bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Covid-19 vaccination adherence and correlated factors in patients with substance use disorders
Authors: Mondera F , Direnzo GFM , Cammalleri V , Forestiero FM , Turatto F , Baccolini V , Marzuillo C , Barra M , Villari P 
Published: October 2022

Abstract

Background
Analyzing trends and patterns of vaccination during COVID-19 pandemic is important to understand how current policies are working. Evidence regarding the general population is already available, but hard-to-reach populations as migrants or minorities, but also people suffering from a Substance Use Disorder (SUD), have not been fully explored. To understand the extent of vaccine adherence and evaluate associated factors in this population subgroup, we conducted a cross-sectional study in collaboration with Villa Marini Foundation, national agency of the Italian Red Cross for pathological addictions.

Methods
We developed a questionnaire regarding COVID-19 vaccination, adherence to prevention measures, concerns about COVID-19 and questions relating to drug use that we administered to each participant. Only people aged over 18 with a diagnosis of SUD were included in the study. A multivariable logistic regression model was built to identify the predictors associated with anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, estimating adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results
We recruited 200 participants between December 2021 and January 2022. Most respondents were male (84.5%), Italian (72%), aged 44 years on average. A total of 40 patients (20%) reported they haven't received any dose of COVID-19 vaccine; the most common motivations were lack of trust in the vaccine and fear of side effects. At multivariable analysis, the use of heroin appears to be negatively associated with vaccination acceptance (aOR=0.31 CI 95%: 0.11-0.81) as well as not being Italian (aOR=0.27 CI 95%: 0.12-0.63).

Conclusions
The vaccination rate in our sample was consistent with the one of the general Italian population in the same period, whereas the reasons behind the lower adherence to vaccination in the heroin group need to be further investigated. It’s also important to reduce possible bureaucratic obstacles that could explain the lower number of vaccinated foreign citizens.

Key messages
• People with Substance Use Disorder are a fragile and often overlooked population that needs to be considered during Public Health intervention and vaccination campaigns.
• The access to vaccination for foreigners should be made more simple and easier to increase accessibility and participation.
Information-seeking on the internet during the transition to motherhood: descriptive survey, Cyprus
Authors: Middleton N , Koliandri I , Kolokotroni O , Hadjigeorgiou E , Christodoulides V , Nicolaou C , Kouta C , Karanikola M , Middleton N ,   Baby Buddy Forward partnership
Published: October 2022

Abstract

Background
Internet use in pregnancy is very prevalent. However, there are issues with information quality as well as acceptance by healthcare providers which can add to the frustration.

Methods
An online anonymous survey, shared via Baby Buddy Cyprus, addressed women who are pregnant or recently gave birth in Cyprus. Adapting previously used questionnaires, the survey covered reasons and patterns of internet use, perceptions of trustworthiness, appraisal means and usefulness in decision-making.

Results
Among 357 responses so far in this ongoing survey (38% pregnant, 62% new mums, 66% primiparas, 42% C/S, 78% private sector), searching online seems very frequent, even though 70% report coming across wrong or misleading information often. Checking for consistency across sites and/or with information by healthcare provider (HP) is the most common technique for assessing trustworthiness. While the majority discuss information with HP, only half characterize their reception as positive and welcoming. As many as 89% believe that HP should recommend sites, but only 6.5% report their HP made recommendations. The role of the internet in assisting decision-making is rated as moderate (M = 3.0, SD = 1.0 on 5-point scale averaged across 11 items); yet more than half search online to be prepared and have control over decisions. Among reasons cited for using the internet is insufficient time with HP and/or is unclear or unsatisfactory information. While only 11.6% prepare material for the next appointment, 54.5 % use the internet to verify information given by HP or for a second opinion.

Conclusions
While a prevalent source of information, the flow is problematic as it appears that women are more likely to search online to verify information rather than discuss this information with their providers. Insights about characteristics and attributes of internet use in pregnancy suggest that health services need to engage with, rather than ignore, this reality and offer appropriate guidance.

Key messages
• Pregnant women in Cyprus search for information online, due to insufficient time or information by healthcare providers, even though they recognize there are issues with quality and expect guidance.
• In a landscape of unguided information-seeking, searching for consistency and verification, a shift in current practices is needed whereby healthcare providers and services engage with this reality.
A preliminary study of bullying on University of Nursing in Taiwan
Authors: Hsieh M 
Published: October 2022

Abstract

Background
According to the COVID-19 pandemic progress, the increase in online learning and communication, the survey shows that 36.3% of children have been bullied online (Children’s Welfare Alliance, 2021). However, campus bullying has long-term effects on students’ physiology and psychology, and will also extend to society in the future to form a social problem.

Aims
It is generally believed that university students are relatively mature and have more freedom in taking courses. They believe that there are few bullying incidents that need attention on university campuses. Therefore, to understand the patterns of bullying on university campuses of nursing in Taiwan through this study.

Methods
Referring to the definition and selecting the published within good reliability and validity of ‘University Students’ Campus Life Experience and Interpersonal Interaction Experience Survey', the subjects in domestic university campuses choose the closest answer according to their own situation.

Results
In a total of 2570 valid questionnaires, the highest incidence of verbal bullying (38%), and those who don't want to answer gender “experienced bullying in person” (42.9%). Gender was shown to be statistically significant in bullying experience (p=.017). It shows that university students of nursing in Taiwan have obvious room for improvement in gender issues.

Conclusions
Through this study, it is known that campus bullying exists in different types of experiences on university campuses of nursing in Taiwan. The bullying impact is often not only in school, and the impact will even extend to enter social work. Faculties must also be the gatekeepers of bullying prevention, but in fact, even senior faculties may not be very clear about what bullying is, how to properly handle bullying incidents, and how to prevent bullying, so every faculty should have the ability to take appropriate, fast and effective treatment when bullying occurs.

Key messages
• Campus bullying has long-term effects on students’ physiology and psychology, and will also extend to society in the future to form a social problem.
• Verbal bullying (38%) had the highest incidence, those who don’t want to answer gender “experienced bullying in person” (42.9%).
Barriers to prevent second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure among pregnant women and children in Egypt
Authors: Hassanein Z , Langley T , Bogdanovica I , Murray R 
Published: October 2022

Abstract

Background
The prevalence of daily second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure among pregnant non-smoking women and children in Egypt is estimated to be about 50% and 55%, respectively. This study aimed to explore barriers to preventing SHS exposure among pregnant women/children and smoking behavior at home in Egypt.

Methods
Focus group discussions (FGDs) with pregnant women/mothers of children residing in urban/rural areas (n = 61). Data were coded and analyzed thematically.

Results
61 participants were recruited, aged 18-49. They reported being never smokers and SHS exposure for themselves and their children was mainly at home. Pregnant women/mothers had some general knowledge of the dangers of SHS, but their knowledge appeared incomplete. The most commonly reported barriers to preventing SHS exposure/adopting a smoke free home or workplace were having men who smoke in the household, doctors not being supportive regarding smoking cessation, SHS exposure is socially accepted and fear among women of damaging a relationship; being nervous about asking smokers to stop, and being worried about disputes and arguments with husband. The majority of interviewees’ families were reported to allow smoking anywhere in the home; others implemented some measures to prevent SHS, however, these tended to be inconsistently implemented and unlikely to be effective.

Conclusions
This study increases our knowledge of the barriers of non-smoking Egyptian pregnant women/mother of children in creating and maintaining smoke free environment for themselves and their children. There is a need to denormalise SHS exposure and better enforcement of smoke free policies.

Key messages
• Better enforcement of smoke free policies, and more support for smoking cession services are needed in Egypt.
• SHS policy, practice, and research should focus on male family members to increase their effectiveness.
Factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infections among migrants in Germany
Authors: Koschollek C , Kajikhina K , Michalski N , Hövener C 
Published: October 2022

Abstract

Background
International research shows increased risks for SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe disease progression in people with migration history. In Germany, data on this topic is scarce. Aim of this contribution is to examine the association between migrant status and risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and discuss potential explanatory mechanisms.

Methods
We analysed data from the German COVID-19 Snapshot Monitoring online-survey and performed hierarchical multiple regression models to calculate probabilities for a self-reported SARS-CoV-2 infection. Main predictor variable was the migrant status; besides, the association with gender, age, education, household size, household language (German vs. other), and occupation in the health sector was analysed.

Results
Of 45,858 participants, 3.5% reported a current or previous infection with SARS-CoV-2, 16% reported own or parental history of migration. The probability of reporting an infection was 3.95 percentage points higher among migrants. The effect of different characteristics on self-reported SARS-CoV-2 infection varied. Higher probabilities were shown for individuals living in bigger households and those not speaking German at home. Stepwise integration decreased the observed association with migrant status. When adding an interaction term of migrant status and occupation in the health sector, the probability to report an infection was 11.5 percentage points higher for migrants working in the health sector.

Conclusions
People with migration history, health sector employees and particular migrant health workers are at a higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, the migrant status itself does not determine the risk of infection, but the living and working conditions. Therefore, targeted and multilingual prevention measures are needed that consider living and working conditions.

Key messages
• Higher SARS-CoV-2 infection risks are not solely determined by migrant status, but were shown for health care workers, people living in bigger households and those not speaking German at home.
• As not the migrant status determines infection risks, multilingual and targeted prevention measures considering the living and working conditions of people are necessary.
Design of value-added tax on medicines in 41 European countries
Authors: Vogler S , Zimmermann N 
Published: October 2022

Abstract

Background
Recently, among others due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, European countries have been experiencing rising inflation. Value-added taxes (VAT) on essential goods have gained public attention, and abolishing VAT for these goods has been discussed as a measure to prevent poverty and inequities. The study aims to investigate the relevance of value-added tax on medicines in European countries.

Methods
We collated information on medicines-specific and standard VAT rates in 41 countries of the WHO European Region (all 27 European Union Member States, Albania, Armenia, Iceland, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, Moldova, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey and United Kingdom). Data were reviewed from literature and were validated by national public authorities.

Results
In three countries (Albania, Kazakhstan and Malta), all medicines are exempt from VAT. 28 of the 38 countries with VAT on medicines impose a single VAT rate on all medicines, and in most of these countries (21 countries) the medicines-related VAT is lower than the standard VAT rate. Ten countries have differentiated VAT rates: In Ireland, Kyrgyzstan, Sweden and the UK defined medicines (e.g. oral medicines, prescription-only medicines) are exempt from VAT, whereas for the other medicines the standard VAT rate applies; six further countries have a lower VAT rate for some medicines (e.g. heparins, blood products, contraceptives or reimbursed medicines in general) compared to the remaining medicines, whose VAT rate equal the standard rate or is lower.

Conclusions
Some European countries apply specific mechanisms (exemptions, reduced rates) regarding the VAT for defined or all medicines. This may act as a protective measure for patients in case of non-reimbursed medicines and help public payers to ensure financial sustainability to funded medicines. Further medicines-specific research is needed to understand the impact of inflation.

Key messages
• Value-added tax is a relevant component of medicine prices.
• Lowering or abolishing the VAT on medicines can be an important policy espeically when patients pay out-of-pocket.
The study on health of older people in Germany (Health 65+): Design and first results
Authors: Fuchs J , Gaertner B , Perlitz H , Kuttig T , Scheidt-Nave C ,   Study Group Health 65+
Published: October 2022

Abstract

Background
Integrating older persons into continuous national public health monitoring is crucial but challenging. Health 65+ is the first national health interview and examination survey in Germany specifically tailored to the needs of the population 65+ years.

Methods
Health 65+ is based on two-stage stratified random sampling from 128 local population registries. It is based on a previously tested three-step procedure to contact the study population (letter, telephone, home visits). 12,448 individuals 65+ years were invited for survey participation between June 2021 and April 2022. Participation comprised answering a baseline-questionnaire/interview covering a consented set of key health indicators including SARS-COV2 infections, and 3 follow-ups. After one year participants are invited to an examination (e.g. blood pressure, grip strength, cognitive function) during a home visit. All-cause mortality, health insurance data and information on social and built environment will be linked to survey data. The preliminary data set comprises 3,107 baseline participants.

Preliminary results
Only few individuals were excluded for survey participation as they had deceased before invitation, moved to an unknown residence or had insufficient German language skills. Of the adjusted gross sample, 32% took part in the survey (47.9% women, mean age 78.8 years). Only 3.3% of the participants did not receive any vaccination against COVID-19, with no differences between gender or age-groups. 3.5% had already experienced a laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Conclusions
Health 65+ collects information that cannot be obtained from any other data sources. In combination with information from routine health data and official health statistics, the results will aid health policy planning and implementation research to improve health and wellbeing of older people in Germany. For example, preliminary results show, that vaccination acceptance was high in persons 65+ years in Germany.

Key messages
• Health 65+ will provide health data of people 65+ years in Germany.
• The results will aid health policy planning.
Monitoring tobacco use among a sample of Tunisian high school pupils
Authors: Zammit N , Amara A , Ghammam R , Ben Fredj S , Boujebha S , Maatouk A , Ouertani M , Ben Belgacem W , Maatoug J , Ghannem H 
Published: October 2022

Abstract

Background
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death. This risk behavior usually begins during adolescence. However, only the third of the countries are monitoring this risk behavior among adolescents.

Objective
To assess the prevalence of tobacco use and to determine the predictors of its experimentation among high school students from Sousse (Tunisia) in 2018 and 2019.

Methods
In 2018 and 2019, two cross-sectional studies were led among 1399 and 1342 adolescents randomly selected from the same four high schools in Sousse. For data collection, the same pre-tested questionnaire was self-administered anonymously to the participants in the presence of pre-trained investigators.

Results
Girls represented 60.5% and 63.2% of participants in 2018 and 2019 respectively. The prevalence of tobacco experimentation was of 29.4% in 2018 and of 26.7% in 2019. Current cigarette smoking was objectified in 9.8% and 7.4% of participants in 2018 and 2019. Regardless of the year of the study, the main predictors of lifetime tobacco use among them were: current use of e-cigarette (adjusted OR of 6.4 [4.5-9.0]), cannabis experimentation (adjusted OR of 5.3 [2.7-10.7] and alcohol consumption (adjusted OR of 3.9 [2.5-6.3]).

Conclusions
Experimentation and current use of tobacco are common among the high school students of Sousse. The national smoking prevention program should be reinforced by multisectoral prevention actions targeting not only tobacco use but also the consumption of other substances.

Key messages
• Tobacco experimentation is high among the adolescents of Sousse.
• Tobacco experimentation is strongly associated with other substances use among the adolescents of Sousse.
Effects of Earth's gravitation and compressibility on co- and post-seismic deformations
Authors: Liu Tai , Tang He , She Yawen , Fu Guangyu 
Published: October 2022

SUMMARY
In this paper, we systematically analyse the effect of Earth's gravitation and compressibility on co- and post-seismic deformations. Based on the analytical solution of dislocation Love number (DLN) in a non-gravitational and incompressible homogeneous Earth model, it was seen that reducing the density of the homogeneous Earth model can provide results equivalent to a non-gravitational model while expanding the Lamé constant of the homogeneous model gives results equivalent to those from an incompressible model. Then, we applied a non-gravitational and incompressible treatment in a layered spherical Earth model, and calculated the co- and post-seismic Green's functions for four independent sources. It is found that the effect of Earth's gravitation and compressibility are dependent on source depth and time after the event. The effect of gravitation on the co-seismic Green's function of a shallow source is much smaller than that of compressibility, while the effect of gravitation on the post-seismic Green's function over longer timescales is much greater than that of compressibility. Finally, taking the 2011 Tohoku-Oki Mw9.0 and 2013 Okhotsk Mw 8.3 earthquakes as examples, the simulation results show that post-seismic deformation studies should consider the Earth's compressibility, which is more obvious in the early post-seismic period. Likewise, when the viscosity of the study area is low, the effect of gravitation cannot be ignored. For the slip inversion of Tohoku-Oki Mw 9.0 earthquake, the incompressible Earth model leads to a smaller slip magnitude than the compressible Earth model.
Modelling Earth’s lithospheric magnetic field using satellites in low-perigee elliptical orbits
Authors: Olsen Nils 
Published: October 2022

SUMMARYThe sensitivity of magnetic measurements taken by satellites in elliptical orbits to the lithospheric magnetic field is studied by comparing the formal error variances of the lithospheric Gauss coefficients for various satellite orbital constellations. Analytical expressions are presented for the variances of the Gauss coefficients when either all three magnetic vector components or only the radial component are used. We compare the results obtained using a satellite in a near-polar circular orbit at 350 km altitude with those from a satellite in an elliptical orbit with perigee at 140 km (and apogee at 1500 km) and find that the latter leads to Gauss coefficient variances at spherical harmonic degree n = 180 (corresponding to a horizontal wavelength of λ = 220 km) that are 104 times smaller compared to those derived from a similar number of data measured at 350 km altitude. The improvements in variance ratio at degree n = 145 (λ = 275 km) and n = 110 (λ = 360 km) are 103 and 102, respectively. These findings are supported by an analysis of synthetic magnetic data along simulated satellite orbits from which the lithospheric Gauss coefficients are estimated and compared with the original ones used to generate the synthetic data. Coefficients at degree n are successfully determined if the power of the difference between retrieved and original coefficients at that degree is smaller than the power of the lithospheric field (i.e. of the input coefficients). Using 3 yr of simulated data we conclude that magnetic measurements from a satellite in an elliptical orbit with perigee at 140 km allow for a reliable determination of the lithospheric field up to spherical harmonic n ≈ 170 while a satellite in a circular orbit at 350 km height only enables lithospheric field modelling up to n ≈ 100. The analysis demonstrates that low-altitude magnetic data collected by satellites in low-perigee elliptical orbits—although only available for a fraction of each orbit—enable improved global lithospheric field modelling at spatial wavelengths well beyond what is currently possible with data from satellites in circular orbits that do not reach such low altitudes. We applied the approach to the orbital configuration proposed for the Daedalus satellite mission (140 km perigee); the method will however also help in the preparation for other satellite missions in near-polar low-perigee elliptical orbits like the Macau Science Satellite pair MSS-2A and MSS-2B (perigee of 200 km or lower).