop targeted interventions and adapt current policies.

Key messages
• The prevalence of overweight increased significantly among Tunisian adolescents in the past two decades.
• Targeted interventions and policies to address this issue are therefore urgent.
Social and environmental stressors and cardiometabolic risk
Authors: Bartoskova Polcrova A , Dalecka A , Szabo D , Gonzalez Rivas J P , Bobak M , Pikhart H 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Background
Cardiometabolic health is influenced by many social and environmental factors, as demonstrated by the ubiquitous health inequalities. Exposures to social and environmental stressors produce individual biological and behavioural responses and thus may lead to impaired health both directly and indirectly. This study investigated several social and environmental stressors and describe the paths of their effect on cardiometabolic health.

Methods
We analysed a cross-sectional population sample of 2154 Czech subjects (aged 25-64 years, 55% women). The composite score (range 0-5) of metabolic disorders was calculated using 5 biomarkers: waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, HDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides. The higher score represents the higher cardiometabolic risk (CMR). The effects of social stressors (education, income), environmental stressors (air pollution, greenspace, noise) and behavioural factors (unhealthy diet, smoking, alcohol intake, sedentary behaviours) on CMR were assessed using a structural pathway model.

Results
We observed a significant direct effect of higher education on CMR (β=-0.101; 95% CI [-0.146, -0.056], as well as an indirect effect mediated via an unhealthy diet (β=-0.013; 95% CI [-0.022, -0.006]), smoking (β=-0.015; 95% CI [-0.028, -0.003]), and sedentary behaviours (β = 0.013; 95% CI [0.007, 0.022]). We also observed a significant indirect effect of higher income via sedentary behaviours (β = 0.012; 95% CI [0.006, 0.019]). The only environmental stressor significantly predicting CMR was noise (β = 0.054; 95% CI [0.006, 0.019]), which was also mediating the effect of higher education (β=-0.003; 95% CI [-0.008, -0.001]).

Conclusions
The effect of social stressors on the development of CMR had a higher magnitude than the effect of the assessed environmental factors. Social stressors lead to an individual's unhealthy behaviour and predispose individuals to higher levels of environmental stressors exposures.

Key messages
• Social stressors exhibited a greater magnitude of effect on cardiometabolic risk compared to environmental stressors.
• Social stressors lead to unhealthy behaviours and predispose individuals to higher environmental stressors exposure.
Covid-19 pandemic and mental health in italy: a multicenter, longitudinal national project
Authors: Petrelli A , Leone S , Ciampichini R , Fano V , Pacifici M , Di Napoli A , Aragona M , Rosini C , Silvestri C , Ventura M 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Background
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health has been widely documented. In Italy, however, no robust evidence has yet been produced. The objective of this abstract is to describe the profile of the Covid-19 and Mental Health (CoMeH) study cohort and preliminary describe the impact of the pandemic on population mental health.

Methods
Multicenter project promoted and coordinated by National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (INMP), involving an open cohort study of incident subjects with mental health disorders, enrolled from 01/01/2018 to 30/06/2022, in 3 centers (ATS Bergamo, Tuscany Region, ASL Roma 2). Subjects aged ≥14 years, residing at least in the previous 2 years, with at least 3 outpatient mental health services, 1 admission to a residential mental health service, 1 hospitalization or emergency room access with psychiatric diagnosis, prescription of at least 2 drugs for mental disorders and exemption for psychiatric disease were included. We estimated the immediate impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as pre- and post-Covid-19 trend by fitting a Poisson segmented regression model in the context of the interrupted time series analysis.

Results
As of January 2023, the cohort consisted of 242,442 cases (13% in ATS Bergamo, 73% in Tuscany Region and 14% in ASL Roma 2), and mainly had access to prescription drugs (45%, 60%, 62% respectively). Regression model preliminary conducted on ATS Bergamo and ASL Roma 2 showed a decrease in the number of incident cases in the first month of Covid-19 (IRR: 0.793; 95%CI: 0.733-0.857 compared to counterfactual). In the post-Covid-9 period an increasing monthly trend was observed (IRR: 1.013; 95%CI: 1.008-1.019). Findings were similar between women and men.

Conclusions
Our findings suggest evidence of a negative effect of the pandemic on mental health, with an increasing trend in the post-Covid-19 period. Future analysis will be focalized in evaluating socioeconomic inequalities.

Key messages
• The study aims to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in Italy.
• A large longitudinal open cohort will be used to investigate the role of socioeconomic and migrant status.
Socioeconomic inequalities in COVID-19 - An analysis of health insurance data
Authors: Wachtler B , Beese F , Wahrendorf M , Hoebel J 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Background
Evidence on socioeconomic inequalities in COVID-19 outcomes largely rests on ecological studies. Only few studies investigated inequalities in different COVID-19 outcomes prospectively on an individual level. We therefore conducted an analysis of German health insurance data to assess socioeconomic inequalities in COVID-19 incidence and hospitalizations within a cohort of insured individuals.

Methods
We used data of 3.17 million working-aged individuals (18 to 67 years) from various statutory health insurances in Germany. Educational level and occupational position were used as measures of socioeconomic position (SEP). We calculated directly age-standardized incidence rates per 1000 person-weeks (IR) and incidence rate ratios (IRR) among the sample population for COVID-19 incidence and COVID-19 hospitalizations for each exposure during the first four pandemic waves (01.01.2020-31.12.2021).

Results
Age-standardized IR and IRR of COVID-19 incidence and hospitalizations showed social gradients with higher rates in socioeconomically more disadvantaged groups. Incidence risk was higher among those in a low occupational position (IRR low vs. high: 1.29, 95% CI 1.27-1.31) and with a low level of education (IRR low vs. high: 1.36, 95% CI 1.34-1.38). Inequalities in COVID-19 hospitalizations were more pronounced with an IRR for low vs. high occupational position of 2.29 (95% CI 2.10-2.50) and an IRR for low vs. high level of education of 1.86 (95% CI 1.72-2.03).

Conclusions
We found socioeconomic inequalities in COVID-19 by education and occupational position, with inequalities in hospitalizations being more pronounced than those in incidence risk. These results show a high potential of prevention to improve population health and health equity in pandemics with novel respiratory pathogens. Further research on the underlying mechanisms of these inequalities in COVID-19 is needed.

Key messages
• Socioeconomically more disadvantaged individuals have a higher risk of COVID-19 and a severe disease progression.
• These inequalities should be addressed in future pandemic preparedness planning in order to minimize the unequal health impacts of pandemics with new emerging diseases.
Differences by immigration status on Covid-19 acute outcomes in the Emilia-Romagna ORCHESTRA cohort
Authors: Corsaro A , Banchelli F , Buttazzi R , Gagliotti C , Ricchizzi E , Moro M L , Berti E , Caranci N 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Covid-19 pandemic increased health inequalities, affecting vulnerable populations as ethnic minorities and migrants. This retrospective observational population-based cohort study, as a part of the Horizon 2020 ORCHESTRA Project (funded under Grant Agreement n.101016167), assessed differences in risks of hospitalization, disease severity and mortality during the first 30 days after Covid-19 infection, comparing immigrants from high migratory pressure countries (HMPCs) to Italians and other residents from low migratory pressure countries (LMPCs) in the Emilia-Romagna (E-R) Region in Italy. All adult positive cases from February ’20 to February ’22 and residing for at least 1 year in E-R were included. Poisson regression with robust estimation of standard error was used to obtain risk ratios for main outcomes, stratifying by sex, epidemic period and adjusting for age, citizenship, deprivation index, care complexity index and vaccination status. Data came from the regional administrative healthcare databases. Sensitivity analyses were performed with people &lt;75 years old and disaggregating into 7 main citizenship. Among the 859,754 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, 9.6% were immigrants from HMPCs. Hospitalization risk among them was higher than for Italians and other LMPCs in both sexes (p &lt; 0.01), in all periods and with an increasing trend over time; similarly, migrants had higher risk of severity (p &lt; 0.05), with higher point estimates in women. Even if with lower level of evidence as compared to other outcomes, an indication of higher mortality among immigrant was evident in the first 7 months and confirmed by sensitivity analysis including population &lt;75 years old. Sensitivity analyses showed higher risk of severe outcomes in Asians and Sub-Saharan Africans, particularly in women. Immigrants, in particular vulnerable subgroups such as women or migrants from Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, showed higher risk of acute severe disease during the first 2 years of pandemic in E-R.

Key messages
• Numerous barriers to primary care access led migrants from HMPCs to show higher risk of disease severity, especially among most marginalized groups.
• Implementing equity-oriented and gender-based interventions is essential to overcome barriers to primary care and improve awareness and inclusion of migrants from HMPCs.
Sentinel Surveillance of Severe Acute Respiratory Infections in Serbia in 2022-2023 Season
Authors: Dimitrijevic D , Jovanovic V , Milinkovic M , Tomasevic T , Protic J , Grego E , Maris S , Cosic J 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Introduction
Sentinel surveillance of severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) was implemented in Serbia in November 2009. Nine sentinel hospitals in 3 cities participated in the integrated SARI surveillance system. Four of them are children's hospitals. The aim of this study is to provide a review of integrated sentinel surveillance of SARI in Serbia in 2022-2023 influenza season, from October 2022 to April 2023.

Methods
Integrated Sentinel Surveillance of SARI has been done in accordance with professional guidance for epidemiological surveillance of influenza. Both epidemiological and virological data were collected on a weekly basis. All specimens were tested for influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Intensive care units (ICUs), pediatric and respiratory disease wards were all represented. For laboratory confirmation, Real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used.

Results
Start of influenza season was registered in week 44/2022. A total of 3027 SARI cases were reported with 100% recorded age. Of these, 14% were 0-4 years old, 9% were 5-14, 7% were 15-29, 38% were 30-64 and 32% were ≥65. Among these cases, 607(20%) respiratory specimens were collected during the surveillance period. The number of positive samples for influenza was 208(34%), for SARS-CoV-2 was 37(6%) and for RSV 12(2%). The highest proportion of laboratory-confirmed influenza cases was 58% in week 51/2022. then, above 50% in week 7/2023 and 8/2023. All three influenza viruses were confirmed: A(H1)pdm09, A(H3) and type B. B viruses predominated, accounting for 38% of all sentinel SARI detections. There no were death associated to influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and RSV.

Conclusions
Integration epidemiological with laboratory surveillance as well as integrated sentinel SARI surveillance for influenza, SARS -CoV-2 and RSV highlights the importance of maintaining and improving national influenza surveillance capacity especially in the frame of International Health Regulations.

Key messages
• Quality, representativeness and sustainability are the guiding principles for integrated, SARS-CoV-2, RSV and influenza sentinel SARI surveillance.
• The threat of influenza remains, and it is essential for countries to be vigilant for the emergence of non seasonal influenza viruses of pandemic potential and prepare for the next influenza season.